Which paid more, LJAN or LJUL?

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, LJAN paid 4.9% of its starting price in cash and LJUL paid 5.2%, so LJUL paid more. Cash paid is not the same as money made: the price change matters too.

Which returned more once distributions are counted, LJAN or LJUL?

With every distribution reinvested, LJAN returned +5.1% and LJUL +5.3% over the year to Nov 4, 2026.

Which is cheaper, LJAN or LJUL?

LJAN and LJUL both charge 0.79% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Income ETFs

LJAN vs LJUL: Dividend Yield & Total Return

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Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, LJUL paid 5.2% of its price in cash against LJAN’s 4.9% and the two finished level on total return.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $12m for Innovator Premium Income 15 Buffer ETF - January and $9.0m for Innovator Premium Income 15 Buffer ETF - July.

LJAN on its own →LJUL on its own →

At a glance

4.9%

LJAN cash paid, 1 year

5.2%

LJUL cash paid, 1 year

+5.1%

LJAN total return, 1 year

+5.3%

LJUL total return, 1 year

LJAN · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 9.7 pts behind VOO

LJAN

+5.1%

VOO

+14.8%

9.7 pts behind VOO

LJAN over 1 year: paid 4.9%, price +0.1%, total +5.1%, VOO +14.8%, −9.7 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

VOO

+14.8%

LJAN

+5.1%

4.9% of it arrived as cash

9.7 pts behind VOO

Total return, distributions reinvested

9.7 pts behind VOO

LJAN over 1 year: paid 4.9%, price +0.1%, total +5.1%, VOO +14.8%, −9.7 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

VOO

+14.8%

LJAN

+5.1%

9.7 pts behind VOO

4.9% of it arrived as cash. Total return, distributions reinvested. LJAN over 1 year: paid 4.9%, price +0.1%, total +5.1%, VOO +14.8%, −9.7 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

LJUL · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 9.5 pts behind VOO

LJUL

+5.3%

VOO

+14.8%

9.5 pts behind VOO

LJUL over 1 year: paid 5.2%, price 0.0%, total +5.3%, VOO +14.8%, −9.5 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

VOO

+14.8%

LJUL

+5.3%

5.2% of it arrived as cash

9.5 pts behind VOO

Total return, distributions reinvested

9.5 pts behind VOO

LJUL over 1 year: paid 5.2%, price 0.0%, total +5.3%, VOO +14.8%, −9.5 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

VOO

+14.8%

LJUL

+5.3%

9.5 pts behind VOO

5.2% of it arrived as cash. Both charts share one scale, 0 to +14.8%. LJUL over 1 year: paid 5.2%, price 0.0%, total +5.3%, VOO +14.8%, −9.5 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Both charts share one scale, 0 to +14.8%. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.79% a year; their one-year returns differ by 0.2 points; LJAN is 1.3 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

LJAN vs LJUL: Dividend Yield & Total Return
Measure	LJAN	LJUL
Paid and earned
Measure	LJAN	LJUL
Total return, 1 year	+5.1%	+5.3%
Price change, 1 year	rose 0.1%	fell 0.0%
Return of capital, issuer estimate	47% of the Nov 2, 2026 payment	40% of the Nov 2, 2026 payment
Against its benchmark
Measure	LJAN	LJUL
Benchmark	Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, measured through VOO	Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, measured through VOO
Cost and size
Measure	LJAN	LJUL
Expense ratio	0.79%	0.79%
Net assets	$12m	$9.0m
Holdings
Measure	LJAN	LJUL
Holdings in common	0%

ETFIQ Distribution Coverage Score · LJAN scores higher How much of what it paid out did its total return cover?

IQ Income Score60.2LJAN57.8LJUL

How much of its payouts the fund's total return covered, ranked against 167 income ETFs not writing on a single company. 100 is best. How it is computed

LJAN 60.2

LJUL 57.8

0.3, the lowest in this set 99.7, the highest

One year only, and a ratio of two published numbers: it says nothing about where a distribution came from. All income ETFs ranked by it →

Method

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, LJAN and LJUL hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

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Side by side

LJAN Innovator Premium Income 15 Buffer ETF - January · Buffer with income on VOO, paying monthly LJUL Innovator Premium Income 15 Buffer ETF - July · Buffer with income on VOO, paying monthly

Issuer Innovator Innovator

Strategy buffer with income buffer with income

Benchmark Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO)

Pays monthly monthly

Payout rate, annualized 4.9% 5.3%

Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%

Cash paid, 1 year 4.9% 5.2%

Price change, 1 year +0.1% 0.0%

Total return, 1 year +5.1% +5.3%

Benchmark return, 1 year +14.8% +14.8%

Ahead or behind −9.7 pts −9.5 pts

Return of capital, latest estimate 47% 40%

Age 2.8 years 2.3 years

Net assets $12m $9.0m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ. Cash paid: distributions over the window, as a share of the starting price. Payout rate: the latest payment, annualized, over today’s price.

Window by window

Window by window: LJAN vs LJUL: Dividend Yield & Total Return
	Total return		Cash paid		Against the benchmark
Window	LJAN	LJUL	LJAN	LJUL	LJAN	LJUL
3 months	+1.1%	+1.1%	1.2%	1.3%	+1.2 pts	+1.3 pts
6 months	+2.6%	+2.8%	2.4%	2.6%	−2.4 pts	−2.3 pts
1 year	+5.1%	+5.3%	4.9%	5.2%	−9.7 pts	−9.5 pts
Since launchNot the same days: LJAN Jan 2024 · LJUL Jul 2024	+16.7%	+14.0%	14.8%	12.6%	−51.3 pts	−30.5 pts

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About each fund

LJAN

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, LJAN paid 4.9% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 0.1%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +5.1%. Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) returned +14.8% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 9.7 pts. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 4.9%, paid monthly. Innovator estimates that 47% of the distribution paid Nov 2, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice). That is a tax label, not a measure of erosion.

LJUL

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, LJUL paid 5.2% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 0.0%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +5.3%. Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) returned +14.8% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 9.5 pts. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 5.3%, paid monthly. Innovator estimates that 40% of the distribution paid Nov 2, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice).

Questions people ask

Which paid more, LJAN or LJUL?: Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, LJAN paid 4.9% of its starting price in cash and LJUL paid 5.2%, so LJUL paid more. Cash paid is not the same as money made: the price change matters too.
Which returned more once distributions are counted, LJAN or LJUL?: With every distribution reinvested, LJAN returned +5.1% and LJUL +5.3% over the year to Nov 4, 2026.
Which is cheaper, LJAN or LJUL?: LJAN and LJUL both charge 0.79% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

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Where to next

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) →LJAN on its own →LJUL on its own →LJAN dividend history →LJUL dividend history →Method →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

LJAN and LJUL filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

LJAN prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

LJAN 19a-1 distribution notice ↗

Innovator page for LJAN ↗

LJUL prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

LJUL 19a-1 distribution notice ↗

Innovator page for LJUL ↗

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.

Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.

Every number is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.

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ETFIQ, LJAN against LJUL, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/ljan-vs-ljul

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