Are SMAX and SPLG the same kind of fund?

No. SMAX is a buffer ETF and SPLG is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.

Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

SMAX vs SPLG: how they differ

SMAX and SPLG are funds of different kinds, on the fields both publish.

iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Sep ETF and S&P 500, book from IVV.

SMAX and SPLG on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	SMAX iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Sep ETF	SPLG S&P 500, book from IVV
Where it sits	Buffer ETF	Core index fund
Issuer	iShares	S&P
What it is	Defined outcome, 0% to 100% on IVV	S&P 500, book from IVV
Total return, 1 year	not published	+17.6%
S&P 500 over the same days	not published	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	not available	+0.1 pts
Expense ratio	0.50%	not published

SMAX in plain words

IVV had already risen past this fund's cap of +7.3% 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 0.5% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 6.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, IVV can fall 12.6% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 99.5% of the 99.5% buffer still sits below today's IVV level. 20 days remained on Sep 12, 2026. On Sep 30, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

SPLG in plain words

SPLG is an index equity fund tracking the S&P 500. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +17.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100.

Questions people ask

Are SMAX and SPLG the same kind of fund?: No. SMAX is a buffer ETF and SPLG 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.

SMAX against SPLG, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, SMAX against SPLG, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/SMAX-SPLG Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources