ITOT vs. BUFX
ITOT (iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF) and BUFX (FT Vest Laddered Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - ITOT is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the S&P Total Market Index, while BUFX is a Defined Outcome fund managed by First Trust. Their correlation of 0.90 suggests significant overlap in exposure. ITOT charges 0.03%/yr vs 0.96%/yr for BUFX.
Performance
ITOT vs. BUFX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, ITOT achieves a 11.78% return, which is significantly higher than BUFX's 4.10% return.
ITOT
- 1D
- 0.48%
- 1M
- 4.64%
- YTD
- 11.78%
- 6M
- 11.52%
- 1Y
- 28.81%
- 3Y*
- 22.39%
- 5Y*
- 12.80%
- 10Y*
- 15.01%
BUFX
- 1D
- -0.05%
- 1M
- 1.35%
- YTD
- 4.10%
- 6M
- 4.88%
- 1Y
- —
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
ITOT vs. BUFX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
ITOT iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF | 11.78% | 12.85% |
BUFX FT Vest Laddered Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF | 4.10% | 5.62% |
Correlation
The correlation between ITOT and BUFX is 0.90, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 26, 2025 | 0.90 |
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Return for Risk
ITOT vs. BUFX — Risk / Return Rank
ITOT
BUFX
ITOT vs. BUFX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT) and FT Vest Laddered Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF (BUFX). 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.
| ITOT | BUFX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | — | — | |
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | — | — | |
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.43 | — | — |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.25 | — | — |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 14.92 | — | — |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| ITOT | BUFX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.37 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.74 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.82 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.57 | 2.68 | -2.11 |
Drawdowns
ITOT vs. BUFX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum ITOT drawdown since its inception was -55.20%, which is greater than BUFX's maximum drawdown of -2.87%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ITOT and BUFX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| ITOT | BUFX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -55.20% | -2.87% | -52.33% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -8.90% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -19.44% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -25.36% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -35.00% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.25% | -0.07% | -0.18% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -6.97% | -0.24% | -6.73% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.94% | — | — |
Volatility
ITOT vs. BUFX - Volatility Comparison
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Volatility by Period
| ITOT | BUFX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.94% | — | — |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 9.14% | — | — |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 12.19% | 3.98% | +8.21% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 17.35% | 3.98% | +13.37% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 18.26% | 3.98% | +14.28% |
ITOT vs. BUFX - Expense Ratio Comparison
ITOT has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than BUFX's 0.96% expense ratio.
Dividends
ITOT vs. BUFX - Dividend Comparison
ITOT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.97%, while BUFX has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BUFX FT Vest Laddered Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
ITOT iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF | 0.97% | 1.11% | 1.23% | 1.47% | 1.66% | 1.18% | 1.41% | 1.88% | 2.14% | 1.69% | 1.83% | 2.01% |
Frequently Asked Questions
ITOT and BUFX have a correlation of 0.90, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, ITOT is cheaper at 0.03% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
ITOT is cheaper with a 0.03% expense ratio, compared with 0.96% for BUFX.
ITOT has the higher dividend yield at 0.97%, compared with 0.00% for BUFX.
ITOT is categorized as Large Cap Blend Equities, while BUFX is Defined Outcome. They also come from different issuers: iShares and First Trust. Their fees differ too: 0.03% for ITOT and 0.96% for BUFX.
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