Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
GMAR vs SPYM: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GMAR returned +12.7% to SPYM's +13.7%, and SPYM charges 0.02% to GMAR's 0.85%.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $428m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - March and $185.0bn for State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF.
Pair scorecard
SPYM costs 0.83 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.0 point; SPYM is far larger, $185.0bn against $428m.
| Measure | GMAR | SPYM |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +12.7% | +13.7% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 16.0% | |
| Fund price fall to the buffer | 9.6% | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | S&P 500 Index |
| The outcome period | ||
| Buffer left, in index points | 15.0% of 15.0% | |
| Days left in the period | 142 | |
| Period ends | Mar 19, 2027 | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.02% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $428m | $185.0bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 100% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 38.1% | |
Side by side
GMAR and SPYM on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +14.1% for the period on Oct 28, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 3.3% as the period runs out.
The fund's price can fall 9.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 16.0% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 142 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Mar 19, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
SPYM
SPYM tracks the S&P 500. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.7% with distributions reinvested, against +13.7% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.02% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 506 positions, with the top ten at 38.1%.
Questions people ask
- Are GMAR and SPYM in the same category?
- GMAR is a buffer ETF and SPYM is a stock ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
- Which returned more over the last year, GMAR or SPYM?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GMAR returned +12.7% and SPYM +13.7%.
- Which is cheaper, GMAR or SPYM?
- SPYM is cheaper, by 0.83 percentage points a year. That is about $83 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
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ETFIQ, GMAR against SPYM, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gmar-vs-spym
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). GMAR against SPYM. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gmar-vs-spym
[GMAR against SPYM (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gmar-vs-spym)
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