BUFT ETF — FT Vest Buffered Allocation Defensive ETF

FT Vest Buffered Allocation Defensive ETF (BUFT)

Updated October 16, 2026.

BUFT is an ETF. its expense ratio is 1.21%. Total return is 32.1% over the past 5 years, 46.9 points behind SPY at 79.0%.

FT Vest Buffered Allocation Defensive ETF is an actively managed fund that invests in a portfolio of underlying ETFs designed to track the S&P 500's price returns up to a predetermined cap while providing a defined buffer against losses over a one-year period. The fund does not currently distribute income, and carries an expense ratio of 1.21%. It appeals to investors seeking equity market participation with downside protection mechanisms rather than income-focused strategies.

BUFT performance versus SPY

Price and return data through 2026-10-16.

Total return is 32.1% over the past 5 years, 46.9 points behind SPY at 79.0%. Over the past year its total return — price change plus distributions reinvested — is 9.8%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 2.0%.

BUFT key facts

Issuer

First Trust

Asset type

ETF

Asset class

Equity

Inception date

10/26/2021

Expense ratio

1.21%

Distribution frequency

None

Last close

$26.43 (as of 2026-10-16)

AUM

$163,125,857

Average volume

22696.0

Beta

0.28

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (the posted rate) uses calculation basis unavailable. Issuer rates can use a different denominator and date, including ex-date NAV. Trailing-12-month yield is the sum of split-adjusted cash distributions with ex-dates in the last 12 months, divided by the published price. It lags a recent raise or cut. Total return uses split-adjusted close with distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date) from the first stored bar on or after inception through the latest bar, compared with the same window on the benchmark. That is the security's total return, not your personal gain/loss.

Yield and safety methodology · Distribution rate methodology · Distribution Safety Score methodology

Sources and review

Primary sources: First Trust or company page; prices and distributions from Dividend Vision, derived from vendor EOD data.

Reviewed by Bert Sweet, CEO and Co-owner of Dividend Vision. Methodology: Distribution Safety Score.

BUFT risks and drawbacks

Total return has trailed SPY over the available window. The deepest 1-year drawdown on record here is 2.0%.

Who may consider BUFT — and who may not

It is a weaker fit for investors who need monthly cash flow (BUFT does not currently distribute); investors whose main goal is matching SPY total return. This is educational context, not a recommendation to buy or sell.

More on BUFT

• All tickers starting with B

Tagged: Downside Protection, Options, Target.

Frequently asked questions

More securities from First Trust.