FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - August (FAUG) Performance
FAUG total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +8.7% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +10.4% total return
- 5 years
- +8.8% a year
- Since first price
- +9.7% a year since 2019
FAUG trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | FAUG total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −0.6% | −0.6% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +1.8% | +1.8% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +5.4% | +5.4% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +8.7% | +8.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +10.4% | +10.4% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +55.6%+15.9%/yr | +55.6% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +52.5%+8.8%/yr | +52.5% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionNov 7, 2019 | +90.7%+9.7%/yr | +90.7% | — | — | — |
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: FAUG vs SPY
From Nov 7, 2019: FAUG grew to $19,075, SPY to $27,254.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
FAUG returns by calendar year
5 of 6 full years positive. Best 2023 (+17.2%), worst 2022 (−10.5%). 2026 is year to date.
FAUG annual returns table
| Year | FAUG | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +8.7% | −5.3% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +13.8% | −12.8% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +14.5% | −2.7% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +17.2% | −8.2% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −10.5% | −15.9% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +11.5% | −3.0% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +12.4% | −22.3% | +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.
FAUG largest drawdowns
Now 1.6% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 2020 | −22.3% | Mar 23, 2020 | Jul 20, 2020 | 40 days | 5 months |
| Jan 3, 2022 | −15.9% | Oct 12, 2022 | Jul 13, 2023 | 9 months | 1.5 years |
| Feb 19, 2025 | −12.8% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 10, 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.
FAUG risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +15.5% | +9.6% | +9.8% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 7.4% | 10.1% | 10.7% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.41 | 0.61 | 0.68 |
| Sortino ratio | 3.04 | 0.95 | 1.07 |
| Best month | +6.6% | +6.6% | +8.6% |
| Worst month | −3.5% | −6.6% | −7.6% |
| Best 12 months | +23.2% | +23.2% | +33.0% |
| Worst 12 months | +6.1% | −10.5% | −10.5% |
| Positive months | 72% | 65% | 67% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.58 | 0.63 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.97 | 0.98 | — |
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.
FAUG rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 72 | −10.5% | +12.5% | +33.0% | 83% |
| 3-year (a year) | 48 | +3.9% | +7.8% | +16.5% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 24 | +7.6% | +9.0% | +11.0% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2019. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
FAUG performance overview
FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - August (FAUG) returned +10.4% over the past year and +8.8% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2019 it has returned +9.7% a year, turning $10,000 into about $19,075. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −22.3%, from Feb 12, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 4 months to get back to the old high. FAUG finished 5 of its 6 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+17.2%) and the worst 2022 (−10.5%). Volatility has been 10.7% a year.
Related: FAUG chart. See the FAUG overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
FAUG performance FAQ
What is the FAUG return over the past year?
FAUG returned +10.4% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 10.4%.
What is the average annual return of FAUG?
FAUG has returned +8.8% a year over 5 years, +9.7% a year since November 7, 2019 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in FAUG be worth?
$10,000 invested in FAUG at its first recorded close on November 7, 2019 would be worth about $19,075 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for FAUG?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −10.5%. The best was 2023 at +17.2%.
What is the biggest drawdown of FAUG?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −22.3% between February 12, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on July 20, 2020, 4 months after the bottom.
How volatile is FAUG?
Over the past 3 years FAUG had an annualized volatility of 7.4% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.41 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).