Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

PJAN vs POCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Oct 28, 2026 PJAN can fall 8.9% before its buffer engages and POCT 1.1%, and PJAN resets 273 days sooner.

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Net assets on Oct 28, 2026: $1.4bn for Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Jan and $1.1bn for Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Oct.

At a glance
8.9%
PJAN can fall this far before its buffer
1.1%
POCT can fall this far before its buffer
2.4%
PJAN can still gain
14.4%
POCT can still gain
PJAN At its cap
At its capPJAN: reference +13.2% since period start, fund +8.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.3%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.15 pts of buffer+12.3% gain captured−15.0% floor0% period start+12.3% capTODAY · SPY +13.2%At its capPJAN: reference +13.2% since period start, fund +8.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.3%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.15 pts+12.3%−15.0% floor0% start+12.3% capTODAY · SPY +13.2%

PJAN: reference +13.2% since period start, fund +8.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.3%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

PJAN: reference +13.2% since period start, fund +8.9%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +12.3%; At its cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.
POCT Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capPOCT: reference +1.2% since period start, fund +1.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +15.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.15 pts of buffer+14.4% more to the cap−15.0% floor0% period start+15.6% cap+1.2% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +1.2%Between buffer and capPOCT: reference +1.2% since period start, fund +1.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +15.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.15 pts+14.4% to cap−15.0% floor0% start+15.6% cap+1.2% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +1.2%

POCT: reference +1.2% since period start, fund +1.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +15.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Oct 28, 2026.

Data to Oct 28, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.79% a year; their one-year returns differ by 0.1 points; PJAN is 1.3 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

PJAN vs POCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasurePJANPOCT
Return
Total return, 1 year+10.8%+10.7%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer11.6%1.2%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.79%
Net assets$1.4bn$1.1bn
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · POCT scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score52.2PJAN86.1POCT

How much of a bear-market fall the buffer would absorb from today's level, ranked against 292 buffer ETFs on stocks with a live outcome period. 100 is best. How it is computed

0.2, the lowest in this set 99.8, the highest

A percentile among the 292 buffer ETFs on stocks with a live outcome period. Today's position against one 20% fall; it ignores smaller falls, and stock buffers are never ranked against bond or commodity ones. All buffer ETFs ranked by it →

Method

Risk and return

Jan 11, 2019 to Oct 23, 2026 · 406 weekly returns · each against SPY
PJAN POCT
Return
Total return edge POCT +97.6% +109.3%
Annualized edge POCT (slight) +9.1% +9.9%
Price return edge POCT (slight) +97.6% +104.7%
Risk
Volatility edge POCT (slight) 9.2% 8.8%
Max drawdown edge POCT (slight) −18.8% −17.6%
Downside capture 53.2% 48.6%
Beta 0.49 0.46
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge POCT 0.69 0.80
Sortino edge POCT 0.99 1.16
Treynor 0.130 0.153
Calmar edge POCT 0.49 0.56
Against the benchmark
Alpha −0.5% a year +0.6% a year
Alpha t-stat −0.53 0.54
Information ratio −0.80 −0.69
Tracking error 9.7% 10.2%
Reading

POCT returned more: +109.3% to +97.6%. POCT swung slightly less: 8.8% to 9.2%. POCT fell slightly less at its worst: −17.6% to −18.8%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: PJAN vs POCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasurePJANPOCTSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+97.6%+109.3%POCTPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+9.1%+9.9%POCT (slight)Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return+97.6%+104.7%POCT (slight)Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility9.2%8.8%POCT (slight)Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation6.4%6.1%POCT (slight)Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−18.8%−17.6%POCT (slight)Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture34.9%33.2%100.0%PJAN (slight)Share of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture53.2%48.6%100.0%POCT (slight)Share of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.490.461.00POCT lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.910.891.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.690.80POCTReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.991.16POCTReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1300.1530.141POCTReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.490.56POCTAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha−0.5% a year+0.6% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−0.530.54Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−2.5% to +1.4%−1.5% to +2.6%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.80−0.69POCTReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error9.7%10.2%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, 406 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: PJAN vs POCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowPJANPOCTPJANPOCT
3 months+3.7%+4.6%−2.1 pts−1.3 pts
6 months+5.9%+6.8%−2.7 pts−1.7 pts
1 year+10.8%+10.7%−1.7 pts−1.7 pts
3 years+51.5%+45.4%−36.6 pts−42.7 pts
Since launchNot the same days: PJAN Jan 2019 · POCT Oct 2018+102.4%+100.9%−106.3 pts−63.8 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

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 POCT Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Oct · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 15.6%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 15% 15%
Outcome period Dec 31, 2025 to Dec 31, 2026 Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Days left 64 337
Starting cap +12.3% +15.6%
Can still gain 2.4% 14.4%
Fall before buffer 8.9% 1.1%
Protection left, index points 15.0% of 15.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +13.2% +1.2%
Fund return this period +8.9% +1.0%
State today At cap Open
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%
Net assets $1.4bn $1.1bn

As of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

They do not reset together. PJAN has 64 days of its period left and POCT has 337, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

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

Where each one stands today

PJAN resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 64 days from now; POCT runs to Sep 30, 2027, 337 days. PJAN can still gain 2.4% before its cap, POCT 14.4%. A fall from here reaches PJAN’s buffer after 8.9% and POCT’s after 1.1%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-027D85DF2B

PJAN and POCT are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

  1. Protection and cap. PJAN: Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 12.3%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026. POCT: Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 15.6%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027. The starting caps are 3.3 points apart.
  2. Outcome period. PJAN runs Dec 31, 2025 to Dec 31, 2026 with 64 days left; POCT runs Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027 with 337 days left.
  3. What each follows (similar). Both follow SPY.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund
PJAN

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +12.3% for the period on Oct 28, 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 11.6% 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. 64 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

POCT

From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 14.4% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 1.2% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. 337 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, PJAN or POCT?
From their prices on Oct 28, 2026, PJAN can gain about 2.4% before its cap and POCT about 14.4%, so POCT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, PJAN or POCT?
PJAN ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and POCT on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, PJAN or POCT?
PJAN and POCT both charge 0.79% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where to next
Sources and dates

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

It is a place in a set, not a rating or a recommendation.

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, PJAN against POCT, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/pjan-vs-poct

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