WHEATON, Ill., June 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innovator Capital Management, LLC (“Innovator”), the investment adviser for the Innovator Gradient Tactical Rotation Strategy ETF and Innovator Hedged Nasdaq-100 ETF (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”), announced today that the Funds’ Board of Trustees, at the recommendation of Innovator, has approved a plan of liquidation for each Fund (collectively, the “Plans”). Under the Plans, which are effective as of June 17, 2026, the Funds will begin the process of liquidating portfolio assets and unwinding their affairs in an orderly fashion over time. The Plans are not subject to shareholder approval.
Shareholders of the Funds may sell their shares on the Funds’ respective listing exchanges, NYSE Arca, Inc. for the Innovator Gradient Tactical Rotation Strategy ETF and The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC for the Innovator Hedged Nasdaq-100 ETF until market close on July 10, 2026, and may incur transaction fees from their broker-dealers. The Funds’ shares will no longer trade on their respective listing exchanges after market close on July 10, 2026, and the shares will subsequently be de-listed. Shareholders who continue to hold shares of a Fund on the Funds’ liquidation date, which is expected to be on or about July 15, 2026, will receive a liquidating distribution of cash in the cash portion of their brokerage accounts equal to the amount of the net asset value of their shares as of July 15, 2026. For tax purposes, shareholders will generally recognize a capital gain or loss equal to the amount received for their shares over their adjusted basis in such shares. The Funds will stop accepting creation orders from Authorized Participants on July 3, 2026.
About Innovator Capital Management
Innovator Capital Management is a leading active ETF sponsor and is the pioneer of outcome-based ETFs. Most notably the inaugural and largest lineup of Buffer ETFs™. The firm is committed to delivering innovative risk-managed strategies and managed 179 ETFs with approximately $34.2 billion in assets under management as of May 31, 2026.
About The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (“Goldman Sachs”) is a leading global financial institution that delivers a broad range of financial services to a large and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and individuals. Founded in 1869, the firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in all major financial centers around the world. On April 1, 2026, GSAM Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs, acquired Innovator and Innovator became an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Goldman Sachs.
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Victoria Zarella
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The Innovator Hedged Nasdaq-100 ETF is an actively managed ETF that, under normal market circumstances, seeks to provide capital appreciation through exposure to the constituents in the Nasdaq 100® Index (the “Nasdaq-100”) while providing a level of downside or “hedged” protection. To achieve its investment objective, the Fund intends to invest in: (i) a portfolio of common stocks that are representative of the Nasdaq-100 (the “Nasdaq-100 Portfolio”) to seek to provide capital appreciation; and (ii) put and call option contracts (the “Options Portfolio”) with durations of approximately three months that seek to provide a level of hedged downside protection for the Fund from 5% to 15% of Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1 (the “Underlying ETF”) losses over the term of the respective Options Portfolio Period. The Fund will forego upside returns of the Nasdaq-100 Portfolio beyond the level of the strike price of each sold call option on the Underlying ETF over an Option Portfolio Period. The Fund has characteristics unlike many other traditional investment products and may not be suitable for all investors. For more information regarding whether an investment in the Fund is right for you, please see “Investor Suitability” in the prospectus.
The Innovator Gradient Tactical Rotation Strategy ETF is an active ETF that seeks to provide excess returns over the S&P Global BMI utilizing a rules-based investment process. The S&P Global BMI is a market capitalization-weighted index providing a broad measure of global equities markets. The Fund’s strategy seeks to identify the global market segment displaying the strongest price momentum metrics. The strategy utilizes a rules-based, two-factor approach to create tactical investment opportunities.
Investing involves risks. Loss of principal is possible. The Funds face numerous risks, including active markets risk, authorized participant concentration risk, capped upside return risk, correlation risk, liquidity risk, management risk, market maker risk, market risk, non-diversification risk, operation risk, options risk, trading issues risk, upside participation risk and valuation risk. For a detailed list of the Funds’ risks see the Funds’ prospectuses.
Fund shares are not individually redeemable and are issued and redeemed by a Fund at their NAV only in large, specified blocks of shares called creation units. Shares otherwise can be bought and sold only through exchange trading at market price (not NAV). Shares may trade at a premium or discount to their NAV in the secondary market. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns.
A summary prospectus, if available, or a Prospectus for each Fund containing more information may be obtained from your authorized dealer or from Innovator Capital Management, LLC by calling 1-800-208-5212. Please consider a Fund's objectives, risks, and charges and expenses, and read the summary prospectus, if available, and the Prospectus carefully before investing. The summary prospectus, if available, and the Prospectus contains this and other information about the Funds.
The Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Act”) imposes certain limits on investment companies purchasing or acquiring any security issued by another registered investment company. For these purposes the definition of “investment company” includes funds that are unregistered because they are excepted from the definition of investment company by sections 3(c)(1) and 3(c)(7) of the Act. You should consult your legal counsel for more information.
Innovator Capital Management, LLC does not provide accounting, tax or legal advice. © 2026 Innovator Capital Management, LLC All rights reserved
NOT FDIC INSURED. MAY LOSE VALUE. NO BANK GUARANTEE. NOT INSURED BY ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY.
Compliance Code: 061826CZ.OTU
Date of first use: 6/18/2026
