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Data as of .

AJUL vs PMJL: which one stands where?

As of Sep 21, 2026 PMJL can fall 1.7% before its buffer engages and AJUL 1.0%, and PMJL resets 366 days sooner.

Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Jul 2028 and PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - July.

1.0%AJUL can fall this far before its buffer
1.7%PMJL can fall this far before its buffer
17.1%AJUL can still gain
6.1%PMJL can still gain
AJULFull floor
full floor beneathfull floor0% period start+18.3% capTODAY · SPY +3.6%full floor beneathfull floor0% start+18.3% capTODAY · SPY +3.6%
PMJLFull floor
full floor beneathfull floor0% period start+8.0% capTODAY · SPY +3.6%full floor beneathfull floor0% start+8.0% capTODAY · SPY +3.6%

They do not reset together. PMJL has 282 days of its period left and AJUL has 648, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

Where each one stands today

PMJL resets first, on Jun 30, 2027, 282 days from now; AJUL runs to Jun 30, 2028, 648 days. AJUL can still gain 17.1% before its cap, PMJL 6.1%. A fall from here reaches AJUL’s buffer after 1.0% and PMJL’s after 1.7%. Both track SPY, 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

AJUL and PMJL over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ.
WindowTotal returnGap to the reference
AJULPMJLAJULPMJL
3 months+0.6%+1.1%−1.6 pts−1.2 pts
6 months+4.5%+4.2%−13.5 pts−13.8 pts
1 year+5.7%+5.6%−10.9 pts−11.0 pts
Open the live comparison on ETFIQ
AJUL and PMJL on the same fields, as of Sep 21, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
AJUL
Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Jul 2028
Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 18.3%, over a period ending Jun 30, 2028
PMJL
PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - July
Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 8.0%, over a period ending Jun 30, 2027
IssuerInnovatorPGIM
Reference indexSPYSPY
Buffer100%100%
Outcome periodJun 30, 2026 to Jun 30, 2028Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027
Days left648282
Starting cap+18.3%+8.0%
Can still gain17.1%6.1%
Fall before buffer1.0%1.7%
Protection left, index points100.0% of 100.0%100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period+3.6%+3.6%
Fund return this period+0.9%+1.3%
State todayOpenOpen
Expense ratio0.79%0.50%
Net assets$98m$7m

AJUL in plain words

From its price on Sep 21, 2026, the fund can gain about 17.1% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 3.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 648 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Jun 30, 2028 the period ends and a new cap is set.

PMJL in plain words

From its price on Sep 21, 2026, the fund can gain about 6.1% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. 282 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Jun 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, AJUL or PMJL?
From their prices on Sep 21, 2026, AJUL can gain about 17.1% before its cap and PMJL about 6.1%, so AJUL has more room left this period.
Which resets first, AJUL or PMJL?
AJUL ends its outcome period on Jun 30, 2028 and PMJL on Jun 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, AJUL or PMJL?
AJUL charges 0.79% a year and PMJL charges 0.50%, so PMJL is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

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.

AJUL against PMJL, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 21, 2026. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, AJUL against PMJL, data as of Sep 21, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ajul-vs-pmjl Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

How every figure is computed · Standards and sources