FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF… (DAUG) Performance
DAUG total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +7.1% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +8.5% total return
- 5 years
- +6.4% a year
- Since first price
- +6.7% a year since 2019
DAUG trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | DAUG total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −0.3% | −0.3% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +1.2% | +1.2% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +4.4% | +4.4% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +7.1% | +7.1% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +8.5% | +8.5% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +44.9%+13.2%/yr | +44.9% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +36.5%+6.4%/yr | +36.5% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionNov 7, 2019 | +57.5%+6.7%/yr | +57.5% | — | — | — |
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: DAUG vs SPY
From Nov 7, 2019: DAUG grew to $15,752, SPY to $27,254.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
DAUG returns by calendar year
5 of 6 full years positive. Best 2023 (+13.8%), worst 2022 (−12.0%). 2026 is year to date.
DAUG annual returns table
| Year | DAUG | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +7.1% | −4.4% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +11.8% | −10.5% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +12.0% | −2.0% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +13.8% | −7.5% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −12.0% | −15.3% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +6.7% | −2.0% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +8.0% | −14.1% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
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.
DAUG largest drawdowns
Now 1.2% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 3, 2022 | −15.3% | Oct 12, 2022 | Dec 27, 2023 | 9 months | 2.0 years |
| Feb 19, 2020 | −14.1% | Mar 23, 2020 | Jul 15, 2020 | 33 days | 5 months |
| Feb 19, 2025 | −10.5% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 6, 2025 | 48 days | 4 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
DAUG risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +12.8% | +6.9% | +6.8% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 6.3% | 8.0% | 8.1% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.27 | 0.43 | 0.52 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.62 | 0.65 | 0.79 |
| Best month | +5.6% | +5.6% | +6.2% |
| Worst month | −3.3% | −4.8% | −5.9% |
| Best 12 months | +19.2% | +19.2% | +21.1% |
| Worst 12 months | +4.9% | −12.1% | −12.1% |
| Positive months | 72% | 62% | 63% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.48 | 0.47 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.95 | 0.93 | — |
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.
DAUG rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 72 | −12.1% | +9.7% | +21.1% | 81% |
| 3-year (a year) | 48 | +0.5% | +4.3% | +13.3% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 24 | +5.2% | +6.2% | +6.9% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2019. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
DAUG performance overview
FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF… (DAUG) returned +8.5% over the past year and +6.4% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2019 it has returned +6.7% a year, turning $10,000 into about $15,752. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −15.3%, from Jan 3, 2022 to Oct 12, 2022, and it took 1.2 years to get back to the old high. DAUG finished 5 of its 6 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+13.8%) and the worst 2022 (−12.0%). Volatility has been 8.1% a year.
Related: DAUG chart. See the DAUG overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
DAUG performance FAQ
What is the DAUG return over the past year?
DAUG returned +8.5% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 8.5%.
What is the average annual return of DAUG?
DAUG has returned +6.4% a year over 5 years, +6.7% a year since November 7, 2019 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in DAUG be worth?
$10,000 invested in DAUG at its first recorded close on November 7, 2019 would be worth about $15,752 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for DAUG?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −12.0%. The best was 2023 at +13.8%.
What is the biggest drawdown of DAUG?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −15.3% between January 3, 2022 and October 12, 2022. It recovered to the old high on December 27, 2023, 1.2 years after the bottom.
How volatile is DAUG?
Over the past 3 years DAUG had an annualized volatility of 6.3% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.27 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).