Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

JAJL vs PJAN: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 PJAN can fall 8.9% before its buffer engages and JAJL 1.9%.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $305m for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 6 Mo Jan/Jul and $1.4bn for Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Jan.

At a glance
1.9%
JAJL can fall this far before its buffer
8.9%
PJAN can fall this far before its buffer
2.1%
JAJL can still gain
2.4%
PJAN can still gain
JAJL Full floor
Full floorJAJL: reference +2.6% since period start, fund +1.7%; buffer Floor; cap +4.1%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% period start+4.1% cap+2.6% gain captured+1.5% more to the capTODAY · SPY +2.6%Full floorJAJL: reference +2.6% since period start, fund +1.7%; buffer Floor; cap +4.1%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+4.1% cap+2.6% gain captured+1.5% more to the capTODAY · SPY +2.6%

JAJL: reference +2.6% since period start, fund +1.7%; buffer Floor; cap +4.1%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.
PJAN At its cap
At its capPJAN: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +9.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+12.3% gain captured−15.0% floor0% period start+12.3% capTODAY · SPY +12.4%At its capPJAN: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +9.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts+12.3%−15.0% floor0% start+12.3% capTODAY · SPY +12.4%

PJAN: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +9.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

PJAN: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +9.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.79% a year; their one-year returns differ by 5.5 points; PJAN is 4.6 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

JAJL vs PJAN: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureJAJLPJAN
Return
Total return, 1 year+5.7%+11.2%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer2.6%11.0%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.79%
Net assets$305m$1.4bn
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Jul 12, 2024 to Oct 30, 2026 · 120 weekly returns · each against SPY
JAJL PJAN
Return
Total return edge PJAN +15.3% +24.9%
Annualized edge PJAN +6.4% +10.1%
Price return edge PJAN +15.3% +24.9%
Risk
Volatility edge JAJL 2.6% 7.0%
Max drawdown edge JAJL −2.0% −9.1%
Downside capture 13.4% 43.8%
Beta 0.14 0.44
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge PJAN (slight) 0.79 0.82
Sortino edge JAJL 1.39 1.21
Treynor 0.143 0.131
Calmar edge JAJL 3.19 1.11
Against the benchmark
Alpha +0.5% a year +0.9% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.47 0.55
Information ratio −0.70 −0.61
Tracking error 12.9% 8.7%
Reading

From Jul 2024 to Oct 2026, PJAN returned more: +24.9% to +15.3%. JAJL swung less: 2.6% to 7.0%. JAJL fell less at its worst: −2.0% to −9.1%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: JAJL vs PJAN: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureJAJLPJANSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+15.3%+24.9%PJANPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+6.4%+10.1%PJANTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+15.3%+24.9%PJANPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility2.6%7.0%JAJLSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation1.5%4.8%JAJLLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−2.0%−9.1%JAJLDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture13.7%34.6%100.0%PJANShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture13.4%43.8%100.0%JAJLShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.140.441.00JAJL lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.690.891.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.790.82PJAN (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino1.391.21JAJLReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1430.1310.111JAJL (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar3.191.11JAJLAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+0.5% a year+0.9% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.470.55Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−1.5% to +2.4%−2.2% to +4.0%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.70−0.61PJANReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error12.9%8.7%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, 120 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: JAJL vs PJAN: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowJAJLPJANJAJLPJAN
3 months+0.8%+1.7%+1.2 pts+2.1 pts
6 months+2.6%+4.8%−1.9 pts+0.3 pts
1 year+5.7%+11.2%−7.9 pts−2.4 pts
3 years–+44.9%–−31.5 pts
Since launchNot the same days: JAJL Jul 2024 · PJAN Jan 2019+16.5%+102.5%−24.1 pts−104.0 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

JAJL Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 6 Mo Jan/Jul · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 4.1%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026 PJAN Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Jan · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 12.3%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 100% 15%
Outcome period Jun 30, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026 Dec 31, 2025 to Dec 31, 2026
Days left 57 57
Starting cap +4.1% +12.3%
Can still gain 2.1% 2.4%
Fall before buffer 1.9% 8.9%
Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +2.6% +12.4%
Fund return this period +1.7% +9.0%
State today Open At cap
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%
Net assets $305m $1.4bn

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

PJAN is already at its cap, so more rise in the index adds nothing to it before the period ends.

Both are Innovator funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.

Where each one stands today

JAJL resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 57 days from now; PJAN runs to Dec 31, 2026, 57 days. JAJL can still gain 2.1% before its cap, PJAN 2.4%. A fall from here reaches JAJL’s buffer after 1.9% and PJAN’s after 8.9%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
JAJL

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 2.1% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 2.6% 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. 57 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

PJAN

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +12.3% for the period on Nov 4, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 2.4% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 8.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 11.0% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, JAJL or PJAN?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, JAJL can gain about 2.1% before its cap and PJAN about 2.4%, so PJAN has more room left this period.
Which resets first, JAJL or PJAN?
JAJL ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and PJAN on Dec 31, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, JAJL or PJAN?
JAJL and PJAN both charge 0.79% a year, so neither 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, JAJL against PJAN, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/jajl-vs-pjan

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