Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

PBJA vs XDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 XDEC can fall 8.4% before its buffer engages and PBJA 7.8%, and XDEC resets 13 days sooner.

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Net assets: $68m on Nov 4, 2026 for PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF - January, and $208m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - December.

At a glance
7.8%
PBJA can fall this far before its buffer
8.4%
XDEC can fall this far before its buffer
1.9%
PBJA can still gain
0.9%
XDEC can still gain
PBJA At its cap
At its capPBJA: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +7.9%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +10.4%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts of buffer+10.4% gain captured−20.0% floor0% period start+10.4% capTODAY · SPY +12.4%At its capPBJA: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +7.9%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +10.4%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts of buffer+10.4%−20.0% floor0% start+10.4% capTODAY · SPY +12.4%

PBJA: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +7.9%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +10.4%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

PBJA: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +7.9%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +10.4%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
XDEC At its cap
At its capXDEC: reference +12.7% since period start, fund +8.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+10.1% gain captured−15.0% floor0% period start+10.1% capTODAY · SPY +12.7%At its capXDEC: reference +12.7% since period start, fund +8.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts+10.1%−15.0% floor0% start+10.1% capTODAY · SPY +12.7%

XDEC: reference +12.7% since period start, fund +8.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XDEC: reference +12.7% since period start, fund +8.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

PBJA costs 0.35 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.4 points; XDEC is 3.1 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

PBJA vs XDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasurePBJAXDEC
Return
Total return, 1 year+9.8%+9.4%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer11.1%11.2%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.50%0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$67m$208m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: PBJA vs XDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowPBJAXDECPBJAXDEC
3 months+1.7%+1.7%+2.1 pts+2.1 pts
6 months+4.3%+4.3%−0.2 pts−0.1 pts
1 year+9.8%+9.4%−3.8 pts−4.1 pts
3 years–+31.9%–−44.5 pts
Since launchNot the same days: PBJA Jan 2024 · XDEC Dec 2021+33.4%+46.1%−28.8 pts−22.4 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

PBJA PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF - January · Absorbs the first 20% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 10.4%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026 XDEC FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - December · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 10.1%, over a period ending Dec 18, 2026
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 20% 15%
Outcome period Jan 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026 Dec 22, 2025 to Dec 18, 2026
Days left 57 44
Starting cap +10.4% +10.1%
Can still gain 1.9% 0.9%
Fall before buffer 7.8% 8.4%
Protection left, index points 20.0% of 20.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +12.4% +12.7%
Fund return this period +7.9% +8.2%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.50% 0.85%
Net assets, PBJA as of Nov 4, 2026 and XDEC as of Nov 3, 2026 $68m $208m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

These are two different products. XDEC is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. PBJA 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.

Where each one stands today

XDEC resets first, on Dec 18, 2026, 44 days from now; PBJA runs to Dec 31, 2026, 57 days. PBJA can still gain 1.9% before its cap, XDEC 0.9%. A fall from here reaches PBJA’s buffer after 7.8% and XDEC’s after 8.4%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

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About each fund
PBJA

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +10.4% 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 1.9% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 7.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 11.1% 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. 57 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

XDEC

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +10.1% 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 0.9% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 8.4% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 11.2% 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. 44 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Dec 18, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, PBJA or XDEC?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, PBJA can gain about 1.9% before its cap and XDEC about 0.9%, so PBJA has more room left this period.
Which resets first, PBJA or XDEC?
PBJA ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and XDEC on Dec 18, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, PBJA or XDEC?
PBJA charges 0.50% a year and XDEC charges 0.85%, so PBJA 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.

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ETFIQ, PBJA against XDEC, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/pbja-vs-xdec

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