Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

vsOpen in the appCompare their flowsaskIQ about these two fundsAsk the committee about these two funds
Buffer ETFs

BJAN vs DJUL: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

Share
Share on XDownload as PDF

As of Oct 28, 2026 BJAN can fall 10.7% before its buffer engages and DJUL 8.2%, and BJAN resets 197 days sooner.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about BJAN and DJUL

Net assets: $349m on Oct 28, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Jan, and $496m on Oct 27, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - July.

At a glance
10.7%
BJAN can fall this far before its buffer
8.2%
DJUL can fall this far before its buffer
4.1%
BJAN can still gain
9.9%
DJUL can still gain
BJAN Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capBJAN: reference +13.2% since period start, fund +11.2%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +16.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.9 pts of buffer+13.2% gain captured−9.0% floor0% period start+16.5% cap+3.3% more to the capTODAY · SPY +13.2%Between buffer and capBJAN: reference +13.2% since period start, fund +11.2%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +16.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.9 pts+13.2%−9.0% floor0% start+16.5% cap+3.3% more to the capTODAY · SPY +13.2%

BJAN: reference +13.2% since period start, fund +11.2%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +16.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

BJAN: reference +13.2% since period start, fund +11.2%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +16.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.
DJUL Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capDJUL: reference +3.9% since period start, fund +2.6%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.25 pts of buffer+3.9%+9.7% to cap−30.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% period start+13.6% capfirst 5 pts are yours to loseTODAY · SPY +3.9%Between buffer and capDJUL: reference +3.9% since period start, fund +2.6%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.25 pts of buffer−30.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+13.6% capfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+3.9% gain captured+9.7% more to the capTODAY · SPY +3.9%

DJUL: reference +3.9% since period start, fund +2.6%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

DJUL: reference +3.9% since period start, fund +2.6%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

Pair scorecard

BJAN costs 0.06 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 4.4 points; DJUL is 1.4 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

BJAN vs DJUL: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBJANDJUL
Return
Total return, 1 year+13.7%+9.3%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer11.6%8.6%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.85%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026$348m$496m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · DJUL scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score20.4BJAN55.3DJUL

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

Jul 31, 2020 to Oct 23, 2026 · 325 weekly returns · each against SPY
BJAN DJUL
Return
Total return edge BJAN +104.7% +68.5%
Annualized edge BJAN +12.1% +8.7%
Price return edge BJAN +104.7% +68.5%
Risk
Volatility edge DJUL 10.9% 7.6%
Max drawdown edge DJUL −16.9% −12.2%
Downside capture 71.1% 51.5%
Beta 0.67 0.44
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge BJAN 0.81 0.72
Sortino edge BJAN 1.23 1.10
Treynor 0.134 0.124
Calmar edge Tie 0.72 0.71
Against the benchmark
Alpha +0.3% a year −0.3% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.22 −0.24
Information ratio −0.68 −0.81
Tracking error 6.0% 9.3%
Reading

BJAN returned more: +104.7% to +68.5%. DJUL swung less: 7.6% to 10.9%. DJUL fell less at its worst: −12.2% to −16.9%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: BJAN vs DJUL: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBJANDJULSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+104.7%+68.5%BJANPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+12.1%+8.7%BJANTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+104.7%+68.5%BJANPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility10.9%7.6%DJULSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation7.2%5.0%DJULLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−16.9%−12.2%DJULDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture55.5%34.6%100.0%BJANShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture71.1%51.5%100.0%DJULShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.670.441.00DJUL lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.940.861.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.810.72BJANReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino1.231.10BJANReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1340.1240.130BJAN (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.720.71TieAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+0.3% a year−0.3% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.22−0.24Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−2.0% to +2.5%−2.6% to +2.0%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.68−0.81BJANReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error6.0%9.3%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, 325 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: BJAN vs DJUL: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowBJANDJULBJANDJUL
3 months+4.9%+3.4%−1.0 pts−2.5 pts
6 months+7.4%+5.5%−1.1 pts−3.0 pts
1 year+13.7%+9.3%+1.3 pts−3.1 pts
3 years+72.8%+55.1%−15.3 pts−32.9 pts
Since launchNot the same days: BJAN Jan 2019 · DJUL Jul 2020+153.7%+70.0%−55.0 pts−68.2 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

BJAN Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Jan · Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 16.5%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026 DJUL FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - July · Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 30.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 13.6%, over a period ending Jul 16, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 9% 5% to 30%
Outcome period Dec 31, 2025 to Dec 31, 2026 Jul 20, 2026 to Jul 16, 2027
Days left 64 261
Starting cap +16.5% +13.6%
Can still gain 4.1% 9.9%
Fall before buffer 10.7% 8.2%
Protection left, index points 9.0% of 9.0% 25.0% of 25.0%
Index return this period +13.2% +3.9%
Fund return this period +11.2% +2.6%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.85%
Net assets, BJAN as of Oct 28, 2026 and DJUL as of Oct 27, 2026 $349m $496m

As of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

They do not reset together. BJAN has 64 days of its period left and DJUL has 261, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

Where each one stands today

BJAN resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 64 days from now; DJUL runs to Jul 16, 2027, 261 days. BJAN can still gain 4.1% before its cap, DJUL 9.9%. A fall from here reaches BJAN’s buffer after 10.7% and DJUL’s after 8.2%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-B20BDA76CA

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

  1. Protection and cap. BJAN: Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 16.5%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026. DJUL: Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 30.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 13.6%, over a period ending Jul 16, 2027. The starting caps are 2.9 points apart.
  2. Outcome period. BJAN runs Dec 31, 2025 to Dec 31, 2026 with 64 days left; DJUL runs Jul 20, 2026 to Jul 16, 2027 with 261 days left.
  3. One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 BJAN returned +13.7% and DJUL +9.3% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 4.4 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

The two-page PDF for this pair is coming. Save the comparison to follow its changes. Free. It needs an email sign-in, once.

Your saved page · Privacy.

Alert

BJAN and DJUL flows, by email on Sundays.

One-click unsubscribe. See Privacy.

About each fund
BJAN

From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 4.1% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 10.7% 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: 9.0% of the 9.0% 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.

DJUL

From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 9.9% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 8.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 8.6% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 25.0% of the 25.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 261 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Jul 16, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, BJAN or DJUL?
From their prices on Oct 28, 2026, BJAN can gain about 4.1% before its cap and DJUL about 9.9%, so DJUL has more room left this period.
Which resets first, BJAN or DJUL?
BJAN ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and DJUL on Jul 16, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, BJAN or DJUL?
BJAN charges 0.79% a year and DJUL charges 0.85%, so BJAN is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where to next
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, BJAN against DJUL, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bjan-vs-djul

Open data →

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