DEFR ETF — Aptus Deferred Income ETF

Aptus Deferred Income ETF (DEFR)

Updated October 8, 2026.

DEFR is an ETF. its expense ratio is 0.79%. Total return is 4.4% over the past 1.4 years, 29.5 points behind SPY at 33.9%.

Aptus Deferred Income ETF is an actively managed ETF that generates returns through options, total return swaps, Treasury Bills, and box spreads rather than traditional bond investments, seeking to provide tax-efficient income. The fund does not currently distribute, and carries an expense ratio of 0.79%. It may appeal to investors seeking alternative income strategies with tax efficiency, though the non-diversified structure carries concentrated risk.

DEFR performance versus SPY

Price and return data through 2026-10-08.

Total return is 4.4% over the past 1.4 years, 29.5 points behind SPY at 33.9%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 5.0%.

DEFR key facts

Issuer

Aptus

Asset type

ETF

Asset class

Equity

Inception date

05/13/2025

Expense ratio

0.79%

Distribution frequency

None

Last close

$26.09 (as of 2026-10-08)

AUM

$148,355,504

Average volume

12667.0

Beta

0.1939

P/E ratio

28.4673

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (the posted rate) is the latest regular payout annualized by the fund's stated frequency, divided by the last close. Issuers often publish this as “Distribution Rate” on the fact sheet. Trailing-12-month yield is the sum of distributions paid in the last 12 months, split-adjusted, divided by the last close. 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: Aptus; 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.

DEFR risks and drawbacks

Total return has trailed SPY over the available window. The deepest 1-year drawdown on record here is 5.0%.

Who may consider DEFR — and who may not

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

Frequently asked questions

More securities from Aptus.