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Data as of .

TOCT vs UOCT: which one stands where?

As of Sep 21, 2026 UOCT can fall 14.6% before its buffer engages and TOCT 4.8%, and UOCT resets 365 days sooner.

Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Oct 2027 and Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - Oct.

4.8%TOCT can fall this far before its buffer
14.6%UOCT can fall this far before its buffer
7.5%TOCT can still gain
0.0%UOCT can still gain
TOCTAt its cap
full floor beneath+12.8%full floor0% period start+12.8% capTODAY · SPY +16.2%full floor beneathfull floor0% start+12.8% capTODAY · SPY +16.2%
UOCTAt its cap
30 pts of buffer+11%−35.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% period start+11.0% capTODAY · SPY +16.2%30 pts−35.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+11.0% capTODAY · SPY +16.2%

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

They do not reset together. UOCT has 9 days of its period left and TOCT has 374, 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

UOCT resets first, on Sep 30, 2026, 9 days from now; TOCT runs to Sep 30, 2027, 374 days. TOCT can still gain 7.5% before its cap, UOCT 0.0%. A fall from here reaches TOCT’s buffer after 4.8% and UOCT’s after 14.6%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Every figure is ETFIQ’s own, from the issuer’s published outcome-period terms. A buffer ETF holds FLEX options on its reference index rather than shares, so there is no holdings overlap between two of them to report.

Performance, window by window

TOCT and UOCT over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ.
WindowTotal returnGap to the reference
TOCTUOCTTOCTUOCT
3 months+0.7%+2.9%−1.5 pts+0.6 pts
6 months+3.9%+10.6%−14.1 pts−7.5 pts
1 yearnot published+10.3%not published−6.3 pts
3 yearsnot published+38.8%not published−39.6 pts
Open the live comparison on ETFIQ
TOCT and UOCT on the same fields, as of Sep 21, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
TOCT
Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Oct 2027
Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 12.8%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027
UOCT
Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - Oct
Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 35.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 11.0%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2026
IssuerInnovatorInnovator
Reference indexSPYSPY
Buffer100%5% to 35%
Outcome periodSep 30, 2025 to Sep 30, 2027Sep 30, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Days left3749
Starting cap+12.8%+11.0%
Can still gain7.5%0.0%
Fall before buffer4.8%14.6%
Protection left, index points100.0% of 100.0%30.0% of 30.0%
Index return this period+16.2%+16.2%
Fund return this period+4.2%+10.2%
State todayAt capAt cap
Expense ratio0.79%0.79%
Net assets$14m$178m

TOCT in plain words

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +12.8% for the period on Sep 21, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 7.5% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 4.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 13.9% 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. 374 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

UOCT in plain words

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +11.0% for the period on Sep 21, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 0.0% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 14.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 18.2% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 30.0% of the 30.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 9 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Sep 30, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, TOCT or UOCT?
From their prices on Sep 21, 2026, TOCT can gain about 7.5% before its cap and UOCT about 0.0%, so TOCT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, TOCT or UOCT?
TOCT ends its outcome period on Sep 30, 2027 and UOCT on Sep 30, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, TOCT or UOCT?
TOCT charges 0.79% a year and UOCT charges 0.79%, so TOCT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

Where these figures came from

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.

TOCT against UOCT, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 21, 2026. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, TOCT against UOCT, data as of Sep 21, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/toct-vs-uoct Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

How every figure is computed · Standards and sources