Data as of .
APXM vs CTMA: which one stands where?
As of Sep 21, 2026 CTMA can fall 5.0% before its buffer engages and APXM 3.2%, and APXM resets 17 days sooner.
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score: APXM scores higher
If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
A percentile among the 293 buffer ETFs with a live outcome period. It is a position in a set, not a rating, and neither end of it is a recommendation. All buffer ETFs ranked by it · How it is computed
Where each one stands today
APXM resets first, on Apr 16, 2027, 207 days from now; CTMA runs to Apr 30, 2027, 224 days. A fall from here reaches APXM’s buffer after 3.2% and CTMA’s after 5.0%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
Every figure is ETFIQ’s own, from the issuer’s published outcome-period terms. A buffer ETF holds FLEX options on its reference index rather than shares, so there is no holdings overlap between two of them to report.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Gap to the reference | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APXM | CTMA | APXM | CTMA | |
| 3 months | +1.3% | +0.9% | −1.0 pts | −1.3 pts |
| 6 months | +2.6% | not published | −15.4 pts | not published |
| 1 year | +4.8% | not published | −11.8 pts | not published |
| APXM FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - April Absorbs the first 50% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 7.0%, over a period ending Apr 16, 2027 | CTMA Corgi U.S. Equities 30% Structured Buffer ETF - May Series Absorbs the first 30% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 11.5%, over a period ending Apr 30, 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | First Trust | Corgi |
| Reference index | SPY | SPY |
| Buffer | 50% | 30% |
| Outcome period | Apr 20, 2026 to Apr 16, 2027 | May 1, 2026 to Apr 30, 2027 |
| Days left | 207 | 224 |
| Starting cap | +7.0% | +11.5% |
| Can still gain | 3.7% | not published |
| Fall before buffer | 3.2% | 5.0% |
| Protection left, index points | 50.1% of 50.1% | 30.0% of 30.0% |
| Index return this period | +9.0% | +5.3% |
| Fund return this period | +2.4% | +3.2% |
| State today | At cap | Open |
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.30% |
| Net assets | $21m | $2m |
APXM in plain words
SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +7.0% for the period on Sep 21, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 3.7% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 3.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 8.2% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 50.1% of the 50.1% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 207 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Apr 16, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
CTMA in plain words
The fund's price can fall 5.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 5.0% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 30.0% of the 30.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 224 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Apr 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
Questions people ask
- Which resets first, APXM or CTMA?
- APXM ends its outcome period on Apr 16, 2027 and CTMA on Apr 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
- Which is cheaper, APXM or CTMA?
- APXM charges 0.85% a year and CTMA charges 0.30%, so CTMA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, APXM against CTMA, data as of Sep 21, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/apxm-vs-ctma Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.