Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
DMAR vs SPY: how they differ
DMAR and SPY are measured over different days, and SPY charges 0.09% against 0.85%.
FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - March and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust.
| DMAR FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - March | SPY SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Buffer ETF | Core index fund |
| Issuer | First Trust | State Street |
| What it is | Defined outcome, 5% to 30% on SPY | S&P 500, book from IVV |
| Total return, 1 year | not published | +17.5% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | not published | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | not available | 0.0 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.09% |
| Holdings | not filed | 504 |
DMAR in plain words
SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +13.1% for the period on Sep 12, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 4.2% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 12.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 19.4% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 25.0% of the 25.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 189 days remained on Sep 12, 2026. On Mar 19, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
SPY in plain words
SPY is an index equity fund tracking the S&P 500. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +17.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 504 positions, with the top ten at 36.4%.
Questions people ask
- Which is cheaper, DMAR or SPY?
- DMAR charges 0.85% a year and SPY charges 0.09%, so SPY is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- Are DMAR and SPY the same kind of fund?
- No. DMAR is a buffer ETF and SPY is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, DMAR against SPY, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/DMAR-SPY Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources