Stock Analysis
Data Source: SEC EDGAR 13F
Updated Hourly

Innovator Etfs Trust (BUFF)

150 + Investors. Track Smart Money conviction in BUFF. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Current Price
-- USD
Analyst Target
-- (0 analysts)
Upside
0.00%
Net Flow Q/Q
↑ +14
Streak
11Q ▲
Buyers last Q
59%

Smart Money Signals — BUFF

Based on 150 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly

📈

Buying streak — 11 quarters in a row

last 6Q
For 11 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added BUFF than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.
🏔️

At the ownership peak (100% of max)

100% of all-time peak
150 hedge funds hold BUFF right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.
🚀

Fast accumulation — +25% more funds vs a year ago

fund count last 6Q
+30 new funds entered over the past year (+25% YoY). That's a rapid rush of institutional money. Fast accumulation often signals a major thesis — but it also means the stock could fall quickly if that thesis breaks.
🟡

Slight buying edge — 59% buying

79 buying56 selling
Last quarter: 79 funds bought or added vs 56 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.
📈

More new buyers each quarter (+7 vs last Q)

new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening a new BUFF position: 16 → 15 → 14 → 21. A growing influx of new institutional buyers means the asset is still gathering momentum — the consensus hasn't fully saturated yet.
🔒

43% of holders stayed for 2+ years

■ 43% conviction (2yr+) ■ 36% medium ■ 21% new
64 out of 150 hedge funds have held BUFF for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.
📈

Growing discovery — still being found

17 → 16 → 15 → 14 → 21 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 16 → 15 → 14 → 21. A growing number of institutions are discovering BUFF each quarter. The narrative is still spreading — leaving room for ongoing capital accumulation.
🏛️

Veteran-anchored — 47% veterans vs 31% newcomers

■ 47% veterans ■ 23% 1-2yr ■ 31% new
Entry-cohort mix of 150 holders: 70 (47%) are 2+ year veterans, 34 entered 1–2 years ago, and 46 (31%) joined within the past year. A veteran-weighted cap table skews toward institutional memory over fresh momentum.
✅

Strong quality — 26% AUM from major funds

26% from top-100 AUM funds
9 of 149 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 26% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.
3.8
out of 10
Low Exit Risk
Exit risk score 3.8/10 — low institutional crowding. Ownership is below peak levels, holder base is relatively sticky, and buying momentum is positive.

Methodology note: these Smart Money cards use consecutive 13F disclosure snapshots, not trade-by-trade execution data. "Buying", "selling", "new holders", and "trimmed" refer to quarter-over-quarter changes in reported holders, aggregate shares, or disclosed position values between filings. They are useful for ownership regime analysis and crowding, but they do not imply exact trade timing on the filing date.

Institutional Sentiment Summary — BUFF

In 2026 Q1, 79 hedge funds were net buyers of BUFF (21 opened a new position, 58 added to an existing one), while 56 reduced or exited (49 trimmed, 7 sold completely) — a 59% buyer ratio, indicating a slight buying edge. This marks 11 consecutive quarters of net institutional buying — a persistent conviction signal. 26% of total institutional value in BUFF is held by top-100 AUM funds, reflecting strong institutional quality. Net fund flow last quarter: +14 funds (more new holders than closures). Total institutional holders: 150.

Hedge Fund Ownership: BUFF

How many hedge funds hold BUFF — quarterly history vs. share price
Quarterly hedge fund ownership of BUFF vs. share price

Market Analysis: BUFF

Analyst Price Targets

Avg. Price Target
--

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Real-time

Company Profile: BUFF

-- --

Institutional ownership data sourced from SEC EDGAR Form 13F-HR filings.

Is It Too Late to Buy Innovator Etfs Trust (BUFF) Based on Hedge Fund 13F Filings?

Signal Freshness measures how much BUFF has moved relative to its sector benchmark (SPY) since the 2026 Q1 13F filing. A stock that has barely outrun its sector is still a relatively fresh entry point — the fund's thesis has not yet been priced in by the broader market.

Since Quarter End March 31, 2026 · 89d ago
BUFF
nan%
SPY
+12.4%

BUFF outperformed SPY by nan% since March 31, 2026.

Since 13F Filing Date May 15, 2026 · 44d ago
BUFF
nan%
SPY
-1.1%

Since the filing became public, BUFF outperformed SPY by nan% .

