CPSD vs ZDEK: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

As of Oct 9, 2026 ZDEK can fall 5.6% before its buffer engages and CPSD 5.4%. Net assets on Oct 9, 2026: $46m for Calamos S&P 500 ® Structured Alt Protection ETF - December and $108m for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr December.

CPSD costs 0.10 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.1 points; ZDEK is 2.3 times larger.

CPSDZDEK
Expense ratio0.69%0.79%
Net assets$46m$108m
Total return, 1 year+6.5%+6.4%
What it tracksSPYSPY
Holdings in commonnot published
Index fall to the buffer12.6%12.2%
CPSDAt its cap
At its capCPSD: reference +14.4% since period start, fund +5.1%; buffer Floor; cap +6.7%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.full floor beneath+6.7%full floor0% period start+6.7% capTODAY · SPY +14.4%At its capCPSD: reference +14.4% since period start, fund +5.1%; buffer Floor; cap +6.7%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+6.7% cap+6.7% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +14.4%

CPSD: reference +14.4% since period start, fund +5.1%; buffer Floor; cap +6.7%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

ZDEKAt its cap
At its capZDEK: reference +13.9% since period start, fund +5.2%; buffer Floor; cap +6.8%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.full floor beneath+6.8%full floor0% period start+6.8% capTODAY · SPY +13.9%At its capZDEK: reference +13.9% since period start, fund +5.2%; buffer Floor; cap +6.8%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+6.8% cap+6.8% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +13.9%

ZDEK: reference +13.9% since period start, fund +5.2%; buffer Floor; cap +6.8%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

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, 52 days from now; ZDEK runs to Nov 30, 2026, 52 days. A fall from here reaches CPSD’s buffer after 5.4% and ZDEK’s after 5.6%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Performance, window by window

Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowCPSDZDEKCPSDZDEK
3 months+1.7%+1.6%−1.4 pts−1.5 pts
6 months+4.1%+4.2%−10.5 pts−10.4 pts
1 year+6.5%+6.4%−9.6 pts−9.6 pts

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

On the same fields

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
ZDEK
Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr December · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 6.8%, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 100% 100%
Outcome period Dec 1, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026 Nov 30, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026
Days left 52 52
Starting cap +6.7% +6.8%
Can still gain not published 0.9%
Fall before buffer 5.4% 5.6%
Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period +14.4% +13.9%
Fund return this period +5.1% +5.2%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.69% 0.79%
Net assets $46m $108m

As of Oct 9, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

CPSD in plain words

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +6.7% for the period on Oct 9, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's price can fall 5.4% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 12.6% 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. 52 days remained on Oct 9, 2026. On Nov 30, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

ZDEK in plain words

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +6.8% for the period on Oct 9, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 0.9% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 5.6% 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.

Questions people ask

Which resets first, CPSD or ZDEK?
CPSD ends its outcome period on Nov 30, 2026 and ZDEK on Nov 30, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, CPSD or ZDEK?
CPSD charges 0.69% a year and ZDEK charges 0.79%, so CPSD 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 page

ETFIQ, CPSD against ZDEK, data as of Oct 9, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/cpsd-vs-zdek

Open data

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