Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

UJAN vs XDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 UJAN can fall 12.9% before its buffer engages and XDEC 8.4%, and XDEC resets 13 days sooner.

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Net assets: $252m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - Jan, and $208m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - December.

At a glance
12.9%
UJAN can fall this far before its buffer
8.4%
XDEC can fall this far before its buffer
2.2%
UJAN can still gain
0.9%
XDEC 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.
XDEC At its cap
At its capXDEC: reference +12.7% since period start, fund +8.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts of buffer+10.1% gained−15.0% floor0% period start+10.1% capTODAY · SPY +12.7%At its capXDEC: reference +12.7% since period start, fund +8.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.15 pts−15.0% floor0% start+10.1% cap+10.1% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +12.7%

XDEC: reference +12.7% since period start, fund +8.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XDEC: reference +12.7% since period start, fund +8.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.1%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

UJAN costs 0.06 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.0 point; UJAN is 1.2 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

UJAN vs XDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureUJANXDEC
Return
Total return, 1 year+10.4%+9.4%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer15.5%11.2%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$250m$208m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Risk and return

Dec 31, 2021 to Oct 30, 2026 · 252 weekly returns · each against SPY
UJAN XDEC
Return
Total return edge UJAN (slight) +47.0% +42.6%
Annualized edge UJAN (slight) +8.3% +7.6%
Price return edge UJAN (slight) +47.0% +42.6%
Risk
Volatility edge UJAN 6.4% 7.5%
Max drawdown edge UJAN −8.5% −10.9%
Downside capture 40.2% 44.1%
Beta 0.35 0.43
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge UJAN 0.64 0.47
Sortino edge UJAN 0.97 0.69
Treynor 0.117 0.082
Calmar edge UJAN 0.97 0.70
Against the benchmark
Alpha +1.2% a year 0.0% a year
Alpha t-stat 0.94 0.03
Information ratio −0.37 −0.48
Tracking error 11.0% 9.7%
Reading

From Dec 2021 to Oct 2026, UJAN returned slightly more: +47.0% to +42.6%. UJAN swung less: 6.4% to 7.5%. UJAN fell less at its worst: −8.5% to −10.9%.

Full scorecard

19 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: UJAN vs XDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureUJANXDECSPYEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+47.0%+42.6%UJAN (slight)Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+8.3%+7.6%UJAN (slight)Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return+47.0%+42.6%UJAN (slight)Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility6.4%7.5%UJANSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation4.2%5.1%UJANLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−8.5%−10.9%UJANDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Upside capture29.3%30.5%100.0%XDEC (slight)Share of its benchmark's rise caught in the weeks it rose.
Downside capture40.2%44.1%100.0%UJAN (slight)Share of its benchmark's fall taken in the weeks it fell. Lower is better.
Beta0.350.431.00UJAN lowerHow far it moves for each 1% its benchmark moves.
R squared0.800.881.00Not an edgeShare of its weekly moves its benchmark explains.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.640.47UJANReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.970.69UJANReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Treynor0.1170.0820.082UJANReturn above Treasury bills per unit of beta.
Calmar0.970.70UJANAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.
Against the benchmark
BenchmarkSPYSPYSPYThe ETF each fund is measured against.
Alpha+1.2% a year0.0% a year0.0%Not significantYearly return beyond what its beta to the benchmark predicts.
Alpha t-stat0.940.03Not an edgeHow sure the alpha is. Below 2, it could be chance.
Alpha range−1.3% to +3.8%−2.3% to +2.4%Both include zeroThe 95% range for the yearly alpha.
Information ratio−0.37−0.48UJANReturn against its benchmark per unit of tracking error.
Tracking error11.0%9.7%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, 252 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: UJAN vs XDEC: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowUJANXDECUJANXDEC
3 months+1.9%+1.7%+2.2 pts+2.1 pts
6 months+4.4%+4.3%−0.1 pts−0.1 pts
1 year+10.4%+9.4%−3.2 pts−4.1 pts
3 years+41.1%+31.9%−35.3 pts−44.5 pts
Since launchNot the same days: UJAN Jan 2019 · XDEC Dec 2021+85.5%+46.1%−121.0 pts−22.4 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 XDEC FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - December · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 10.1%, over a period ending Dec 18, 2026
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 5% to 35% 15%
Outcome period Dec 31, 2025 to Dec 31, 2026 Dec 22, 2025 to Dec 18, 2026
Days left 57 44
Starting cap +11.4% +10.1%
Can still gain 2.2% 0.9%
Fall before buffer 12.9% 8.4%
Protection left, index points 30.0% of 30.0% 15.0% of 15.0%
Index return this period +12.4% +12.7%
Fund return this period +8.3% +8.2%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.85%
Net assets, UJAN as of Nov 4, 2026 and XDEC as of Nov 3, 2026 $252m $208m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

Both are already at their cap, so neither gains from more rise in the index before the period ends.

Where each one stands today

XDEC resets first, on Dec 18, 2026, 44 days from now; UJAN runs to Dec 31, 2026, 57 days. UJAN can still gain 2.2% before its cap, XDEC 0.9%. A fall from here reaches UJAN’s buffer after 12.9% and XDEC’s after 8.4%. 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.

XDEC

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +10.1% 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 0.9% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 8.4% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 11.2% 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. 44 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Dec 18, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, UJAN or XDEC?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, UJAN can gain about 2.2% before its cap and XDEC about 0.9%, so UJAN has more room left this period.
Which resets first, UJAN or XDEC?
UJAN ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and XDEC on Dec 18, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, UJAN or XDEC?
UJAN charges 0.79% a year and XDEC charges 0.85%, so UJAN 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.

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ETFIQ, UJAN against XDEC, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ujan-vs-xdec

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