ALARX vs. BMAY

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

ALARX (Alger Capital Appreciation Institutional Fund) and BMAY (Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - May) are both funds - ALARX is a Large Cap Growth Equities fund managed by Alger, while BMAY is a Defined Outcome fund tracking the S&P 500 Price Return Index. Over the past 5 years, ALARX returned 18.03%/yr vs 9.16%/yr for BMAY. Their correlation of 0.84 suggests significant overlap in exposure. ALARX charges 1.12%/yr vs 0.79%/yr for BMAY.

Performance

ALARX vs. BMAY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Alger Capital Appreciation Institutional Fund (ALARX) and Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - May (BMAY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ALARX achieves a 15.43% return, which is significantly higher than BMAY's 6.28% return.

ALARX

• 1D: -1.23%
• 1M: 7.89%
• YTD: 15.43%
• 6M: 13.93%
• 1Y: 42.18%
• 3Y*: 37.66%
• 5Y*: 18.03%
• 10Y*: 19.66%

BMAY

• 1D: 0.33%
• 1M: 2.83%
• YTD: 6.28%
• 6M: 7.16%
• 1Y: 15.30%
• 3Y*: 15.65%
• 5Y*: 9.16%
• 10Y*: —

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

ALARX vs. BMAY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
ALARX Alger Capital Appreciation Institutional Fund	15.43%	31.75%	49.44%	42.82%	-36.88%	18.38%	43.41%
BMAY Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - May	6.28%	11.16%	19.06%	16.73%	-12.54%	11.76%	17.82%

Correlation

The correlation between ALARX and BMAY is 0.75, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.75
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.81
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.85
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 4, 2020	0.84

The correlation between ALARX and BMAY shifts across timeframes, from 0.75 (1 year) to 0.85 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

ALARX vs. BMAY — Risk / Return Rank

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

ALARX

ALARX Risk / Return Rank: 41
ALARX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 49
ALARX Sortino Ratio Rank: 41
ALARX Omega Ratio Rank: 40
ALARX Calmar Ratio Rank: 39
ALARX Martin Ratio Rank: 35

BMAY

BMAY Risk / Return Rank: 92
BMAY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
BMAY Sortino Ratio Rank: 92
BMAY Omega Ratio Rank: 93
BMAY Calmar Ratio Rank: 88
BMAY Martin Ratio Rank: 95

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.

ALARX vs. BMAY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Alger Capital Appreciation Institutional Fund (ALARX) and Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - May (BMAY). 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.

	ALARX	BMAY	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.06	2.92	-0.86
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.67	4.47	-1.80
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.34	1.65	-0.31
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.35	5.21	-2.86
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	7.77	30.52	-22.75
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ALARX vs. BMAY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ALARX Sharpe Ratio is 2.06, which is comparable to the BMAY Sharpe Ratio of 2.92. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ALARX and BMAY, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ALARX	BMAY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.06	2.92	-0.86
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.65	0.82	-0.16
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.80	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.50	1.01	-0.51

Drawdowns

ALARX vs. BMAY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ALARX drawdown since its inception was -68.32%, which is greater than BMAY's maximum drawdown of -17.66%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ALARX and BMAY.

Drawdown Indicators

	ALARX	BMAY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-68.32%	-17.66%	-50.66%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-18.65%	-2.95%	-15.70%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-27.77%	-12.75%	-15.02%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-46.86%	-17.66%	-29.20%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-46.86%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.58%	0.00%	-1.58%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-20.97%	-3.08%	-17.89%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.62%	0.50%	+5.12%

Volatility

ALARX vs. BMAY - Volatility Comparison

Alger Capital Appreciation Institutional Fund (ALARX) has a higher volatility of 5.36% compared to Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - May (BMAY) at 1.62%. This indicates that ALARX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BMAY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ALARX	BMAY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.36%	1.62%	+3.74%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.08%	4.05%	+12.03%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.26%	5.26%	+16.00%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	27.83%	11.27%	+16.56%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	24.79%	10.98%	+13.81%

ALARX vs. BMAY - Expense Ratio Comparison

ALARX has a 1.12% expense ratio, which is higher than BMAY's 0.79% expense ratio.

Dividends

ALARX vs. BMAY - Dividend Comparison

ALARX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.05%, while BMAY has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ALARX Alger Capital Appreciation Institutional Fund	6.05%	6.99%	13.06%	8.09%	3.90%	19.40%	16.62%	10.34%	12.39%	6.75%	0.00%	7.71%
BMAY Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - May	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ALARX and BMAY in my portfolio?

ALARX and BMAY have a correlation of 0.75, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, ALARX or BMAY?

ALARX has higher volatility (5.36%) compared to BMAY (1.62%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ALARX dropped -68.32% vs BMAY's -17.66%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

BMAY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.92 vs 2.06), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.