Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
GAUG vs XAUG: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 XAUG can fall 1.9% before its buffer engages and GAUG 1.6%.
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Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $414m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - August and $26m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - August.
GAUG: reference +0.1% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
GAUG: reference +0.1% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.XAUG: reference +0.1% since period start, fund +1.1%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.1%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
Both cost 0.85% a year; their one-year returns differ by 1.0 point; GAUG is 15.9 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | GAUG | XAUG |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +9.3% | +8.3% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 0.1% | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.85% |
| Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 | $414m | $26m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | GAUG | XAUG | GAUG | XAUG |
| 3 months | +1.1% | +1.3% | +1.4 pts | +1.7 pts |
| 6 months | +3.8% | +3.4% | −0.7 pts | −1.1 pts |
| 1 year | +9.3% | +8.3% | −4.2 pts | −5.3 pts |
| 3 years | +41.8% | +32.7% | −34.6 pts | −43.7 pts |
| Since launchGAUG Aug 2023 · XAUG Aug 2023 | +42.0% | +33.9% | −32.5 pts | −40.6 pts |
Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. Open this comparison in the app →
Side by side
As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
These are two different products. XAUG is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. GAUG 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
GAUG resets first, on Aug 20, 2027, 289 days from now; XAUG runs to Aug 20, 2027, 289 days. GAUG can still gain 12.1% before its cap, XAUG 9.1%. A fall from here reaches GAUG’s buffer after 1.6% and XAUG’s after 1.9%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
GAUG
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 12.1% 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 number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.1% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 289 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Aug 20, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
XAUG
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 9.1% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number.
Questions people ask
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
ETFIQ calculates every number from each issuer’s published outcome-period terms. Buffer ETFs hold options on an index, not shares, so there is no holdings overlap to report.
Every number is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, GAUG against XAUG, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/gaug-vs-xaug
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). GAUG against XAUG. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/gaug-vs-xaug
[GAUG against XAUG (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/gaug-vs-xaug)
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