Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
AOCT vs BALT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 AOCT can fall 1.1% before its buffer engages and BALT 0.6%, and BALT resets 639 days sooner.
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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $69m for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Oct 2028 and $3.3bn for Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF - Quarterly.
AOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +1.0%; buffer Floor; cap +21.3%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
Data to Nov 4, 2026.BALT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +2.4%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
BALT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +2.4%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
BALT costs 0.10 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.1 points; BALT is far larger, $3.3bn against $69m.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | AOCT | BALT |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +6.5% | +6.4% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 0.5% | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.79% | 0.69% |
| Net assets | $69m | $3.3bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | AOCT | BALT | AOCT | BALT |
| 3 months | +1.7% | +1.3% | +2.1 pts | +1.7 pts |
| 6 months | +3.2% | +3.2% | −1.2 pts | −1.3 pts |
| 1 year | +6.5% | +6.4% | −7.1 pts | −7.1 pts |
| 3 years | – | +25.4% | – | −51.0 pts |
| Since launchNot the same days: AOCT Oct 2024 · BALT Jul 2021 | +12.6% | +36.5% | −22.3 pts | −41.7 pts |
Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. – means no data for this window. Open this comparison in the app →
Side by side
As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
These are two different products. AOCT is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. BALT is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.
They do not reset together. BALT has 57 days of its period left and AOCT has 696, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.
Both are Innovator funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.
Where each one stands today
BALT resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 57 days from now; AOCT runs to Sep 30, 2028, 696 days. AOCT can still gain 20.0% before its cap, BALT 1.8%. A fall from here reaches AOCT’s buffer after 1.1% and BALT’s after 0.6%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
AOCT
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 20.0% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.5% 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. 696 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 30, 2028 the period ends and a new cap is set.
BALT
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 1.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. Protection left, in index points: 20.0% of the 20.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 57 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.
Questions people ask
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
ETFIQ calculates every number from each issuer’s published outcome-period terms. Buffer ETFs hold options on an index, not shares, so there is no holdings overlap to report.
Every number is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.
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ETFIQ, AOCT against BALT, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/aoct-vs-balt
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). AOCT against BALT. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/aoct-vs-balt
[AOCT against BALT (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/aoct-vs-balt)
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