GAUG vs. AJAN

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - August (GAUG) and Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To January 2026 (AJAN).

GAUG and AJAN are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. GAUG is a passively managed fund by FT Vest that tracks the performance of the S&P 500. It was launched on Aug 17, 2023. AJAN is an actively managed fund by Innovator. It was launched on Dec 29, 2023.

Performance

GAUG vs. AJAN - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - August (GAUG) and Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To January 2026 (AJAN). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

GAUG vs. AJAN - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
GAUG FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - August	-0.95%	11.28%	12.09%
AJAN Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To January 2026	-0.63%	6.12%	7.78%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GAUG achieves a -0.95% return, which is significantly lower than AJAN's -0.63% return.

GAUG

• 1D: 0.46%
• 1M: -1.72%
• YTD: -0.95%
• 6M: 0.60%
• 1Y: 11.73%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

AJAN

• 1D: 0.11%
• 1M: -1.26%
• YTD: -0.63%
• 6M: 0.58%
• 1Y: 5.17%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

GAUG vs. AJAN - Expense Ratio Comparison

GAUG has a 0.85% expense ratio, which is higher than AJAN's 0.79% expense ratio.

GAUG

FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - August

AJAN

Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To January 2026

Return for Risk

GAUG vs. AJAN — Risk / Return Rank

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

GAUG

GAUG Risk / Return Rank: 69
GAUG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 64
GAUG Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
GAUG Omega Ratio Rank: 74
GAUG Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
GAUG Martin Ratio Rank: 79

AJAN

AJAN Risk / Return Rank: 68
AJAN Sharpe Ratio Rank: 63
AJAN Sortino Ratio Rank: 67
AJAN Omega Ratio Rank: 83
AJAN Calmar Ratio Rank: 55
AJAN Martin Ratio Rank: 73

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.

GAUG vs. AJAN - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - August (GAUG) and Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To January 2026 (AJAN). 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.

	GAUG	AJAN	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.19	1.18	+0.01
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.81	1.77	+0.04
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.29	1.34	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.67	1.56	+0.11
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.33	8.34	+0.99
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GAUG vs. AJAN - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GAUG Sharpe Ratio is 1.19, which is comparable to the AJAN Sharpe Ratio of 1.18. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GAUG and AJAN, 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

	GAUG	AJAN	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.19	1.18	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.40	1.53	-0.13

Correlation

The correlation between GAUG and AJAN is 0.72, 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

GAUG vs. AJAN - Dividend Comparison

Neither GAUG nor AJAN has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

GAUG vs. AJAN - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GAUG drawdown since its inception was -10.08%, which is greater than AJAN's maximum drawdown of -4.11%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GAUG and AJAN.

Drawdown Indicators

	GAUG	AJAN	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-10.08%	-4.11%	-5.97%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.14%	-3.34%	-3.80%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.00%	-1.46%	-0.54%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.76%	-0.30%	-0.46%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.28%	0.63%	+0.65%

Volatility

GAUG vs. AJAN - Volatility Comparison

FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - August (GAUG) has a higher volatility of 3.03% compared to Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To January 2026 (AJAN) at 1.38%. This indicates that GAUG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than AJAN based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	GAUG	AJAN	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.03%	1.38%	+1.65%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.68%	1.72%	+2.96%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	9.93%	4.42%	+5.51%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	7.68%	3.86%	+3.82%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	7.68%	3.86%	+3.82%