Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

DECT vs ZDEK: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 DECT can fall 11.0% before its buffer engages and ZDEK 6.0%.

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Net assets: $37m on Nov 3, 2026 for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer10 ETF - Dec, and $105m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr December.

At a glance
11.0%
DECT can fall this far before its buffer
6.0%
ZDEK can fall this far before its buffer
4.0%
DECT can still gain
0.5%
ZDEK can still gain
DECT Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capDECT: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +11.4%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.10 pts+12.2% gained−10.0% floor0% period start+16.6% cap+4.4% more to the capTODAY · SPY +12.2%Between buffer and capDECT: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +11.4%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.+12.2%−10.0% floor0% start+16.6% cap10 pts of buffer+4.4% more to the capTODAY · SPY +12.2%

DECT: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +11.4%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

DECT: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +11.4%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
ZDEK At its cap
At its capZDEK: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +5.5%; buffer Floor; cap +6.8%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+6.8%full floor0% period start+6.8% capTODAY · SPY +12.2%At its capZDEK: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +5.5%; buffer Floor; cap +6.8%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+6.8% cap+6.8% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +12.2%

ZDEK: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +5.5%; buffer Floor; cap +6.8%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

DECT costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 6.8 points; ZDEK is 2.8 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DECT vs ZDEK: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDECTZDEK
Return
Total return, 1 year+13.2%+6.4%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer10.9%10.8%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.74%0.79%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$37m$104m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Dec 13, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026 · 97 weekly returns · each against SPY
DECT ZDEK
Return
Total return edge DECT +24.1% +12.2%
Annualized edge DECT +12.3% +6.4%
Price return edge DECT +24.1% +12.2%
Risk
Volatility edge ZDEK 10.4% 2.9%
Max drawdown edge ZDEK −11.8% −3.1%
Downside capture 73.3% 19.2%
Beta 0.68 0.18
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge DECT (slight) 0.78 0.77
Sortino edge ZDEK (slight) 1.18 1.21
Treynor 0.119 0.125
Calmar edge ZDEK 1.04 2.09
Against the benchmark
Alpha +0.8% a year +0.3% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.75 0.39
Information ratio −0.51 −0.68
Tracking error 5.0% 12.4%
Reading

From Dec 2024 to Oct 2026, DECT returned more: +24.1% to +12.2%. ZDEK swung less: 2.9% to 10.4%. ZDEK fell less at its worst: −3.1% to −11.8%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: DECT vs ZDEK: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDECTZDEKSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+24.1%+12.2%DECTPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+12.3%+6.4%DECTTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+24.1%+12.2%DECTPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility10.4%2.9%ZDEKSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation6.9%1.8%ZDEKLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−11.8%−3.1%ZDEKDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture62.0%16.3%100.0%DECTShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture73.3%19.2%100.0%ZDEKShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.680.181.00ZDEK lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.980.851.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.780.77DECT (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino1.181.21ZDEK (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1190.1250.107ZDEK (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar1.042.09ZDEKAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+0.8% a year+0.3% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.750.39Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−1.4% to +3.1%−1.3% to +2.0%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.51−0.68DECTReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error5.0%12.4%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, 97 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: DECT vs ZDEK: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowDECTZDEKDECTZDEK
3 months+1.1%+1.4%+1.4 pts+1.8 pts
6 months+5.1%+3.0%+0.6 pts−1.5 pts
1 year+13.2%+6.4%−0.4 pts−7.2 pts
3 years+53.8%–−22.6 pts–
Since launchNot the same days: DECT Dec 2022 · ZDEK Dec 2024+62.7%+12.8%−25.6 pts−14.2 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

DECT AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer10 ETF - Dec · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 16.6%, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026 ZDEK Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr December · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 6.8%, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 10% 100%
Outcome period Dec 1, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026 Nov 30, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026
Days left 26 26
Starting cap +16.6% +6.8%
Can still gain 4.0% 0.5%
Fall before buffer 11.0% 6.0%
Protection left, index points 10.0% of 10.0% 100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period +12.2% +12.2%
Fund return this period +11.4% +5.5%
State today Open At cap
Expense ratio 0.74% 0.79%
Net assets, DECT as of Nov 3, 2026 and ZDEK as of Nov 4, 2026 $37m $105m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

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

Where each one stands today

DECT resets first, on Nov 30, 2026, 26 days from now; ZDEK runs to Nov 30, 2026, 26 days. DECT can still gain 4.0% before its cap, ZDEK 0.5%. A fall from here reaches DECT’s buffer after 11.0% and ZDEK’s after 6.0%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
DECT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 4.0% 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 10.9% 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. 26 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Nov 30, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

ZDEK

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +6.8% 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 6.0% 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: 100.0% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DECT or ZDEK?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DECT can gain about 4.0% before its cap and ZDEK about 0.5%, so DECT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DECT or ZDEK?
DECT ends its outcome period on Nov 30, 2026 and ZDEK on Nov 30, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DECT or ZDEK?
DECT charges 0.74% a year and ZDEK charges 0.79%, so DECT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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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, DECT against ZDEK, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/dect-vs-zdek

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