Which has more room to gain, AUGM or DLAG?

From their prices on Oct 2, 2026, AUGM can gain about 6.8% before its cap and DLAG about 11.8%, so DLAG has more room left this period.

Which resets first, AUGM or DLAG?

AUGM ends its outcome period on Aug 20, 2027 and DLAG on Aug 20, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, AUGM or DLAG?

AUGM charges 0.85% a year and DLAG charges 0.85%, so AUGM is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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AUGM vs DLAG: which one stands where?

As of Oct 2, 2026 DLAG can fall 1.6% before its buffer engages and AUGM 1.2%. FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - August and FT Vest U.S. Equity Dual Directional Buffer ETF - August.

their one-year returns differ by 4.8 points; AUGM is 3.5 times larger.

	AUGM	DLAG
Expense ratio	0.85%	0.85%
Net assets	$66m	$19m
Total return, 1 year	+5.4%	+10.2%
What it tracks	SPY	SPY
Holdings in common	not published

1.2%

AUGM can fall this far before its buffer

1.6%

DLAG can fall this far before its buffer

6.8%

AUGM can still gain

11.8%

DLAG can still gain

AUGMFull floor

AUGM: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.4%; buffer Floor; cap +8.0%; Full floor.

DLAGBetween buffer and cap

DLAG: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +13.5%; Between buffer and cap.

These are two different products. AUGM is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. DLAG is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.

Both are First Trust funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.

Where each one stands today

AUGM resets first, on Aug 20, 2027, 322 days from now; DLAG runs to Aug 20, 2027, 322 days. AUGM can still gain 6.8% before its cap, DLAG 11.8%. A fall from here reaches AUGM’s buffer after 1.2% and DLAG’s after 1.6%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Every figure is ETFIQ’s own, from the issuer’s published outcome-period terms. A buffer ETF holds FLEX options on its reference index rather than shares, so there is no holdings overlap between two of them to report.

Performance, window by window

	Total return		Gap to the reference
Window	AUGM	DLAG	AUGM	DLAG
3 months	+1.1%	+2.4%	−2.5 pts	−1.2 pts
6 months	+4.4%	+9.3%	−13.5 pts	−8.6 pts
1 year	+5.4%	+10.2%	−10.8 pts	−6.0 pts

AUGM and DLAG over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ. Open the live comparison on ETFIQ →

On the same fields

AUGM

FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - August · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 8.0%, over a period ending Aug 20, 2027

DLAG

FT Vest U.S. Equity Dual Directional Buffer ETF - August · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 13.5%, over a period ending Aug 20, 2027

Issuer First Trust First Trust

Reference index SPY SPY

Buffer 100% 10%

Outcome period Aug 24, 2026 to Aug 20, 2027 Aug 24, 2026 to Aug 20, 2027

Days left 322 322

Starting cap +8.0% +13.5%

Can still gain 6.8% 11.8%

Fall before buffer 1.2% 1.6%

Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 10.0% of 10.0%

Index return this period +0.5% +0.5%

Fund return this period +0.4% +0.8%

State today Open Open

Expense ratio 0.85% 0.85%

Net assets $66m $19m

AUGM and DLAG on the same fields, as of Oct 2, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

AUGM in plain words

From its price on Oct 2, 2026, the fund can gain about 6.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 322 days remained on Oct 2, 2026. On Aug 20, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

DLAG in plain words

From its price on Oct 2, 2026, the fund can gain about 11.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. Protection left, in index points: 10.0% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, AUGM or DLAG?: From their prices on Oct 2, 2026, AUGM can gain about 6.8% before its cap and DLAG about 11.8%, so DLAG has more room left this period.
Which resets first, AUGM or DLAG?: AUGM ends its outcome period on Aug 20, 2027 and DLAG on Aug 20, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, AUGM or DLAG?: AUGM charges 0.85% a year and DLAG charges 0.85%, so AUGM is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

AUGM vs DAUG AUGM vs DDFS AUGM vs DDTS AUGM vs FAUG DLAG vs CPSA DLAG vs FAUG DLAG vs GAUG DLAG vs PBSE

State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust →AUGM on its own →DLAG on its own →How every figure is computed →Standards and sources →

Where these figures came from

AUGM and DLAG filings on SEC EDGAR ↗First Trust page for AUGM ↗First Trust page for DLAG ↗

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page

ETFIQ, AUGM against DLAG, data as of Oct 2, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/augm-vs-dlag

Open data

Free to use with attribution for figures ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology.