Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

CPSA vs PMAU: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 PMAU can fall 1.8% before its buffer engages and CPSA 1.3%, and CPSA resets 1 day sooner.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $50m for Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - August and $6.5m for PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - August.

At a glance
CPSA Full floor
Full floorCPSA: reference +1.2% since period start, fund +1.2%; buffer Floor; cap +7.8%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% period start+7.8% cap+1.2% gain captured+6.6% more to the capTODAY · SPY +1.2%Full floorCPSA: reference +1.2% since period start, fund +1.2%; buffer Floor; cap +7.8%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+7.8% cap+1.2% gain captured+6.6% more to the capTODAY · SPY +1.2%

CPSA: reference +1.2% since period start, fund +1.2%; buffer Floor; cap +7.8%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.
PMAU Full floor
Full floorPMAU: reference +2.6% since period start, fund +1.3%; buffer Floor; cap +7.9%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% period start+7.9% cap+2.6% gain captured+5.2% more to the capTODAY · SPY +2.6%Full floorPMAU: reference +2.6% since period start, fund +1.3%; buffer Floor; cap +7.9%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+7.9% cap+2.6% gain captured+5.2% more to the capTODAY · SPY +2.6%

PMAU: reference +2.6% since period start, fund +1.3%; buffer Floor; cap +7.9%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

PMAU costs 0.19 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.4 points; CPSA is 7.7 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

CPSA vs PMAU: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureCPSAPMAU
Return
Total return, 1 year+5.8%+6.2%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer1.2%2.6%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.69%0.50%
Net assets$50m$6.5m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: CPSA vs PMAU: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowCPSAPMAUCPSAPMAU
3 months+0.6%+0.7%+1.0 pts+1.1 pts
6 months+2.6%+2.8%−1.9 pts−1.7 pts
1 year+5.8%+6.2%−7.8 pts−7.4 pts
Since launchNot the same days: CPSA Aug 2024 · PMAU Aug 2025+16.6%+8.3%−24.6 pts−15.0 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

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 PMAU PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - August · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 7.9%, over a period ending Jul 31, 2027
Issuer Calamos PGIM
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 100% 100%
Outcome period Aug 3, 2026 to Jul 30, 2027 Aug 1, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027
Days left 268 269
Starting cap +7.8% +7.9%
Can still gain not published 6.0%
Fall before buffer 1.3% 1.8%
Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period +1.2% +2.6%
Fund return this period +1.2% +1.3%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.69% 0.50%
Net assets $50m $6.5m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Where each one stands today

CPSA resets first, on Jul 30, 2027, 268 days from now; PMAU runs to Jul 31, 2027, 269 days. A fall from here reaches CPSA’s buffer after 1.3% and PMAU’s after 1.8%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

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About each fund
CPSA

The fund's price can fall 1.3% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 1.2% 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. 268 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Jul 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

PMAU

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 6.0% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 2.6% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. 269 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Jul 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which resets first, CPSA or PMAU?
CPSA ends its outcome period on Jul 30, 2027 and PMAU on Jul 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, CPSA or PMAU?
CPSA charges 0.69% a year and PMAU charges 0.50%, so PMAU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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Sources and dates

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

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.

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ETFIQ, CPSA against PMAU, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/cpsa-vs-pmau

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