Which resets first, DECU or ZDEK?

DECU ends its outcome period on Nov 30, 2026 and ZDEK on Nov 30, 2026. New terms are set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, DECU or ZDEK?

DECU charges 0.74% a year and ZDEK charges 0.79%, so DECU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Buffer ETFs

DECU vs ZDEK: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

Share on X Download as PDF

As of Nov 4, 2026 DECU can fall 7.9% before its buffer engages and ZDEK 6.0%.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about DECU and ZDEK

Net assets: $52m on Nov 3, 2026 for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped ETF - Dec, and $105m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr December.

DECU on its own →ZDEK on its own →

At a glance

7.9%

DECU can fall this far before its buffer

6.0%

ZDEK can fall this far before its buffer

uncapped

DECU can still gain

0.5%

ZDEK can still gain

DECU No cap

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

ZDEK At its cap

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

DECU costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.6 points; ZDEK is 2.0 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DECU vs ZDEK: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Measure	DECU	ZDEK
Return
Measure	DECU	ZDEK
Total return, 1 year	+9.0%	+6.4%
Drawdown
Measure	DECU	ZDEK
Index fall to the buffer	10.9%	10.8%
Benchmark
Measure	DECU	ZDEK
What it tracks	SPY	SPY
Cost and size
Measure	DECU	ZDEK
Expense ratio	0.74%	0.79%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026	$52m	$104m
Holdings
Measure	DECU	ZDEK
Holdings in common	not published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: DECU vs ZDEK: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
	Total return		Gap to the reference's price return
Window	DECU	ZDEK	DECU	ZDEK
3 months	−1.4%	+1.4%	−1.0 pts	+1.8 pts
6 months	+2.3%	+3.0%	−2.2 pts	−1.5 pts
1 year	+9.0%	+6.4%	−4.6 pts	−7.2 pts
Since launchDECU Dec 2024 · ZDEK Dec 2024	+17.7%	+12.8%	−9.3 pts	−14.2 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

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 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

Issuer AllianzIM Innovator

Reference index SPY SPY

Buffer 15% 100%

Outcome period Dec 1, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026 Nov 30, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026

Days left 26 26

Starting cap uncapped +6.8%

Can still gain uncapped 0.5%

Fall before buffer 7.9% 6.0%

Protection left, index points 15.0% of 15.0% 100.0% of 100.0%

Index return this period +12.2% +12.2%

Fund return this period +7.7% +5.5%

State today Uncapped At cap

Expense ratio 0.74% 0.79%

Net assets, DECU as of Nov 3, 2026 and ZDEK as of Nov 4, 2026 $52m $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. DECU 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

DECU resets first, on Nov 30, 2026, 26 days from now; ZDEK runs to Nov 30, 2026, 26 days. A fall from here reaches DECU’s buffer after 7.9% and ZDEK’s after 6.0%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Alert

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.

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. On Nov 30, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which resets first, DECU or ZDEK?: DECU ends its outcome period on Nov 30, 2026 and ZDEK on Nov 30, 2026. New terms are set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DECU or ZDEK?: DECU charges 0.74% a year and ZDEK charges 0.79%, so DECU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

DECU vs DDFD DECU vs DECW DECU vs FHDG DECU vs UDEC ZDEK vs PDEC ZDEK vs CPSD ZDEK vs FHDG ZDEK vs CPSN

Where to next

SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust →All buffer ETFs ranked by the Downside Cover Score →How the scores are computed →DECU on its own →ZDEK on its own →Method →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

DECU filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

AllianzIM page for DECU ↗

ZDEK filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

Innovator page for ZDEK ↗

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 ZDEK, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/decu-vs-zdek

Open data →

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