Data as of .
FOCT vs POCT: which one stands where?
As of Sep 13, 2026 FOCT can fall 11.7% before its buffer engages and POCT 10.2%, and POCT resets 16 days sooner.
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score: POCT scores higher
If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
A percentile among the 293 buffer ETFs with a live outcome period. It is a position in a set, not a rating, and neither end of it is a recommendation. All buffer ETFs ranked by it · How it is computed
Where each one stands today
POCT resets first, on Sep 30, 2026, 19 days from now; FOCT runs to Oct 16, 2026, 35 days. FOCT can still gain 1.8% before its cap, POCT 0.5%. A fall from here reaches FOCT’s buffer after 11.7% and POCT’s after 10.2%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
Every figure is ETFIQ’s own, from the issuer’s published outcome-period terms. A buffer ETF holds FLEX options on its reference index rather than shares, so there is no holdings overlap between two of them to report.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Gap to the reference | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOCT | POCT | FOCT | POCT | |
| 3 months | +3.6% | +3.1% | +0.3 pts | −0.2 pts |
| 6 months | +11.8% | +9.7% | −4.2 pts | −6.3 pts |
| 1 year | +14.5% | +11.0% | −3.0 pts | −6.5 pts |
| 3 years | +41.7% | +39.7% | −36.2 pts | −38.2 pts |
| FOCT FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - October Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 15.1%, over a period ending Oct 16, 2026 | POCT Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Oct Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 11.8%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | First Trust | Innovator |
| Reference index | SPY | SPY |
| Buffer | 10% | 15% |
| Outcome period | Oct 20, 2025 to Oct 16, 2026 | Sep 30, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026 |
| Days left | 35 | 19 |
| Starting cap | +15.1% | +11.8% |
| Can still gain | 1.8% | 0.5% |
| Fall before buffer | 11.7% | 10.2% |
| Protection left, index points | 10.0% of 10.0% | 15.0% of 15.0% |
| Index return this period | +15.0% | +14.7% |
| Fund return this period | +12.3% | +10.4% |
| State today | Open | At cap |
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.79% |
FOCT in plain words
From its price on Sep 13, 2026, the fund can gain about 1.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 11.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 13.1% 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. 35 days remained on Sep 13, 2026. On Oct 16, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.
POCT in plain words
SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +11.8% for the period on Sep 13, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 0.5% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 10.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 12.8% 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. 19 days remained on Sep 13, 2026. On Sep 30, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.
Questions people ask
- Which has more room to gain, FOCT or POCT?
- From their prices on Sep 13, 2026, FOCT can gain about 1.8% before its cap and POCT about 0.5%, so FOCT has more room left this period.
- Which resets first, FOCT or POCT?
- FOCT ends its outcome period on Oct 16, 2026 and POCT on Sep 30, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
- Which is cheaper, FOCT or POCT?
- FOCT charges 0.85% a year and POCT charges 0.79%, so POCT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, FOCT against POCT, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/foct-vs-poct Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.