Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

FMAR vs TAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 TAPR can fall 11.5% before its buffer engages and FMAR 11.3%, and FMAR resets 12 days sooner.

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Net assets: $1.2bn on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - March, and $11m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Apr 2027.

At a glance
11.3%
FMAR can fall this far before its buffer
11.5%
TAPR can fall this far before its buffer
4.0%
FMAR can still gain
2.3%
TAPR can still gain
FMAR At its cap
At its capFMAR: reference +18.2% since period start, fund +11.8%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +17.2%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.10 pts+17.2% gain captured−10.0% floor0% period start+17.2% capTODAY · SPY +18.2%At its capFMAR: reference +18.2% since period start, fund +11.8%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +17.2%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.+17.2%−10.0% floor0% start+17.2% cap10 pts of bufferTODAY · SPY +18.2%

FMAR: reference +18.2% since period start, fund +11.8%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +17.2%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

FMAR: reference +18.2% since period start, fund +11.8%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +17.2%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
TAPR At its cap
At its capTAPR: reference +37.0% since period start, fund +11.3%; buffer Floor; cap +15.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+15.3% gainedfull floor0% period start+15.3% capTODAY · SPY +37.0%At its capTAPR: reference +37.0% since period start, fund +11.3%; buffer Floor; cap +15.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+15.3% cap+15.3% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +37.0%

TAPR: reference +37.0% since period start, fund +11.3%; buffer Floor; cap +15.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

TAPR costs 0.06 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 10.8 points; FMAR is far larger, $1.2bn against $11m.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

FMAR vs TAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureFMARTAPR
Return
Total return, 1 year+16.0%+5.2%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer15.4%27.0%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.85%0.79%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$1.2bn$11m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: FMAR vs TAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowFMARTAPRFMARTAPR
3 months+1.7%+1.2%+2.1 pts+1.5 pts
6 months+4.7%+2.6%+0.2 pts−1.9 pts
1 year+16.0%+5.2%+2.4 pts−8.3 pts
3 years+51.0%–−25.4 pts–
Since launchNot the same days: FMAR Mar 2021 · TAPR Apr 2025+81.3%+11.0%−14.1 pts−25.7 pts

Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. – means no data for this window. Open this comparison in the app →

Side by side

FMAR FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - March · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 17.2%, over a period ending Mar 19, 2027 TAPR Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Apr 2027 · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 15.3%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 10% 100%
Outcome period Mar 23, 2026 to Mar 19, 2027 Mar 31, 2025 to Mar 31, 2027
Days left 135 147
Starting cap +17.2% +15.3%
Can still gain 4.0% 2.3%
Fall before buffer 11.3% 11.5%
Protection left, index points 10.0% of 10.0% 100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period +18.2% +37.0%
Fund return this period +11.8% +11.3%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.85% 0.79%
Net assets, FMAR as of Nov 3, 2026 and TAPR as of Nov 4, 2026 $1.2bn $11m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

These are two different products. TAPR is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. FMAR 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

FMAR resets first, on Mar 19, 2027, 135 days from now; TAPR runs to Mar 31, 2027, 147 days. FMAR can still gain 4.0% before its cap, TAPR 2.3%. A fall from here reaches FMAR’s buffer after 11.3% and TAPR’s after 11.5%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

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About each fund
FMAR

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +17.2% 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 4.0% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 11.3% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 15.4% 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. 135 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Mar 19, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

TAPR

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +15.3% 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 2.3% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 11.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 27.0% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% 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, FMAR or TAPR?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, FMAR can gain about 4.0% before its cap and TAPR about 2.3%, so FMAR has more room left this period.
Which resets first, FMAR or TAPR?
FMAR ends its outcome period on Mar 19, 2027 and TAPR on Mar 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, FMAR or TAPR?
FMAR charges 0.85% a year and TAPR charges 0.79%, so TAPR 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, FMAR against TAPR, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/fmar-vs-tapr

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