Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

DDFO vs POCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 POCT can fall 0.8% before its buffer engages and DDFO 0.7%.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $176m for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Oct and $1.1bn for Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Oct.

At a glance
0.7%
DDFO can fall this far before its buffer
0.8%
POCT can fall this far before its buffer
9.9%
DDFO can still gain
14.7%
POCT can still gain
DDFO Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capDDFO: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.7%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+10.2% more to the cap−15.0% floor0% period start+10.7% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%Between buffer and capDDFO: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.7%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts−15.0% floor0% start+10.7% cap+0.5% gain captured+10.2% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%

DDFO: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.7%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

DDFO: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.7%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
POCT Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capPOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +15.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+15.1% more to the cap−15.0% floor0% period start+15.6% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%Between buffer and capPOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +15.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts+15.1% to cap−15.0% floor0% start+15.6% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%

POCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +15.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.79% a year; their one-year returns differ by 3.1 points; POCT is 6.3 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DDFO vs POCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDDFOPOCT
Return
Total return, 1 year+8.2%+11.3%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer0.5%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.79%
Net assets$176m$1.1bn
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026 · 55 weekly returns · each against SPY
DDFO POCT
Return
Total return edge POCT +8.9% +12.1%
Annualized edge POCT +8.4% +11.4%
Price return edge POCT +8.9% +12.1%
Risk
Volatility edge DDFO 3.6% 5.6%
Max drawdown edge DDFO −2.5% −4.2%
Downside capture 25.6% 41.4%
Beta 0.28 0.44
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge POCT (slight) 1.19 1.29
Sortino edge POCT 2.06 2.31
Treynor 0.154 0.161
Calmar edge DDFO 3.40 2.74
Against the benchmark
Alpha +1.0% a year +1.9% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.72 1.18
Information ratio −0.85 −0.67
Tracking error 8.7% 6.8%
Reading

From Oct 2025 to Oct 2026, POCT returned more: +12.1% to +8.9%. DDFO swung less: 3.6% to 5.6%. DDFO fell less at its worst: −2.5% to −4.2%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: DDFO vs POCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDDFOPOCTSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+8.9%+12.1%POCTPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+8.4%+11.4%POCTTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+8.9%+12.1%POCTPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility3.6%5.6%DDFOSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation2.1%3.1%DDFOLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−2.5%−4.2%DDFODeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture25.0%39.2%100.0%POCTShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture25.6%41.4%100.0%DDFOShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.280.441.00DDFO lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.840.911.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe1.191.29POCT (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino2.062.31POCTReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1540.1610.117POCT (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar3.402.74DDFOAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+1.0% a year+1.9% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.721.18Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−1.8% to +3.9%−1.4% to +5.2%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.85−0.67POCTReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error8.7%6.8%0.0%Not an edgeHow far weekly returns stray from the benchmark, annualized.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 55 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: DDFO vs POCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowDDFOPOCTDDFOPOCT
3 months+1.5%+2.2%+1.9 pts+2.6 pts
6 months+3.5%+5.3%−1.0 pts+0.8 pts
1 year+8.2%+11.3%−5.4 pts−2.3 pts
3 years–+40.0%–−36.4 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DDFO Oct 2025 · POCT Oct 2018+8.5%+100.3%−6.2 pts−62.5 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

DDFO Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Oct · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 10.7%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027 POCT Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Oct · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 15.6%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 15% 15%
Outcome period Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027 Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Days left 330 330
Starting cap +10.7% +15.6%
Can still gain 9.9% 14.7%
Fall before buffer 0.7% 0.8%
Protection left, index points 15.0% of 15.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +0.5% +0.5%
Fund return this period +0.6% +0.7%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%
Net assets $176m $1.1bn

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

Both are Innovator funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.

Where each one stands today

DDFO resets first, on Sep 30, 2027, 330 days from now; POCT runs to Sep 30, 2027, 330 days. DDFO can still gain 9.9% before its cap, POCT 14.7%. A fall from here reaches DDFO’s buffer after 0.7% and POCT’s after 0.8%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
DDFO

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 9.9% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.5% 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. 330 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

POCT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 14.7% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DDFO or POCT?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DDFO can gain about 9.9% before its cap and POCT about 14.7%, so POCT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DDFO or POCT?
DDFO ends its outcome period on Sep 30, 2027 and POCT on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DDFO or POCT?
DDFO and POCT both charge 0.79% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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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.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, DDFO against POCT, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfo-vs-poct

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