Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

GFEB vs MARW: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 GFEB can fall 7.7% before its buffer engages and MARW 7.0%, and GFEB resets 9 days sooner.

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Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $369m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - February and $86m for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 ETF - Mar.

At a glance
7.7%
GFEB can fall this far before its buffer
7.0%
MARW can fall this far before its buffer
3.5%
GFEB can still gain
3.2%
MARW can still gain
GFEB Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capGFEB: reference +11.2% since period start, fund +7.4%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+11.2% gain captured−15.0% floor0% period start+12.1% cap+0.8% more to the capTODAY · SPY +11.2%Between buffer and capGFEB: reference +11.2% since period start, fund +7.4%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts+11.2%−15.0% floor0% start+12.1% cap+0.8% more to the capTODAY · SPY +11.2%

GFEB: reference +11.2% since period start, fund +7.4%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

GFEB: reference +11.2% since period start, fund +7.4%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
MARW At its cap
At its capMARW: reference +11.8% since period start, fund +6.7%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +10.8%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts of buffer+10.8% gain captured−20.0% floor0% period start+10.8% capTODAY · SPY +11.8%At its capMARW: reference +11.8% since period start, fund +6.7%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +10.8%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts of buffer+10.8%−20.0% floor0% start+10.8% capTODAY · SPY +11.8%

MARW: reference +11.8% since period start, fund +6.7%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +10.8%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

MARW: reference +11.8% since period start, fund +6.7%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +10.8%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

MARW costs 0.11 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.2 points; GFEB is 4.3 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

GFEB vs MARW: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureGFEBMARW
Return
Total return, 1 year+11.2%+10.0%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer10.1%10.5%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.85%0.74%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$369m$86m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · MARW scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score61.8GFEB67.6MARW

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

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

Window by window

Window by window: GFEB vs MARW: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowGFEBMARWGFEBMARW
3 months+1.5%+1.4%+1.8 pts+1.8 pts
6 months+4.3%+3.8%−0.2 pts−0.6 pts
1 year+11.2%+10.0%−2.4 pts−3.6 pts
3 years+45.4%+38.0%−31.0 pts−38.4 pts
Since launchNot the same days: GFEB Feb 2023 · MARW Mar 2023+56.2%+48.5%−36.0 pts−45.7 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

GFEB FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - February · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 12.1%, over a period ending Feb 19, 2027 MARW AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 ETF - Mar · Absorbs the first 20% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 10.8%, over a period ending Feb 28, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 15% 20%
Outcome period Feb 23, 2026 to Feb 19, 2027 Mar 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027
Days left 107 116
Starting cap +12.1% +10.8%
Can still gain 3.5% 3.2%
Fall before buffer 7.7% 7.0%
Protection left, index points 15.0% of 15.0% 20.0% of 20.0%
Index return this period +11.2% +11.8%
Fund return this period +7.4% +6.7%
State today Open At cap
Expense ratio 0.85% 0.74%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $369m $86m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

MARW is already at its cap, so more rise in the index adds nothing to it before the period ends.

Where each one stands today

GFEB resets first, on Feb 19, 2027, 107 days from now; MARW runs to Feb 28, 2027, 116 days. GFEB can still gain 3.5% before its cap, MARW 3.2%. A fall from here reaches GFEB’s buffer after 7.7% and MARW’s after 7.0%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

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About each fund
GFEB

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 3.5% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 7.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.1% 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. 107 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Feb 19, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

MARW

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +10.8% for the period on Nov 4, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 3.2% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 7.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 20.0% of the 20.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 116 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Feb 28, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, GFEB or MARW?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, GFEB can gain about 3.5% before its cap and MARW about 3.2%, so GFEB has more room left this period.
Which resets first, GFEB or MARW?
GFEB ends its outcome period on Feb 19, 2027 and MARW on Feb 28, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, GFEB or MARW?
GFEB charges 0.85% a year and MARW charges 0.74%, so MARW is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where to next
Sources and dates

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.

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ETFIQ, GFEB against MARW, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/gfeb-vs-marw

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