Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
FOCT vs OCTM: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 FOCT can fall 1.3% before its buffer engages and OCTM 1.2%.
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Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $1.3bn for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - October and $42m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - October.
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.
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.OCTM: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.4%; buffer Floor; cap +8.3%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
Both cost 0.85% a year; their one-year returns differ by 7.4 points; FOCT is far larger, $1.3bn against $42m.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | FOCT | OCTM |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +13.7% | +6.3% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 0.5% | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.85% |
| Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 | $1.3bn | $42m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | FOCT | OCTM | FOCT | OCTM |
| 3 months | +2.9% | +1.6% | +3.3 pts | +1.9 pts |
| 6 months | +6.7% | +3.1% | +2.2 pts | −1.4 pts |
| 1 year | +13.7% | +6.3% | +0.1 pts | −7.3 pts |
| 3 years | +49.2% | – | −27.2 pts | – |
| Since launchNot the same days: FOCT Oct 2020 · OCTM Oct 2024 | +85.0% | +13.2% | −39.2 pts | −18.1 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
As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
These are two different products. OCTM is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. FOCT is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.
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; OCTM runs to Oct 15, 2027, 345 days. FOCT can still gain 15.8% before its cap, OCTM 7.0%. A fall from here reaches FOCT’s buffer after 1.3% and OCTM’s after 1.2%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
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.
OCTM
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 7.0% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.
Questions people ask
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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, FOCT against OCTM, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/foct-vs-octm
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). FOCT against OCTM. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/foct-vs-octm
[FOCT against OCTM (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/foct-vs-octm)
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