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DOCT vs PSCX

FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - October

DOCTCCboe

Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF

PSCXBCboe

Overlap

0.0%by weight

Expense ratio

PSCX −0.36pt a year

DOCT0.85%PSCX0.49%

Avg volume · 30D

DOCT 16.4×the volume

DOCT16.3KPSCX998

5Y return · a year

PSCX +0.5pt

DOCT+8.0%PSCX+8.5%

DOCT vs PSCX Performance

Oct 29, 2021 – Oct 30, 2026

+46.9%DOCT+50.6%PSCX

Oct 29, 2021 to Oct 30, 2026. DOCT +46.9%. PSCX +50.6%. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−10%0%10%20%30%Oct 2021Mar 2024Oct 2026
Expense ratio
DOCT 0.85%
PSCX 0.49%, better
Fund size
DOCT $422M
PSCX $47M
1Y total return
DOCT +9.3%
PSCX +10.2%, better
Holdings
DOCT 3
PSCX 3
Avg volume (30D)
DOCT 16.3K sh, better
PSCX 998 sh
NAV per share
DOCT $48.11
PSCX $33.53
52W range

ETF.net Grade

DOCT: Cost 31, Risk 51, Mission not scored, Tradability 61, Holdings 52, Durability 65. PSCX: Cost 81, Risk 56, Mission not scored, Tradability 47, Holdings not scored, Durability 28.
Pillar letters and Scores for DOCT, PSCX, with each pillar’s weight
PillarDOCTPSCX
Cost30% weightD31A81Higher
Mission25% weightNot scoredNot scored
Risk15% weightC51B56Higher
Tradability15% weightB61HigherC47
Holdings10% weightC52Not scored
Durability5% weightB65HigherD28

Rank among S&P 500 Deep Buffer 25-30% funds

How we build Categories ›
Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Same Category. DOCT and PSCX are both graded against the same 19 S&P 500 Deep Buffer 25-30% funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

S&P 500 Deep Buffer 25-30%⁠

Category · 19 funds
See all 19 ›

PSCX ranks 1st and DOCT 14th of 19 funds in the S&P 500 Deep Buffer 25-30% Category.

  1. Rank 1BPSCXPacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETFScore 63
  2. Rank 1BUFEBInnovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETFScore 63
  3. Rank 12CDSEPFT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - SeptemberScore 46
  4. Rank 14CDOCTFT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - OctoberScore 45
  5. Rank 15CDDECFT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - DecemberScore 44

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

DOCTCFT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - October

PSCXBPacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF

In short

DOCT First Trust runs a dozen near-identical deep-buffer funds, one resetting each month. DOCT is the October slot: a 25-point cushion against losses, a cap on the upside, and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust as its reference.

PSCX A 25% deep buffer against the S&P 500, reset every January, for 0.49% a year, well under the typical fee in its deep-buffer group. The trade-off: a cap on the upside, set fresh each outcome period.

Stated mandate

DOCT The Fund seeks to match the price return of the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, subject to a predetermined upside cap, while providing downside protection over the stated October outcome period.

PSCX The fund seeks to match the pre-fee returns of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust up to a predetermined cap while providing a downside buffer over approximately one year.

Why people hold it

  • DOCT Deep, not shallow: the outcome period carries 25 percentage points of downside buffer against the reference fund, versus the 9-to-15 point cushions typical of standard buffer products.
  • One rung on a 12-month ladder. Same recipe resets in every calendar month (DMAR, DJUN, DDEC and the rest), so an October start date is a choice, not a constraint.
  • Fee sits at 0.85%, exactly the median for deep-buffer funds, and the fund has been running resets since its 2020 launch at a multi-hundred-million size.
  • PSCX At 0.49%, one of the cheaper ways to buy a deep buffer: cohort peers DMAR (0.85%) and UFEB (0.79%) charge more for a similar job.
  • The cushion is deep. The structure aims to absorb the first 25% of SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust losses over an approximately one-year outcome period.paceretfs.com
  • Pacer runs the same recipe on a quarterly calendar (PSCW in April, PSCQ in October), so the January reset is a choice of start date, not the only option.
  • Live since 2020, so the strategy has cycled through several full outcome periods, not one flattering stretch.

Worth knowing

  • DOCT The reference is price return, so S&P 500 dividends do not flow through, and the fund itself has not been paying a distribution.
  • Protection is paid for with a ceiling. A new cap is set each October from market pricing at the reset, and buffer and cap only fully apply if you hold the whole period.
  • Cheaper deep-buffer plumbing exists: the Pacer Swan SOS Conservative funds (PSCX, PSCW, PSCQ) charge 0.49%. DOCT also trades thinly, so spreads deserve a look.
  • PSCX Upside is capped. A new cap is set at the start of each outcome period, and a deeper buffer generally comes with a lower ceiling.paceretfs.com
  • Buffer and cap are measured over the full outcome period and stated before fees. Buy mid-period and your own cushion and ceiling differ from the headline terms.paceretfs.com
  • A small, thinly traded fund, so bid-ask spreads can run wider than on mainstream index ETFs.

