Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

vsOpen in the appCompare their flowsaskIQ about these two fundsAsk the committee about these two funds
Buffer ETFs

APXM vs SIXZ: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

Share
Share on XDownload as PDF

As of Nov 4, 2026 APXM can fall 3.7% before its buffer engages and SIXZ 1.2%, and APXM resets 14 days sooner.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about APXM and SIXZ

Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $22m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - April and $64m for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer10 ETF - May.

At a glance
3.7%
APXM can fall this far before its buffer
1.2%
SIXZ can fall this far before its buffer
3.1%
APXM can still gain
7.0%
SIXZ can still gain
APXM At its cap
At its capAPXM: reference +8.0% since period start, fund +3.0%; buffer 0 to −50; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.50.1 pts of buffer+7% gained−50.1% floor0% period start+7.0% capTODAY · SPY +8.0%At its capAPXM: reference +8.0% since period start, fund +3.0%; buffer 0 to −50; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.50.1 pts of buffer−50.1% floor0% start+7.0% cap+7% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +8.0%

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.
SIXZ Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capSIXZ: reference +1.5% since period start, fund +0.9%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +8.3%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.10 pts−10.0% floor0% period start+8.3% cap+1.5% gain captured+6.9% more to the capTODAY · SPY +1.5%Between buffer and capSIXZ: reference +1.5% since period start, fund +0.9%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +8.3%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.−10.0% floor0% start+8.3% cap10 pts of buffer+1.5% gain captured+6.9% more to the capTODAY · SPY +1.5%

SIXZ: reference +1.5% since period start, fund +0.9%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +8.3%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

SIXZ: reference +1.5% since period start, fund +0.9%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +8.3%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

SIXZ costs 0.11 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 6.4 points; SIXZ is 2.9 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

APXM vs SIXZ: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureAPXMSIXZ
Return
Total return, 1 year+5.0%+11.4%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer7.4%1.4%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.85%0.74%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$22m$64m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · APXM scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score93.3APXM38.7SIXZ

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: APXM vs SIXZ: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowAPXMSIXZAPXMSIXZ
3 months+1.0%+2.3%+1.4 pts+2.7 pts
6 months+2.4%+4.7%−2.1 pts+0.2 pts
1 year+5.0%+11.4%−8.6 pts−2.1 pts
Since launchNot the same days: APXM Apr 2025 · SIXZ May 2024+9.7%+30.2%−39.5 pts−23.1 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

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 SIXZ AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer10 ETF - May · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 8.3%, over a period ending Apr 30, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 50% 10%
Outcome period Apr 20, 2026 to Apr 16, 2027 Nov 1, 2026 to Apr 30, 2027
Days left 163 177
Starting cap +7.0% +8.3%
Can still gain 3.1% 7.0%
Fall before buffer 3.7% 1.2%
Protection left, index points 50.1% of 50.1% 10.0% of 10.0%
Index return this period +8.0% +1.5%
Fund return this period +3.0% +0.9%
State today At cap Open
Expense ratio 0.85% 0.74%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $22m $64m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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; SIXZ runs to Apr 30, 2027, 177 days. APXM can still gain 3.1% before its cap, SIXZ 7.0%. A fall from here reaches APXM’s buffer after 3.7% and SIXZ’s after 1.2%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Alert

APXM flows, by email on Sundays.

One-click unsubscribe. See Privacy.

About each fund
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.

SIXZ

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 7.0% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 1.4% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 10.0% of the 10.0% 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

Which has more room to gain, APXM or SIXZ?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, APXM can gain about 3.1% before its cap and SIXZ about 7.0%, so SIXZ has more room left this period.
Which resets first, APXM or SIXZ?
APXM ends its outcome period on Apr 16, 2027 and SIXZ on Apr 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, APXM or SIXZ?
APXM charges 0.85% a year and SIXZ charges 0.74%, so SIXZ 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, APXM against SIXZ, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/apxm-vs-sixz

Open data →

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