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BUFBInnovator Laddered Allocation Buffer ETF

Grow my money4y track recordRanked #1,663 of 2,960 in this goal

Seeks investment results that correspond to the performance of the MerQube U.S. Large Cap Equity Buffer Laddered Index.

By Innovator ETFs · Launched 2022

Annual Cost

0.89%

#4,486 of 5,562 · expensive

Fund Size

$305M

#1,938 of 5,562 · mid-size

Return (1Y)Goal

+19.1%

Track Record

4 years

#2,607 of 5,562 · seasoned

Performance

Total-return NAV · USD
Growth of $10,000
$11,910+19.1%

Total-return NAV, USD. Net of fund fees, before tax.

Classification

How Beacon categorizes this fund

Asset class

Alternative

Strategy

Structured outcome

Index tracked

MerQube US Large Cap Equity Buffer Laddered Index

What it actually holds

By weight

Concentration

Top 10 holdings = 83.4% of fundconcentrated

Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer E
8.5%
Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer E
8.4%
Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer E
8.4%
Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer E
8.3%
Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer E
8.3%
Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer E
8.3%
Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer E
8.3%
Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer E
8.3%
Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer E
8.3%
Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer E
8.3%

Asset allocation

Stocks
94.5%
Cash
5.5%

Risk profile

Last 12 months · Sharpe & Sortino need 3+ years
Volatility (1Y)
7.7%Low

Year-on-year price swings

Max drawdown
-14.9%Mild

Worst peak-to-trough loss

Sharpe (3Y)
1.08Strong risk-adjusted returns
Sortino (3Y)
1.61Good downside protection

Where to buy

Listing

Exchange
Cboe BZX

Full fund details

Objective
Seeks investment results that correspond to the performance of the MerQube U.S. Large Cap Equity Buffer Laddered Index.
Strategy
Invests primarily in ETFs that comprise the MerQube U.S. Large Cap Equity Buffer Laddered Index, which includes twelve Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETFs. The Fund seeks to provide a laddered investment approach, mitigating timing risks by holding Underlying ETFs with staggered reset dates. Each Underlying ETF aims to provide defined outcomes based on the performance of the S&P 500 Index, with a buffer of 9% against losses and a capped return for each Outcome Period. The Fund rebalances semi-annually to maintain equal weight across the Underlying ETFs.
Inception date
February 8, 2022
Fund family
Innovator ETFs

Our take

Structural notes on how this fund behaves. Read our guide on the 6 warning signs.

Buffer
Warning

Buffer ETF — downside protection at a cost

Defined-outcome funds cap upside (typically 8–20%) in exchange for partial downside protection (9–30%), priced via options. Fees are materially higher than the underlying index (often 0.70%+ vs 0.03–0.10%). For most pre-retirees, a simple stock/bond mix achieves similar downside behaviour at a fraction of the cost.

Source: Morningstar, 'Defined-Outcome ETFs: Useful or Uneconomic?' (2023)

Why we flagged this: strategy=structured_outcome + structured_outcome_strategy

Educational analysis of structural product characteristics. Not investment advice. Always read the fund prospectus and consult a qualified advisor before investing. More

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Data updated on 2026-06-19