Data as of .
FSEP vs POCT: which one stands where?
As of Sep 21, 2026 POCT can fall 10.6% before its buffer engages and FSEP 1.6%, and POCT resets 352 days sooner.
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score: FSEP 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
They do not reset together. POCT has 9 days of its period left and FSEP has 361, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.
Where each one stands today
POCT resets first, on Sep 30, 2026, 9 days from now; FSEP runs to Sep 17, 2027, 361 days. FSEP can still gain 14.9% before its cap, POCT 0.1%. A fall from here reaches FSEP’s buffer after 1.6% and POCT’s after 10.6%. 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSEP | POCT | FSEP | POCT | |
| 3 months | +3.9% | +3.0% | +1.6 pts | +0.7 pts |
| 6 months | +13.9% | +11.0% | −4.1 pts | −7.0 pts |
| 1 year | +13.4% | +10.8% | −3.1 pts | −5.7 pts |
| 3 years | +50.4% | +39.7% | −28.0 pts | −38.7 pts |
| FSEP FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 16.7%, over a period ending Sep 17, 2027 | 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 | Sep 21, 2026 to Sep 17, 2027 | Sep 30, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026 |
| Days left | 361 | 9 |
| Starting cap | +16.7% | +11.8% |
| Can still gain | 14.9% | 0.1% |
| Fall before buffer | 1.6% | 10.6% |
| Protection left, index points | 10.0% of 10.0% | 15.0% of 15.0% |
| Index return this period | +1.6% | +16.2% |
| Fund return this period | +0.8% | +10.9% |
| State today | Open | At cap |
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.79% |
| Net assets | $2.3bn | $949m |
FSEP in plain words
From its price on Sep 21, 2026, the fund can gain about 14.9% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 1.6% 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. 361 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Sep 17, 2027 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 21, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 0.1% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 10.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 13.9% 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. 9 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Sep 30, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.
Questions people ask
- Which has more room to gain, FSEP or POCT?
- From their prices on Sep 21, 2026, FSEP can gain about 14.9% before its cap and POCT about 0.1%, so FSEP has more room left this period.
- Which resets first, FSEP or POCT?
- FSEP ends its outcome period on Sep 17, 2027 and POCT on Sep 30, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
- Which is cheaper, FSEP or POCT?
- FSEP 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, FSEP against POCT, data as of Sep 21, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/fsep-vs-poct Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.