Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

JANM vs ZFEB: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 JANM can fall 5.2% before its buffer engages and ZFEB 4.3%, and JANM resets 16 days sooner.

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Net assets: $37m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - January, and $146m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr February.

At a glance
5.2%
JANM can fall this far before its buffer
4.3%
ZFEB can fall this far before its buffer
1.5%
JANM can still gain
1.8%
ZFEB can still gain
JANM At its cap
At its capJANM: reference +10.8% since period start, fund +4.6%; buffer 0 to −46; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.45.8 pts of buffer+7% gained−45.8% floor0% period start+7.0% capTODAY · SPY +10.8%At its capJANM: reference +10.8% since period start, fund +4.6%; buffer 0 to −46; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.45.8 pts of buffer−45.8% floor0% start+7.0% cap+7% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +10.8%

JANM: reference +10.8% since period start, fund +4.6%; buffer 0 to −46; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

JANM: reference +10.8% since period start, fund +4.6%; buffer 0 to −46; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
ZFEB At its cap
At its capZFEB: reference +10.8% since period start, fund +3.9%; buffer Floor; cap +6.4%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+6.4%full floor0% period start+6.4% capTODAY · SPY +10.8%At its capZFEB: reference +10.8% since period start, fund +3.9%; buffer Floor; cap +6.4%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+6.4% cap+6.4% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +10.8%

ZFEB: reference +10.8% since period start, fund +3.9%; buffer Floor; cap +6.4%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

ZFEB costs 0.06 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.5 points; ZFEB is 3.9 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

JANM vs ZFEB: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureJANMZFEB
Return
Total return, 1 year+6.3%+5.8%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer9.8%9.7%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.85%0.79%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$37m$145m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: JANM vs ZFEB: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowJANMZFEBJANMZFEB
3 months+1.3%+1.1%+1.6 pts+1.5 pts
6 months+2.9%+2.4%−1.6 pts−2.1 pts
1 year+6.3%+5.8%−7.2 pts−7.7 pts
Since launchNot the same days: JANM Jan 2025 · ZFEB Feb 2025+10.8%+10.7%−16.3 pts−17.5 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

JANM FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - January · Absorbs the first 46% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 7.0%, over a period ending Jan 15, 2027 ZFEB Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr February · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 6.4%, over a period ending Jan 31, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 46% 100%
Outcome period Jan 20, 2026 to Jan 15, 2027 Jan 31, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027
Days left 72 88
Starting cap +7.0% +6.4%
Can still gain 1.5% 1.8%
Fall before buffer 5.2% 4.3%
Protection left, index points 45.8% of 45.8% 100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period +10.8% +10.8%
Fund return this period +4.6% +3.9%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.85% 0.79%
Net assets, JANM as of Nov 3, 2026 and ZFEB as of Nov 4, 2026 $37m $146m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

Both are already at their cap, so neither gains from more rise in the index before the period ends.

Where each one stands today

JANM resets first, on Jan 15, 2027, 72 days from now; ZFEB runs to Jan 31, 2027, 88 days. JANM can still gain 1.5% before its cap, ZFEB 1.8%. A fall from here reaches JANM’s buffer after 5.2% and ZFEB’s after 4.3%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

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About each fund
JANM

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +7.0% 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 1.5% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 5.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 9.8% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 45.8% of the 45.8% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 72 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Jan 15, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

ZFEB

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +6.4% 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 1.8% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 4.3% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 9.7% 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. 88 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Jan 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, JANM or ZFEB?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, JANM can gain about 1.5% before its cap and ZFEB about 1.8%, so ZFEB has more room left this period.
Which resets first, JANM or ZFEB?
JANM ends its outcome period on Jan 15, 2027 and ZFEB on Jan 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, JANM or ZFEB?
JANM charges 0.85% a year and ZFEB charges 0.79%, so ZFEB 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.

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ETFIQ, JANM against ZFEB, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/janm-vs-zfeb

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