Innovator S&P 500 Ultra Buffer October (UOCT) Performance
UOCT total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +8.5% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +9.8% total return
- 5 years
- +8.4% a year
- Since first price
- +7.3% a year since 2018
UOCT trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | UOCT 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 | +3.0% | +3.0% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +5.9% | +5.9% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +8.5% | +8.5% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +9.8% | +9.8% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +40.0%+11.9%/yr | +40.0% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +50.0%+8.4%/yr | +50.0% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionOct 1, 2018 | +76.6%+7.3%/yr | +72.5% | — | — | — |
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: UOCT vs SPY
From Oct 1, 2018: UOCT grew to $17,661, SPY to $29,363.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
UOCT returns by calendar year
6 of 7 full years positive. Best 2023 (+18.7%), worst 2022 (−4.3%). 2026 is year to date.
UOCT annual returns table
| Year | UOCT | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +8.5% | −4.2% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +10.7% | −9.2% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +9.0% | −1.7% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +18.7% | −3.1% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −4.3% | −8.7% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +5.8% | −1.5% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +8.0% | −13.7% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +10.9% | −5.0% | +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.
UOCT largest drawdowns
Now 1.3% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2020 | −13.7% | Mar 23, 2020 | Jul 20, 2020 | 33 days | 5 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
UOCT risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +11.6% | +8.8% | +7.9% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 5.8% | 6.2% | 6.6% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.18 | 0.84 | 0.79 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.34 | 1.42 | 1.24 |
| Best month | +5.2% | +5.2% | +5.3% |
| Worst month | −3.0% | −3.6% | −5.1% |
| Best 12 months | +16.6% | +18.7% | +18.7% |
| Worst 12 months | +2.8% | −5.5% | −5.5% |
| Positive months | 75% | 68% | 71% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.44 | 0.36 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.95 | 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.
UOCT rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 85 | −5.5% | +9.0% | +18.7% | 87% |
| 3-year (a year) | 61 | +2.6% | +7.3% | +13.5% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 37 | +5.4% | +7.7% | +8.8% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2018. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
UOCT performance overview
Innovator S&P 500 Ultra Buffer October (UOCT) returned +9.8% over the past year and +8.4% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2018 it has returned +7.3% a year, turning $10,000 into about $17,661. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −13.7%, from Feb 19, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 4 months to get back to the old high. UOCT finished 6 of its 7 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+18.7%) and the worst 2022 (−4.3%). Volatility has been 6.6% a year.
Related: UOCT chart. See the UOCT overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
UOCT performance FAQ
What is the UOCT return over the past year?
UOCT returned +9.8% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 9.8%.
What is the average annual return of UOCT?
UOCT has returned +8.4% a year over 5 years, +7.3% a year since October 1, 2018 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in UOCT be worth?
$10,000 invested in UOCT at its first recorded close on October 1, 2018 would be worth about $17,661 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for UOCT?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −4.3%. The best was 2023 at +18.7%.
What is the biggest drawdown of UOCT?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −13.7% between February 19, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on July 20, 2020, 4 months after the bottom.
How volatile is UOCT?
Over the past 3 years UOCT had an annualized volatility of 5.8% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.18 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).