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Data as of .

TOCT vs ZOCT: which one stands where?

As of Sep 21, 2026 ZOCT can fall 6.1% before its buffer engages and TOCT 4.8%, and ZOCT resets 365 days sooner.

Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Oct 2027 and Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr October.

4.8%TOCT can fall this far before its buffer
6.1%ZOCT can fall this far before its buffer
7.5%TOCT can still gain
0.1%ZOCT 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%
ZOCTAt its cap
full floor beneathfull floor0% period start+6.5% capTODAY · SPY +16.2%full floor beneathfull floor0% start+6.5% capTODAY · SPY +16.2%

They do not reset together. ZOCT 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

ZOCT 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, ZOCT 0.1%. A fall from here reaches TOCT’s buffer after 4.8% and ZOCT’s after 6.1%. 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 ZOCT over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ.
WindowTotal returnGap to the reference
TOCTZOCTTOCTZOCT
3 months+0.7%+1.6%−1.5 pts−0.6 pts
6 months+3.9%+5.0%−14.1 pts−13.1 pts
1 yearnot published+5.7%not published−10.9 pts
Open the live comparison on ETFIQ
TOCT and ZOCT 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
ZOCT
Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr October
Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 6.5%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2026
IssuerInnovatorInnovator
Reference indexSPYSPY
Buffer100%100%
Outcome periodSep 30, 2025 to Sep 30, 2027Sep 30, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Days left3749
Starting cap+12.8%+6.5%
Can still gain7.5%0.1%
Fall before buffer4.8%6.1%
Protection left, index points100.0% of 100.0%100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period+16.2%+16.2%
Fund return this period+4.2%+5.6%
State todayAt capAt cap
Expense ratio0.79%0.79%
Net assets$14m$105m

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.

ZOCT in plain words

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +6.5% 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 0.1% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 6.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. 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 ZOCT?
From their prices on Sep 21, 2026, TOCT can gain about 7.5% before its cap and ZOCT about 0.1%, so TOCT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, TOCT or ZOCT?
TOCT ends its outcome period on Sep 30, 2027 and ZOCT on Sep 30, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, TOCT or ZOCT?
TOCT charges 0.79% a year and ZOCT 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 ZOCT, 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 ZOCT, data as of Sep 21, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/toct-vs-zoct Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

How every figure is computed · Standards and sources