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FT Vest Laddered Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF (BU...
Performance
Return for Risk
Dividends
Drawdowns
Volatility

FT Vest Laddered Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF (BUFS)

ETF · Main listing BUFS · Currency in USD · Last updated Apr 3, 2026

BUFS is an actively managed ETF by First Trust. BUFS launched on May 29, 2024 and has a 1.01% expense ratio.

ETF Info

ISIN
US33740F2433
Issuer
First Trust
Inception Date
May 29, 2024
Category
Defined Outcome
Leveraged
1x (No leverage)
Index Tracked
No Index (Active)
Domicile
United States
Distribution Policy
Accumulating
Asset Class
Alternatives
Asset Class Size
Small-Cap
Asset Class Style
Blend

Share Price Chart

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FT Vest Laddered Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF

Performance

Performance Chart

The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in FT Vest Laddered Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF, comparing it to the performance of the S&P 500 index or another benchmark. All prices have been adjusted for splits and dividends.

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S&P 500 Index

Returns By Period

FT Vest Laddered Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF (BUFS) has returned 1.71% so far this year and 13.59% over the past 12 months.

FT Vest Laddered Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF

1D
0.56%
1M
-0.73%
YTD
1.71%
6M
3.02%
1Y
13.59%
3Y*
—
5Y*
—
10Y*
—

Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)

1D
0.11%
1M
-3.43%
YTD
-3.84%
6M
-1.98%
1Y
16.08%
3Y*
16.86%
5Y*
10.37%
10Y*
12.29%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Monthly Returns

Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since May 30, 2024, BUFS's average daily return is +0.04%, while the average monthly return is +0.66%. At this rate, your investment would double in approximately 8.8 years.

Historically, 71% of months were positive and 29% were negative. The best month was Jul 2024 with a return of +5.0%, while the worst month was Mar 2025 at -3.8%. The longest winning streak lasted 10 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 3 months.

On a daily basis, BUFS closed higher 54% of trading days. The best single day was Apr 9, 2025 with a return of +5.0%, while the worst single day was Apr 3, 2025 at -3.3%.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
20262.32%0.60%-1.91%0.74%1.71%
20252.02%-3.31%-3.75%-1.04%2.20%2.76%0.93%3.91%1.81%0.89%0.14%0.61%7.08%
20240.36%-0.42%4.97%0.26%0.64%-0.27%4.94%-3.55%6.83%

Benchmark Metrics

FT Vest Laddered Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF has an annualized alpha of 0.76%, beta of 0.59, and R² of 0.72 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since May 31, 2024.

  • This ETF participated in 74.83% of S&P 500 Index downside but only 65.45% of its upside — more exposed to losses than it benefited from rallies.
  • Beta of 0.59 indicates this ETF moves significantly less than S&P 500 Index — a genuinely defensive profile with reduced participation in both market rallies and downturns.
Alpha
0.76%
Beta
0.59
R²
0.72
Upside Capture
65.45%
Downside Capture
74.83%

Expense Ratio

BUFS has a high expense ratio of 1.01%, indicating above-average management fees.

Return for Risk

Risk / Return Rank

BUFS ranks 61 for risk / return — better than 61% of ETFs on our site. You're getting solid returns for the risk taken. A good sign, especially for investors who want growth without excessive volatility.

BUFS Risk / Return Rank: 6161
Overall Rank
BUFS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6060
Sharpe Ratio Rank
BUFS Sortino Ratio Rank: 6262
Sortino Ratio Rank
BUFS Omega Ratio Rank: 5858
Omega Ratio Rank
BUFS Calmar Ratio Rank: 5757
Calmar Ratio Rank
BUFS Martin Ratio Rank: 6767
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

Return / Risk — by metrics

The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for FT Vest Laddered Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF (BUFS) and compare them to a chosen benchmark (S&P 500 Index).

BUFSBenchmarkDifference

Sharpe ratio

Return per unit of total volatility

1.13

0.88

+0.24

Sortino ratio

Return per unit of downside risk

1.66

1.37

+0.30

Omega ratio

Gain probability vs. loss probability

1.23

1.21

+0.02

Calmar ratio

Return relative to maximum drawdown

1.83

1.39

+0.44

Martin ratio

Return relative to average drawdown

8.49

6.43

+2.05

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

Explore BUFS risk-adjusted metrics in detail

Dive deeper into individual metrics with historical trends, benchmark comparisons, and performance across different time periods.

BUFS Sortino RatioBUFS Sharpe Ratio

Dividends

Dividend History

FT Vest Laddered Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF doesn't pay dividends

Drawdowns

Drawdowns Chart

The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.

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Worst Drawdowns

The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the FT Vest Laddered Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.

The maximum drawdown for the FT Vest Laddered Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF was 15.03%, occurring on Apr 8, 2025. Recovery took 103 trading sessions.

The current FT Vest Laddered Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF drawdown is 1.65%.

Depth

Start

To Bottom

Bottom

To Recover

End

Total

-15.03%Dec 5, 202484Apr 8, 2025103Sep 5, 2025187
-5.36%Jul 17, 202414Aug 5, 202415Aug 26, 202429
-4.68%Oct 28, 202518Nov 20, 20259Dec 4, 202527
-4.02%Feb 27, 202622Mar 30, 2026———
-2.82%Sep 3, 20244Sep 6, 20249Sep 19, 202413

Volatility

Volatility Chart

The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.

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Portfolio Analyzer

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