SFLR vs. BUFR

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Innovator Equity Managed Floor ETF (SFLR) and FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF (BUFR).

SFLR and BUFR are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SFLR is an actively managed fund by Innovator. It was launched on Nov 8, 2022. BUFR is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Aug 10, 2020.

Performance

SFLR vs. BUFR - Performance Comparison

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

SFLR vs. BUFR - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
SFLR Innovator Equity Managed Floor ETF	-3.03%	13.29%	19.99%	21.20%	1.38%
BUFR FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF	-0.93%	12.44%	14.68%	19.63%	2.82%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SFLR achieves a -3.03% return, which is significantly lower than BUFR's -0.93% return.

SFLR

• 1D: 0.85%
• 1M: -3.06%
• YTD: -3.03%
• 6M: -0.93%
• 1Y: 14.17%
• 3Y*: 14.51%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

BUFR

• 1D: 0.50%
• 1M: -1.71%
• YTD: -0.93%
• 6M: 1.42%
• 1Y: 13.93%
• 3Y*: 13.08%
• 5Y*: 8.86%
• 10Y*: —

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

SFLR vs. BUFR - Expense Ratio Comparison

SFLR has a 0.89% expense ratio, which is lower than BUFR's 0.95% expense ratio.

BUFR

FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF

SFLR

Innovator Equity Managed Floor ETF

Return for Risk

SFLR vs. BUFR — Risk / Return Rank

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

SFLR

SFLR Risk / Return Rank: 71
SFLR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
SFLR Sortino Ratio Rank: 70
SFLR Omega Ratio Rank: 68
SFLR Calmar Ratio Rank: 74
SFLR Martin Ratio Rank: 74

BUFR

BUFR Risk / Return Rank: 72
BUFR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 69
BUFR Sortino Ratio Rank: 71
BUFR Omega Ratio Rank: 78
BUFR Calmar Ratio Rank: 61
BUFR Martin Ratio Rank: 80

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.

SFLR vs. BUFR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Innovator Equity Managed Floor ETF (SFLR) and FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF (BUFR). 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.

	SFLR	BUFR	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.31	1.26	+0.05
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.82	1.83	-0.01
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.26	1.30	-0.04
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.09	1.63	+0.45
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.18	9.16	-0.98
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SFLR vs. BUFR - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SFLR Sharpe Ratio is 1.31, which is comparable to the BUFR Sharpe Ratio of 1.26. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SFLR and BUFR, 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

	SFLR	BUFR	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.31	1.26	+0.05
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.85	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.49	0.96	+0.54

Correlation

The correlation between SFLR and BUFR is 0.91, 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

SFLR vs. BUFR - Dividend Comparison

SFLR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.35%, while BUFR has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022
SFLR Innovator Equity Managed Floor ETF	0.35%	0.33%	0.42%	1.16%	0.06%
BUFR FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

SFLR vs. BUFR - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SFLR drawdown since its inception was -12.13%, smaller than the maximum BUFR drawdown of -13.73%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SFLR and BUFR.

Drawdown Indicators

	SFLR	BUFR	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-12.13%	-13.73%	+1.60%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-6.79%	-8.76%	+1.97%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-13.73%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.43%	-2.30%	-2.13%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.76%	-2.15%	+0.39%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.73%	1.56%	+0.17%

Volatility

SFLR vs. BUFR - Volatility Comparison

Innovator Equity Managed Floor ETF (SFLR) has a higher volatility of 3.79% compared to FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF (BUFR) at 3.48%. This indicates that SFLR's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BUFR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SFLR	BUFR	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.79%	3.48%	+0.31%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.45%	5.24%	+2.21%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.85%	11.11%	-0.26%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	10.30%	10.46%	-0.16%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	10.30%	10.33%	-0.03%