OCT, the VanEck U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - October, is an ETF whose main story is the fear layer.
How it has performed
How OCT has done, next to the ETFs carrying its narrative and the US market.
| Period | OCT | The fear layer | US market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Since launch, October 2026 | +0.6% | – | – |
Returns are price change plus dividends. Its narrative is the ETFs carrying the fear layer, combined and weighted by size, leaving out leveraged and inverse ones. A dash means it has not traded for the whole period. Past performance, not a forecast or a recommendation.
Key facts
How it moves
OCT has traded for less than a year, so how it moves against the market is not shown yet.
Risk
Against its peers
Nearest by size
The ETFs ranked just above and below OCT by assets, among the 583 ETFs whose main narrative is the fear layer, largest first.
| # | ETF | SHARE | ASSETS | 1 YEAR | COST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 573 | CTAU | under 0.1% | $1.0m | – | 0.30% |
| 574 | QQQB | under 0.1% | $1.0m | – | 0.79% |
| 575 | VOOB | under 0.1% | $1.0m | – | 0.79% |
| 576 | ATC | under 0.1% | $998,712 | – | 1.07% |
| 577 | MSR | under 0.1% | $593,831 | – | 1.07% |
| 578 | ACYB | – | – | – | 0.75% |
| 579 | CAYN | – | – | – | – |
| 580 | OCT | – | – | – | 0.50% |
| 581 | SPXP | – | – | – | 0.92% |
| 582 | SQBR | – | – | – | – |
| 583 | YLDP | – | – | – | – |
Share is each ETF’s slice of the money in ETFs carrying this narrative. 1 year is price change plus dividends; cost is the yearly fee.
Cost against its peers
OCT is the 72nd cheapest of 572 ETFs in the fear layer. The dashed line is the middle of the group, a fee of 0.79% a year.
Where it sits in The fear layer
Each dot is one of 430 plain ETFs whose main narrative is the fear layer, placed by its return (up) and how much it swung (right) over the last year.
The narrative it carries
This is its only narrative.
The fear layer →
Hedges, buffered ETFs, volatility and trend strategies: the products built around market falls.
This week its attention level is 48.9, in the WARM band, 16th of 22. 591 ETFs carry it.
How it is built
A plain ETF. It uses options to set a defined outcome over a set period: a cap on gains and a buffer against some losses. It counts toward its narrative's share of money.
Common questions
What story is OCT selling?
OCT’s main story is the fear layer, which covers hedges, buffered ETFs, volatility and trend strategies: the products built around market falls.
What does OCT cost?
OCT charges a yearly fee of 0.50%. It is the 72nd cheapest of 572 comparable ETFs.
Is OCT leveraged?
No. OCT is a plain ETF: it aims to move one for one with what it holds.
When did OCT launch?
OCT launched on September 30, 2026 and is issued by VanEck.
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