Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

BJAN vs PBJA: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

Share
Share on XDownload as PDF

As of Nov 4, 2026 BJAN can fall 10.4% before its buffer engages and PBJA 7.8%.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about BJAN and PBJA

Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $348m for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Jan and $68m for PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF - January.

At a glance
10.4%
BJAN can fall this far before its buffer
7.8%
PBJA can fall this far before its buffer
4.4%
BJAN can still gain
1.9%
PBJA can still gain
BJAN Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capBJAN: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +10.8%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +16.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.9 pts of buffer+12.4% gain captured−9.0% floor0% period start+16.5% cap+4.1% more to the capTODAY · SPY +12.4%Between buffer and capBJAN: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +10.8%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +16.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.9 pts+12.4%−9.0% floor0% start+16.5% cap+4.1% more to the capTODAY · SPY +12.4%

BJAN: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +10.8%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +16.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

BJAN: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +10.8%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +16.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
PBJA At its cap
At its capPBJA: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +7.9%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +10.4%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts of buffer+10.4% gain captured−20.0% floor0% period start+10.4% capTODAY · SPY +12.4%At its capPBJA: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +7.9%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +10.4%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts of buffer+10.4%−20.0% floor0% start+10.4% capTODAY · SPY +12.4%

PBJA: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +7.9%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +10.4%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

PBJA: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +7.9%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +10.4%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

PBJA costs 0.29 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 4.3 points; BJAN is 5.1 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

BJAN vs PBJA: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBJANPBJA
Return
Total return, 1 year+14.1%+9.8%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer11.0%11.1%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.50%
Net assets$348m$68m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · PBJA scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score20.5BJAN61.1PBJA

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

0.3, the lowest in this set 99.7, the highest

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

Window by window

Window by window: BJAN vs PBJA: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowBJANPBJABJANPBJA
3 months+1.3%+1.7%+1.7 pts+2.1 pts
6 months+5.2%+4.3%+0.7 pts−0.2 pts
1 year+14.1%+9.8%+0.5 pts−3.8 pts
3 years+63.4%–−13.0 pts–
Since launchNot the same days: BJAN Jan 2019 · PBJA Jan 2024+152.9%+33.4%−53.6 pts−28.8 pts

Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. – means no data for this window. 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 PBJA PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF - January · Absorbs the first 20% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 10.4%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 9% 20%
Outcome period Dec 31, 2025 to Dec 31, 2026 Jan 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026
Days left 57 57
Starting cap +16.5% +10.4%
Can still gain 4.4% 1.9%
Fall before buffer 10.4% 7.8%
Protection left, index points 9.0% of 9.0% 20.0% of 20.0%
Index return this period +12.4% +12.4%
Fund return this period +10.8% +7.9%
State today Open At cap
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.50%
Net assets $348m $68m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

Where each one stands today

BJAN resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 57 days from now; PBJA runs to Dec 31, 2026, 57 days. BJAN can still gain 4.4% before its cap, PBJA 1.9%. A fall from here reaches BJAN’s buffer after 10.4% and PBJA’s after 7.8%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Alert

BJAN and PBJA flows, by email on Sundays.

One-click unsubscribe. See Privacy.

About each fund
BJAN

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 4.4% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 10.4% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 11.0% 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. 57 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

PBJA

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +10.4% for the period on Nov 4, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 1.9% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 7.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 11.1% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 20.0% of the 20.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, BJAN or PBJA?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, BJAN can gain about 4.4% before its cap and PBJA about 1.9%, so BJAN has more room left this period.
Which resets first, BJAN or PBJA?
BJAN ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and PBJA on Dec 31, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, BJAN or PBJA?
BJAN charges 0.79% a year and PBJA charges 0.50%, so PBJA 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 PBJA, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bjan-vs-pbja

Open data →

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