CPSA vs. BUFP

Last updated Apr 7, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - August (CPSA) and PGIM Laddered S&P 500 Buffer 12 ETF (BUFP).

CPSA and BUFP are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. CPSA is a passively managed fund by Calamos that tracks the performance of the MerQube Cap Protect US Lrg Cap PR Index - Aug. It was launched on Aug 1, 2024. BUFP is a passively managed fund by PGIM that tracks the performance of the S&P 500. It was launched on Jun 11, 2024. Both CPSA and BUFP are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

CPSA vs. BUFP - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - August (CPSA) and PGIM Laddered S&P 500 Buffer 12 ETF (BUFP). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CPSA achieves a 0.27% return, which is significantly higher than BUFP's -0.45% return.

CPSA

• 1D: 0.13%
• 1M: -0.13%
• YTD: 0.27%
• 6M: 1.27%
• 1Y: 11.22%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

BUFP

• 1D: 0.44%
• 1M: -0.17%
• YTD: -0.45%
• 6M: 1.82%
• 1Y: 22.21%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

CPSA vs. BUFP - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
CPSA Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - August	0.27%	7.39%	3.51%
BUFP PGIM Laddered S&P 500 Buffer 12 ETF	-0.45%	12.92%	5.65%

Correlation

The correlation between CPSA and BUFP is 0.83, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification — they'll tend to fall together during downturns. For meaningful risk reduction, look for holdings with correlations below 0.5.

CPSA vs. BUFP - Expense Ratio Comparison

CPSA has a 0.69% expense ratio, which is higher than BUFP's 0.50% expense ratio.

CPSA

Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - August

BUFP

PGIM Laddered S&P 500 Buffer 12 ETF

Return for Risk

CPSA vs. BUFP — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

CPSA

CPSA Risk / Return Rank: 94
CPSA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
CPSA Sortino Ratio Rank: 97
CPSA Omega Ratio Rank: 97
CPSA Calmar Ratio Rank: 90
CPSA Martin Ratio Rank: 96

BUFP

BUFP Risk / Return Rank: 87
BUFP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 86
BUFP Sortino Ratio Rank: 94
BUFP Omega Ratio Rank: 95
BUFP Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
BUFP Martin Ratio Rank: 88

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

CPSA vs. BUFP - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - August (CPSA) and PGIM Laddered S&P 500 Buffer 12 ETF (BUFP). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	CPSA	BUFP	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.79	2.27	+0.53
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	5.10	3.99	+1.12
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.79	1.57	+0.21
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.01	2.59	+1.42
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	21.00	13.65	+7.35
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CPSA vs. BUFP - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CPSA Sharpe Ratio is 2.79, which is comparable to the BUFP Sharpe Ratio of 2.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CPSA and BUFP, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	CPSA	BUFP	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.79	2.27	+0.53
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.58	1.07	+0.50

Drawdowns

CPSA vs. BUFP - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CPSA drawdown since its inception was -4.72%, smaller than the maximum BUFP drawdown of -11.98%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CPSA and BUFP.

Drawdown Indicators

	CPSA	BUFP	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-4.72%	-11.98%	+7.26%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-1.99%	-4.41%	+2.42%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.48%	-1.66%	+1.18%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.42%	-1.09%	+0.67%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.38%	1.01%	-0.63%

Volatility

CPSA vs. BUFP - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - August (CPSA) is 1.15%, while PGIM Laddered S&P 500 Buffer 12 ETF (BUFP) has a volatility of 3.47%. This indicates that CPSA experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BUFP based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CPSA	BUFP	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.15%	3.47%	-2.32%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.71%	5.03%	-3.32%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.06%	9.91%	-5.85%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	4.28%	9.76%	-5.48%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	4.28%	9.76%	-5.48%

Dividends

CPSA vs. BUFP - Dividend Comparison

CPSA has not paid dividends to shareholders, while BUFP's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.01%.

	TTM	2025	2024
CPSA Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - August	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
BUFP PGIM Laddered S&P 500 Buffer 12 ETF	0.01%	0.01%	0.02%