Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

DJUL vs DOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Oct 28, 2026 DJUL can fall 8.2% before its buffer engages and DOCT 6.3%, and DJUL resets 91 days sooner.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $496m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - July and $421m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - October.

At a glance
8.2%
DJUL can fall this far before its buffer
6.3%
DOCT can fall this far before its buffer
9.9%
DJUL can still gain
12.7%
DOCT can still gain
DJUL Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capDJUL: reference +3.9% since period start, fund +2.6%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.25 pts of buffer+3.9%+9.7% to cap−30.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% period start+13.6% capfirst 5 pts are yours to loseTODAY · SPY +3.9%Between buffer and capDJUL: reference +3.9% since period start, fund +2.6%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.25 pts of buffer−30.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+13.6% capfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+3.9% gain captured+9.7% more to the capTODAY · SPY +3.9%

DJUL: reference +3.9% since period start, fund +2.6%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

DJUL: reference +3.9% since period start, fund +2.6%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.
DOCT Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capDOCT: reference +1.2% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +14.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.25 pts of buffer+13% more to the cap−30.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% period start+14.2% capfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+1.2% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +1.2%Between buffer and capDOCT: reference +1.2% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +14.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.25 pts of buffer−30.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+14.2% capfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+1.2% gain captured+13% more to the capTODAY · SPY +1.2%

DOCT: reference +1.2% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +14.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

Data to Oct 28, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.85% a year; their one-year returns differ by 0.8 points; DJUL is 1.2 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DJUL vs DOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDJULDOCT
Return
Total return, 1 year+9.3%+10.1%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer8.6%6.1%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.85%0.85%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026$496m$421m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · DOCT scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score55.3DJUL72.1DOCT

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

0.2, the lowest in this set 99.8, the highest

A percentile among the 292 buffer ETFs on stocks with a live outcome period. 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: DJUL vs DOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowDJULDOCTDJULDOCT
3 months+3.4%+4.3%−2.5 pts−1.5 pts
6 months+5.5%+6.8%−3.0 pts−1.7 pts
1 year+9.3%+10.1%−3.1 pts−2.3 pts
3 years+55.1%+44.1%−32.9 pts−44.0 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DJUL Jul 2020 · DOCT Aug 2020+70.0%+285.9%−68.2 pts+157.4 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

DJUL FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - July · Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 30.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 13.6%, over a period ending Jul 16, 2027 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 14.2%, over a period ending Oct 15, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 5% to 30% 5% to 30%
Outcome period Jul 20, 2026 to Jul 16, 2027 Oct 19, 2026 to Oct 15, 2027
Days left 261 352
Starting cap +13.6% +14.2%
Can still gain 9.9% 12.7%
Fall before buffer 8.2% 6.3%
Protection left, index points 25.0% of 25.0% 25.0% of 25.0%
Index return this period +3.9% +1.2%
Fund return this period +2.6% +0.5%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.85% 0.85%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $496m $421m

As of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

They do not reset together. DJUL has 261 days of its period left and DOCT has 352, 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

DJUL resets first, on Jul 16, 2027, 261 days from now; DOCT runs to Oct 15, 2027, 352 days. DJUL can still gain 9.9% before its cap, DOCT 12.7%. A fall from here reaches DJUL’s buffer after 8.2% and DOCT’s after 6.3%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-3AA71DE3BA

DJUL and DOCT are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

  1. Outcome period. DJUL runs Jul 20, 2026 to Jul 16, 2027 with 261 days left; DOCT runs Oct 19, 2026 to Oct 15, 2027 with 352 days left.
  2. Protection and cap (similar). DJUL: Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 30.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 13.6%, over a period ending Jul 16, 2027. DOCT: Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 30.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 14.2%, over a period ending Oct 15, 2027. The starting caps are 0.6 points apart.
  3. What each follows (similar). Both follow SPY.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund
DJUL

From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 9.9% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 8.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 8.6% 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. 261 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Jul 16, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

DOCT

From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 12.7% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 6.3% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 6.1% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. 352 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Oct 15, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DJUL or DOCT?
From their prices on Oct 28, 2026, DJUL can gain about 9.9% before its cap and DOCT about 12.7%, so DOCT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DJUL or DOCT?
DJUL ends its outcome period on Jul 16, 2027 and DOCT on Oct 15, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DJUL or DOCT?
DJUL and DOCT both charge 0.85% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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Sources and dates

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, DJUL against DOCT, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/djul-vs-doct

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