Data as of .
DECM vs SIXJ: which one stands where?
As of Sep 21, 2026 DECM can fall 5.2% before its buffer engages and SIXJ 3.1%, and DECM resets 14 days sooner.
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score: DECM scores higher
If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
A percentile among the 293 buffer ETFs with a live outcome period. It is a position in a set, not a rating, and neither end of it is a recommendation. All buffer ETFs ranked by it · How it is computed
Where each one stands today
DECM resets first, on Dec 18, 2026, 88 days from now; SIXJ runs to Dec 31, 2026, 102 days. DECM can still gain 1.5% before its cap, SIXJ 4.9%. A fall from here reaches DECM’s buffer after 5.2% and SIXJ’s after 3.1%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
Every figure is ETFIQ’s own, from the issuer’s published outcome-period terms. A buffer ETF holds FLEX options on its reference index rather than shares, so there is no holdings overlap between two of them to report.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Gap to the reference | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DECM | SIXJ | DECM | SIXJ | |
| 3 months | +1.5% | +2.3% | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts |
| 6 months | +5.0% | +11.1% | −13.1 pts | −7.0 pts |
| 1 year | +6.3% | +12.1% | −10.3 pts | −4.5 pts |
| 3 years | not published | +48.7% | not published | −29.7 pts |
| DECM FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - December Absorbs the first 51% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 7.0%, over a period ending Dec 18, 2026 | SIXJ AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer10 ETF - Jan Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 8.2%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | First Trust | AllianzIM |
| Reference index | SPY | SPY |
| Buffer | 51% | 10% |
| Outcome period | Dec 22, 2025 to Dec 18, 2026 | Jul 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026 |
| Days left | 88 | 102 |
| Starting cap | +7.0% | +8.2% |
| Can still gain | 1.5% | 4.9% |
| Fall before buffer | 5.2% | 3.1% |
| Protection left, index points | 50.6% of 50.6% | 10.0% of 10.0% |
| Index return this period | +13.7% | +3.6% |
| Fund return this period | +4.6% | +2.8% |
| State today | At cap | Open |
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.74% |
| Net assets | $36m | $152m |
DECM in plain words
SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +7.0% for the period on Sep 21, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 1.5% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 5.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 12.0% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 50.6% of the 50.6% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 88 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Dec 18, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.
SIXJ in plain words
From its price on Sep 21, 2026, the fund can gain about 4.9% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 3.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 3.5% 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. 102 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.
Questions people ask
- Which has more room to gain, DECM or SIXJ?
- From their prices on Sep 21, 2026, DECM can gain about 1.5% before its cap and SIXJ about 4.9%, so SIXJ has more room left this period.
- Which resets first, DECM or SIXJ?
- DECM ends its outcome period on Dec 18, 2026 and SIXJ on Dec 31, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
- Which is cheaper, DECM or SIXJ?
- DECM charges 0.85% a year and SIXJ charges 0.74%, so SIXJ is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, DECM against SIXJ, data as of Sep 21, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/decm-vs-sixj Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.