Which returned more over the last year, SPYM or XOCT?

In the year to Sep 21, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SPYM returned +16.6% and XOCT returned +9.6%, so SPYM returned more.

Which is cheaper, SPYM or XOCT?

SPYM charges 1.30% a year and XOCT charges 0.85%, so XOCT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Are SPYM and XOCT the same kind of fund?

No. SPYM is an index ETF and XOCT is a buffer ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.

Data as of Sep 21, 2026.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

SPYM vs XOCT: how they differ

Over the year SPYM returned more, +16.6% to XOCT's +9.6%, and XOCT charges 0.85% to SPYM's 1.30%.

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF and FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - October.

SPYM and XOCT on the fields both publish, as of Sep 21, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	SPYM State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF	XOCT FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - October
Where it sits	Core fund	Buffer ETF
Issuer	State Street	First Trust
What it is	Tracks the S&P 500	Defined outcome, 15% on SPY
Total return, 1 year	+16.6%	+9.6%
S&P 500 over the same days	+16.6%	+16.6%
Gap to the S&P 500	+0.1 pts	−7.0 pts
Expense ratio	1.30%	0.85%
Holdings	508	not filed
Net assets	$172.2bn	$74m

SPYM in plain words

SPYM tracks the S&P 500. Over the year to Sep 18, 2026 it returned +16.6% with distributions reinvested, against +16.6% for the S&P 500 and +21.8% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 1.30% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Sep 18, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 508 positions, with the top ten at 38.6%.

XOCT in plain words

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +10.3% for the period on Sep 21, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 0.3% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 9.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 14.1% 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. 25 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Oct 16, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, SPYM or XOCT?: In the year to Sep 21, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SPYM returned +16.6% and XOCT returned +9.6%, so SPYM returned more.
Which is cheaper, SPYM or XOCT?: SPYM charges 1.30% a year and XOCT charges 0.85%, so XOCT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Are SPYM and XOCT the same kind of fund?: No. SPYM is an index ETF and XOCT is a buffer ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.

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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.

SPYM against XOCT, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 21, 2026. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, SPYM against XOCT, data as of Sep 21, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/spym-vs-xoct Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources