Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

DDFM vs MARU: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 MARU can fall 8.2% before its buffer engages and DDFM 6.4%.

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Net assets: $43m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Mar, and $35m on Nov 3, 2026 for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped ETF - Mar.

At a glance
6.4%
DDFM can fall this far before its buffer
8.2%
MARU can fall this far before its buffer
2.8%
DDFM can still gain
uncapped
MARU can still gain
DDFM At its cap
At its capDDFM: reference +11.7% since period start, fund +6.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +9.8%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+9.8% gain captured−15.0% floor0% period start+9.8% capTODAY · SPY +11.7%At its capDDFM: reference +11.7% since period start, fund +6.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +9.8%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts+9.8%−15.0% floor0% start+9.8% capTODAY · SPY +11.7%

DDFM: reference +11.7% since period start, fund +6.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +9.8%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

DDFM: reference +11.7% since period start, fund +6.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +9.8%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
MARU No cap
No capMARU: reference +11.8% since period start, fund +8.1%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+11.8% gained, no cap−15.0% floor0% period startno capTODAY · SPY +11.8%No capMARU: reference +11.8% since period start, fund +8.1%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts−15.0% floor0% startno cap+11.8% gained, no capTODAY · SPY +11.8%

MARU: reference +11.8% since period start, fund +8.1%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

MARU costs 0.05 points a year less; DDFM is 1.2 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DDFM vs MARU: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDDFMMARU
Return
Total return, 1 yearnot published+8.7%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer10.5%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.74%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$43m$35m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: DDFM vs MARU: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowDDFMMARUDDFMMARU
3 months+1.3%−1.2%+1.7 pts−0.8 pts
6 months+3.6%+2.5%−0.9 pts−2.0 pts
1 year–+8.7%–−4.9 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DDFM Mar 2026 · MARU Mar 2025+6.0%+21.7%−5.7 pts−9.7 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

DDFM Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Mar · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 9.8%, over a period ending Feb 28, 2027 MARU AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped ETF - Mar · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and does not cap the gain, over a period ending Feb 28, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 15% 15%
Outcome period Feb 28, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027 Mar 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027
Days left 116 116
Starting cap +9.8% uncapped
Can still gain 2.8% uncapped
Fall before buffer 6.4% 8.2%
Protection left, index points 15.0% of 15.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +11.7% +11.8%
Fund return this period +6.2% +8.1%
State today At cap Uncapped
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.74%
Net assets, DDFM as of Nov 4, 2026 and MARU as of Nov 3, 2026 $43m $35m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

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

Where each one stands today

DDFM resets first, on Feb 28, 2027, 116 days from now; MARU runs to Feb 28, 2027, 116 days. A fall from here reaches DDFM’s buffer after 6.4% and MARU’s after 8.2%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

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About each fund
DDFM

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +9.8% 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 2.8% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 6.4% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.5% 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. 116 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Feb 28, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

MARU

This fund has no cap. It takes a share of any further rise in SPY. The fund's price can fall 8.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. On Feb 28, 2027 the period ends and new terms are set.

Questions people ask

Which resets first, DDFM or MARU?
DDFM ends its outcome period on Feb 28, 2027 and MARU on Feb 28, 2027. New terms are set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DDFM or MARU?
DDFM charges 0.79% a year and MARU charges 0.74%, so MARU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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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.

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ETFIQ, DDFM against MARU, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfm-vs-maru

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