Data as of .
NOVM vs SQBA: which one stands where?
As of Sep 21, 2026 NOVM can fall 5.9% before its buffer engages and SQBA 0.8%.
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score: SQBA scores higher
If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
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 First Trust funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.
Where each one stands today
NOVM resets first, on Nov 20, 2026, 60 days from now; SQBA runs to Nov 20, 2026, 60 days. NOVM can still gain 0.7% before its cap, SQBA 1.8%. A fall from here reaches NOVM’s buffer after 5.9% and SQBA’s after 0.8%. 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
| Window | Total return | Gap to the reference | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOVM | SQBA | NOVM | SQBA | |
| 3 months | +1.5% | not published | −0.8 pts | not published |
| 6 months | +4.7% | not published | −13.3 pts | not published |
| 1 year | +6.6% | not published | −10.0 pts | not published |
| NOVM FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - November Absorbs the first 58% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 7.0%, over a period ending Nov 20, 2026 | SQBA FT Vest U.S. Equity Quarterly 15 Buffer ETF Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 2.6%, over a period ending Nov 20, 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | First Trust | First Trust |
| Reference index | SPY | SPY |
| Buffer | 58% | 15% |
| Outcome period | Nov 24, 2025 to Nov 20, 2026 | Aug 24, 2026 to Nov 20, 2026 |
| Days left | 60 | 60 |
| Starting cap | +7.0% | +2.6% |
| Can still gain | 0.7% | 1.8% |
| Fall before buffer | 5.9% | 0.8% |
| Protection left, index points | 58.0% of 58.0% | 15.0% of 15.0% |
| Index return this period | +17.4% | +1.1% |
| Fund return this period | +5.4% | +0.6% |
| State today | At cap | Open |
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.85% |
| Net assets | $28m | $3m |
NOVM in plain words
SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +7.0% for the period on Sep 21, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 0.7% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 5.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 14.8% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 58.0% of the 58.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 60 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Nov 20, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.
SQBA in plain words
From its price on Sep 21, 2026, the fund can gain about 1.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 1.0% 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.
Questions people ask
- Which has more room to gain, NOVM or SQBA?
- From their prices on Sep 21, 2026, NOVM can gain about 0.7% before its cap and SQBA about 1.8%, so SQBA has more room left this period.
- Which resets first, NOVM or SQBA?
- NOVM ends its outcome period on Nov 20, 2026 and SQBA on Nov 20, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
- Which is cheaper, NOVM or SQBA?
- NOVM charges 0.85% a year and SQBA charges 0.85%, so NOVM is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, NOVM against SQBA, data as of Sep 21, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/novm-vs-sqba Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.