Which has more room to gain, PQJA or QQBF?

From their prices on Oct 1, 2026, PQJA can gain about 3.5% before its cap and QQBF about 2.3%, so PQJA has more room left this period.

Which resets first, PQJA or QQBF?

PQJA ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and QQBF on Dec 18, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, PQJA or QQBF?

PQJA charges 0.50% a year and QQBF charges 0.90%, so PQJA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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PQJA vs QQBF: which one stands where?

As of Oct 1, 2026 PQJA can fall 11.5% before its buffer engages and QQBF 0.9%, and QQBF resets 13 days sooner. PGIM Nasdaq-100 Buffer 12 ETF - January and FT Vest Nasdaq-100® Quarterly 15 Buffer ETF.

11.5%

PQJA can fall this far before its buffer

0.9%

QQBF can fall this far before its buffer

3.5%

PQJA can still gain

2.3%

QQBF can still gain

PQJAAt its cap

PQJA: reference +20.4% since period start, fund +12.5%; buffer 0 to −12; cap +16.9%; At its cap.

QQBFBetween buffer and cap

QQBF: reference +2.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +3.3%; Between buffer and cap.

ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · QQBF scores higherIf the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?

PQJA 12.1

QQBF 83.8

0.2, the lowest in this set99.8, the highest

A percentile among the 293 buffer ETFs with a live outcome period. It is a position in a set, not a rating, and neither end of it is a recommendation. All buffer ETFs ranked by it → How it is computed →

PQJA is already at its cap, so more rise in the index adds nothing to it before the period ends.

Where each one stands today

QQBF resets first, on Dec 18, 2026, 79 days from now; PQJA runs to Dec 31, 2026, 92 days. PQJA can still gain 3.5% before its cap, QQBF 2.3%. A fall from here reaches PQJA’s buffer after 11.5% and QQBF’s after 0.9%. Both track QQQ, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Every figure is ETFIQ’s own, from the issuer’s published outcome-period terms. A buffer ETF holds FLEX options on its reference index rather than shares, so there is no holdings overlap between two of them to report.

Performance, window by window

	Total return		Gap to the reference
Window	PQJA	QQBF	PQJA	QQBF
3 months	+3.8%	not published	+1.7 pts	not published
6 months	+15.1%	not published	−11.8 pts	not published
1 year	+16.8%	not published	−7.0 pts	not published

PQJA and QQBF over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ. Open the live comparison on ETFIQ →

On the same fields

PQJA

PGIM Nasdaq-100 Buffer 12 ETF - January · Absorbs the first 12% of loss on QQQ and caps the gain at 16.9%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026

QQBF

FT Vest Nasdaq-100® Quarterly 15 Buffer ETF · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on QQQ and caps the gain at 3.3%, over a period ending Dec 18, 2026

Issuer PGIM First Trust

Reference index QQQ QQQ

Buffer 12% 15%

Outcome period Jan 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026 Sep 21, 2026 to Dec 18, 2026

Days left 92 79

Starting cap +16.9% +3.3%

Can still gain 3.5% 2.3%

Fall before buffer 11.5% 0.9%

Protection left, index points 12.0% of 12.0% 15.0% of 15.0%

Index return this period +20.4% +2.5%

Fund return this period +12.5% +0.7%

State today At cap Open

Expense ratio 0.50% 0.90%

Net assets $34m $1m

PQJA and QQBF on the same fields, as of Oct 1, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

PQJA in plain words

QQQ had already risen past this fund's cap of +16.9% for the period on Oct 1, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 3.5% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 11.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, QQQ can fall 17.0% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 12.0% of the 12.0% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level. 92 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

QQBF in plain words

From its price on Oct 1, 2026, the fund can gain about 2.3% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, QQQ can fall 2.5% 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 QQQ level. 79 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Dec 18, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, PQJA or QQBF?: From their prices on Oct 1, 2026, PQJA can gain about 3.5% before its cap and QQBF about 2.3%, so PQJA has more room left this period.
Which resets first, PQJA or QQBF?: PQJA ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and QQBF on Dec 18, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, PQJA or QQBF?: PQJA charges 0.50% a year and QQBF charges 0.90%, so PQJA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

PQJA vs QDEC PQJA vs CPNQ PQJA vs DDNQ PQJA vs NJAN QQBF vs CPNQ QQBF vs DDNQ QQBF vs QBQF QQBF vs QBQV

Invesco QQQ Trust →PQJA on its own →QQBF on its own →How every figure is computed →Standards and sources →

Where these figures came from

PQJA filings on SEC EDGAR ↗PGIM website ↗First Trust page for QQBF ↗

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page

ETFIQ, PQJA against QQBF, data as of Oct 1, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/pqja-vs-qqbf

Open data

Free to use with attribution. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology.