Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

BNOV vs FOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 FOCT can fall 1.3% before its buffer engages and BNOV 1.1%, and FOCT resets 16 days sooner.

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Net assets: $198m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Nov, and $1.3bn on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - October.

At a glance
1.1%
BNOV can fall this far before its buffer
1.3%
FOCT can fall this far before its buffer
18.9%
BNOV can still gain
15.8%
FOCT can still gain
BNOV Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capBNOV: reference +1.4% since period start, fund +1.1%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +20.3%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.9 pts of buffer+18.9% more to the cap−9.0% floor0% period start+20.3% cap+1.4% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +1.4%Between buffer and capBNOV: reference +1.4% since period start, fund +1.1%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +20.3%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.9 pts+18.9% to cap−9.0% floor0% start+20.3% cap+1.4% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +1.4%

BNOV: reference +1.4% since period start, fund +1.1%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +20.3%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

BNOV: reference +1.4% since period start, fund +1.1%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +20.3%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
FOCT Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capFOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +17.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.10 pts of buffer+16.7% more to the cap−10.0% floor0% period start+17.2% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%Between buffer and capFOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +17.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.10 pts+16.7% to cap−10.0% floor0% start+17.2% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%

FOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +17.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

FOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +17.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

BNOV costs 0.06 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.7 points; FOCT is 6.7 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

BNOV vs FOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBNOVFOCT
Return
Total return, 1 year+12.0%+13.7%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer1.4%0.5%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$193m$1.3bn
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · FOCT scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score20.5BNOV38.7FOCT

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

Oct 30, 2020 to Oct 30, 2026 · 313 weekly returns · each against SPY
BNOV FOCT
Return
Total return edge FOCT +77.5% +89.9%
Annualized edge FOCT +10.0% +11.2%
Price return edge FOCT +77.5% +89.9%
Risk
Volatility edge FOCT (slight) 10.9% 10.0%
Max drawdown edge FOCT −15.9% −13.7%
Downside capture 72.0% 66.0%
Beta 0.66 0.61
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge FOCT 0.63 0.79
Sortino edge FOCT 0.95 1.22
Treynor 0.104 0.130
Calmar edge FOCT 0.63 0.82
Against the benchmark
Alpha −1.9% a year −0.2% a year
Alpha t-stat −1.42 −0.15
Information ratio −1.02 −0.79
Tracking error 6.3% 6.8%
Reading

From Oct 2020 to Oct 2026, FOCT returned more: +89.9% to +77.5%. FOCT swung slightly less: 10.0% to 10.9%. FOCT fell less at its worst: −13.7% to −15.9%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: BNOV vs FOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBNOVFOCTSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+77.5%+89.9%FOCTPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+10.0%+11.2%FOCTTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+77.5%+89.9%FOCTPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility10.9%10.0%FOCT (slight)Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation7.2%6.4%FOCTLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−15.9%−13.7%FOCTDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture51.8%49.1%100.0%BNOV (slight)Share of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture72.0%66.0%100.0%FOCT (slight)Share of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.660.611.00FOCT lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.910.921.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.630.79FOCTReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.951.22FOCTReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1040.1300.133FOCTReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.630.82FOCTAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha−1.9% a year−0.2% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−1.42−0.15Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−4.5% to +0.7%−2.5% to +2.2%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−1.02−0.79FOCTReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error6.3%6.8%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, 313 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: BNOV vs FOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowBNOVFOCTBNOVFOCT
3 months+0.2%+2.9%+0.6 pts+3.3 pts
6 months+4.5%+6.7%0.0 pts+2.2 pts
1 year+12.0%+13.7%−1.6 pts+0.1 pts
3 years+49.2%+49.2%−27.2 pts−27.2 pts
Since launchNot the same days: BNOV Nov 2019 · FOCT Oct 2020+91.2%+85.0%−59.3 pts−39.2 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

BNOV Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Nov · Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 20.3%, over a period ending Oct 31, 2027 FOCT FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - October · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 17.2%, over a period ending Oct 15, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 9% 10%
Outcome period Oct 31, 2026 to Oct 31, 2027 Oct 19, 2026 to Oct 15, 2027
Days left 361 345
Starting cap +20.3% +17.2%
Can still gain 18.9% 15.8%
Fall before buffer 1.1% 1.3%
Protection left, index points 9.0% of 9.0% 10.0% of 10.0%
Index return this period +1.4% +0.5%
Fund return this period +1.1% +0.5%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.85%
Net assets, BNOV as of Nov 4, 2026 and FOCT as of Nov 3, 2026 $198m $1.3bn

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Where each one stands today

FOCT resets first, on Oct 15, 2027, 345 days from now; BNOV runs to Oct 31, 2027, 361 days. BNOV can still gain 18.9% before its cap, FOCT 15.8%. A fall from here reaches BNOV’s buffer after 1.1% and FOCT’s after 1.3%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
BNOV

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 18.9% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 1.4% 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. 361 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Oct 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

FOCT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 15.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.3% 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: 10.0% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 345 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Oct 15, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, BNOV or FOCT?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, BNOV can gain about 18.9% before its cap and FOCT about 15.8%, so BNOV has more room left this period.
Which resets first, BNOV or FOCT?
BNOV ends its outcome period on Oct 31, 2027 and FOCT on Oct 15, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, BNOV or FOCT?
BNOV charges 0.79% a year and FOCT charges 0.85%, so BNOV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where to next
Sources and dates

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

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, BNOV against FOCT, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bnov-vs-foct

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