PAUG ETF — Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - August

Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - August (PAUG)

Updated October 16, 2026.

PAUG is an ETF. its expense ratio is 0.79%. Total return is 89.2% over the past 7.2 years, 98.2 points behind SPY at 187.4%.

Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - August is an ETF that invests at least 80% of its net assets in the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, combining broad U.S. equity exposure with a built-in options strategy designed to buffer against downside moves within a defined range. The fund does not currently distribute income to shareholders, though it has made special distributions in the past that should not be expected to recur regularly; it carries an expense ratio of 0.79%. This ETF appeals to equity investors seeking downside protection mechanisms alongside core market exposure rather than those prioritizing current income.

PAUG performance versus SPY

Price and return data through 2026-10-16.

Total return is 89.2% over the past 7.2 years, 98.2 points behind SPY at 187.4%. Over the past year its total return — price change plus distributions reinvested — is 10.6%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 4.0%.

PAUG key facts

Issuer

Innovator ETFs

Asset type

ETF

Asset class

Equity

Inception date

07/31/2019

Expense ratio

0.79%

Distribution frequency

None

Last close

$46.73 (as of 2026-10-16)

AUM

$1,054,798,012

Average volume

16965.0

Ex-dividend date

11/19/2019

Payment date

11/21/2019

Beta

0.5

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (the posted rate) uses calculation basis unavailable. Issuer rates can use a different denominator and date, including ex-date NAV. Trailing-12-month yield is the sum of split-adjusted cash distributions with ex-dates in the last 12 months, divided by the published price. It lags a recent raise or cut. Total return uses split-adjusted close with distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date) from the first stored bar on or after inception through the latest bar, compared with the same window on the benchmark. That is the security's total return, not your personal gain/loss.

Yield and safety methodology · Distribution rate methodology · Distribution Safety Score methodology

Sources and review

Primary sources: Innovator ETFs; prices and distributions from Dividend Vision, derived from vendor EOD data.

Reviewed by Bert Sweet, CEO and Co-owner of Dividend Vision. Methodology: Distribution Safety Score.

PAUG risks and drawbacks

Total return has trailed SPY over the available window. The deepest 1-year drawdown on record here is 4.0%.

Who may consider PAUG — and who may not

It is a weaker fit for investors who need monthly cash flow (PAUG does not currently distribute); investors whose main goal is matching SPY total return. This is educational context, not a recommendation to buy or sell.

More on PAUG

• All tickers starting with P

Tagged: Downside Protection, Options, Target.

Frequently asked questions

More securities from Innovator ETFs.