Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
DDTS vs ZSEP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 DDTS can fall 0.9% before its buffer engages and ZSEP 0.8%.
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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $33m for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 10 Buffer ETF - Sep and $263m for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr September.
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.ZSEP: reference −0.1% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer Floor; cap +8.9%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
Both cost 0.79% a year; their one-year returns differ by 4.6 points; ZSEP is 8.0 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | DDTS | ZSEP |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +10.1% | +5.5% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 0.0% | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.79% | 0.79% |
| Net assets | $33m | $263m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | DDTS | ZSEP | DDTS | ZSEP |
| 3 months | +1.0% | +1.0% | +1.4 pts | +1.4 pts |
| 6 months | +3.9% | +2.5% | −0.6 pts | −2.0 pts |
| 1 year | +10.1% | +5.5% | −3.4 pts | −8.1 pts |
| Since launchNot the same days: DDTS Sep 2025 · ZSEP Sep 2024 | +12.7% | +14.1% | −7.1 pts | −24.8 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
As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
These are two different products. ZSEP 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.
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; ZSEP runs to Aug 31, 2027, 300 days. DDTS can still gain 13.7% before its cap, ZSEP 8.1%. A fall from here reaches DDTS’s buffer after 0.9% and ZSEP’s after 0.8%. 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.
ZSEP
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 8.1% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. Protection left, in index points: 99.9% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.
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, DDTS against ZSEP, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddts-vs-zsep
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). DDTS against ZSEP. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddts-vs-zsep
[DDTS against ZSEP (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddts-vs-zsep)
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