Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
DDTS vs USEP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 USEP can fall 5.6% 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 $245m for Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - Sep.
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.USEP: reference −0.1% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +14.7%; In the unprotected slice. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
USEP: reference −0.1% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +14.7%; In the unprotected slice. Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
Both cost 0.79% a year; their one-year returns differ by 1.1 points; USEP is 7.4 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | DDTS | USEP |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +10.1% | +9.0% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 0.0% | 4.9% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.79% | 0.79% |
| Net assets | $33m | $245m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | DDTS | USEP | DDTS | USEP |
| 3 months | +1.0% | +1.0% | +1.4 pts | +1.4 pts |
| 6 months | +3.9% | +3.7% | −0.6 pts | −0.8 pts |
| 1 year | +10.1% | +9.0% | −3.4 pts | −4.6 pts |
| 3 years | – | +43.2% | – | −33.2 pts |
| Since launchNot the same days: DDTS Sep 2025 · USEP Sep 2019 | +12.7% | +72.9% | −7.1 pts | −90.9 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. USEP 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.
USEP has fallen through its protection. The index is 0.1% below where the buffer stops, and that part of the loss is the holder’s.
Both are Innovator funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.
Where each one stands today
DDTS resets first, on Aug 31, 2027, 300 days from now; USEP runs to Aug 31, 2027, 300 days. DDTS can still gain 13.7% before its cap, USEP 14.0%. A fall from here reaches DDTS’s buffer after 0.9% and USEP’s after 5.6%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
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.
USEP
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 14.0% 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 4.9% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 30.0% of the 30.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.
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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.
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ETFIQ, DDTS against USEP, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddts-vs-usep
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). DDTS against USEP. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddts-vs-usep
[DDTS against USEP (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddts-vs-usep)
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