Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

FLAO vs UOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 FLAO can fall 5.8% before its buffer engages and UOCT 5.7%, and FLAO resets 183 days sooner.

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Net assets: $8.6m on Nov 3, 2026 for AllianzIM U.S. Equity 6 Month Floor5 Apr/Oct ETF - Apr, and $271m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - Oct.

At a glance
5.8%
FLAO can fall this far before its buffer
5.7%
UOCT can fall this far before its buffer
6.2%
FLAO can still gain
14.4%
UOCT can still gain
FLAO Full floor
Full floorFLAO: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to floor; cap +7.1%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor−5.0% buffer start0% period start+7.1% capfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+0.5% gain captured+6.5% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%Full floorFLAO: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to floor; cap +7.1%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+7.1% capfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+0.5% gain captured+6.5% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%

FLAO: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to floor; cap +7.1%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

FLAO: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to floor; cap +7.1%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
UOCT Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capUOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +15.3%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.30 pts of buffer+14.8% more to the cap−35.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% period start+15.3% capfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%Between buffer and capUOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +15.3%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.30 pts of buffer−35.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+15.3% capfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+0.5% gain captured+14.8% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%

UOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +15.3%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

UOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +15.3%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

FLAO costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 7.6 points; UOCT is far larger, $267m against $8.6m.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

FLAO vs UOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureFLAOUOCT
Return
Total return, 1 year+2.7%+10.3%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer5.5%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.74%0.79%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$8.6m$267m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Apr 12, 2024 to Oct 30, 2026 · 133 weekly returns · each against SPY
FLAO UOCT
Return
Total return edge UOCT +16.1% +26.5%
Annualized edge UOCT +6.0% +9.6%
Price return edge UOCT +16.1% +26.5%
Risk
Volatility edge UOCT (slight) 6.9% 6.2%
Max drawdown edge UOCT −9.7% −8.3%
Downside capture 53.0% 42.5%
Beta 0.42 0.40
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge UOCT 0.26 0.82
Sortino edge UOCT 0.37 1.26
Treynor 0.044 0.129
Calmar edge UOCT 0.62 1.16
Against the benchmark
Alpha −3.7% a year −0.1% a year
Alpha t-stat −1.82 −0.08
Information ratio −1.25 −0.89
Tracking error 9.1% 9.1%
Reading

From Apr 2024 to Oct 2026, UOCT returned more: +26.5% to +16.1%. UOCT swung slightly less: 6.2% to 6.9%. UOCT fell less at its worst: −8.3% to −9.7%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: FLAO vs UOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureFLAOUOCTSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+16.1%+26.5%UOCTPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+6.0%+9.6%UOCTTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+16.1%+26.5%UOCTPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility6.9%6.2%UOCT (slight)Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation4.9%4.1%UOCTLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−9.7%−8.3%UOCTDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture31.2%31.7%100.0%TieShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture53.0%42.5%100.0%UOCTShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.420.401.00TieHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.780.851.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.260.82UOCTReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.371.26UOCTReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.0440.1290.133UOCTReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.621.16UOCTAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha−3.7% a year−0.1% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−1.82−0.08Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−7.7% to +0.3%−3.1% to +2.9%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−1.25−0.89UOCTReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error9.1%9.1%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, 133 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: FLAO vs UOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowFLAOUOCTFLAOUOCT
3 months+1.2%+1.9%+1.6 pts+2.3 pts
6 months+3.1%+5.1%−1.4 pts+0.6 pts
1 year+2.7%+10.3%−10.8 pts−3.3 pts
3 years–+37.9%–−38.5 pts
Since launchNot the same days: FLAO Apr 2024 · UOCT Oct 2018+15.5%+77.5%−31.4 pts−85.4 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

FLAO AllianzIM U.S. Equity 6 Month Floor5 Apr/Oct 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 UOCT Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - Oct · Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 35.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 15.3%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 5% to 100% 5% to 35%
Outcome period Oct 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Days left 147 330
Starting cap +7.1% +15.3%
Can still gain 6.2% 14.4%
Fall before buffer 5.8% 5.7%
Protection left, index points 95.0% of 95.0% 30.0% of 30.0%
Index return this period +0.5% +0.5%
Fund return this period +0.5% +0.7%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.74% 0.79%
Net assets, FLAO as of Nov 3, 2026 and UOCT as of Nov 4, 2026 $8.6m $271m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

These are two different products. FLAO is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. UOCT 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. FLAO has 147 days of its period left and UOCT has 330, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

Where each one stands today

FLAO resets first, on Mar 31, 2027, 147 days from now; UOCT runs to Sep 30, 2027, 330 days. FLAO can still gain 6.2% before its cap, UOCT 14.4%. A fall from here reaches FLAO’s buffer after 5.8% and UOCT’s after 5.7%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
FLAO

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 6.2% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 5.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 5.5% 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. 147 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Mar 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

UOCT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 14.4% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 5.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. Protection left, in index points: 30.0% of the 30.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 330 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, FLAO or UOCT?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, FLAO can gain about 6.2% before its cap and UOCT about 14.4%, so UOCT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, FLAO or UOCT?
FLAO ends its outcome period on Mar 31, 2027 and UOCT on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, FLAO or UOCT?
FLAO charges 0.74% a year and UOCT charges 0.79%, so FLAO 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, FLAO against UOCT, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/flao-vs-uoct

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