Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

NOCT vs QSPT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 NOCT can fall 0.0% before its buffer engages and QSPT 0.0%, and QSPT resets 13 days sooner.

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Net assets: $316m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Growth-100 Power Buffer ETF - Oct, and $710m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF - September.

At a glance
0.0%
NOCT can fall this far before its buffer
0.0%
QSPT can fall this far before its buffer
22.4%
NOCT can still gain
23.7%
QSPT can still gain
NOCT Buffer working
Buffer workingNOCT: reference −6.5% since period start, fund −3.1%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +18.7%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.8.5 of 15 pts left+18.7% more to the cap−15.0% floor0% period start+18.7% capTODAY · QQQ −6.5%Buffer workingNOCT: reference −6.5% since period start, fund −3.1%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +18.7%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.+18.7% to cap−15.0% floor0% start+18.7% cap8.5 of 15 pts of buffer leftTODAY · QQQ −6.5%

NOCT: reference −6.5% since period start, fund −3.1%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +18.7%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

NOCT: reference −6.5% since period start, fund −3.1%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +18.7%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
QSPT Buffer working
Buffer workingQSPT: reference −4.1% since period start, fund −2.2%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +21.9%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.5.9 pts+21.9% more to the cap−10.0% floor0% period start+21.9% capTODAY · QQQ −4.1%Buffer workingQSPT: reference −4.1% since period start, fund −2.2%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +21.9%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.+21.9% to cap−10.0% floor0% start+21.9% cap5.9 of 10 pts of buffer leftTODAY · QQQ −4.1%

QSPT: reference −4.1% since period start, fund −2.2%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +21.9%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

QSPT: reference −4.1% since period start, fund −2.2%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +21.9%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

NOCT costs 0.11 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 3.2 points; QSPT is 2.3 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

NOCT vs QSPT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureNOCTQSPT
Return
Total return, 1 year+9.0%+12.2%
Benchmark
What it tracksQQQQQQ
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.90%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$314m$710m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · NOCT scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score14.6NOCT6.3QSPT

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

Risk and return

Oct 1, 2021 to Oct 30, 2026 · 265 weekly returns · each against QQQ
NOCT QSPT
Return
Total return edge QSPT +59.5% +77.4%
Annualized edge QSPT +9.6% +11.9%
Price return edge QSPT +59.5% +77.4%
Risk
Volatility edge NOCT 10.0% 13.6%
Max drawdown edge NOCT −16.0% −22.5%
Downside capture 53.5% 70.0%
Beta 0.43 0.61
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge QSPT (slight) 0.58 0.61
Sortino edge QSPT (slight) 0.88 0.93
Treynor 0.133 0.137
Calmar edge NOCT 0.60 0.53
Against the benchmark
Alpha +0.7% a year +1.1% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.43 0.66
Information ratio −0.47 −0.37
Tracking error 12.7% 9.3%
Reading

From Oct 2021 to Oct 2026, QSPT returned more: +77.4% to +59.5%. NOCT swung less: 10.0% to 13.6%. NOCT fell less at its worst: −16.0% to −22.5%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: NOCT vs QSPT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureNOCTQSPTQQQEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+59.5%+77.4%QSPTPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+9.6%+11.9%QSPTTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+59.5%+77.4%QSPTPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility10.0%13.6%NOCTSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation6.6%9.0%NOCTLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−16.0%−22.5%NOCTDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture30.2%46.4%100.0%QSPTShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture53.5%70.0%100.0%NOCTShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.430.611.00NOCT lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.880.921.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.580.61QSPT (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.880.93QSPT (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1330.1370.118QSPT (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.600.53NOCTAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkQQQQQQQQQThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+0.7% a year+1.1% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.430.66Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−2.4% to +3.7%−2.3% to +4.6%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.47−0.37QSPTReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error12.7%9.3%0.0%Not an edgeHow far weekly returns stray from the benchmark, annualized.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 265 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: NOCT vs QSPT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowNOCTQSPTNOCTQSPT
3 months−1.0%−0.1%+2.6 pts+3.4 pts
6 months+1.9%+3.4%+2.4 pts+3.9 pts
1 year+9.0%+12.2%−2.7 pts+0.4 pts
3 years+44.2%+58.4%−44.0 pts−29.8 pts
Since launchNot the same days: NOCT Oct 2019 · QSPT Sep 2021+103.9%+75.7%−165.6 pts−13.5 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

NOCT Innovator Growth-100 Power Buffer ETF - Oct · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on QQQ and caps the gain at 18.7%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027 QSPT FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF - September · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on QQQ and caps the gain at 21.9%, over a period ending Sep 17, 2027
Reference index QQQ QQQ
Buffer 15% 10%
Outcome period Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027 Sep 21, 2026 to Sep 17, 2027
Days left 330 317
Starting cap +18.7% +21.9%
Can still gain 22.4% 23.7%
Fall before buffer 0.0% 0.0%
Protection left, index points 8.5% of 15.0% 5.9% of 10.0%
Index return this period −6.5% −4.1%
Fund return this period −3.1% −2.2%
State today Buffer working Buffer working
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.90%
Net assets, NOCT as of Nov 4, 2026 and QSPT as of Nov 3, 2026 $316m $710m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Where each one stands today

QSPT resets first, on Sep 17, 2027, 317 days from now; NOCT runs to Sep 30, 2027, 330 days. NOCT can still gain 22.4% before its cap, QSPT 23.7%. A fall from here reaches NOCT’s buffer after 0.0% and QSPT’s after 0.0%. Both track QQQ, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
NOCT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 22.4% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 8.5% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level. 330 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

QSPT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 23.7% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 5.9% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level. 317 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 17, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, NOCT or QSPT?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, NOCT can gain about 22.4% before its cap and QSPT about 23.7%, so QSPT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, NOCT or QSPT?
NOCT ends its outcome period on Sep 30, 2027 and QSPT on Sep 17, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, NOCT or QSPT?
NOCT charges 0.79% a year and QSPT charges 0.90%, so NOCT 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.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, NOCT against QSPT, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/noct-vs-qspt

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.