Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

DDTS vs PBSE: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 PBSE can fall 1.2% before its buffer engages and DDTS 0.9%.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $33m for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 10 Buffer ETF - Sep and $50m for PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF - September .

At a glance
0.9%
DDTS can fall this far before its buffer
1.2%
PBSE can fall this far before its buffer
13.7%
DDTS can still gain
11.1%
PBSE can still gain
DDTS Buffer working
Buffer workingDDTS: reference −0.1% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +14.7%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.9.9 of 10 pts left+14.7% more to the cap−10.0% floor0% period start+14.7% capTODAY · SPY −0.1%Buffer workingDDTS: reference −0.1% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +14.7%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.9.9 pts−10.0% floor0% start+14.7% cap+14.7% more to the capTODAY · SPY −0.1%

DDTS: reference −0.1% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +14.7%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

DDTS: reference −0.1% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +14.7%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
PBSE Buffer working
Buffer workingPBSE: reference 0.0% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.3%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 of 20 pts of buffer left+12.3% more to the cap−20.0% floor0% period start+12.3% capTODAY · SPY 0.0%Buffer workingPBSE: reference 0.0% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.3%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 of 20 pts left−20.0% floor0% start+12.3% cap+12.3% more to the capTODAY · SPY 0.0%

PBSE: reference 0.0% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.3%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

PBSE: reference 0.0% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.3%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

PBSE costs 0.29 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.6 points; PBSE is 1.5 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DDTS vs PBSE: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDDTSPBSE
Return
Total return, 1 year+10.1%+8.5%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.50%
Net assets$33m$50m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Sep 12, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026 · 59 weekly returns · each against SPY
DDTS PBSE
Return
Total return edge DDTS +9.9% +8.8%
Annualized edge DDTS +8.7% +7.7%
Price return edge DDTS +9.9% +8.8%
Risk
Volatility edge PBSE 5.4% 4.0%
Max drawdown edge PBSE −3.9% −2.8%
Downside capture 44.6% 32.2%
Beta 0.43 0.31
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge PBSE (slight) 0.86 0.91
Sortino edge PBSE (slight) 1.45 1.55
Treynor 0.110 0.118
Calmar edge PBSE 2.23 2.77
Against the benchmark
Alpha +0.3% a year +0.4% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.14 0.28
Information ratio −0.80 −0.81
Tracking error 7.1% 8.3%
Reading

From Sep 2025 to Oct 2026, DDTS returned more: +9.9% to +8.8%. PBSE swung less: 4.0% to 5.4%. PBSE fell less at its worst: −2.8% to −3.9%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: DDTS vs PBSE: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureDDTSPBSESPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+9.9%+8.8%DDTSPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+8.7%+7.7%DDTSTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+9.9%+8.8%DDTSPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility5.4%4.0%PBSESpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation3.2%2.4%PBSELike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−3.9%−2.8%PBSEDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture36.7%27.7%100.0%DDTSShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture44.6%32.2%100.0%PBSEShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.430.311.00PBSE lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.860.841.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.860.91PBSE (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino1.451.55PBSE (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1100.1180.104PBSE (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar2.232.77PBSEAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+0.3% a year+0.4% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.140.28Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−3.6% to +4.1%−2.6% to +3.5%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.80−0.81TieReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error7.1%8.3%0.0%Not an edgeHow far weekly returns stray from the benchmark, annualized.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 59 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: DDTS vs PBSE: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowDDTSPBSEDDTSPBSE
3 months+1.0%+1.0%+1.4 pts+1.4 pts
6 months+3.9%+3.5%−0.6 pts−1.0 pts
1 year+10.1%+8.5%−3.4 pts−5.0 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DDTS Sep 2025 · PBSE May 2024+12.7%+25.5%−7.1 pts−19.2 pts

Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. Open this comparison in the app →

Side by side

DDTS Innovator Equity Dual Directional 10 Buffer ETF - Sep · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 14.7%, over a period ending Aug 31, 2027 PBSE PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF - September · Absorbs the first 20% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 12.3%, over a period ending Aug 31, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 10% 20%
Outcome period Aug 31, 2026 to Aug 31, 2027 Sep 1, 2026 to Aug 31, 2027
Days left 300 300
Starting cap +14.7% +12.3%
Can still gain 13.7% 11.1%
Fall before buffer 0.9% 1.2%
Protection left, index points 9.9% of 10.0% 20.0% of 20.0%
Index return this period −0.1% 0.0%
Fund return this period +0.7% +0.7%
State today Buffer working Buffer working
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.50%
Net assets $33m $50m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

Where each one stands today

DDTS resets first, on Aug 31, 2027, 300 days from now; PBSE runs to Aug 31, 2027, 300 days. DDTS can still gain 13.7% before its cap, PBSE 11.1%. A fall from here reaches DDTS’s buffer after 0.9% and PBSE’s after 1.2%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
DDTS

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 13.7% 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 0.0% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 9.9% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 300 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Aug 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

PBSE

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 11.1% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. Protection left, in index points: 20.0% of the 20.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DDTS or PBSE?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DDTS can gain about 13.7% before its cap and PBSE about 11.1%, so DDTS has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DDTS or PBSE?
DDTS ends its outcome period on Aug 31, 2027 and PBSE on Aug 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DDTS or PBSE?
DDTS charges 0.79% a year and PBSE charges 0.50%, so PBSE is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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Sources and dates

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, DDTS against PBSE, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddts-vs-pbse

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