Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
DDFG vs PBAU: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 DDFG can fall 2.7% before its buffer engages and PBAU 2.5%.
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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $92m for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Aug and $40m for PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF - August .
DDFG: reference +2.6% since period start, fund +2.5%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.4%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
DDFG: reference +2.6% since period start, fund +2.5%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.4%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.PBAU: reference +2.6% since period start, fund +2.1%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
PBAU: reference +2.6% since period start, fund +2.1%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
PBAU costs 0.29 points a year less; DDFG is 2.3 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | DDFG | PBAU |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | not published | +9.4% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 2.5% | 2.6% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.79% | 0.50% |
| Net assets | $92m | $40m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | DDFG | PBAU | DDFG | PBAU |
| 3 months | +1.1% | +0.9% | +1.4 pts | +1.3 pts |
| 6 months | – | +4.3% | – | −0.2 pts |
| 1 year | – | +9.4% | – | −4.1 pts |
| Since launchNot the same days: DDFG Aug 2026 · PBAU May 2024 | +1.8% | +28.9% | +0.6 pts | −18.3 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. PBAU is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. DDFG is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.
Where each one stands today
DDFG resets first, on Jul 31, 2027, 269 days from now; PBAU runs to Jul 31, 2027, 269 days. DDFG can still gain 8.4% before its cap, PBAU 9.4%. A fall from here reaches DDFG’s buffer after 2.7% and PBAU’s after 2.5%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
DDFG
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 8.4% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 2.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 2.5% 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. 269 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Jul 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
PBAU
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 9.4% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 2.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 2.6% 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
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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.
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ETFIQ, DDFG against PBAU, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfg-vs-pbau
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). DDFG against PBAU. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfg-vs-pbau
[DDFG against PBAU (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfg-vs-pbau)
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