GMAY vs. AJUL

Last updated Apr 3, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - May (GMAY) and Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026 (AJUL).

GMAY and AJUL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. GMAY is an actively managed fund by FT Vest. It was launched on May 19, 2023. AJUL is an actively managed fund by Innovator. It was launched on Jun 28, 2024.

Performance

GMAY vs. AJUL - Performance Comparison

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

GMAY vs. AJUL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
GMAY FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - May	0.07%	11.94%	5.25%
AJUL Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026	0.12%	7.63%	4.51%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GMAY achieves a 0.07% return, which is significantly lower than AJUL's 0.12% return.

GMAY

• 1D: 0.06%
• 1M: -0.55%
• YTD: 0.07%
• 6M: 1.98%
• 1Y: 13.27%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

AJUL

• 1D: 0.09%
• 1M: -0.34%
• YTD: 0.12%
• 6M: 1.60%
• 1Y: 8.38%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

GMAY vs. AJUL - Expense Ratio Comparison

GMAY has a 0.85% expense ratio, which is higher than AJUL's 0.79% expense ratio.

GMAY

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

AJUL

Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026

Return for Risk

GMAY vs. AJUL — Risk / Return Rank

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

GMAY

GMAY Risk / Return Rank: 71
GMAY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 68
GMAY Sortino Ratio Rank: 73
GMAY Omega Ratio Rank: 85
GMAY Calmar Ratio Rank: 50
GMAY Martin Ratio Rank: 79

AJUL

AJUL Risk / Return Rank: 80
AJUL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 77
AJUL Sortino Ratio Rank: 82
AJUL Omega Ratio Rank: 88
AJUL Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
AJUL Martin Ratio Rank: 86

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.

GMAY vs. AJUL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - May (GMAY) 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.

	GMAY	AJUL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.28	1.50	-0.22
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.93	2.27	-0.34
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.36	1.38	-0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.60	2.10	-0.50
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	10.33	12.46	-2.12
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GMAY vs. AJUL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GMAY Sharpe Ratio is 1.28, which is comparable to the AJUL Sharpe Ratio of 1.50. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GMAY and AJUL, 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

	GMAY	AJUL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.28	1.50	-0.22
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.45	1.36	+0.09

Correlation

The correlation between GMAY and AJUL is 0.84, 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

GMAY vs. AJUL - Dividend Comparison

Neither GMAY nor AJUL has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

GMAY vs. AJUL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GMAY drawdown since its inception was -11.75%, which is greater than AJUL's maximum drawdown of -6.06%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GMAY and AJUL.

Drawdown Indicators

	GMAY	AJUL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-11.75%	-6.06%	-5.69%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-5.61%	-2.35%	-3.26%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.10%	-0.75%	-0.35%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.76%	-0.55%	-0.21%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.33%	0.70%	+0.63%

Volatility

GMAY vs. AJUL - Volatility Comparison

FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - May (GMAY) has a higher volatility of 2.69% compared to Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026 (AJUL) at 1.87%. This indicates that GMAY'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

	GMAY	AJUL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.69%	1.87%	+0.82%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	3.80%	2.61%	+1.19%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.44%	5.62%	+4.82%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	8.00%	5.17%	+2.83%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	8.00%	5.17%	+2.83%