Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

MARM vs PMAP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 MARM can fall 4.9% before its buffer engages and PMAP 4.4%, and MARM resets 12 days sooner.

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Net assets: $105m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - March, and $5.0m on Nov 4, 2026 for PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - April.

At a glance
4.9%
MARM can fall this far before its buffer
4.4%
PMAP can fall this far before its buffer
1.9%
MARM can still gain
2.5%
PMAP can still gain
MARM At its cap
At its capMARM: reference +18.2% since period start, fund +4.2%; buffer 0 to −78; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.77.8 pts of buffer+7%−77.8% floor0% period start+7.0% capTODAY · SPY +18.2%At its capMARM: reference +18.2% since period start, fund +4.2%; buffer 0 to −78; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.77.8 pts of buffer−77.8% floor0% start+7.0% cap+7% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +18.2%

MARM: reference +18.2% since period start, fund +4.2%; buffer 0 to −78; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

MARM: reference +18.2% since period start, fund +4.2%; buffer 0 to −78; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
PMAP At its cap
At its capPMAP: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +4.1%; buffer Floor; cap +7.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+7.1%full floor0% period start+7.1% capTODAY · SPY +17.9%At its capPMAP: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +4.1%; buffer Floor; cap +7.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+7.1% cap+7.1% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +17.9%

PMAP: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +4.1%; buffer Floor; cap +7.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

PMAP costs 0.35 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.1 points; MARM is far larger, $105m against $5.0m.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

MARM vs PMAP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureMARMPMAP
Return
Total return, 1 year+6.3%+6.4%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer15.4%15.2%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.85%0.50%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$105m$5.0m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Apr 11, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026 · 81 weekly returns · each against SPY
MARM PMAP
Return
Total return edge PMAP (slight) +11.0% +11.5%
Annualized edge PMAP (slight) +6.9% +7.2%
Price return edge PMAP (slight) +11.0% +11.5%
Risk
Volatility edge PMAP 1.6% 1.5%
Max drawdown edge PMAP −0.4% −0.3%
Downside capture 2.3% 0.2%
Beta 0.11 0.10
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge PMAP 1.71 2.10
Sortino edge PMAP 3.46 4.95
Treynor 0.249 0.306
Calmar edge PMAP 16.79 26.55
Against the benchmark
Alpha +0.5% a year +1.0% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.80 1.76
Information ratio −1.54 −1.50
Tracking error 11.3% 11.5%
Reading

From Apr 2025 to Oct 2026, PMAP returned slightly more: +11.5% to +11.0%. PMAP swung less: 1.5% to 1.6%. PMAP fell less at its worst: −0.3% to −0.4%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: MARM vs PMAP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureMARMPMAPSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+11.0%+11.5%PMAP (slight)Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+6.9%+7.2%PMAP (slight)Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return+11.0%+11.5%PMAP (slight)Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility1.6%1.5%PMAPSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation0.8%0.6%PMAPLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−0.4%−0.3%PMAPDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture10.2%10.0%100.0%TieShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture2.3%0.2%100.0%PMAPShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.110.101.00TieHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.760.761.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe1.712.10PMAPReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino3.464.95PMAPReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.2490.3060.203PMAPReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar16.7926.55PMAPAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+0.5% a year+1.0% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.801.76Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−0.8% to +1.8%−0.1% to +2.2%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−1.54−1.50PMAP (slight)Return against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error11.3%11.5%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, 81 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: MARM vs PMAP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowMARMPMAPMARMPMAP
3 months+1.0%+1.1%+1.4 pts+1.5 pts
6 months+2.2%+2.3%−2.3 pts−2.2 pts
1 year+6.3%+6.4%−7.3 pts−7.2 pts
Since launchNot the same days: MARM Mar 2024 · PMAP Apr 2025+19.2%+10.9%−27.4 pts−25.8 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

MARM FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - March · Absorbs the first 78% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 7.0%, over a period ending Mar 19, 2027 PMAP PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - April · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 7.1%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 78% 100%
Outcome period Mar 23, 2026 to Mar 19, 2027 Apr 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027
Days left 135 147
Starting cap +7.0% +7.1%
Can still gain 1.9% 2.5%
Fall before buffer 4.9% 4.4%
Protection left, index points 77.8% of 77.8% 100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period +18.2% +17.9%
Fund return this period +4.2% +4.1%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.85% 0.50%
Net assets, MARM as of Nov 3, 2026 and PMAP as of Nov 4, 2026 $105m $5.0m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

MARM resets first, on Mar 19, 2027, 135 days from now; PMAP runs to Mar 31, 2027, 147 days. MARM can still gain 1.9% before its cap, PMAP 2.5%. A fall from here reaches MARM’s buffer after 4.9% and PMAP’s after 4.4%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
MARM

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +7.0% 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 1.9% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 4.9% 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: 77.8% of the 77.8% 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.

PMAP

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +7.1% 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 2.5% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 4.4% 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: 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, MARM or PMAP?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, MARM can gain about 1.9% before its cap and PMAP about 2.5%, so PMAP has more room left this period.
Which resets first, MARM or PMAP?
MARM ends its outcome period on Mar 19, 2027 and PMAP on Mar 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, MARM or PMAP?
MARM charges 0.85% a year and PMAP charges 0.50%, so PMAP is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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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.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, MARM against PMAP, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/marm-vs-pmap

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.