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QAU vs QCJL: which one stands where?

As of Oct 1, 2026 QAU can fall 5.4% before its buffer engages and QCJL 4.5%, and QCJL resets 15 days sooner. Corgi Growth & Technology 10% Structured Buffer ETF - August Series and FT Vest Nasdaq-100® Conservative Buffer ETF - July.

QAUBetween buffer and cap
Between buffer and capQAU: reference +5.7% since period start, fund +4.6%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +19.8%; Between buffer and cap.10 pts of buffer+5.7% gained+14.1% more to the cap−10.0% floor0% period start+19.8% capTODAY · QQQ +5.7%Between buffer and capQAU: reference +5.7% since period start, fund +4.6%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +19.8%; Between buffer and cap.10 pts−10.0% floor0% start+19.8% capTODAY · QQQ +5.7%

QAU: reference +5.7% since period start, fund +4.6%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +19.8%; Between buffer and cap.

QCJLBetween buffer and cap
Between buffer and capQCJL: reference +6.4% since period start, fund +3.8%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +16.4%; Between buffer and cap.20 pts of buffer+6.4% gained+10% more to the cap−20.0% floor0% period start+16.4% capTODAY · QQQ +6.4%Between buffer and capQCJL: reference +6.4% since period start, fund +3.8%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +16.4%; Between buffer and cap.20 pts of buffer−20.0% floor0% start+16.4% capTODAY · QQQ +6.4%

QCJL: reference +6.4% since period start, fund +3.8%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +16.4%; Between buffer and cap.

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

Where each one stands today

QCJL resets first, on Jul 16, 2027, 289 days from now; QAU runs to Jul 31, 2027, 304 days. A fall from here reaches QAU’s buffer after 5.4% and QCJL’s after 4.5%. 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 returnGap to the reference
WindowQAUQCJLQAUQCJL
3 monthsnot published+4.1%not published+2.0 pts
6 monthsnot published+11.0%not published−15.8 pts
1 yearnot published+12.0%not published−11.8 pts

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

On the same fields

QAU
Corgi Growth & Technology 10% Structured Buffer ETF - August Series · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on QQQ and caps the gain at 19.8%, over a period ending Jul 31, 2027
QCJL
FT Vest Nasdaq-100® Conservative Buffer ETF - July · Absorbs the first 20% of loss on QQQ and caps the gain at 16.4%, over a period ending Jul 16, 2027
Issuer Corgi First Trust
Reference index QQQ QQQ
Buffer 10% 20%
Outcome period Aug 1, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027 Jul 20, 2026 to Jul 16, 2027
Days left 304 289
Starting cap +19.8% +16.4%
Can still gain not published 11.3%
Fall before buffer 5.4% 4.5%
Protection left, index points 10.0% of 10.0% 20.0% of 20.0%
Index return this period +5.7% +6.4%
Fund return this period +4.6% +3.8%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.30% 0.90%
Net assets $1m $103m

QAU and QCJL on the same fields, as of Oct 1, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

QAU in plain words

The fund's price can fall 5.4% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, QQQ can fall 5.4% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 10.0% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level. 304 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Jul 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

QCJL in plain words

From its price on Oct 1, 2026, the fund can gain about 11.3% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 4.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, QQQ can fall 6.0% 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 QQQ level. 289 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Jul 16, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which resets first, QAU or QCJL?
QAU ends its outcome period on Jul 31, 2027 and QCJL on Jul 16, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, QAU or QCJL?
QAU charges 0.30% a year and QCJL charges 0.90%, so QAU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
QAU vs NAUGQAU vs QQAUQCJL vs NAUGQCJL vs QQAU
Invesco QQQ TrustSM →QAU on its own →QCJL on its own →How every figure is computed →Standards and sources →
Where these figures came from
QAU filings on SEC EDGAR ↗Corgi website ↗QCJL filings on SEC EDGAR ↗First Trust page for QCJL ↗

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, QAU against QCJL, data as of Oct 1, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/qau-vs-qcjl

Open data

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