CPSP vs ZAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

As of Oct 9, 2026 ZAPR can fall 4.3% before its buffer engages and CPSP 3.8%. Net assets on Oct 9, 2026: $24m for Calamos S&P 500 ® Structured Alt Protection ETF - April and $68m for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr April.

CPSP costs 0.10 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.2 points; ZAPR is 2.8 times larger.

CPSPZAPR
Expense ratio0.69%0.79%
Net assets$24m$68m
Total return, 1 year+6.1%+6.3%
What it tracksSPYSPY
Holdings in commonnot published
Index fall to the buffer15.8%16.5%
CPSPAt its cap
At its capCPSP: reference +18.8% since period start, fund +3.6%; 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 +18.8%At its capCPSP: reference +18.8% since period start, fund +3.6%; 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 +18.8%

CPSP: reference +18.8% since period start, fund +3.6%; buffer Floor; cap +6.7%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

ZAPRAt its cap
At its capZAPR: reference +19.7% since period start, fund +4.0%; buffer Floor; cap +7.3%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.full floor beneath+7.3%full floor0% period start+7.3% capTODAY · SPY +19.7%At its capZAPR: reference +19.7% since period start, fund +4.0%; buffer Floor; cap +7.3%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+7.3% cap+7.3% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +19.7%

ZAPR: reference +19.7% since period start, fund +4.0%; buffer Floor; cap +7.3%; 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

CPSP resets first, on Mar 31, 2027, 173 days from now; ZAPR runs to Mar 31, 2027, 173 days. A fall from here reaches CPSP’s buffer after 3.8% and ZAPR’s after 4.3%. 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
WindowCPSPZAPRCPSPZAPR
3 months+1.4%+1.4%−1.8 pts−1.7 pts
6 months+2.8%+3.2%−11.8 pts−11.4 pts
1 year+6.1%+6.3%−9.9 pts−9.7 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

CPSP
Calamos S&P 500 ® Structured Alt Protection ETF - April · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 6.7%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027
ZAPR
Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr April · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 7.3%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 100% 100%
Outcome period Apr 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027
Days left 173 173
Starting cap +6.7% +7.3%
Can still gain not published 2.7%
Fall before buffer 3.8% 4.3%
Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period +18.8% +19.7%
Fund return this period +3.6% +4.0%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.69% 0.79%
Net assets $24m $68m

As of Oct 9, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

CPSP 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 3.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 15.8% 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. 173 days remained on Oct 9, 2026. On Mar 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

ZAPR in plain words

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +7.3% 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 2.7% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 4.3% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 16.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins.

Questions people ask

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

Open data

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