GDECFT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - December

Grow my money2y track recordRanked #1,566 of 2,992 in this goal

Seeks to provide investors with returns while offering a buffer against the first 15% of Underlying ETF losses.

By First Trust · Launched 2023

Annual Cost

0.85%

#4,507 of 5,854 · expensive

Fund Size

$439M

#1,701 of 5,854 · large

Return (1Y)Goal

+12.4%

Track Record

2 years

#3,265 of 5,854 · seasoned

Performance

Total-return NAV · USD

Growth of $10,000

$11,269+12.7%

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

What's inside

How Beacon categorizes this fund

Asset class

Alternative

Region

North america

Strategy

Structured outcome

Index tracked

S&P 500 Index

What it actually holds

By weight

Concentration

Top 10 holdings = 104.3% of fundconcentrated

CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.SPY 12 C6.83

61.5%

CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.SPY 12 C6.83

18.1%

CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.SPY 12 C6.83

15.7%

CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.SPY 12 P680.61

3.4%

CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.SPY 12 C6.83

2.6%

Dreyfus Government Cash Management Funds

1.0%

CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.SPY 12 P680.61

1.0%

CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.SPY 12 P680.61

0.7%

CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.SPY 12 P680.61

0.1%

CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.SPY 12 C762.83

-0.1%

Asset allocation

Stocks

99.1%

Cash

0.9%

Risk profile

Last 12 months · Sharpe & Sortino need 3+ years

Volatility (1Y)

6.0%Low

Year-on-year price swings

Max drawdown

-10.6%Mild

Worst peak-to-trough loss

Sharpe (3Y)

Unavailable

Needs 3+ years of history

Sortino (3Y)

Not yet

Needs 3+ years of history

Listing

Exchange: Cboe BZX

Full fund details

Objective: Seeks to provide investors with returns while offering a buffer against the first 15% of Underlying ETF losses.
Strategy: Invests substantially all assets in FLEX Options referencing the SPDR S&P 500 ETF to provide a buffer against the first 15% of losses and a cap of 12.08% on returns. The strategy targets specific outcomes based on the Underlying ETF's performance over a one-year period.
Inception date: December 15, 2023
Fund family: First Trust

Similar funds

Same asset class, closest by strategy & exposure

GNOV

FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - November

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TER 0.85%3Y N/A$295M

GFEB

FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - February

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TER 0.85%3Y +12.0%$382M

GJAN

FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - January

Take a bet

TER 0.85%3Y +11.3%$440M

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 2026-08-03