Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
DDSQ vs EALT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 EALT can fall 5.6% before its buffer engages and DDSQ 0.9%.
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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $114m for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 5 Buffer ETF - Quarterly and $189m for Innovator U.S. Equity 5 to 15 Buffer ETF - Quarterly.
DDSQ: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer 0 to −5; cap +3.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
DDSQ: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer 0 to −5; cap +3.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.EALT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to −15; cap +7.0%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
EALT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to −15; cap +7.0%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
EALT costs 0.10 points a year less; EALT is 1.7 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | DDSQ | EALT |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | not published | +5.0% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 0.5% | 5.5% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.79% | 0.69% |
| Net assets | $114m | $189m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | DDSQ | EALT | DDSQ | EALT |
| 3 months | +1.0% | 0.0% | +1.4 pts | +0.4 pts |
| 6 months | +4.0% | +3.9% | −0.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
| 1 year | – | +5.0% | – | −8.6 pts |
| 3 years | – | +40.9% | – | −35.5 pts |
| Since launchNot the same days: DDSQ Jan 2026 · EALT Oct 2023 | +12.9% | +43.3% | +0.7 pts | −36.1 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
As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
These are two different products. EALT is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. DDSQ 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
DDSQ resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 57 days from now; EALT runs to Dec 31, 2026, 57 days. DDSQ can still gain 2.6% before its cap, EALT 6.4%. A fall from here reaches DDSQ’s buffer after 0.9% and EALT’s after 5.6%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
DDSQ
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 2.6% 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 0.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 5.0% of the 5.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 57 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.
EALT
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 6.4% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 5.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 5.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 10.0% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.
Questions people ask
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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, DDSQ against EALT, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddsq-vs-ealt
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). DDSQ against EALT. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddsq-vs-ealt
[DDSQ against EALT (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddsq-vs-ealt)
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