Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

PMOC vs XSEP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 XSEP can fall 1.7% before its buffer engages and PMOC 1.2%, and XSEP resets 13 days sooner.

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Net assets: $7.2m on Nov 4, 2026 for PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - October, and $99m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - September.

At a glance
1.2%
PMOC can fall this far before its buffer
1.7%
XSEP can fall this far before its buffer
7.5%
PMOC can still gain
9.4%
XSEP can still gain
PMOC Full floor
Full floorPMOC: reference +0.6% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer Floor; cap +8.7%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+8.1% to capfull floor0% period start+8.7% cap+0.6% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.6%Full floorPMOC: reference +0.6% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer Floor; cap +8.7%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+8.7% cap+0.6% gain captured+8.1% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.6%

PMOC: reference +0.6% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer Floor; cap +8.7%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.
XSEP Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capXSEP: reference +0.7% since period start, fund +0.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+10.5% to cap−15.0% floor0% period start+11.2% cap+0.7% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.7%Between buffer and capXSEP: reference +0.7% since period start, fund +0.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts−15.0% floor0% start+11.2% cap+0.7% gain captured+10.5% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.7%

XSEP: reference +0.7% since period start, fund +0.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XSEP: reference +0.7% since period start, fund +0.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

PMOC costs 0.35 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.9 points; XSEP is 13.8 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

PMOC vs XSEP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasurePMOCXSEP
Return
Total return, 1 year+6.4%+9.3%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer0.5%0.6%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.50%0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$7.2m$99m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026 · 55 weekly returns · each against SPY
PMOC XSEP
Return
Total return edge XSEP +6.6% +9.8%
Annualized edge XSEP +6.2% +9.2%
Price return edge XSEP +6.6% +9.8%
Risk
Volatility edge PMOC 1.9% 4.3%
Max drawdown edge PMOC −1.3% −3.2%
Downside capture 10.1% 29.6%
Beta 0.15 0.33
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge XSEP (slight) 1.16 1.20
Sortino edge XSEP (slight) 2.06 2.21
Treynor 0.149 0.156
Calmar edge PMOC 4.86 2.85
Against the benchmark
Alpha +0.5% a year +1.3% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.68 0.75
Information ratio −0.94 −0.81
Tracking error 10.1% 8.2%
Reading

From Oct 2025 to Oct 2026, XSEP returned more: +9.8% to +6.6%. PMOC swung less: 1.9% to 4.3%. PMOC fell less at its worst: −1.3% to −3.2%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: PMOC vs XSEP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasurePMOCXSEPSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+6.6%+9.8%XSEPPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+6.2%+9.2%XSEPTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+6.6%+9.8%XSEPPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility1.9%4.3%PMOCSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation1.1%2.3%PMOCLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−1.3%−3.2%PMOCDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture14.2%28.5%100.0%XSEPShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture10.1%29.6%100.0%PMOCShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.150.331.00PMOC lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.870.841.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe1.161.20XSEP (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino2.062.21XSEP (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1490.1560.117XSEP (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar4.862.85PMOCAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+0.5% a year+1.3% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.680.75Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−0.9% to +1.9%−2.1% to +4.7%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.94−0.81XSEPReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error10.1%8.2%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, 55 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: PMOC vs XSEP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowPMOCXSEPPMOCXSEP
3 months+1.6%+1.6%+1.9 pts+1.9 pts
6 months+3.3%+4.1%−1.2 pts−0.4 pts
1 year+6.4%+9.3%−7.1 pts−4.3 pts
3 years–+32.5%–−44.0 pts
Since launchNot the same days: PMOC Oct 2025 · XSEP Sep 2022+6.5%+51.6%−8.2 pts−53.3 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

PMOC PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - October · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 8.7%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027 XSEP FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - September · Absorbs the first 0% to 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 11.2%, over a period ending Sep 17, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 100% 0% to 15%
Outcome period Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027 Sep 21, 2026 to Sep 17, 2027
Days left 330 317
Starting cap +8.7% +11.2%
Can still gain 7.5% 9.4%
Fall before buffer 1.2% 1.7%
Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +0.6% +0.7%
Fund return this period +0.7% +0.9%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.50% 0.85%
Net assets, PMOC as of Nov 4, 2026 and XSEP as of Nov 3, 2026 $7.2m $99m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

XSEP resets first, on Sep 17, 2027, 317 days from now; PMOC runs to Sep 30, 2027, 330 days. PMOC can still gain 7.5% before its cap, XSEP 9.4%. A fall from here reaches PMOC’s buffer after 1.2% and XSEP’s after 1.7%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
PMOC

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 7.5% 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. 330 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

XSEP

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 9.4% more before it reaches its cap. 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 0.6% 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. 317 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 17, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, PMOC or XSEP?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, PMOC can gain about 7.5% before its cap and XSEP about 9.4%, so XSEP has more room left this period.
Which resets first, PMOC or XSEP?
PMOC ends its outcome period on Sep 30, 2027 and XSEP on Sep 17, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, PMOC or XSEP?
PMOC charges 0.50% a year and XSEP charges 0.85%, so PMOC 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.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, PMOC against XSEP, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/pmoc-vs-xsep

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