FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - August
$58.40−0.01 (−0.02%)
- 0.85%
- $1.4B
- +14.1%
- 0.1M sh
- $58.43
- low $50.67high $58.50
The ETF.net FAUG Grade
C
Score 47 out of 100
- 42 of 77
Score 47 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.F11 out of 100Rank 60 of 77Mission
Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.A95 out of 100Rank 4 of 7Risk
How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.B57 out of 100Rank 26 of 76Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.A90 out of 100Rank 1 of 77Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.C54 out of 100Rank 28 of 44Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.A91 out of 100Rank 1 of 77
Our read on FAUG
CFirst Trust's August-reset buffer fund absorbs the first 10% of a one-year price decline in the S&P 500 tracker it follows, and caps your upside in exchange. Running since 2019, an early arrival in what is now a crowded category.
The Fund seeks to match the price return of the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, before fees and expenses, up to a predetermined cap while buffering the first 10% of the underlying ETF's losses during the stated outcome period.
Why people hold it
- The trade is spelled out: first 10% of the reference ETF's price loss absorbed, upside stopped at a cap, dividends left out, clock reset every August.
- One slot in a full twelve-fund calendar (FJAN through FDEC), so an investor can enter on the August cycle or spread entries across reset months.
- Live since 2019 and reset every August since, so the mechanics have run through real markets rather than model assumptions.
Worth knowing
- At 0.85% a year it sits at the pricier end of the buffer shelf: ZALT runs 0.69% and the laddered BUFB 0.10% for related takes on the same idea.
- Buffer and cap are set for the whole outcome period. Buy mid-period and you inherit whatever cushion and headroom remain, not the headline terms.
- Trades lightly next to the category's busiest names, so spreads can be part of the entry cost.
FAUG Holdings
- Other
- 3
- 104%
- 2027-08-20 State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust C 7.66
Sectors
- Technology37.4%
- Financials12.2%
- Communication9.9%
- Consumer Discretionary9.6%
- Health Care9.1%
- Industrials8.2%
- Consumer Staples4.6%
- Energy3.4%
- Utilities2.2%
- Real Estate1.9%
- Materials1.6%
FAUG 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.
FAUG$11,410
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 | FAUG |
|---|---|
| Year to date | +10.4% |
| 1 month | +1.4% |
| 3 months | +2.9% |
| 1 year | +14.1% |
| 3 years | +15.6% |
| 5 years | +9.7% |
| 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 | FAUG |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +10.4% | |
| 2025 | +13.8% | |
| 2024 | +14.5% | |
| 2023 | +17.2% | |
| 2022 | −10.5% | |
| 2021 | +11.5% | |
| 2020 | +12.4% |
FAUG in the news
Filings Digest
AllianzIM launches OCTI and resets October buffer terms
FAUG Dividends
No distributions in the last 12 months.
FAUG Risk
- 7.4%
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.
- 1.39
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.
- −15.9%
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.
- 0.63
How it’s calculated: beta
The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.
FAUG Cost
0.85%
FAUG0.85%
- The middle half of S&P 500 Buffer 9-12% funds
- Median 0.79%
59 of the 77 S&P 500 Buffer 9-12% funds charge less.
Other funds in S&P 500 Buffer 9-12%
- CFMARFT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - MarchExpense ratio 0.85%1 year return +17.3%
- CFAPRFT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - AprilExpense ratio 0.85%1 year return +11.7%
- CFMAYFT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - MayExpense ratio 0.85%1 year return +12.5%
- CFDECFT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - DecemberExpense ratio 0.85%1 year return +16.3%
- CFJANFT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - JanuaryExpense ratio 0.85%1 year return +15.5%