Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

APRW vs ARLU: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 ARLU can fall 12.1% before its buffer engages and APRW 8.0%.

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Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $203m for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 ETF - Apr and $54m for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped ETF - Apr.

At a glance
8.0%
APRW can fall this far before its buffer
12.1%
ARLU can fall this far before its buffer
3.1%
APRW can still gain
uncapped
ARLU can still gain
APRW At its cap
At its capAPRW: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +7.8%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.9%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts of buffer+11.9% gain captured−20.0% floor0% period start+11.9% capTODAY · SPY +17.9%At its capAPRW: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +7.8%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.9%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts+11.9%−20.0% floor0% start+11.9% capTODAY · SPY +17.9%

APRW: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +7.8%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.9%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

APRW: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +7.8%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.9%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
ARLU No cap
No capARLU: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +12.8%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+17.9% gained, no cap−15.0% floor0% period startno capTODAY · SPY +17.9%No capARLU: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +12.8%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts−15.0% floor0% startno cap+17.9% gained, no capTODAY · SPY +17.9%

ARLU: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +12.8%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

ARLU: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +12.8%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.74% a year; their one-year returns differ by 3.3 points; APRW is 3.8 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

APRW vs ARLU: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureAPRWARLU
Return
Total return, 1 year+11.0%+7.7%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer15.2%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.74%0.74%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$203m$54m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · APRW scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score59.1APRW11.8ARLU

How much of a bear-market fall the buffer would absorb from today's level, ranked against 292 buffer ETFs on stocks with a live outcome period. 100 is best. How it is computed

0.3, the lowest in this set 99.7, the highest

Today's position against one 20% fall; it ignores smaller falls, and stock buffers are never ranked against bond or commodity ones. All buffer ETFs ranked by it →

Method

Window by window

Window by window: APRW vs ARLU: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowAPRWARLUAPRWARLU
3 months+1.5%−1.2%+1.9 pts−0.8 pts
6 months+3.7%+2.7%−0.8 pts−1.7 pts
1 year+11.0%+7.7%−2.6 pts−5.9 pts
3 years+34.6%–−41.9 pts–
Since launchNot the same days: APRW Jun 2020 · ARLU Apr 2024+57.5%+29.5%−93.4 pts−17.3 pts

Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. – means no data for this window. Open this comparison in the app →

Side by side

APRW AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 ETF - Apr · Absorbs the first 20% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 11.9%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027 ARLU AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped ETF - Apr · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and does not cap the gain, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 20% 15%
Outcome period Apr 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 Apr 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027
Days left 147 147
Starting cap +11.9% uncapped
Can still gain 3.1% uncapped
Fall before buffer 8.0% 12.1%
Protection left, index points 20.0% of 20.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +17.9% +17.9%
Fund return this period +7.8% +12.8%
State today At cap Uncapped
Expense ratio 0.74% 0.74%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $203m $54m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

APRW is already at its cap, so more rise in the index adds nothing to it before the period ends.

Both are AllianzIM funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.

Where each one stands today

APRW resets first, on Mar 31, 2027, 147 days from now; ARLU runs to Mar 31, 2027, 147 days. A fall from here reaches APRW’s buffer after 8.0% and ARLU’s after 12.1%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

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About each fund
APRW

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +11.9% 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 3.1% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 8.0% 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: 20.0% of the 20.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 147 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Mar 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

ARLU

This fund has no cap. It takes a share of any further rise in SPY. The fund's price can fall 12.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. Protection left, in index points: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. On Mar 31, 2027 the period ends and new terms are set.

Questions people ask

Which resets first, APRW or ARLU?
APRW ends its outcome period on Mar 31, 2027 and ARLU on Mar 31, 2027. New terms are set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, APRW or ARLU?
APRW and ARLU both charge 0.74% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where to next
Sources and dates

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

How this is computed

It is a place in a set, not a rating or a recommendation.

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.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, APRW against ARLU, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/aprw-vs-arlu

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