Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

DECW vs PDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 PDEC can fall 10.1% before its buffer engages and DECW 9.2%.

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askIQ about DECW and PDEC

Net assets: $147m on Nov 3, 2026 for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 ETF - Dec, and $987m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Dec.

At a glance
9.2%
DECW can fall this far before its buffer
10.1%
PDEC can fall this far before its buffer
1.1%
DECW can still gain
1.8%
PDEC 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.
PDEC Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capPDEC: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +10.3%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+12.2% gain captured−15.0% floor0% period start+13.1% cap+1% more to the capTODAY · SPY +12.2%Between buffer and capPDEC: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +10.3%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts+12.2%−15.0% floor0% start+13.1% cap+1% more to the capTODAY · SPY +12.2%

PDEC: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +10.3%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

PDEC: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +10.3%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

DECW costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.5 points; PDEC is 6.6 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DECW vs PDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDECWPDEC
Return
Total return, 1 year+10.7%+12.2%
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$147m$975m
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 Score47.4DECW30.1PDEC

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 PDEC
Return
Total return edge PDEC +50.2% +56.0%
Annualized edge PDEC (slight) +11.0% +12.1%
Price return edge PDEC +48.3% +56.0%
Risk
Volatility edge DECW 6.5% 7.5%
Max drawdown edge DECW −7.8% −9.6%
Downside capture 47.4% 55.2%
Beta 0.43 0.51
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge Tie 0.93 0.94
Sortino edge Tie 1.41 1.44
Treynor 0.139 0.139
Calmar edge DECW 1.40 1.26
Against the benchmark
Alpha −0.2% a year −0.3% a year
Alpha t-stat −0.17 −0.20
Information ratio −1.02 −1.01
Tracking error 8.2% 7.3%
Reading

From Dec 2022 to Oct 2026, PDEC returned more: +56.0% to +50.2%. DECW swung less: 6.5% to 7.5%. DECW fell less at its worst: −7.8% to −9.6%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: DECW vs PDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDECWPDECSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+50.2%+56.0%PDECPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+11.0%+12.1%PDEC (slight)Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return+48.3%+56.0%PDECPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility6.5%7.5%DECWSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation4.3%4.9%DECWLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−7.8%−9.6%DECWDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture36.1%42.6%100.0%PDECShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture47.4%55.2%100.0%DECWShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.430.511.00DECW lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.850.881.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.930.94TieReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino1.411.44TieReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1390.1390.145TieReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar1.401.26DECWAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha−0.2% a year−0.3% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−0.17−0.20Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−2.8% to +2.3%−2.9% to +2.3%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−1.02−1.01TieReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error8.2%7.3%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 PDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowDECWPDECDECWPDEC
3 months+1.8%+1.8%+2.2 pts+2.2 pts
6 months+4.7%+5.1%+0.2 pts+0.6 pts
1 year+10.7%+12.2%−2.8 pts−1.4 pts
3 years+40.8%+45.8%−35.6 pts−30.6 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DECW Dec 2022 · PDEC Dec 2019+48.7%+80.7%−39.5 pts−65.4 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

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 PDEC Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Dec · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 13.1%, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 20% 15%
Outcome period Dec 1, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026 Nov 30, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026
Days left 26 26
Starting cap +11.3% +13.1%
Can still gain 1.1% 1.8%
Fall before buffer 9.2% 10.1%
Protection left, index points 20.0% of 20.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +12.2% +12.2%
Fund return this period +9.3% +10.3%
State today At cap Open
Expense ratio 0.74% 0.79%
Net assets, DECW as of Nov 3, 2026 and PDEC as of Nov 4, 2026 $147m $987m

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

DECW resets first, on Nov 30, 2026, 26 days from now; PDEC runs to Nov 30, 2026, 26 days. DECW can still gain 1.1% before its cap, PDEC 1.8%. A fall from here reaches DECW’s buffer after 9.2% and PDEC’s after 10.1%. 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.

PDEC

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 1.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 10.1% 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: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DECW or PDEC?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DECW can gain about 1.1% before its cap and PDEC about 1.8%, so PDEC has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DECW or PDEC?
DECW ends its outcome period on Nov 30, 2026 and PDEC on Nov 30, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DECW or PDEC?
DECW charges 0.74% a year and PDEC charges 0.79%, 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.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

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

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