FMARFT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - March
Seeks to provide returns with a buffer against the first 10% of losses of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY).
By First Trust · Launched 2021
0.85%
#4,336 of 5,562 · expensive
$1.2B
#1,027 of 5,562 · large
0.00%
5 years
#2,330 of 5,562 · seasoned
Performance
Total-return NAV · USDTotal-return NAV, USD. Net of fund fees, before tax.
Classification
How Beacon categorizes this fundWhat it actually holds
By weightConcentration
Top 10 holdings = 108.9% of fundconcentrated
Asset allocation
Risk profile
Last 12 months · Sharpe & Sortino need 3+ yearsYear-on-year price swings
Worst peak-to-trough loss
Where to buy
Listing
- Exchange
- Cboe BZX
Full fund details
- Objective
- Seeks to provide returns with a buffer against the first 10% of losses of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY).
- Strategy
- Invests primarily in FLEX Options referencing SPY to implement a target outcome strategy. Aims for a 10% buffer against SPY losses and a cap of 17.17% on returns over a one-year period.
- Inception date
- March 19, 2021
- Fund family
- First Trust
Similar ETFs
Closest matches by profileOur take
Structural notes on how this fund behaves. Read our guide on the 6 warning signs.
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
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Data updated on 2026-06-19