Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

CPSO vs SEPM: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 SEPM can fall 1.4% before its buffer engages and CPSO 0.6%, and SEPM resets 13 days sooner.

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Net assets: $34m on Nov 4, 2026 for Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - October, and $38m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - September.

At a glance
CPSO Full floor
Full floorCPSO: reference +0.4% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer Floor; cap +8.8%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+8.4% to capfull floor0% period start+8.8% cap+0.4% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.4%Full floorCPSO: reference +0.4% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer Floor; cap +8.8%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+8.8% cap+0.4% gain captured+8.4% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.4%

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.
SEPM Full floor
Full floorSEPM: reference +0.7% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer −0 to floor; cap +8.2%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+7.6% to capfull floor0.0% buffer start0% period start+8.2% capfirst 0 pts are yours to lose+0.7% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.7%Full floorSEPM: reference +0.7% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer −0 to floor; cap +8.2%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0.0% buffer start0% start+8.2% capfirst 0 pts are yours to lose+0.7% gain captured+7.6% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.7%

SEPM: reference +0.7% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer −0 to floor; cap +8.2%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

SEPM: reference +0.7% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer −0 to floor; cap +8.2%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

CPSO costs 0.16 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.3 points; SEPM is 1.1 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

CPSO vs SEPM: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureCPSOSEPM
Return
Total return, 1 year+6.1%+6.4%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer0.4%0.7%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.69%0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$34m$38m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: CPSO vs SEPM: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowCPSOSEPMCPSOSEPM
3 months+1.4%+1.3%+1.8 pts+1.6 pts
6 months+3.1%+3.0%−1.3 pts−1.5 pts
1 year+6.1%+6.4%−7.5 pts−7.2 pts
Since launchNot the same days: CPSO Oct 2024 · SEPM Sep 2024+12.7%+13.3%−22.1 pts−21.3 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

CPSO Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - October · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 8.8%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027 SEPM FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - September · Absorbs losses from 0.0% to 100.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 8.2%, over a period ending Sep 17, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 100% 0% to 100%
Outcome period Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027 Sep 21, 2026 to Sep 17, 2027
Days left 330 317
Starting cap +8.8% +8.2%
Can still gain not published 6.8%
Fall before buffer 0.6% 1.4%
Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period +0.4% +0.7%
Fund return this period +0.6% +0.6%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.69% 0.85%
Net assets, CPSO as of Nov 4, 2026 and SEPM as of Nov 3, 2026 $34m $38m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Where each one stands today

SEPM 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 SEPM’s after 1.4%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

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About each fund
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.

SEPM

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 6.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.4% 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. 317 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 17, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which resets first, CPSO or SEPM?
CPSO ends its outcome period on Sep 30, 2027 and SEPM on Sep 17, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, CPSO or SEPM?
CPSO charges 0.69% a year and SEPM charges 0.85%, so CPSO is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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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, CPSO against SEPM, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/cpso-vs-sepm

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