Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

BAPR vs DAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Oct 28, 2026 BAPR can fall 11.4% before its buffer engages and DAPR 10.5%, and BAPR resets 16 days sooner.

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Net assets: $417m on Oct 28, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Apr, and $336m on Oct 27, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - April.

At a glance
11.4%
BAPR can fall this far before its buffer
10.5%
DAPR can fall this far before its buffer
5.0%
BAPR can still gain
5.7%
DAPR can still gain
BAPR At its cap
At its capBAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +12.4%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +18.5%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.9 pts of buffer+18.5% gain captured−9.0% floor0% period start+18.5% capTODAY · SPY +18.7%At its capBAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +12.4%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +18.5%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.+18.5%−9.0% floor0% start+18.5% cap9 pts of bufferTODAY · SPY +18.7%

BAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +12.4%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +18.5%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

BAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +12.4%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +18.5%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.
DAPR Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capDAPR: reference +8.8% since period start, fund +5.2%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +12.0%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.25 pts of buffer+8.8% gained−30.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% period start+12.0% capfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+3.3% more to the capTODAY · SPY +8.8%Between buffer and capDAPR: reference +8.8% since period start, fund +5.2%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +12.0%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.25 pts of buffer−30.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+12.0% capfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+8.8% gain captured+3.3% more to the capTODAY · SPY +8.8%

DAPR: reference +8.8% since period start, fund +5.2%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +12.0%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

DAPR: reference +8.8% since period start, fund +5.2%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +12.0%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

Pair scorecard

BAPR costs 0.06 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 7.9 points; BAPR is 1.2 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

BAPR vs DAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBAPRDAPR
Return
Total return, 1 year+16.2%+8.3%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer15.7%12.7%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.85%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026$417m$336m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · DAPR scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score15.6BAPR26DAPR

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

0.2, the lowest in this set 99.8, the highest

A percentile among the 292 buffer ETFs on stocks with a live outcome period. 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

Risk and return

Apr 30, 2021 to Oct 23, 2026 · 286 weekly returns · each against SPY
BAPR DAPR
Return
Total return edge BAPR +76.4% +38.8%
Annualized edge BAPR +10.9% +6.1%
Price return edge BAPR +76.4% +38.8%
Risk
Volatility edge DAPR 10.5% 7.3%
Max drawdown edge DAPR −14.6% −10.0%
Downside capture 67.8% 46.6%
Beta 0.65 0.42
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge BAPR 0.69 0.36
Sortino edge BAPR 1.05 0.50
Treynor 0.113 0.063
Calmar edge BAPR 0.74 0.61
Against the benchmark
Alpha +0.9% a year −1.5% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.80 −1.18
Information ratio −0.43 −0.76
Tracking error 6.1% 9.6%
Reading

BAPR returned more: +76.4% to +38.8%. DAPR swung less: 7.3% to 10.5%. DAPR fell less at its worst: −10.0% to −14.6%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: BAPR vs DAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBAPRDAPRSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+76.4%+38.8%BAPRPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+10.9%+6.1%BAPRTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+76.4%+38.8%BAPRPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility10.5%7.3%DAPRSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation7.0%5.3%DAPRLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−14.6%−10.0%DAPRDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture53.9%29.4%100.0%BAPRShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture67.8%46.6%100.0%DAPRShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.650.421.00DAPR lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.940.831.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.690.36BAPRReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino1.050.50BAPRReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1130.0630.099BAPRReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.740.61BAPRAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+0.9% a year−1.5% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.80−1.18Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−1.3% to +3.1%−4.1% to +1.0%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.43−0.76BAPRReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error6.1%9.6%0.0%Not an edgeHow far weekly returns stray from the benchmark, annualized.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 286 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: BAPR vs DAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowBAPRDAPRBAPRDAPR
3 months+3.9%+3.6%−1.9 pts−2.3 pts
6 months+6.3%+5.3%−2.3 pts−3.3 pts
1 year+16.2%+8.3%+3.8 pts−4.1 pts
3 years+62.3%+42.1%−25.8 pts−46.0 pts
Since launchNot the same days: BAPR Apr 2019 · DAPR Apr 2021+117.8%+40.2%−52.4 pts−45.8 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

BAPR Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Apr · Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 18.5%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027 DAPR FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - April · Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 30.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 12.0%, over a period ending Apr 16, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 9% 5% to 30%
Outcome period Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 Apr 20, 2026 to Apr 16, 2027
Days left 154 170
Starting cap +18.5% +12.0%
Can still gain 5.0% 5.7%
Fall before buffer 11.4% 10.5%
Protection left, index points 9.0% of 9.0% 25.0% of 25.0%
Index return this period +18.7% +8.8%
Fund return this period +12.4% +5.2%
State today At cap Open
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.85%
Net assets, BAPR as of Oct 28, 2026 and DAPR as of Oct 27, 2026 $417m $336m

As of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

Where each one stands today

BAPR resets first, on Mar 31, 2027, 154 days from now; DAPR runs to Apr 16, 2027, 170 days. BAPR can still gain 5.0% before its cap, DAPR 5.7%. A fall from here reaches BAPR’s buffer after 11.4% and DAPR’s after 10.5%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-405485AA12

BAPR and DAPR are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

  1. Protection and cap. BAPR: Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 18.5%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027. DAPR: Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 30.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 12.0%, over a period ending Apr 16, 2027. The starting caps are 6.5 points apart.
  2. One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 BAPR returned +16.2% and DAPR +8.3% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 7.9 points.
  3. Outcome period (similar). BAPR runs Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 with 154 days left; DAPR runs Apr 20, 2026 to Apr 16, 2027 with 170 days left.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund
BAPR

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +18.5% for the period on Oct 28, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 5.0% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 11.4% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 15.7% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 9.0% of the 9.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 154 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Mar 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

DAPR

From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 5.7% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 10.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 12.7% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 25.0% of the 25.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 170 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Apr 16, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, BAPR or DAPR?
From their prices on Oct 28, 2026, BAPR can gain about 5.0% before its cap and DAPR about 5.7%, so DAPR has more room left this period.
Which resets first, BAPR or DAPR?
BAPR ends its outcome period on Mar 31, 2027 and DAPR on Apr 16, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, BAPR or DAPR?
BAPR charges 0.79% a year and DAPR charges 0.85%, so BAPR 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

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.

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ETFIQ, BAPR against DAPR, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bapr-vs-dapr

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