FT Cboe Vest Fund of Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETFs (BUFQ) Performance
BUFQ total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +10.6% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +12.8% total return
- 3 years
- +16.4% a year
- Since first price
- +17.0% a year since 2022
BUFQ trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | BUFQ total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −2.1% | −2.1% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +3.0% | +3.0% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +5.3% | +5.3% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +10.6% | +10.6% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +12.8% | +12.8% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +57.7%+16.4%/yr | +57.7% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionJun 14, 2022 | +98.2%+17.0%/yr | +98.2% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: BUFQ vs SPY
From Jun 14, 2022: BUFQ grew to $19,820, SPY to $21,590.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
BUFQ returns by calendar year
3 of 3 full years positive. Best 2023 (+35.5%), worst 2025 (+14.0%). 2026 is year to date.
BUFQ annual returns table
| Year | BUFQ | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +10.6% | −5.4% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +14.0% | −15.7% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +16.4% | −6.9% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +35.5% | −4.9% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
BUFQ largest drawdowns
Now 3.4% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2025 | −15.7% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 16, 2025 | 48 days | 4 months |
| Aug 15, 2022 | −15.4% | Oct 14, 2022 | Mar 31, 2023 | 2 months | 7 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
BUFQ risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | Since 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +17.2% | +17.7% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 8.5% | 11.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.41 | 1.11 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.90 | 1.98 |
| Best month | +8.0% | +9.2% |
| Worst month | −5.4% | −7.9% |
| Best 12 months | +26.8% | +35.5% |
| Worst 12 months | +5.4% | +5.4% |
| Positive months | 75% | 75% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.62 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.91 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
BUFQ rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 41 | +5.4% | +16.6% | +35.5% | 100% |
| 3-year (a year) | 17 | +14.8% | +17.4% | +21.6% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2022. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
BUFQ performance overview
FT Cboe Vest Fund of Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETFs (BUFQ) returned +12.8% over the past year, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2022 it has returned +17.0% a year, turning $10,000 into about $19,820. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −15.7%, from Feb 19, 2025 to Apr 8, 2025, and it took 2 months to get back to the old high. BUFQ finished 3 of its 3 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+35.5%) and the worst 2025 (+14.0%). Volatility has been 11.5% a year.
Related: BUFQ chart. See the BUFQ overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
BUFQ performance FAQ
What is the BUFQ return over the past year?
BUFQ returned +12.8% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 12.8%.
How much would $10,000 invested in BUFQ be worth?
$10,000 invested in BUFQ at its first recorded close on June 14, 2022 would be worth about $19,820 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for BUFQ?
The worst calendar year was 2025, with a total return of +14.0%. The best was 2023 at +35.5%.
What is the biggest drawdown of BUFQ?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −15.7% between February 19, 2025 and April 8, 2025. It recovered to the old high on June 16, 2025, 2 months after the bottom.
How volatile is BUFQ?
Over the past 3 years BUFQ had an annualized volatility of 8.5% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.41 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).