RND vs. BUFX

Last updated Aug 2, 2026

RND (First Trust Bloomberg R&D Leaders ETF) and BUFX (FT Vest Laddered Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - RND is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the Bloomberg R&D Leaders Select Index, while BUFX is a Defined Outcome fund actively managed by First Trust. RND is passively managed, while BUFX is actively managed. Over the past year, RND returned 17.17% vs 9.79% for BUFX. Their correlation of 0.86 means they have usually moved in the same direction. RND charges 0.60%/yr vs 0.96%/yr for BUFX.

Performance

RND vs. BUFX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Bloomberg R&D Leaders ETF (RND) and FT Vest Laddered Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF (BUFX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with RND having a 4.89% return and BUFX slightly higher at 5.06%.

RND

• 1D: 1.99%
• 1M: 0.33%
• 6M: 5.66%
• YTD: 4.89%
• 1Y: 17.17%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 24.23%

BUFX

• 1D: 0.27%
• 1M: 0.68%
• 6M: 4.54%
• YTD: 5.06%
• 1Y: 9.79%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 9.76%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
BUFX FT Vest Laddered Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF	$98.01K	$102.06K	$119.53K
RND First Trust Bloomberg R&D Leaders ETF	$65.35K	$87.28K	$86.04K

RND vs. BUFX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
RND First Trust Bloomberg R&D Leaders ETF	4.89%	16.38%
BUFX FT Vest Laddered Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF	5.06%	5.43%

Correlation

The correlation between RND and BUFX is 0.87, meaning they have usually moved in the same direction, including during past declines.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.87
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 25, 2025	0.86

The correlation between RND and BUFX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.86 to 0.87 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

RND vs. BUFX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

RND

RND Risk / Return Rank: 33
RND Sharpe Ratio Rank: 35
RND Sortino Ratio Rank: 34
RND Omega Ratio Rank: 33
RND Calmar Ratio Rank: 29
RND Martin Ratio Rank: 34

BUFX

BUFX Risk / Return Rank: 91
BUFX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 91
BUFX Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
BUFX Omega Ratio Rank: 93
BUFX Calmar Ratio Rank: 85
BUFX Martin Ratio Rank: 94

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

RND vs. BUFX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Bloomberg R&D Leaders ETF (RND) 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	RND	BUFX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.88	2.30	-1.42
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.30	3.58	-2.29
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.16	1.49	-0.33
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.97	3.28	-2.31
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	3.31	19.17	-15.86

RND vs. BUFX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current RND Sharpe Ratio is 0.88, which is lower than the BUFX Sharpe Ratio of 2.30. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of RND and BUFX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

RND vs. BUFX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum RND drawdown since its inception was -23.52%, which is greater than BUFX's maximum drawdown of -2.87%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for RND and BUFX.

Drawdown Indicators

	RND	BUFX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-23.52%	-2.87%	-20.65%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.56%	-2.87%	-12.69%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.30%	0.00%	-2.30%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.69%	-0.24%	-3.45%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.54%	0.49%	+4.05%

Volatility

RND vs. BUFX - Volatility Comparison

First Trust Bloomberg R&D Leaders ETF (RND) has a higher volatility of 5.27% compared to FT Vest Laddered Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF (BUFX) at 0.99%. This indicates that RND's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BUFX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	RND	BUFX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.27%	0.99%	+4.28%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.49%	3.45%	+10.04%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.22%	4.10%	+13.12%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.11%	3.96%	+17.15%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.11%	3.96%	+17.15%

RND vs. BUFX - Expense Ratio Comparison

RND has a 0.60% expense ratio, which is lower than BUFX's 0.96% expense ratio.

Dividends

RND vs. BUFX - Dividend Comparison

Neither RND nor BUFX has paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024
BUFX FT Vest Laddered Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
RND First Trust Bloomberg R&D Leaders ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.04%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both RND and BUFX in my portfolio?

RND and BUFX have a correlation of 0.87, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, RND or BUFX?

RND has higher volatility (5.27%) compared to BUFX (0.99%). In terms of maximum drawdown, RND dropped -23.52% vs BUFX's -2.87%.

Which ETF is better, RND or BUFX?

On 1-year performance, RND leads with 17.17% vs 9.79% for BUFX. On fees, RND is cheaper at 0.60% per year. On volatility, BUFX has been the lower-risk option at 0.99%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, RND or BUFX?

Over the 1-year period, RND has performed better with a 17.17% return vs 9.79%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, RND or BUFX?

RND is cheaper with a 0.60% expense ratio, compared with 0.96% for BUFX.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, RND or BUFX?

RND and BUFX have nearly identical dividend yields, around 0.00%.

What is the main difference between RND and BUFX?

RND is categorized as Large Cap Blend Equities, while BUFX is Defined Outcome. Their fees differ too: 0.60% for RND and 0.96% for BUFX.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

BUFX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.30 vs 0.88), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.