Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
DLFE vs FFEB: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 FFEB can fall 8.9% before its buffer engages and DLFE 8.0%.
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Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $68m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Dual Directional Buffer ETF - February and $1.4bn for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - February.
DLFE: reference +11.2% since period start, fund +7.8%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +12.4%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
DLFE: reference +11.2% since period start, fund +7.8%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +12.4%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.FFEB: reference +11.2% since period start, fund +8.9%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +15.0%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
Both cost 0.85% a year; FFEB is far larger, $1.4bn against $68m.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | DLFE | FFEB |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | not published | +13.7% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 10.1% | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.85% |
| Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 | $68m | $1.4bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | DLFE | FFEB | DLFE | FFEB |
| 3 months | +1.5% | +1.3% | +1.9 pts | +1.7 pts |
| 6 months | +4.4% | +4.8% | −0.1 pts | +0.3 pts |
| 1 year | – | +13.7% | – | +0.1 pts |
| 3 years | – | +59.7% | – | −16.7 pts |
| Since launchNot the same days: DLFE Feb 2026 · FFEB Feb 2020 | +8.4% | +109.3% | −3.9 pts | −28.6 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
As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
These are two different products. FFEB is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. DLFE is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.
Both are First Trust funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.
Where each one stands today
DLFE resets first, on Feb 19, 2027, 107 days from now; FFEB runs to Feb 19, 2027, 107 days. DLFE can still gain 3.5% before its cap, FFEB 4.9%. A fall from here reaches DLFE’s buffer after 8.0% and FFEB’s after 8.9%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
DLFE
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 3.5% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 8.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.1% 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. 107 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Feb 19, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
FFEB
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 4.9% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 8.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number.
Questions people ask
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How this is computed
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, DLFE against FFEB, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/dlfe-vs-ffeb
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). DLFE against FFEB. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/dlfe-vs-ffeb
[DLFE against FFEB (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/dlfe-vs-ffeb)
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