Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
CPSO vs FSEP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 FSEP can fall 1.5% before its buffer engages and CPSO 0.6%, and FSEP resets 13 days sooner.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about CPSO and FSEP
Net assets: $34m on Nov 4, 2026 for Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - October, and $1.4bn on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September.
CPSO: reference +0.4% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer Floor; cap +8.8%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
Data to Nov 4, 2026.FSEP: reference +0.7% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.7%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
FSEP: reference +0.7% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.7%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
CPSO costs 0.16 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 7.1 points; FSEP is far larger, $1.4bn against $34m.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | CPSO | FSEP |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +6.1% | +13.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.69% | 0.85% |
| Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 | $34m | $1.4bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | CPSO | FSEP | CPSO | FSEP |
| 3 months | +1.4% | +2.2% | +1.8 pts | +2.6 pts |
| 6 months | +3.1% | +6.1% | −1.3 pts | +1.6 pts |
| 1 year | +6.1% | +13.2% | −7.5 pts | −0.4 pts |
| 3 years | – | +52.7% | – | −23.7 pts |
| Since launchNot the same days: CPSO Oct 2024 · FSEP Sep 2020 | +12.7% | +94.7% | −22.1 pts | −39.8 pts |
Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. – means no data for this window. Open this comparison in the app →
Side by side
As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
These are two different products. CPSO is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. FSEP 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
FSEP resets first, on Sep 17, 2027, 317 days from now; CPSO runs to Sep 30, 2027, 330 days. A fall from here reaches CPSO’s buffer after 0.6% and FSEP’s after 1.5%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
CPSO
The fund's price can fall 0.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.4% 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. 330 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
FSEP
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 15.1% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.7% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 10.0% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 317 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 17, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
Questions people ask
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.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, CPSO against FSEP, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/cpso-vs-fsep
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). CPSO against FSEP. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/cpso-vs-fsep
[CPSO against FSEP (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/cpso-vs-fsep)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.