BDEC vs. ZFEB

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - December (BDEC) and Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr February (ZFEB).

BDEC and ZFEB are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. BDEC is a passively managed fund by Innovator that tracks the performance of the Cboe S&P 500 Buffer Protect Index December. It was launched on Nov 29, 2019. ZFEB is an actively managed fund by Innovator. It was launched on Feb 3, 2025.

Performance

BDEC vs. ZFEB - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - December (BDEC) and Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr February (ZFEB). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

BDEC vs. ZFEB - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
BDEC Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - December	-3.15%	13.44%
ZFEB Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr February	0.04%	6.10%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BDEC achieves a -3.15% return, which is significantly lower than ZFEB's 0.04% return.

BDEC

• 1D: 2.08%
• 1M: -3.63%
• YTD: -3.15%
• 6M: 0.15%
• 1Y: 14.68%
• 3Y*: 12.37%
• 5Y*: 8.43%
• 10Y*: —

ZFEB

• 1D: 0.55%
• 1M: -0.55%
• YTD: 0.04%
• 6M: 1.72%
• 1Y: 7.31%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

BDEC vs. ZFEB - Expense Ratio Comparison

Both BDEC and ZFEB have an expense ratio of 0.79%.

BDEC

Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - December

ZFEB

Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr February

Return for Risk

BDEC vs. ZFEB — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

BDEC

BDEC Risk / Return Rank: 68
BDEC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 62
BDEC Sortino Ratio Rank: 65
BDEC Omega Ratio Rank: 69
BDEC Calmar Ratio Rank: 66
BDEC Martin Ratio Rank: 77

ZFEB

ZFEB Risk / Return Rank: 97
ZFEB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 96
ZFEB Sortino Ratio Rank: 97
ZFEB Omega Ratio Rank: 97
ZFEB Calmar Ratio Rank: 96
ZFEB Martin Ratio Rank: 97

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

BDEC vs. ZFEB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - December (BDEC) and Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr February (ZFEB). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	BDEC	ZFEB	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.10	2.56	-1.47
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.66	3.77	-2.11
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.25	1.55	-0.30
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.67	4.38	-2.70
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.36	20.01	-11.65
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BDEC vs. ZFEB - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BDEC Sharpe Ratio is 1.10, which is lower than the ZFEB Sharpe Ratio of 2.56. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BDEC and ZFEB, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	BDEC	ZFEB	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.10	2.56	-1.47
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.71	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.70	1.77	-1.07

Correlation

The correlation between BDEC and ZFEB is 0.85, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

BDEC vs. ZFEB - Dividend Comparison

Neither BDEC nor ZFEB has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

BDEC vs. ZFEB - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BDEC drawdown since its inception was -25.60%, which is greater than ZFEB's maximum drawdown of -3.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BDEC and ZFEB.

Drawdown Indicators

	BDEC	ZFEB	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-25.60%	-3.00%	-22.60%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.02%	-1.73%	-7.29%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-16.44%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.57%	-0.80%	-3.77%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.12%	-0.40%	-2.72%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.81%	0.38%	+1.43%

Volatility

BDEC vs. ZFEB - Volatility Comparison

Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - December (BDEC) has a higher volatility of 3.90% compared to Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr February (ZFEB) at 0.95%. This indicates that BDEC's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ZFEB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BDEC	ZFEB	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.90%	0.95%	+2.95%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.20%	1.67%	+5.53%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.46%	2.87%	+10.59%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	11.94%	3.02%	+8.92%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.40%	3.02%	+11.38%