CPSF vs ZFEB: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

As of Oct 9, 2026 ZFEB can fall 4.1% before its buffer engages and CPSF 4.1%, and CPSF resets 2 days sooner. Net assets on Oct 9, 2026: $35m for Calamos S&P 500 ® Structured Alt Protection ETF - February and $146m for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr February.

CPSF costs 0.10 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.2 points; ZFEB is 4.1 times larger.

CPSFZFEB
Expense ratio0.69%0.79%
Net assets$35m$146m
Total return, 1 year+6.1%+5.9%
What it tracksSPYSPY
Holdings in commonnot published
Index fall to the buffer10.7%11.1%
CPSFAt its cap
At its capCPSF: reference +12.0% since period start, fund +3.8%; buffer Floor; cap +6.3%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.full floor beneath+6.3%full floor0% period start+6.3% capTODAY · SPY +12.0%At its capCPSF: reference +12.0% since period start, fund +3.8%; buffer Floor; cap +6.3%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+6.3% cap+6.3% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +12.0%

CPSF: reference +12.0% since period start, fund +3.8%; buffer Floor; cap +6.3%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

ZFEBAt its cap
At its capZFEB: reference +12.5% since period start, fund +3.7%; buffer Floor; cap +6.4%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.full floor beneath+6.4%full floor0% period start+6.4% capTODAY · SPY +12.5%At its capZFEB: reference +12.5% since period start, fund +3.7%; buffer Floor; cap +6.4%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+6.4% cap+6.4% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +12.5%

ZFEB: reference +12.5% since period start, fund +3.7%; buffer Floor; cap +6.4%; 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

CPSF resets first, on Jan 29, 2027, 112 days from now; ZFEB runs to Jan 31, 2027, 114 days. A fall from here reaches CPSF’s buffer after 4.1% and ZFEB’s after 4.1%. 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
WindowCPSFZFEBCPSFZFEB
3 months+1.6%+1.5%−1.5 pts−1.6 pts
6 months+3.8%+3.5%−10.8 pts−11.1 pts
1 year+6.1%+5.9%−9.9 pts−10.1 pts

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

On the same fields

CPSF
Calamos S&P 500 ® Structured Alt Protection ETF - February · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 6.3%, over a period ending Jan 29, 2027
ZFEB
Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr February · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 6.4%, over a period ending Jan 31, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 100% 100%
Outcome period Feb 2, 2026 to Jan 29, 2027 Jan 31, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027
Days left 112 114
Starting cap +6.3% +6.4%
Can still gain not published 2.0%
Fall before buffer 4.1% 4.1%
Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period +12.0% +12.5%
Fund return this period +3.8% +3.7%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.69% 0.79%
Net assets $35m $146m

As of Oct 9, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

CPSF in plain words

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +6.3% for the period on Oct 9, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's price can fall 4.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.7% 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. 112 days remained on Oct 9, 2026. On Jan 29, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

ZFEB in plain words

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +6.4% 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 2.0% as the period runs out. In index terms, SPY can fall 11.1% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. 114 days remained on Oct 9, 2026. On Jan 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which resets first, CPSF or ZFEB?
CPSF ends its outcome period on Jan 29, 2027 and ZFEB on Jan 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, CPSF or ZFEB?
CPSF charges 0.69% a year and ZFEB charges 0.79%, so CPSF 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, CPSF against ZFEB, data as of Oct 9, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/cpsf-vs-zfeb

Open data

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