Which has more room to gain, PMOC or ZOCT?

From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, PMOC can gain about 7.5% before its cap and ZOCT about 8.5%, so ZOCT has more room left this period.

Which resets first, PMOC or ZOCT?

PMOC ends its outcome period on Sep 30, 2027 and ZOCT on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, PMOC or ZOCT?

PMOC charges 0.50% a year and ZOCT charges 0.79%, so PMOC is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Buffer ETFs

PMOC vs ZOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 PMOC can fall 1.2% before its buffer engages and ZOCT 0.8%.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $7.2m for PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - October and $227m for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr October.

PMOC on its own →ZOCT on its own →

At a glance

1.2%

PMOC can fall this far before its buffer

0.8%

ZOCT can fall this far before its buffer

7.5%

PMOC can still gain

8.5%

ZOCT can still gain

PMOC Full floor

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.

ZOCT Full floor

ZOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer Floor; cap +9.4%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

PMOC costs 0.29 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.2 points; ZOCT is far larger, $227m against $7.2m.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

PMOC vs ZOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Measure	PMOC	ZOCT
Return
Measure	PMOC	ZOCT
Total return, 1 year	+6.4%	+6.2%
Drawdown
Measure	PMOC	ZOCT
Index fall to the buffer	0.5%
Benchmark
Measure	PMOC	ZOCT
What it tracks	SPY	SPY
Cost and size
Measure	PMOC	ZOCT
Expense ratio	0.50%	0.79%
Net assets	$7.2m	$227m
Holdings
Measure	PMOC	ZOCT
Holdings in common	not published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: PMOC vs ZOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
	Total return		Gap to the reference's price return
Window	PMOC	ZOCT	PMOC	ZOCT
3 months	+1.6%	+1.7%	+1.9 pts	+2.1 pts
6 months	+3.3%	+3.4%	−1.2 pts	−1.1 pts
1 year	+6.4%	+6.2%	−7.1 pts	−7.3 pts
Since launchNot the same days: PMOC Oct 2025 · ZOCT Oct 2024	+6.5%	+12.8%	−8.2 pts	−22.0 pts

Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. 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 ZOCT Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr October · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 9.4%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027

Issuer PGIM Innovator

Reference index SPY SPY

Buffer 100% 100%

Outcome period Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027 Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027

Days left 330 330

Starting cap +8.7% +9.4%

Can still gain 7.5% 8.5%

Fall before buffer 1.2% 0.8%

Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 100.0% of 100.0%

Index return this period +0.6% +0.5%

Fund return this period +0.7% +0.8%

State today Open Open

Expense ratio 0.50% 0.79%

Net assets $7.2m $227m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Where each one stands today

PMOC resets first, on Sep 30, 2027, 330 days from now; ZOCT runs to Sep 30, 2027, 330 days. PMOC can still gain 7.5% before its cap, ZOCT 8.5%. A fall from here reaches PMOC’s buffer after 1.2% and ZOCT’s after 0.8%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Alert

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.

ZOCT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 8.5% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, PMOC or ZOCT?: From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, PMOC can gain about 7.5% before its cap and ZOCT about 8.5%, so ZOCT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, PMOC or ZOCT?: PMOC ends its outcome period on Sep 30, 2027 and ZOCT on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, PMOC or ZOCT?: PMOC charges 0.50% a year and ZOCT charges 0.79%, so PMOC is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

PMOC vs BALT PMOC vs PQV PMOC vs UOCT PMOC vs EALT ZOCT vs FLAO ZOCT vs PQX ZOCT vs PQXV ZOCT vs TOCT

Where to next

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust →All buffer ETFs ranked by the Downside Cover Score →How the scores are computed →PMOC on its own →ZOCT on its own →Method →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

PMOC filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

PGIM website ↗

ZOCT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

Innovator page for ZOCT ↗

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 ZOCT, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/pmoc-vs-zoct

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