BUFF vs. ZMAR

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF (BUFF) and Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr March (ZMAR).

BUFF and ZMAR are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. 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. ZMAR is an actively managed fund by Innovator. It was launched on Mar 3, 2025.

Performance

BUFF vs. ZMAR - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF (BUFF) and Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr March (ZMAR). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

BUFF vs. ZMAR - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
BUFF Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF	-0.90%	10.48%
ZMAR Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr March	0.33%	5.95%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BUFF achieves a -0.90% return, which is significantly lower than ZMAR's 0.33% return.

BUFF

• 1D: 1.46%
• 1M: -1.89%
• YTD: -0.90%
• 6M: 1.13%
• 1Y: 12.07%
• 3Y*: 11.21%
• 5Y*: 7.68%
• 10Y*: —

ZMAR

• 1D: 0.68%
• 1M: -0.70%
• YTD: 0.33%
• 6M: 1.87%
• 1Y: 7.05%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

BUFF vs. ZMAR - Expense Ratio Comparison

BUFF has a 0.89% expense ratio, which is higher than ZMAR's 0.79% expense ratio.

BUFF

Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF

ZMAR

Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr March

Return for Risk

BUFF vs. ZMAR — Risk / Return Rank

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

BUFF

BUFF Risk / Return Rank: 77
BUFF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 72
BUFF Sortino Ratio Rank: 75
BUFF Omega Ratio Rank: 83
BUFF Calmar Ratio Rank: 70
BUFF Martin Ratio Rank: 86

ZMAR

ZMAR Risk / Return Rank: 96
ZMAR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 94
ZMAR Sortino Ratio Rank: 97
ZMAR Omega Ratio Rank: 97
ZMAR Calmar Ratio Rank: 94
ZMAR Martin Ratio Rank: 97

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.

BUFF vs. ZMAR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF (BUFF) and Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr March (ZMAR). 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.

	BUFF	ZMAR	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.23	2.28	-1.04
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.84	3.60	-1.76
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.32	1.54	-0.22
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.72	3.79	-2.07
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.71	19.05	-9.34
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BUFF vs. ZMAR - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BUFF Sharpe Ratio is 1.23, which is lower than the ZMAR Sharpe Ratio of 2.28. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BUFF and ZMAR, 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

	BUFF	ZMAR	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.23	2.28	-1.04
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.92	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.46	1.83	-1.37

Correlation

The correlation between BUFF and ZMAR is 0.79, 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

BUFF vs. ZMAR - Dividend Comparison

Neither BUFF nor ZMAR has paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
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%
ZMAR Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr March	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

BUFF vs. ZMAR - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BUFF drawdown since its inception was -46.23%, which is greater than ZMAR's maximum drawdown of -2.30%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BUFF and ZMAR.

Drawdown Indicators

	BUFF	ZMAR	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-46.23%	-2.30%	-43.93%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.15%	-1.92%	-5.23%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-10.24%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.18%	-0.77%	-1.41%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.29%	-0.25%	-6.04%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.27%	0.38%	+0.89%

Volatility

BUFF vs. ZMAR - Volatility Comparison

Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF (BUFF) has a higher volatility of 2.61% compared to Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr March (ZMAR) at 1.19%. This indicates that BUFF's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ZMAR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BUFF	ZMAR	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.61%	1.19%	+1.42%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.05%	1.67%	+2.38%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	9.82%	3.11%	+6.71%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	8.40%	3.21%	+5.19%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.83%	3.21%	+14.62%