Which has more room to gain, GDEC or PQXV?

From their prices on Oct 1, 2026, GDEC can gain about 2.8% before its cap and PQXV about 2.7%, so GDEC has more room left this period.

Which resets first, GDEC or PQXV?

GDEC ends its outcome period on Dec 18, 2026 and PQXV on Dec 31, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, GDEC or PQXV?

GDEC charges 0.85% a year and PQXV charges 0.50%, so PQXV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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GDEC vs PQXV: which one stands where?

As of Oct 1, 2026 GDEC can fall 8.4% before its buffer engages and PQXV 0.1%, and GDEC resets 13 days sooner. FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - December and PGIM S&P 500 Quarterly Buffer 15 ETF.

8.4%

GDEC can fall this far before its buffer

0.1%

PQXV can fall this far before its buffer

2.8%

GDEC can still gain

2.7%

PQXV can still gain

GDECBetween buffer and cap

GDEC: reference +12.0% since period start, fund +8.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.1%; Between buffer and cap.

PQXVBetween buffer and cap

PQXV: reference 0.0% since period start, fund 0.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +2.8%; Between buffer and cap.

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

GDEC 51

PQXV 83.8

0.2, the lowest in this set99.8, the highest

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

GDEC resets first, on Dec 18, 2026, 79 days from now; PQXV runs to Dec 31, 2026, 92 days. GDEC can still gain 2.8% before its cap, PQXV 2.7%. A fall from here reaches GDEC’s buffer after 8.4% and PQXV’s after 0.1%. 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

	Total return		Gap to the reference
Window	GDEC	PQXV	GDEC	PQXV
3 months	+2.6%	+2.1%	+0.1 pts	−0.4 pts
6 months	+9.6%	not published	−7.4 pts	not published
1 year	+11.2%	not published	−4.5 pts	not published

GDEC and PQXV over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ. Open the live comparison on ETFIQ →

On the same fields

GDEC

FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - December · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 12.1%, over a period ending Dec 18, 2026

PQXV

PGIM S&P 500 Quarterly Buffer 15 ETF · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 2.8%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026

Issuer First Trust PGIM

Reference index SPY SPY

Buffer 15% 15%

Outcome period Dec 22, 2025 to Dec 18, 2026 Oct 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026

Days left 79 92

Starting cap +12.1% +2.8%

Can still gain 2.8% 2.7%

Fall before buffer 8.4% 0.1%

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

Index return this period +12.0% 0.0%

Fund return this period +8.2% 0.0%

State today Open Open

Expense ratio 0.85% 0.50%

Net assets $382m $3m

GDEC and PQXV on the same fields, as of Oct 1, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

GDEC in plain words

From its price on Oct 1, 2026, the fund can gain about 2.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 8.4% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.7% 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. 79 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Dec 18, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

PQXV in plain words

From its price on Oct 1, 2026, the fund can gain about 2.7% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.0% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. 92 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, GDEC or PQXV?: From their prices on Oct 1, 2026, GDEC can gain about 2.8% before its cap and PQXV about 2.7%, so GDEC has more room left this period.
Which resets first, GDEC or PQXV?: GDEC ends its outcome period on Dec 18, 2026 and PQXV on Dec 31, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, GDEC or PQXV?: GDEC charges 0.85% a year and PQXV charges 0.50%, so PQXV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

GDEC vs BJAN GDEC vs CPSD GDEC vs CPSY GDEC vs DDSQ PQXV vs ZOCT PQXV vs AIOO PQXV vs AOCT PQXV vs APOC

State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust →GDEC on its own →PQXV on its own →How every figure is computed →Standards and sources →

Where these figures came from

GDEC filings on SEC EDGAR ↗First Trust page for GDEC ↗PQXV filings on SEC EDGAR ↗PGIM website ↗

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page

ETFIQ, GDEC against PQXV, data as of Oct 1, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/gdec-vs-pqxv

Open data

Free to use with attribution. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology.