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BUFS vs SCAU

FT Vest Laddered Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF

BUFSDCboe

Corgi U.S. Small-Cap 15% Structured Buffer ETF - August Series

SCAUCCboe

Overlap

Expense ratio

SCAU −0.71pt a year

BUFS1.01%SCAU0.30%

Avg volume · 30D

BUFS 7.7×the volume

BUFS32.4KSCAU4.21K

BUFS vs SCAU Performance

Sep 30, 2026 – Oct 30, 2026

+0.4%BUFS+0.4%SCAU

Sep 30, 2026 to Oct 30, 2026. BUFS +0.4%. SCAU +0.4%. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−1.5%−1%−0.5%1%1.5%Sep 30Oct 15Oct 30
Expense ratio
BUFS 1.01%
SCAU 0.30%, better
Fund size
BUFS $200M
SCAU $1M
1Y total return
BUFS +9.4%
SCAU No data
Holdings
BUFS 5
SCAU 4
Avg volume (30D)
BUFS 32.4K sh, better
SCAU 4.21K sh
NAV per share
BUFS $24.82
SCAU $24.51
52W range

ETF.net Grade

BUFS: Cost 0, Risk 54, Mission not scored, Tradability 72, Holdings 63, Durability 83. SCAU: Cost 93, Risk 27, Mission not scored, Tradability 46, Holdings not scored, Durability 6.
Pillar letters and Scores for BUFS, SCAU, with each pillar’s weight
PillarBUFSSCAU
Cost30% weightF0A93Higher
Mission25% weightNot scoredNot scored
Risk15% weightC54HigherD27
Tradability15% weightA72HigherC46
Holdings10% weightB63Not scored
Durability5% weightA83HigherF6

Rank among Russell 2000 Buffer 15% funds

How we build Categories ›
Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Same Category. BUFS and SCAU are both graded against the same 14 Russell 2000 Buffer 15% funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Russell 2000 Buffer 15%⁠

Category · 14 funds
See all 14 ›

SCAU ranks 7th and BUFS 12th of 14 funds in the Russell 2000 Buffer 15% Category.

  1. Rank 7CRBProShares Russell 2000 Dynamic Buffer ETFScore 40
  2. Rank 7CSCAUCorgi U.S. Small-Cap 15% Structured Buffer ETF - August SeriesScore 40
  3. Rank 7CSCJLCorgi U.S. Small-Cap 15% Structured Buffer ETF - July SeriesScore 40
  4. Rank 7CSCMYCorgi U.S. Small-Cap 15% Structured Buffer ETF - May SeriesScore 40
  5. Rank 12DBUFSFT Vest Laddered Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETFScore 35
  6. Rank 13DSNOVFT Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - NovemberScore 34

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

BUFSDFT Vest Laddered Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF

SCAUCCorgi U.S. Small-Cap 15% Structured Buffer ETF - August Series

In short

BUFS Most buffer funds make you pick a start month and live with it. BUFS ladders First Trust's small-cap buffer funds instead, so one ticker holds several outcome periods at different stages.

SCAU No data

Stated mandate

BUFS The fund seeks capital appreciation by providing small-cap equity exposure through a laddered portfolio of FT Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETFs while attempting to limit downside risk.

SCAU No data

Why people hold it

  • BUFS Laddering spreads the money across outcome periods that begin at different times, so buying on a random Tuesday doesn't lock you into one cap and one buffer window.
  • Puts the moderate-buffer wrapper on small caps, benchmarked to the Russell 2000 via IWM, rather than the large-cap index most defined-outcome funds are built on.
  • One holding does the housekeeping: no DIY stack of separate buffer funds, no roll-date calendar to babysit.

SCAU No data

Worth knowing

  • BUFS Fees run 1.01% a year, above the roughly 0.89% median for buffer ETFs. Structured downside cushioning rents expensive shelf space.
  • Laddering blurs the math. At any moment you hold partial buffers and partial caps across several periods, so there's no single clean protection number to point at.
  • Launched in 2024 and lightly traded, so the record is short and the bid-ask spread is part of what you pay.

SCAU No data

Full BUFS profile⁠

Full SCAU profile⁠

BUFS vs SCAU 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.

BUFS vs SCAU Cost

Overpaying BUFS vs SCAU

$12,701

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

  • BUFS 1.01%

    $18,850

  • SCAU 0.30%

    $6,149

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • BUFS 1.01%
  • SCAU 0.30%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$5K$10K$15K$20K051015202530BUFS $18,850SCAU $6,149

Year by year

YearBUFSSCAUOverpaying
10$1,780$545$1,235
20$6,686$2,113$4,573
30$18,850$6,149$12,701

Expense ratio

  • 1.01%BUFS
  • 0.30%SCAU, cheaper
  • Middle half of Russell 2000 Buffer 15% funds
  • Median 0.77%

SCAU cheapest of 14 funds

BUFS 14th cheapest of 14 funds

BUFS vs SCAU Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026
Payout (12M)
BUFS None
SCAU None

Distribution history

BUFSAll BUFS payments⁠

No distribution history available.

SCAUAll SCAU payments⁠

No distribution history available.

BUFS vs SCAU Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

This chart needs five years of history for both funds.

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years
BUFS 8.2%since Jun 2024SCAU No data
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years
BUFS 0.61since Jun 2024SCAU No data
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years
BUFS −15.0%since May 2024SCAU No data
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years
BUFS 0.53SCAU 0.00

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