Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
APXM vs DDFY: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 DDFY can fall 4.8% before its buffer engages and APXM 3.7%, and APXM resets 14 days sooner.
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Net assets: $22m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - April, and $77m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - May.
APXM: reference +8.0% since period start, fund +3.0%; buffer 0 to −50; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
APXM: reference +8.0% since period start, fund +3.0%; buffer 0 to −50; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.DDFY: reference +6.7% since period start, fund +4.7%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
DDFY: reference +6.7% since period start, fund +4.7%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
DDFY costs 0.06 points a year less; DDFY is 3.5 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | APXM | DDFY |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +5.0% | not published |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 7.4% | 6.2% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.79% |
| Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 | $22m | $76m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Risk and return
May 8, 2026 to Oct 30, 2026 · 25 weekly returnsFrom May 2026 to Oct 2026, DDFY returned more: +2.9% to +1.9%. APXM fell less at its worst: −0.3% to −1.0%.
Full scorecard
3 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | APXM | DDFY | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +1.9% | +2.9% | DDFY | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Price return | +1.9% | +2.9% | DDFY | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Max drawdown | −0.3% | −1.0% | APXM | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 25 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | APXM | DDFY | APXM | DDFY |
| 3 months | +1.0% | +1.5% | +1.4 pts | +1.9 pts |
| 6 months | +2.4% | +3.7% | −2.1 pts | −0.8 pts |
| 1 year | +5.0% | – | −8.6 pts | – |
| Since launchNot the same days: APXM Apr 2025 · DDFY May 2026 | +9.7% | +4.2% | −39.5 pts | −2.2 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
As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
These are two different products. DDFY is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. APXM is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.
APXM is already at its cap, so more rise in the index adds nothing to it before the period ends.
Where each one stands today
APXM resets first, on Apr 16, 2027, 163 days from now; DDFY runs to Apr 30, 2027, 177 days. APXM can still gain 3.1% before its cap, DDFY 5.2%. A fall from here reaches APXM’s buffer after 3.7% and DDFY’s after 4.8%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
No client brief for this pair: ETFIQ prints no one-year total return for DDFY.
APXM
SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +7.0% 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 3.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 7.4% 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. 163 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Apr 16, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
DDFY
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 5.2% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 4.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 6.2% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 177 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Apr 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
Questions people ask
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.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, APXM against DDFY, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/apxm-vs-ddfy
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). APXM against DDFY. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/apxm-vs-ddfy
[APXM against DDFY (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/apxm-vs-ddfy)
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