Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

PAUG vs UAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Oct 28, 2026 UAPR can fall 12.9% before its buffer engages and PAUG 2.5%, and UAPR resets 122 days sooner.

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Net assets on Oct 28, 2026: $1.0bn for Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Aug and $159m for Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - Apr.

At a glance
2.5%
PAUG can fall this far before its buffer
12.9%
UAPR can fall this far before its buffer
11.0%
PAUG can still gain
3.8%
UAPR can still gain
PAUG Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capPAUG: reference +3.3% since period start, fund +2.4%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.15 pts of buffer+10.5% to cap−15.0% floor0% period start+13.8% cap+3.3% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +3.3%Between buffer and capPAUG: reference +3.3% since period start, fund +2.4%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.15 pts−15.0% floor0% start+13.8% cap+3.3% gain captured+10.5% more to the capTODAY · SPY +3.3%

PAUG: reference +3.3% since period start, fund +2.4%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

PAUG: reference +3.3% since period start, fund +2.4%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.
UAPR At its cap
At its capUAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +8.4%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +13.0%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.30 pts of buffer+13% gain captured−35.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% period start+13.0% capfirst 5 pts are yours to loseTODAY · SPY +18.7%At its capUAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +8.4%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +13.0%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.30 pts of buffer+13%−35.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+13.0% capfirst 5 pts are yours to loseTODAY · SPY +18.7%

UAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +8.4%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +13.0%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

UAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +8.4%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +13.0%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.79% a year; their one-year returns differ by 2.0 points; PAUG is 6.3 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

PAUG vs UAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasurePAUGUAPR
Return
Total return, 1 year+9.6%+11.6%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer3.2%19.9%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.79%
Net assets$1.0bn$159m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · PAUG scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score86.1PAUG7.7UAPR

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

Aug 9, 2019 to Oct 23, 2026 · 376 weekly returns · each against SPY
PAUG UAPR
Return
Total return edge PAUG +89.9% +43.3%
Annualized edge PAUG +9.3% +5.1%
Price return edge PAUG +87.4% +40.2%
Risk
Volatility edge UAPR 9.2% 6.7%
Max drawdown edge UAPR −17.3% −14.4%
Downside capture 54.2% 41.5%
Beta 0.48 0.33
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge PAUG 0.70 0.35
Sortino edge PAUG 1.01 0.46
Treynor 0.133 0.072
Calmar edge PAUG 0.54 0.35
Against the benchmark
Alpha −0.1% a year −2.1% a year
Alpha t-stat −0.10 −1.78
Information ratio −0.72 −0.88
Tracking error 9.9% 12.8%
Reading

PAUG returned more: +89.9% to +43.3%. UAPR swung less: 6.7% to 9.2%. UAPR fell less at its worst: −14.4% to −17.3%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: PAUG vs UAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasurePAUGUAPRSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+89.9%+43.3%PAUGPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+9.3%+5.1%PAUGTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+87.4%+40.2%PAUGPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility9.2%6.7%UAPRSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation6.4%5.1%UAPRLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−17.3%−14.4%UAPRDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture35.9%22.2%100.0%PAUGShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture54.2%41.5%100.0%UAPRShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.480.331.00UAPR lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.920.791.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.700.35PAUGReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino1.010.46PAUGReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1330.0720.135PAUGReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.540.35PAUGAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha−0.1% a year−2.1% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−0.10−1.78Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−2.0% to +1.8%−4.4% to +0.2%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.72−0.88PAUGReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error9.9%12.8%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, 376 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: PAUG vs UAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowPAUGUAPRPAUGUAPR
3 months+2.4%+3.0%−3.5 pts−2.9 pts
6 months+5.6%+4.8%−2.9 pts−3.7 pts
1 year+9.6%+11.6%−2.8 pts−0.9 pts
3 years+54.9%+43.7%−33.1 pts−44.4 pts
Since launchNot the same days: PAUG Aug 2019 · UAPR Apr 2019+90.4%+46.6%−71.5 pts−123.6 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

PAUG Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Aug · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 13.8%, over a period ending Jul 31, 2027 UAPR Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - Apr · Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 35.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 13.0%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 15% 5% to 35%
Outcome period Jul 31, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027 Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027
Days left 276 154
Starting cap +13.8% +13.0%
Can still gain 11.0% 3.8%
Fall before buffer 2.5% 12.9%
Protection left, index points 15.0% of 15.0% 30.0% of 30.0%
Index return this period +3.3% +18.7%
Fund return this period +2.4% +8.4%
State today Open At cap
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%
Net assets $1.0bn $159m

As of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

They do not reset together. UAPR has 154 days of its period left and PAUG has 276, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

Both are Innovator funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.

Where each one stands today

UAPR resets first, on Mar 31, 2027, 154 days from now; PAUG runs to Jul 31, 2027, 276 days. PAUG can still gain 11.0% before its cap, UAPR 3.8%. A fall from here reaches PAUG’s buffer after 2.5% and UAPR’s after 12.9%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-C16D0FCCEB

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

  1. Protection and cap. PAUG: Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 13.8%, over a period ending Jul 31, 2027. UAPR: Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 35.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 13.0%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027. The starting caps are 0.8 points apart.
  2. Outcome period. PAUG runs Jul 31, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027 with 276 days left; UAPR runs Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 with 154 days left.
  3. One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 PAUG returned +9.6% and UAPR +11.6% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 2.0 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund
PAUG

From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 11.0% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 2.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 3.2% 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. 276 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Jul 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

UAPR

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +13.0% 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 3.8% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 12.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 19.9% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 30.0% of the 30.0% 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, PAUG or UAPR?
From their prices on Oct 28, 2026, PAUG can gain about 11.0% before its cap and UAPR about 3.8%, so PAUG has more room left this period.
Which resets first, PAUG or UAPR?
PAUG ends its outcome period on Jul 31, 2027 and UAPR on Mar 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, PAUG or UAPR?
PAUG and UAPR both charge 0.79% a year, so neither 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, PAUG against UAPR, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/paug-vs-uapr

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