Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

FLAO vs ZOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 FLAO can fall 5.8% before its buffer engages and ZOCT 0.8%, 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 $227m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr October.

At a glance
5.8%
FLAO can fall this far before its buffer
0.8%
ZOCT can fall this far before its buffer
6.2%
FLAO can still gain
8.5%
ZOCT 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.
ZOCT Full floor
Full floorZOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer Floor; cap +9.4%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+8.9% to capfull floor0% period start+9.4% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%Full floorZOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer Floor; cap +9.4%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+9.4% cap+0.5% gain captured+8.9% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%

ZOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer Floor; cap +9.4%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

FLAO costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 3.5 points; ZOCT is far larger, $225m against $8.6m.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

FLAO vs ZOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureFLAOZOCT
Return
Total return, 1 year+2.7%+6.2%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer5.5%0.5%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.74%0.79%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$8.6m$225m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Oct 11, 2024 to Oct 30, 2026 · 107 weekly returns · each against SPY
FLAO ZOCT
Return
Total return edge ZOCT +5.3% +12.4%
Annualized edge ZOCT +2.6% +5.8%
Price return edge ZOCT +5.3% +12.4%
Risk
Volatility edge ZOCT 6.0% 2.8%
Max drawdown edge ZOCT −9.7% −3.1%
Downside capture 49.4% 17.1%
Beta 0.36 0.18
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge ZOCT −0.22 0.60
Sortino edge ZOCT −0.29 0.91
Treynor −0.037 0.094
Calmar edge ZOCT 0.26 1.89
Against the benchmark
Alpha −5.3% a year −0.3% a year
Alpha t-stat −2.80 −0.47
Information ratio −1.25 −0.77
Tracking error 9.9% 12.3%
Reading

From Oct 2024 to Oct 2026, ZOCT returned more: +12.4% to +5.3%. ZOCT swung less: 2.8% to 6.0%. ZOCT fell less at its worst: −3.1% to −9.7%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: FLAO vs ZOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureFLAOZOCTSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+5.3%+12.4%ZOCTPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+2.6%+5.8%ZOCTTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+5.3%+12.4%ZOCTPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility6.0%2.8%ZOCTSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation4.6%1.8%ZOCTLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−9.7%−3.1%ZOCTDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture24.7%14.5%100.0%FLAOShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture49.4%17.1%100.0%ZOCTShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.360.181.00ZOCT lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.800.901.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe−0.220.60ZOCTReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino−0.290.91ZOCTReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor−0.0370.0940.111ZOCTReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.261.89ZOCTAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha−5.3% a year−0.3% a year0.0%FLAO significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−2.80−0.47Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−9.1% to −1.6%−1.6% to +1.0%ZOCT's includes zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−1.25−0.77ZOCTReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error9.9%12.3%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, 107 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: FLAO vs ZOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowFLAOZOCTFLAOZOCT
3 months+1.2%+1.7%+1.6 pts+2.1 pts
6 months+3.1%+3.4%−1.4 pts−1.1 pts
1 year+2.7%+6.2%−10.8 pts−7.3 pts
Since launchNot the same days: FLAO Apr 2024 · ZOCT Oct 2024+15.5%+12.8%−31.4 pts−22.0 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

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 ZOCT Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr October · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 9.4%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 5% to 100% 100%
Outcome period Oct 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Days left 147 330
Starting cap +7.1% +9.4%
Can still gain 6.2% 8.5%
Fall before buffer 5.8% 0.8%
Protection left, index points 95.0% of 95.0% 100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period +0.5% +0.5%
Fund return this period +0.5% +0.8%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.74% 0.79%
Net assets, FLAO as of Nov 3, 2026 and ZOCT as of Nov 4, 2026 $8.6m $227m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

They do not reset together. FLAO has 147 days of its period left and ZOCT 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; ZOCT runs to Sep 30, 2027, 330 days. FLAO can still gain 6.2% before its cap, ZOCT 8.5%. A fall from here reaches FLAO’s buffer after 5.8% and ZOCT’s after 0.8%. 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.

ZOCT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 8.5% 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. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% 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 ZOCT?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, FLAO can gain about 6.2% before its cap and ZOCT about 8.5%, so ZOCT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, FLAO or ZOCT?
FLAO ends its outcome period on Mar 31, 2027 and ZOCT on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, FLAO or ZOCT?
FLAO charges 0.74% a year and ZOCT 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 ZOCT, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/flao-vs-zoct

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