Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

AOCT vs CPSO: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 AOCT can fall 1.1% before its buffer engages and CPSO 0.6%, and CPSO resets 366 days sooner.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $69m for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Oct 2028 and $34m for Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - October.

At a glance
AOCT Full floor
Full floorAOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +1.0%; buffer Floor; cap +21.3%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+20.8% more to the capfull floor0% period start+21.3% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%Full floorAOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +1.0%; buffer Floor; cap +21.3%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+21.3% cap+0.5% gain captured+20.8% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%

AOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +1.0%; buffer Floor; cap +21.3%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.
CPSO Full floor
Full floorCPSO: reference +0.4% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer Floor; cap +8.8%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+8.4% to capfull floor0% period start+8.8% cap+0.4% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.4%Full floorCPSO: reference +0.4% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer Floor; cap +8.8%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+8.8% cap+0.4% gain captured+8.4% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.4%

CPSO: reference +0.4% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer Floor; cap +8.8%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

CPSO costs 0.10 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.4 points; AOCT is 2.0 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

AOCT vs CPSO: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureAOCTCPSO
Return
Total return, 1 year+6.5%+6.1%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer0.5%0.4%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.69%
Net assets$69m$34m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: AOCT vs CPSO: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowAOCTCPSOAOCTCPSO
3 months+1.7%+1.4%+2.1 pts+1.8 pts
6 months+3.2%+3.1%−1.2 pts−1.3 pts
1 year+6.5%+6.1%−7.1 pts−7.5 pts
Since launchAOCT Oct 2024 · CPSO Oct 2024+12.6%+12.7%−22.3 pts−22.1 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

AOCT Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Oct 2028 · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 21.3%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2028 CPSO Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - October · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 8.8%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 100% 100%
Outcome period Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2028 Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Days left 696 330
Starting cap +21.3% +8.8%
Can still gain 20.0% not published
Fall before buffer 1.1% 0.6%
Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period +0.5% +0.4%
Fund return this period +1.0% +0.6%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.69%
Net assets $69m $34m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

They do not reset together. CPSO has 330 days of its period left and AOCT has 696, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

Where each one stands today

CPSO resets first, on Sep 30, 2027, 330 days from now; AOCT runs to Sep 30, 2028, 696 days. A fall from here reaches AOCT’s buffer after 1.1% and CPSO’s after 0.6%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

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About each fund
AOCT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 20.0% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.5% 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. 696 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 30, 2028 the period ends and a new cap is set.

CPSO

The fund's price can fall 0.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.4% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. 330 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which resets first, AOCT or CPSO?
AOCT ends its outcome period on Sep 30, 2028 and CPSO on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, AOCT or CPSO?
AOCT charges 0.79% a year and CPSO charges 0.69%, so CPSO 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, AOCT against CPSO, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/aoct-vs-cpso

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