Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
GNOV vs XNOV: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 GNOV can fall 11.3% before its buffer engages and XNOV 9.9%.
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Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $296m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - November and $25m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - November.
GNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +11.8%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
GNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +11.8%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.XNOV: reference +16.3% since period start, fund +10.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
Both cost 0.85% a year; their one-year returns differ by 2.4 points; GNOV is 11.8 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | GNOV | XNOV |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +12.7% | +10.3% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 14.0% | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.85% |
| Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 | $296m | $25m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | GNOV | XNOV | GNOV | XNOV |
| 3 months | +2.1% | +1.7% | +2.5 pts | +2.1 pts |
| 6 months | +5.1% | +4.2% | +0.6 pts | −0.3 pts |
| 1 year | +12.7% | +10.3% | −0.9 pts | −3.3 pts |
| Since launchGNOV Nov 2023 · XNOV Nov 2023 | +40.6% | +32.5% | −28.2 pts | −36.4 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
As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
These are two different products. XNOV is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. GNOV is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.
Both are already at their cap, so neither gains from more rise in the index before the period ends.
Both are First Trust funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.
Where each one stands today
GNOV resets first, on Nov 20, 2026, 16 days from now; XNOV runs to Nov 20, 2026, 16 days. GNOV can still gain 0.5% before its cap, XNOV 0.2%. A fall from here reaches GNOV’s buffer after 11.3% and XNOV’s after 9.9%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
GNOV
SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +13.3% 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 0.5% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 11.3% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 14.0% 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. 16 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Nov 20, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.
XNOV
SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +11.1% 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 0.2% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 9.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number.
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, GNOV against XNOV, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/gnov-vs-xnov
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). GNOV against XNOV. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/gnov-vs-xnov
[GNOV against XNOV (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/gnov-vs-xnov)
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