Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

FNOV vs PDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 FNOV can fall 13.3% before its buffer engages and PDEC 10.1%, and FNOV resets 10 days sooner.

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Net assets: $1.3bn on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - November, and $987m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Dec.

At a glance
13.3%
FNOV can fall this far before its buffer
10.1%
PDEC can fall this far before its buffer
1.2%
FNOV can still gain
1.8%
PDEC 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.
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; their one-year returns differ by 1.4 points; FNOV is 1.3 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

FNOV vs PDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureFNOVPDEC
Return
Total return, 1 year+13.6%+12.2%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer14.0%10.8%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.85%0.79%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$1.3bn$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 Score7.7FNOV30.1PDEC

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
FNOV PDEC
Return
Total return edge FNOV +94.4% +77.3%
Annualized edge FNOV +10.1% +8.6%
Price return edge FNOV +94.4% +77.3%
Risk
Volatility edge PDEC 12.5% 9.8%
Max drawdown edge PDEC −22.6% −18.8%
Downside capture 70.9% 56.0%
Beta 0.65 0.50
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge Tie 0.60 0.60
Sortino edge Tie 0.86 0.85
Treynor 0.116 0.117
Calmar edge PDEC (slight) 0.45 0.46
Against the benchmark
Alpha −0.8% a year −0.6% a year
Alpha t-stat −0.71 −0.55
Information ratio −0.74 −0.72
Tracking error 7.3% 9.8%
Reading

From Dec 2019 to Oct 2026, FNOV returned more: +94.4% to +77.3%. PDEC swung less: 9.8% to 12.5%. PDEC fell less at its worst: −18.8% to −22.6%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: FNOV vs PDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureFNOVPDECSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+94.4%+77.3%FNOVPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+10.1%+8.6%FNOVTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+94.4%+77.3%FNOVPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility12.5%9.8%PDECSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation8.7%6.8%PDECLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−22.6%−18.8%PDECDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture50.5%36.2%100.0%FNOVShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture70.9%56.0%100.0%PDECShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.650.501.00PDEC lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.940.921.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.600.60TieReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.860.85TieReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1160.1170.129TieReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.450.46PDEC (slight)Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha−0.8% a year−0.6% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−0.71−0.55Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−3.2% to +1.5%−2.7% to +1.5%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.74−0.72PDEC (slight)Return against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error7.3%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: FNOV vs PDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowFNOVPDECFNOVPDEC
3 months+2.2%+1.8%+2.6 pts+2.2 pts
6 months+5.8%+5.1%+1.3 pts+0.6 pts
1 year+13.6%+12.2%+0.1 pts−1.4 pts
3 years+54.4%+45.8%−22.0 pts−30.6 pts
Since launchNot the same days: FNOV Nov 2019 · PDEC Dec 2019+98.7%+80.7%−47.1 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

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 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 10% 15%
Outcome period Nov 24, 2025 to Nov 20, 2026 Nov 30, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026
Days left 16 26
Starting cap +16.6% +13.1%
Can still gain 1.2% 1.8%
Fall before buffer 13.3% 10.1%
Protection left, index points 10.0% of 10.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +16.3% +12.2%
Fund return this period +14.4% +10.3%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.85% 0.79%
Net assets, FNOV as of Nov 3, 2026 and PDEC as of Nov 4, 2026 $1.3bn $987m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Where each one stands today

FNOV resets first, on Nov 20, 2026, 16 days from now; PDEC runs to Nov 30, 2026, 26 days. FNOV can still gain 1.2% before its cap, PDEC 1.8%. A fall from here reaches FNOV’s buffer after 13.3% 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
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.

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, FNOV or PDEC?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, FNOV can gain about 1.2% before its cap and PDEC about 1.8%, so PDEC has more room left this period.
Which resets first, FNOV or PDEC?
FNOV 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, FNOV or PDEC?
FNOV 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, FNOV against PDEC, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/fnov-vs-pdec

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