NDEC vs QMNV: which one stands where?

As of Oct 1, 2026 QMNV can fall 13.0% before its buffer engages and NDEC 11.5%, and QMNV resets 10 days sooner. Innovator Growth-100 Power Buffer ETF - Dec and FT Vest Nasdaq-100® Moderate Buffer ETF - November.

11.5%
NDEC can fall this far before its buffer
13.0%
QMNV can fall this far before its buffer
2.3%
NDEC can still gain
1.3%
QMNV can still gain
NDECAt its cap
At its capNDEC: reference +19.5% since period start, fund +12.1%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +15.4%; At its cap.15 pts of buffer+15.4% gain captured−15.0% floor0% period start+15.4% capTODAY · QQQ +19.5%At its capNDEC: reference +19.5% since period start, fund +12.1%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +15.4%; At its cap.15 pts+15.4%−15.0% floor0% start+15.4% capTODAY · QQQ +19.5%

NDEC: reference +19.5% since period start, fund +12.1%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +15.4%; At its cap.

QMNVAt its cap
At its capQMNV: reference +25.4% since period start, fund +14.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +16.4%; At its cap.15 pts of buffer+16.4% gain captured−15.0% floor0% period start+16.4% capTODAY · QQQ +25.4%At its capQMNV: reference +25.4% since period start, fund +14.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +16.4%; At its cap.15 pts+16.4%−15.0% floor0% start+16.4% capTODAY · QQQ +25.4%

QMNV: reference +25.4% since period start, fund +14.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +16.4%; At its cap.

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

Both are already at their cap, so neither gains from more rise in the index before the period ends.

Where each one stands today

QMNV resets first, on Nov 20, 2026, 51 days from now; NDEC runs to Nov 30, 2026, 61 days. NDEC can still gain 2.3% before its cap, QMNV 1.3%. A fall from here reaches NDEC’s buffer after 11.5% and QMNV’s after 13.0%. Both track QQQ, 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 returnGap to the reference
WindowNDECQMNVNDECQMNV
3 months+3.7%+3.2%+1.6 pts+1.1 pts
6 months+14.3%+12.7%−12.6 pts−14.2 pts
1 year+14.7%+15.9%−9.1 pts−7.9 pts

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

On the same fields

NDEC
Innovator Growth-100 Power Buffer ETF - Dec · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on QQQ and caps the gain at 15.4%, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026
QMNV
FT Vest Nasdaq-100® Moderate Buffer ETF - November · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on QQQ and caps the gain at 16.4%, over a period ending Nov 20, 2026
Issuer Innovator First Trust
Reference index QQQ QQQ
Buffer 15% 15%
Outcome period Nov 30, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026 Nov 24, 2025 to Nov 20, 2026
Days left 61 51
Starting cap +15.4% +16.4%
Can still gain 2.3% 1.3%
Fall before buffer 11.5% 13.0%
Protection left, index points 15.0% of 15.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +19.5% +25.4%
Fund return this period +12.1% +14.0%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.90%
Net assets $64m $47m

NDEC and QMNV on the same fields, as of Oct 1, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

NDEC in plain words

QQQ had already risen past this fund's cap of +15.4% for the period on Oct 1, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 2.3% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 11.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, QQQ can fall 16.3% 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 QQQ level. 61 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Nov 30, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

QMNV in plain words

QQQ had already risen past this fund's cap of +16.4% for the period on Oct 1, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 1.3% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 13.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, QQQ can fall 20.2% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. 51 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Nov 20, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, NDEC or QMNV?
From their prices on Oct 1, 2026, NDEC can gain about 2.3% before its cap and QMNV about 1.3%, so NDEC has more room left this period.
Which resets first, NDEC or QMNV?
NDEC ends its outcome period on Nov 30, 2026 and QMNV on Nov 20, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, NDEC or QMNV?
NDEC charges 0.79% a year and QMNV charges 0.90%, so NDEC is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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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. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page

ETFIQ, NDEC against QMNV, data as of Oct 1, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ndec-vs-qmnv

Open data

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