Data as of .
PFEB vs PMAY: which one stands where?
As of Sep 13, 2026 PFEB can fall 6.8% before its buffer engages and PMAY 4.2%, and PFEB resets 89 days sooner.
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score: PMAY scores higher
If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
A percentile among the 293 buffer ETFs with a live outcome period. It is a position in a set, not a rating, and neither end of it is a recommendation. All buffer ETFs ranked by it · How it is computed
Where each one stands today
PFEB resets first, on Jan 31, 2027, 142 days from now; PMAY runs to Apr 30, 2027, 231 days. PFEB can still gain 4.8% before its cap, PMAY 8.3%. A fall from here reaches PFEB’s buffer after 6.8% and PMAY’s after 4.2%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
Every figure is ETFIQ’s own, from the issuer’s published outcome-period terms. A buffer ETF holds FLEX options on its reference index rather than shares, so there is no holdings overlap between two of them to report.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Gap to the reference | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFEB | PMAY | PFEB | PMAY | |
| 3 months | +2.8% | +2.5% | −0.5 pts | −0.8 pts |
| 6 months | +9.2% | +6.0% | −6.9 pts | −10.0 pts |
| 1 year | +11.7% | +8.9% | −5.8 pts | −8.6 pts |
| 3 years | +41.5% | +40.3% | −36.4 pts | −37.6 pts |
| PFEB Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Feb Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 12.4%, over a period ending Jan 31, 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Innovator | Innovator |
| Reference index | SPY | SPY |
| Buffer | 15% | 15% |
| Outcome period | Jan 31, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027 | Apr 30, 2026 to Apr 30, 2027 |
| Days left | 142 | 231 |
| Starting cap | +12.4% | +13.0% |
| Can still gain | 4.8% | 8.3% |
| Fall before buffer | 6.8% | 4.2% |
| Protection left, index points | 15.0% of 15.0% | 15.0% of 15.0% |
| Index return this period | +10.4% | +6.3% |
| Fund return this period | +6.7% | +4.1% |
| State today | Open | Open |
| Expense ratio | 0.79% | 0.79% |
PFEB in plain words
From its price on Sep 13, 2026, the fund can gain about 4.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 6.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 9.5% 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. 142 days remained on Sep 13, 2026. On Jan 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
PMAY in plain words
From its price on Sep 13, 2026, the fund can gain about 8.3% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 4.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 6.0% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. 231 days remained on Sep 13, 2026. On Apr 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
Questions people ask
- Which has more room to gain, PFEB or PMAY?
- From their prices on Sep 13, 2026, PFEB can gain about 4.8% before its cap and PMAY about 8.3%, so PMAY has more room left this period.
- Which resets first, PFEB or PMAY?
- PFEB ends its outcome period on Jan 31, 2027 and PMAY on Apr 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
- Which is cheaper, PFEB or PMAY?
- PFEB charges 0.79% a year and PMAY charges 0.79%, so PFEB is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, PFEB against PMAY, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/pfeb-vs-pmay Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.