Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF (BUFF) Performance
BUFF total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +8.0% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +9.6% total return
- 5 years
- +8.7% a year
- 10 years
- +8.6% a year
- Since first price
- +8.6% a year since 2016
BUFF trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | BUFF total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −0.2% | −0.2% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +2.3% | +2.3% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +4.8% | +4.8% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +8.0% | +8.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +9.6% | +9.6% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +45.4%+13.3%/yr | +45.4% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +51.7%+8.7%/yr | +51.7% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +129.1%+8.6%/yr | +112.6% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionOct 20, 2016 | +128.4%+8.6%/yr | +111.9% | — | — | — |
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: BUFF vs SPY
From Oct 20, 2016: BUFF grew to $22,840, SPY to $41,608.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
BUFF returns by calendar year
6 of 9 full years positive. Best 2019 (+32.9%), worst 2020 (−12.1%). 2026 is year to date.
BUFF annual returns table
| Year | BUFF | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +8.0% | −3.6% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +11.0% | −10.2% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +12.1% | −3.3% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +16.5% | −5.2% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −4.4% | −10.2% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +8.4% | −1.4% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | −12.1% | −46.2% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +32.9% | −3.6% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −7.0% | −16.2% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +15.6% | −2.8% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
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.
BUFF largest drawdowns
Now 1.1% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 17, 2020 | −46.2% | Mar 23, 2020 | Nov 22, 2023 | 2 months | 3.8 years |
| Jan 23, 2018 | −16.2% | Dec 24, 2018 | Apr 5, 2019 | 11 months | 1.2 years |
| Feb 19, 2025 | −10.2% | 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.
BUFF risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +12.8% | +9.1% | +8.8% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 5.9% | 7.5% | 13.1% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.36 | 0.73 | 0.54 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.84 | 1.19 | 0.72 |
| Best month | +6.0% | +6.0% | +12.7% |
| Worst month | −3.1% | −4.6% | −25.4% |
| Best 12 months | +19.3% | +19.3% | +38.8% |
| Worst 12 months | +5.6% | −6.8% | −23.9% |
| Positive months | 81% | 70% | 70% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.45 | 0.47 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.96 | 0.97 | — |
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.
BUFF rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 109 | −23.9% | +10.2% | +38.8% | 78% |
| 3-year (a year) | 85 | −3.9% | +7.0% | +15.4% | 89% |
| 5-year (a year) | 61 | +2.0% | +5.3% | +12.4% | 100% |
| 10-year (a year) | 1 | +8.8% | +8.8% | +8.8% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2016. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
BUFF performance overview
Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF (BUFF) returned +9.6% over the past year and +8.6% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2016 it has returned +8.6% a year, turning $10,000 into about $22,840. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −46.2%, from Jan 17, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 3.7 years to get back to the old high. BUFF finished 6 of its 9 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2019 (+32.9%) and the worst 2020 (−12.1%). Volatility has been 13.1% a year.
Related: BUFF chart, BUFF holdings. See the BUFF overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
BUFF performance FAQ
What is the BUFF return over the past year?
BUFF returned +9.6% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 9.6%.
What is the average annual return of BUFF?
BUFF has returned +8.7% a year over 5 years, +8.6% a year over 10 years, +8.6% a year since October 20, 2016 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in BUFF be worth?
$10,000 invested in BUFF at its first recorded close on October 20, 2016 would be worth about $22,840 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for BUFF?
The worst calendar year was 2020, with a total return of −12.1%. The best was 2019 at +32.9%.
What is the biggest drawdown of BUFF?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −46.2% between January 17, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on November 22, 2023, 3.7 years after the bottom.
How volatile is BUFF?
Over the past 3 years BUFF had an annualized volatility of 5.9% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.36 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).