Innovator S&P 500 Ultra Buffer ETF — July (UJUL) Performance
UJUL total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +6.7% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +8.1% total return
- 5 years
- +8.6% a year
- Since first price
- +7.0% a year since 2018
UJUL trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | UJUL 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 | +2.0% | +2.0% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +3.9% | +3.9% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +6.7% | +6.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +8.1% | +8.1% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +47.5%+13.8%/yr | +47.5% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +51.3%+8.6%/yr | +51.3% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionAug 8, 2018 | +74.9%+7.0%/yr | +64.2% | — | — | — |
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: UJUL vs SPY
From Aug 8, 2018: UJUL grew to $17,490, SPY to $30,144.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
UJUL returns by calendar year
6 of 7 full years positive. Best 2023 (+17.6%), worst 2022 (−7.0%). 2026 is year to date.
UJUL annual returns table
| Year | UJUL | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +6.7% | −4.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +12.3% | −11.4% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +13.8% | −4.1% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +17.6% | −5.6% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −7.0% | −10.7% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +4.6% | −1.5% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +5.0% | −14.1% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +13.0% | −5.8% | +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.
UJUL largest drawdowns
Now 1.2% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2020 | −14.1% | Mar 20, 2020 | Jun 8, 2020 | 30 days | 4 months |
| Feb 19, 2025 | −11.4% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 6, 2025 | 48 days | 4 months |
| Mar 29, 2022 | −10.7% | Oct 12, 2022 | May 18, 2023 | 6 months | 1.1 years |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
UJUL risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +13.6% | +9.0% | +7.0% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 6.8% | 7.7% | 8.0% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.29 | 0.70 | 0.57 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.64 | 1.16 | 0.87 |
| Best month | +5.4% | +5.4% | +5.8% |
| Worst month | −4.0% | −4.1% | −5.4% |
| Best 12 months | +21.2% | +21.2% | +21.2% |
| Worst 12 months | +5.2% | −7.9% | −7.9% |
| Positive months | 72% | 63% | 67% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.50 | 0.46 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.92 | 0.94 | — |
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.
UJUL rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 87 | −7.9% | +8.3% | +21.2% | 85% |
| 3-year (a year) | 63 | +0.4% | +6.0% | +15.4% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 39 | +3.3% | +7.1% | +9.0% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2018. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
UJUL performance overview
Innovator S&P 500 Ultra Buffer ETF — July (UJUL) returned +8.1% over the past year and +8.6% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2018 it has returned +7.0% a year, turning $10,000 into about $17,490. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −14.1%, from Feb 19, 2020 to Mar 20, 2020, and it took 3 months to get back to the old high. UJUL finished 6 of its 7 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+17.6%) and the worst 2022 (−7.0%). Volatility has been 8.0% a year.
Related: UJUL chart. See the UJUL overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
UJUL performance FAQ
What is the UJUL return over the past year?
UJUL returned +8.1% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 8.1%.
What is the average annual return of UJUL?
UJUL has returned +8.6% a year over 5 years, +7.0% a year since August 8, 2018 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in UJUL be worth?
$10,000 invested in UJUL at its first recorded close on August 8, 2018 would be worth about $17,490 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for UJUL?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −7.0%. The best was 2023 at +17.6%.
What is the biggest drawdown of UJUL?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −14.1% between February 19, 2020 and March 20, 2020. It recovered to the old high on June 8, 2020, 3 months after the bottom.
How volatile is UJUL?
Over the past 3 years UJUL had an annualized volatility of 6.8% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.29 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).