Data as of .
DHDG vs DOCT: which one stands where?
As of Sep 21, 2026 DOCT can fall 14.7% before its buffer engages and DHDG 5.3%.
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score: DHDG scores higher
If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
A percentile among the 293 buffer ETFs with a live outcome period. It is a position in a set, not a rating, and neither end of it is a recommendation. All buffer ETFs ranked by it · How it is computed
Both are First Trust funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.
Where each one stands today
DHDG resets first, on Oct 16, 2026, 25 days from now; DOCT runs to Oct 16, 2026, 25 days. DHDG can still gain 1.3% before its cap, DOCT 0.5%. A fall from here reaches DHDG’s buffer after 5.3% and DOCT’s after 14.7%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
Every figure is ETFIQ’s own, from the issuer’s published outcome-period terms. A buffer ETF holds FLEX options on its reference index rather than shares, so there is no holdings overlap between two of them to report.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Gap to the reference | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DHDG | DOCT | DHDG | DOCT | |
| 3 months | +3.3% | +2.8% | +1.1 pts | +0.5 pts |
| 6 months | +11.9% | +10.5% | −6.1 pts | −7.6 pts |
| 1 year | +14.5% | +11.4% | −2.0 pts | −5.2 pts |
| 3 years | not published | +35.1% | not published | −43.3 pts |
| DHDG FT Vest U.S. Equity Quarterly 2.5 to 15 Buffer ETF Absorbs losses from 2.5% to 15.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 4.3%, over a period ending Oct 16, 2026 | DOCT FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - October Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 30.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 11.7%, over a period ending Oct 16, 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | First Trust | First Trust |
| Reference index | SPY | SPY |
| Buffer | 2% to 15% | 5% to 30% |
| Outcome period | Jul 20, 2026 to Oct 16, 2026 | Oct 20, 2025 to Oct 16, 2026 |
| Days left | 25 | 25 |
| Starting cap | +4.3% | +11.7% |
| Can still gain | 1.3% | 0.5% |
| Fall before buffer | 5.3% | 14.7% |
| Protection left, index points | 12.5% of 12.5% | 25.0% of 25.0% |
| Index return this period | +4.1% | +16.5% |
| Fund return this period | +2.8% | +10.3% |
| State today | Open | At cap |
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.85% |
| Net assets | $76m | $397m |
DHDG in plain words
From its price on Sep 21, 2026, the fund can gain about 1.3% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 5.3% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 6.3% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 12.5% of the 12.5% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 25 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Oct 16, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.
DOCT in plain words
SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +11.7% for the period on Sep 21, 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 14.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 18.4% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 25.0% of the 25.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.
Questions people ask
- Which has more room to gain, DHDG or DOCT?
- From their prices on Sep 21, 2026, DHDG can gain about 1.3% before its cap and DOCT about 0.5%, so DHDG has more room left this period.
- Which resets first, DHDG or DOCT?
- DHDG ends its outcome period on Oct 16, 2026 and DOCT on Oct 16, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
- Which is cheaper, DHDG or DOCT?
- DHDG charges 0.85% a year and DOCT charges 0.85%, so DHDG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, DHDG against DOCT, data as of Sep 21, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/dhdg-vs-doct Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.