Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
DDFJ vs XBJA: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 XBJA can fall 9.3% before its buffer engages and DDFJ 7.1%.
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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $70m for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Jan and $95m for Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated 9 Buffer ETF - Jan.
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.XBJA: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +9.4%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +11.9%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
XBJA: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +9.4%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +11.9%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
Both cost 0.79% a year; XBJA is 1.4 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | DDFJ | XBJA |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | not published | +11.1% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 11.0% | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.79% | 0.79% |
| Net assets | $70m | $95m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Risk and return
Jan 9, 2026 to Oct 30, 2026 · 42 weekly returnsFrom Jan 2026 to Oct 2026, XBJA returned more: +7.8% to +5.5%. DDFJ fell less at its worst: −3.1% to −4.8%.
Full scorecard
3 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | DDFJ | XBJA | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +5.5% | +7.8% | XBJA | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Price return | +5.5% | +7.8% | XBJA | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Max drawdown | −3.1% | −4.8% | DDFJ | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 42 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | DDFJ | XBJA | DDFJ | XBJA |
| 3 months | +1.3% | +1.9% | +1.7 pts | +2.3 pts |
| 6 months | +3.6% | +5.1% | −0.9 pts | +0.6 pts |
| 1 year | – | +11.1% | – | −2.4 pts |
| 3 years | – | +39.1% | – | −37.3 pts |
| Since launchNot the same days: DDFJ Jan 2026 · XBJA Jan 2022 | +6.4% | +41.1% | −5.8 pts | −19.4 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. XBJA 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.
Both are already at their cap, so neither gains from more rise in the index before the period ends.
Both are Innovator funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.
Where each one stands today
DDFJ resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 57 days from now; XBJA runs to Dec 31, 2026, 57 days. DDFJ can still gain 1.3% before its cap, XBJA 1.6%. A fall from here reaches DDFJ’s buffer after 7.1% and XBJA’s after 9.3%. 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 DDFJ.
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.
XBJA
SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +11.9% 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 1.6% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 9.3% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. Protection left, in index points: 9.0% of the 9.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.
Questions people ask
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 XBJA, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfj-vs-xbja
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). DDFJ against XBJA. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfj-vs-xbja
[DDFJ against XBJA (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfj-vs-xbja)
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