Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
SPYM vs ZAUG: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, SPYM returned +13.7% to ZAUG's +5.5%, and SPYM charges 0.02% to ZAUG's 0.79%.
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Net assets: $185.0bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF, and $160m on Oct 28, 2026 for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr August.
Pair scorecard
SPYM costs 0.77 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 8.2 points; SPYM is far larger, $185.0bn against $160m.
| Measure | SPYM | ZAUG |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +13.7% | +5.5% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 3.2% | |
| Fund price fall to the buffer | 1.5% | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | S&P 500 Index | SPY |
| The outcome period | ||
| Room to the cap | 6.7% | |
| Buffer left, in index points | 100.0% of 100.0% | |
| Days left in the period | 276 | |
| Period ends | Jul 31, 2027 | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.02% | 0.79% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $185.0bn | $160m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 38.1% | |
Side by side
SPYM and ZAUG on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
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%.
ZAUG
From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 6.7% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 3.2% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 276 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Jul 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
Questions people ask
- Are SPYM and ZAUG in the same category?
- SPYM is a stock ETF and ZAUG is a buffer ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
- Which returned more over the last year, SPYM or ZAUG?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SPYM returned +13.7% and ZAUG +5.5%.
- Which is cheaper, SPYM or ZAUG?
- SPYM is cheaper, by 0.77 percentage points a year. That is about $77 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, SPYM against ZAUG, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/spym-vs-zaug
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). SPYM against ZAUG. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/spym-vs-zaug
[SPYM against ZAUG (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/spym-vs-zaug)
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