GAUG vs. BUFD

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - August (GAUG) and FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF (BUFD).

GAUG and BUFD are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. GAUG is a passively managed fund by FT Vest that tracks the performance of the S&P 500. It was launched on Aug 17, 2023. BUFD is an actively managed fund by FT Vest. It was launched on Jan 20, 2021.

Performance

GAUG vs. BUFD - Performance Comparison

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

GAUG vs. BUFD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
GAUG FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - August	-1.41%	11.28%	11.78%	5.84%
BUFD FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF	-0.85%	10.66%	12.42%	5.73%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GAUG achieves a -1.41% return, which is significantly lower than BUFD's -0.85% return.

GAUG

• 1D: 1.62%
• 1M: -2.13%
• YTD: -1.41%
• 6M: 0.25%
• 1Y: 11.40%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

BUFD

• 1D: 1.52%
• 1M: -1.65%
• YTD: -0.85%
• 6M: 1.30%
• 1Y: 12.22%
• 3Y*: 11.08%
• 5Y*: 6.54%
• 10Y*: —

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

GAUG vs. BUFD - Expense Ratio Comparison

GAUG has a 0.85% expense ratio, which is lower than BUFD's 0.95% expense ratio.

BUFD

FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF

GAUG

FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - August

Return for Risk

GAUG vs. BUFD — Risk / Return Rank

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

GAUG

GAUG Risk / Return Rank: 71
GAUG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 66
GAUG Sortino Ratio Rank: 70
GAUG Omega Ratio Rank: 75
GAUG Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
GAUG Martin Ratio Rank: 82

BUFD

BUFD Risk / Return Rank: 81
BUFD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 76
BUFD Sortino Ratio Rank: 80
BUFD Omega Ratio Rank: 85
BUFD Calmar Ratio Rank: 75
BUFD Martin Ratio Rank: 88

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.

GAUG vs. BUFD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - August (GAUG) and FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF (BUFD). 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.

	GAUG	BUFD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.15	1.36	-0.20
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.76	2.01	-0.25
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.28	1.33	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.64	1.93	-0.28
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.23	10.57	-1.34
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GAUG vs. BUFD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GAUG Sharpe Ratio is 1.15, which is comparable to the BUFD Sharpe Ratio of 1.36. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GAUG and BUFD, 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

	GAUG	BUFD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.15	1.36	-0.20
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.85	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.38	0.87	+0.51

Correlation

The correlation between GAUG and BUFD is 0.86, 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

GAUG vs. BUFD - Dividend Comparison

Neither GAUG nor BUFD has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

GAUG vs. BUFD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GAUG drawdown since its inception was -10.08%, smaller than the maximum BUFD drawdown of -10.75%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GAUG and BUFD.

Drawdown Indicators

	GAUG	BUFD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-10.08%	-10.75%	+0.67%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.14%	-6.57%	-0.57%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-10.75%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.45%	-1.96%	-0.49%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.76%	-2.03%	+1.27%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.27%	1.20%	+0.07%

Volatility

GAUG vs. BUFD - Volatility Comparison

FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - August (GAUG) has a higher volatility of 2.99% compared to FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF (BUFD) at 2.69%. This indicates that GAUG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BUFD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	GAUG	BUFD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.99%	2.69%	+0.30%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.66%	4.10%	+0.56%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	9.92%	9.04%	+0.88%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	7.69%	7.71%	-0.02%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	7.69%	7.63%	+0.06%