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Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

DHDG vs FOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 DHDG can fall 3.1% before its buffer engages and FOCT 1.3%, and DHDG resets 273 days sooner.

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Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $81m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Quarterly 2.5 to 15 Buffer ETF and $1.3bn for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - October.

DHDG on its own →FOCT on its own →
At a glance
3.1%
DHDG can fall this far before its buffer
1.3%
FOCT can fall this far before its buffer
3.9%
DHDG can still gain
15.8%
FOCT can still gain
DHDG Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capDHDG: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.4%; buffer −2 to −15; cap +4.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.12.5 pts of buffer−15.0% floor−2.5% buffer start0% period start+4.5% capfirst 2.5 pts are yours to lose+0.5% gain captured+4% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%Between buffer and capDHDG: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.4%; buffer −2 to −15; cap +4.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.12.5 pts−15.0% floor−2.5% buffer start0% start+4.5% capfirst 2.5 pts are yours to lose+0.5% gain captured+4% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%

DHDG: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.4%; buffer −2 to −15; cap +4.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

DHDG: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.4%; buffer −2 to −15; cap +4.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
FOCT Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capFOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +17.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.10 pts of buffer+16.7% more to the cap−10.0% floor0% period start+17.2% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%Between buffer and capFOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +17.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.10 pts+16.7% to cap−10.0% floor0% start+17.2% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%

FOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +17.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

FOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +17.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.85% a year; their one-year returns differ by 0.6 points; FOCT is 16.0 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DHDG vs FOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDHDGFOCT
Return
Total return, 1 year+13.1%+13.7%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer2.9%0.5%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.85%0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$81m$1.3bn
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · DHDG scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score63DHDG38.7FOCT

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

Window by window

Window by window: DHDG vs FOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowDHDGFOCTDHDGFOCT
3 months+1.3%+2.9%+1.6 pts+3.3 pts
6 months+5.6%+6.7%+1.1 pts+2.2 pts
1 year+13.1%+13.7%−0.5 pts+0.1 pts
3 years–+49.2%–−27.2 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DHDG Oct 2024 · FOCT Oct 2020+24.9%+85.0%−6.5 pts−39.2 pts

Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. – means no data for this window. Open this comparison in the app →

Side by side

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 4.5%, over a period ending Jan 15, 2027 FOCT FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - October · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 17.2%, over a period ending Oct 15, 2027
Issuer First Trust First Trust
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 2% to 15% 10%
Outcome period Oct 19, 2026 to Jan 15, 2027 Oct 19, 2026 to Oct 15, 2027
Days left 72 345
Starting cap +4.5% +17.2%
Can still gain 3.9% 15.8%
Fall before buffer 3.1% 1.3%
Protection left, index points 12.5% of 12.5% 10.0% of 10.0%
Index return this period +0.5% +0.5%
Fund return this period +0.4% +0.5%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.85% 0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $81m $1.3bn

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

They do not reset together. DHDG has 72 days of its period left and FOCT has 345, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

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 Jan 15, 2027, 72 days from now; FOCT runs to Oct 15, 2027, 345 days. DHDG can still gain 3.9% before its cap, FOCT 15.8%. A fall from here reaches DHDG’s buffer after 3.1% and FOCT’s after 1.3%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
DHDG

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 3.9% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 3.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 2.9% 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. 72 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Jan 15, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

FOCT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 15.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.3% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.5% 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. 345 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Oct 15, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DHDG or FOCT?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DHDG can gain about 3.9% before its cap and FOCT about 15.8%, so FOCT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DHDG or FOCT?
DHDG ends its outcome period on Jan 15, 2027 and FOCT on Oct 15, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DHDG or FOCT?
DHDG and FOCT both charge 0.85% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
DHDG vs DOCTDHDG vs FJANDHDG vs FEBWDHDG vs BNOVFOCT vs BJANFOCT vs BJULFOCT vs BAPRFOCT vs DOCT
Where to next
State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust →DHDG on its own →FOCT on its own →Method →Standards and sources →
Sources and dates
DHDG and FOCT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗
First Trust page for DHDG ↗
First Trust page for FOCT ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

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, DHDG against FOCT, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/dhdg-vs-foct

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