FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - April
$42.94−0.01 (−0.02%)
- 0.85%
- $298M
- +9.8%
- 0M sh
- $42.97
- low $39.12high $43.06
The ETF.net GAPR Grade
C
Score 43 out of 100
- 30 of 61
Score 43 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.F13 out of 100Rank 47 of 61Mission
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.B69 out of 100Rank 7 of 57Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.B56 out of 100Rank 27 of 59Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.B64 out of 100Rank 8 of 33Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.A70 out of 100Rank 22 of 61
Our read on GAPR
CThe April door on First Trust's monthly buffer ladder: it aims to absorb the first 15% of a one-year drop in the S&P 500's price and gives up gains above a cap set each April. Same recipe as its sibling months, different start date.
The Fund seeks to match the price return of the State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust up to a set cap while protecting the first 15% of losses during the April 20, 2026–April 16, 2027 outcome period.
Why people hold it
- Terms are contractual, not discretionary: the first 15% of losses absorbed, upside capped, over a defined April-to-April window whose cap is published before the period starts.ftportfolios.com
- Twelve monthly siblings exist (GMAY, GJUN, GSEP and the rest), so you can choose an entry month or ladder across several rather than leaning on one 12-month window.
- The yardstick is the price return of the largest S&P 500 ETF, so the payoff is measured against something you can watch tick by tick instead of a bespoke index.
Worth knowing
- At 0.85% a year it sits at the pricier end of the buffer shelf; BUFF, a laddered rival in the same group, charges 0.10%.
- Buy mid-period and the math shifts: the full 15% cushion and the stated cap apply to holders who own it from one April reset to the next.
- Thinly traded next to the category's giants, and it follows price return only, so S&P 500 dividends and regular income are not part of the design.
GAPR Holdings
- Other
- 3
- 105%
- 2027-04-16 State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust C 7.12
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%
GAPR 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.Not enough history yet.
GAPR$10,979
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 | GAPR |
|---|---|
| Year to date | +7.4% |
| 1 month | +1.1% |
| 3 months | +2.5% |
| 1 year | +9.8% |
| 3 years | +11.5% |
| 5 years | — |
| 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 | GAPR |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +7.4% | |
| 2025 | +6.7% | |
| 2024 | +14.5% | |
| 2023 | +10.1% |
GAPR in the news
GAPR Dividends
No distributions in the last 12 months.
GAPR Risk
- 4.5%
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.
- 1.47
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.
- −9.0%
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.
- 0.29
How it’s calculated: beta
The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.
GAPR Cost
0.85%
GAPR0.85%
- The middle half of S&P 500 Buffer 15% funds
- Median 0.79%
36 of the 51 S&P 500 Buffer 15% funds charge less.
Other funds in S&P 500 Buffer 15%
- CGJUNFT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - JuneExpense ratio 0.85%1 year return +9.9%
- CGMARFT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - MarchExpense ratio 0.85%1 year return +14.0%
- CGNOVFT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - NovemberExpense ratio 0.85%1 year return +14.2%
- CGDECFT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - DecemberExpense ratio 0.85%1 year return +12.8%
- CGJULFT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - JulyExpense ratio 0.85%1 year return +12.0%