Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

DDFJ vs JANU: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

Share
Share on XDownload as PDF

As of Nov 4, 2026 JANU can fall 8.4% before its buffer engages and DDFJ 7.1%.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about DDFJ and JANU

Net assets: $70m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Jan, and $77m on Nov 3, 2026 for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped ETF - Jan.

At a glance
7.1%
DDFJ can fall this far before its buffer
8.4%
JANU can fall this far before its buffer
1.3%
DDFJ can still gain
uncapped
JANU can still gain
DDFJ At its cap
At its capDDFJ: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +6.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +9.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+9% gain captured−15.0% floor0% period start+9.0% capTODAY · SPY +12.4%At its capDDFJ: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +6.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +9.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts+9%−15.0% floor0% start+9.0% capTODAY · SPY +12.4%

DDFJ: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +6.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +9.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

DDFJ: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +6.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +9.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
JANU No cap
No capJANU: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +8.3%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+12.4% gained, no cap−15.0% floor0% period startno capTODAY · SPY +12.4%No capJANU: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +8.3%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts−15.0% floor0% startno cap+12.4% gained, no capTODAY · SPY +12.4%

JANU: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +8.3%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

JANU costs 0.05 points a year less; JANU is 1.1 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DDFJ vs JANU: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDDFJJANU
Return
Total return, 1 yearnot published+9.2%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer11.0%11.1%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.74%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$70m$77m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: DDFJ vs JANU: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowDDFJJANUDDFJJANU
3 months+1.3%−1.3%+1.7 pts−0.9 pts
6 months+3.6%+2.3%−0.9 pts−2.2 pts
1 year–+9.2%–−4.4 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DDFJ Jan 2026 · JANU Jan 2025+6.4%+21.9%−5.8 pts−9.3 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

DDFJ Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Jan · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 9.0%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026 JANU AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped ETF - Jan · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and does not cap the gain, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 15% 15%
Outcome period Dec 31, 2025 to Dec 31, 2026 Jan 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026
Days left 57 57
Starting cap +9.0% uncapped
Can still gain 1.3% uncapped
Fall before buffer 7.1% 8.4%
Protection left, index points 15.0% of 15.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +12.4% +12.4%
Fund return this period +6.9% +8.3%
State today At cap Uncapped
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.74%
Net assets, DDFJ as of Nov 4, 2026 and JANU as of Nov 3, 2026 $70m $77m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

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

Where each one stands today

DDFJ resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 57 days from now; JANU runs to Dec 31, 2026, 57 days. A fall from here reaches DDFJ’s buffer after 7.1% and JANU’s after 8.4%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Alert

DDFJ flows, by email on Sundays.

One-click unsubscribe. See Privacy.

About each fund
DDFJ

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +9.0% 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 1.3% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 7.1% 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: 15.0% of the 15.0% 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.

JANU

This fund has no cap. It takes a share of any further rise in SPY. The fund's price can fall 8.4% 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. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and new terms are set.

Questions people ask

Which resets first, DDFJ or JANU?
DDFJ ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and JANU on Dec 31, 2026. New terms are set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DDFJ or JANU?
DDFJ charges 0.79% a year and JANU charges 0.74%, so JANU 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

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, DDFJ against JANU, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfj-vs-janu

Open data →

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