Innovator S&P 500 Buffer October (BOCT) Performance
BOCT total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +11.3% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +13.0% total return
- 5 years
- +10.2% a year
- Since first price
- +10.5% a year since 2018
BOCT trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | BOCT total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −0.1% | −0.1% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +4.0% | +4.0% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +7.8% | +7.8% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +11.3% | +11.3% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +13.0% | +13.0% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +56.7%+16.2%/yr | +56.7% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +62.8%+10.2%/yr | +62.8% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionOct 1, 2018 | +124.1%+10.5%/yr | +123.6% | — | — | — |
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: BOCT vs SPY
From Oct 1, 2018: BOCT grew to $22,405, SPY to $29,363.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
BOCT returns by calendar year
6 of 7 full years positive. Best 2023 (+21.1%), worst 2022 (−8.1%). 2026 is year to date.
BOCT annual returns table
| Year | BOCT | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +11.3% | −6.1% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +14.3% | −13.6% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +12.4% | −2.7% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +21.1% | −7.4% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −8.1% | −14.3% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +15.0% | −2.5% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +14.7% | −24.5% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +19.0% | −4.6% | +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.
BOCT largest drawdowns
Now 1.6% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2020 | −24.5% | Mar 23, 2020 | Aug 3, 2020 | 33 days | 5 months |
| Jan 4, 2022 | −14.3% | Jun 16, 2022 | May 26, 2023 | 5 months | 1.4 years |
| Feb 19, 2025 | −13.6% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 24, 2025 | 48 days | 4 months |
| Oct 2, 2018 | −13.6% | Dec 24, 2018 | Apr 12, 2019 | 3 months | 6 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
BOCT risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +15.7% | +11.0% | +11.4% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 8.0% | 10.2% | 11.2% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.33 | 0.73 | 0.79 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.81 | 1.18 | 1.25 |
| Best month | +7.4% | +7.4% | +9.5% |
| Worst month | −3.9% | −6.3% | −8.9% |
| Best 12 months | +23.1% | +23.1% | +39.4% |
| Worst 12 months | +3.9% | −8.5% | −8.5% |
| Positive months | 75% | 68% | 73% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.62 | 0.64 | — |
| 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.
BOCT rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 85 | −8.5% | +13.3% | +39.4% | 86% |
| 3-year (a year) | 61 | +6.4% | +10.1% | +17.4% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 37 | +8.4% | +10.9% | +13.4% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2018. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
BOCT performance overview
Innovator S&P 500 Buffer October (BOCT) returned +13.0% over the past year and +10.2% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2018 it has returned +10.5% a year, turning $10,000 into about $22,405. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −24.5%, from Feb 19, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 4 months to get back to the old high. BOCT finished 6 of its 7 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+21.1%) and the worst 2022 (−8.1%). Volatility has been 11.2% a year.
Related: BOCT chart, BOCT holdings, BOCT valuation. See the BOCT overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
BOCT performance FAQ
What is the BOCT return over the past year?
BOCT returned +13.0% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 13.0%.
What is the average annual return of BOCT?
BOCT has returned +10.2% a year over 5 years, +10.5% a year since October 1, 2018 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in BOCT be worth?
$10,000 invested in BOCT at its first recorded close on October 1, 2018 would be worth about $22,405 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for BOCT?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −8.1%. The best was 2023 at +21.1%.
What is the biggest drawdown of BOCT?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −24.5% between February 19, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on August 3, 2020, 4 months after the bottom.
How volatile is BOCT?
Over the past 3 years BOCT had an annualized volatility of 8.0% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.33 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).