SAUG vs. GMAY

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about FT Cboe Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - August (SAUG) and FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - May (GMAY).

SAUG and GMAY are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SAUG is an actively managed fund by FT Vest. It was launched on Aug 17, 2023. GMAY is an actively managed fund by FT Vest. It was launched on May 19, 2023.

Performance

SAUG vs. GMAY - Performance Comparison

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

SAUG vs. GMAY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
SAUG FT Cboe Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - August	0.92%	8.23%	11.08%	6.26%
GMAY FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - May	-0.56%	11.94%	12.12%	5.70%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SAUG achieves a 0.92% return, which is significantly higher than GMAY's -0.56% return.

SAUG

• 1D: 1.72%
• 1M: -1.82%
• YTD: 0.92%
• 6M: 2.82%
• 1Y: 14.32%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

GMAY

• 1D: 1.43%
• 1M: -1.35%
• YTD: -0.56%
• 6M: 1.46%
• 1Y: 13.25%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

SAUG vs. GMAY - Expense Ratio Comparison

SAUG has a 0.90% expense ratio, which is higher than GMAY's 0.85% expense ratio.

SAUG

FT Cboe Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - August

GMAY

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

Return for Risk

SAUG vs. GMAY — Risk / Return Rank

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

SAUG

SAUG Risk / Return Rank: 66
SAUG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 62
SAUG Sortino Ratio Rank: 66
SAUG Omega Ratio Rank: 61
SAUG Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
SAUG Martin Ratio Rank: 74

GMAY

GMAY Risk / Return Rank: 76
GMAY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
GMAY Sortino Ratio Rank: 75
GMAY Omega Ratio Rank: 87
GMAY Calmar Ratio Rank: 63
GMAY Martin Ratio Rank: 86

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.

SAUG vs. GMAY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FT Cboe Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - August (SAUG) and FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - May (GMAY). 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.

	SAUG	GMAY	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.13	1.28	-0.15
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.71	1.93	-0.21
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.36	-0.12
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.71	1.63	+0.07
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.94	10.58	-2.64
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SAUG vs. GMAY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SAUG Sharpe Ratio is 1.13, which is comparable to the GMAY Sharpe Ratio of 1.28. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SAUG and GMAY, 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

	SAUG	GMAY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.13	1.28	-0.15
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.85	1.42	-0.57

Correlation

The correlation between SAUG and GMAY is 0.66, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

SAUG vs. GMAY - Dividend Comparison

Neither SAUG nor GMAY has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

SAUG vs. GMAY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SAUG drawdown since its inception was -14.62%, which is greater than GMAY's maximum drawdown of -11.75%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SAUG and GMAY.

Drawdown Indicators

	SAUG	GMAY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-14.62%	-11.75%	-2.87%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.35%	-8.58%	+0.23%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.44%	-1.72%	-0.72%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.38%	-0.76%	-1.62%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.79%	1.32%	+0.47%

Volatility

SAUG vs. GMAY - Volatility Comparison

FT Cboe Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - August (SAUG) has a higher volatility of 3.60% compared to FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - May (GMAY) at 2.63%. This indicates that SAUG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than GMAY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SAUG	GMAY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.60%	2.63%	+0.97%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.53%	3.76%	+2.77%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.71%	10.44%	+2.27%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	12.11%	8.00%	+4.11%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	12.11%	8.00%	+4.11%