{"url":"https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/aoct-vs-gsep","section":"compare","title":"AOCT vs GSEP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left | ETFIQ","description":"As of Oct 22, 2026 AOCT can gain 20.5% before its cap and GSEP 12.8%. Each can fall 0.7% and 1.2% before its buffer engages, on SPY.","as_of":"Oct 22, 2026","structured_data":[{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Which has more room to gain, AOCT or GSEP?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"From their prices on Oct 22, 2026, AOCT can gain about 20.5% before its cap and GSEP about 12.8%, so AOCT has more room left this period."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Which resets first, AOCT or GSEP?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"AOCT ends its outcome period on Sep 30, 2028 and GSEP on Sep 17, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Which is cheaper, AOCT or GSEP?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"AOCT charges 0.79% a year and GSEP charges 0.85%, so AOCT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus."}}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"ETFIQ","item":"https://etfiq.com/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Buffer ETFs","item":"https://etfiq.com/buffer/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Compare ETFs","item":"https://etfiq.com/compare/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"AOCT vs GSEP","item":"https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/aoct-vs-gsep"}]},{"@type":"WebPage","name":"AOCT vs GSEP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left","description":"As of Oct 22, 2026 AOCT can gain 20.5% before its cap and GSEP 12.8%. Each can fall 0.7% and 1.2% before its buffer engages, on SPY.","url":"https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/aoct-vs-gsep","dateModified":"2026-10-22","abstract":"As of Oct 22, 2026 GSEP can fall 1.2% before its buffer engages and AOCT 0.7%, and GSEP resets 379 days sooner.","publisher":{"@id":"https://etfiq.com/#org"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://etfiq.com/#website"},"speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","cssSelector":[".verdict",".faq"]}},{"@type":"Dataset","name":"ETFIQ comparison of AOCT and GSEP","description":"As of Oct 22, 2026 AOCT can gain 20.5% before its cap and GSEP 12.8%. Each can fall 0.7% and 1.2% before its buffer engages, on SPY.","dateModified":"2026-10-22","creator":{"@id":"https://etfiq.com/#org"},"isAccessibleForFree":true,"url":"https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/aoct-vs-gsep","license":"https://etfiq.com/license/","publisher":{"@id":"https://etfiq.com/#org"},"inLanguage":"en","creativeWorkStatus":"Published","distribution":[{"@type":"DataDownload","encodingFormat":"application/json","contentUrl":"https://etfiq.com/data/funds.json"}],"variableMeasured":["Remaining cap","Fall before the buffer engages","Protection left in index points","Starting buffer","Outcome period","Reference index return","Fund return","Days remaining","Expense ratio"],"keywords":["exchange-traded funds","ETF","Buffer ETFs","fund data","SEC filings"]}],"characters":6573,"truncated":true,"content":"ETFIQ / Buffer ETFs / Compare ETFs / AOCT vs GSEP \n ETFIQ etfiq.com \u00b7 independent ETF data \n\n Data as of Oct 22, 2026 .\n\n AOCT vs GSEP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left\n\n As of Oct 22, 2026 GSEP can fall 1.2% before its buffer engages and AOCT 0.7%, and GSEP resets 379 days sooner.\n Copy this for sharing \n \n AOCT costs 0.06 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 4.5 points; GSEP is 5.7 times larger.\n AOCT and GSEP at a glance. As of Oct 22, 2026. Source: ETFIQ. AOCT GSEP \n Expense ratio 0.79% 0.85% \n Net assets $64m $368m \n Total return, 1 year +6.2% +10.7% \n What it tracks SPY SPY \n Hold","source":"ETFIQ, independent ETF data. Recomputed nightly from public filings and prices.","publisher":{"@id":"https://etfiq.com/#org","name":"ETFIQ","url":"https://etfiq.com"},"license":"https://etfiq.com/license/","license_text":"Figures ETFIQ computes are free to use with attribution: ETFIQ (etfiq.com). Issuer data stays under its owner's terms.","citation":"ETFIQ, AOCT against GSEP, data as of Oct 22, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/aoct-vs-gsep","a":{"ticker":"AOCT","name":"Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Oct 2028","issuer":"Innovator","desk":"buffer","as_of":"2026-10-22","verdict":"Since Sep 30, 2026, AOCT returned 0.7%, against 0.2% for SPY. It can gain 20.5% more before its cap.","url":"https://etfiq.com/funds/aoct","key_facts":[{"label":"Can still gain from today\u2019s fund price","value":"20.5%","as_of":"2026-10-22","source":null},{"label":"Fall before the buffer from today\u2019s fund price","value":"0.7%","as_of":"2026-10-22","source":null},{"label":"Protection left, index points","value":"100.0%","as_of":"2026-10-22","source":null},{"label":"Days to reset","value":"709","as_of":"2026-10-22","source":null},{"label":"Net assets","value":"$64m","as_of":"2026-10-22","source":"issuer page, as of Oct 22, 2026"},{"label":"Expense ratio","value":"0.79%","as_of":"2026-10-22","source":"issuer page, Oct 22, 2026"}]},"b":{"ticker":"GSEP","name":"FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - September","issuer":"First Trust","desk":"buffer","as_of":"2026-10-22","verdict":"Since Sep 21, 2026, GSEP returned 0.3%, against 0.3% for SPY. It can gain 12.8% more before its cap.","url":"https://etfiq.com/funds/gsep","key_facts":[{"label":"Can still gain from today\u2019s fund price","value":"12.8%","as_of":"2026-10-22","source":null},{"label":"Fall before the buffer from today\u2019s fund price","value":"1.2%","as_of":"2026-10-22","source":null},{"label":"Protection left, index points","value":"15.0%","as_of":"2026-10-22","source":null},{"label":"Days to reset","value":"330","as_of":"2026-10-22","source":null},{"label":"Net assets","value":"$368m","as_of":"2026-10-22","source":"issuer page, as of Oct 22, 2026"},{"label":"Expense ratio","value":"0.85%","as_of":"2026-10-22","source":"issuer page, Oct 22, 2026"}]},"overlap_pct":null,"overlap_note":"ETFIQ does not publish a holdings overlap for this pair. Either the funds are not compared on holdings, or one book is incomplete.","full_text_at":"https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/aoct-vs-gsep"}