Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

vsOpen in the appCompare their flowsaskIQ about these two fundsAsk the committee about these two funds
Buffer ETFs

DAUG vs SEPW: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

Share
Share on XDownload as PDF

As of Nov 4, 2026 DAUG can fall 6.3% before its buffer engages and SEPW 1.4%, and DAUG resets 11 days sooner.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about DAUG and SEPW

Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $445m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - August and $211m for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 ETF - Sep.

At a glance
6.3%
DAUG can fall this far before its buffer
1.4%
SEPW can fall this far before its buffer
12.3%
DAUG can still gain
10.9%
SEPW can still gain
DAUG Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capDAUG: reference +0.1% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.25 pts of buffer+13.6% more to the cap−30.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% period start+13.8% capfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+0.1% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.1%Between buffer and capDAUG: reference +0.1% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.25 pts of buffer−30.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+13.8% capfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+0.1% gain captured+13.6% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.1%

DAUG: reference +0.1% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

DAUG: reference +0.1% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
SEPW Buffer working
Buffer workingSEPW: reference 0.0% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.3%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 of 20 pts of buffer left+12.3% more to the cap−20.0% floor0% period start+12.3% capTODAY · SPY 0.0%Buffer workingSEPW: reference 0.0% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.3%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts−20.0% floor0% start+12.3% cap+12.3% more to the capTODAY · SPY 0.0%

SEPW: reference 0.0% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.3%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

SEPW: reference 0.0% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.3%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

SEPW costs 0.11 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.9 points; DAUG is 2.1 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DAUG vs SEPW: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDAUGSEPW
Return
Total return, 1 year+9.0%+8.1%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer5.1%0.0%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.85%0.74%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$445m$211m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · SEPW scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score69.7DAUG97.1SEPW

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

Sep 8, 2023 to Oct 30, 2026 · 164 weekly returns · each against SPY
DAUG SEPW
Return
Total return edge DAUG +40.2% +35.7%
Annualized edge DAUG (slight) +11.3% +10.2%
Price return edge DAUG +40.2% +35.7%
Risk
Volatility edge SEPW 7.1% 5.8%
Max drawdown edge SEPW −9.5% −7.5%
Downside capture 49.3% 40.8%
Beta 0.47 0.39
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge Tie 0.91 0.92
Sortino edge Tie 1.41 1.39
Treynor 0.137 0.137
Calmar edge SEPW 1.19 1.36
Against the benchmark
Alpha −0.4% a year −0.3% a year
Alpha t-stat −0.33 −0.32
Information ratio −1.04 −1.04
Tracking error 7.8% 8.8%
Reading

From Sep 2023 to Oct 2026, DAUG returned more: +40.2% to +35.7%. SEPW swung less: 5.8% to 7.1%. SEPW fell less at its worst: −7.5% to −9.5%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: DAUG vs SEPW: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDAUGSEPWSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+40.2%+35.7%DAUGPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+11.3%+10.2%DAUG (slight)Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return+40.2%+35.7%DAUGPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility7.1%5.8%SEPWSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation4.6%3.9%SEPWLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−9.5%−7.5%SEPWDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture37.7%31.1%100.0%DAUGShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture49.3%40.8%100.0%SEPWShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.470.391.00SEPW lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.900.901.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.910.92TieReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino1.411.39TieReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1370.1370.146TieReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar1.191.36SEPWAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha−0.4% a year−0.3% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−0.33−0.32Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−3.0% to +2.1%−2.4% to +1.7%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−1.04−1.04TieReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error7.8%8.8%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, 164 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: DAUG vs SEPW: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowDAUGSEPWDAUGSEPW
3 months+0.7%+1.0%+1.1 pts+1.4 pts
6 months+3.6%+3.4%−0.9 pts−1.0 pts
1 year+9.0%+8.1%−4.6 pts−5.4 pts
3 years+42.9%+37.7%−33.5 pts−38.7 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DAUG Nov 2019 · SEPW Sep 2023+58.3%+35.9%−90.5 pts−34.1 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

DAUG FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - August · Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 30.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 13.8%, over a period ending Aug 20, 2027 SEPW AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 ETF - Sep · Absorbs the first 20% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 12.3%, over a period ending Aug 31, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 5% to 30% 20%
Outcome period Aug 24, 2026 to Aug 20, 2027 Sep 1, 2026 to Aug 31, 2027
Days left 289 300
Starting cap +13.8% +12.3%
Can still gain 12.3% 10.9%
Fall before buffer 6.3% 1.4%
Protection left, index points 25.0% of 25.0% 20.0% of 20.0%
Index return this period +0.1% 0.0%
Fund return this period +0.5% +0.6%
State today Open Buffer working
Expense ratio 0.85% 0.74%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $445m $211m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Where each one stands today

DAUG resets first, on Aug 20, 2027, 289 days from now; SEPW runs to Aug 31, 2027, 300 days. DAUG can still gain 12.3% before its cap, SEPW 10.9%. A fall from here reaches DAUG’s buffer after 6.3% and SEPW’s after 1.4%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

The two-page PDF for this pair is coming. Save the comparison to follow its changes. Free. It needs an email sign-in, once.

Your saved page · Privacy.

Alert

DAUG flows, by email on Sundays.

One-click unsubscribe. See Privacy.

About each fund
DAUG

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 12.3% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 6.3% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 5.1% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 25.0% of the 25.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 289 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Aug 20, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

SEPW

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 10.9% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.4% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.0% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 20.0% of the 20.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 300 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Aug 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DAUG or SEPW?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DAUG can gain about 12.3% before its cap and SEPW about 10.9%, so DAUG has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DAUG or SEPW?
DAUG ends its outcome period on Aug 20, 2027 and SEPW on Aug 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DAUG or SEPW?
DAUG charges 0.85% a year and SEPW charges 0.74%, so SEPW 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, DAUG against SEPW, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/daug-vs-sepw

Open data →

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