Innovator S&P 500 Buffer ETF - May (BMAY) Performance
BMAY total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +8.2% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +10.1% total return
- 5 years
- +8.4% a year
- Since first price
- +10.6% a year since 2020
BMAY trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | BMAY total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −0.3% | −0.3% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +2.7% | +2.7% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +5.2% | +5.2% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +8.2% | +8.2% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +10.1% | +10.1% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +57.8%+16.4%/yr | +57.8% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +49.8%+8.4%/yr | +49.8% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionMay 1, 2020 | +92.4%+10.6%/yr | +92.4% | — | — | — |
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: BMAY vs SPY
From May 1, 2020: BMAY grew to $19,243, SPY to $29,383.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
BMAY returns by calendar year
4 of 5 full years positive. Best 2024 (+19.1%), worst 2022 (−12.5%). 2026 is year to date.
BMAY annual returns table
| Year | BMAY | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +8.2% | −2.9% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +11.2% | −12.7% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +19.1% | −5.2% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +16.7% | −6.9% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −12.5% | −17.7% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +11.8% | −3.0% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
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.
BMAY largest drawdowns
Now 1.4% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4, 2022 | −17.7% | Oct 14, 2022 | Dec 13, 2023 | 9 months | 1.9 years |
| Feb 19, 2025 | −12.7% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 6, 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.
BMAY risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +16.0% | +9.1% | +9.9% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 6.3% | 10.1% | 9.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.73 | 0.57 | 0.76 |
| Sortino ratio | 4.14 | 0.85 | 1.17 |
| Best month | +7.0% | +7.0% | +7.0% |
| Worst month | −3.1% | −7.8% | −7.8% |
| Best 12 months | +28.7% | +28.7% | +28.7% |
| Worst 12 months | +9.5% | −12.5% | −12.5% |
| Positive months | 75% | 65% | 67% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.45 | 0.61 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.89 | 0.95 | — |
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.
BMAY rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 66 | −12.5% | +11.2% | +28.7% | 80% |
| 3-year (a year) | 42 | +3.3% | +8.1% | +16.9% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 18 | +8.2% | +8.7% | +9.7% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2020. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
BMAY performance overview
Innovator S&P 500 Buffer ETF - May (BMAY) returned +10.1% over the past year and +8.4% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2020 it has returned +10.6% a year, turning $10,000 into about $19,243. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −17.7%, from Jan 4, 2022 to Oct 14, 2022, and it took 1.2 years to get back to the old high. BMAY finished 4 of its 5 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2024 (+19.1%) and the worst 2022 (−12.5%). Volatility has been 9.5% a year.
Related: BMAY chart. See the BMAY overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
BMAY performance FAQ
What is the BMAY return over the past year?
BMAY returned +10.1% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 10.1%.
What is the average annual return of BMAY?
BMAY has returned +8.4% a year over 5 years, +10.6% a year since May 1, 2020 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in BMAY be worth?
$10,000 invested in BMAY at its first recorded close on May 1, 2020 would be worth about $19,243 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for BMAY?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −12.5%. The best was 2024 at +19.1%.
What is the biggest drawdown of BMAY?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −17.7% between January 4, 2022 and October 14, 2022. It recovered to the old high on December 13, 2023, 1.2 years after the bottom.
How volatile is BMAY?
Over the past 3 years BMAY had an annualized volatility of 6.3% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.73 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).