Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
BAUG vs XJUL: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 XJUL can fall 3.6% before its buffer engages and BAUG 2.6%, and XJUL resets 15 days sooner.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about BAUG and XJUL
Net assets: $270m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Aug, and $42m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - July.
BAUG: reference +2.6% since period start, fund +2.4%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +17.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
BAUG: reference +2.6% since period start, fund +2.4%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +17.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.XJUL: reference +3.1% since period start, fund +2.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.4%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
XJUL: reference +3.1% since period start, fund +2.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.4%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
BAUG costs 0.06 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 3.8 points; BAUG is 6.3 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | BAUG | XJUL |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +12.9% | +9.1% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 2.5% | 3.1% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.79% | 0.85% |
| Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 | $266m | $42m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | BAUG | XJUL | BAUG | XJUL |
| 3 months | +0.5% | +1.3% | +0.9 pts | +1.7 pts |
| 6 months | +5.7% | +4.3% | +1.2 pts | −0.2 pts |
| 1 year | +12.9% | +9.1% | −0.7 pts | −4.5 pts |
| 3 years | +66.1% | +37.3% | −10.4 pts | −39.1 pts |
| Since launchNot the same days: BAUG Aug 2019 · XJUL Jul 2023 | +122.4% | +36.2% | −37.7 pts | −32.7 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
As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
These are two different products. XJUL is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. BAUG is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.
Where each one stands today
XJUL resets first, on Jul 16, 2027, 254 days from now; BAUG runs to Jul 31, 2027, 269 days. BAUG can still gain 14.8% before its cap, XJUL 7.5%. A fall from here reaches BAUG’s buffer after 2.6% and XJUL’s after 3.6%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
BAUG
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 14.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 2.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 2.5% 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. 269 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Jul 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
XJUL
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 7.5% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 3.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 3.1% 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. 254 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Jul 16, 2027 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.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, BAUG against XJUL, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/baug-vs-xjul
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). BAUG against XJUL. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/baug-vs-xjul
[BAUG against XJUL (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/baug-vs-xjul)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.