BUFZ vs. DDEC

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about FT Cboe Vest Laddered Moderate Buffer ETF (BUFZ) and FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December (DDEC).

BUFZ and DDEC are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. BUFZ is an actively managed fund by FT Vest. It was launched on Oct 25, 2023. DDEC is a passively managed fund by FT Vest that tracks the performance of the S&P 500. It was launched on Dec 18, 2020.

Performance

BUFZ vs. DDEC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in FT Cboe Vest Laddered Moderate Buffer ETF (BUFZ) and FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December (DDEC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

BUFZ vs. DDEC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
BUFZ FT Cboe Vest Laddered Moderate Buffer ETF	-0.98%	11.05%	11.48%	8.75%
DDEC FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December	-1.80%	12.33%	12.26%	9.65%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BUFZ achieves a -0.98% return, which is significantly higher than DDEC's -1.80% return.

BUFZ

• 1D: 1.55%
• 1M: -1.63%
• YTD: -0.98%
• 6M: 1.43%
• 1Y: 11.79%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

DDEC

• 1D: 1.56%
• 1M: -2.14%
• YTD: -1.80%
• 6M: 1.17%
• 1Y: 13.13%
• 3Y*: 11.45%
• 5Y*: 7.20%
• 10Y*: —

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

BUFZ vs. DDEC - Expense Ratio Comparison

BUFZ has a 1.05% expense ratio, which is higher than DDEC's 0.85% expense ratio.

BUFZ

FT Cboe Vest Laddered Moderate Buffer ETF

DDEC

FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December

Return for Risk

BUFZ vs. DDEC — Risk / Return Rank

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

BUFZ

BUFZ Risk / Return Rank: 75
BUFZ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 70
BUFZ Sortino Ratio Rank: 73
BUFZ Omega Ratio Rank: 80
BUFZ Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
BUFZ Martin Ratio Rank: 85

DDEC

DDEC Risk / Return Rank: 85
DDEC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 81
DDEC Sortino Ratio Rank: 84
DDEC Omega Ratio Rank: 86
DDEC Calmar Ratio Rank: 83
DDEC Martin Ratio Rank: 90

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.

BUFZ vs. DDEC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FT Cboe Vest Laddered Moderate Buffer ETF (BUFZ) and FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December (DDEC). 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.

	BUFZ	DDEC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.25	1.53	-0.28
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.85	2.22	-0.38
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.31	1.35	-0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.73	2.43	-0.70
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.89	11.60	-1.70
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BUFZ vs. DDEC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BUFZ Sharpe Ratio is 1.25, which is comparable to the DDEC Sharpe Ratio of 1.53. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BUFZ and DDEC, 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

	BUFZ	DDEC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.25	1.53	-0.28
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	1.03	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.69	1.09	+0.61

Correlation

The correlation between BUFZ and DDEC is 0.88, 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

BUFZ vs. DDEC - Dividend Comparison

Neither BUFZ nor DDEC has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

BUFZ vs. DDEC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BUFZ drawdown since its inception was -10.14%, roughly equal to the maximum DDEC drawdown of -10.22%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BUFZ and DDEC.

Drawdown Indicators

	BUFZ	DDEC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-10.14%	-10.22%	+0.08%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-6.98%	-5.46%	-1.52%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-10.22%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.01%	-2.68%	+0.67%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.68%	-1.92%	+1.24%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.22%	1.14%	+0.08%

Volatility

BUFZ vs. DDEC - Volatility Comparison

FT Cboe Vest Laddered Moderate Buffer ETF (BUFZ) and FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December (DDEC) have volatilities of 2.81% and 2.85%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BUFZ	DDEC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.81%	2.85%	-0.04%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.14%	4.56%	-0.42%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	9.49%	8.63%	+0.86%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	7.50%	6.99%	+0.51%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	7.50%	6.92%	+0.58%