Which has more room to gain, DDTA or FLAO?

From their prices on Oct 1, 2026, DDTA can gain about 5.2% before its cap and FLAO about 6.7%, so FLAO has more room left this period.

Which resets first, DDTA or FLAO?

DDTA ends its outcome period on Mar 31, 2027 and FLAO on Mar 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, DDTA or FLAO?

DDTA charges 0.79% a year and FLAO charges 0.74%, so FLAO is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Share on X Download as PDF Open live

DDTA vs FLAO: which one stands where?

As of Oct 1, 2026 DDTA can fall 9.7% before its buffer engages and FLAO 5.4%. Innovator Equity Dual Directional 10 Buffer ETF - Apr and AllianzIM U.S. Equity Floor5 ETF - Apr.

9.7%

DDTA can fall this far before its buffer

5.4%

FLAO can fall this far before its buffer

5.2%

DDTA can still gain

6.7%

FLAO can still gain

DDTAAt its cap

DDTA: reference +17.3% since period start, fund +10.3%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +16.5%; At its cap.

FLAOFull floor

FLAO: reference 0.0% since period start, fund 0.0%; buffer −5 to floor; cap +7.1%; Full floor.

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

DDTA is already at its cap, so more rise in the index adds nothing to it before the period ends.

Where each one stands today

DDTA resets first, on Mar 31, 2027, 182 days from now; FLAO runs to Mar 31, 2027, 182 days. DDTA can still gain 5.2% before its cap, FLAO 6.7%. A fall from here reaches DDTA’s buffer after 9.7% and FLAO’s after 5.4%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Every figure is ETFIQ’s own, from the issuer’s published outcome-period terms. A buffer ETF holds FLEX options on its reference index rather than shares, so there is no holdings overlap between two of them to report.

Performance, window by window

	Total return		Gap to the reference
Window	DDTA	FLAO	DDTA	FLAO
3 months	+2.6%	+1.6%	+0.1 pts	−0.9 pts
6 months	+9.5%	+5.4%	−7.5 pts	−11.6 pts
1 year	not published	+2.7%	not published	−13.0 pts

DDTA and FLAO over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ. Open the live comparison on ETFIQ →

On the same fields

DDTA

Innovator Equity Dual Directional 10 Buffer ETF - Apr · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 16.5%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027

FLAO

AllianzIM U.S. Equity Floor5 ETF - Apr · Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 100.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 7.1%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027

Issuer Innovator AllianzIM

Reference index SPY SPY

Buffer 10% 5% to 100%

Outcome period Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 Oct 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027

Days left 182 182

Starting cap +16.5% +7.1%

Can still gain 5.2% 6.7%

Fall before buffer 9.7% 5.4%

Protection left, index points 10.0% of 10.0% 95.0% of 95.0%

Index return this period +17.3% 0.0%

Fund return this period +10.3% 0.0%

State today At cap Open

Expense ratio 0.79% 0.74%

Net assets $15m $9m

DDTA and FLAO on the same fields, as of Oct 1, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

DDTA in plain words

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +16.5% for the period on Oct 1, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 5.2% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 9.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 14.7% 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. 182 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Mar 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

FLAO in plain words

From its price on Oct 1, 2026, the fund can gain about 6.7% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 5.4% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 5.0% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 95.0% of the 95.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DDTA or FLAO?: From their prices on Oct 1, 2026, DDTA can gain about 5.2% before its cap and FLAO about 6.7%, so FLAO has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DDTA or FLAO?: DDTA ends its outcome period on Mar 31, 2027 and FLAO on Mar 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DDTA or FLAO?: DDTA charges 0.79% a year and FLAO charges 0.74%, so FLAO is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

DDTA vs DMAR DDTA vs TAPR DDTA vs UAPR DDTA vs ZAPR FLAO vs SEPM FLAO vs SIXO FLAO vs DDTO FLAO vs DSEP

SPY →DDTA on its own →FLAO on its own →How every figure is computed →Standards and sources →

Where these figures came from

DDTA filings on SEC EDGAR ↗Innovator page for DDTA ↗FLAO filings on SEC EDGAR ↗AllianzIM page for FLAO ↗

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page

ETFIQ, DDTA against FLAO, data as of Oct 1, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddta-vs-flao

Open data

Free to use with attribution. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology.