Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

DECU vs XNOV: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

Share
Share on XDownload as PDF

As of Nov 4, 2026 XNOV can fall 9.9% before its buffer engages and DECU 7.9%, and XNOV resets 10 days sooner.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about DECU and XNOV

Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $52m for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped ETF - Dec and $25m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - November.

At a glance
7.9%
DECU can fall this far before its buffer
9.9%
XNOV can fall this far before its buffer
uncapped
DECU can still gain
0.2%
XNOV can still gain
DECU No cap
No capDECU: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +7.7%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+12.2% gained, no cap−15.0% floor0% period startno capTODAY · SPY +12.2%No capDECU: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +7.7%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts−15.0% floor0% startno cap+12.2% gained, no capTODAY · SPY +12.2%

DECU: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +7.7%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

DECU: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +7.7%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
XNOV At its cap
At its capXNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +10.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+11.1% gain captured−15.0% floor0% period start+11.1% capTODAY · SPY +16.3%At its capXNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +10.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts+11.1%−15.0% floor0% start+11.1% capTODAY · SPY +16.3%

XNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +10.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

DECU costs 0.11 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.3 points; DECU is 2.1 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DECU vs XNOV: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDECUXNOV
Return
Total return, 1 year+9.0%+10.3%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer10.9%14.0%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.74%0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$52m$25m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Dec 13, 2024 to Oct 30, 2026 · 98 weekly returns · each against SPY
DECU XNOV
Return
Total return edge XNOV +16.3% +18.5%
Annualized edge XNOV +8.4% +9.4%
Price return edge XNOV +16.3% +18.5%
Risk
Volatility edge XNOV 9.8% 6.8%
Max drawdown edge XNOV (slight) −9.3% −8.5%
Downside capture 78.1% 36.8%
Beta 0.63 0.42
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge XNOV 0.46 0.78
Sortino edge XNOV 0.69 1.10
Treynor 0.072 0.125
Calmar edge XNOV 0.90 1.11
Against the benchmark
Alpha −1.9% a year +1.0% a year
Alpha t-stat −0.97 0.52
Information ratio −0.92 −0.55
Tracking error 6.2% 9.0%
Reading

From Dec 2024 to Oct 2026, XNOV returned more: +18.5% to +16.3%. XNOV swung less: 6.8% to 9.8%. XNOV fell slightly less at its worst: −8.5% to −9.3%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: DECU vs XNOV: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDECUXNOVSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+16.3%+18.5%XNOVPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+8.4%+9.4%XNOVTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+16.3%+18.5%XNOVPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility9.8%6.8%XNOVSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation6.6%4.8%XNOVLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−9.3%−8.5%XNOV (slight)Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture58.7%30.3%100.0%DECUShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture78.1%36.8%100.0%XNOVShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.630.421.00XNOV lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.920.871.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.460.78XNOVReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.691.10XNOVReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.0720.1250.102XNOVReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.901.11XNOVAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha−1.9% a year+1.0% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−0.970.52Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−5.8% to +2.0%−2.7% to +4.6%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.92−0.55XNOVReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error6.2%9.0%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, 98 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: DECU vs XNOV: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowDECUXNOVDECUXNOV
3 months−1.4%+1.7%−1.0 pts+2.1 pts
6 months+2.3%+4.2%−2.2 pts−0.3 pts
1 year+9.0%+10.3%−4.6 pts−3.3 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DECU Dec 2024 · XNOV Nov 2023+17.7%+32.5%−9.3 pts−36.4 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

DECU AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped ETF - Dec · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and does not cap the gain, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026 XNOV FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - November · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 11.1%, over a period ending Nov 20, 2026
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 15% 15%
Outcome period Dec 1, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026 Nov 24, 2025 to Nov 20, 2026
Days left 26 16
Starting cap uncapped +11.1%
Can still gain uncapped 0.2%
Fall before buffer 7.9% 9.9%
Protection left, index points 15.0% of 15.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +12.2% +16.3%
Fund return this period +7.7% +10.0%
State today Uncapped At cap
Expense ratio 0.74% 0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $52m $25m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

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

Where each one stands today

XNOV resets first, on Nov 20, 2026, 16 days from now; DECU runs to Nov 30, 2026, 26 days. A fall from here reaches DECU’s buffer after 7.9% and XNOV’s after 9.9%. 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

XNOV flows, by email on Sundays.

One-click unsubscribe. See Privacy.

About each fund
DECU

This fund has no cap. It takes a share of any further rise in SPY. The fund's price can fall 7.9% 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: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 26 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Nov 30, 2026 the period ends and new terms are set.

XNOV

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +11.1% 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 0.2% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 9.9% 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. 16 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Nov 20, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which resets first, DECU or XNOV?
DECU ends its outcome period on Nov 30, 2026 and XNOV on Nov 20, 2026. New terms are set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DECU or XNOV?
DECU charges 0.74% a year and XNOV charges 0.85%, so DECU 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

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, DECU against XNOV, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/decu-vs-xnov

Open data →

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