Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

DMAR vs XBAP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 DMAR can fall 13.5% before its buffer engages and XBAP 10.0%, 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 $129m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated 9 Buffer ETF - Apr.

At a glance
13.5%
DMAR can fall this far before its buffer
10.0%
XBAP can fall this far before its buffer
3.1%
DMAR can still gain
3.6%
XBAP 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.
XBAP At its cap
At its capXBAP: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +10.5%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +15.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.9 pts of buffer+15% gain captured−9.0% floor0% period start+15.0% capTODAY · SPY +17.9%At its capXBAP: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +10.5%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +15.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.+15%−9.0% floor0% start+15.0% cap9 pts of bufferTODAY · SPY +17.9%

XBAP: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +10.5%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +15.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XBAP: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +10.5%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +15.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

XBAP costs 0.06 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.6 points; DMAR is 3.7 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DMAR vs XBAP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDMARXBAP
Return
Total return, 1 year+12.3%+13.9%
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$128m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Apr 9, 2021 to Oct 30, 2026 · 290 weekly returns · each against SPY
DMAR XBAP
Return
Total return edge XBAP +50.2% +66.6%
Annualized edge XBAP +7.6% +9.6%
Price return edge XBAP +50.2% +66.6%
Risk
Volatility edge DMAR 6.5% 9.0%
Max drawdown edge DMAR −9.2% −14.4%
Downside capture 41.3% 52.8%
Beta 0.39 0.53
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge XBAP (slight) 0.61 0.67
Sortino edge XBAP (slight) 0.91 1.00
Treynor 0.103 0.114
Calmar edge DMAR 0.82 0.67
Against the benchmark
Alpha +0.2% a year +0.8% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.15 0.53
Information ratio −0.60 −0.48
Tracking error 9.9% 8.2%
Reading

From Apr 2021 to Oct 2026, XBAP returned more: +66.6% to +50.2%. DMAR swung less: 6.5% to 9.0%. DMAR fell less at its worst: −9.2% to −14.4%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: DMAR vs XBAP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDMARXBAPSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+50.2%+66.6%XBAPPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+7.6%+9.6%XBAPTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+50.2%+66.6%XBAPPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility6.5%9.0%DMARSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation4.4%6.0%DMARLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−9.2%−14.4%DMARDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture28.8%39.6%100.0%XBAPShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture41.3%52.8%100.0%DMARShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.390.531.00DMAR lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.870.851.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.610.67XBAP (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.911.00XBAP (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1030.1140.099XBAP (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.820.67DMARAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+0.2% a year+0.8% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.150.53Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−1.8% to +2.1%−2.1% to +3.7%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.60−0.48XBAPReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error9.9%8.2%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, 290 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: DMAR vs XBAP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowDMARXBAPDMARXBAP
3 months+1.5%+1.7%+1.9 pts+2.1 pts
6 months+3.9%+4.8%−0.6 pts+0.3 pts
1 year+12.3%+13.9%−1.2 pts+0.3 pts
3 years+40.9%+47.5%−35.5 pts−28.9 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DMAR Mar 2021 · XBAP Apr 2021+54.3%+69.5%−41.0 pts−21.9 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 XBAP Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated 9 Buffer ETF - Apr · Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 15.0%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 5% to 30% 9%
Outcome period Mar 23, 2026 to Mar 19, 2027 Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027
Days left 135 147
Starting cap +13.1% +15.0%
Can still gain 3.1% 3.6%
Fall before buffer 13.5% 10.0%
Protection left, index points 25.0% of 25.0% 9.0% of 9.0%
Index return this period +18.2% +17.9%
Fund return this period +8.8% +10.5%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.85% 0.79%
Net assets, DMAR as of Nov 3, 2026 and XBAP as of Nov 4, 2026 $472m $129m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

These are two different products. XBAP is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. DMAR is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.

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; XBAP runs to Mar 31, 2027, 147 days. DMAR can still gain 3.1% before its cap, XBAP 3.6%. A fall from here reaches DMAR’s buffer after 13.5% and XBAP’s after 10.0%. 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.

XBAP

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +15.0% 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 3.6% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 10.0% 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: 9.0% of the 9.0% 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 XBAP?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DMAR can gain about 3.1% before its cap and XBAP about 3.6%, so XBAP has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DMAR or XBAP?
DMAR ends its outcome period on Mar 19, 2027 and XBAP on Mar 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DMAR or XBAP?
DMAR charges 0.85% a year and XBAP charges 0.79%, so XBAP is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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Sources and dates

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

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