Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

AAPR vs PMAP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 AAPR can fall 4.5% before its buffer engages and PMAP 4.4%, and PMAP resets 366 days sooner.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $71m for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Apr 2028 and $5.0m for PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - April.

At a glance
4.5%
AAPR can fall this far before its buffer
4.4%
PMAP can fall this far before its buffer
10.6%
AAPR can still gain
2.5%
PMAP can still gain
AAPR At its cap
At its capAAPR: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +4.2%; buffer Floor; cap +15.7%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+15.7% gain capturedfull floor0% period start+15.7% capTODAY · SPY +17.9%At its capAAPR: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +4.2%; buffer Floor; cap +15.7%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+15.7%full floor0% start+15.7% capTODAY · SPY +17.9%

AAPR: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +4.2%; buffer Floor; cap +15.7%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.
PMAP At its cap
At its capPMAP: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +4.1%; buffer Floor; cap +7.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+7.1%full floor0% period start+7.1% capTODAY · SPY +17.9%At its capPMAP: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +4.1%; buffer Floor; cap +7.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+7.1% cap+7.1% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +17.9%

PMAP: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +4.1%; buffer Floor; cap +7.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

PMAP costs 0.29 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.8 points; AAPR is 14.2 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

AAPR vs PMAP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureAAPRPMAP
Return
Total return, 1 year+7.2%+6.4%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer15.2%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.50%
Net assets$71m$5.0m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: AAPR vs PMAP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowAAPRPMAPAAPRPMAP
3 months+1.0%+1.1%+1.4 pts+1.5 pts
6 months+2.0%+2.3%−2.5 pts−2.2 pts
1 year+7.2%+6.4%−6.4 pts−7.2 pts
Since launchNot the same days: AAPR Apr 2024 · PMAP Apr 2025+21.0%+10.9%−25.8 pts−25.8 pts

Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. Open this comparison in the app →

Side by side

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 PMAP PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - April · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 7.1%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 100% 100%
Outcome period Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2028 Apr 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027
Days left 513 147
Starting cap +15.7% +7.1%
Can still gain 10.6% 2.5%
Fall before buffer 4.5% 4.4%
Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period +17.9% +17.9%
Fund return this period +4.2% +4.1%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.50%
Net assets $71m $5.0m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

They do not reset together. PMAP has 147 days of its period left and AAPR has 513, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

Where each one stands today

PMAP resets first, on Mar 31, 2027, 147 days from now; AAPR runs to Mar 31, 2028, 513 days. AAPR can still gain 10.6% before its cap, PMAP 2.5%. A fall from here reaches AAPR’s buffer after 4.5% and PMAP’s after 4.4%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

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About each fund
AAPR

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +15.7% for the period on Nov 4, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 10.6% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 4.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 15.2% 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. 513 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Mar 31, 2028 the period ends and a new cap is set.

PMAP

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +7.1% for the period on Nov 4, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 2.5% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 4.4% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. 147 days remained on Nov 4, 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 PMAP?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, AAPR can gain about 10.6% before its cap and PMAP about 2.5%, so AAPR has more room left this period.
Which resets first, AAPR or PMAP?
AAPR ends its outcome period on Mar 31, 2028 and PMAP on Mar 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, AAPR or PMAP?
AAPR charges 0.79% a year and PMAP charges 0.50%, so PMAP is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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Sources and dates

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

ETFIQ calculates every number 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 number is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.

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ETFIQ, AAPR against PMAP, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/aapr-vs-pmap

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