APOC vs DDTA: which one stands where?

As of Oct 1, 2026 DDTA can fall 9.7% before its buffer engages and APOC 0.0%. Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 6 Mo Apr/Oct and Innovator Equity Dual Directional 10 Buffer ETF - Apr.

0.0%
APOC can fall this far before its buffer
9.7%
DDTA can fall this far before its buffer
4.3%
APOC can still gain
5.2%
DDTA can still gain
APOCFull floor
Full floorAPOC: reference 0.0% since period start, fund 0.0%; buffer Floor; cap +4.3%; Full floor.full floor beneathfull floor0% period start+4.3% capTODAY · SPY 0.0%Full floorAPOC: reference 0.0% since period start, fund 0.0%; buffer Floor; cap +4.3%; Full floor.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+4.3% capTODAY · SPY 0.0%

APOC: reference 0.0% since period start, fund 0.0%; buffer Floor; cap +4.3%; Full floor.

DDTAAt its cap
At its capDDTA: reference +17.3% since period start, fund +10.3%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.5%; At its cap.10 pts+16.5% gained−10.0% floor0% period start+16.5% capTODAY · SPY +17.3%At its capDDTA: reference +17.3% since period start, fund +10.3%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.5%; At its cap.−10.0% floor0% start+16.5% capTODAY · SPY +17.3%

DDTA: reference +17.3% since period start, fund +10.3%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.5%; At its cap.

These are two different products. APOC is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. DDTA is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.

DDTA is already at its cap, so more rise in the index adds nothing to it before the period ends.

Both are Innovator funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.

Where each one stands today

APOC resets first, on Mar 31, 2027, 182 days from now; DDTA runs to Mar 31, 2027, 182 days. APOC can still gain 4.3% before its cap, DDTA 5.2%. A fall from here reaches APOC’s buffer after 0.0% and DDTA’s after 9.7%. 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

Total returnGap to the reference
WindowAPOCDDTAAPOCDDTA
3 months+1.5%+2.6%−1.0 pts+0.1 pts
6 months+3.1%+9.5%−13.9 pts−7.5 pts
1 year+2.8%not published−12.9 ptsnot published

APOC and DDTA over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ. Open the live comparison on ETFIQ →

On the same fields

APOC
Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 6 Mo Apr/Oct · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 4.3%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027
DDTA
Innovator Equity Dual Directional 10 Buffer ETF - Apr · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 16.5%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027
Issuer Innovator Innovator
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 100% 10%
Outcome period Sep 30, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027
Days left 182 182
Starting cap +4.3% +16.5%
Can still gain 4.3% 5.2%
Fall before buffer 0.0% 9.7%
Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 10.0% of 10.0%
Index return this period 0.0% +17.3%
Fund return this period 0.0% +10.3%
State today Open At cap
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%
Net assets $72m $15m

APOC and DDTA on the same fields, as of Oct 1, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

APOC in plain words

From its price on Oct 1, 2026, the fund can gain about 4.3% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 182 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Mar 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

DDTA in plain words

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +16.5% for the period on Oct 1, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 5.2% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 9.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 14.7% 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.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, APOC or DDTA?
From their prices on Oct 1, 2026, APOC can gain about 4.3% before its cap and DDTA about 5.2%, so DDTA has more room left this period.
Which resets first, APOC or DDTA?
APOC ends its outcome period on Mar 31, 2027 and DDTA on Mar 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, APOC or DDTA?
APOC charges 0.79% a year and DDTA charges 0.79%, so APOC 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. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page

ETFIQ, APOC against DDTA, data as of Oct 1, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/apoc-vs-ddta

Open data

Free to use with attribution. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology.