Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

BMAY vs FAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 FAPR can fall 6.7% before its buffer engages and BMAY 5.9%, and FAPR resets 14 days sooner.

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Net assets: $182m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - May, and $1.3bn on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - April.

At a glance
5.9%
BMAY can fall this far before its buffer
6.7%
FAPR can fall this far before its buffer
10.1%
BMAY can still gain
7.5%
FAPR can still gain
BMAY Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capBMAY: reference +6.7% since period start, fund +5.8%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +16.9%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.9 pts of buffer+6.7% gain captured+10.3% more to the cap−9.0% floor0% period start+16.9% capTODAY · SPY +6.7%Between buffer and capBMAY: reference +6.7% since period start, fund +5.8%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +16.9%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.9 pts+6.7%−9.0% floor0% start+16.9% cap+10.3% more to the capTODAY · SPY +6.7%

BMAY: reference +6.7% since period start, fund +5.8%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +16.9%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

BMAY: reference +6.7% since period start, fund +5.8%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +16.9%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
FAPR Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capFAPR: reference +8.0% since period start, fund +6.3%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +15.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.10 pts of buffer+8% gain captured+7.2% more to the cap−10.0% floor0% period start+15.2% capTODAY · SPY +8.0%Between buffer and capFAPR: reference +8.0% since period start, fund +6.3%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +15.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.10 pts+8%−10.0% floor0% start+15.2% cap+7.2% more to the capTODAY · SPY +8.0%

FAPR: reference +8.0% since period start, fund +6.3%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +15.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

FAPR: reference +8.0% since period start, fund +6.3%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +15.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

BMAY costs 0.06 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.6 points; FAPR is 7.2 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

BMAY vs FAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBMAYFAPR
Return
Total return, 1 year+10.9%+10.3%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer6.2%7.4%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$180m$1.3bn
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · FAPR scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score20.5BMAY38.7FAPR

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

Risk and return

Apr 30, 2021 to Oct 30, 2026 · 287 weekly returns · each against SPY
BMAY FAPR
Return
Total return edge Tie +58.7% +58.4%
Annualized edge Tie +8.7% +8.7%
Price return edge Tie +58.7% +58.4%
Risk
Volatility edge FAPR (slight) 10.5% 9.5%
Max drawdown edge FAPR −17.4% −15.5%
Downside capture 69.1% 61.1%
Beta 0.64 0.57
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge FAPR (slight) 0.51 0.55
Sortino edge FAPR (slight) 0.74 0.79
Treynor 0.083 0.091
Calmar edge FAPR 0.50 0.56
Against the benchmark
Alpha −1.0% a year −0.4% a year
Alpha t-stat −0.82 −0.29
Information ratio −0.71 −0.62
Tracking error 6.2% 7.4%
Reading

From Apr 2021 to Oct 2026, BMAY and FAPR returned about the same: +58.7% and +58.4%. FAPR swung slightly less: 9.5% to 10.5%. FAPR fell less at its worst: −15.5% to −17.4%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: BMAY vs FAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBMAYFAPRSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+58.7%+58.4%TiePrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+8.7%+8.7%TieTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+58.7%+58.4%TiePrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility10.5%9.5%FAPR (slight)Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation7.2%6.6%FAPR (slight)Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−17.4%−15.5%FAPRDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture51.0%44.2%100.0%BMAYShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture69.1%61.1%100.0%FAPRShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.640.571.00FAPR lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.930.901.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.510.55FAPR (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.740.79FAPR (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.0830.0910.098FAPR (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.500.56FAPRAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha−1.0% a year−0.4% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−0.82−0.29Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−3.2% to +1.3%−3.0% to +2.2%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.71−0.62FAPRReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error6.2%7.4%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, 287 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: BMAY vs FAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowBMAYFAPRBMAYFAPR
3 months+0.8%+1.1%+1.2 pts+1.5 pts
6 months+4.5%+4.6%0.0 pts+0.1 pts
1 year+10.9%+10.3%−2.6 pts−3.3 pts
3 years+54.8%+47.3%−21.6 pts−29.1 pts
Since launchNot the same days: BMAY May 2020 · FAPR Apr 2021+93.8%+60.4%−77.4 pts−24.3 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

BMAY Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - May · Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 16.9%, over a period ending Apr 30, 2027 FAPR FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - April · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 15.2%, over a period ending Apr 16, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 9% 10%
Outcome period Apr 30, 2026 to Apr 30, 2027 Apr 20, 2026 to Apr 16, 2027
Days left 177 163
Starting cap +16.9% +15.2%
Can still gain 10.1% 7.5%
Fall before buffer 5.9% 6.7%
Protection left, index points 9.0% of 9.0% 10.0% of 10.0%
Index return this period +6.7% +8.0%
Fund return this period +5.8% +6.3%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.85%
Net assets, BMAY as of Nov 4, 2026 and FAPR as of Nov 3, 2026 $182m $1.3bn

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Where each one stands today

FAPR resets first, on Apr 16, 2027, 163 days from now; BMAY runs to Apr 30, 2027, 177 days. BMAY can still gain 10.1% before its cap, FAPR 7.5%. A fall from here reaches BMAY’s buffer after 5.9% and FAPR’s after 6.7%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
BMAY

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 10.1% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 5.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 6.2% 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. 177 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Apr 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

FAPR

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 7.5% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 6.7% 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: 10.0% of the 10.0% 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.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, BMAY or FAPR?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, BMAY can gain about 10.1% before its cap and FAPR about 7.5%, so BMAY has more room left this period.
Which resets first, BMAY or FAPR?
BMAY ends its outcome period on Apr 30, 2027 and FAPR on Apr 16, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, BMAY or FAPR?
BMAY charges 0.79% a year and FAPR charges 0.85%, so BMAY 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, BMAY against FAPR, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bmay-vs-fapr

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