Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
CPST vs PQV: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 PQV can fall 0.9% before its buffer engages and CPST 0.6%, and PQV resets 243 days sooner.
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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $41m for Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - September and $2.3m for PGIM S&P 500 Quarterly Buffer 5 ETF.
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.PQV: reference +0.6% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer 0 to −5; cap +5.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
PQV: reference +0.6% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer 0 to −5; cap +5.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
PQV costs 0.19 points a year less; CPST is 17.8 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | CPST | PQV |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +5.2% | not published |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.69% | 0.50% |
| Net assets | $41m | $2.3m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | CPST | PQV | CPST | PQV |
| 3 months | +0.8% | +0.6% | +1.2 pts | +0.9 pts |
| 6 months | +2.3% | – | −2.1 pts | – |
| 1 year | +5.2% | – | −8.4 pts | – |
| Since launchNot the same days: CPST Sep 2024 · PQV Jul 2026 | +14.1% | +2.8% | −24.8 pts | 0.0 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. PQV is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.
They do not reset together. PQV has 57 days of its period left and CPST has 300, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.
Where each one stands today
PQV resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 57 days from now; CPST runs to Aug 31, 2027, 300 days. A fall from here reaches CPST’s buffer after 0.6% and PQV’s after 0.9%. 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.
PQV
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 4.1% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 5.0% of the 5.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 57 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 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.
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ETFIQ, CPST against PQV, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/cpst-vs-pqv
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). CPST against PQV. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/cpst-vs-pqv
[CPST against PQV (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/cpst-vs-pqv)
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