BUFR vs. FFEB

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF (BUFR) and FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - February (FFEB).

BUFR and FFEB are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. BUFR is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Aug 10, 2020. FFEB is an actively managed fund by FT Vest. It was launched on Feb 21, 2020.

Performance

BUFR vs. FFEB - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF (BUFR) and FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - February (FFEB). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

BUFR vs. FFEB - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
BUFR FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF	-1.43%	12.44%	14.68%	19.63%	-7.57%	11.88%	7.57%
FFEB FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - February	-1.36%	13.76%	16.64%	19.95%	-7.51%	16.26%	7.30%

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with BUFR having a -1.43% return and FFEB slightly higher at -1.36%.

BUFR

• 1D: 1.90%
• 1M: -2.26%
• YTD: -1.43%
• 6M: 1.05%
• 1Y: 13.74%
• 3Y*: 12.89%
• 5Y*: 8.75%
• 10Y*: —

FFEB

• 1D: 1.97%
• 1M: -3.34%
• YTD: -1.36%
• 6M: 1.28%
• 1Y: 14.47%
• 3Y*: 14.32%
• 5Y*: 9.99%
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

BUFR vs. FFEB - Expense Ratio Comparison

BUFR has a 0.95% expense ratio, which is higher than FFEB's 0.85% expense ratio.

BUFR

FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF

FFEB

FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - February

Return for Risk

BUFR vs. FFEB — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

BUFR

BUFR Risk / Return Rank: 76
BUFR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 73
BUFR Sortino Ratio Rank: 74
BUFR Omega Ratio Rank: 81
BUFR Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
BUFR Martin Ratio Rank: 84

FFEB

FFEB Risk / Return Rank: 73
FFEB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 67
FFEB Sortino Ratio Rank: 70
FFEB Omega Ratio Rank: 78
FFEB Calmar Ratio Rank: 68
FFEB Martin Ratio Rank: 82

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.

BUFR vs. FFEB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF (BUFR) and FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - February (FFEB). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	BUFR	FFEB	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.24	1.17	+0.07
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.81	1.76	+0.05
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	1.30	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.63	1.72	-0.09
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.18	9.15	+0.02
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BUFR vs. FFEB - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BUFR Sharpe Ratio is 1.24, which is comparable to the FFEB Sharpe Ratio of 1.17. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BUFR and FFEB, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	BUFR	FFEB	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.24	1.17	+0.07
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.84	0.92	-0.08
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.95	0.77	+0.18

Correlation

The correlation between BUFR and FFEB is 0.92, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

BUFR vs. FFEB - Dividend Comparison

Neither BUFR nor FFEB has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

BUFR vs. FFEB - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BUFR drawdown since its inception was -13.73%, smaller than the maximum FFEB drawdown of -22.81%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BUFR and FFEB.

Drawdown Indicators

	BUFR	FFEB	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-13.73%	-22.81%	+9.08%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.76%	-8.65%	-0.11%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-13.73%	-13.85%	+0.12%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.79%	-3.87%	+1.08%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.15%	-2.46%	+0.31%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.56%	1.62%	-0.06%

Volatility

BUFR vs. FFEB - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF (BUFR) is 3.44%, while FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - February (FFEB) has a volatility of 3.72%. This indicates that BUFR experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FFEB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BUFR	FFEB	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.44%	3.72%	-0.28%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	5.22%	5.65%	-0.43%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	11.11%	12.39%	-1.28%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	10.46%	10.88%	-0.42%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	10.34%	13.90%	-3.56%