Which has more room to gain, FOCT or GOCT?

From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, FOCT can gain about 15.8% before its cap and GOCT about 12.7%, so FOCT has more room left this period.

Which resets first, FOCT or GOCT?

FOCT ends its outcome period on Oct 15, 2027 and GOCT on Oct 15, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, FOCT or GOCT?

FOCT and GOCT both charge 0.85% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Buffer ETFs

FOCT vs GOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

Share on X Download as PDF

As of Nov 4, 2026 FOCT can fall 1.3% before its buffer engages and GOCT 1.3%.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about FOCT and GOCT

Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $1.3bn for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - October and $453m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - October.

FOCT on its own →GOCT on its own →

At a glance

1.3%

FOCT can fall this far before its buffer

1.3%

GOCT can fall this far before its buffer

15.8%

FOCT can still gain

12.7%

GOCT can still gain

FOCT Between buffer and cap

FOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +17.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

GOCT Between buffer and cap

GOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +14.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.85% a year; their one-year returns differ by 2.5 points; FOCT is 2.9 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

FOCT vs GOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Measure	FOCT	GOCT
Return
Measure	FOCT	GOCT
Total return, 1 year	+13.7%	+11.2%
Drawdown
Measure	FOCT	GOCT
Index fall to the buffer	0.5%
Benchmark
Measure	FOCT	GOCT
What it tracks	SPY	SPY
Cost and size
Measure	FOCT	GOCT
Expense ratio	0.85%	0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026	$1.3bn	$453m
Holdings
Measure	FOCT	GOCT
Holdings in common	not published

ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · GOCT scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?

IQ Buffer Score38.7FOCT83.2GOCT

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

FOCT 38.7

GOCT 83.2

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

Nov 3, 2023 to Oct 30, 2026 · 156 weekly returns · each against SPY

FOCT GOCT

Return

Total return edge FOCT +47.7% +38.3%

Annualized edge FOCT +13.9% +11.4%

Price return edge FOCT +47.7% +38.3%

Risk

Volatility edge GOCT 8.2% 6.4%

Max drawdown edge GOCT −11.5% −9.3%

Downside capture 57.9% 43.2%

Beta 0.56 0.43

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge FOCT (slight) 1.09 1.03

Sortino edge FOCT (slight) 1.67 1.55

Treynor 0.161 0.154

Calmar edge Tie 1.21 1.23

Against the benchmark

Alpha −0.1% a year −0.3% a year

Alpha t-stat −0.05 −0.23

Information ratio −1.07 −1.16

Tracking error 6.8% 8.3%

Reading

From Nov 2023 to Oct 2026, FOCT returned more: +47.7% to +38.3%. GOCT swung less: 6.4% to 8.2%. GOCT fell less at its worst: −9.3% to −11.5%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: FOCT vs GOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Measure	FOCT	GOCT	SPY	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+47.7%	+38.3%		FOCT	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+13.9%	+11.4%		FOCT	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	+47.7%	+38.3%		FOCT	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	8.2%	6.4%		GOCT	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	5.3%	4.2%		GOCT	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−11.5%	−9.3%		GOCT	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture	46.2%	33.6%	100.0%	FOCT	Share of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture	57.9%	43.2%	100.0%	GOCT	Share of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta	0.56	0.43	1.00	GOCT lower	How far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared	0.88	0.86	1.00	Not an edge	Share of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	1.09	1.03		FOCT (slight)	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	1.67	1.55		FOCT (slight)	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor	0.161	0.154	0.162	FOCT (slight)	Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar	1.21	1.23		Tie	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
Benchmark	SPY	SPY	SPY		The ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha	−0.1% a year	−0.3% a year	0.0%	Not significant	Yearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat	−0.05	−0.23		Not an edge	How sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range	−3.4% to +3.3%	−3.1% to +2.5%		Both include zero	The 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio	−1.07	−1.16		FOCT (slight)	Return against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error	6.8%	8.3%	0.0%	Not an edge	How far weekly returns stray from the benchmark, annualized.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 156 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: FOCT vs GOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
	Total return		Gap to the reference's price return
Window	FOCT	GOCT	FOCT	GOCT
3 months	+2.9%	+2.3%	+3.3 pts	+2.7 pts
6 months	+6.7%	+5.4%	+2.2 pts	+1.0 pts
1 year	+13.7%	+11.2%	+0.1 pts	−2.4 pts
3 years	+49.2%	+39.4%	−27.2 pts	−37.0 pts
Since launchNot the same days: FOCT Oct 2020 · GOCT Oct 2023	+85.0%	+42.2%	−39.2 pts	−40.2 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

FOCT FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - October · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 17.2%, over a period ending Oct 15, 2027 GOCT FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - October · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 14.1%, over a period ending Oct 15, 2027

Issuer First Trust First Trust

Reference index SPY SPY

Buffer 10% 15%

Outcome period Oct 19, 2026 to Oct 15, 2027 Oct 19, 2026 to Oct 15, 2027

Days left 345 345

Starting cap +17.2% +14.1%

Can still gain 15.8% 12.7%

Fall before buffer 1.3% 1.3%

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

Index return this period +0.5% +0.5%

Fund return this period +0.5% +0.5%

State today Open Open

Expense ratio 0.85% 0.85%

Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $1.3bn $453m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

Where each one stands today

FOCT resets first, on Oct 15, 2027, 345 days from now; GOCT runs to Oct 15, 2027, 345 days. FOCT can still gain 15.8% before its cap, GOCT 12.7%. A fall from here reaches FOCT’s buffer after 1.3% and GOCT’s after 1.3%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

The two-page PDF for this pair is coming. Save the comparison to follow its changes. Free. It needs an email sign-in, once.

Your saved page · Privacy.

Alert

About each fund

FOCT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 15.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.3% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.5% 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. 345 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Oct 15, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

GOCT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 12.7% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, FOCT or GOCT?: From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, FOCT can gain about 15.8% before its cap and GOCT about 12.7%, so FOCT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, FOCT or GOCT?: FOCT ends its outcome period on Oct 15, 2027 and GOCT on Oct 15, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, FOCT or GOCT?: FOCT and GOCT both charge 0.85% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

FOCT vs UJAN FOCT vs PNOV FOCT vs BNOV FOCT vs POCT GOCT vs CPSN GOCT vs PMNV GOCT vs ZNOV GOCT vs UNOV

Where to next

State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust →FOCT on its own →GOCT on its own →Method →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

FOCT and GOCT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

First Trust page for FOCT ↗

First Trust page for GOCT ↗

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, FOCT against GOCT, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/foct-vs-goct

Open data →

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