Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - August (UAUG) Performance
UAUG total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +7.6% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +8.9% total return
- 5 years
- +8.2% a year
- Since first price
- +7.9% a year since 2019
UAUG trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | UAUG 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 | +1.7% | +1.7% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +4.9% | +4.9% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +7.6% | +7.6% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +8.9% | +8.9% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +51.1%+14.8%/yr | +51.1% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +48.3%+8.2%/yr | +48.3% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionAug 1, 2019 | +73.0%+7.9%/yr | +71.6% | — | — | — |
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: UAUG vs SPY
From Aug 1, 2019: UAUG grew to $17,300, SPY to $28,619.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
UAUG returns by calendar year
5 of 6 full years positive. Best 2023 (+17.7%), worst 2022 (−10.8%). 2026 is year to date.
UAUG annual returns table
| Year | UAUG | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +7.6% | −4.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +12.4% | −10.3% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +15.5% | −2.9% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +17.7% | −5.6% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −10.8% | −13.9% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +4.9% | −1.7% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +8.0% | −13.6% | +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.
UAUG largest drawdowns
Now 1.1% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4, 2022 | −13.9% | Oct 12, 2022 | Jul 18, 2023 | 9 months | 1.5 years |
| Feb 19, 2020 | −13.6% | Mar 20, 2020 | Jul 14, 2020 | 30 days | 5 months |
| Feb 19, 2025 | −10.3% | 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.
UAUG risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +14.5% | +8.6% | +8.1% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 6.6% | 7.8% | 7.7% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.44 | 0.65 | 0.71 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.91 | 1.06 | 1.14 |
| Best month | +5.2% | +5.9% | +5.9% |
| Worst month | −3.6% | −4.3% | −5.5% |
| Best 12 months | +23.0% | +23.0% | +23.0% |
| Worst 12 months | +6.0% | −11.1% | −11.1% |
| Positive months | 72% | 62% | 66% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.51 | 0.46 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.96 | 0.92 | — |
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.
UAUG rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 75 | −11.1% | +10.8% | +23.0% | 81% |
| 3-year (a year) | 51 | +0.3% | +6.1% | +15.8% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 27 | +6.6% | +7.5% | +8.6% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2019. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
UAUG performance overview
Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - August (UAUG) returned +8.9% over the past year and +8.2% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2019 it has returned +7.9% a year, turning $10,000 into about $17,300. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −13.9%, from Jan 4, 2022 to Oct 12, 2022, and it took 9 months to get back to the old high. UAUG finished 5 of its 6 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+17.7%) and the worst 2022 (−10.8%). Volatility has been 7.7% a year.
Related: UAUG chart. See the UAUG overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
UAUG performance FAQ
What is the UAUG return over the past year?
UAUG returned +8.9% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 8.9%.
What is the average annual return of UAUG?
UAUG has returned +8.2% a year over 5 years, +7.9% a year since August 1, 2019 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in UAUG be worth?
$10,000 invested in UAUG at its first recorded close on August 1, 2019 would be worth about $17,300 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for UAUG?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −10.8%. The best was 2023 at +17.7%.
What is the biggest drawdown of UAUG?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −13.9% between January 4, 2022 and October 12, 2022. It recovered to the old high on July 18, 2023, 9 months after the bottom.
How volatile is UAUG?
Over the past 3 years UAUG had an annualized volatility of 6.6% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.44 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).