Which has more room to gain, DQSE or NOCT?

From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DQSE can gain about 19.8% before its cap and NOCT about 22.4%, so NOCT has more room left this period.

Which resets first, DQSE or NOCT?

DQSE ends its outcome period on Sep 17, 2027 and NOCT on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, DQSE or NOCT?

DQSE charges 0.90% a year and NOCT charges 0.79%, so NOCT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Buffer ETFs

DQSE vs NOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 DQSE can fall 0.0% before its buffer engages and NOCT 0.0%, and DQSE resets 13 days sooner.

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Net assets: $24m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Dual Directional Buffer ETF - September, and $316m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Growth-100 Power Buffer ETF - Oct.

DQSE on its own →NOCT on its own →

At a glance

0.0%

DQSE can fall this far before its buffer

0.0%

NOCT can fall this far before its buffer

19.8%

DQSE can still gain

22.4%

NOCT can still gain

DQSE Buffer working

DQSE: reference −4.1% since period start, fund −1.6%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +18.8%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

NOCT Buffer working

NOCT: reference −6.5% since period start, fund −3.1%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +18.7%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

NOCT costs 0.11 points a year less; NOCT is 13.1 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DQSE vs NOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Measure	DQSE	NOCT
Return
Measure	DQSE	NOCT
Total return, 1 year	not published	+9.0%
Benchmark
Measure	DQSE	NOCT
What it tracks	QQQ	QQQ
Cost and size
Measure	DQSE	NOCT
Expense ratio	0.90%	0.79%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026	$24m	$314m
Holdings
Measure	DQSE	NOCT
Holdings in common	not published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: DQSE vs NOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
	Total return		Gap to the reference's price return
Window	DQSE	NOCT	DQSE	NOCT
3 months	–	−1.0%	–	+2.6 pts
6 months	–	+1.9%	–	+2.4 pts
1 year	–	+9.0%	–	−2.7 pts
3 years	–	+44.2%	–	−44.0 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DQSE Sep 2026 · NOCT Oct 2019	−3.2%	+103.9%	+3.5 pts	−165.6 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

DQSE FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Dual Directional Buffer ETF - September · Absorbs the first 0% to 10% of loss on QQQ and caps the gain at 18.8%, over a period ending Sep 17, 2027 NOCT Innovator Growth-100 Power Buffer ETF - Oct · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on QQQ and caps the gain at 18.7%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027

Issuer First Trust Innovator

Reference index QQQ QQQ

Buffer 0% to 10% 15%

Outcome period Sep 21, 2026 to Sep 17, 2027 Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027

Days left 317 330

Starting cap +18.8% +18.7%

Can still gain 19.8% 22.4%

Fall before buffer 0.0% 0.0%

Protection left, index points 5.9% of 10.0% 8.5% of 15.0%

Index return this period −4.1% −6.5%

Fund return this period −1.6% −3.1%

State today Buffer working Buffer working

Expense ratio 0.90% 0.79%

Net assets, DQSE as of Nov 3, 2026 and NOCT as of Nov 4, 2026 $24m $316m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

These are two different products. NOCT is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. DQSE is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.

Where each one stands today

DQSE resets first, on Sep 17, 2027, 317 days from now; NOCT runs to Sep 30, 2027, 330 days. DQSE can still gain 19.8% before its cap, NOCT 22.4%. A fall from here reaches DQSE’s buffer after 0.0% and NOCT’s after 0.0%. Both track QQQ, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Alert

About each fund

DQSE

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 19.8% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 5.9% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level. 317 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 17, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

NOCT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 22.4% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 8.5% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level. 330 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DQSE or NOCT?: From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DQSE can gain about 19.8% before its cap and NOCT about 22.4%, so NOCT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DQSE or NOCT?: DQSE ends its outcome period on Sep 17, 2027 and NOCT on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DQSE or NOCT?: DQSE charges 0.90% a year and NOCT charges 0.79%, so NOCT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

DQSE vs QSPT DQSE vs PQOC DQSE vs QBQV DQSE vs QBQF NOCT vs PQOC NOCT vs QSPT NOCT vs QBQF NOCT vs QBQV

Where to next

Invesco QQQ Trust →All buffer ETFs ranked by the Downside Cover Score →How the scores are computed →DQSE on its own →NOCT on its own →Method →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

DQSE filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

First Trust page for DQSE ↗

NOCT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

Innovator page for NOCT ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

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.

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ETFIQ, DQSE against NOCT, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/dqse-vs-noct

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