Full DOCT profile⁠

Full PSCX profile⁠

DOCT vs PSCX Holdings

As of

How DOCT and PSCX differ

Overlap by weight

0.0%

Shared holdings make up 0.0% of DOCT and 0.0% of PSCX.

Level by level

  • Holdings0 in both0.0%
  • Sector11 Sectors98.0%
  • Countryby domicile100%

Sector

Sector weights in DOCT and PSCX, widest gap first
SectorMore in DOCTMore in PSCX
CommunicationPSCX +1.0 points
TechnologyPSCX +0.8 points
Consumer DiscretionaryDOCT +0.4 points
FinancialsDOCT +0.4 points
Health CareDOCT +0.4 points
EnergyDOCT +0.3 points
Consumer StaplesDOCT +0.3 points
IndustrialsPSCX +0.1 points
UtilitiesDOCT +0.1 points
MaterialsPSCX +0.1 points
Real EstateSame weight

Country, concentration and asset class

Country by domicile

Country weights in DOCT and PSCX, widest gap first
CountryMore in DOCTMore in PSCX
United StatesSame weight
SwitzerlandSame weight
ChinaSame weight
MexicoSame weight
IrelandSame weight
United KingdomSame weight

Concentration

Weight in the 10 largest Holdings

  • DOCT102.8%
  • PSCX103.8%

Securities held

  • DOCT2
  • PSCX2

Asset class

DOCT
Multi-Asset
PSCX
Equity

Holdings

  • Only in DOCT2
  • In both0
  • Only in PSCX2

Only in DOCT

2 securities, 100% of DOCT by weight

  • 2027-10-15 State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust C 7.5697.57%
  • 2027-10-15 State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust P 725.094.12%

Only in PSCX

2 securities, 100% of PSCX by weight

  • Spy 12/31/2026 7.5 C103.33%
  • Spy 12/31/2026 647.82 P0.30%

Weight gaps

DOCT and PSCX share no securities.

All 4 DOCT holdings⁠All 6 PSCX holdings⁠

How we measure overlap

Each holding counts at its smaller weight in the two funds, summed over the full Holdings. Sector, country and asset class use the same rule on each fund’s split. Cash, FX and derivative lines stay out of the counts. Two bond funds get no overlap figure.

DOCT vs PSCX Cost

Overpaying DOCT vs PSCX

$6,407

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

  • DOCT 0.85%

    $16,199

  • PSCX 0.49%

    $9,792

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • DOCT 0.85%
  • PSCX 0.49%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$5K$10K$15K$20K051015202530DOCT $16,199PSCX $9,792

Year by year

YearDOCTPSCXOverpaying
10$1,508$883$625
20$5,706$3,394$2,312
30$16,199$9,792$6,407

Expense ratio

  • 0.85%DOCT
  • 0.49%PSCX, cheaper
  • Middle half of S&P 500 Deep Buffer 25-30% funds
  • Median 0.85%

PSCX 3rd cheapest of 19 funds

DOCT 8th cheapest of 19 funds

DOCT vs PSCX Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026
Payout (12M)
DOCT None
PSCX None

Distribution history

DOCTAll DOCT payments⁠

No distribution history available.

PSCXAll PSCX payments⁠

No distribution history available.

DOCT vs PSCX Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

  • DOCT
  • PSCX
Oct 29, 2021 to Oct 30, 2026. Worst fall: PSCX −10.2% · Jun 2022. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−8%−6%−4%−2%0%Oct 2021Mar 2024Oct 2026

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years
DOCT 5.9%, betterPSCX 6.0%
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years
DOCT 1.23PSCX 1.45, better
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years
DOCT −9.9%, betterPSCX −10.2%
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years
DOCT 0.47PSCX 0.46

Popular comparisons

  • DOCTCvsUFEBB

    FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - October · Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF

    Expense ratio
    0.85% · 0.79%
    Category
    Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

  • PSCXBvsUFEBB

    Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF · Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF

    Expense ratio
    0.49% · 0.79%
    Category
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  • DOCTCvsPSCQB

    FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - October · Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (October) ETF

    Expense ratio
    0.85% · 0.49%
    Category
    Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

  • PSCXBvsPSCQB

    Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF · Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (October) ETF

    Expense ratio
    0.49% · 0.49%
    Category
    Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

  • DOCTCvsDFEBC

    FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - October · FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - February

    Expense ratio
    0.85% · 0.85%
    Category
    Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

  • PSCXBvsDFEBC

    Pacer Swan SOS Conservative (January) ETF · FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - February

    Expense ratio
    0.49% · 0.85%
    Category
    Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.