JULJ vs USEP: Grades, Fees and Holdings Compared

Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF

JULJCCboe

Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF

USEPBCboe

Overlap

0.0%by weight

Expense ratio

JULJ0.79%USEP0.79%

Avg volume · 30D

USEP 18.0×the volume

JULJ2.6KUSEP46.7K

3Y return · a year

USEP +7.1pt

JULJ+6.0%USEP+13.1%

JULJ vs USEP Performance

Oct 31, 2025 – Oct 30, 2026

+4.9%JULJ+7.5%USEP

Expense ratio: JULJ 0.79%; USEP 0.79%
Fund size: JULJ $14M; USEP $243M
1Y total return: JULJ +4.9%; USEP +7.5%, better
Yield (12M): JULJ 5.67%, better; USEP 0.00%
Holdings: JULJ 5; USEP 4
Avg volume (30D): JULJ 2.6K sh; USEP 46.7K sh, better
NAV per share: JULJ $24.88; USEP $41.90
52W range

ETF.net Grade

Pillar letters and Scores for JULJ, USEP, with each pillar’s weight
Pillar	JULJ	USEP
Cost30% weight	C50	C50
Mission25% weight	Not scored	Not scored
Risk15% weight	B68Higher	C43
Tradability15% weight	C45	A72Higher
Holdings10% weight	Not scored	B59
Durability5% weight	F21	B66Higher

Rank among S&P 500 Ultra Buffer 30% funds

How we build Categories ›

Same Category. JULJ and USEP are both graded against the same 13 S&P 500 Ultra Buffer 30% funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

S&P 500 Ultra Buffer 30%⁠

Category · 13 funds

See all 13 ›

USEP ranks 2nd and JULJ 9th of 13 funds in the S&P 500 Ultra Buffer 30% Category.

Rank 1BUJANInnovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETFScore 57
Rank 2BUJUNInnovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - JuneScore 55
Rank 2CUOCTInnovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF OctoberScore 55
Rank 2BUSEPInnovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETFScore 55
Rank 5CUDECInnovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - DecemberScore 52
Rank 6CUMAYInnovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETFScore 51
Rank 9CJULJInnovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETFScore 50
Rank 9CUMARInnovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETFScore 50

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

JULJCInnovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF

USEPBInnovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF

In short

JULJ Most defined-outcome funds trade your upside for a cushion and pay you nothing along the way. JULJ flips the deal: a distribution rate set for each outcome period and paid quarterly, with the first 30% of S&P 500 price losses absorbed.

USEP No data

Stated mandate

JULJ The Fund seeks to provide a defined distribution over each Outcome Period while protecting shareholders from the first 30% of losses in the referenced U.S. equity index over that period.

USEP No data

Why people hold it

JULJ The payoff is written down in advance: a defined distribution rate declared for each outcome period, paid out quarterly.
Deep coverage by design: the structure targets the first 30% of S&P 500 Price Return Index losses over the outcome period.
0.79% a year, under the typical fee in its deep-protection cohort and level with Innovator's own UFEB, though Pacer's Swan SOS conservative funds (PSCX, PSCW) come cheaper.

USEP No data

Worth knowing

JULJ Index appreciation isn't the goal. The stated objective is the defined distribution plus downside protection, so gains beyond that payout aren't what you're buying.
It's a barrier structure, and terms run from the start of an outcome period to its end. Innovator's fund page spells out how the 30% applies and what a mid-period buyer gets.
Small fund, thinly traded. Limit orders and a glance at the spread do real work here.

USEP No data

Full JULJ profile⁠

Full USEP profile⁠

JULJ vs USEP Holdings

How JULJ and USEP differ

Overlap by weight

0.0%

Shared holdings make up 0.5% of USEP and 0.0% of JULJ.

