XDSQ vs. BALT

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Innovator US Equity Accelerated ETF (XDSQ) and Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF (BALT).

XDSQ and BALT are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. XDSQ is an actively managed fund by Innovator. It was launched on Apr 1, 2021. BALT is a passively managed fund by Innovator that tracks the performance of the S&P 500. It was launched on Jun 30, 2021.

Performance

XDSQ vs. BALT - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Innovator US Equity Accelerated ETF (XDSQ) and Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF (BALT). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

XDSQ vs. BALT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
XDSQ Innovator US Equity Accelerated ETF	-4.22%	14.22%	23.12%	23.00%	-16.78%	6.37%
BALT Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF	-0.00%	6.65%	9.98%	7.45%	2.54%	0.82%

Returns By Period

XDSQ

• 1D: 0.71%
• 1M: -5.75%
• YTD: -4.22%
• 6M: -0.33%
• 1Y: 14.44%
• 3Y*: 14.44%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

BALT

• 1D: 0.13%
• 1M: -0.77%
• YTD: -0.00%
• 6M: 2.06%
• 1Y: 6.74%
• 3Y*: 7.16%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

XDSQ vs. BALT - Expense Ratio Comparison

XDSQ has a 0.79% expense ratio, which is higher than BALT's 0.69% expense ratio.

XDSQ

Innovator US Equity Accelerated ETF

BALT

Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF

Return for Risk

XDSQ vs. BALT — Risk / Return Rank

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

XDSQ

XDSQ Risk / Return Rank: 47
XDSQ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 40
XDSQ Sortino Ratio Rank: 43
XDSQ Omega Ratio Rank: 53
XDSQ Calmar Ratio Rank: 42
XDSQ Martin Ratio Rank: 55

BALT

BALT Risk / Return Rank: 84
BALT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 79
BALT Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
BALT Omega Ratio Rank: 93
BALT Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
BALT Martin Ratio Rank: 91

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.

XDSQ vs. BALT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Innovator US Equity Accelerated ETF (XDSQ) and Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF (BALT). 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.

	XDSQ	BALT	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.81	1.51	-0.70
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.27	2.32	-1.05
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.43	-0.22
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.21	1.95	-0.74
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.87	12.95	-7.08
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XDSQ vs. BALT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XDSQ Sharpe Ratio is 0.81, which is lower than the BALT Sharpe Ratio of 1.51. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XDSQ and BALT, 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

	XDSQ	BALT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.81	1.51	-0.70
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.61	1.71	-1.11

Correlation

The correlation between XDSQ and BALT is 0.80, 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

XDSQ vs. BALT - Dividend Comparison

Neither XDSQ nor BALT has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

XDSQ vs. BALT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XDSQ drawdown since its inception was -26.06%, which is greater than BALT's maximum drawdown of -4.89%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XDSQ and BALT.

Drawdown Indicators

	XDSQ	BALT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-26.06%	-4.89%	-21.17%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.18%	-3.48%	-8.70%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.46%	-0.92%	-5.54%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.08%	-0.35%	-4.73%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.50%	0.52%	+1.98%

Volatility

XDSQ vs. BALT - Volatility Comparison

Innovator US Equity Accelerated ETF (XDSQ) has a higher volatility of 5.68% compared to Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF (BALT) at 0.62%. This indicates that XDSQ's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BALT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XDSQ	BALT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.68%	0.62%	+5.06%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.63%	1.84%	+7.79%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.99%	4.48%	+13.51%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.32%	3.36%	+11.96%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.32%	3.36%	+11.96%