AJUL vs. BUFF

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026 (AJUL) and Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF (BUFF).

AJUL and BUFF are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. AJUL is an actively managed fund by Innovator. It was launched on Jun 28, 2024. BUFF is a passively managed fund by Innovator that tracks the performance of the Refinitiv Laddered Power Buffer Strategy Index. It was launched on Oct 20, 2016.

Performance

AJUL vs. BUFF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026 (AJUL) and Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF (BUFF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

AJUL vs. BUFF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
AJUL Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026	0.03%	7.63%	4.51%
BUFF Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF	-0.38%	11.02%	4.56%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AJUL achieves a 0.03% return, which is significantly higher than BUFF's -0.38% return.

AJUL

• 1D: 0.29%
• 1M: -0.69%
• YTD: 0.03%
• 6M: 1.48%
• 1Y: 8.62%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

BUFF

• 1D: 0.16%
• 1M: -0.96%
• YTD: -0.38%
• 6M: 1.47%
• 1Y: 11.67%
• 3Y*: 11.38%
• 5Y*: 7.79%
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

AJUL vs. BUFF - Expense Ratio Comparison

AJUL has a 0.79% expense ratio, which is lower than BUFF's 0.89% expense ratio.

BUFF

Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF

AJUL

Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026

Return for Risk

AJUL vs. BUFF — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

AJUL

AJUL Risk / Return Rank: 82
AJUL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 78
AJUL Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
AJUL Omega Ratio Rank: 89
AJUL Calmar Ratio Rank: 70
AJUL Martin Ratio Rank: 89

BUFF

BUFF Risk / Return Rank: 69
BUFF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 64
BUFF Sortino Ratio Rank: 67
BUFF Omega Ratio Rank: 78
BUFF Calmar Ratio Rank: 58
BUFF Martin Ratio Rank: 78

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

AJUL vs. BUFF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026 (AJUL) and Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF (BUFF). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	AJUL	BUFF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.54	1.20	+0.34
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.33	1.79	+0.54
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.39	1.31	+0.08
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.11	1.73	+0.37
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	12.53	9.72	+2.81
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AJUL vs. BUFF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AJUL Sharpe Ratio is 1.54, which is comparable to the BUFF Sharpe Ratio of 1.20. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AJUL and BUFF, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	AJUL	BUFF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.54	1.20	+0.34
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.93	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.35	0.46	+0.89

Correlation

The correlation between AJUL and BUFF is 0.87, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

AJUL vs. BUFF - Dividend Comparison

Neither AJUL nor BUFF has paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
AJUL Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
BUFF Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	1.78%	1.26%	1.74%	1.55%	0.18%

Drawdowns

AJUL vs. BUFF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AJUL drawdown since its inception was -6.06%, smaller than the maximum BUFF drawdown of -46.23%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AJUL and BUFF.

Drawdown Indicators

	AJUL	BUFF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-6.06%	-46.23%	+40.17%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-4.15%	-4.42%	+0.27%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-10.24%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.84%	-1.66%	+0.82%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.55%	-6.29%	+5.74%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.70%	1.28%	-0.58%

Volatility

AJUL vs. BUFF - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026 (AJUL) is 1.89%, while Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF (BUFF) has a volatility of 2.60%. This indicates that AJUL experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BUFF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AJUL	BUFF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.89%	2.60%	-0.71%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.61%	4.06%	-1.45%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	5.62%	9.82%	-4.20%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	5.18%	8.39%	-3.21%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	5.18%	17.82%	-12.64%