Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

NVBU vs OCTM: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 NVBU can fall 1.7% before its buffer engages and OCTM 1.2%, and OCTM resets 16 days sooner.

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Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $34m for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped ETF - Nov and $42m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - October.

At a glance
1.7%
NVBU can fall this far before its buffer
1.2%
OCTM can fall this far before its buffer
uncapped
NVBU can still gain
7.0%
OCTM can still gain
NVBU No cap
No capNVBU: reference +1.5% since period start, fund +0.9%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer−15.0% floor0% period startno cap+1.5% gained, no capTODAY · SPY +1.5%No capNVBU: reference +1.5% since period start, fund +0.9%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts−15.0% floor0% startno cap+1.5% gained, no capTODAY · SPY +1.5%

NVBU: reference +1.5% since period start, fund +0.9%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

NVBU: reference +1.5% since period start, fund +0.9%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
OCTM Full floor
Full floorOCTM: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.4%; buffer Floor; cap +8.3%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+7.8% to capfull floor0% period start+8.3% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%Full floorOCTM: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.4%; buffer Floor; cap +8.3%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+8.3% cap+0.5% gain captured+7.8% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%

OCTM: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.4%; buffer Floor; cap +8.3%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

NVBU costs 0.11 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.4 points; OCTM is 1.2 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

NVBU vs OCTM: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureNVBUOCTM
Return
Total return, 1 year+7.7%+6.3%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer1.4%0.5%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.74%0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$34m$42m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Nov 8, 2024 to Oct 30, 2026 · 103 weekly returns · each against SPY
NVBU OCTM
Return
Total return edge NVBU +18.0% +12.5%
Annualized edge NVBU +8.7% +6.1%
Price return edge NVBU +18.0% +12.5%
Risk
Volatility edge OCTM 10.0% 2.7%
Max drawdown edge OCTM −10.7% −3.0%
Downside capture 81.1% 16.8%
Beta 0.66 0.17
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge OCTM 0.48 0.71
Sortino edge OCTM 0.72 1.12
Treynor 0.074 0.112
Calmar edge OCTM 0.82 2.03
Against the benchmark
Alpha −1.7% a year +0.2% a year
Alpha t-stat −0.97 0.30
Information ratio −0.92 −0.66
Tracking error 5.6% 12.2%
Reading

From Nov 2024 to Oct 2026, NVBU returned more: +18.0% to +12.5%. OCTM swung less: 2.7% to 10.0%. OCTM fell less at its worst: −3.0% to −10.7%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: NVBU vs OCTM: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureNVBUOCTMSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+18.0%+12.5%NVBUPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+8.7%+6.1%NVBUTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+18.0%+12.5%NVBUPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility10.0%2.7%OCTMSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation6.7%1.7%OCTMLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−10.7%−3.0%OCTMDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture62.9%15.3%100.0%NVBUShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture81.1%16.8%100.0%OCTMShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.660.171.00OCTM lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.940.881.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.480.71OCTMReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.721.12OCTMReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.0740.1120.100OCTMReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.822.03OCTMAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha−1.7% a year+0.2% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−0.970.30Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−5.3% to +1.8%−1.2% to +1.6%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.92−0.66OCTMReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error5.6%12.2%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, 103 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: NVBU vs OCTM: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowNVBUOCTMNVBUOCTM
3 months−1.9%+1.6%−1.5 pts+1.9 pts
6 months+1.6%+3.1%−2.9 pts−1.4 pts
1 year+7.7%+6.3%−5.9 pts−7.3 pts
Since launchNot the same days: NVBU Nov 2024 · OCTM Oct 2024+23.4%+13.2%−10.9 pts−18.1 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

NVBU AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped ETF - Nov · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and does not cap the gain, over a period ending Oct 31, 2027 OCTM FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - October · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 8.3%, over a period ending Oct 15, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 15% 100%
Outcome period Nov 1, 2026 to Oct 31, 2027 Oct 19, 2026 to Oct 15, 2027
Days left 361 345
Starting cap uncapped +8.3%
Can still gain uncapped 7.0%
Fall before buffer 1.7% 1.2%
Protection left, index points 15.0% of 15.0% 100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period +1.5% +0.5%
Fund return this period +0.9% +0.4%
State today Uncapped Open
Expense ratio 0.74% 0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $34m $42m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

These are two different products. OCTM is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. NVBU is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.

Where each one stands today

OCTM resets first, on Oct 15, 2027, 345 days from now; NVBU runs to Oct 31, 2027, 361 days. A fall from here reaches NVBU’s buffer after 1.7% and OCTM’s after 1.2%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
NVBU

This fund has no cap. It takes a share of any further rise in SPY. The fund's price can fall 1.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 1.4% 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. 361 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Oct 31, 2027 the period ends and new terms are set.

OCTM

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 7.0% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 345 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Oct 15, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which resets first, NVBU or OCTM?
NVBU ends its outcome period on Oct 31, 2027 and OCTM on Oct 15, 2027. New terms are set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, NVBU or OCTM?
NVBU charges 0.74% a year and OCTM charges 0.85%, so NVBU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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Sources and dates

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

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.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, NVBU against OCTM, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/nvbu-vs-octm

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