Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

DECW vs FNOV: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 FNOV can fall 13.3% before its buffer engages and DECW 9.2%, and FNOV resets 10 days sooner.

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Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $147m for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 ETF - Dec and $1.3bn for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - November.

At a glance
9.2%
DECW can fall this far before its buffer
13.3%
FNOV can fall this far before its buffer
1.1%
DECW can still gain
1.2%
FNOV can still gain
DECW At its cap
At its capDECW: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts of buffer+11.3% gain captured−20.0% floor0% period start+11.3% capTODAY · SPY +12.2%At its capDECW: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts of buffer+11.3%−20.0% floor0% start+11.3% capTODAY · SPY +12.2%

DECW: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

DECW: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
FNOV Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capFNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +14.4%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.10 pts of buffer+16.3% gain captured−10.0% floor0% period start+16.6% cap+0.3% more to the capTODAY · SPY +16.3%Between buffer and capFNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +14.4%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.10 pts+16.3% gained−10.0% floor0% start+16.6% cap+0.3% more to the capTODAY · SPY +16.3%

FNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +14.4%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

FNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +14.4%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

DECW costs 0.11 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.9 points; FNOV is 8.8 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DECW vs FNOV: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDECWFNOV
Return
Total return, 1 year+10.7%+13.6%
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$147m$1.3bn
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · DECW scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score47.4DECW7.7FNOV

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

Dec 9, 2022 to Oct 30, 2026 · 203 weekly returns · each against SPY
DECW FNOV
Return
Total return edge FNOV +50.2% +66.9%
Annualized edge FNOV +11.0% +14.0%
Price return edge FNOV +48.3% +66.9%
Risk
Volatility edge DECW 6.5% 9.1%
Max drawdown edge DECW −7.8% −11.6%
Downside capture 47.4% 66.0%
Beta 0.43 0.62
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge FNOV (slight) 0.93 0.98
Sortino edge FNOV (slight) 1.41 1.49
Treynor 0.139 0.144
Calmar edge DECW 1.40 1.21
Against the benchmark
Alpha −0.2% a year 0.0% a year
Alpha t-stat −0.17 −0.01
Information ratio −1.02 −0.91
Tracking error 8.2% 6.0%
Reading

From Dec 2022 to Oct 2026, FNOV returned more: +66.9% to +50.2%. DECW swung less: 6.5% to 9.1%. DECW fell less at its worst: −7.8% to −11.6%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: DECW vs FNOV: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDECWFNOVSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+50.2%+66.9%FNOVPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+11.0%+14.0%FNOVTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+48.3%+66.9%FNOVPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility6.5%9.1%DECWSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation4.3%6.0%DECWLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−7.8%−11.6%DECWDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture36.1%53.6%100.0%FNOVShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture47.4%66.0%100.0%DECWShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.430.621.00DECW lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.850.891.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.930.98FNOV (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino1.411.49FNOV (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1390.1440.145FNOV (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar1.401.21DECWAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha−0.2% a year0.0% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−0.17−0.01Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−2.8% to +2.3%−3.0% to +3.0%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−1.02−0.91FNOVReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error8.2%6.0%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, 203 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: DECW vs FNOV: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowDECWFNOVDECWFNOV
3 months+1.8%+2.2%+2.2 pts+2.6 pts
6 months+4.7%+5.8%+0.2 pts+1.3 pts
1 year+10.7%+13.6%−2.8 pts+0.1 pts
3 years+40.8%+54.4%−35.6 pts−22.0 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DECW Dec 2022 · FNOV Nov 2019+48.7%+98.7%−39.5 pts−47.1 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

DECW AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 ETF - Dec · Absorbs the first 20% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 11.3%, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026 FNOV FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - November · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 16.6%, over a period ending Nov 20, 2026
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 20% 10%
Outcome period Dec 1, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026 Nov 24, 2025 to Nov 20, 2026
Days left 26 16
Starting cap +11.3% +16.6%
Can still gain 1.1% 1.2%
Fall before buffer 9.2% 13.3%
Protection left, index points 20.0% of 20.0% 10.0% of 10.0%
Index return this period +12.2% +16.3%
Fund return this period +9.3% +14.4%
State today At cap Open
Expense ratio 0.74% 0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $147m $1.3bn

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

Where each one stands today

FNOV resets first, on Nov 20, 2026, 16 days from now; DECW runs to Nov 30, 2026, 26 days. DECW can still gain 1.1% before its cap, FNOV 1.2%. A fall from here reaches DECW’s buffer after 9.2% and FNOV’s after 13.3%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
DECW

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +11.3% 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 1.1% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 9.2% 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: 20.0% of the 20.0% 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.

FNOV

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 1.2% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 13.3% 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. Protection left, in index points: 10.0% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 16 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Nov 20, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DECW or FNOV?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DECW can gain about 1.1% before its cap and FNOV about 1.2%, so FNOV has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DECW or FNOV?
DECW ends its outcome period on Nov 30, 2026 and FNOV on Nov 20, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DECW or FNOV?
DECW charges 0.74% a year and FNOV charges 0.85%, so DECW is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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Sources and dates

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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.

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ETFIQ, DECW against FNOV, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/decw-vs-fnov

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