Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

BOCT vs DDFO: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 BOCT can fall 0.7% before its buffer engages and DDFO 0.7%.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $360m for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Oct and $176m for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Oct.

At a glance
0.7%
BOCT can fall this far before its buffer
0.7%
DDFO can fall this far before its buffer
19.3%
BOCT can still gain
9.9%
DDFO can still gain
BOCT Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capBOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +20.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.9 pts of buffer+19.7% more to the cap−9.0% floor0% period start+20.2% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%Between buffer and capBOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +20.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.9 pts+19.7% to cap−9.0% floor0% start+20.2% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%

BOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +20.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

BOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +20.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
DDFO Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capDDFO: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.7%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+10.2% more to the cap−15.0% floor0% period start+10.7% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%Between buffer and capDDFO: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.7%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts−15.0% floor0% start+10.7% cap+0.5% gain captured+10.2% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%

DDFO: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.7%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

DDFO: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.7%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.79% a year; their one-year returns differ by 5.7 points; BOCT is 2.0 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

BOCT vs DDFO: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBOCTDDFO
Return
Total return, 1 year+13.9%+8.2%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer0.5%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.79%
Net assets$360m$176m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026 · 55 weekly returns · each against SPY
BOCT DDFO
Return
Total return edge BOCT +14.8% +8.9%
Annualized edge BOCT +14.0% +8.4%
Price return edge BOCT +14.8% +8.9%
Risk
Volatility edge DDFO 7.5% 3.6%
Max drawdown edge DDFO −5.7% −2.5%
Downside capture 62.1% 25.6%
Beta 0.62 0.28
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge BOCT (slight) 1.27 1.19
Sortino edge BOCT (slight) 2.26 2.06
Treynor 0.154 0.154
Calmar edge DDFO 2.46 3.40
Against the benchmark
Alpha +2.3% a year +1.0% a year
Alpha t-stat 1.60 0.72
Information ratio −0.46 −0.85
Tracking error 4.7% 8.7%
Reading

From Oct 2025 to Oct 2026, BOCT returned more: +14.8% to +8.9%. DDFO swung less: 3.6% to 7.5%. DDFO fell less at its worst: −2.5% to −5.7%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: BOCT vs DDFO: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureBOCTDDFOSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+14.8%+8.9%BOCTPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+14.0%+8.4%BOCTTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+14.8%+8.9%BOCTPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility7.5%3.6%DDFOSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation4.2%2.1%DDFOLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−5.7%−2.5%DDFODeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture58.3%25.0%100.0%BOCTShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture62.1%25.6%100.0%DDFOShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.620.281.00DDFO lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.960.841.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe1.271.19BOCT (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino2.262.06BOCT (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1540.1540.117TieReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar2.463.40DDFOAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+2.3% a year+1.0% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat1.600.72Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−0.6% to +5.1%−1.8% to +3.9%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.46−0.85BOCTReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error4.7%8.7%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, 55 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: BOCT vs DDFO: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowBOCTDDFOBOCTDDFO
3 months+2.2%+1.5%+2.6 pts+1.9 pts
6 months+6.3%+3.5%+1.9 pts−1.0 pts
1 year+13.9%+8.2%+0.3 pts−5.4 pts
3 years+53.8%–−22.6 pts–
Since launchNot the same days: BOCT Oct 2018 · DDFO Oct 2025+125.8%+8.5%−37.1 pts−6.2 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

BOCT Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Oct · Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 20.2%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027 DDFO Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Oct · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 10.7%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 9% 15%
Outcome period Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027 Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Days left 330 330
Starting cap +20.2% +10.7%
Can still gain 19.3% 9.9%
Fall before buffer 0.7% 0.7%
Protection left, index points 9.0% of 9.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +0.5% +0.5%
Fund return this period +0.6% +0.6%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%
Net assets $360m $176m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

These are two different products. DDFO is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. BOCT is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.

Both are Innovator funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.

Where each one stands today

BOCT resets first, on Sep 30, 2027, 330 days from now; DDFO runs to Sep 30, 2027, 330 days. BOCT can still gain 19.3% before its cap, DDFO 9.9%. A fall from here reaches BOCT’s buffer after 0.7% and DDFO’s after 0.7%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
BOCT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 19.3% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.5% 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. 330 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

DDFO

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 9.9% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, BOCT or DDFO?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, BOCT can gain about 19.3% before its cap and DDFO about 9.9%, so BOCT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, BOCT or DDFO?
BOCT ends its outcome period on Sep 30, 2027 and DDFO on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, BOCT or DDFO?
BOCT and DDFO 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

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, BOCT against DDFO, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/boct-vs-ddfo

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