APRJ vs. AJUL

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

APRJ (Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - April) and AJUL (Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026) are both Options Trading funds from Innovator. Both are actively managed. Over the past year, APRJ returned 6.91% vs 9.05% for AJUL. At a 0.49 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. Both charge a 0.79% expense ratio.

Performance

APRJ vs. AJUL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - April (APRJ) and Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026 (AJUL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with APRJ having a 3.18% return and AJUL slightly lower at 3.08%.

APRJ

• 1D: -0.10%
• 1M: 0.70%
• YTD: 3.18%
• 6M: 3.64%
• 1Y: 6.91%
• 3Y*: 6.35%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

AJUL

• 1D: 0.05%
• 1M: 0.69%
• YTD: 3.08%
• 6M: 3.74%
• 1Y: 9.05%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

APRJ vs. AJUL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
APRJ Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - April	3.18%	5.71%	3.07%
AJUL Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026	3.08%	7.63%	4.51%

Correlation

The correlation between APRJ and AJUL is 0.43, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.43
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 2, 2024	0.49

Return for Risk

APRJ vs. AJUL — Risk / Return Rank

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

APRJ

APRJ Risk / Return Rank: 98
APRJ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 97
APRJ Sortino Ratio Rank: 99
APRJ Omega Ratio Rank: 98
APRJ Calmar Ratio Rank: 99
APRJ Martin Ratio Rank: 99

AJUL

AJUL Risk / Return Rank: 89
AJUL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 86
AJUL Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
AJUL Omega Ratio Rank: 93
AJUL Calmar Ratio Rank: 81
AJUL Martin Ratio Rank: 93

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.

APRJ vs. AJUL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - April (APRJ) and Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026 (AJUL). 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.

	APRJ	AJUL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	4.63	2.84	+1.79
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	9.47	4.54	+4.92
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	2.20	1.64	+0.56
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	34.55	4.15	+30.40
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	103.47	24.50	+78.97
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

APRJ vs. AJUL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current APRJ Sharpe Ratio is 4.63, which is higher than the AJUL Sharpe Ratio of 2.84. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of APRJ and AJUL, 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

	APRJ	AJUL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.63	2.84	+1.79
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.80	1.61	+0.19

Drawdowns

APRJ vs. AJUL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum APRJ drawdown since its inception was -4.68%, smaller than the maximum AJUL drawdown of -6.06%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for APRJ and AJUL.

Drawdown Indicators

	APRJ	AJUL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-4.68%	-6.06%	+1.38%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-0.20%	-2.19%	+1.99%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-4.68%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.12%	0.00%	-0.12%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.12%	-0.51%	+0.39%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.07%	0.37%	-0.30%

Volatility

APRJ vs. AJUL - Volatility Comparison

Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - April (APRJ) has a higher volatility of 0.47% compared to Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026 (AJUL) at 0.17%. This indicates that APRJ's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than AJUL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	APRJ	AJUL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.47%	0.17%	+0.30%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.14%	2.50%	-1.36%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.50%	3.20%	-1.70%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	3.63%	5.00%	-1.37%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	3.63%	5.00%	-1.37%

APRJ vs. AJUL - Expense Ratio Comparison

Both APRJ and AJUL have an expense ratio of 0.79%.

Dividends

APRJ vs. AJUL - Dividend Comparison

APRJ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.27%, while AJUL has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023
AJUL Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
APRJ Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - April	5.27%	5.46%	5.88%	4.88%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both APRJ and AJUL in my portfolio?

APRJ and AJUL have a correlation of 0.43, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, APRJ or AJUL?

APRJ has higher volatility (0.47%) compared to AJUL (0.17%). In terms of maximum drawdown, APRJ dropped -4.68% vs AJUL's -6.06%.

Which ETF is better, APRJ or AJUL?

On 1-year performance, AJUL leads with 9.05% vs 6.91% for APRJ. Both ETFs have the same 0.79% expense ratio. On volatility, AJUL has been the lower-risk option at 0.17%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, APRJ or AJUL?

Over the 1-year period, AJUL has performed better with a 9.05% return vs 6.91%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, APRJ or AJUL?

APRJ and AJUL have the same expense ratio: 0.79% per year.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, APRJ or AJUL?

APRJ has the higher dividend yield at 5.27%, compared with 0.00% for AJUL.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

APRJ currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (4.63 vs 2.84), 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.