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Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

XBOC vs ZALT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 XBOC can fall 0.9% before its buffer engages and ZALT 0.8%, and ZALT resets 273 days sooner.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $60m for Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated 9 Buffer ETF - Oct and $845m for Innovator U.S. Equity 10 Buffer ETF - Quarterly.

XBOC on its own →ZALT on its own →
At a glance
0.9%
XBOC can fall this far before its buffer
0.8%
ZALT can fall this far before its buffer
12.7%
XBOC can still gain
2.8%
ZALT can still gain
XBOC Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capXBOC: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +13.7%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.9 pts of buffer+13.2% more to the cap−9.0% floor0% period start+13.7% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%Between buffer and capXBOC: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +13.7%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.9 pts+13.2% to cap−9.0% floor0% start+13.7% cap+0.5% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +0.5%

XBOC: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +13.7%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XBOC: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +13.7%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
ZALT Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capZALT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +3.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.10 pts of buffer−10.0% floor0% period start+3.6% cap+0.5% gain captured+3.1% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%Between buffer and capZALT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +3.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.10 pts−10.0% floor0% start+3.6% cap+0.5% gain captured+3.1% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%

ZALT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +3.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

ZALT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +3.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

ZALT costs 0.10 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 3.3 points; ZALT is 14.1 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

XBOC vs ZALT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureXBOCZALT
Return
Total return, 1 year+11.4%+8.1%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer0.5%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.69%
Net assets$60m$845m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: XBOC vs ZALT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowXBOCZALTXBOCZALT
3 months+1.8%+1.2%+2.2 pts+1.6 pts
6 months+4.9%+3.6%+0.4 pts−0.9 pts
1 year+11.4%+8.1%−2.1 pts−5.4 pts
3 years+37.8%+34.2%−38.6 pts−42.2 pts
Since launchNot the same days: XBOC Oct 2021 · ZALT Oct 2023+51.6%+35.9%−25.0 pts−43.6 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

XBOC Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated 9 Buffer ETF - Oct · Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 13.7%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027 ZALT Innovator U.S. Equity 10 Buffer ETF - Quarterly · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 3.6%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026
Issuer Innovator Innovator
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 9% 10%
Outcome period Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027 Sep 30, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026
Days left 330 57
Starting cap +13.7% +3.6%
Can still gain 12.7% 2.8%
Fall before buffer 0.9% 0.8%
Protection left, index points 9.0% of 9.0% 10.0% of 10.0%
Index return this period +0.5% +0.5%
Fund return this period +0.8% +0.7%
State today Open Open
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.69%
Net assets $60m $845m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

These are two different products. ZALT is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. XBOC 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. ZALT has 57 days of its period left and XBOC 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

ZALT resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 57 days from now; XBOC runs to Sep 30, 2027, 330 days. XBOC can still gain 12.7% before its cap, ZALT 2.8%. A fall from here reaches XBOC’s buffer after 0.9% and ZALT’s after 0.8%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

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About each fund
XBOC

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 12.7% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 9.0% of the 9.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 330 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

ZALT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 2.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. Protection left, in index points: 10.0% of the 10.0% 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.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, XBOC or ZALT?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, XBOC can gain about 12.7% before its cap and ZALT about 2.8%, so XBOC has more room left this period.
Which resets first, XBOC or ZALT?
XBOC ends its outcome period on Sep 30, 2027 and ZALT on Dec 31, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, XBOC or ZALT?
XBOC charges 0.79% a year and ZALT charges 0.69%, so ZALT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
XBOC vs POCTXBOC vs FSEPXBOC vs BALTXBOC vs PQXXZALT vs AIOOZALT vs PBJAZALT vs AOCTZALT vs DSEP
Where to next
SPY →All buffer ETFs ranked by the Downside Cover Score →How the scores are computed →XBOC on its own →ZALT on its own →Method →Standards and sources →
Sources and dates
XBOC and ZALT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗
Innovator page for XBOC ↗
Innovator page for ZALT ↗

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, XBOC against ZALT, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/xboc-vs-zalt

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