FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - August
$48.03−0.01 (−0.03%)
- 0.85%
- $446M
- +11.2%
- 0M sh
- $48.07
- low $42.83high $48.13
The ETF.net DAUG Grade
C
Score 50 out of 100
- 8 of 19
Score 50 of 100 falls in the C band. A is 70 or higher, B 55 to under 70, C 40 to under 55, D 25 to under 40, F under 25.
Cost
The fund’s net expense ratio, ranked against its category.D31 out of 100Rank 8 of 19Mission
Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.Risk
How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.C43 out of 100Rank 16 of 19Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.A92 out of 100Rank 1 of 19Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.C48 out of 100Rank 11 of 12Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.A79 out of 100Rank 1 of 19
Our read on DAUG
CInsurance with a deductible. DAUG bears the first 5% of an S&P 500 slide, then absorbs the next 25 points of losses, and in exchange your upside is capped at a level reset every August. Running since 2019.
The Fund seeks to match the price return of the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust before fees and expenses, subject to an 11.98% upside cap and protection for losses in the -5% to -30% range during the current outcome period.
Why people hold it
- The cushion sits where drawdowns bite: SPY losses between -5% and -30% are absorbed, a 25-point buffer, before losses pass through one-for-one again.sec.gov
- Twelve siblings run the same deep-buffer recipe on a monthly cycle (DJAN through DDEC), so you can pick a reset month or spread money across several start dates.
- Terms are knowable up front: the new cap is set at each August reset, disclosed in a filing and posted to the fund's site before the period begins.sec.gov
- Live since 2019, so this August reset has been rolled through real market stress rather than a backtest.
Worth knowing
- The reference is SPY's price return, so S&P 500 dividends are not part of what you capture. That is part of what the buffer costs.sec.gov
- Buffer and cap are designed for the full outcome period. Buy midstream and your own remaining cushion and upside differ from the headline terms.sec.gov
- 0.85% matches the deep-buffer cohort median, while Pacer's SOS conservative funds (PSCX, PSCW) charge 0.49%. Volume is light here, so spreads can run wider.
DAUG Holdings
- Other
- 3
- 103%
- 2027-08-20 State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust C 7.65
Sectors
- Technology40.1%
- Financials11.3%
- Communication9.9%
- Health Care9.4%
- Consumer Discretionary8.7%
- Industrials7.6%
- Consumer Staples4.4%
- Energy3.4%
- Utilities1.9%
- Real Estate1.7%
- Materials1.6%
DAUG Performance
Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.
Not enough history yet.
DAUG$11,123
Returns run to the Oct 12, 2026 close, with cash distributions reinvested. Each period starts on the same date that many months or years earlier. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.
| Period | DAUG |
|---|---|
| Year to date | +8.4% |
| 1 month | +1.2% |
| 3 months | +2.1% |
| 1 year | +11.2% |
| 3 years | +12.9% |
| 5 years | +7.0% |
| 10 years | — |
Calendar-year total return with cash distributions hypothetically reinvested at the ex-dividend date’s closing price. The current year shows year to date.
| Year | Return bar | DAUG |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +8.4% | |
| 2025 | +11.7% | |
| 2024 | +12.0% | |
| 2023 | +13.8% | |
| 2022 | −12.0% | |
| 2021 | +6.7% | |
| 2020 | +8.0% |
DAUG in the news
DAUG Dividends
No distributions in the last 12 months.
DAUG Risk
- 6.3%
How it’s calculated: standard deviation
The sample standard deviation of monthly total returns, multiplied by the square root of 12.
Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Total returns include reinvested distributions.
- 1.25
How it’s calculated: Sharpe ratio
Subtract each month’s Treasury-bill return from the fund’s monthly total return.
Divide the average of those excess returns by their sample standard deviation, then multiply by the square root of 12.
Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Each month uses the Treasury yield quoted at the end of the previous month.
- −15.3%
How it’s calculated: maximum drawdown
The largest percentage decline from an earlier peak, using total returns with reinvested distributions.
Uses up to five years through the last close, with at least 12 months required.
- 0.53
How it’s calculated: beta
The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.
DAUG Cost
0.85%
DAUG0.85%
- The middle half of S&P 500 Deep Buffer 25-30% funds
- Median 0.85%
7 of the 19 S&P 500 Deep Buffer 25-30% funds charge less.
Other funds in S&P 500 Deep Buffer 25-30%
- CDJULFT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - JulyExpense ratio 0.85%1 year return +11.8%
- CPSCJPacer Swan SOS Conservative (July) ETFExpense ratio 0.49%1 year return +11.3%
- CDJANFT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - JanuaryExpense ratio 0.85%1 year return +12.5%
- CDMARFT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - MarchExpense ratio 0.85%1 year return +13.3%
- CDNOVFT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - NovemberExpense ratio 0.85%1 year return +14.2%