Data as of .
DHDG vs NVBU: which one stands where?
As of Sep 21, 2026 NVBU can fall 9.1% before its buffer engages and DHDG 5.3%, and DHDG resets 15 days sooner.
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
Where each one stands today
DHDG resets first, on Oct 16, 2026, 25 days from now; NVBU runs to Oct 31, 2026, 40 days. A fall from here reaches DHDG’s buffer after 5.3% and NVBU’s after 9.1%. 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 | NVBU | DHDG | NVBU | |
| 3 months | +3.3% | +0.7% | +1.1 pts | −1.6 pts |
| 6 months | +11.9% | +10.6% | −6.1 pts | −7.4 pts |
| 1 year | +14.5% | +10.6% | −2.0 pts | −6.0 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 | NVBU AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped ETF - Nov Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and does not cap the gain, over a period ending Oct 31, 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | First Trust | AllianzIM |
| Reference index | SPY | SPY |
| Buffer | 2% to 15% | 15% |
| Outcome period | Jul 20, 2026 to Oct 16, 2026 | Nov 1, 2025 to Oct 31, 2026 |
| Days left | 25 | 40 |
| Starting cap | +4.3% | uncapped |
| Can still gain | 1.3% | uncapped |
| Fall before buffer | 5.3% | 9.1% |
| Protection left, index points | 12.5% of 12.5% | 15.0% of 15.0% |
| Index return this period | +4.1% | +13.5% |
| Fund return this period | +2.8% | +9.1% |
| State today | Open | Uncapped |
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.74% |
| Net assets | $76m | $34m |
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.
NVBU in plain words
This fund has no cap. It takes a share of any further rise in SPY. The fund's price can fall 9.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 11.9% 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. 40 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Oct 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.
Questions people ask
- Which resets first, DHDG or NVBU?
- DHDG ends its outcome period on Oct 16, 2026 and NVBU on Oct 31, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
- Which is cheaper, DHDG or NVBU?
- DHDG charges 0.85% a year and NVBU charges 0.74%, so NVBU 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 NVBU, data as of Sep 21, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/dhdg-vs-nvbu Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.