Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

PBDE vs PMDE: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 PBDE can fall 9.0% before its buffer engages and PMDE 5.9%.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $39m for PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF - December and $9.2m for PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - December.

At a glance
9.0%
PBDE can fall this far before its buffer
5.9%
PMDE can fall this far before its buffer
1.2%
PBDE can still gain
0.7%
PMDE can still gain
PBDE At its cap
At its capPBDE: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts of buffer+11.1% gained−20.0% floor0% period start+11.1% capTODAY · SPY +12.2%At its capPBDE: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts−20.0% floor0% start+11.1% cap+11.1% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +12.2%

PBDE: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

PBDE: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +11.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
PMDE At its cap
At its capPMDE: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +5.7%; buffer Floor; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+7% gainedfull floor0% period start+7.0% capTODAY · SPY +12.2%At its capPMDE: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +5.7%; buffer Floor; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+7%full floor0% start+7.0% capTODAY · SPY +12.2%

PMDE: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +5.7%; buffer Floor; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.50% a year; PBDE is 4.2 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

PBDE vs PMDE: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasurePBDEPMDE
Return
Total return, 1 year+10.7%not published
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer10.9%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.50%0.50%
Net assets$39m$9.2m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: PBDE vs PMDE: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowPBDEPMDEPBDEPMDE
3 months+1.9%+1.4%+2.2 pts+1.8 pts
6 months+4.7%+3.1%+0.2 pts−1.4 pts
1 year+10.7%–−2.9 pts–
Since launchNot the same days: PBDE May 2024 · PMDE Dec 2025+27.6%+5.8%−17.2 pts−7.0 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

PBDE PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF - December · Absorbs the first 20% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 11.1%, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026 PMDE PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - December · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 7.0%, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026
Issuer PGIM PGIM
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 20% 100%
Outcome period Dec 1, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026 Dec 1, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026
Days left 26 26
Starting cap +11.1% +7.0%
Can still gain 1.2% 0.7%
Fall before buffer 9.0% 5.9%
Protection left, index points 20.0% of 20.0% 100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period +12.2% +12.2%
Fund return this period +9.3% +5.7%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.50% 0.50%
Net assets $39m $9.2m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

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

Both are PGIM funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.

Where each one stands today

PBDE resets first, on Nov 30, 2026, 26 days from now; PMDE runs to Nov 30, 2026, 26 days. PBDE can still gain 1.2% before its cap, PMDE 0.7%. A fall from here reaches PBDE’s buffer after 9.0% and PMDE’s after 5.9%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

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About each fund
PBDE

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +11.1% for the period on Nov 4, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 1.2% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 9.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.9% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 20.0% of the 20.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 26 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Nov 30, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

PMDE

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +7.0% for the period on Nov 4, 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 number. Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, PBDE or PMDE?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, PBDE can gain about 1.2% before its cap and PMDE about 0.7%, so PBDE has more room left this period.
Which resets first, PBDE or PMDE?
PBDE ends its outcome period on Nov 30, 2026 and PMDE on Nov 30, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, PBDE or PMDE?
PBDE and PMDE both charge 0.50% a year, so neither 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, PBDE against PMDE, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/pbde-vs-pmde

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