Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - July (BJUL) Performance
BJUL total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +8.9% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +10.7% total return
- 5 years
- +11.1% a year
- Since first price
- +9.9% a year since 2018
BJUL trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | BJUL total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −0.6% | −0.6% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +2.5% | +2.5% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +5.3% | +5.3% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +8.9% | +8.9% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +10.7% | +10.7% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +62.3%+17.5%/yr | +62.3% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +69.5%+11.1%/yr | +69.5% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionAug 29, 2018 | +115.6%+9.9%/yr | +115.6% | — | — | — |
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: BJUL vs SPY
From Aug 29, 2018: BJUL grew to $21,561, SPY to $29,522.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
BJUL returns by calendar year
6 of 7 full years positive. Best 2023 (+21.7%), worst 2022 (−7.4%). 2026 is year to date.
BJUL annual returns table
| Year | BJUL | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +8.9% | −5.4% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +13.9% | −14.1% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +18.4% | −6.1% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +21.7% | −7.5% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −7.4% | −13.2% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +10.8% | −3.1% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +9.0% | −24.0% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +17.8% | −4.4% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
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.
BJUL largest drawdowns
Now 1.7% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2020 | −24.0% | Mar 23, 2020 | Aug 12, 2020 | 33 days | 6 months |
| Feb 19, 2025 | −14.1% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 24, 2025 | 48 days | 4 months |
| Jan 4, 2022 | −13.2% | Oct 14, 2022 | Jun 2, 2023 | 9 months | 1.4 years |
| Sep 21, 2018 | −11.6% | Dec 21, 2018 | Apr 23, 2019 | 3 months | 7 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
BJUL risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +17.1% | +11.9% | +10.0% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 8.4% | 10.6% | 11.0% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.42 | 0.79 | 0.69 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.95 | 1.30 | 1.08 |
| Best month | +7.0% | +7.0% | +9.4% |
| Worst month | −4.4% | −6.7% | −8.6% |
| Best 12 months | +28.1% | +28.1% | +30.3% |
| Worst 12 months | +7.1% | −7.7% | −7.7% |
| Positive months | 72% | 65% | 68% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.66 | 0.66 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.97 | 0.98 | — |
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.
BJUL rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 87 | −7.7% | +11.9% | +30.3% | 85% |
| 3-year (a year) | 63 | +3.7% | +9.7% | +19.4% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 39 | +5.9% | +10.8% | +12.7% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2018. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
BJUL performance overview
Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - July (BJUL) returned +10.7% over the past year and +11.1% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2018 it has returned +9.9% a year, turning $10,000 into about $21,561. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −24.0%, from Feb 19, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 5 months to get back to the old high. BJUL finished 6 of its 7 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+21.7%) and the worst 2022 (−7.4%). Volatility has been 11.0% a year.
Related: BJUL chart. See the BJUL overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
BJUL performance FAQ
What is the BJUL return over the past year?
BJUL returned +10.7% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 10.7%.
What is the average annual return of BJUL?
BJUL has returned +11.1% a year over 5 years, +9.9% a year since August 29, 2018 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in BJUL be worth?
$10,000 invested in BJUL at its first recorded close on August 29, 2018 would be worth about $21,561 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for BJUL?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −7.4%. The best was 2023 at +21.7%.
What is the biggest drawdown of BJUL?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −24.0% between February 19, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on August 12, 2020, 5 months after the bottom.
How volatile is BJUL?
Over the past 3 years BJUL had an annualized volatility of 8.4% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.42 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).