FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - October
$42.95−0.01 (−0.02%)
- 0.85%
- $255M
- +12.5%
- 0M sh
- $42.91
- low $37.88high $42.99
The ETF.net GOCT Grade
D
Score 39 out of 100
- 51 of 61
Score 39 of 100 falls in the D 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.C50 out of 100Rank 24 of 57Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.B64 out of 100Rank 16 of 59Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.C54 out of 100Rank 19 of 33Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.B67 out of 100Rank 25 of 61
Our read on GOCT
DThe October link in First Trust's moderate-buffer ladder: it follows the price moves of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust and absorbs the first 15% of losses over a one-year stretch, in exchange for a cap on gains that resets every October.
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 12.14% upside cap, while protecting the first 15% of losses during the October 20, 2025–October 16, 2026 outcome period.
Why people hold it
- The cushion is contractual, not a hope: the first 15% of the reference ETF's losses across the outcome period, paid for with a ceiling on upside.ftportfolios.com
- Twelve monthly siblings (GJAN through GDEC) run the same playbook on the same reference fund, so entry dates can be staggered instead of hinging on one October reset.
- Buffer depth and cap are written into the fund's documents ahead of each yearly period, so the payoff shape is defined by rules rather than a manager's judgment call.ftportfolios.com
Worth knowing
- At 0.85% a year it runs above several buffer peers, including POCT and PJUL at 0.79% and the laddered BUFF at 0.10%.
- It matches price return only, so the index's dividends sit outside the payoff, and the fund isn't built as an income payer.
- Shares trade thinly, and the buffer and cap apply in full only across a complete outcome period; buying partway through changes the math.
GOCT Holdings
- Other
- 3
- 105%
- 2026-10-16 State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust C 6.66
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%
GOCT 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.Not enough history yet.
GOCT$11,252
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 | GOCT |
|---|---|
| Year to date | +9.3% |
| 1 month | +1.1% |
| 3 months | +2.8% |
| 1 year | +12.5% |
| 3 years | — |
| 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 | GOCT |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +9.3% | |
| 2025 | +12.3% | |
| 2024 | +8.2% | |
| 2023 | +6.6% |
GOCT in the news
GOCT Dividends
No distributions in the last 12 months.
GOCT Risk
- 5.8%
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.
- 1.29
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.
- −10.5%
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.
- 0.46
How it’s calculated: beta
The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.
GOCT Cost
0.85%
GOCT0.85%
- 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%
- CPQXVPGIM Rock ETF Trust - PGIM S&P 500 Quarterly Buffer 15 ETFExpense ratio 0.50%1 year return —
- DFEBUAIM ETF Products Trust - AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped Feb ETFExpense ratio 0.74%1 year return +13.7%
- DJNEUAIM ETF Products Trust - AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped Jun ETFExpense ratio 0.74%1 year return +15.2%
- DSPBUAllianzIM Buffer15 Uncapped Allocation ETFExpense ratio 0.79%1 year return +13.7%
- DMARUAIM ETF Products Trust - AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped Mar ETFExpense ratio 0.74%1 year return +13.3%