FT Cboe Vest Buffered Allocation Defensive ETF (BUFT) Performance
BUFT total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +7.4% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +9.1% total return
- 3 years
- +10.6% a year
- Since first price
- +5.7% a year since 2021
BUFT trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | BUFT total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −0.1% | −0.1% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +2.0% | +2.0% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +3.5% | +3.5% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +7.4% | +7.4% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +9.1% | +9.1% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +35.4%+10.6%/yr | +35.4% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionOct 26, 2021 | +32.0%+5.7%/yr | +32.0% | — | — | — |
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: BUFT vs SPY
From Oct 26, 2021: BUFT grew to $13,204, SPY to $17,821.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
BUFT returns by calendar year
3 of 4 full years positive. Best 2023 (+12.9%), worst 2022 (−8.4%). 2026 is year to date.
BUFT annual returns table
| Year | BUFT | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +7.4% | −2.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +9.7% | −8.0% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +7.7% | −1.9% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +12.9% | −4.8% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −8.4% | −10.4% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
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.
BUFT largest drawdowns
Now 0.4% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 29, 2022 | −10.4% | Sep 30, 2022 | Sep 14, 2023 | 6 months | 1.5 years |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
BUFT risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | Since 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +10.2% | +5.8% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 4.0% | 5.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.37 | 0.39 |
| Sortino ratio | 3.83 | 0.59 |
| Best month | +5.0% | +5.0% |
| Worst month | −1.2% | −4.0% |
| Best 12 months | +14.5% | +14.5% |
| Worst 12 months | +5.1% | −8.4% |
| Positive months | 89% | 73% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.27 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.84 | — |
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.
BUFT rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 49 | −8.4% | +8.9% | +14.5% | 86% |
| 3-year (a year) | 25 | +3.5% | +9.0% | +10.7% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 1 | +5.7% | +5.7% | +5.7% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2021. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
BUFT performance overview
FT Cboe Vest Buffered Allocation Defensive ETF (BUFT) returned +9.1% over the past year, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2021 it has returned +5.7% a year, turning $10,000 into about $13,204. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −10.4%, from Mar 29, 2022 to Sep 30, 2022, and it took 11 months to get back to the old high. BUFT finished 3 of its 4 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+12.9%) and the worst 2022 (−8.4%). Volatility has been 5.5% a year.
Related: BUFT chart. See the BUFT overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
BUFT performance FAQ
What is the BUFT return over the past year?
BUFT returned +9.1% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 9.1%.
How much would $10,000 invested in BUFT be worth?
$10,000 invested in BUFT at its first recorded close on October 26, 2021 would be worth about $13,204 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for BUFT?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −8.4%. The best was 2023 at +12.9%.
What is the biggest drawdown of BUFT?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −10.4% between March 29, 2022 and September 30, 2022. It recovered to the old high on September 14, 2023, 11 months after the bottom.
How volatile is BUFT?
Over the past 3 years BUFT had an annualized volatility of 4.0% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.37 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).