Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

AOCT vs OCTW: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 OCTW can fall 1.4% before its buffer engages and AOCT 1.1%, and OCTW resets 366 days sooner.

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Net assets: $69m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Oct 2028, and $443m on Nov 3, 2026 for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 ETF - Oct.

At a glance
1.1%
AOCT can fall this far before its buffer
1.4%
OCTW can fall this far before its buffer
20.0%
AOCT can still gain
11.3%
OCTW can still gain
AOCT Full floor
Full floorAOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +1.0%; buffer Floor; cap +21.3%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+20.8% more to the capfull floor0% period start+21.3% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%Full floorAOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +1.0%; buffer Floor; cap +21.3%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+21.3% cap+0.5% gain captured+20.8% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%

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.
OCTW Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capOCTW: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts of buffer+12.2% to cap−20.0% floor0% period start+12.8% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%Between buffer and capOCTW: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts−20.0% floor0% start+12.8% cap+0.5% gain captured+12.2% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%

OCTW: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

OCTW: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

OCTW costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 3.3 points; OCTW is 6.5 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

AOCT vs OCTW: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureAOCTOCTW
Return
Total return, 1 year+6.5%+9.8%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer0.5%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.74%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$68m$443m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Oct 11, 2024 to Oct 30, 2026 · 107 weekly returns · each against SPY
AOCT OCTW
Return
Total return edge OCTW +12.1% +19.3%
Annualized edge OCTW +5.7% +9.0%
Price return edge OCTW +12.1% +19.3%
Risk
Volatility edge AOCT 3.0% 6.1%
Max drawdown edge AOCT −3.2% −7.4%
Downside capture 18.2% 40.1%
Beta 0.18 0.40
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge OCTW 0.51 0.78
Sortino edge OCTW 0.78 1.16
Treynor 0.084 0.119
Calmar edge AOCT 1.81 1.22
Against the benchmark
Alpha −0.5% a year +0.3% a year
Alpha t-stat −0.53 0.36
Information ratio −0.78 −0.70
Tracking error 12.2% 9.1%
Reading

From Oct 2024 to Oct 2026, OCTW returned more: +19.3% to +12.1%. AOCT swung less: 3.0% to 6.1%. AOCT fell less at its worst: −3.2% to −7.4%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: AOCT vs OCTW: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureAOCTOCTWSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+12.1%+19.3%OCTWPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+5.7%+9.0%OCTWTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+12.1%+19.3%OCTWPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility3.0%6.1%AOCTSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation2.0%4.1%AOCTLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−3.2%−7.4%AOCTDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture14.7%30.7%100.0%OCTWShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture18.2%40.1%100.0%AOCTShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.180.401.00AOCT lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.810.951.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.510.78OCTWReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.781.16OCTWReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.0840.1190.111OCTWReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar1.811.22AOCTAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha−0.5% a year+0.3% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−0.530.36Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−2.3% to +1.3%−1.6% to +2.2%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.78−0.70OCTWReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error12.2%9.1%0.0%Not an edgeHow far weekly returns stray from the benchmark, annualized.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 107 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: AOCT vs OCTW: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowAOCTOCTWAOCTOCTW
3 months+1.7%+1.9%+2.1 pts+2.3 pts
6 months+3.2%+4.6%−1.2 pts+0.1 pts
1 year+6.5%+9.8%−7.1 pts−3.7 pts
3 years–+34.4%–−42.0 pts
Since launchNot the same days: AOCT Oct 2024 · OCTW Oct 2020+12.6%+69.2%−22.3 pts−58.3 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

AOCT Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Oct 2028 · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 21.3%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2028 OCTW AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 ETF - Oct · Absorbs the first 20% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 12.8%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 100% 20%
Outcome period Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2028 Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Days left 696 330
Starting cap +21.3% +12.8%
Can still gain 20.0% 11.3%
Fall before buffer 1.1% 1.4%
Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 20.0% of 20.0%
Index return this period +0.5% +0.5%
Fund return this period +1.0% +0.7%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.74%
Net assets, AOCT as of Nov 4, 2026 and OCTW as of Nov 3, 2026 $69m $443m

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. OCTW 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. OCTW has 330 days of its period left and AOCT has 696, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

Where each one stands today

OCTW resets first, on Sep 30, 2027, 330 days from now; AOCT runs to Sep 30, 2028, 696 days. AOCT can still gain 20.0% before its cap, OCTW 11.3%. A fall from here reaches AOCT’s buffer after 1.1% and OCTW’s after 1.4%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
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.

OCTW

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 11.3% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.4% 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. 330 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, AOCT or OCTW?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, AOCT can gain about 20.0% before its cap and OCTW about 11.3%, so AOCT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, AOCT or OCTW?
AOCT ends its outcome period on Sep 30, 2028 and OCTW on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, AOCT or OCTW?
AOCT charges 0.79% a year and OCTW charges 0.74%, so OCTW is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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Sources and dates

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.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, AOCT against OCTW, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/aoct-vs-octw

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.