Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

DNOV vs NOVM: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 DNOV can fall 15.6% before its buffer engages and NOVM 6.5%.

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Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $410m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - November and $28m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - November.

At a glance
15.6%
DNOV can fall this far before its buffer
6.5%
NOVM can fall this far before its buffer
0.5%
DNOV can still gain
0.1%
NOVM can still gain
DNOV At its cap
At its capDNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +11.6%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +12.9%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.25 pts of buffer+12.9% gained−30.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% period start+12.9% capfirst 5 pts are yours to loseTODAY · SPY +16.3%At its capDNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +11.6%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +12.9%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.25 pts−30.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+12.9% capfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+12.9% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +16.3%

DNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +11.6%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +12.9%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

DNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +11.6%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +12.9%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
NOVM At its cap
At its capNOVM: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +6.0%; buffer 0 to −58; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.58 pts of buffer+7%−58.0% floor0% period start+7.0% capTODAY · SPY +16.3%At its capNOVM: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +6.0%; buffer 0 to −58; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.58 pts of buffer−58.0% floor0% start+7.0% cap+7% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +16.3%

NOVM: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +6.0%; buffer 0 to −58; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

NOVM: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +6.0%; buffer 0 to −58; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.85% a year; their one-year returns differ by 5.7 points; DNOV is 14.6 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DNOV vs NOVM: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDNOVNOVM
Return
Total return, 1 year+12.2%+6.5%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer18.3%14.0%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.85%0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$410m$28m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · NOVM scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score2.9DNOV69.3NOVM

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: DNOV vs NOVM: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowDNOVNOVMDNOVNOVM
3 months+2.1%+1.3%+2.5 pts+1.7 pts
6 months+5.0%+2.9%+0.5 pts−1.6 pts
1 year+12.2%+6.5%−1.4 pts−7.1 pts
3 years+47.4%–−29.0 pts–
Since launchNot the same days: DNOV Nov 2019 · NOVM Nov 2024+74.1%+13.1%−71.6 pts−17.3 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

DNOV FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - November · Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 30.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 12.9%, over a period ending Nov 20, 2026 NOVM FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - November · Absorbs the first 58% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 7.0%, over a period ending Nov 20, 2026
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 5% to 30% 58%
Outcome period Nov 24, 2025 to Nov 20, 2026 Nov 24, 2025 to Nov 20, 2026
Days left 16 16
Starting cap +12.9% +7.0%
Can still gain 0.5% 0.1%
Fall before buffer 15.6% 6.5%
Protection left, index points 25.0% of 25.0% 58.0% of 58.0%
Index return this period +16.3% +16.3%
Fund return this period +11.6% +6.0%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.85% 0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $410m $28m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Both are already at their cap, so neither gains from more rise in the index before the period ends.

Both are First Trust funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.

Where each one stands today

DNOV resets first, on Nov 20, 2026, 16 days from now; NOVM runs to Nov 20, 2026, 16 days. DNOV can still gain 0.5% before its cap, NOVM 0.1%. A fall from here reaches DNOV’s buffer after 15.6% and NOVM’s after 6.5%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

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About each fund
DNOV

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +12.9% for the period on Nov 4, 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 15.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 18.3% 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. 16 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Nov 20, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

NOVM

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +7.0% for the period on Nov 4, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 0.1% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 6.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 14.0% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 58.0% of the 58.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DNOV or NOVM?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DNOV can gain about 0.5% before its cap and NOVM about 0.1%, so DNOV has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DNOV or NOVM?
DNOV ends its outcome period on Nov 20, 2026 and NOVM on Nov 20, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DNOV or NOVM?
DNOV and NOVM both charge 0.85% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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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.

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ETFIQ, DNOV against NOVM, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/dnov-vs-novm

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