Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

UJAN vs UOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 UJAN can fall 12.9% before its buffer engages and UOCT 5.7%, and UJAN resets 273 days sooner.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $252m for Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - Jan and $271m for Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - Oct.

At a glance
12.9%
UJAN can fall this far before its buffer
5.7%
UOCT can fall this far before its buffer
2.2%
UJAN can still gain
14.4%
UOCT can still gain
UJAN At its cap
At its capUJAN: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +8.3%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +11.4%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.30 pts of buffer+11.4% gain captured−35.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% period start+11.4% capfirst 5 pts are yours to loseTODAY · SPY +12.4%At its capUJAN: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +8.3%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +11.4%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.30 pts of buffer+11.4%−35.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+11.4% capfirst 5 pts are yours to loseTODAY · SPY +12.4%

UJAN: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +8.3%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +11.4%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

UJAN: reference +12.4% since period start, fund +8.3%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +11.4%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
UOCT Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capUOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +15.3%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.30 pts of buffer+14.8% more to the cap−35.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% period start+15.3% capfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%Between buffer and capUOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +15.3%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.30 pts of buffer−35.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+15.3% capfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+0.5% gain captured+14.8% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%

UOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer −5 to −35; cap +15.3%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.79% a year; their one-year returns differ by 0.1 points; UOCT is 1.1 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

UJAN vs UOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureUJANUOCT
Return
Total return, 1 year+10.4%+10.3%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer15.5%5.5%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.79%
Net assets$252m$271m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · UOCT scores higher If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
IQ Buffer Score8.7UJAN72.1UOCT

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

0.3, the lowest in this set 99.7, the highest

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 30, 2026 · 407 weekly returns · each against SPY
UJAN UOCT
Return
Total return edge UOCT (slight) +81.2% +86.1%
Annualized edge UOCT (slight) +7.9% +8.3%
Price return edge Tie +81.2% +81.8%
Risk
Volatility edge UJAN (slight) 6.8% 7.1%
Max drawdown edge UOCT (slight) −13.5% −12.2%
Downside capture 40.9% 42.8%
Beta 0.35 0.36
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge UOCT (slight) 0.74 0.76
Sortino edge UOCT (slight) 1.06 1.11
Treynor 0.144 0.147
Calmar edge UOCT 0.58 0.68
Against the benchmark
Alpha +0.2% a year +0.3% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.16 0.29
Information ratio −0.74 −0.73
Tracking error 12.0% 11.8%
Reading

From Jan 2019 to Oct 2026, UOCT returned slightly more: +86.1% to +81.2%. UJAN swung slightly less: 6.8% to 7.1%. UOCT fell slightly less at its worst: −12.2% to −13.5%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: UJAN vs UOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureUJANUOCTSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+81.2%+86.1%UOCT (slight)Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+7.9%+8.3%UOCT (slight)Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return+81.2%+81.8%TiePrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility6.8%7.1%UJAN (slight)Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation4.7%4.8%UJAN (slight)Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−13.5%−12.2%UOCT (slight)Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture26.0%27.5%100.0%UOCT (slight)Share of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture40.9%42.8%100.0%UJAN (slight)Share of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.350.361.00TieHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.850.861.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.740.76UOCT (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino1.061.11UOCT (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1440.1470.140UOCT (slight)Return above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.580.68UOCTAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+0.2% a year+0.3% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.160.29Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−1.7% to +2.0%−1.6% to +2.2%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.74−0.73TieReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error12.0%11.8%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, 407 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: UJAN vs UOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowUJANUOCTUJANUOCT
3 months+1.9%+1.9%+2.2 pts+2.3 pts
6 months+4.4%+5.1%−0.1 pts+0.6 pts
1 year+10.4%+10.3%−3.2 pts−3.3 pts
3 years+41.1%+37.9%−35.3 pts−38.5 pts
Since launchNot the same days: UJAN Jan 2019 · UOCT Oct 2018+85.5%+77.5%−121.0 pts−85.4 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

UJAN Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - Jan · Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 35.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 11.4%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026 UOCT Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - Oct · Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 35.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 15.3%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 5% to 35% 5% to 35%
Outcome period Dec 31, 2025 to Dec 31, 2026 Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Days left 57 330
Starting cap +11.4% +15.3%
Can still gain 2.2% 14.4%
Fall before buffer 12.9% 5.7%
Protection left, index points 30.0% of 30.0% 30.0% of 30.0%
Index return this period +12.4% +0.5%
Fund return this period +8.3% +0.7%
State today At cap Open
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%
Net assets $252m $271m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

They do not reset together. UJAN has 57 days of its period left and UOCT has 330, 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

UJAN resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 57 days from now; UOCT runs to Sep 30, 2027, 330 days. UJAN can still gain 2.2% before its cap, UOCT 14.4%. A fall from here reaches UJAN’s buffer after 12.9% and UOCT’s after 5.7%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief:

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About each fund
UJAN

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +11.4% 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 2.2% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 12.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 15.5% 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. 57 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

UOCT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 14.4% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 5.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 5.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. 330 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, UJAN or UOCT?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, UJAN can gain about 2.2% before its cap and UOCT about 14.4%, so UOCT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, UJAN or UOCT?
UJAN ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and UOCT on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, UJAN or UOCT?
UJAN and UOCT 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, UJAN against UOCT, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ujan-vs-uoct

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