Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
BMAR vs DLFE: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 BMAR can fall 9.4% before its buffer engages and DLFE 8.0%, and DLFE resets 9 days sooner.
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Net assets: $203m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Mar, and $68m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Dual Directional Buffer ETF - February.
BMAR: reference +11.7% since period start, fund +9.8%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +17.0%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
BMAR: reference +11.7% since period start, fund +9.8%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +17.0%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.DLFE: reference +11.2% since period start, fund +7.8%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +12.4%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
DLFE: reference +11.2% since period start, fund +7.8%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +12.4%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
BMAR costs 0.06 points a year less; BMAR is 2.9 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | BMAR | DLFE |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +14.6% | not published |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 10.5% | 10.1% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.79% | 0.85% |
| Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 | $200m | $68m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | BMAR | DLFE | BMAR | DLFE |
| 3 months | +1.2% | +1.5% | +1.6 pts | +1.9 pts |
| 6 months | +4.9% | +4.4% | +0.4 pts | −0.1 pts |
| 1 year | +14.6% | – | +1.1 pts | – |
| 3 years | +61.5% | – | −14.9 pts | – |
| Since launchNot the same days: BMAR Mar 2020 · DLFE Feb 2026 | +122.7% | +8.4% | −25.4 pts | −3.9 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. DLFE is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. BMAR is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.
Where each one stands today
DLFE resets first, on Feb 19, 2027, 107 days from now; BMAR runs to Feb 28, 2027, 116 days. BMAR can still gain 6.0% before its cap, DLFE 3.5%. A fall from here reaches BMAR’s buffer after 9.4% and DLFE’s after 8.0%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
BMAR
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 6.0% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 9.4% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.5% 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. 116 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Feb 28, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
DLFE
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 3.5% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 8.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.1% 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. 107 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Feb 19, 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.
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ETFIQ, BMAR against DLFE, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bmar-vs-dlfe
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). BMAR against DLFE. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bmar-vs-dlfe
[BMAR against DLFE (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bmar-vs-dlfe)
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