Innovator International Developed Power Buffer ETF- October (IOCT), issued by Innovator ETFs Trust and managed by Innovator Capital Management, LLC, seeks to track the price return of the iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA) up to a predetermined cap while providing a buffer against the first 15% of losses in EFA over an approximately one-year outcome period. The non-diversified, actively managed exchange-traded fund primarily invests at least 80% of its net assets in FLEX options referencing EFA, supplemented by cash equivalents and short-term U.S. Treasuries as collateral; its portfolio features concentrated holdings in call and put options on EFA, with top holdings typically comprising over 96% of assets, alongside exposure to international developed equity sectors such as financial services, industrials, healthcare, and technology across regions including the Eurozone, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Launched on September 30, 2021, and domiciled in the United States with a net expense ratio of 0.85%, IOCT targets investors seeking defined outcome strategies in international developed markets.
In November 2025, Innovator Capital Management entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Goldman Sachs for approximately $2 billion in cash and equity, subject to performance targets, with the transaction expected to close in the second quarter of 2026 pending regulatory approval; this deal will integrate Innovator's $28 billion in assets under supervision across 159 defined outcome ETFs into Goldman Sachs Asset Management, expanding its active ETF offerings while maintaining existing investment management and service providers. Recent portfolio management changes in July 2025 added Rebekah Lipp, Jeff Greco, and Maria Schiopu as co-managers alongside Robert Cummings. Innovator Capital Management, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Wheaton, Illinois, pioneered Defined Outcome ETFs including Buffer ETF series and operates globally through its suite of risk-managed investment products.