Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

BAPR vs FOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Oct 28, 2026 BAPR can fall 11.4% before its buffer engages and FOCT 1.6%, and BAPR resets 198 days sooner.

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Net assets: $417m on Oct 28, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Apr, and $1.3bn on Oct 27, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - October.

At a glance
11.4%
BAPR can fall this far before its buffer
1.6%
FOCT can fall this far before its buffer
5.0%
BAPR can still gain
15.4%
FOCT 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, 2026.9 pts+18.5% gained−9.0% floor0% start+18.5% capTODAY · 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.
FOCT Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capFOCT: reference +1.2% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +17.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.10 pts of buffer+16% more to the cap−10.0% floor0% period start+17.2% cap+1.2% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +1.2%Between buffer and capFOCT: reference +1.2% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +17.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.10 pts+16% to cap−10.0% floor0% start+17.2% cap+1.2% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +1.2%

FOCT: reference +1.2% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +17.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

FOCT: reference +1.2% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +17.2%; 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 3.3 points; FOCT is 3.1 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

BAPR vs FOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBAPRFOCT
Return
Total return, 1 year+16.2%+12.9%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer15.7%1.2%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.85%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026$417m$1.3bn
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · FOCT scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score15.6BAPR37FOCT

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

Oct 30, 2020 to Oct 23, 2026 · 312 weekly returns · each against SPY
BAPR FOCT
Return
Total return edge BAPR (slight) +92.9% +90.2%
Annualized edge BAPR (slight) +11.6% +11.3%
Price return edge BAPR (slight) +92.9% +90.2%
Risk
Volatility edge Tie 10.2% 10.0%
Max drawdown edge FOCT (slight) −14.6% −13.7%
Downside capture 65.2% 66.1%
Beta 0.61 0.61
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge Tie 0.80 0.79
Sortino edge Tie 1.23 1.23
Treynor 0.134 0.131
Calmar edge FOCT (slight) 0.79 0.83
Against the benchmark
Alpha 0.0% a year −0.2% a year
Alpha t-stat −0.02 −0.17
Information ratio −0.76 −0.80
Tracking error 6.9% 6.9%
Reading

BAPR returned slightly more: +92.9% to +90.2%. BAPR and FOCT swung about the same: 10.2% and 10.0%. FOCT fell slightly less at its worst: −13.7% to −14.6%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: BAPR vs FOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBAPRFOCTSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+92.9%+90.2%BAPR (slight)Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+11.6%+11.3%BAPR (slight)Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return+92.9%+90.2%BAPR (slight)Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility10.2%10.0%TieSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation6.7%6.5%FOCT (slight)Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−14.6%−13.7%FOCT (slight)Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture48.8%49.1%100.0%TieShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture65.2%66.1%100.0%TieShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.610.611.00TieHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.900.921.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.800.79TieReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino1.231.23TieReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1340.1310.134BAPR (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.790.83FOCT (slight)Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha0.0% a year−0.2% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−0.02−0.17Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−2.6% to +2.6%−2.6% to +2.2%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.76−0.80BAPR (slight)Return against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error6.9%6.9%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, 312 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: BAPR vs FOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowBAPRFOCTBAPRFOCT
3 months+3.9%+6.2%−1.9 pts+0.3 pts
6 months+6.3%+8.7%−2.3 pts+0.2 pts
1 year+16.2%+12.9%+3.8 pts+0.5 pts
3 years+62.3%+55.8%−25.8 pts−32.2 pts
Since launchNot the same days: BAPR Apr 2019 · FOCT Oct 2020+117.8%+85.6%−52.4 pts−40.2 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 FOCT FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - October · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 17.2%, over a period ending Oct 15, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 9% 10%
Outcome period Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 Oct 19, 2026 to Oct 15, 2027
Days left 154 352
Starting cap +18.5% +17.2%
Can still gain 5.0% 15.4%
Fall before buffer 11.4% 1.6%
Protection left, index points 9.0% of 9.0% 10.0% of 10.0%
Index return this period +18.7% +1.2%
Fund return this period +12.4% +0.8%
State today At cap Open
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.85%
Net assets, BAPR as of Oct 28, 2026 and FOCT as of Oct 27, 2026 $417m $1.3bn

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.

They do not reset together. BAPR has 154 days of its period left and FOCT has 352, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

Where each one stands today

BAPR resets first, on Mar 31, 2027, 154 days from now; FOCT runs to Oct 15, 2027, 352 days. BAPR can still gain 5.0% before its cap, FOCT 15.4%. A fall from here reaches BAPR’s buffer after 11.4% and FOCT’s after 1.6%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-1F2261591F

BAPR and FOCT 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. FOCT: Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 17.2%, over a period ending Oct 15, 2027. The starting caps are 1.3 points apart.
  2. Outcome period. BAPR runs Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 with 154 days left; FOCT runs Oct 19, 2026 to Oct 15, 2027 with 352 days left.
  3. One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 BAPR returned +16.2% and FOCT +12.9% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 3.3 points.

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.

FOCT

From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 15.4% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 1.2% 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. 352 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Oct 15, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, BAPR or FOCT?
From their prices on Oct 28, 2026, BAPR can gain about 5.0% before its cap and FOCT about 15.4%, so FOCT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, BAPR or FOCT?
BAPR ends its outcome period on Mar 31, 2027 and FOCT on Oct 15, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, BAPR or FOCT?
BAPR charges 0.79% a year and FOCT 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.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

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

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