Level by level

Holdings1 in both0.0%
Sector11 Sectors97.8%
Asset classEquity100%
Countryby domicile100%

Sector

Sector weights in JULJ and USEP, widest gap first
Sector	More in JULJMore in USEP	JULJ	USEP
Technology	USEP +1.8 points	38.7%	40.5%
Financials	JULJ +1.0 points	12.1%	11.1%
Consumer Discretionary	JULJ +0.5 points	9.3%	8.8%
Communication	USEP +0.5 points	9.5%	9.9%
Industrials	JULJ +0.2 points	7.8%	7.5%
Consumer Staples	JULJ +0.2 points	4.5%	4.3%
Materials	JULJ +0.1 points	1.7%	1.6%
Utilities	JULJ +0.1 points	2.0%	1.9%
Real Estate	JULJ +0.1 points	1.8%	1.7%
Energy	JULJ +0.1 points	3.5%	3.4%
Health Care	Same weight	9.3%	9.3%

Country, concentration and asset class

Country by domicile

Country weights in JULJ and USEP, widest gap first
Country	More in JULJMore in USEP	JULJ	USEP
United States	Same weight	99.5%	99.5%
Switzerland	Same weight	0.3%	0.3%
China	Same weight	0.1%	0.1%
Mexico	Same weight	0.1%	0.1%
Ireland	Same weight	0.0%	0.0%
United Kingdom	Same weight	0.0%	0.0%

Concentration

Weight in the 10 largest Holdings

JULJ120.2%
USEP102.1%

Securities held

JULJ5
USEP4

Asset class

JULJ: Equity
USEP: Equity

Holdings

Only in JULJ4
In both1
Only in USEP3

Only in JULJ

4 securities, 100% of JULJ by weight

United States Treasury Bill 06/10/202799.01%
Spx 06/30/2027 5174.17 P18.44%
United States Treasury Bill 12/31/20261.35%
United States Treasury Bill 03/18/20271.34%

Only in USEP

3 securities, 100% of USEP by weight

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF97.48%
Voo 08/31/2027 669.65 P4.00%
Voo 08/31/2027 733.06 C0.10%

Weight gaps

All 1 Holdings in both funds, largest gap first.

Holding weights in JULJ and USEP, widest gap first
Holding	More in JULJMore in USEP	JULJ	USEP
Us Bank Mmda - Usbgfs 9 09/01/2037	USEP +0.47 points	0.03%	0.50%

All 6 JULJ holdings⁠All 6 USEP holdings⁠

How we measure overlap

Each holding counts at its smaller weight in the two funds, summed over the full Holdings. Sector, country and asset class use the same rule on each fund’s split. Cash, FX and derivative lines stay out of the counts. Two bond funds get no overlap figure.

JULJ vs USEP Cost

Same expense ratio

$15,174

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

JULJ 0.79%
$15,174
USEP 0.79%
$15,174

Amount$10,000

Years30 years

Cost over time

JULJ 0.79%
USEP 0.79%

Year by year

Year	JULJ	USEP
10	$1,405	$1,405
20	$5,331	$5,331
30	$15,174	$15,174

Expense ratio

0.79%JULJ
0.79%USEP

JULJ0.79%USEP0.79%

0.30%0.79%

Middle half of S&P 500 Ultra Buffer 30% funds
Median 0.79%

JULJ 2nd cheapest of 13 funds

USEP 2nd cheapest of 13 funds

JULJ vs USEP Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026

Yield (12M): JULJ 5.67%, better; USEP 0.00%
Payout (12M): JULJ $1.41; USEP None
Last payment: JULJ $0.34; USEP No data
Ex-dividend: JULJ Sep 30, 2026; USEP No data
Paid on: JULJ Oct 2, 2026; USEP No data
Frequency: JULJ Quarterly; USEP No data

Distribution history

Per share, 2019 to 2026, same scale for both

JULJQuarterly · 13 paymentsAll JULJ payments⁠

USEP1 paymentAll USEP payments⁠

JULJ vs USEP Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

This chart needs five years of history for both funds.

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years: JULJ 1.1%, betterUSEP 6.0%
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years: JULJ 1.36USEP 1.36
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years: JULJ −3.6%since Jul 2023USEP −11.8%
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years: JULJ 0.05USEP 0.48; Market = 1

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