BMAY vs MAYW: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

As of Oct 9, 2026 BMAY can fall 6.5% before its buffer engages and MAYW 5.1%. Net assets: $238m on Oct 9, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - May, and $458m on Oct 8, 2026 for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 ETF - May.

MAYW costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 3.5 points; MAYW is 1.9 times larger.

BMAYMAYW
Expense ratio0.79%0.74%
Net assets, as of Oct 8, 2026$238m$458m
Total return, 1 year+11.9%+8.4%
What it tracksSPYSPY
Holdings in commonnot published
Index fall to the buffer7.7%
6.5%
BMAY can fall this far before its buffer
5.1%
MAYW can fall this far before its buffer
9.4%
BMAY can still gain
5.6%
MAYW can still gain
BMAYBetween buffer and cap
Between buffer and capBMAY: reference +8.3% since period start, fund +6.6%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +16.9%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.9 pts of buffer+8.3% gain captured+8.6% to cap−9.0% floor0% period start+16.9% capTODAY · SPY +8.3%Between buffer and capBMAY: reference +8.3% since period start, fund +6.6%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +16.9%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.9 pts+8.3%−9.0% floor0% start+16.9% cap+8.6% more to the capTODAY · SPY +8.3%

BMAY: reference +8.3% since period start, fund +6.6%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +16.9%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

BMAY: reference +8.3% since period start, fund +6.6%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +16.9%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

MAYWBetween buffer and cap
Between buffer and capMAYW: reference +8.3% since period start, fund +4.6%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.2%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.20 pts of buffer+8.3% gain captured−20.0% floor0% period start+11.2% cap+2.9% more to the capTODAY · SPY +8.3%Between buffer and capMAYW: reference +8.3% since period start, fund +4.6%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.2%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.20 pts of buffer+8.3%−20.0% floor0% start+11.2% cap+2.9% more to the capTODAY · SPY +8.3%

MAYW: reference +8.3% since period start, fund +4.6%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.2%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

MAYW: reference +8.3% since period start, fund +4.6%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.2%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · MAYW scores higherIf the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
0.2, the lowest in this set99.8, 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 → How it is computed →

Where each one stands today

BMAY resets first, on Apr 30, 2027, 203 days from now; MAYW runs to Apr 30, 2027, 203 days. BMAY can still gain 9.4% before its cap, MAYW 5.6%. A fall from here reaches BMAY’s buffer after 6.5% and MAYW’s after 5.1%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Performance, window by window

Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowBMAYMAYWBMAYMAYW
3 months+3.0%+2.3%−0.2 pts−0.9 pts
6 months+7.3%+4.9%−7.3 pts−9.7 pts
1 year+11.9%+8.4%−4.0 pts−7.6 pts
3 years+56.1%+38.0%−23.1 pts−41.2 pts

Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. Source: ETFIQ. Open the live comparison on ETFIQ →

On the same fields

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
MAYW
AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 ETF - May · Absorbs the first 20% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 11.2%, over a period ending Apr 30, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 9% 20%
Outcome period Apr 30, 2026 to Apr 30, 2027 May 1, 2026 to Apr 30, 2027
Days left 203 203
Starting cap +16.9% +11.2%
Can still gain 9.4% 5.6%
Fall before buffer 6.5% 5.1%
Protection left, index points 9.0% of 9.0% 20.0% of 20.0%
Index return this period +8.3% +8.3%
Fund return this period +6.6% +4.6%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.74%
Net assets, BMAY as of Oct 9, 2026 and MAYW as of Oct 8, 2026 $238m $458m

As of Oct 9, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

BMAY in plain words

From its price on Oct 9, 2026, the fund can gain about 9.4% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 6.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 7.7% 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. 203 days remained on Oct 9, 2026. On Apr 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

MAYW in plain words

From its price on Oct 9, 2026, the fund can gain about 5.6% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 5.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. Protection left, in index points: 20.0% of the 20.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, BMAY or MAYW?
From their prices on Oct 9, 2026, BMAY can gain about 9.4% before its cap and MAYW about 5.6%, so BMAY has more room left this period.
Which resets first, BMAY or MAYW?
BMAY ends its outcome period on Apr 30, 2027 and MAYW on Apr 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, BMAY or MAYW?
BMAY charges 0.79% a year and MAYW charges 0.74%, so MAYW is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where these figures came from

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure; a link is not an endorsement. 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 figure 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 figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.

Cite this page

ETFIQ, BMAY against MAYW, data as of Oct 9, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bmay-vs-mayw

Open data

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