AllianzIM U.S. Large Cap Buffer20 Sep ETF (SEPW) is an actively managed exchange-traded fund that seeks to match the share price returns of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust up to a specified upside cap while providing a buffer against the first 20% of losses in the underlying ETF over a one-year outcome period from September 1 to August 31. The fund invests substantially all of its assets in FLEX Options referencing the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, including a combination of call and put option contracts, along with cash equivalents as collateral; it does not hold the underlying S&P 500 stocks directly or receive dividends from them. With a net expense ratio of 0.74%, SEPW targets investors seeking U.S. large-cap equity exposure with defined downside protection and capped upside participation in the North American developed markets.
Launched on August 31, 2023, and headquartered through its investment adviser Allianz Investment Management LLC, a subsidiary of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America in Minneapolis, Minnesota, SEPW forms part of AllianzIM's broader lineup of buffered outcome ETFs offering 10%, 15%, or 20% downside buffers on U.S. large-cap equities with varying monthly reset periods. The fund's current outcome period, effective September 1, 2025, to August 31, 2026, features a gross cap of 10.27% and net cap of 9.53% after fees, alongside a gross buffer of 20% and net buffer of 19.26%; caps and buffers reset at each new period based on prevailing market conditions including volatility and interest rates.
In recent developments, AllianzIM announced in late 2024 the transfer of SEPW's exchange listing from NYSE Arca to Cboe BZX Exchange effective around early 2025, alongside a naming convention update for its U.S. Large Cap Buffer10 and Buffer20 ETF series to enhance clarity, with no changes to investment objectives, strategies, or management teams. Current shareholders require no action for these operational shifts. As of late 2025, the fund manages approximately $293 million in assets under management with institutional ownership from firms including Commonwealth Equity Services LLC and AE Wealth Management LLC.