BMAY vs UMAY: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

As of Oct 13, 2026 UMAY can fall 9.9% before its buffer engages and BMAY 6.5%. Net assets on Oct 13, 2026: $239m for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - May and $137m for Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - May.

Both cost 0.79% a year; their one-year returns differ by 3.2 points; BMAY is 1.7 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

BMAY vs UMAY: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
BMAYUMAY
Expense ratio0.79%0.79%
Net assets$239m$137m
Total return, 1 year+12.3%+9.1%
What it tracksSPYSPY
Holdings in commonnot published
Index fall to the buffer7.6%12.2%
6.5%
BMAY can fall this far before its buffer
9.9%
UMAY can fall this far before its buffer
9.3%
BMAY can still gain
6.8%
UMAY 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 13, 2026.9 pts of buffer+8.3% gained+8.7% 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 13, 2026.−9.0% floor0% start+16.9% cap9 pts of buffer+8.3% gain captured+8.7% 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 13, 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 13, 2026.

UMAYBetween buffer and cap
Between buffer and capUMAY: reference +8.3% since period start, fund +5.0%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +12.5%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 13, 2026.30 pts of buffer+8.3% gained−35.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% period start+12.5% capfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+4.3% more to the capTODAY · SPY +8.3%Between buffer and capUMAY: reference +8.3% since period start, fund +5.0%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +12.5%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 13, 2026.30 pts of buffer−35.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+12.5% capfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+8.3% gain captured+4.3% more to the capTODAY · SPY +8.3%

UMAY: reference +8.3% since period start, fund +5.0%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +12.5%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 13, 2026.

UMAY: reference +8.3% since period start, fund +5.0%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +12.5%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 13, 2026.

ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · UMAY 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 →

Both are Innovator funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.

Where each one stands today

BMAY resets first, on Apr 30, 2027, 199 days from now; UMAY runs to Apr 30, 2027, 199 days. BMAY can still gain 9.3% before its cap, UMAY 6.8%. A fall from here reaches BMAY’s buffer after 6.5% and UMAY’s after 9.9%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Performance, window by window

Performance, window by window: BMAY vs UMAY: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowBMAYUMAYBMAYUMAY
3 months+3.1%+2.7%−0.4 pts−0.8 pts
6 months+6.9%+5.2%−5.1 pts−6.8 pts
1 year+12.3%+9.1%−5.1 pts−8.2 pts
3 years+56.9%+40.9%−23.4 pts−39.4 pts
Since launch
BMAY May 2020 · UMAY May 2020
+95.1%+53.9%−80.0 pts−121.2 pts

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

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
UMAY
Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - May · Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 35.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 12.5%, over a period ending Apr 30, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 9% 5% to 35%
Outcome period Apr 30, 2026 to Apr 30, 2027 Apr 30, 2026 to Apr 30, 2027
Days left 199 199
Starting cap +16.9% +12.5%
Can still gain 9.3% 6.8%
Fall before buffer 6.5% 9.9%
Protection left, index points 9.0% of 9.0% 30.0% of 30.0%
Index return this period +8.3% +8.3%
Fund return this period +6.6% +5.0%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%
Net assets $239m $137m

As of Oct 13, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

About BMAY

From its price on Oct 13, 2026, the fund can gain about 9.3% 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 7.6% 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. 199 days remained on Oct 13, 2026. On Apr 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

About UMAY

From its price on Oct 13, 2026, the fund can gain about 6.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 9.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 12.2% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 30.0% of the 30.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, BMAY or UMAY?
From their prices on Oct 13, 2026, BMAY can gain about 9.3% before its cap and UMAY about 6.8%, so BMAY has more room left this period.
Which resets first, BMAY or UMAY?
BMAY ends its outcome period on Apr 30, 2027 and UMAY on Apr 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, BMAY or UMAY?
BMAY and UMAY both charge 0.79% a year, so neither 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 pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, BMAY against UMAY, data as of Oct 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bmay-vs-umay

Open data

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