CPSA vs PBAU: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

As of Oct 13, 2026 PBAU can fall 2.8% before its buffer engages and CPSA 1.2%, and CPSA resets 1 day sooner. Net assets: $50m on Oct 12, 2026 for Calamos S&P 500 ® Structured Alt Protection ETF - August, and $40m on Oct 13, 2026 for PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF - August .

PBAU costs 0.19 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 4.8 points; CPSA is 1.2 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

CPSA vs PBAU: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
CPSAPBAU
Expense ratio0.69%0.50%
Net assets, as of Oct 12, 2026$50m$40m
Total return, 1 year+6.3%+11.1%
What it tracksSPYSPY
Holdings in commonnot published
Index fall to the buffer2.6%3.9%
CPSAFull floor
Full floorCPSA: reference +2.7% since period start, fund +1.1%; buffer Floor; cap +7.8%; Full floor. Figures to Oct 13, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% period start+7.8% cap+2.7% gain captured+5.1% more to the capTODAY · SPY +2.7%Full floorCPSA: reference +2.7% since period start, fund +1.1%; buffer Floor; cap +7.8%; Full floor. Figures to Oct 13, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+7.8% cap+2.7% gain captured+5.1% more to the capTODAY · SPY +2.7%

CPSA: reference +2.7% since period start, fund +1.1%; buffer Floor; cap +7.8%; Full floor. Figures to Oct 13, 2026.

Figures to Oct 13, 2026.

PBAUBetween buffer and cap
Between buffer and capPBAU: reference +4.0% since period start, fund +2.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.2%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 13, 2026.20 pts of buffer+4%+8.1% to cap−20.0% floor0% period start+12.2% capTODAY · SPY +4.0%Between buffer and capPBAU: reference +4.0% since period start, fund +2.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.2%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 13, 2026.20 pts−20.0% floor0% start+12.2% cap+4% gain captured+8.1% more to the capTODAY · SPY +4.0%

PBAU: reference +4.0% since period start, fund +2.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.2%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 13, 2026.

PBAU: reference +4.0% since period start, fund +2.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.2%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 13, 2026.

These are two different products. CPSA is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. PBAU 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

CPSA resets first, on Jul 30, 2027, 290 days from now; PBAU runs to Jul 31, 2027, 291 days. A fall from here reaches CPSA’s buffer after 1.2% and PBAU’s after 2.8%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Performance, window by window

Performance, window by window: CPSA vs PBAU: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowCPSAPBAUCPSAPBAU
3 months+1.4%+2.7%−2.4 pts−1.2 pts
6 months+3.6%+6.5%−9.8 pts−6.9 pts
1 year+6.3%+11.1%−12.9 pts−8.1 pts
Since launch
Not the same days: CPSA Aug 2024 · PBAU May 2024
+16.6%+29.2%−26.7 pts−20.1 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

CPSA
Calamos S&P 500 ® Structured Alt Protection ETF - August · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 7.8%, over a period ending Jul 30, 2027
PBAU
PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF - August · Absorbs the first 20% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 12.2%, over a period ending Jul 31, 2027
Issuer Calamos PGIM
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 100% 20%
Outcome period Aug 3, 2026 to Jul 30, 2027 Aug 1, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027
Days left 290 291
Starting cap +7.8% +12.2%
Can still gain not published 9.1%
Fall before buffer 1.2% 2.8%
Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 20.0% of 20.0%
Index return this period +2.7% +4.0%
Fund return this period +1.1% +2.3%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.69% 0.50%
Net assets, CPSA as of Oct 12, 2026 and PBAU as of Oct 13, 2026 $50m $40m

As of Oct 13, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

About CPSA

The fund's price can fall 1.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 2.6% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 290 days remained on Oct 13, 2026. On Jul 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

About PBAU

From its price on Oct 13, 2026, the fund can gain about 9.1% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 2.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 3.9% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 20.0% of the 20.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 291 days remained on Oct 13, 2026. On Jul 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which resets first, CPSA or PBAU?
CPSA ends its outcome period on Jul 30, 2027 and PBAU on Jul 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, CPSA or PBAU?
CPSA charges 0.69% a year and PBAU charges 0.50%, so PBAU 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

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, CPSA against PBAU, data as of Oct 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/cpsa-vs-pbau

Open data

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