Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

DMAR vs PAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 DMAR can fall 13.5% before its buffer engages and PAPR 9.0%, and DMAR resets 12 days sooner.

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Net assets: $472m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - March, and $963m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Apr.

At a glance
13.5%
DMAR can fall this far before its buffer
9.0%
PAPR can fall this far before its buffer
3.1%
DMAR can still gain
3.8%
PAPR can still gain
DMAR At its cap
At its capDMAR: reference +18.2% since period start, fund +8.8%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.25 pts of buffer+13.1% gain captured−30.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% period start+13.1% capfirst 5 pts are yours to loseTODAY · SPY +18.2%At its capDMAR: reference +18.2% since period start, fund +8.8%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.25 pts of buffer+13.1%−30.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+13.1% capfirst 5 pts are yours to loseTODAY · SPY +18.2%

DMAR: reference +18.2% since period start, fund +8.8%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

DMAR: reference +18.2% since period start, fund +8.8%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
PAPR At its cap
At its capPAPR: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +14.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+14% gain captured−15.0% floor0% period start+14.0% capTODAY · SPY +17.9%At its capPAPR: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +14.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts+14%−15.0% floor0% start+14.0% capTODAY · SPY +17.9%

PAPR: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +14.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

PAPR: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +14.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

PAPR costs 0.06 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.7 points; PAPR is 2.0 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DMAR vs PAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDMARPAPR
Return
Total return, 1 year+12.3%+13.0%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer19.6%15.2%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.85%0.79%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$472m$957m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · PAPR scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score7.4DMAR49.1PAPR

How much of a bear-market fall the buffer would absorb from today's level, ranked against 292 buffer ETFs on stocks with a live outcome period. 100 is best. How it is computed

0.3, the lowest in this set 99.7, the highest

Today's position against one 20% fall; it ignores smaller falls, and stock buffers are never ranked against bond or commodity ones. All buffer ETFs ranked by it →

Method

Risk and return

Apr 1, 2021 to Oct 30, 2026 · 291 weekly returns · each against SPY
DMAR PAPR
Return
Total return edge PAPR (slight) +51.7% +56.5%
Annualized edge PAPR (slight) +7.7% +8.3%
Price return edge PAPR (slight) +51.7% +56.5%
Risk
Volatility edge DMAR 6.5% 7.3%
Max drawdown edge DMAR −9.2% −10.7%
Downside capture 41.3% 47.2%
Beta 0.39 0.44
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge Tie 0.64 0.65
Sortino edge Tie 0.95 0.95
Treynor 0.107 0.108
Calmar edge DMAR (slight) 0.84 0.78
Against the benchmark
Alpha +0.1% a year +0.2% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.14 0.17
Information ratio −0.63 −0.62
Tracking error 9.9% 9.1%
Reading

From Apr 2021 to Oct 2026, PAPR returned slightly more: +56.5% to +51.7%. DMAR swung less: 6.5% to 7.3%. DMAR fell less at its worst: −9.2% to −10.7%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: DMAR vs PAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDMARPAPRSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+51.7%+56.5%PAPR (slight)Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+7.7%+8.3%PAPR (slight)Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return+51.7%+56.5%PAPR (slight)Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility6.5%7.3%DMARSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation4.4%5.0%DMARLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−9.2%−10.7%DMARDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture28.7%33.3%100.0%PAPRShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture41.3%47.2%100.0%DMARShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.390.441.00DMAR lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.870.891.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.640.65TieReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.950.95TieReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1070.1080.104TieReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.840.78DMAR (slight)Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+0.1% a year+0.2% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.140.17Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−1.8% to +2.1%−1.8% to +2.2%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.63−0.62TieReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error9.9%9.1%0.0%Not an edgeHow far weekly returns stray from the benchmark, annualized.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 291 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: DMAR vs PAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowDMARPAPRDMARPAPR
3 months+1.5%+1.7%+1.9 pts+2.1 pts
6 months+3.9%+4.3%−0.6 pts−0.2 pts
1 year+12.3%+13.0%−1.2 pts−0.6 pts
3 years+40.9%+40.5%−35.5 pts−35.9 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DMAR Mar 2021 · PAPR Apr 2019+54.3%+77.7%−41.0 pts−90.6 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

DMAR FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - March · Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 30.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 13.1%, over a period ending Mar 19, 2027 PAPR Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Apr · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 14.0%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 5% to 30% 15%
Outcome period Mar 23, 2026 to Mar 19, 2027 Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027
Days left 135 147
Starting cap +13.1% +14.0%
Can still gain 3.1% 3.8%
Fall before buffer 13.5% 9.0%
Protection left, index points 25.0% of 25.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +18.2% +17.9%
Fund return this period +8.8% +9.3%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.85% 0.79%
Net assets, DMAR as of Nov 3, 2026 and PAPR as of Nov 4, 2026 $472m $963m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Both are already at their cap, so neither gains from more rise in the index before the period ends.

Where each one stands today

DMAR resets first, on Mar 19, 2027, 135 days from now; PAPR runs to Mar 31, 2027, 147 days. DMAR can still gain 3.1% before its cap, PAPR 3.8%. A fall from here reaches DMAR’s buffer after 13.5% and PAPR’s after 9.0%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
DMAR

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +13.1% for the period on Nov 4, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 3.1% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 13.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 19.6% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 25.0% of the 25.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 135 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Mar 19, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

PAPR

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +14.0% for the period on Nov 4, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 3.8% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 9.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 15.2% 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. 147 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Mar 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DMAR or PAPR?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DMAR can gain about 3.1% before its cap and PAPR about 3.8%, so PAPR has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DMAR or PAPR?
DMAR ends its outcome period on Mar 19, 2027 and PAPR on Mar 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DMAR or PAPR?
DMAR charges 0.85% a year and PAPR charges 0.79%, so PAPR 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

It is a place in a set, not a rating or a recommendation.

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.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, DMAR against PAPR, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/dmar-vs-papr

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