Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

BDEC vs GNOV: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 GNOV can fall 11.3% before its buffer engages and BDEC 11.0%, and GNOV resets 10 days sooner.

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Net assets: $214m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Dec, and $296m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - November.

At a glance
11.0%
BDEC can fall this far before its buffer
11.3%
GNOV can fall this far before its buffer
4.7%
BDEC can still gain
0.5%
GNOV can still gain
BDEC Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capBDEC: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +11.4%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +17.4%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.9 pts of buffer+12.2% gain captured+5.3% to cap−9.0% floor0% period start+17.4% capTODAY · SPY +12.2%Between buffer and capBDEC: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +11.4%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +17.4%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.9 pts+12.2%−9.0% floor0% start+17.4% cap+5.3% more to the capTODAY · SPY +12.2%

BDEC: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +11.4%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +17.4%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

BDEC: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +11.4%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +17.4%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
GNOV At its cap
At its capGNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +11.8%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+13.3% gain captured−15.0% floor0% period start+13.3% capTODAY · SPY +16.3%At its capGNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +11.8%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts+13.3%−15.0% floor0% start+13.3% capTODAY · SPY +16.3%

GNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +11.8%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

GNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +11.8%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

BDEC costs 0.06 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.5 points; GNOV is 1.4 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

BDEC vs GNOV: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBDECGNOV
Return
Total return, 1 year+13.2%+12.7%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer10.8%14.0%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$211m$296m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · BDEC scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score20.5BDEC15.9GNOV

How much of a bear-market fall the buffer would absorb from today's level, ranked against 292 buffer ETFs on stocks with a live outcome period. 100 is best. How it is computed

0.3, the lowest in this set 99.7, the highest

Today's position against one 20% fall; it ignores smaller falls, and stock buffers are never ranked against bond or commodity ones. All buffer ETFs ranked by it →

Method

Risk and return

Dec 1, 2023 to Oct 30, 2026 · 152 weekly returns · each against SPY
BDEC GNOV
Return
Total return edge BDEC +45.5% +38.6%
Annualized edge BDEC +13.7% +11.8%
Price return edge BDEC +45.5% +38.6%
Risk
Volatility edge GNOV 9.2% 6.3%
Max drawdown edge GNOV −12.2% −9.2%
Downside capture 68.0% 40.6%
Beta 0.63 0.42
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge GNOV 0.97 1.10
Sortino edge GNOV 1.45 1.64
Treynor 0.141 0.168
Calmar edge GNOV 1.13 1.29
Against the benchmark
Alpha −0.5% a year +0.8% a year
Alpha t-stat −0.31 0.52
Information ratio −1.03 −0.93
Tracking error 5.8% 8.5%
Reading

From Dec 2023 to Oct 2026, BDEC returned more: +45.5% to +38.6%. GNOV swung less: 6.3% to 9.2%. GNOV fell less at its worst: −9.2% to −12.2%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: BDEC vs GNOV: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBDECGNOVSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+45.5%+38.6%BDECPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+13.7%+11.8%BDECTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+45.5%+38.6%BDECPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility9.2%6.3%GNOVSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation6.1%4.2%GNOVLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−12.2%−9.2%GNOVDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture54.2%33.9%100.0%BDECShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture68.0%40.6%100.0%GNOVShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.630.421.00GNOV lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.920.841.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.971.10GNOVReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino1.451.64GNOVReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1410.1680.149GNOVReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar1.131.29GNOVAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha−0.5% a year+0.8% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−0.310.52Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−3.6% to +2.6%−2.2% to +3.7%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−1.03−0.93GNOVReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error5.8%8.5%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, 152 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: BDEC vs GNOV: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowBDECGNOVBDECGNOV
3 months+0.9%+2.1%+1.3 pts+2.5 pts
6 months+5.0%+5.1%+0.5 pts+0.6 pts
1 year+13.2%+12.7%−0.4 pts−0.9 pts
3 years+55.1%–−21.3 pts–
Since launchNot the same days: BDEC Dec 2019 · GNOV Nov 2023+109.1%+40.6%−37.0 pts−28.2 pts

Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. – means no data for this window. Open this comparison in the app →

Side by side

BDEC Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Dec · Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 17.4%, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026 GNOV FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - November · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 13.3%, over a period ending Nov 20, 2026
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 9% 15%
Outcome period Nov 30, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026 Nov 24, 2025 to Nov 20, 2026
Days left 26 16
Starting cap +17.4% +13.3%
Can still gain 4.7% 0.5%
Fall before buffer 11.0% 11.3%
Protection left, index points 9.0% of 9.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +12.2% +16.3%
Fund return this period +11.4% +11.8%
State today Open At cap
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.85%
Net assets, BDEC as of Nov 4, 2026 and GNOV as of Nov 3, 2026 $214m $296m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

GNOV is already at its cap, so more rise in the index adds nothing to it before the period ends.

Where each one stands today

GNOV resets first, on Nov 20, 2026, 16 days from now; BDEC runs to Nov 30, 2026, 26 days. BDEC can still gain 4.7% before its cap, GNOV 0.5%. A fall from here reaches BDEC’s buffer after 11.0% and GNOV’s after 11.3%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
BDEC

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 4.7% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 11.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.8% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 9.0% of the 9.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 26 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Nov 30, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

GNOV

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +13.3% for the period on Nov 4, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 0.5% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 11.3% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 14.0% 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. 16 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Nov 20, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, BDEC or GNOV?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, BDEC can gain about 4.7% before its cap and GNOV about 0.5%, so BDEC has more room left this period.
Which resets first, BDEC or GNOV?
BDEC ends its outcome period on Nov 30, 2026 and GNOV on Nov 20, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, BDEC or GNOV?
BDEC charges 0.79% a year and GNOV charges 0.85%, so BDEC is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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Sources and dates

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How this is computed

It is a place in a set, not a rating or a recommendation.

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, BDEC against GNOV, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bdec-vs-gnov

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