Get the weekly note
ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

Data as of .

BSEP vs UJAN: which one stands where?

As of Sep 13, 2026 UJAN can fall 11.8% before its buffer engages and BSEP 0.0%, and UJAN resets 243 days sooner.

Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Sep and Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - Jan, side by side, buffer ETFs on ETFIQ.

0.0%BSEP can fall this far before its buffer
11.8%UJAN can fall this far before its buffer
20.0%BSEP can still gain
3.5%UJAN can still gain

ETFIQ Downside Cover Score: BSEP scores higher

If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?

BSEP 17.2UJAN 13.80.2, the lowest in this set99.8, the highest

A percentile among the 293 buffer ETFs with a live outcome period. It is a position in a set, not a rating, and neither end of it is a recommendation. All buffer ETFs ranked by it · How it is computed

BSEPBuffer working
8.6 pts+19.8% more to the cap−9.0% floor0% period start+19.8% capTODAY · SPY −0.4%−9.0% floor0% start+19.8% capTODAY · SPY −0.4%
UJANAt its cap
30 pts of buffer+11.4% gained−35.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% period start+11.4% capTODAY · SPY +12.1%30 pts of buffer+11.4%−35.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+11.4% capTODAY · SPY +12.1%

Where each one stands today

UJAN resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 111 days from now; BSEP runs to Aug 31, 2027, 354 days. BSEP can still gain 20.0% before its cap, UJAN 3.5%. A fall from here reaches BSEP’s buffer after 0.0% and UJAN’s after 11.8%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Every figure is ETFIQ’s own, from the issuer’s published outcome-period terms. A buffer ETF holds FLEX options on its reference index rather than shares, so there is no holdings overlap between two of them to report.

Performance, window by window

BSEP and UJAN over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ.
WindowTotal returnGap to the reference
BSEPUJANBSEPUJAN
3 months+3.1%+2.7%−0.2 pts−0.6 pts
6 months+11.3%+8.2%−4.7 pts−7.8 pts
1 year+12.7%+10.7%−4.8 pts−6.8 pts
3 years+55.6%+39.7%−22.3 pts−38.2 pts
Open the live comparison on ETFIQ
BSEP and UJAN on the same fields, as of Sep 13, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
BSEP
Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Sep
Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 19.8%, over a period ending Aug 31, 2027
UJAN
Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - Jan
Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 35.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 11.4%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026
IssuerInnovatorInnovator
Reference indexSPYSPY
Buffer9%5% to 35%
Outcome periodAug 31, 2026 to Aug 31, 2027Dec 31, 2025 to Dec 31, 2026
Days left354111
Starting cap+19.8%+11.4%
Can still gain20.0%3.5%
Fall before buffer0.0%11.8%
Protection left, index points8.6% of 9.0%30.0% of 30.0%
Index return this period−0.4%+12.1%
Fund return this period−0.2%+7.0%
State todayBuffer workingAt cap
Expense ratio0.79%0.79%

BSEP in plain words

From its price on Sep 13, 2026, the fund can gain about 20.0% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 8.6% of the 9.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 354 days remained on Sep 13, 2026. On Aug 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

UJAN in plain words

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +11.4% for the period on Sep 13, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 3.5% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 11.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 15.2% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 30.0% of the 30.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 111 days remained on Sep 13, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, BSEP or UJAN?
From their prices on Sep 13, 2026, BSEP can gain about 20.0% before its cap and UJAN about 3.5%, so BSEP has more room left this period.
Which resets first, BSEP or UJAN?
BSEP ends its outcome period on Aug 31, 2027 and UJAN on Dec 31, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, BSEP or UJAN?
BSEP charges 0.79% a year and UJAN charges 0.79%, so BSEP is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

Where these figures came from

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.

BSEP against UJAN, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 13, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, BSEP against UJAN, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bsep-vs-ujan Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

How every figure is computed · Standards and sources