Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

JULW vs ZJUL: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 JULW can fall 3.1% before its buffer engages and ZJUL 1.9%.

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Net assets: $254m on Nov 3, 2026 for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 ETF - Jul, and $193m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr July.

At a glance
3.1%
JULW can fall this far before its buffer
1.9%
ZJUL can fall this far before its buffer
8.8%
JULW can still gain
6.4%
ZJUL can still gain
JULW Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capJULW: reference +2.7% since period start, fund +2.4%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts of buffer+9.5% to cap−20.0% floor0% period start+12.2% cap+2.7% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +2.7%Between buffer and capJULW: reference +2.7% since period start, fund +2.4%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.20 pts−20.0% floor0% start+12.2% cap+2.7% gain captured+9.5% more to the capTODAY · SPY +2.7%

JULW: reference +2.7% since period start, fund +2.4%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

JULW: reference +2.7% since period start, fund +2.4%; buffer 0 to −20; cap +12.2%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
ZJUL Full floor
Full floorZJUL: reference +2.6% since period start, fund +1.7%; buffer Floor; cap +8.4%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% period start+8.4% cap+2.6% gain captured+5.8% more to the capTODAY · SPY +2.6%Full floorZJUL: reference +2.6% since period start, fund +1.7%; buffer Floor; cap +8.4%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+8.4% cap+2.6% gain captured+5.8% more to the capTODAY · SPY +2.6%

ZJUL: reference +2.6% since period start, fund +1.7%; buffer Floor; cap +8.4%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

JULW costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.6 points; JULW is 1.3 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

JULW vs ZJUL: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureJULWZJUL
Return
Total return, 1 year+8.3%+5.7%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer2.6%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.74%0.79%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$254m$192m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Jul 12, 2024 to Oct 30, 2026 · 120 weekly returns · each against SPY
JULW ZJUL
Return
Total return edge JULW +22.9% +15.4%
Annualized edge JULW +9.4% +6.4%
Price return edge JULW +22.9% +15.4%
Risk
Volatility edge ZJUL 6.8% 4.3%
Max drawdown edge ZJUL −8.3% −5.1%
Downside capture 44.8% 25.7%
Beta 0.43 0.25
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge JULW 0.74 0.50
Sortino edge JULW 1.14 0.77
Treynor 0.117 0.083
Calmar edge ZJUL (slight) 1.12 1.25
Against the benchmark
Alpha +0.3% a year −0.7% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.18 −0.56
Information ratio −0.68 −0.79
Tracking error 8.8% 11.3%
Reading

From Jul 2024 to Oct 2026, JULW returned more: +22.9% to +15.4%. ZJUL swung less: 4.3% to 6.8%. ZJUL fell less at its worst: −5.1% to −8.3%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: JULW vs ZJUL: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureJULWZJULSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+22.9%+15.4%JULWPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+9.4%+6.4%JULWTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+22.9%+15.4%JULWPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility6.8%4.3%ZJULSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation4.4%2.7%ZJULLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−8.3%−5.1%ZJULDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture33.9%19.0%100.0%JULWShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture44.8%25.7%100.0%ZJULShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.430.251.00ZJUL lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.890.801.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.740.50JULWReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino1.140.77JULWReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1170.0830.111JULWReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar1.121.25ZJUL (slight)Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+0.3% a year−0.7% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.18−0.56Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−2.7% to +3.3%−3.2% to +1.8%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.68−0.79JULWReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error8.8%11.3%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, 120 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: JULW vs ZJUL: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowJULWZJULJULWZJUL
3 months+0.8%+0.7%+1.1 pts+1.0 pts
6 months+3.4%+2.5%−1.1 pts−2.0 pts
1 year+8.3%+5.7%−5.2 pts−7.9 pts
3 years+40.4%–−36.0 pts–
Since launchNot the same days: JULW Jul 2020 · ZJUL Jul 2024+71.7%+17.0%−75.3 pts−23.6 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

JULW AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 ETF - Jul · Absorbs the first 20% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 12.2%, over a period ending Jun 30, 2027 ZJUL Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr July · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 8.4%, over a period ending Jun 30, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 20% 100%
Outcome period Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027 Jun 30, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027
Days left 238 238
Starting cap +12.2% +8.4%
Can still gain 8.8% 6.4%
Fall before buffer 3.1% 1.9%
Protection left, index points 20.0% of 20.0% 100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period +2.7% +2.6%
Fund return this period +2.4% +1.7%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.74% 0.79%
Net assets, JULW as of Nov 3, 2026 and ZJUL as of Nov 4, 2026 $254m $193m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

Where each one stands today

JULW resets first, on Jun 30, 2027, 238 days from now; ZJUL runs to Jun 30, 2027, 238 days. JULW can still gain 8.8% before its cap, ZJUL 6.4%. A fall from here reaches JULW’s buffer after 3.1% and ZJUL’s after 1.9%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
JULW

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 8.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 3.1% 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: 20.0% of the 20.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 238 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Jun 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

ZJUL

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 6.4% 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. Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, JULW or ZJUL?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, JULW can gain about 8.8% before its cap and ZJUL about 6.4%, so JULW has more room left this period.
Which resets first, JULW or ZJUL?
JULW ends its outcome period on Jun 30, 2027 and ZJUL on Jun 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, JULW or ZJUL?
JULW charges 0.74% a year and ZJUL charges 0.79%, so JULW 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, JULW against ZJUL, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/julw-vs-zjul

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