DSEP vs. TLTW
DSEP (FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - September) and TLTW (iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond BuyWrite Strategy ETF) are both Options Trading funds - DSEP tracks the Cboe S&P 500 30% (-5% to -35%) Buffer Protect September Series Index while TLTW tracks the CBOE TLT 2% OTM Buywrite Index (USD). Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, DSEP returned 12.47%/yr vs 0.74%/yr for TLTW. At a 0.17 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. DSEP charges 0.85%/yr vs 0.35%/yr for TLTW.
Performance
DSEP vs. TLTW - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, DSEP achieves a 5.26% return, which is significantly higher than TLTW's 1.21% return.
DSEP
- 1D
- -0.19%
- 1M
- 1.98%
- YTD
- 5.26%
- 6M
- 5.65%
- 1Y
- 14.32%
- 3Y*
- 12.47%
- 5Y*
- 8.02%
- 10Y*
- —
TLTW
- 1D
- -0.23%
- 1M
- 0.76%
- YTD
- 1.21%
- 6M
- -0.20%
- 1Y
- 10.46%
- 3Y*
- 0.74%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
DSEP vs. TLTW - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DSEP FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - September | 5.26% | 10.75% | 11.29% | 18.87% | -0.36% |
TLTW iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond BuyWrite Strategy ETF | 1.21% | 11.36% | -2.18% | 0.73% | -11.09% |
Correlation
The correlation between DSEP and TLTW is 0.24, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.24 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.21 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 23, 2022 | 0.17 |
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Return for Risk
DSEP vs. TLTW — Risk / Return Rank
DSEP
TLTW
DSEP vs. TLTW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - September (DSEP) and iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond BuyWrite Strategy ETF (TLTW). 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.
| DSEP | TLTW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.09 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.64 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.50 | 1.24 | +0.26 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.17 | 1.76 | +1.41 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 15.66 | 5.28 | +10.38 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| DSEP | TLTW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.45 | 1.37 | +1.09 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 1.04 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 1.14 | -0.03 | +1.17 |
Drawdowns
DSEP vs. TLTW - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum DSEP drawdown since its inception was -11.78%, smaller than the maximum TLTW drawdown of -18.61%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DSEP and TLTW.
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Drawdown Indicators
| DSEP | TLTW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -11.78% | -18.61% | +6.83% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -4.54% | -5.97% | +1.43% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -9.93% | -17.19% | +7.26% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -11.78% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.19% | -3.20% | +3.01% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -1.85% | -8.25% | +6.40% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.92% | 1.99% | -1.07% |
Volatility
DSEP vs. TLTW - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - September (DSEP) is 0.93%, while iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond BuyWrite Strategy ETF (TLTW) has a volatility of 2.48%. This indicates that DSEP experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than TLTW based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| DSEP | TLTW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.93% | 2.48% | -1.55% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 4.55% | 5.79% | -1.24% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 5.88% | 7.70% | -1.82% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 7.74% | 11.39% | -3.65% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 7.47% | 11.39% | -3.92% |
DSEP vs. TLTW - Expense Ratio Comparison
DSEP has a 0.85% expense ratio, which is higher than TLTW's 0.35% expense ratio.
Dividends
DSEP vs. TLTW - Dividend Comparison
DSEP has not paid dividends to shareholders, while TLTW's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 11.76%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DSEP FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - September | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
TLTW iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond BuyWrite Strategy ETF | 11.76% | 14.82% | 14.47% | 19.59% | 8.71% |
Frequently Asked Questions
DSEP and TLTW have a correlation of 0.24, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
TLTW has higher volatility (2.48%) compared to DSEP (0.93%). In terms of maximum drawdown, DSEP dropped -11.78% vs TLTW's -18.61%.
On 3-year performance, DSEP leads with 12.47% vs 0.74% for TLTW. On fees, TLTW is cheaper at 0.35% per year. On volatility, DSEP has been the lower-risk option at 0.93%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 3-year period, DSEP has performed better with a 12.47% return vs 0.74%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
TLTW is cheaper with a 0.35% expense ratio, compared with 0.85% for DSEP.
TLTW has the higher dividend yield at 11.76%, compared with 0.00% for DSEP.
DSEP tracks Cboe S&P 500 30% (-5% to -35%) Buffer Protect September Series Index, while TLTW tracks CBOE TLT 2% OTM Buywrite Index (USD). They also come from different issuers: FT Vest and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.85% for DSEP and 0.35% for TLTW.
DSEP currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.45 vs 1.37), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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