CPSA vs. FMAR

Last updated Apr 7, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - August (CPSA) and FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - March (FMAR).

CPSA and FMAR 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. FMAR is an actively managed fund by FT Vest. It was launched on Mar 19, 2021.

Performance

CPSA vs. FMAR - 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 FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - March (FMAR). 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 lower than FMAR's 3.23% return.

CPSA

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

FMAR

• 1D: 0.38%
• 1M: 2.55%
• YTD: 3.23%
• 6M: 5.40%
• 1Y: 24.40%
• 3Y*: 13.35%
• 5Y*: 9.88%
• 10Y*: —

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

CPSA vs. FMAR - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
CPSA Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - August	0.27%	7.39%	3.51%
FMAR FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - March	3.23%	9.69%	6.71%

Correlation

The correlation between CPSA and FMAR is 0.82, 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. FMAR - Expense Ratio Comparison

CPSA has a 0.69% expense ratio, which is lower than FMAR's 0.85% expense ratio.

FMAR

FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - March

CPSA

Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - August

Return for Risk

CPSA vs. FMAR — 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

FMAR

FMAR Risk / Return Rank: 92
FMAR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
FMAR Sortino Ratio Rank: 96
FMAR Omega Ratio Rank: 98
FMAR Calmar Ratio Rank: 80
FMAR Martin Ratio Rank: 96

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. FMAR - 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 FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - March (FMAR). 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	FMAR	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.79	2.55	+0.24
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	5.10	4.44	+0.66
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.79	1.84	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.01	2.95	+1.06
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	21.00	20.47	+0.53
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. FMAR - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CPSA Sharpe Ratio is 2.79, which is comparable to the FMAR Sharpe Ratio of 2.55. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CPSA and FMAR, 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	FMAR	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.79	2.55	+0.24
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.95	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.58	1.00	+0.58

Drawdowns

CPSA vs. FMAR - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CPSA drawdown since its inception was -4.72%, smaller than the maximum FMAR drawdown of -14.36%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CPSA and FMAR.

Drawdown Indicators

	CPSA	FMAR	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-4.72%	-14.36%	+9.64%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-1.99%	-3.86%	+1.87%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-14.36%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.48%	0.00%	-0.48%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.42%	-2.20%	+1.78%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.38%	0.75%	-0.37%

Volatility

CPSA vs. FMAR - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - August (CPSA) is 1.15%, while FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - March (FMAR) has a volatility of 2.93%. This indicates that CPSA experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FMAR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CPSA	FMAR	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.15%	2.93%	-1.78%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.71%	3.80%	-2.09%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.06%	9.67%	-5.61%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	4.28%	10.48%	-6.20%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	4.28%	10.47%	-6.19%

Dividends

CPSA vs. FMAR - Dividend Comparison

Neither CPSA nor FMAR has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments