Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

MAYW vs PMAY: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 PMAY can fall 5.1% before its buffer engages and MAYW 5.0%.

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Net assets: $457m on Nov 3, 2026 for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 ETF - May, and $788m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - May.

At a glance
5.0%
MAYW can fall this far before its buffer
5.1%
PMAY can fall this far before its buffer
5.8%
MAYW can still gain
7.3%
PMAY can still gain
MAYW Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capMAYW: reference +6.7% since period start, fund +4.4%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts of buffer+6.7% gained−20.0% floor0% period start+11.2% cap+4.5% more to the capTODAY · SPY +6.7%Between buffer and capMAYW: reference +6.7% since period start, fund +4.4%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts of buffer+6.7%−20.0% floor0% start+11.2% cap+4.5% more to the capTODAY · SPY +6.7%

MAYW: reference +6.7% since period start, fund +4.4%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

MAYW: reference +6.7% since period start, fund +4.4%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
PMAY Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capPMAY: reference +6.7% since period start, fund +5.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.0%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+6.7% gained+6.3% to cap−15.0% floor0% period start+13.0% capTODAY · SPY +6.7%Between buffer and capPMAY: reference +6.7% since period start, fund +5.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.0%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts+6.7%−15.0% floor0% start+13.0% cap+6.3% more to the capTODAY · SPY +6.7%

PMAY: reference +6.7% since period start, fund +5.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.0%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

PMAY: reference +6.7% since period start, fund +5.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.0%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

MAYW costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.1 points; PMAY is 1.7 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

MAYW vs PMAY: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureMAYWPMAY
Return
Total return, 1 year+8.0%+9.1%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer6.3%6.2%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.74%0.79%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$457m$781m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · MAYW scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score91.6MAYW74.1PMAY

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

0.3, the lowest in this set 99.7, the highest

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

May 12, 2023 to Oct 30, 2026 · 181 weekly returns · each against SPY
MAYW PMAY
Return
Total return edge PMAY +41.9% +47.5%
Annualized edge PMAY +10.6% +11.8%
Price return edge PMAY +41.9% +47.5%
Risk
Volatility edge MAYW 5.9% 6.8%
Max drawdown edge MAYW −7.0% −8.4%
Downside capture 32.7% 40.2%
Beta 0.37 0.44
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge PMAY (slight) 0.96 1.00
Sortino edge PMAY (slight) 1.45 1.50
Treynor 0.153 0.156
Calmar edge MAYW (slight) 1.51 1.41
Against the benchmark
Alpha +0.1% a year +0.2% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.04 0.12
Information ratio −1.03 −0.99
Tracking error 9.2% 8.4%
Reading

From May 2023 to Oct 2026, PMAY returned more: +47.5% to +41.9%. MAYW swung less: 5.9% to 6.8%. MAYW fell less at its worst: −7.0% to −8.4%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: MAYW vs PMAY: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureMAYWPMAYSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+41.9%+47.5%PMAYPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+10.6%+11.8%PMAYTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+41.9%+47.5%PMAYPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility5.9%6.8%MAYWSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation3.9%4.5%MAYWLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−7.0%−8.4%MAYWDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture27.5%33.2%100.0%PMAYShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture32.7%40.2%100.0%MAYWShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.370.441.00MAYW lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.770.801.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.961.00PMAY (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino1.451.50PMAY (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1530.1560.151TieReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar1.511.41MAYW (slight)Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+0.1% a year+0.2% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.040.12Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−3.0% to +3.1%−3.1% to +3.5%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−1.03−0.99PMAY (slight)Return against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error9.2%8.4%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, 181 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: MAYW vs PMAY: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowMAYWPMAYMAYWPMAY
3 months+1.3%+1.2%+1.7 pts+1.6 pts
6 months+3.6%+3.9%−0.9 pts−0.6 pts
1 year+8.0%+9.1%−5.6 pts−4.5 pts
3 years+37.1%+42.1%−39.3 pts−34.3 pts
Since launchNot the same days: MAYW May 2023 · PMAY May 2020+42.2%+67.9%−42.3 pts−103.3 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

MAYW AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 ETF - May · Absorbs the first 20% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 11.2%, over a period ending Apr 30, 2027 PMAY Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - May · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 13.0%, over a period ending Apr 30, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 20% 15%
Outcome period May 1, 2026 to Apr 30, 2027 Apr 30, 2026 to Apr 30, 2027
Days left 177 177
Starting cap +11.2% +13.0%
Can still gain 5.8% 7.3%
Fall before buffer 5.0% 5.1%
Protection left, index points 20.0% of 20.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +6.7% +6.7%
Fund return this period +4.4% +5.0%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.74% 0.79%
Net assets, MAYW as of Nov 3, 2026 and PMAY as of Nov 4, 2026 $457m $788m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Where each one stands today

MAYW resets first, on Apr 30, 2027, 177 days from now; PMAY runs to Apr 30, 2027, 177 days. MAYW can still gain 5.8% before its cap, PMAY 7.3%. A fall from here reaches MAYW’s buffer after 5.0% and PMAY’s after 5.1%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
MAYW

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 5.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 5.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 6.3% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 20.0% of the 20.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 177 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Apr 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

PMAY

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 7.3% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 5.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 6.2% 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.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, MAYW or PMAY?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, MAYW can gain about 5.8% before its cap and PMAY about 7.3%, so PMAY has more room left this period.
Which resets first, MAYW or PMAY?
MAYW ends its outcome period on Apr 30, 2027 and PMAY on Apr 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, MAYW or PMAY?
MAYW charges 0.74% a year and PMAY charges 0.79%, so MAYW 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

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, MAYW against PMAY, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/mayw-vs-pmay

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