Which has more room to gain, DDNQ or NOCT?

From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DDNQ can gain about 8.6% before its cap and NOCT about 22.4%, so NOCT has more room left this period.

Which resets first, DDNQ or NOCT?

DDNQ ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and NOCT on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, DDNQ or NOCT?

DDNQ and NOCT both charge 0.79% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Buffer ETFs

DDNQ vs NOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 DDNQ can fall 0.0% before its buffer engages and NOCT 0.0%, and DDNQ resets 273 days sooner.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $27m for Innovator Growth-100 Dual Directional 5 Buffer ETF - Quarterly and $316m for Innovator Growth-100 Power Buffer ETF - Oct.

DDNQ on its own →NOCT on its own →

At a glance

0.0%

DDNQ can fall this far before its buffer

0.0%

NOCT can fall this far before its buffer

8.6%

DDNQ can still gain

22.4%

NOCT 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.

NOCT Buffer working

NOCT: reference −6.5% since period start, fund −3.1%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +18.7%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.79% a year; NOCT is 11.7 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DDNQ vs NOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Measure	DDNQ	NOCT
Return
Measure	DDNQ	NOCT
Total return, 1 year	not published	+9.0%
Benchmark
Measure	DDNQ	NOCT
What it tracks	QQQ	QQQ
Cost and size
Measure	DDNQ	NOCT
Expense ratio	0.79%	0.79%
Net assets	$27m	$316m
Holdings
Measure	DDNQ	NOCT
Holdings in common	not published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: DDNQ vs NOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
	Total return		Gap to the reference's price return
Window	DDNQ	NOCT	DDNQ	NOCT
3 months	−2.3%	−1.0%	+1.3 pts	+2.6 pts
6 months	−1.5%	+1.9%	−0.9 pts	+2.4 pts
1 year	–	+9.0%	–	−2.7 pts
3 years	–	+44.2%	–	−44.0 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DDNQ Jan 2026 · NOCT Oct 2019	+2.8%	+103.9%	−10.0 pts	−165.6 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 NOCT Innovator Growth-100 Power Buffer ETF - Oct · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on QQQ and caps the gain at 18.7%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027

Issuer Innovator Innovator

Reference index QQQ QQQ

Buffer 5% 15%

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

Days left 57 330

Starting cap +5.7% +18.7%

Can still gain 8.6% 22.4%

Fall before buffer 0.0% 0.0%

Protection left, index points 0.0% of 5.0% 8.5% of 15.0%

Index return this period −6.5% −6.5%

Fund return this period −2.8% −3.1%

State today Buffer exhausted Buffer working

Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%

Net assets $27m $316m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

They do not reset together. DDNQ has 57 days of its period left and NOCT has 330, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

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

Where each one stands today

DDNQ resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 57 days from now; NOCT runs to Sep 30, 2027, 330 days. DDNQ can still gain 8.6% before its cap, NOCT 22.4%. A fall from here reaches DDNQ’s buffer after 0.0% and NOCT’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.

NOCT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 22.4% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 8.5% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level. 330 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DDNQ or NOCT?: From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DDNQ can gain about 8.6% before its cap and NOCT about 22.4%, so NOCT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DDNQ or NOCT?: DDNQ ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and NOCT on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DDNQ or NOCT?: DDNQ and NOCT both charge 0.79% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

DDNQ vs DQSE DDNQ vs NJAN DDNQ vs QBUF DDNQ vs QSPT NOCT vs PQOC NOCT vs QSPT NOCT vs QBQF NOCT vs DQSE

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

DDNQ and NOCT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

Innovator page for DDNQ ↗

Innovator page for NOCT ↗

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

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