Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - August (BAUG) Performance
BAUG total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +10.1% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +12.1% total return
- 5 years
- +11.2% a year
- Since first price
- +11.6% a year since 2019
BAUG trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | BAUG total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −0.5% | −0.5% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +2.5% | +2.5% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +6.6% | +6.6% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +10.1% | +10.1% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +12.1% | +12.1% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +69.2%+19.1%/yr | +69.2% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +69.8%+11.2%/yr | +69.8% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionAug 1, 2019 | +120.6%+11.6%/yr | +120.6% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: BAUG vs SPY
From Aug 1, 2019: BAUG grew to $22,062, SPY to $28,619.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
BAUG returns by calendar year
5 of 6 full years positive. Best 2024 (+21.1%), worst 2022 (−10.3%). 2026 is year to date.
BAUG annual returns table
| Year | BAUG | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +10.1% | −5.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +14.8% | −13.8% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +21.1% | −4.1% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +20.1% | −7.5% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −10.3% | −15.6% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +12.1% | −3.2% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +12.2% | −24.2% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
BAUG largest drawdowns
Now 1.6% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2020 | −24.2% | Mar 23, 2020 | Jul 22, 2020 | 33 days | 5 months |
| Jan 4, 2022 | −15.6% | Oct 12, 2022 | Jun 30, 2023 | 9 months | 1.5 years |
| Feb 19, 2025 | −13.8% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 24, 2025 | 48 days | 4 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
BAUG risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +18.8% | +12.0% | +12.0% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 8.5% | 11.0% | 11.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.57 | 0.77 | 0.82 |
| Sortino ratio | 3.27 | 1.24 | 1.30 |
| Best month | +7.0% | +7.0% | +9.7% |
| Worst month | −3.9% | −7.2% | −9.0% |
| Best 12 months | +31.1% | +31.1% | +35.6% |
| Worst 12 months | +9.2% | −10.3% | −10.3% |
| Positive months | 75% | 67% | 69% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.67 | 0.69 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.98 | 0.99 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
BAUG rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 75 | −10.3% | +13.5% | +35.6% | 84% |
| 3-year (a year) | 51 | +4.0% | +9.3% | +20.1% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 27 | +9.6% | +11.2% | +13.3% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2019. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
BAUG performance overview
Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - August (BAUG) returned +12.1% over the past year and +11.2% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2019 it has returned +11.6% a year, turning $10,000 into about $22,062. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −24.2%, from Feb 19, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 4 months to get back to the old high. BAUG finished 5 of its 6 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2024 (+21.1%) and the worst 2022 (−10.3%). Volatility has been 11.5% a year.
Related: BAUG chart. See the BAUG overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
BAUG performance FAQ
What is the BAUG return over the past year?
BAUG returned +12.1% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 12.1%.
What is the average annual return of BAUG?
BAUG has returned +11.2% a year over 5 years, +11.6% a year since August 1, 2019 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in BAUG be worth?
$10,000 invested in BAUG at its first recorded close on August 1, 2019 would be worth about $22,062 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for BAUG?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −10.3%. The best was 2024 at +21.1%.
What is the biggest drawdown of BAUG?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −24.2% between February 19, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on July 22, 2020, 4 months after the bottom.
How volatile is BAUG?
Over the past 3 years BAUG had an annualized volatility of 8.5% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.57 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).