Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

XBAP vs XMAR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 XBAP can fall 10.0% before its buffer engages and XMAR 8.7%, and XMAR resets 12 days sooner.

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Net assets: $129m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated 9 Buffer ETF - Apr, and $160m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - March.

At a glance
10.0%
XBAP can fall this far before its buffer
8.7%
XMAR can fall this far before its buffer
3.6%
XBAP can still gain
2.6%
XMAR can still gain
XBAP At its cap
At its capXBAP: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +10.5%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +15.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.9 pts of buffer+15% gain captured−9.0% floor0% period start+15.0% capTODAY · SPY +17.9%At its capXBAP: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +10.5%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +15.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.9 pts+15% gained−9.0% floor0% start+15.0% capTODAY · SPY +17.9%

XBAP: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +10.5%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +15.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XBAP: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +10.5%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +15.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
XMAR At its cap
At its capXMAR: reference +18.2% since period start, fund +8.6%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.2%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+12.2% gain captured−15.0% floor0% period start+12.2% capTODAY · SPY +18.2%At its capXMAR: reference +18.2% since period start, fund +8.6%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.2%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts+12.2%−15.0% floor0% start+12.2% capTODAY · SPY +18.2%

XMAR: reference +18.2% since period start, fund +8.6%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.2%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XMAR: reference +18.2% since period start, fund +8.6%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.2%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

XBAP costs 0.06 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.6 points; XMAR is 1.3 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

XBAP vs XMAR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureXBAPXMAR
Return
Total return, 1 year+13.9%+11.3%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer15.2%15.4%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$128m$160m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Mar 31, 2023 to Oct 30, 2026 · 187 weekly returns · each against SPY
XBAP XMAR
Return
Total return edge XBAP +56.8% +44.0%
Annualized edge XBAP +13.3% +10.7%
Price return edge XBAP +56.8% +44.0%
Risk
Volatility edge XMAR 6.3% 4.9%
Max drawdown edge XMAR (slight) −5.7% −5.3%
Downside capture 34.2% 22.9%
Beta 0.42 0.31
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge XBAP (slight) 1.29 1.17
Sortino edge XBAP 2.01 1.72
Treynor 0.195 0.180
Calmar edge XBAP 2.32 2.01
Against the benchmark
Alpha +2.0% a year +1.1% a year
Alpha t-stat 1.42 0.91
Information ratio −0.77 −0.93
Tracking error 8.4% 9.7%
Reading

From Mar 2023 to Oct 2026, XBAP returned more: +56.8% to +44.0%. XMAR swung less: 4.9% to 6.3%. XMAR fell slightly less at its worst: −5.3% to −5.7%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: XBAP vs XMAR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureXBAPXMARSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+56.8%+44.0%XBAPPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+13.3%+10.7%XBAPTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+56.8%+44.0%XBAPPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility6.3%4.9%XMARSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation4.0%3.3%XMARLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−5.7%−5.3%XMAR (slight)Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture33.6%24.0%100.0%XBAPShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture34.2%22.9%100.0%XMARShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.420.311.00XMAR lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.820.801.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe1.291.17XBAP (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino2.011.72XBAPReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1950.1800.146XBAP (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar2.322.01XBAPAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+2.0% a year+1.1% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat1.420.91Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−0.8% to +4.8%−1.2% to +3.4%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.77−0.93XBAPReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error8.4%9.7%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, 187 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: XBAP vs XMAR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowXBAPXMARXBAPXMAR
3 months+1.7%+1.5%+2.1 pts+1.9 pts
6 months+4.8%+3.8%+0.3 pts−0.7 pts
1 year+13.9%+11.3%+0.3 pts−2.3 pts
3 years+47.5%+36.9%−28.9 pts−39.5 pts
Since launchNot the same days: XBAP Apr 2021 · XMAR Mar 2023+69.5%+47.1%−21.9 pts−47.6 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

XBAP Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated 9 Buffer ETF - Apr · Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 15.0%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027 XMAR FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - March · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 12.2%, over a period ending Mar 19, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 9% 15%
Outcome period Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 Mar 23, 2026 to Mar 19, 2027
Days left 147 135
Starting cap +15.0% +12.2%
Can still gain 3.6% 2.6%
Fall before buffer 10.0% 8.7%
Protection left, index points 9.0% of 9.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +17.9% +18.2%
Fund return this period +10.5% +8.6%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.85%
Net assets, XBAP as of Nov 4, 2026 and XMAR as of Nov 3, 2026 $129m $160m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Both are already at their cap, so neither gains from more rise in the index before the period ends.

Where each one stands today

XMAR resets first, on Mar 19, 2027, 135 days from now; XBAP runs to Mar 31, 2027, 147 days. XBAP can still gain 3.6% before its cap, XMAR 2.6%. A fall from here reaches XBAP’s buffer after 10.0% and XMAR’s after 8.7%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
XBAP

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +15.0% 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 3.6% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 10.0% 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: 9.0% of the 9.0% 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.

XMAR

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +12.2% 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 2.6% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 8.7% 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: 15.0% of the 15.0% 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.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, XBAP or XMAR?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, XBAP can gain about 3.6% before its cap and XMAR about 2.6%, so XBAP has more room left this period.
Which resets first, XBAP or XMAR?
XBAP ends its outcome period on Mar 31, 2027 and XMAR on Mar 19, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, XBAP or XMAR?
XBAP charges 0.79% a year and XMAR charges 0.85%, so XBAP 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, XBAP against XMAR, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/xbap-vs-xmar

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