Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

DNOV vs PDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 DNOV can fall 15.6% before its buffer engages and PDEC 10.1%, and DNOV resets 10 days sooner.

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Net assets: $410m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - November, and $987m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Dec.

At a glance
15.6%
DNOV can fall this far before its buffer
10.1%
PDEC can fall this far before its buffer
0.5%
DNOV can still gain
1.8%
PDEC 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% gain captured−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 of buffer+12.9%−30.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+12.9% capfirst 5 pts are yours to loseTODAY · 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.
PDEC Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capPDEC: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +10.3%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+12.2% gain captured−15.0% floor0% period start+13.1% cap+1% more to the capTODAY · SPY +12.2%Between buffer and capPDEC: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +10.3%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts+12.2%−15.0% floor0% start+13.1% cap+1% more to the capTODAY · SPY +12.2%

PDEC: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +10.3%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

PDEC: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +10.3%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

PDEC costs 0.06 points a year less; both returned +12.2% over a year; PDEC is 2.4 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DNOV vs PDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDNOVPDEC
Return
Total return, 1 year+12.2%+12.2%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer18.3%10.8%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.85%0.79%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$410m$975m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · PDEC scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score2.9DNOV30.1PDEC

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

Risk and return

Dec 13, 2019 to Oct 30, 2026 · 359 weekly returns · each against SPY
DNOV PDEC
Return
Total return edge PDEC (slight) +71.9% +77.3%
Annualized edge PDEC (slight) +8.2% +8.6%
Price return edge PDEC (slight) +71.9% +77.3%
Risk
Volatility edge DNOV 8.3% 9.8%
Max drawdown edge DNOV −14.5% −18.8%
Downside capture 47.2% 56.0%
Beta 0.40 0.50
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge DNOV (slight) 0.64 0.60
Sortino edge DNOV (slight) 0.91 0.85
Treynor 0.131 0.117
Calmar edge DNOV 0.56 0.46
Against the benchmark
Alpha +0.1% a year −0.6% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.06 −0.55
Information ratio −0.65 −0.72
Tracking error 11.7% 9.8%
Reading

From Dec 2019 to Oct 2026, PDEC returned slightly more: +77.3% to +71.9%. DNOV swung less: 8.3% to 9.8%. DNOV fell less at its worst: −14.5% to −18.8%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: DNOV vs PDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDNOVPDECSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+71.9%+77.3%PDEC (slight)Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+8.2%+8.6%PDEC (slight)Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return+71.9%+77.3%PDEC (slight)Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility8.3%9.8%DNOVSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation5.8%6.8%DNOVLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−14.5%−18.8%DNOVDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture29.8%36.2%100.0%PDECShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture47.2%56.0%100.0%DNOVShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.400.501.00DNOV lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.830.921.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.640.60DNOV (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.910.85DNOV (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1310.1170.129DNOVReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.560.46DNOVAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+0.1% a year−0.6% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.06−0.55Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−2.5% to +2.7%−2.7% to +1.5%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.65−0.72DNOV (slight)Return against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error11.7%9.8%0.0%Not an edgeHow far weekly returns stray from the benchmark, annualized.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 359 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: DNOV vs PDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowDNOVPDECDNOVPDEC
3 months+2.1%+1.8%+2.5 pts+2.2 pts
6 months+5.0%+5.1%+0.5 pts+0.6 pts
1 year+12.2%+12.2%−1.4 pts−1.4 pts
3 years+47.4%+45.8%−29.0 pts−30.6 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DNOV Nov 2019 · PDEC Dec 2019+74.1%+80.7%−71.6 pts−65.4 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

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 PDEC Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Dec · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 13.1%, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 5% to 30% 15%
Outcome period Nov 24, 2025 to Nov 20, 2026 Nov 30, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026
Days left 16 26
Starting cap +12.9% +13.1%
Can still gain 0.5% 1.8%
Fall before buffer 15.6% 10.1%
Protection left, index points 25.0% of 25.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +16.3% +12.2%
Fund return this period +11.6% +10.3%
State today At cap Open
Expense ratio 0.85% 0.79%
Net assets, DNOV as of Nov 3, 2026 and PDEC as of Nov 4, 2026 $410m $987m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

DNOV is already at its cap, so more rise in the index adds nothing to it before the period ends.

Where each one stands today

DNOV resets first, on Nov 20, 2026, 16 days from now; PDEC runs to Nov 30, 2026, 26 days. DNOV can still gain 0.5% before its cap, PDEC 1.8%. A fall from here reaches DNOV’s buffer after 15.6% and PDEC’s after 10.1%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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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.

PDEC

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 1.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 10.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.8% 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. 26 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Nov 30, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DNOV or PDEC?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DNOV can gain about 0.5% before its cap and PDEC about 1.8%, so PDEC has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DNOV or PDEC?
DNOV ends its outcome period on Nov 20, 2026 and PDEC on Nov 30, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DNOV or PDEC?
DNOV charges 0.85% a year and PDEC charges 0.79%, so PDEC 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.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

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

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