Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

FJAN vs PAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Oct 28, 2026 FJAN can fall 9.3% before its buffer engages and PAPR 8.9%, and FJAN resets 75 days sooner.

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Net assets: $1.5bn on Oct 27, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - January, and $965m on Oct 28, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Apr.

At a glance
9.3%
FJAN can fall this far before its buffer
8.9%
PAPR can fall this far before its buffer
4.0%
FJAN can still gain
3.9%
PAPR can still gain
FJAN Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capFJAN: reference +11.7% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +14.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.10 pts of buffer+11.7% gain captured−10.0% floor0% period start+14.5% cap+2.9% more to the capTODAY · SPY +11.7%Between buffer and capFJAN: reference +11.7% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +14.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.10 pts+11.7%−10.0% floor0% start+14.5% cap+2.9% more to the capTODAY · SPY +11.7%

FJAN: reference +11.7% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +14.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

FJAN: reference +11.7% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +14.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.
PAPR At its cap
At its capPAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +9.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +14.0%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.15 pts of buffer+14% gain captured−15.0% floor0% period start+14.0% capTODAY · SPY +18.7%At its capPAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +9.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +14.0%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.15 pts+14% gained−15.0% floor0% start+14.0% capTODAY · SPY +18.7%

PAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +9.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +14.0%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

PAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +9.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +14.0%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

Pair scorecard

PAPR costs 0.06 points a year less; both returned +12.4% over a year; FJAN is 1.6 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

FJAN vs PAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureFJANPAPR
Return
Total return, 1 year+12.4%+12.4%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer10.4%15.7%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.85%0.79%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026$1.5bn$964m
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 Score37FJAN51.9PAPR

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

0.2, the lowest in this set 99.8, the highest

A percentile among the 292 buffer ETFs on stocks with a live outcome period. 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

Jan 29, 2021 to Oct 23, 2026 · 299 weekly returns · each against SPY
FJAN PAPR
Return
Total return edge FJAN +90.2% +58.6%
Annualized edge FJAN +11.8% +8.4%
Price return edge FJAN +90.2% +58.6%
Risk
Volatility edge PAPR 9.5% 7.2%
Max drawdown edge PAPR −12.7% −10.7%
Downside capture 60.2% 46.5%
Beta 0.58 0.43
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge FJAN 0.87 0.67
Sortino edge FJAN 1.32 0.99
Treynor 0.143 0.113
Calmar edge FJAN 0.93 0.78
Against the benchmark
Alpha +1.5% a year −0.2% a year
Alpha t-stat 1.21 −0.14
Information ratio −0.47 −0.73
Tracking error 7.3% 9.3%
Reading

FJAN returned more: +90.2% to +58.6%. PAPR swung less: 7.2% to 9.5%. PAPR fell less at its worst: −10.7% to −12.7%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: FJAN vs PAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureFJANPAPRSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+90.2%+58.6%FJANPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+11.8%+8.4%FJANTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+90.2%+58.6%FJANPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility9.5%7.2%PAPRSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation6.2%4.9%PAPRLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−12.7%−10.7%PAPRDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture47.4%31.9%100.0%FJANShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture60.2%46.5%100.0%PAPRShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.580.431.00PAPR lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.900.871.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.870.67FJANReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino1.320.99FJANReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1430.1130.117FJANReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.930.78FJANAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+1.5% a year−0.2% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat1.21−0.14Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−0.9% to +3.9%−2.3% to +2.0%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.47−0.73FJANReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error7.3%9.3%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, 299 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: FJAN vs PAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowFJANPAPRFJANPAPR
3 months+4.4%+3.0%−1.5 pts−2.9 pts
6 months+6.9%+5.0%−1.7 pts−3.6 pts
1 year+12.4%+12.4%0.0 pts0.0 pts
3 years+61.7%+45.1%−26.3 pts−43.0 pts
Since launchNot the same days: FJAN Jan 2021 · PAPR Apr 2019+88.5%+77.3%−15.4 pts−92.9 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

FJAN FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - January · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 14.5%, over a period ending Jan 15, 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 10% 15%
Outcome period Jan 20, 2026 to Jan 15, 2027 Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027
Days left 79 154
Starting cap +14.5% +14.0%
Can still gain 4.0% 3.9%
Fall before buffer 9.3% 8.9%
Protection left, index points 10.0% of 10.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +11.7% +18.7%
Fund return this period +9.3% +9.2%
State today Open At cap
Expense ratio 0.85% 0.79%
Net assets, FJAN as of Oct 27, 2026 and PAPR as of Oct 28, 2026 $1.5bn $965m

As of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

PAPR is already at its cap, so more rise in the index adds nothing to it before the period ends.

They do not reset together. FJAN has 79 days of its period left and PAPR has 154, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

Where each one stands today

FJAN resets first, on Jan 15, 2027, 79 days from now; PAPR runs to Mar 31, 2027, 154 days. FJAN can still gain 4.0% before its cap, PAPR 3.9%. A fall from here reaches FJAN’s buffer after 9.3% and PAPR’s after 8.9%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-53295694B1

FJAN and PAPR are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

  1. Protection and cap. FJAN: Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 14.5%, over a period ending Jan 15, 2027. PAPR: Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 14.0%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027. The starting caps are 0.5 points apart.
  2. Outcome period (similar). FJAN runs Jan 20, 2026 to Jan 15, 2027 with 79 days left; PAPR runs Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 with 154 days left.
  3. What each follows (similar). Both follow SPY.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund
FJAN

From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 4.0% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 9.3% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.4% 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. 79 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Jan 15, 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 Oct 28, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 3.9% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 8.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 15.7% 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. 154 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Mar 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, FJAN or PAPR?
From their prices on Oct 28, 2026, FJAN can gain about 4.0% before its cap and PAPR about 3.9%, so FJAN has more room left this period.
Which resets first, FJAN or PAPR?
FJAN ends its outcome period on Jan 15, 2027 and PAPR on Mar 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, FJAN or PAPR?
FJAN charges 0.85% a year and PAPR charges 0.79%, so PAPR 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

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.

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ETFIQ, FJAN against PAPR, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/fjan-vs-papr

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