Data as of .
BMAR vs DFEB: which one stands where?
As of Sep 21, 2026 DFEB can fall 11.7% before its buffer engages and BMAR 9.1%, and DFEB resets 9 days sooner.
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score: BMAR 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
DFEB resets first, on Feb 19, 2027, 151 days from now; BMAR runs to Feb 28, 2027, 160 days. BMAR can still gain 6.4% before its cap, DFEB 4.1%. A fall from here reaches BMAR’s buffer after 9.1% and DFEB’s after 11.7%. 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMAR | DFEB | BMAR | DFEB | |
| 3 months | +2.4% | +2.2% | +0.2 pts | −0.1 pts |
| 6 months | +12.9% | +9.1% | −5.2 pts | −8.9 pts |
| 1 year | +14.7% | +11.2% | −1.9 pts | −5.4 pts |
| 3 years | +58.1% | +44.8% | −20.3 pts | −33.6 pts |
| BMAR Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Mar Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 17.0%, over a period ending Feb 28, 2027 | DFEB FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - February Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 30.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 11.9%, over a period ending Feb 19, 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Innovator | First Trust |
| Reference index | SPY | SPY |
| Buffer | 9% | 5% to 30% |
| Outcome period | Feb 28, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027 | Feb 23, 2026 to Feb 19, 2027 |
| Days left | 160 | 151 |
| Starting cap | +17.0% | +11.9% |
| Can still gain | 6.4% | 4.1% |
| Fall before buffer | 9.1% | 11.7% |
| Protection left, index points | 9.0% of 9.0% | 25.0% of 25.0% |
| Index return this period | +12.8% | +12.2% |
| Fund return this period | +9.5% | +6.6% |
| State today | Open | At cap |
| Expense ratio | 0.79% | 0.85% |
| Net assets | $204m | $447m |
BMAR in plain words
From its price on Sep 21, 2026, the fund can gain about 6.4% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 9.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 11.4% 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. 160 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Feb 28, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
DFEB in plain words
SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +11.9% 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 4.1% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 11.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 15.4% 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. 151 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Feb 19, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
Questions people ask
- Which has more room to gain, BMAR or DFEB?
- From their prices on Sep 21, 2026, BMAR can gain about 6.4% before its cap and DFEB about 4.1%, so BMAR has more room left this period.
- Which resets first, BMAR or DFEB?
- BMAR ends its outcome period on Feb 28, 2027 and DFEB on Feb 19, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
- Which is cheaper, BMAR or DFEB?
- BMAR charges 0.79% a year and DFEB charges 0.85%, so BMAR 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, BMAR against DFEB, data as of Sep 21, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bmar-vs-dfeb Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.