Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

PBDE vs UDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 UDEC can fall 14.1% before its buffer engages and PBDE 9.0%.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $39m for PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF - December and $235m for Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - Dec.

At a glance
9.0%
PBDE can fall this far before its buffer
14.1%
UDEC can fall this far before its buffer
1.2%
PBDE can still gain
1.4%
UDEC 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% gain captured−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+11.1%−20.0% floor0% start+11.1% capTODAY · 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.
UDEC At its cap
At its capUDEC: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.7%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +12.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.30 pts of buffer+12% gain captured−35.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% period start+12.0% capfirst 5 pts are yours to loseTODAY · SPY +12.2%At its capUDEC: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.7%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +12.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.30 pts of buffer+12%−35.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+12.0% capfirst 5 pts are yours to loseTODAY · SPY +12.2%

UDEC: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.7%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +12.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

UDEC: reference +12.2% since period start, fund +9.7%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +12.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

PBDE costs 0.29 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.9 points; UDEC is 6.0 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

PBDE vs UDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasurePBDEUDEC
Return
Total return, 1 year+10.7%+11.6%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer10.9%15.3%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.50%0.79%
Net assets$39m$235m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · PBDE scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score49.5PBDE6UDEC

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

Window by window

Window by window: PBDE vs UDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowPBDEUDECPBDEUDEC
3 months+1.9%+2.1%+2.2 pts+2.5 pts
6 months+4.7%+5.1%+0.2 pts+0.6 pts
1 year+10.7%+11.6%−2.9 pts−2.0 pts
3 years–+45.2%–−31.2 pts
Since launchNot the same days: PBDE May 2024 · UDEC Dec 2019+27.6%+64.1%−17.2 pts−81.9 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

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 UDEC Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - Dec · Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 35.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 12.0%, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 20% 5% to 35%
Outcome period Dec 1, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026 Nov 30, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026
Days left 26 26
Starting cap +11.1% +12.0%
Can still gain 1.2% 1.4%
Fall before buffer 9.0% 14.1%
Protection left, index points 20.0% of 20.0% 30.0% of 30.0%
Index return this period +12.2% +12.2%
Fund return this period +9.3% +9.7%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.50% 0.79%
Net assets $39m $235m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

Where each one stands today

PBDE resets first, on Nov 30, 2026, 26 days from now; UDEC runs to Nov 30, 2026, 26 days. PBDE can still gain 1.2% before its cap, UDEC 1.4%. A fall from here reaches PBDE’s buffer after 9.0% and UDEC’s after 14.1%. 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.

UDEC

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +12.0% 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 1.4% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 14.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 15.3% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 30.0% of the 30.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, PBDE or UDEC?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, PBDE can gain about 1.2% before its cap and UDEC about 1.4%, so UDEC has more room left this period.
Which resets first, PBDE or UDEC?
PBDE ends its outcome period on Nov 30, 2026 and UDEC on Nov 30, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, PBDE or UDEC?
PBDE charges 0.50% a year and UDEC charges 0.79%, so PBDE is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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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.

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ETFIQ, PBDE against UDEC, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/pbde-vs-udec

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