AAPR vs APRP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

As of Oct 9, 2026 APRP can fall 10.5% before its buffer engages and AAPR 4.3%, and APRP resets 366 days sooner. Net assets on Oct 9, 2026: $71m for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Apr 2028 and $32m for PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 12 ETF - April.

APRP costs 0.29 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 8.5 points; AAPR is 2.2 times larger.

AAPRAPRP
Expense ratio0.79%0.50%
Net assets$71m$32m
Total return, 1 year+7.0%+15.5%
What it tracksSPYSPY
Holdings in commonnot published
Index fall to the buffer16.5%
4.3%
AAPR can fall this far before its buffer
10.5%
APRP can fall this far before its buffer
10.9%
AAPR can still gain
4.4%
APRP can still gain
AAPRAt its cap
At its capAAPR: reference +19.7% since period start, fund +4.0%; buffer Floor; cap +15.7%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.full floor beneath+15.7% gain capturedfull floor0% period start+15.7% capTODAY · SPY +19.7%At its capAAPR: reference +19.7% since period start, fund +4.0%; buffer Floor; cap +15.7%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.full floor beneath+15.7%full floor0% start+15.7% capTODAY · SPY +19.7%

AAPR: reference +19.7% since period start, fund +4.0%; buffer Floor; cap +15.7%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

APRPAt its cap
At its capAPRP: reference +19.7% since period start, fund +11.2%; buffer 0 to −12; cap +16.6%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.12 pts of buffer+16.6% gain captured−12.0% floor0% period start+16.6% capTODAY · SPY +19.7%At its capAPRP: reference +19.7% since period start, fund +11.2%; buffer 0 to −12; cap +16.6%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.+16.6%−12.0% floor0% start+16.6% cap12 pts of bufferTODAY · SPY +19.7%

APRP: reference +19.7% since period start, fund +11.2%; buffer 0 to −12; cap +16.6%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

APRP: reference +19.7% since period start, fund +11.2%; buffer 0 to −12; cap +16.6%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

These are two different products. AAPR is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. APRP is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.

Both are already at their cap, so neither gains from more rise in the index before the period ends.

They do not reset together. APRP has 173 days of its period left and AAPR has 539, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

Where each one stands today

APRP resets first, on Mar 31, 2027, 173 days from now; AAPR runs to Mar 31, 2028, 539 days. AAPR can still gain 10.9% before its cap, APRP 4.4%. A fall from here reaches AAPR’s buffer after 4.3% and APRP’s after 10.5%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Performance, window by window

Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowAAPRAPRPAAPRAPRP
3 months+1.2%+2.8%−1.9 pts−0.3 pts
6 months+2.8%+7.9%−11.8 pts−6.7 pts
1 year+7.0%+15.5%−9.0 pts−0.5 pts

Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. Source: ETFIQ. Open the live comparison on ETFIQ →

On the same fields

AAPR
Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Apr 2028 · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 15.7%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2028
APRP
PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 12 ETF - April · Absorbs the first 12% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 16.6%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 100% 12%
Outcome period Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2028 Apr 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027
Days left 539 173
Starting cap +15.7% +16.6%
Can still gain 10.9% 4.4%
Fall before buffer 4.3% 10.5%
Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 12.0% of 12.0%
Index return this period +19.7% +19.7%
Fund return this period +4.0% +11.2%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.50%
Net assets $71m $32m

As of Oct 9, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

AAPR in plain words

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +15.7% for the period on Oct 9, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 10.9% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 4.3% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 16.5% 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. 539 days remained on Oct 9, 2026. On Mar 31, 2028 the period ends and a new cap is set.

APRP in plain words

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +16.6% for the period on Oct 9, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 4.4% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 10.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. Protection left, in index points: 12.0% of the 12.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 173 days remained on Oct 9, 2026. On Mar 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, AAPR or APRP?
From their prices on Oct 9, 2026, AAPR can gain about 10.9% before its cap and APRP about 4.4%, so AAPR has more room left this period.
Which resets first, AAPR or APRP?
AAPR ends its outcome period on Mar 31, 2028 and APRP on Mar 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, AAPR or APRP?
AAPR charges 0.79% a year and APRP charges 0.50%, so APRP is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where these figures came from

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure; a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

ETFIQ calculates every figure from each issuer’s published outcome-period terms. Buffer ETFs hold options on an index, not shares, so there is no holdings overlap to report.

Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.

Cite this page

ETFIQ, AAPR against APRP, data as of Oct 9, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/aapr-vs-aprp

Open data

Free to use with attribution for figures ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.