ALDB vs BUFD: Grades, Fees and Holdings Compared

Aptus Laddered Deep Buffer ETF

ALDBBCboe

FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF

BUFDCCboe

Overlap

0.0%by weight

Expense ratio

ALDB −0.65pt a year

ALDB0.30%BUFD0.95%

Avg volume · 30D

BUFD 44.3×the volume

ALDB6.84KBUFD303K

ALDB vs BUFD Performance

Jul 31, 2026 – Oct 30, 2026

+1.7%ALDB+1.6%BUFD

Expense ratio: ALDB 0.30%, better; BUFD 0.95%
Fund size: ALDB $12M; BUFD $2.22B
1Y total return: ALDB No data; BUFD +9.0%
Holdings: ALDB 5; BUFD 13
Avg volume (30D): ALDB 6.84K sh; BUFD 303K sh, better
NAV per share: ALDB $25.73; BUFD $30.34
52W range

ETF.net Grade

Pillar letters and Scores for ALDB, BUFD, with each pillar’s weight
Pillar	ALDB	BUFD
Cost30% weight	A100Higher	F24
Mission25% weight	Not scored	Not scored
Risk15% weight	B56	B61Higher
Tradability15% weight	C41	A80Higher
Holdings10% weight	D39	A71Higher
Durability5% weight	F11	A88Higher

Rank among S&P 500 Laddered Buffer funds

How we build Categories ›

Same Category. ALDB and BUFD are both graded against the same 18 S&P 500 Laddered Buffer funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

S&P 500 Laddered Buffer⁠

Category · 18 funds

See all 18 ›

ALDB ranks 3rd and BUFD 8th of 18 funds in the S&P 500 Laddered Buffer Category.

Rank 1BBUFPPGIM Laddered S&P 500 Buffer 12 ETFScore 69
Rank 2BPBFRPGIM Laddered S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETFScore 68
Rank 3BALDBAptus Laddered Deep Buffer ETFScore 65
Rank 4BIVVMiShares Large Cap Moderate Quarterly Laddered ETFScore 64
Rank 7CSPBWAllianzIM Buffer20 Allocation ETFScore 53
Rank 8CBUFDFT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETFScore 52
Rank 8CBUFRFT Vest Laddered Buffer ETFScore 52

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

ALDBBAptus Laddered Deep Buffer ETF

BUFDCFT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF

In short

ALDB No data

BUFD Twelve First Trust deep buffer funds in one ticker, one resetting every month, so you never have to time an outcome period. The trade: a deeper cushion means a lower ceiling, and the ladder wrapper runs 0.95% a year.

Stated mandate

ALDB No data

BUFD The Fund seeks capital appreciation by providing U.S. large-cap equity exposure while limiting downside risk through a laddered portfolio of twelve FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETFs.

Why people hold it

ALDB No data

BUFD One ticker holds twelve deep buffer funds on a monthly ladder, so there's no start month to pick and no buying in with a cushion that's already half spent.ftportfolios.com
Laddering spreads reset risk across twelve staggered outcome periods instead of one all-or-nothing 12-month window tied to a single entry date.
A multi-billion-dollar fund running since 2021, with U.S. large-cap exposure referenced to the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust.

Worth knowing

ALDB No data

BUFD At 0.95%, it prices above the 0.79% median in its buffer peer group, and rival laddered wrappers charge less: BUFP at 0.50%, PSFF at 0.10%.
Each underlying fund sets its own buffer and cap at its reset, for its own outcome period, so the protection and ceiling you hold shift month to month.ftportfolios.com
Income isn't part of the mandate. The stated objective is capital appreciation, and the fund has not been making distributions.

Full ALDB profile⁠

Full BUFD profile⁠

ALDB vs BUFD Holdings

How ALDB and BUFD differ

Overlap by weight

0.0%

Shared holdings make up 0.0% of ALDB and 0.0% of BUFD.

