Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

APOC vs PBOC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 PBOC can fall 1.2% before its buffer engages and APOC 0.6%, and APOC resets 183 days sooner.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $86m for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 6 Mo Apr/Oct and $64m for PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF - October .

At a glance
0.6%
APOC can fall this far before its buffer
1.2%
PBOC can fall this far before its buffer
3.6%
APOC can still gain
11.6%
PBOC can still gain
APOC Full floor
Full floorAPOC: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer Floor; cap +4.3%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% period start+4.3% cap+0.5% gain captured+3.8% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%Full floorAPOC: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer Floor; cap +4.3%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+4.3% cap+0.5% gain captured+3.8% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%

APOC: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer Floor; cap +4.3%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.
PBOC Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capPBOC: reference +0.6% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts of buffer+12.3% to cap−20.0% floor0% period start+12.8% cap+0.6% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.6%Between buffer and capPBOC: reference +0.6% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts−20.0% floor0% start+12.8% cap+0.6% gain captured+12.3% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.6%

PBOC: reference +0.6% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

PBOC: reference +0.6% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

PBOC costs 0.29 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 6.9 points; APOC is 1.3 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

APOC vs PBOC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureAPOCPBOC
Return
Total return, 1 year+3.1%+10.0%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer0.5%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.50%
Net assets$86m$64m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Oct 11, 2024 to Oct 30, 2026 · 107 weekly returns · each against SPY
APOC PBOC
Return
Total return edge PBOC +5.7% +20.0%
Annualized edge PBOC +2.8% +9.2%
Price return edge PBOC +5.7% +20.0%
Risk
Volatility edge APOC 2.3% 6.1%
Max drawdown edge APOC −3.9% −7.1%
Downside capture 14.5% 41.4%
Beta 0.13 0.40
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge PBOC −0.57 0.82
Sortino edge PBOC −0.69 1.24
Treynor −0.103 0.125
Calmar edge PBOC 0.70 1.31
Against the benchmark
Alpha −2.7% a year +0.6% a year
Alpha t-stat −3.03 0.63
Information ratio −0.95 −0.67
Tracking error 13.0% 9.1%
Reading

From Oct 2024 to Oct 2026, PBOC returned more: +20.0% to +5.7%. APOC swung less: 2.3% to 6.1%. APOC fell less at its worst: −3.9% to −7.1%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: APOC vs PBOC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureAPOCPBOCSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+5.7%+20.0%PBOCPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+2.8%+9.2%PBOCTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+5.7%+20.0%PBOCPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility2.3%6.1%APOCSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation1.9%4.0%APOCLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−3.9%−7.1%APOCDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture8.8%31.9%100.0%PBOCShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture14.5%41.4%100.0%APOCShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.130.401.00APOC lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.690.951.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe−0.570.82PBOCReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino−0.691.24PBOCReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor−0.1030.1250.111PBOCReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.701.31PBOCAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha−2.7% a year+0.6% a year0.0%APOC significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−3.030.63Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−4.5% to −0.9%−1.2% to +2.4%PBOC's includes zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.95−0.67PBOCReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error13.0%9.1%0.0%Not an edgeHow far weekly returns stray from the benchmark, annualized.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 107 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: APOC vs PBOC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowAPOCPBOCAPOCPBOC
3 months+1.3%+1.9%+1.6 pts+2.3 pts
6 months+2.5%+4.7%−2.0 pts+0.2 pts
1 year+3.1%+10.0%−10.4 pts−3.5 pts
Since launchNot the same days: APOC Oct 2024 · PBOC May 2024+6.4%+26.4%−28.5 pts−18.4 pts

Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. Open this comparison in the app →

Side by side

APOC Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 6 Mo Apr/Oct · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 4.3%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027 PBOC PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF - October · Absorbs the first 20% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 12.8%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 100% 20%
Outcome period Sep 30, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Days left 147 330
Starting cap +4.3% +12.8%
Can still gain 3.6% 11.6%
Fall before buffer 0.6% 1.2%
Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 20.0% of 20.0%
Index return this period +0.5% +0.6%
Fund return this period +0.5% +0.7%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.50%
Net assets $86m $64m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

These are two different products. APOC is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. PBOC is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.

They do not reset together. APOC has 147 days of its period left and PBOC has 330, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

Where each one stands today

APOC resets first, on Mar 31, 2027, 147 days from now; PBOC runs to Sep 30, 2027, 330 days. APOC can still gain 3.6% before its cap, PBOC 11.6%. A fall from here reaches APOC’s buffer after 0.6% and PBOC’s after 1.2%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
APOC

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 3.6% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 147 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Mar 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

PBOC

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 11.6% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. Protection left, in index points: 20.0% of the 20.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 330 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, APOC or PBOC?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, APOC can gain about 3.6% before its cap and PBOC about 11.6%, so PBOC has more room left this period.
Which resets first, APOC or PBOC?
APOC ends its outcome period on Mar 31, 2027 and PBOC on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, APOC or PBOC?
APOC charges 0.79% a year and PBOC charges 0.50%, so PBOC is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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Sources and dates

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

ETFIQ calculates every number from each issuer’s published outcome-period terms. Buffer ETFs hold options on an index, not shares, so there is no holdings overlap to report.

Every number is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, APOC against PBOC, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/apoc-vs-pboc

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.