Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

BAPR vs PJAN: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Oct 28, 2026 BAPR can fall 11.4% before its buffer engages and PJAN 8.9%, and PJAN resets 90 days sooner.

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Net assets on Oct 28, 2026: $417m for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Apr and $1.4bn for Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Jan.

At a glance
11.4%
BAPR can fall this far before its buffer
8.9%
PJAN can fall this far before its buffer
5.0%
BAPR can still gain
2.4%
PJAN can still gain
BAPR At its cap
At its capBAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +12.4%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +18.5%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.9 pts of buffer+18.5% gain captured−9.0% floor0% period start+18.5% capTODAY · SPY +18.7%At its capBAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +12.4%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +18.5%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.9 pts+18.5% gained−9.0% floor0% start+18.5% capTODAY · SPY +18.7%

BAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +12.4%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +18.5%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

BAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +12.4%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +18.5%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.
PJAN At its cap
At its capPJAN: reference +13.2% since period start, fund +8.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.3%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.15 pts of buffer+12.3% gain captured−15.0% floor0% period start+12.3% capTODAY · SPY +13.2%At its capPJAN: reference +13.2% since period start, fund +8.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.3%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.15 pts+12.3%−15.0% floor0% start+12.3% capTODAY · SPY +13.2%

PJAN: reference +13.2% since period start, fund +8.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.3%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

PJAN: reference +13.2% since period start, fund +8.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.3%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.79% a year; their one-year returns differ by 5.4 points; PJAN is 3.4 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

BAPR vs PJAN: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBAPRPJAN
Return
Total return, 1 year+16.2%+10.8%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer15.7%11.6%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.79%
Net assets$417m$1.4bn
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · PJAN scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score15.6BAPR52.2PJAN

How much of a bear-market fall the buffer would absorb from today's level, ranked against 292 buffer ETFs on stocks with a live outcome period. 100 is best. How it is computed

0.2, the lowest in this set 99.8, the highest

A percentile among the 292 buffer ETFs on stocks with a live outcome period. Today's position against one 20% fall; it ignores smaller falls, and stock buffers are never ranked against bond or commodity ones. All buffer ETFs ranked by it →

Method

Risk and return

Apr 12, 2019 to Oct 23, 2026 · 393 weekly returns · each against SPY
BAPR PJAN
Return
Total return edge BAPR +113.7% +87.0%
Annualized edge BAPR +10.6% +8.6%
Price return edge BAPR +113.7% +87.0%
Risk
Volatility edge PJAN 12.2% 9.3%
Max drawdown edge PJAN −23.8% −18.8%
Downside capture 67.7% 53.4%
Beta 0.64 0.49
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge BAPR (slight) 0.65 0.63
Sortino edge BAPR (slight) 0.94 0.90
Treynor 0.124 0.120
Calmar edge PJAN (slight) 0.44 0.46
Against the benchmark
Alpha −0.4% a year −0.5% a year
Alpha t-stat −0.32 −0.48
Information ratio −0.68 −0.74
Tracking error 7.4% 9.7%
Reading

BAPR returned more: +113.7% to +87.0%. PJAN swung less: 9.3% to 12.2%. PJAN fell less at its worst: −18.8% to −23.8%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: BAPR vs PJAN: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBAPRPJANSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+113.7%+87.0%BAPRPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+10.6%+8.6%BAPRTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+113.7%+87.0%BAPRPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility12.2%9.3%PJANSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation8.5%6.5%PJANLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−23.8%−18.8%PJANDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture49.0%34.9%100.0%BAPRShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture67.7%53.4%100.0%PJANShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.640.491.00PJAN lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.910.911.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.650.63BAPR (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.940.90BAPR (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1240.1200.130BAPR (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.440.46PJAN (slight)Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha−0.4% a year−0.5% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−0.32−0.48Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−3.0% to +2.2%−2.5% to +1.5%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.68−0.74BAPR (slight)Return against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error7.4%9.7%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, 393 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: BAPR vs PJAN: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowBAPRPJANBAPRPJAN
3 months+3.9%+3.7%−1.9 pts−2.1 pts
6 months+6.3%+5.9%−2.3 pts−2.7 pts
1 year+16.2%+10.8%+3.8 pts−1.7 pts
3 years+62.3%+51.5%−25.8 pts−36.6 pts
Since launchNot the same days: BAPR Apr 2019 · PJAN Jan 2019+117.8%+102.4%−52.4 pts−106.3 pts

Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. Open this comparison in the app →

Side by side

BAPR Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Apr · Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 18.5%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027 PJAN Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Jan · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 12.3%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 9% 15%
Outcome period Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 Dec 31, 2025 to Dec 31, 2026
Days left 154 64
Starting cap +18.5% +12.3%
Can still gain 5.0% 2.4%
Fall before buffer 11.4% 8.9%
Protection left, index points 9.0% of 9.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +18.7% +13.2%
Fund return this period +12.4% +8.9%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%
Net assets $417m $1.4bn

As of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Both are already at their cap, so neither gains from more rise in the index before the period ends.

They do not reset together. PJAN has 64 days of its period left and BAPR has 154, 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

PJAN resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 64 days from now; BAPR runs to Mar 31, 2027, 154 days. BAPR can still gain 5.0% before its cap, PJAN 2.4%. A fall from here reaches BAPR’s buffer after 11.4% and PJAN’s after 8.9%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-46DDCC4B65

BAPR and PJAN are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

  1. Protection and cap. BAPR: Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 18.5%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027. PJAN: Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 12.3%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026. The starting caps are 6.2 points apart.
  2. Outcome period. BAPR runs Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 with 154 days left; PJAN runs Dec 31, 2025 to Dec 31, 2026 with 64 days left.
  3. One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 BAPR returned +16.2% and PJAN +10.8% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 5.4 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund
BAPR

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +18.5% for the period on Oct 28, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 5.0% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 11.4% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 15.7% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 9.0% of the 9.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 154 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Mar 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

PJAN

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +12.3% for the period on Oct 28, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 2.4% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 8.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 11.6% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 64 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, BAPR or PJAN?
From their prices on Oct 28, 2026, BAPR can gain about 5.0% before its cap and PJAN about 2.4%, so BAPR has more room left this period.
Which resets first, BAPR or PJAN?
BAPR ends its outcome period on Mar 31, 2027 and PJAN on Dec 31, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, BAPR or PJAN?
BAPR and PJAN both charge 0.79% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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Sources and dates

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

It is a place in a set, not a rating or a recommendation.

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, BAPR against PJAN, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bapr-vs-pjan

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