Skip to content

DGAPFT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Digital Return ETF - April

Stay safeGrow my moneyNewRanked #325 of 340 in this goal

Seeks to provide a buffer against the first 10% of losses on the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust while providing a predetermined digital return if the Underlying ETF appreciates.

By First Trust · Launched 2026

Annual Cost

0.85%

#4,336 of 5,562 · expensive

Fund Size

$6M

#4,970 of 5,562 · small

Dividend YieldGoal

Track Record

2 months

#5,392 of 5,562 · young

Performance

Total-return NAV · USD
Growth of $10,000
$10,154+1.5%

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

Classification

How Beacon categorizes this fund

Asset class

Alternative

Strategy

Structured outcome

Index tracked

S&P 500 Index

What it actually holds

By weight

Asset allocation

Stocks
98.8%
Cash
1.2%

Risk profile

Last 12 months · Sharpe & Sortino need 3+ years
Volatility (1Y)
N/A
Max drawdown
-1.0%Mild

Worst peak-to-trough loss

Sharpe (3Y)
Unavailable

Needs 3+ years of history

Sortino (3Y)
Not yet

Needs 3+ years of history

Where to buy

Listing

Exchange
Cboe BZX

Full fund details

Objective
Seeks to provide a buffer against the first 10% of losses on the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust while providing a predetermined digital return if the Underlying ETF appreciates.
Strategy
Invests substantially all assets in FLEX Options referencing the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust to provide a 10% buffer against losses and a digital return if the Underlying ETF appreciates or remains unchanged.
Inception date
April 17, 2026
Fund family
First Trust

Our take

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

Buffer
Warning

Buffer ETF — downside protection at a cost

Defined-outcome funds cap upside (typically 8–20%) in exchange for partial downside protection (9–30%), priced via options. Fees are materially higher than the underlying index (often 0.70%+ vs 0.03–0.10%). For most pre-retirees, a simple stock/bond mix achieves similar downside behaviour at a fraction of the cost.

Source: Morningstar, 'Defined-Outcome ETFs: Useful or Uneconomic?' (2023)

Why we flagged this: strategy=structured_outcome + structured_outcome_strategy

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

What's next?

You've reviewed DGAP. Save it to your watchlist to track it alongside the other funds you're weighing.

Data updated on 2026-06-19