Interpretation: The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference. Learn more →

Smart Money Signal ?
Limited Smart Money Interest

No strong consensus or elite conviction detected among institutional holders.

5 top-rated funds 6 high-conviction
Consensus
3.4
/ 10
breadth
×
Elite
3.5
/ 10
conviction
Hedge Fund Positioning: BUFF
150 + Investors

Track Smart Money conviction in BUFF. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Metric All 13F Filers (2026 Q1) Prior (2025 Q4) Change
Funds Holding 150 136 10.29%
13F Shares 12M 11M 7.32%
Total Value $544M $530M 2.61%
New Positions 21 14 +7
Increased Positions 58 54 +4
Closed Positions 7 9 -2
Reduced Positions 49 46 +3
Total Calls 0 0 -
Total Puts 0 0 -
PUT/CALL Ratio 0.0 0.0 Bullish

Statistics: BUFF

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Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

150 + investors

Explore institutional interest and hedge fund ownership dynamics. Analyze portfolio weights, new positions, and conviction trends in BUFF. Verified SEC 13F-HR filings.

QUARTER:
Top 25 BUFF holders by conviction (% of portfolio weight) — 2026 Q1 · Source: SEC Form 13F
# Investor % of Portfolio Shares Mkt Value
1 GGM Financial LLC 12.47% 548,358 $27.1M
2 Collaborative Wealth Managment Inc. 8.55% 376,767 $18.6M
3 Holos Integrated Wealth LLC 8.19% 325,131 $16.2M
4 Mtm Financial Group, LLC 5.57% 239,994 $11.9M
5 Prasad Wealth Partners, LLC 5.36% 398,244 $19.7M
6 LifeWealth Investments, LLC 4.97% 336,877 $16.6M
7 Buska Wealth Management, LLC 3.79% 190,880 $9.4M
8 Seros Financial, LLC 2.88% 91,681 $4.5M
9 Columbia Advisory Partners LLC 2.36% 74,954 $3.7M
10 IFG Advisory, LLC 2.35% 16,612 $821K
11 Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC 1.96% 38,759 $1.9M
12 Andina Capital Management, LLC 1.84% 42,023 $2.1M
13 City Center Advisors, LLC 1.45% 31,805 $1.6M
14 Planwiser Financial, LLC 1.41% 38,085 $1.9M
15 Wisconsin Wealth Advisors, LLC 1.34% 27,571 $1.4M
16 Gwn Securities INC. 1.24% 131,397 $6.5M
17 Core Wealth Advisors, Inc. 1.24% 105,347 $5.2M
18 Ofc Financial Planning, LLC 1.14% 23,390 $1.2M
19 Triton Financial Group Inc 1.12% 12,936 $642K
20 Garden State Investment Advisory Services LLC 1.07% 98,184 $4.9M
21 Kfg Wealth Management, LLC 0.88% 138,267 $6.8M
22 Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors 0.78% 33,783 $1.7M
23 JDM Financial Group LLC 0.77% 40,367 $2.0M
24 Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional, Inc. 0.65% 44,117 $2.2M
25 Caliber Wealth Management, LLC / Ks 0.62% 114,349 $5.6M
Investor Ownership
History 		% of Portfolio Prev % Rank Conviction Avg Buy Price 13F Score™ 3Y / 7Y Sell Timing Shares Mkt Value Change Change % Source Quarter Filed

Frequently Asked Questions — Innovator Etfs Trust (BUFF)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for BUFF?

Buying streak — 11 quarters in a row: For 11 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added BUFF than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.

What is the institutional breadth score for BUFF?

Slight buying edge — 59% buying: Last quarter: 79 funds bought or added vs 56 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.

What is the fund quality score for BUFF holders?

Strong quality — 26% AUM from major funds: 9 of 149 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 26% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.

How long have hedge funds held BUFF?

43% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 64 out of 150 hedge funds have held BUFF for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

Is it too late to buy Innovator Etfs Trust (BUFF) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, BUFF has moved nan% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to -1.1% for the SPY sector ETF — an outperformance of nan%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), BUFF has gained nan% vs +12.4% for SPY. The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference.

Where does this institutional ownership data come from?

All holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings, which institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets are required to submit quarterly. Data is parsed directly from SEC EDGAR.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Institutional holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings and reflects positions as of the filing date. Past performance of any fund or portfolio is not indicative of future results. 13Foresight is not a registered investment adviser. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.

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