Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

NVBU vs XOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 NVBU can fall 1.7% before its buffer engages and XOCT 1.3%, and XOCT 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 $38m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - October.

At a glance
1.7%
NVBU can fall this far before its buffer
1.3%
XOCT can fall this far before its buffer
uncapped
NVBU can still gain
10.1%
XOCT 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.
XOCT Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capXOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+11% more to the cap−15.0% floor0% period start+11.5% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%Between buffer and capXOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts+11% to cap−15.0% floor0% start+11.5% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%

XOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.5%; Between buffer and cap. 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 1.8 points; XOCT is 1.1 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

NVBU vs XOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureNVBUXOCT
Return
Total return, 1 year+7.7%+9.5%
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$38m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: NVBU vs XOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowNVBUXOCTNVBUXOCT
3 months−1.9%+1.9%−1.5 pts+2.3 pts
6 months+1.6%+4.4%−2.9 pts−0.1 pts
1 year+7.7%+9.5%−5.9 pts−4.0 pts
3 years–+31.7%–−44.7 pts
Since launchNot the same days: NVBU Nov 2024 · XOCT Oct 2023+23.4%+34.4%−10.9 pts−47.9 pts

Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. – means no data for this window. 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 XOCT FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - October · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 11.5%, over a period ending Oct 15, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 15% 15%
Outcome period Nov 1, 2026 to Oct 31, 2027 Oct 19, 2026 to Oct 15, 2027
Days left 361 345
Starting cap uncapped +11.5%
Can still gain uncapped 10.1%
Fall before buffer 1.7% 1.3%
Protection left, index points 15.0% of 15.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +1.5% +0.5%
Fund return this period +0.9% +0.5%
State today Uncapped Open
Expense ratio 0.74% 0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $34m $38m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

These are two different products. XOCT 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

XOCT 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 XOCT’s after 1.3%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

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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.

XOCT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 10.1% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.3% 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. 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 XOCT?
NVBU ends its outcome period on Oct 31, 2027 and XOCT on Oct 15, 2027. New terms are set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, NVBU or XOCT?
NVBU charges 0.74% a year and XOCT charges 0.85%, so NVBU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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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.

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

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