Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

DDFM vs XFEB: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

Share
Share on XDownload as PDF

As of Nov 4, 2026 XFEB can fall 7.2% before its buffer engages and DDFM 6.4%, and XFEB resets 9 days sooner.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about DDFM and XFEB

Net assets: $43m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Mar, and $61m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - February.

At a glance
6.4%
DDFM can fall this far before its buffer
7.2%
XFEB can fall this far before its buffer
2.8%
DDFM can still gain
2.4%
XFEB 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 of buffer+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.
XFEB At its cap
At its capXFEB: reference +11.2% since period start, fund +6.8%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+10.3% gain captured−15.0% floor0% period start+10.3% capTODAY · SPY +11.2%At its capXFEB: reference +11.2% since period start, fund +6.8%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+10.3%−15.0% floor0% start+10.3% capTODAY · SPY +11.2%

XFEB: reference +11.2% since period start, fund +6.8%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

DDFM costs 0.06 points a year less; XFEB is 1.4 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DDFM vs XFEB: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDDFMXFEB
Return
Total return, 1 yearnot published+9.6%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer10.5%10.1%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$43m$61m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: DDFM vs XFEB: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowDDFMXFEBDDFMXFEB
3 months+1.3%+1.6%+1.7 pts+2.0 pts
6 months+3.6%+4.1%−0.9 pts−0.4 pts
1 year–+9.6%–−4.0 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DDFM Mar 2026 · XFEB Feb 2024+6.0%+28.7%−5.7 pts−25.7 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 XFEB FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - February · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 10.3%, over a period ending Feb 19, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 15% 15%
Outcome period Feb 28, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027 Feb 23, 2026 to Feb 19, 2027
Days left 116 107
Starting cap +9.8% +10.3%
Can still gain 2.8% 2.4%
Fall before buffer 6.4% 7.2%
Protection left, index points 15.0% of 15.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +11.7% +11.2%
Fund return this period +6.2% +6.8%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.85%
Net assets, DDFM as of Nov 4, 2026 and XFEB as of Nov 3, 2026 $43m $61m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

These are two different products. XFEB 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.

Both are already at their cap, so neither gains from more rise in the index before the period ends.

Where each one stands today

XFEB resets first, on Feb 19, 2027, 107 days from now; DDFM runs to Feb 28, 2027, 116 days. DDFM can still gain 2.8% before its cap, XFEB 2.4%. A fall from here reaches DDFM’s buffer after 6.4% and XFEB’s after 7.2%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Alert

DDFM and XFEB flows, by email on Sundays.

One-click unsubscribe. See Privacy.

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.

XFEB

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +10.3% 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 2.4% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 7.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.1% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. 107 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Feb 19, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DDFM or XFEB?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DDFM can gain about 2.8% before its cap and XFEB about 2.4%, so DDFM has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DDFM or XFEB?
DDFM ends its outcome period on Feb 28, 2027 and XFEB on Feb 19, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DDFM or XFEB?
DDFM charges 0.79% a year and XFEB charges 0.85%, so DDFM 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, DDFM against XFEB, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfm-vs-xfeb

Open data →

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