Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
DDFN vs NVBU: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 NVBU can fall 1.7% before its buffer engages and DDFN 0.9%.
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Net assets: $74m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Nov, and $34m on Nov 3, 2026 for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped ETF - Nov.
DDFN: reference +1.4% since period start, fund +0.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
DDFN: reference +1.4% since period start, fund +0.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.NVBU: reference +1.5% since period start, fund +0.9%; buffer 0 to −15; no cap; No cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
NVBU costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.5 points; DDFN is 2.0 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | DDFN | NVBU |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +10.2% | +7.7% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 1.4% | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.79% | 0.74% |
| Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 | $68m | $34m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | DDFN | NVBU | DDFN | NVBU |
| 3 months | +2.7% | −1.9% | +3.1 pts | −1.5 pts |
| 6 months | +5.4% | +1.6% | +0.9 pts | −2.9 pts |
| 1 year | +10.2% | +7.7% | −3.3 pts | −5.9 pts |
| Since launchNot the same days: DDFN Nov 2025 · NVBU Nov 2024 | +9.7% | +23.4% | −2.5 pts | −10.9 pts |
Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. Open this comparison in the app →
Side by side
As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
These are two different products. NVBU is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. DDFN 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
DDFN resets first, on Oct 31, 2027, 361 days from now; NVBU runs to Oct 31, 2027, 361 days. A fall from here reaches DDFN’s buffer after 0.9% and NVBU’s after 1.7%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
DDFN
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 10.1% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 1.4% 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. 361 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Oct 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
NVBU
This fund has no cap. It takes a share of any further rise in SPY. The fund's price can fall 1.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. On Oct 31, 2027 the period ends and new terms are set.
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, DDFN against NVBU, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfn-vs-nvbu
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). DDFN against NVBU. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfn-vs-nvbu
[DDFN against NVBU (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfn-vs-nvbu)
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