Level by level

Holdings0 in both0.0%
Countryby domicile99.5%
Sector11 Sectors100%

Sector

Sector weights in ALDB and BUFD, widest gap first
Sector	More in ALDBMore in BUFD	ALDB	BUFD
Technology	Same weight	40.1%	40.1%
Financials	Same weight	11.3%	11.3%
Communication	Same weight	9.9%	9.9%
Health Care	Same weight	9.4%	9.4%
Consumer Discretionary	Same weight	8.7%	8.7%
Industrials	Same weight	7.6%	7.6%
Consumer Staples	Same weight	4.4%	4.4%
Energy	Same weight	3.4%	3.4%
Utilities	Same weight	1.9%	1.9%
Real Estate	Same weight	1.7%	1.7%
Materials	Same weight	1.6%	1.6%

Country, concentration and asset class

Country by domicile

Country weights in ALDB and BUFD, widest gap first
Country	More in ALDBMore in BUFD	ALDB	BUFD
United States	BUFD +0.5 points	99.5%	100.0%
Switzerland	ALDB +0.3 points	0.3%	0.0%
China	ALDB +0.1 points	0.1%	0.0%
Mexico	ALDB +0.1 points	0.1%	0.0%
Ireland	Same weight	0.0%	0.0%
United Kingdom	Same weight	0.0%	0.0%

Concentration

Weight in the 10 largest Holdings

ALDB100.0%
BUFD83.4%

Securities held

ALDB5
BUFD12

Asset class

ALDB: Equity
BUFD: Multi-Asset

Holdings

Only in ALDB5
In both0
Only in BUFD12

Only in ALDB

5 securities, 100% of ALDB by weight

Aptus October Deep Buffer ETF25.20%
Aptus January Deep Buffer ETF24.95%
Aptus April Deep Buffer ETF24.89%
Aptus July Deep Buffer ETF24.88%
Cash & Other0.08%

Only in BUFD

12 securities, 99.9% of BUFD by weight

FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - November8.38%
FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - October8.37%
FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - March8.35%
FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - February8.35%
FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December8.35%
FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - September8.34%
FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - January8.34%
FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - April8.34%
FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - July8.29%
FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - May8.28%
FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - June8.27%
FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - August8.27%

Weight gaps

ALDB and BUFD share no securities.

All ALDB holdings⁠All 12 BUFD holdings⁠

How we measure overlap

Each holding counts at its smaller weight in the two funds, summed over the full Holdings. Sector, country and asset class use the same rule on each fund’s split. Cash, FX and derivative lines stay out of the counts. Two bond funds get no overlap figure.

ALDB vs BUFD Cost

Overpaying BUFD vs ALDB

$11,720

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

ALDB 0.30%
$6,149
BUFD 0.95%
$17,869

Amount$10,000

Years30 years

Cost over time

ALDB 0.30%
BUFD 0.95%
Overpaying

Year by year

Year	ALDB	BUFD	Overpaying
10	$545	$1,678	$1,133
20	$2,113	$6,322	$4,209
30	$6,149	$17,869	$11,720

Expense ratio

0.30%ALDB, cheaper
0.95%BUFD

ALDB0.30%BUFD0.95%

0.30%1.21%

Middle half of S&P 500 Laddered Buffer funds
Median 0.89%

ALDB cheapest of 18 funds

BUFD 12th cheapest of 18 funds

ALDB vs BUFD Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026

Payout (12M): ALDB None; BUFD None

Distribution history

ALDBAll ALDB payments⁠

No distribution history available.

BUFDAll BUFD payments⁠

No distribution history available.

ALDB vs BUFD Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

This chart needs five years of history for both funds.

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years: ALDB No dataBUFD 5.8%
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years: ALDB No dataBUFD 1.41
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years: ALDB No dataBUFD −10.8%
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years: ALDB 0.46BUFD 0.42; Market = 1

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