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BUFC vs PSMR

AB Conservative Buffer ETF

BUFCBNasdaq

Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (April) ETF

PSMRBCboe

Overlap

Expense ratio

PSMR −0.20pt a year

BUFC0.69%PSMR0.49%

Avg volume · 30D

BUFC 39.2×the volume

BUFC49.5KPSMR1.26K

BUFC vs PSMR Performance

Oct 31, 2025 – Oct 30, 2026

+5.8%BUFC+12.1%PSMR

Oct 31, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026. BUFC +5.8%. PSMR +12.1%. Use the arrow keys to read each point.0%2.5%7.5%10%Oct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
Expense ratio
BUFC 0.69%
PSMR 0.49%, better
Fund size
BUFC $1.11B
PSMR $91M
1Y total return
BUFC +5.8%
PSMR +12.1%, better
Holdings
BUFC 4
PSMR 3
Avg volume (30D)
BUFC 49.5K sh, better
PSMR 1.26K sh
NAV per share
BUFC $43.25
PSMR $33.00
52W range

ETF.net Grade

BUFC: Cost 57, Risk 41, Mission not scored, Tradability 62, Holdings not scored, Durability 74. PSMR: Cost 70, Risk 57, Mission not scored, Tradability 32, Holdings not scored, Durability 64.
Pillar letters and Scores for BUFC, PSMR, with each pillar’s weight
PillarBUFCPSMR
Cost30% weightB57A70Higher
Mission25% weightNot scoredNot scored
Risk15% weightC41B57Higher
Tradability15% weightB62HigherD32
Holdings10% weightNot scoredNot scored
Durability5% weightA74HigherB64

Rank among S&P 500 Buffer 15% funds

How we build Categories ›
Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Same Category. BUFC and PSMR are both graded against the same 51 S&P 500 Buffer 15% funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

S&P 500 Buffer 15%⁠

Category · 51 funds
See all 51 ›

PSMR ranks 3rd and BUFC 4th of 51 funds in the S&P 500 Buffer 15% Category.

  1. Rank 1BPSMOPacer Swan SOS Moderate (October) ETFScore 64
  2. Rank 2BPSMJPacer Swan SOS Moderate (July) ETFScore 59
  3. Rank 3BPSMRPacer Swan SOS Moderate (April) ETFScore 57
  4. Rank 4BBUFCAB Conservative Buffer ETFScore 55
  5. Rank 4CPOCTInnovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETFScore 55

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

BUFCBAB Conservative Buffer ETF

PSMRBPacer Swan SOS Moderate (April) ETF

In short

BUFC Most buffer funds lock you into a 12-month outcome period. BUFC resets every three months, targeting 15% downside protection against the S&P 500 with roughly 3% of the upside per period. Deep cushion, short leash.

PSMR A 15-point cushion on SPY, reset every April, for 0.49% a year while the typical buffer fund charges more. Pacer and Swan's moderate tier trades away some upside (a cap set each period) for a floor you know going in.

Stated mandate

BUFC The Fund is an actively managed equity ETF seeking conservative capital appreciation with potential partial downside protection. It uses options to establish an upside cap and downside protection over rolling three-month periods, targeting 15% downside protection and about 3% upside participation to the S&P 500.

PSMR The Fund seeks to match the returns of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust up to a predetermined cap while providing a downside buffer over an approximately one-year period.

Why people hold it

  • BUFC Uses options to target 15% downside protection against the S&P 500 over rolling three-month periods, so the cushion resets four times a year instead of once.alliancebernstein.com
  • At 0.69%, it costs less than Innovator's 0.79% Power Buffer funds (PJUL, PJAN, POCT) and less than the typical fund in its buffer cohort.
  • Actively managed rather than pinned to a calendar index series, running since 2023, and among the stronger implementations in its buffer peer group.
  • PSMR Charges 0.49% a year against a 0.79% median in its buffered-SPY cohort, and undercuts Pacer's own single-month siblings like PJUL and POCT at 0.79%.
  • The contract is spelled out: a 15-point buffer against SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust losses over roughly a one-year period, with upside capped at a level set when the period begins.paceretfs.com
  • Terms reset on April 1 each year, so the new buffer and cap arrive on a known calendar date instead of whenever you happened to buy in.paceretfs.com
  • Running since 2021, so this April series has cycled through several complete outcome periods rather than being a fresh launch with a paper track record.

Worth knowing

  • BUFC The price of that deep cushion: upside participation is targeted near 3% per three-month period, so big rallies mostly pass you by.
  • Protection is partial and period-based. Losses past the targeted 15% pass through, and buying mid-period shifts your effective buffer and cap.alliancebernstein.com
  • Thinly traded for its size, so spreads and limit orders deserve attention.
  • PSMR Thinly traded next to the biggest names in buffer land, so spreads and order size are worth a look before you place a trade.
  • The cap cuts both ways: big SPY years get trimmed, and the stated buffer and cap only line up in full for a holder who rides one April reset to the next.
  • Not an income vehicle. It has not been paying a regular distribution, so whatever the strategy delivers shows up in the share price.

Full BUFC profile⁠

Full PSMR profile⁠

BUFC vs PSMR Holdings

As of
How we measure overlap

Each holding counts at its smaller weight in the two funds, summed over the full Holdings. Sector, country and asset class use the same rule on each fund’s split. Cash, FX and derivative lines stay out of the counts. Two bond funds get no overlap figure.

BUFC vs PSMR Cost

Overpaying BUFC vs PSMR

$3,637

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

  • BUFC 0.69%

    $13,429

  • PSMR 0.49%

    $9,792

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • BUFC 0.69%
  • PSMR 0.49%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$5K$10K$15K051015202530BUFC $13,429PSMR $9,792

Year by year

YearBUFCPSMROverpaying
10$1,232$883$349
20$4,697$3,394$1,303
30$13,429$9,792$3,637

Expense ratio

  • 0.69%BUFC
  • 0.49%PSMR, cheaper
  • Middle half of S&P 500 Buffer 15% funds
  • Median 0.79%

PSMR 5th cheapest of 51 funds

BUFC 17th cheapest of 51 funds

BUFC vs PSMR Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026
Payout (12M)
BUFC None
PSMR None

Distribution history

BUFCAll BUFC payments⁠

No distribution history available.

PSMRAll PSMR payments⁠

No distribution history available.

BUFC vs PSMR Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

This chart needs five years of history for both funds.

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years
BUFC 3.4%since Jan 2024PSMR 6.0%
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years
BUFC 0.82since Jan 2024PSMR 1.31
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years
BUFC −8.3%since Dec 2023PSMR −11.8%
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years
BUFC 0.26PSMR 0.45

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