Data as of .
FFEB vs MART: which one stands where?
As of Sep 21, 2026 MART can fall 9.0% before its buffer engages and FFEB 8.6%, and FFEB resets 8 days sooner.
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score: FFEB scores higher
If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
A percentile among the 293 buffer ETFs with a live outcome period. It is a position in a set, not a rating, and neither end of it is a recommendation. All buffer ETFs ranked by it · How it is computed
Where each one stands today
FFEB resets first, on Feb 19, 2027, 151 days from now; MART runs to Feb 28, 2027, 159 days. FFEB can still gain 5.2% before its cap, MART 5.6%. A fall from here reaches FFEB’s buffer after 8.6% and MART’s after 9.0%. 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
| Window | Total return | Gap to the reference | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FFEB | MART | FFEB | MART | |
| 3 months | +2.4% | +2.3% | +0.1 pts | +0.1 pts |
| 6 months | +12.1% | +12.3% | −5.9 pts | −5.8 pts |
| 1 year | +13.8% | +14.2% | −2.8 pts | −2.4 pts |
| 3 years | +55.9% | +55.7% | −22.5 pts | −22.7 pts |
| FFEB FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - February Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 15.0%, over a period ending Feb 19, 2027 | MART AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer10 ETF - Mar Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 15.9%, over a period ending Feb 28, 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | First Trust | AllianzIM |
| Reference index | SPY | SPY |
| Buffer | 10% | 10% |
| Outcome period | Feb 23, 2026 to Feb 19, 2027 | Mar 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027 |
| Days left | 151 | 159 |
| Starting cap | +15.0% | +15.9% |
| Can still gain | 5.2% | 5.6% |
| Fall before buffer | 8.6% | 9.0% |
| Protection left, index points | 10.0% of 10.0% | 10.0% of 10.0% |
| Index return this period | +12.2% | +12.8% |
| Fund return this period | +8.5% | +9.0% |
| State today | Open | Open |
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.74% |
| Net assets | $1.4bn | $31m |
FFEB in plain words
From its price on Sep 21, 2026, the fund can gain about 5.2% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 8.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.9% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 10.0% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 151 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Feb 19, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
MART in plain words
From its price on Sep 21, 2026, the fund can gain about 5.6% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 9.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 11.4% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. 159 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Feb 28, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
Questions people ask
- Which has more room to gain, FFEB or MART?
- From their prices on Sep 21, 2026, FFEB can gain about 5.2% before its cap and MART about 5.6%, so MART has more room left this period.
- Which resets first, FFEB or MART?
- FFEB ends its outcome period on Feb 19, 2027 and MART on Feb 28, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
- Which is cheaper, FFEB or MART?
- FFEB charges 0.85% a year and MART charges 0.74%, so MART is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, FFEB against MART, data as of Sep 21, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ffeb-vs-mart Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.