PSEP vs. SPY
Compare and contrast key facts about Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - September (PSEP) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY).
PSEP and SPY are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. PSEP is a passively managed fund by Innovator that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 Index. It was launched on Aug 30, 2019. SPY is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 Index. It was launched on Jan 22, 1993. Both PSEP and SPY are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.
Performance
PSEP vs. SPY - Performance Comparison
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PSEP vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PSEP Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - September | -1.51% | 11.85% | 12.44% | 18.84% | -3.74% | 8.85% | 8.48% | 4.62% |
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | -4.37% | 17.72% | 24.89% | 26.18% | -18.18% | 28.73% | 18.33% | 11.76% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, PSEP achieves a -1.51% return, which is significantly higher than SPY's -4.37% return.
PSEP
- 1D
- 1.60%
- 1M
- -2.14%
- YTD
- -1.51%
- 6M
- 0.26%
- 1Y
- 12.11%
- 3Y*
- 11.96%
- 5Y*
- 8.31%
- 10Y*
- —
SPY
- 1D
- 2.91%
- 1M
- -4.94%
- YTD
- -4.37%
- 6M
- -1.82%
- 1Y
- 17.59%
- 3Y*
- 18.19%
- 5Y*
- 11.69%
- 10Y*
- 13.98%
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PSEP vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison
PSEP has a 0.79% expense ratio, which is higher than SPY's 0.09% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
PSEP vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank
PSEP
SPY
PSEP vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - September (PSEP) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). 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.
| PSEP | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.26 | 0.93 | +0.33 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.89 | 1.45 | +0.43 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.31 | 1.22 | +0.08 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.84 | 1.53 | +0.32 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.93 | 7.30 | +2.63 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| PSEP | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.26 | 0.93 | +0.33 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.97 | 0.69 | +0.28 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.78 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.87 | 0.56 | +0.31 |
Correlation
The correlation between PSEP and SPY is 0.93, 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
PSEP vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison
PSEP has not paid dividends to shareholders, while SPY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.14%.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PSEP Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - September | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 1.14% | 1.07% | 1.21% | 1.40% | 1.65% | 1.20% | 1.52% | 1.75% | 2.04% | 1.80% | 2.03% | 2.06% |
Drawdowns
PSEP vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum PSEP drawdown since its inception was -17.90%, smaller than the maximum SPY drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PSEP and SPY.
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Drawdown Indicators
| PSEP | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -17.90% | -55.19% | +37.29% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -6.73% | -12.05% | +5.32% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -9.92% | -24.50% | +14.58% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -33.72% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.55% | -6.24% | +3.69% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -1.60% | -9.09% | +7.49% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.25% | 2.52% | -1.27% |
Volatility
PSEP vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - September (PSEP) is 2.93%, while State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) has a volatility of 5.31%. This indicates that PSEP experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SPY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| PSEP | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.93% | 5.31% | -2.38% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 4.63% | 9.47% | -4.84% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 9.66% | 19.05% | -9.39% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 8.59% | 17.06% | -8.47% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 10.23% | 17.92% | -7.69% |