Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

CPSD vs PBDE: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 PBDE can fall 9.0% before its buffer engages and CPSD 5.8%.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $46m for Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - December and $39m for PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF - December.

At a glance
CPSD At its cap
At its capCPSD: reference +12.7% since period start, fund +5.5%; buffer Floor; cap +6.7%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+6.7%full floor0% period start+6.7% capTODAY · SPY +12.7%At its capCPSD: reference +12.7% since period start, fund +5.5%; buffer Floor; cap +6.7%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+6.7% cap+6.7% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +12.7%

CPSD: reference +12.7% since period start, fund +5.5%; buffer Floor; cap +6.7%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.
PBDE At its cap
At its capPBDE: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts of buffer+11.1% gained−20.0% floor0% period start+11.1% capTODAY · SPY +12.2%At its capPBDE: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts−20.0% floor0% start+11.1% cap+11.1% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +12.2%

PBDE: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

PBDE: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

PBDE costs 0.19 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 4.4 points; CPSD is 1.2 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

CPSD vs PBDE: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureCPSDPBDE
Return
Total return, 1 year+6.3%+10.7%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer11.3%10.9%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.69%0.50%
Net assets$46m$39m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Dec 13, 2024 to Oct 30, 2026 · 98 weekly returns · each against SPY
CPSD PBDE
Return
Total return edge PBDE +12.4% +19.4%
Annualized edge PBDE +6.4% +9.9%
Price return edge PBDE +12.4% +19.4%
Risk
Volatility edge CPSD 2.9% 6.5%
Max drawdown edge CPSD −3.0% −7.5%
Downside capture 18.3% 45.0%
Beta 0.18 0.42
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge PBDE 0.77 0.87
Sortino edge PBDE (slight) 1.21 1.30
Treynor 0.125 0.133
Calmar edge CPSD 2.13 1.31
Against the benchmark
Alpha +0.4% a year +1.3% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.49 1.47
Information ratio −0.65 −0.53
Tracking error 12.3% 8.7%
Reading

From Dec 2024 to Oct 2026, PBDE returned more: +19.4% to +12.4%. CPSD swung less: 2.9% to 6.5%. CPSD fell less at its worst: −3.0% to −7.5%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: CPSD vs PBDE: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureCPSDPBDESPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+12.4%+19.4%PBDEPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+6.4%+9.9%PBDETotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+12.4%+19.4%PBDEPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility2.9%6.5%CPSDSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation1.9%4.3%CPSDLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−3.0%−7.5%CPSDDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture16.2%36.0%100.0%PBDEShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture18.3%45.0%100.0%CPSDShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.180.421.00CPSD lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.850.971.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.770.87PBDEReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino1.211.30PBDE (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1250.1330.102PBDE (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar2.131.31CPSDAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+0.4% a year+1.3% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.491.47Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−1.2% to +2.0%−0.5% to +3.1%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.65−0.53PBDEReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error12.3%8.7%0.0%Not an edgeHow far weekly returns stray from the benchmark, annualized.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 98 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: CPSD vs PBDE: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowCPSDPBDECPSDPBDE
3 months+1.5%+1.9%+1.8 pts+2.2 pts
6 months+3.1%+4.7%−1.4 pts+0.2 pts
1 year+6.3%+10.7%−7.2 pts−2.9 pts
Since launchNot the same days: CPSD Dec 2024 · PBDE May 2024+13.1%+27.6%−13.9 pts−17.2 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

CPSD Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - December · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 6.7%, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026 PBDE PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF - December · Absorbs the first 20% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 11.1%, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026
Issuer Calamos PGIM
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 100% 20%
Outcome period Dec 1, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026 Dec 1, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026
Days left 26 26
Starting cap +6.7% +11.1%
Can still gain not published 1.2%
Fall before buffer 5.8% 9.0%
Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 20.0% of 20.0%
Index return this period +12.7% +12.2%
Fund return this period +5.5% +9.3%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.69% 0.50%
Net assets $46m $39m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

Both are already at their cap, so neither gains from more rise in the index before the period ends.

Where each one stands today

CPSD resets first, on Nov 30, 2026, 26 days from now; PBDE runs to Nov 30, 2026, 26 days. A fall from here reaches CPSD’s buffer after 5.8% and PBDE’s after 9.0%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
CPSD

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +6.7% for the period on Nov 4, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's price can fall 5.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 11.3% 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. 26 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Nov 30, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

PBDE

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +11.1% for the period on Nov 4, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 1.2% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 9.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.9% 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.

Questions people ask

Which resets first, CPSD or PBDE?
CPSD ends its outcome period on Nov 30, 2026 and PBDE on Nov 30, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, CPSD or PBDE?
CPSD charges 0.69% a year and PBDE charges 0.50%, so PBDE is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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Sources and dates

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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.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, CPSD against PBDE, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/cpsd-vs-pbde

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