Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
CPST vs GAUG: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 GAUG can fall 1.6% before its buffer engages and CPST 0.6%, and GAUG resets 11 days sooner.
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Net assets: $41m on Nov 4, 2026 for Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - September, and $414m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - August.
CPST: reference +0.7% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer Floor; cap +8.1%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
Data to Nov 4, 2026.GAUG: reference +0.1% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
GAUG: reference +0.1% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
CPST costs 0.16 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 4.1 points; GAUG is 10.1 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | CPST | GAUG |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +5.2% | +9.3% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 0.7% | 0.1% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.69% | 0.85% |
| Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 | $41m | $414m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | CPST | GAUG | CPST | GAUG |
| 3 months | +0.8% | +1.1% | +1.2 pts | +1.4 pts |
| 6 months | +2.3% | +3.8% | −2.1 pts | −0.7 pts |
| 1 year | +5.2% | +9.3% | −8.4 pts | −4.2 pts |
| 3 years | – | +41.8% | – | −34.6 pts |
| Since launchNot the same days: CPST Sep 2024 · GAUG Aug 2023 | +14.1% | +42.0% | −24.8 pts | −32.5 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. CPST is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. GAUG 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
GAUG resets first, on Aug 20, 2027, 289 days from now; CPST runs to Aug 31, 2027, 300 days. A fall from here reaches CPST’s buffer after 0.6% and GAUG’s after 1.6%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
CPST
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 0.7% 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. 300 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Aug 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
GAUG
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 12.1% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.1% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 289 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Aug 20, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
Questions people ask
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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, CPST against GAUG, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/cpst-vs-gaug
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). CPST against GAUG. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/cpst-vs-gaug
[CPST against GAUG (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/cpst-vs-gaug)
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