Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

TJUL vs ZJUL: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 TJUL can fall 8.2% before its buffer engages and ZJUL 1.9%.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $114m for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Jul 2027 and $193m for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr July.

At a glance
8.2%
TJUL can fall this far before its buffer
1.9%
ZJUL can fall this far before its buffer
4.5%
TJUL can still gain
6.4%
ZJUL can still gain
TJUL At its cap
At its capTJUL: reference +24.1% since period start, fund +7.6%; buffer Floor; cap +13.6%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+13.6% gain capturedfull floor0% period start+13.6% capTODAY · SPY +24.1%At its capTJUL: reference +24.1% since period start, fund +7.6%; buffer Floor; cap +13.6%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+13.6%full floor0% start+13.6% capTODAY · SPY +24.1%

TJUL: reference +24.1% since period start, fund +7.6%; buffer Floor; cap +13.6%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

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

Both cost 0.79% a year; their one-year returns differ by 0.7 points; ZJUL is 1.7 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

TJUL vs ZJUL: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureTJULZJUL
Return
Total return, 1 year+5.0%+5.7%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer19.4%2.6%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.79%
Net assets$114m$193m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Jul 12, 2024 to Oct 30, 2026 · 120 weekly returns · each against SPY
TJUL ZJUL
Return
Total return edge ZJUL (slight) +14.0% +15.4%
Annualized edge ZJUL (slight) +5.8% +6.4%
Price return edge ZJUL (slight) +14.0% +15.4%
Risk
Volatility edge TJUL 3.4% 4.3%
Max drawdown edge TJUL −3.6% −5.1%
Downside capture 17.0% 25.7%
Beta 0.20 0.25
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge ZJUL (slight) 0.46 0.50
Sortino edge ZJUL 0.63 0.77
Treynor 0.078 0.083
Calmar edge TJUL 1.63 1.25
Against the benchmark
Alpha −0.7% a year −0.7% a year
Alpha t-stat −0.62 −0.56
Information ratio −0.79 −0.79
Tracking error 12.1% 11.3%
Reading

From Jul 2024 to Oct 2026, ZJUL returned slightly more: +15.4% to +14.0%. TJUL swung less: 3.4% to 4.3%. TJUL fell less at its worst: −3.6% to −5.1%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: TJUL vs ZJUL: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureTJULZJULSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+14.0%+15.4%ZJUL (slight)Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+5.8%+6.4%ZJUL (slight)Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return+14.0%+15.4%ZJUL (slight)Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility3.4%4.3%TJULSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation2.5%2.7%TJUL (slight)Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−3.6%−5.1%TJULDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture14.3%19.0%100.0%ZJULShare of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture17.0%25.7%100.0%TJULShare of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.200.251.00TJUL lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.780.801.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.460.50ZJUL (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.630.77ZJULReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.0780.0830.111ZJUL (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar1.631.25TJULAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha−0.7% a year−0.7% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat−0.62−0.56Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−2.8% to +1.4%−3.2% to +1.8%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.79−0.79TieReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error12.1%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: TJUL vs ZJUL: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowTJULZJULTJULZJUL
3 months+1.2%+0.7%+1.6 pts+1.0 pts
6 months+2.4%+2.5%−2.1 pts−2.0 pts
1 year+5.0%+5.7%−8.6 pts−7.9 pts
3 years+25.0%–−51.4 pts–
Since launchNot the same days: TJUL Jul 2023 · ZJUL Jul 2024+23.8%+17.0%−45.0 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

TJUL Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Jul 2027 · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 13.6%, 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 100% 100%
Outcome period Jun 30, 2025 to Jun 30, 2027 Jun 30, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027
Days left 238 238
Starting cap +13.6% +8.4%
Can still gain 4.5% 6.4%
Fall before buffer 8.2% 1.9%
Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period +24.1% +2.6%
Fund return this period +7.6% +1.7%
State today At cap Open
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%
Net assets $114m $193m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

TJUL 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

TJUL resets first, on Jun 30, 2027, 238 days from now; ZJUL runs to Jun 30, 2027, 238 days. TJUL can still gain 4.5% before its cap, ZJUL 6.4%. A fall from here reaches TJUL’s buffer after 8.2% 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
TJUL

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +13.6% 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 4.5% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 8.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 19.4% 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. 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. In index terms, SPY can fall 2.6% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, TJUL or ZJUL?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, TJUL can gain about 4.5% before its cap and ZJUL about 6.4%, so ZJUL has more room left this period.
Which resets first, TJUL or ZJUL?
TJUL 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, TJUL or ZJUL?
TJUL and ZJUL 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, TJUL against ZJUL, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/tjul-vs-zjul

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