Which has more room to gain, DDNQ or DQSE?

From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DDNQ can gain about 8.6% before its cap and DQSE about 19.8%, so DQSE has more room left this period.

Which resets first, DDNQ or DQSE?

DDNQ ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and DQSE on Sep 17, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, DDNQ or DQSE?

DDNQ charges 0.79% a year and DQSE charges 0.90%, so DDNQ is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Buffer ETFs

DDNQ vs DQSE: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 DDNQ can fall 0.0% before its buffer engages and DQSE 0.0%, and DDNQ resets 260 days sooner.

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Net assets: $27m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Growth-100 Dual Directional 5 Buffer ETF - Quarterly, and $24m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Dual Directional Buffer ETF - September.

DDNQ on its own →DQSE on its own →

At a glance

0.0%

DDNQ can fall this far before its buffer

0.0%

DQSE can fall this far before its buffer

8.6%

DDNQ can still gain

19.8%

DQSE can still gain

DDNQ Buffer exhausted

DDNQ: reference −6.5% since period start, fund −2.8%; buffer 0 to −5; cap +5.7%; Buffer exhausted. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

DQSE Buffer working

DQSE: reference −4.1% since period start, fund −1.6%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +18.8%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

DDNQ costs 0.11 points a year less; DDNQ is 1.1 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DDNQ vs DQSE: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Measure	DDNQ	DQSE
Benchmark
Measure	DDNQ	DQSE
What it tracks	QQQ	QQQ
Cost and size
Measure	DDNQ	DQSE
Expense ratio	0.79%	0.90%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026	$26m	$24m
Holdings
Measure	DDNQ	DQSE
Holdings in common	not published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: DDNQ vs DQSE: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
	Total return		Gap to the reference's price return
Window	DDNQ	DQSE	DDNQ	DQSE
3 months	−2.3%	–	+1.3 pts	–
6 months	−1.5%	–	−0.9 pts	–
Since launchNot the same days: DDNQ Jan 2026 · DQSE Sep 2026	+2.8%	−3.2%	−10.0 pts	+3.5 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

DDNQ Innovator Growth-100 Dual Directional 5 Buffer ETF - Quarterly · Absorbs the first 5% of loss on QQQ and caps the gain at 5.7%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026 DQSE FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Dual Directional Buffer ETF - September · Absorbs the first 0% to 10% of loss on QQQ and caps the gain at 18.8%, over a period ending Sep 17, 2027

Issuer Innovator First Trust

Reference index QQQ QQQ

Buffer 5% 0% to 10%

Outcome period Sep 30, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026 Sep 21, 2026 to Sep 17, 2027

Days left 57 317

Starting cap +5.7% +18.8%

Can still gain 8.6% 19.8%

Fall before buffer 0.0% 0.0%

Protection left, index points 0.0% of 5.0% 5.9% of 10.0%

Index return this period −6.5% −4.1%

Fund return this period −2.8% −1.6%

State today Buffer exhausted Buffer working

Expense ratio 0.79% 0.90%

Net assets, DDNQ as of Nov 4, 2026 and DQSE as of Nov 3, 2026 $27m $24m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

They do not reset together. DDNQ has 57 days of its period left and DQSE has 317, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

Where each one stands today

DDNQ resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 57 days from now; DQSE runs to Sep 17, 2027, 317 days. DDNQ can still gain 8.6% before its cap, DQSE 19.8%. A fall from here reaches DDNQ’s buffer after 0.0% and DQSE’s after 0.0%. Both track QQQ, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Alert

About each fund

DDNQ

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 8.6% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 0.0% of the 5.0% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level. 57 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

DQSE

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 19.8% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 5.9% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level. 317 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 17, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DDNQ or DQSE?: From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DDNQ can gain about 8.6% before its cap and DQSE about 19.8%, so DQSE has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DDNQ or DQSE?: DDNQ ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and DQSE on Sep 17, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DDNQ or DQSE?: DDNQ charges 0.79% a year and DQSE charges 0.90%, so DDNQ is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

DDNQ vs PQOC DDNQ vs NOCT DDNQ vs NJAN DDNQ vs QSPT DQSE vs PQOC DQSE vs NOCT DQSE vs QSPT DQSE vs QBQV

Where to next

QQQ →All buffer ETFs ranked by the Downside Cover Score →How the scores are computed →DDNQ on its own →DQSE on its own →Method →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

DDNQ filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

Innovator page for DDNQ ↗

DQSE filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

First Trust page for DQSE ↗

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, DDNQ against DQSE, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddnq-vs-dqse

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