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BUFRFT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF

Grow my money5y track recordRanked #962 of 2,999 in this goal

Seeks capital appreciation.

By First Trust · Launched 2020

Annual Cost

0.95%

#4,882 of 5,861 · expensive

Fund Size

$9.9B

#287 of 5,861 · large

Return (1Y)Goal

+13.6%

Track Record

5 years

#2,121 of 5,861 · seasoned

Performance

Total-return NAV · USD
Growth of $10,000
$11,377+13.8%

Total-return NAV, USD. Net of fund fees, before tax.

What's inside

How Beacon categorizes this fund

Asset class

Alternative

Strategy

Structured outcome

Index tracked

S&P 500 Index

What it actually holds

By weight

Concentration

Top 10 holdings = 83.3% of fundconcentrated

First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII
8.4%
First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII
8.4%
First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII
8.3%
First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII
8.3%
First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII
8.3%
First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII
8.3%
First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII
8.3%
First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII
8.3%
First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII
8.3%
First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII
8.3%

Asset allocation

Stocks
99.0%
Cash
1.1%

Risk profile

Last 12 months · Sharpe & Sortino need 3+ years
Volatility (1Y)
6.8%Low

Year-on-year price swings

Max drawdown
-13.7%Mild

Worst peak-to-trough loss

Sharpe (3Y)
1.01Strong risk-adjusted returns
Sortino (3Y)
1.46Good downside protection

Listing

Exchange
Cboe BZX

Full fund details

Objective
Seeks capital appreciation.
Strategy
Provides US large-cap equity market exposure while attempting to limit downside risk through a laddered portfolio of twelve FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETFs. The laddered approach allows the Fund to benefit from increases in the value of SPY while providing downside protection at any given time.
Inception date
August 10, 2020
Fund family
First Trust

Our take

Structural notes on how this fund behaves. Read our guide on the 6 warning signs.

Buffer
Warning

You can build this cheaper yourself

Defined-outcome funds cap your gains (often 8% to 20%) in exchange for cushioning losses by 9% to 30%, priced with options. The fee runs about 0.70% or more, against 0.03% to 0.10% for a plain index fund. For most investors, a simple stock-and-bond mix gives similar protection for far less.

Sources: Morningstar, 'Buffer Funds Are on the Rise, but They May Not Make Sense for Most Investors' (2025)

Educational analysis of structural product characteristics. Not investment advice. Always read the fund prospectus and consult a qualified advisor before investing. More

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Data updated on 2026-08-04