Which resets first, CPST or ZOCT?

CPST ends its outcome period on Sep 1, 2027 and ZOCT on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, CPST or ZOCT?

CPST charges 0.69% a year and ZOCT charges 0.79%, so CPST is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

CPST vs ZOCT: which one stands where?

As of Oct 1, 2026 CPST can fall 0.1% before its buffer engages and ZOCT 0.0%, and CPST resets 30 days sooner. Calamos S&P 500 ® Structured Alt Protection ETF - September and Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr October.

CPSTFull floor

CPST: reference +0.1% since period start, fund 0.0%; buffer −0 to floor; cap +8.0%; Full floor.

ZOCTFull floor

ZOCT: reference 0.0% since period start, fund 0.0%; buffer Floor; cap +9.4%; Full floor.

They do not reset together. CPST has 335 days of its period left and ZOCT has 365, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

Where each one stands today

CPST resets first, on Sep 1, 2027, 335 days from now; ZOCT runs to Sep 30, 2027, 365 days. A fall from here reaches CPST’s buffer after 0.1% and ZOCT’s after 0.0%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Every figure is ETFIQ’s own, from the issuer’s published outcome-period terms. A buffer ETF holds FLEX options on its reference index rather than shares, so there is no holdings overlap between two of them to report.

Performance, window by window

	Total return		Gap to the reference
Window	CPST	ZOCT	CPST	ZOCT
3 months	+1.0%	+1.8%	−1.5 pts	−0.8 pts
6 months	+3.9%	+4.9%	−13.0 pts	−12.0 pts
1 year	+5.2%	+5.8%	−10.5 pts	−9.9 pts

CPST and ZOCT over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ. Open the live comparison on ETFIQ →

On the same fields

CPST

Calamos S&P 500 ® Structured Alt Protection ETF - September · Absorbs losses from 0.0% to 100.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 8.0%, over a period ending Sep 1, 2027

ZOCT

Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr October · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 9.4%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027

Issuer Calamos Innovator

Reference index SPY SPY

Buffer 0% to 100% 100%

Outcome period Sep 1, 2026 to Sep 1, 2027 Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027

Days left 335 365

Starting cap +8.0% +9.4%

Can still gain not published 9.4%

Fall before buffer 0.1% 0.0%

Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 100.0% of 100.0%

Index return this period +0.1% 0.0%

Fund return this period 0.0% 0.0%

State today Open Open

Expense ratio 0.69% 0.79%

Net assets $37m $105m

CPST and ZOCT on the same fields, as of Oct 1, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

CPST in plain words

The fund's price can fall 0.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.1% 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. 335 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Sep 1, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

ZOCT in plain words

From its price on Oct 1, 2026, the fund can gain about 9.4% more before it reaches its cap. 365 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which resets first, CPST or ZOCT?: CPST ends its outcome period on Sep 1, 2027 and ZOCT on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, CPST or ZOCT?: CPST charges 0.69% a year and ZOCT charges 0.79%, so CPST is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

CPST vs XSEP CPST vs ZSEP CPST vs AIOO CPST vs APOC ZOCT vs DDSQ ZOCT vs EALT ZOCT vs FLAO ZOCT vs FSEP

S&P 500 (SPY) →CPST on its own →ZOCT on its own →How every figure is computed →Standards and sources →

Where these figures came from

CPST filings on SEC EDGAR ↗Calamos website ↗ZOCT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗Innovator page for ZOCT ↗

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page

ETFIQ, CPST against ZOCT, data as of Oct 1, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/cpst-vs-zoct

Open data

Free to use with attribution. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology.