CPSA vs DDTS: which one stands where?

As of Oct 1, 2026 CPSA can fall 0.7% before its buffer engages and DDTS 0.1%, and CPSA resets 32 days sooner. Calamos S&P 500 ® Structured Alt Protection ETF - August and Innovator Equity Dual Directional 10 Buffer ETF - Sep.

CPSAFull floor
Full floorCPSA: reference +0.7% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer −0 to floor; cap +7.7%; Full floor.full floor beneathfull floor−0.1% buffer start0% period start+7.7% capTODAY · SPY +0.7%Full floorCPSA: reference +0.7% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer −0 to floor; cap +7.7%; Full floor.full floor beneathfull floor−0.1% buffer start0% start+7.7% capTODAY · SPY +0.7%

CPSA: reference +0.7% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer −0 to floor; cap +7.7%; Full floor.

DDTSBuffer working
Buffer workingDDTS: reference −0.6% since period start, fund 0.0%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +14.7%; Buffer working.9.4 pts−10.0% floor0% period start+14.7% capTODAY · SPY −0.6%Buffer workingDDTS: reference −0.6% since period start, fund 0.0%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +14.7%; Buffer working.−10.0% floor0% start+14.7% capTODAY · SPY −0.6%

DDTS: reference −0.6% since period start, fund 0.0%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +14.7%; Buffer working.

These are two different products. CPSA is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. DDTS is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.

They do not reset together. CPSA has 303 days of its period left and DDTS has 335, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

Where each one stands today

CPSA resets first, on Jul 31, 2027, 303 days from now; DDTS runs to Aug 31, 2027, 335 days. A fall from here reaches CPSA’s buffer after 0.7% and DDTS’s after 0.1%. 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

Total returnGap to the reference
WindowCPSADDTSCPSADDTS
3 months+1.2%+1.8%−1.3 pts−0.8 pts
6 months+4.2%+8.8%−12.8 pts−8.2 pts
1 year+5.5%+9.7%−10.2 pts−6.0 pts

CPSA and DDTS over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ. Open the live comparison on ETFIQ →

On the same fields

CPSA
Calamos S&P 500 ® Structured Alt Protection ETF - August · Absorbs losses from 0.1% to 100.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 7.7%, over a period ending Jul 31, 2027
DDTS
Innovator Equity Dual Directional 10 Buffer ETF - Sep · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 14.7%, over a period ending Aug 31, 2027
Issuer Calamos Innovator
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 0% to 100% 10%
Outcome period Aug 3, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027 Aug 31, 2026 to Aug 31, 2027
Days left 303 335
Starting cap +7.7% +14.7%
Can still gain not published 14.6%
Fall before buffer 0.7% 0.1%
Protection left, index points 99.9% of 99.9% 9.4% of 10.0%
Index return this period +0.7% −0.6%
Fund return this period +0.7% 0.0%
State today Open Buffer working
Expense ratio 0.69% 0.79%
Net assets $49m $32m

CPSA and DDTS on the same fields, as of Oct 1, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

CPSA in plain words

The fund's price can fall 0.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.7% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 99.9% of the 99.9% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 303 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Jul 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

DDTS in plain words

From its price on Oct 1, 2026, the fund can gain about 14.6% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.0% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 9.4% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 335 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Aug 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which resets first, CPSA or DDTS?
CPSA ends its outcome period on Jul 31, 2027 and DDTS on Aug 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, CPSA or DDTS?
CPSA charges 0.69% a year and DDTS charges 0.79%, so CPSA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Cite this page

ETFIQ, CPSA against DDTS, data as of Oct 1, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/cpsa-vs-ddts

Open data

Free to use with attribution. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology.