Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
DDFA vs DMAR: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 DMAR can fall 13.5% before its buffer engages and DDFA 9.0%, and DMAR resets 12 days sooner.
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Net assets: $58m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Apr, and $472m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - March.
DDFA: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.4%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
DDFA: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +9.3%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.4%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.DMAR: reference +18.2% since period start, fund +8.8%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
DMAR: reference +18.2% since period start, fund +8.8%; buffer −5 to −30; cap +13.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
DDFA costs 0.06 points a year less; DMAR is 8.3 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | DDFA | DMAR |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | not published | +12.3% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 15.2% | 19.6% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.79% | 0.85% |
| Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 | $57m | $472m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Risk and return
Apr 10, 2026 to Oct 30, 2026 · 29 weekly returnsFrom Apr 2026 to Oct 2026, DMAR returned slightly more: +5.8% to +5.3%. DMAR fell less at its worst: −0.6% to −0.7%.
Full scorecard
3 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | DDFA | DMAR | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +5.3% | +5.8% | DMAR (slight) | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Price return | +5.3% | +5.8% | DMAR (slight) | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Max drawdown | −0.7% | −0.6% | DMAR | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 29 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | DDFA | DMAR | DDFA | DMAR |
| 3 months | +1.6% | +1.5% | +2.0 pts | +1.9 pts |
| 6 months | +3.9% | +3.9% | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
| 1 year | – | +12.3% | – | −1.2 pts |
| 3 years | – | +40.9% | – | −35.5 pts |
| Since launchNot the same days: DDFA Apr 2026 · DMAR Mar 2021 | +8.0% | +54.3% | −9.1 pts | −41.0 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
As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
These are two different products. DMAR is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. DDFA is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.
Both are already at their cap, so neither gains from more rise in the index before the period ends.
Where each one stands today
DMAR resets first, on Mar 19, 2027, 135 days from now; DDFA runs to Mar 31, 2027, 147 days. DDFA can still gain 3.2% before its cap, DMAR 3.1%. A fall from here reaches DDFA’s buffer after 9.0% and DMAR’s after 13.5%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
No client brief for this pair: ETFIQ prints no one-year total return for DDFA.
DDFA
SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +13.4% 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 3.2% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 9.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 15.2% 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. 147 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Mar 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
DMAR
SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +13.1% 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 3.1% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 13.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 19.6% 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. 135 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Mar 19, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
Questions people ask
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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, DDFA against DMAR, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfa-vs-dmar
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). DDFA against DMAR. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfa-vs-dmar
[DDFA against DMAR (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfa-vs-dmar)
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