Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

FJUL vs PAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Oct 28, 2026 PAPR can fall 8.9% before its buffer engages and FJUL 3.9%, and PAPR resets 107 days sooner.

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Net assets: $1.4bn on Oct 27, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - July, and $965m on Oct 28, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Apr.

At a glance
3.9%
FJUL can fall this far before its buffer
8.9%
PAPR can fall this far before its buffer
12.4%
FJUL can still gain
3.9%
PAPR can still gain
FJUL Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capFJUL: reference +3.9% since period start, fund +3.2%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.10 pts of buffer+3.9%+12.9% more to the cap−10.0% floor0% period start+16.8% capTODAY · SPY +3.9%Between buffer and capFJUL: reference +3.9% since period start, fund +3.2%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.10 pts−10.0% floor0% start+16.8% cap+3.9% gain captured+12.9% more to the capTODAY · SPY +3.9%

FJUL: reference +3.9% since period start, fund +3.2%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

FJUL: reference +3.9% since period start, fund +3.2%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.8%; 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; their one-year returns differ by 1.0 point; FJUL is 1.5 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

FJUL vs PAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureFJULPAPR
Return
Total return, 1 year+11.4%+12.4%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer3.8%15.7%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.85%0.79%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026$1.4bn$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 Score37FJUL51.9PAPR

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

Jul 31, 2020 to Oct 23, 2026 · 325 weekly returns · each against SPY
FJUL PAPR
Return
Total return edge FJUL +100.2% +64.3%
Annualized edge FJUL +11.8% +8.3%
Price return edge FJUL +100.2% +64.3%
Risk
Volatility edge PAPR 9.9% 7.1%
Max drawdown edge PAPR (slight) −11.7% −10.7%
Downside capture 65.1% 44.7%
Beta 0.60 0.41
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge FJUL 0.86 0.71
Sortino edge FJUL 1.31 1.06
Treynor 0.140 0.123
Calmar edge FJUL 1.00 0.77
Against the benchmark
Alpha +0.6% a year −0.3% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.62 −0.25
Information ratio −0.67 −0.81
Tracking error 6.8% 9.8%
Reading

FJUL returned more: +100.2% to +64.3%. PAPR swung less: 7.1% to 9.9%. PAPR fell slightly less at its worst: −10.7% to −11.7%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: FJUL vs PAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureFJULPAPRSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+100.2%+64.3%FJULPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+11.8%+8.3%FJULTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+100.2%+64.3%FJULPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility9.9%7.1%PAPRSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation6.4%4.8%PAPRLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−11.7%−10.7%PAPR (slight)Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture49.6%29.8%100.0%FJULShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture65.1%44.7%100.0%PAPRShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.600.411.00PAPR lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.930.841.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.860.71FJULReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino1.311.06FJULReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1400.1230.130FJULReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar1.000.77FJULAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+0.6% a year−0.3% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.62−0.25Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−1.4% to +2.6%−2.5% to +1.9%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.67−0.81FJULReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error6.8%9.8%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, 325 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: FJUL vs PAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowFJULPAPRFJULPAPR
3 months+4.3%+3.0%−1.5 pts−2.9 pts
6 months+6.8%+5.0%−1.7 pts−3.6 pts
1 year+11.4%+12.4%−1.0 pts0.0 pts
3 years+65.3%+45.1%−22.7 pts−43.0 pts
Since launchNot the same days: FJUL Jul 2020 · PAPR Apr 2019+102.5%+77.3%−35.7 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

FJUL FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - July · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 16.8%, over a period ending Jul 16, 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 Jul 20, 2026 to Jul 16, 2027 Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027
Days left 261 154
Starting cap +16.8% +14.0%
Can still gain 12.4% 3.9%
Fall before buffer 3.9% 8.9%
Protection left, index points 10.0% of 10.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +3.9% +18.7%
Fund return this period +3.2% +9.2%
State today Open At cap
Expense ratio 0.85% 0.79%
Net assets, FJUL as of Oct 27, 2026 and PAPR as of Oct 28, 2026 $1.4bn $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. PAPR has 154 days of its period left and FJUL has 261, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

Where each one stands today

PAPR resets first, on Mar 31, 2027, 154 days from now; FJUL runs to Jul 16, 2027, 261 days. FJUL can still gain 12.4% before its cap, PAPR 3.9%. A fall from here reaches FJUL’s buffer after 3.9% 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-613A478792

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

  1. Protection and cap. FJUL: Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 16.8%, over a period ending Jul 16, 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 2.8 points apart.
  2. Outcome period. FJUL runs Jul 20, 2026 to Jul 16, 2027 with 261 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
FJUL

From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 12.4% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 3.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 3.8% 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. 261 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Jul 16, 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, FJUL or PAPR?
From their prices on Oct 28, 2026, FJUL can gain about 12.4% before its cap and PAPR about 3.9%, so FJUL has more room left this period.
Which resets first, FJUL or PAPR?
FJUL ends its outcome period on Jul 16, 2027 and PAPR on Mar 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, FJUL or PAPR?
FJUL 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.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

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

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