Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - August (PAUG) Performance
PAUG total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +7.9% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +9.4% total return
- 5 years
- +9.3% a year
- Since first price
- +9.2% a year since 2019
PAUG trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | PAUG 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 | +1.8% | +1.8% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +5.0% | +5.0% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +7.9% | +7.9% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +9.4% | +9.4% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +51.6%+14.9%/yr | +51.6% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +56.1%+9.3%/yr | +56.1% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionAug 1, 2019 | +88.9%+9.2%/yr | +86.4% | — | — | — |
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: PAUG vs SPY
From Aug 1, 2019: PAUG grew to $18,888, SPY to $28,619.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
PAUG returns by calendar year
5 of 6 full years positive. Best 2023 (+17.7%), worst 2022 (−6.9%). 2026 is year to date.
PAUG annual returns table
| Year | PAUG | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +7.9% | −4.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +12.3% | −10.5% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +15.4% | −3.4% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +17.7% | −5.7% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −6.9% | −11.8% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +7.6% | −1.9% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +9.8% | −17.9% | +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.
PAUG largest drawdowns
Now 1.2% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 20, 2020 | −17.9% | Mar 16, 2020 | Jul 15, 2020 | 25 days | 5 months |
| Jan 4, 2022 | −11.8% | Oct 11, 2022 | Jun 12, 2023 | 9 months | 1.4 years |
| Feb 19, 2025 | −10.5% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 3, 2025 | 48 days | 3 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
PAUG risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +14.5% | +9.8% | +9.5% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 6.3% | 8.0% | 8.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.51 | 0.78 | 0.80 |
| Sortino ratio | 3.19 | 1.27 | 1.30 |
| Best month | +5.6% | +5.6% | +7.7% |
| Worst month | −3.0% | −5.4% | −7.3% |
| Best 12 months | +22.9% | +22.9% | +25.7% |
| Worst 12 months | +6.8% | −7.7% | −7.7% |
| Positive months | 72% | 63% | 67% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.49 | 0.49 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.96 | 0.96 | — |
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.
PAUG rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 75 | −7.7% | +11.1% | +25.7% | 84% |
| 3-year (a year) | 51 | +2.8% | +8.0% | +16.3% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 27 | +8.1% | +9.0% | +10.4% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2019. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
PAUG performance overview
Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - August (PAUG) returned +9.4% over the past year and +9.3% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2019 it has returned +9.2% a year, turning $10,000 into about $18,888. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −17.9%, from Feb 20, 2020 to Mar 16, 2020, and it took 4 months to get back to the old high. PAUG finished 5 of its 6 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+17.7%) and the worst 2022 (−6.9%). Volatility has been 8.5% a year.
Related: PAUG chart. See the PAUG overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
PAUG performance FAQ
What is the PAUG return over the past year?
PAUG returned +9.4% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 9.4%.
What is the average annual return of PAUG?
PAUG has returned +9.3% a year over 5 years, +9.2% a year since August 1, 2019 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in PAUG be worth?
$10,000 invested in PAUG at its first recorded close on August 1, 2019 would be worth about $18,888 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for PAUG?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −6.9%. The best was 2023 at +17.7%.
What is the biggest drawdown of PAUG?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −17.9% between February 20, 2020 and March 16, 2020. It recovered to the old high on July 15, 2020, 4 months after the bottom.
How volatile is PAUG?
Over the past 3 years PAUG had an annualized volatility of 6.3% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.51 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).