DDEC vs. ZJAN

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December (DDEC) and Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr January (ZJAN).

DDEC and ZJAN are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. 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. ZJAN is an actively managed fund by Innovator. It was launched on Dec 31, 2024.

Performance

DDEC vs. ZJAN - Performance Comparison

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

DDEC vs. ZJAN - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
DDEC FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December	-1.64%	12.36%
ZJAN Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr January	-0.26%	6.79%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DDEC achieves a -1.64% return, which is significantly lower than ZJAN's -0.26% return.

DDEC

• 1D: 0.16%
• 1M: -1.99%
• YTD: -1.64%
• 6M: 1.28%
• 1Y: 13.05%
• 3Y*: 11.50%
• 5Y*: 7.23%
• 10Y*: —

ZJAN

• 1D: 0.11%
• 1M: -0.66%
• YTD: -0.26%
• 6M: 1.47%
• 1Y: 6.80%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

DDEC vs. ZJAN - Expense Ratio Comparison

DDEC has a 0.85% expense ratio, which is higher than ZJAN's 0.79% expense ratio.

DDEC

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

ZJAN

Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr January

Return for Risk

DDEC vs. ZJAN — Risk / Return Rank

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

DDEC

DDEC Risk / Return Rank: 82
DDEC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 78
DDEC Sortino Ratio Rank: 81
DDEC Omega Ratio Rank: 84
DDEC Calmar Ratio Rank: 80
DDEC Martin Ratio Rank: 87

ZJAN

ZJAN Risk / Return Rank: 95
ZJAN Sharpe Ratio Rank: 93
ZJAN Sortino Ratio Rank: 96
ZJAN Omega Ratio Rank: 96
ZJAN Calmar Ratio Rank: 92
ZJAN Martin Ratio Rank: 96

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.

DDEC vs. ZJAN - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December (DDEC) and Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr January (ZJAN). 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.

	DDEC	ZJAN	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.52	2.27	-0.76
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.21	3.34	-1.13
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.34	1.54	-0.20
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.44	3.72	-1.28
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.53	18.13	-6.60
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DDEC vs. ZJAN - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DDEC Sharpe Ratio is 1.52, which is lower than the ZJAN Sharpe Ratio of 2.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DDEC and ZJAN, 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

	DDEC	ZJAN	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.52	2.27	-0.76
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.04	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.09	1.69	-0.60

Correlation

The correlation between DDEC and ZJAN is 0.87, 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

DDEC vs. ZJAN - Dividend Comparison

Neither DDEC nor ZJAN has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

DDEC vs. ZJAN - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DDEC drawdown since its inception was -10.22%, which is greater than ZJAN's maximum drawdown of -3.20%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DDEC and ZJAN.

Drawdown Indicators

	DDEC	ZJAN	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-10.22%	-3.20%	-7.02%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-5.46%	-1.87%	-3.59%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-10.22%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.53%	-0.82%	-1.71%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.92%	-0.39%	-1.53%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.15%	0.38%	+0.77%

Volatility

DDEC vs. ZJAN - Volatility Comparison

FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December (DDEC) has a higher volatility of 2.85% compared to Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr January (ZJAN) at 0.90%. This indicates that DDEC's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ZJAN based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DDEC	ZJAN	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.85%	0.90%	+1.95%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.55%	1.59%	+2.96%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	8.63%	3.01%	+5.62%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.99%	3.11%	+3.88%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	6.92%	3.11%	+3.81%