Data as of Sep 19, 2026.
DDTO vs SPY: how they differ
DDTO and SPY are measured over different days, and SPY charges 0.09% to DDTO's 0.79%.
Innovator Equity Dual Directional 10 Buffer ETF - Oct and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust.
| DDTO Innovator Equity Dual Directional 10 Buffer ETF - Oct | SPY SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Buffer ETF | Core fund |
| Issuer | Innovator | State Street |
| What it is | Defined outcome, 10% on SPY | Tracks the S&P 500 |
| Total return, 1 year | not published | +16.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | not published | +16.6% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | not available | 0.0 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.79% | 0.09% |
| Holdings | not filed | 505 |
| Net assets | $28m | $785.0bn |
DDTO in plain words
SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +12.5% for the period on Sep 19, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 0.2% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 11.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 12.5% 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 SPY level. 12 days remained on Sep 19, 2026. On Sep 30, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.
SPY in plain words
SPY tracks the S&P 500. Over the year to Sep 18, 2026 it returned +16.6% with distributions reinvested, against +16.6% for the S&P 500 and +21.8% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Sep 18, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 505 positions, with the top ten at 38.5%.
Questions people ask
- Which is cheaper, DDTO or SPY?
- DDTO charges 0.79% a year and SPY charges 0.09%, so SPY is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- Are DDTO and SPY the same kind of fund?
- No. DDTO is a buffer ETF and SPY is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, DDTO against SPY, data as of Sep 19, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ddto-vs-spy Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources