Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

BJAN vs PAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Oct 28, 2026 BJAN can fall 10.7% before its buffer engages and PAPR 8.9%, and BJAN resets 90 days sooner.

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Net assets on Oct 28, 2026: $349m for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Jan and $965m for Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Apr.

At a glance
10.7%
BJAN can fall this far before its buffer
8.9%
PAPR can fall this far before its buffer
4.1%
BJAN can still gain
3.9%
PAPR 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.
PAPR At its cap
At its capPAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +9.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +14.0%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.15 pts of buffer+14% gain captured−15.0% floor0% period start+14.0% capTODAY · SPY +18.7%At its capPAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +9.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +14.0%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.15 pts+14% gained−15.0% floor0% start+14.0% capTODAY · SPY +18.7%

PAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +9.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +14.0%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

PAPR: reference +18.7% since period start, fund +9.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +14.0%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.79% a year; their one-year returns differ by 1.3 points; PAPR is 2.8 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

BJAN vs PAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBJANPAPR
Return
Total return, 1 year+13.7%+12.4%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer11.6%15.7%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.79%
Net assets$349m$965m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · PAPR scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score20.4BJAN51.9PAPR

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
BJAN PAPR
Return
Total return edge BJAN +123.8% +75.4%
Annualized edge BJAN +11.2% +7.7%
Price return edge BJAN +113.8% +70.1%
Risk
Volatility edge PAPR 13.0% 8.1%
Max drawdown edge PAPR −25.2% −14.1%
Downside capture 74.3% 47.2%
Beta 0.70 0.42
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge BJAN (slight) 0.67 0.61
Sortino edge BJAN (slight) 0.94 0.86
Treynor 0.124 0.117
Calmar edge PAPR 0.45 0.55
Against the benchmark
Alpha −0.4% a year −0.6% a year
Alpha t-stat −0.41 −0.56
Information ratio −0.70 −0.74
Tracking error 6.2% 10.9%
Reading

BJAN returned more: +123.8% to +75.4%. PAPR swung less: 8.1% to 13.0%. PAPR fell less at its worst: −14.1% to −25.2%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: BJAN vs PAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBJANPAPRSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+123.8%+75.4%BJANPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+11.2%+7.7%BJANTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+113.8%+70.1%BJANPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility13.0%8.1%PAPRSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation9.2%5.7%PAPRLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−25.2%−14.1%PAPRDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture56.3%29.6%100.0%BJANShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture74.3%47.2%100.0%PAPRShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.700.421.00PAPR lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.950.891.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.670.61BJAN (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.940.86BJAN (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1240.1170.130BJAN (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.450.55PAPRAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha−0.4% a year−0.6% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−0.41−0.56Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−2.5% to +1.6%−2.5% to +1.4%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.70−0.74BJAN (slight)Return against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error6.2%10.9%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: BJAN vs PAPR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowBJANPAPRBJANPAPR
3 months+4.9%+3.0%−1.0 pts−2.9 pts
6 months+7.4%+5.0%−1.1 pts−3.6 pts
1 year+13.7%+12.4%+1.3 pts0.0 pts
3 years+72.8%+45.1%−15.3 pts−43.0 pts
Since launchNot the same days: BJAN Jan 2019 · PAPR Apr 2019+153.7%+77.3%−55.0 pts−92.9 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 PAPR Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Apr · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 14.0%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 9% 15%
Outcome period Dec 31, 2025 to Dec 31, 2026 Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027
Days left 64 154
Starting cap +16.5% +14.0%
Can still gain 4.1% 3.9%
Fall before buffer 10.7% 8.9%
Protection left, index points 9.0% of 9.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +13.2% +18.7%
Fund return this period +11.2% +9.2%
State today Open At cap
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%
Net assets $349m $965m

As of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

They do not reset together. BJAN has 64 days of its period left and PAPR 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

BJAN resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 64 days from now; PAPR runs to Mar 31, 2027, 154 days. BJAN can still gain 4.1% before its cap, PAPR 3.9%. A fall from here reaches BJAN’s buffer after 10.7% and PAPR’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-96A6AE4C2B

BJAN and PAPR 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. PAPR: Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 14.0%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027. The starting caps are 2.5 points apart.
  2. Outcome period. BJAN runs Dec 31, 2025 to Dec 31, 2026 with 64 days left; PAPR runs Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 with 154 days left.
  3. What each follows (similar). Both follow SPY.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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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.

PAPR

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +14.0% 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 3.9% 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 15.7% 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. 154 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Mar 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, BJAN or PAPR?
From their prices on Oct 28, 2026, BJAN can gain about 4.1% before its cap and PAPR about 3.9%, so BJAN has more room left this period.
Which resets first, BJAN or PAPR?
BJAN ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and PAPR on Mar 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, BJAN or PAPR?
BJAN and PAPR 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.

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ETFIQ, BJAN against PAPR, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bjan-vs-papr

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