Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

vsOpen in the appCompare their flowsaskIQ about these two fundsAsk the committee about these two funds
Buffer ETFs

FNOV vs PBDE: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

Share
Share on XDownload as PDF

As of Nov 4, 2026 FNOV can fall 13.3% before its buffer engages and PBDE 9.0%, and FNOV resets 10 days sooner.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about FNOV and PBDE

Net assets: $1.3bn on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - November, and $39m on Nov 4, 2026 for PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF - December.

At a glance
13.3%
FNOV can fall this far before its buffer
9.0%
PBDE can fall this far before its buffer
1.2%
FNOV can still gain
1.2%
PBDE can still gain
FNOV Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capFNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +14.4%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.10 pts of buffer+16.3% gain captured−10.0% floor0% period start+16.6% cap+0.3% more to the capTODAY · SPY +16.3%Between buffer and capFNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +14.4%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.10 pts+16.3% gained−10.0% floor0% start+16.6% cap+0.3% more to the capTODAY · SPY +16.3%

FNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +14.4%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

FNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +14.4%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
PBDE At its cap
At its capPBDE: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts of buffer+11.1% gain captured−20.0% floor0% period start+11.1% capTODAY · SPY +12.2%At its capPBDE: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts of buffer+11.1%−20.0% floor0% start+11.1% capTODAY · SPY +12.2%

PBDE: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

PBDE: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

PBDE costs 0.35 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.9 points; FNOV is far larger, $1.3bn against $39m.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

FNOV vs PBDE: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureFNOVPBDE
Return
Total return, 1 year+13.6%+10.7%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer14.0%10.9%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.85%0.50%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$1.3bn$39m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · PBDE scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score7.7FNOV49.5PBDE

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: FNOV vs PBDE: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowFNOVPBDEFNOVPBDE
3 months+2.2%+1.9%+2.6 pts+2.2 pts
6 months+5.8%+4.7%+1.3 pts+0.2 pts
1 year+13.6%+10.7%+0.1 pts−2.9 pts
3 years+54.4%–−22.0 pts–
Since launchNot the same days: FNOV Nov 2019 · PBDE May 2024+98.7%+27.6%−47.1 pts−17.2 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

FNOV FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - November · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 16.6%, over a period ending Nov 20, 2026 PBDE PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF - December · Absorbs the first 20% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 11.1%, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 10% 20%
Outcome period Nov 24, 2025 to Nov 20, 2026 Dec 1, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026
Days left 16 26
Starting cap +16.6% +11.1%
Can still gain 1.2% 1.2%
Fall before buffer 13.3% 9.0%
Protection left, index points 10.0% of 10.0% 20.0% of 20.0%
Index return this period +16.3% +12.2%
Fund return this period +14.4% +9.3%
State today Open At cap
Expense ratio 0.85% 0.50%
Net assets, FNOV as of Nov 3, 2026 and PBDE as of Nov 4, 2026 $1.3bn $39m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

Where each one stands today

FNOV resets first, on Nov 20, 2026, 16 days from now; PBDE runs to Nov 30, 2026, 26 days. FNOV can still gain 1.2% before its cap, PBDE 1.2%. A fall from here reaches FNOV’s buffer after 13.3% and PBDE’s after 9.0%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Alert

FNOV and PBDE flows, by email on Sundays.

One-click unsubscribe. See Privacy.

About each fund
FNOV

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 1.2% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 13.3% 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: 10.0% of the 10.0% 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.

PBDE

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +11.1% 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 1.2% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 9.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.9% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 20.0% of the 20.0% 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, FNOV or PBDE?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, FNOV can gain about 1.2% before its cap and PBDE about 1.2%, so the two have the same room left this period.
Which resets first, FNOV or PBDE?
FNOV ends its outcome period on Nov 20, 2026 and PBDE on Nov 30, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, FNOV or PBDE?
FNOV charges 0.85% a year and PBDE charges 0.50%, so PBDE is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where to next
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, FNOV against PBDE, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/fnov-vs-pbde

Open data →

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