Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
DDSQ vs GSEP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 GSEP can fall 1.7% before its buffer engages and DDSQ 0.9%, and DDSQ resets 260 days sooner.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about DDSQ and GSEP
Net assets: $114m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 5 Buffer ETF - Quarterly, and $366m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - September.
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.GSEP: reference +0.7% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +14.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
GSEP: reference +0.7% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +14.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
DDSQ costs 0.06 points a year less; GSEP is 3.2 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | DDSQ | GSEP |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | not published | +10.9% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.79% | 0.85% |
| Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 | $113m | $366m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | DDSQ | GSEP | DDSQ | GSEP |
| 3 months | +1.0% | +1.9% | +1.4 pts | +2.3 pts |
| 6 months | +4.0% | +4.9% | −0.5 pts | +0.4 pts |
| 1 year | – | +10.9% | – | −2.7 pts |
| 3 years | – | +41.6% | – | −34.8 pts |
| Since launchNot the same days: DDSQ Jan 2026 · GSEP Sep 2023 | +12.9% | +40.3% | +0.7 pts | −32.6 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
As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
These are two different products. GSEP 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.
They do not reset together. DDSQ has 57 days of its period left and GSEP has 317, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.
Where each one stands today
DDSQ resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 57 days from now; GSEP runs to Sep 17, 2027, 317 days. DDSQ can still gain 2.6% before its cap, GSEP 12.3%. A fall from here reaches DDSQ’s buffer after 0.9% and GSEP’s after 1.7%. 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.
GSEP
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 12.3% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.6% 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. 317 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 17, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is 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, DDSQ against GSEP, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddsq-vs-gsep
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). DDSQ against GSEP. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddsq-vs-gsep
[DDSQ against GSEP (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddsq-vs-gsep)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.