FMAR vs. FSEP

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - March (FMAR) and FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September (FSEP).

FMAR and FSEP are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FMAR is an actively managed fund by FT Vest. It was launched on Mar 19, 2021. FSEP is a passively managed fund by FT Vest that tracks the performance of the Cboe S&P 500 Buffer Protect Index September. It was launched on Sep 17, 2020.

Performance

FMAR vs. FSEP - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - March (FMAR) and FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September (FSEP). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FMAR vs. FSEP - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
FMAR FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - March	2.16%	9.69%	14.61%	20.39%	-5.51%	11.38%
FSEP FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September	-2.39%	12.83%	13.56%	20.23%	-7.05%	8.83%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FMAR achieves a 2.16% return, which is significantly higher than FSEP's -2.39% return.

FMAR

• 1D: 1.89%
• 1M: 0.92%
• YTD: 2.16%
• 6M: 4.53%
• 1Y: 14.91%
• 3Y*: 12.98%
• 5Y*: 9.89%
• 10Y*: —

FSEP

• 1D: 2.14%
• 1M: -2.97%
• YTD: -2.39%
• 6M: -0.42%
• 1Y: 12.97%
• 3Y*: 12.49%
• 5Y*: 8.58%
• 10Y*: —

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

FMAR vs. FSEP - Expense Ratio Comparison

Both FMAR and FSEP have an expense ratio of 0.85%.

FMAR

FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - March

FSEP

FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September

Return for Risk

FMAR vs. FSEP — Risk / Return Rank

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

FMAR

FMAR Risk / Return Rank: 81
FMAR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
FMAR Sortino Ratio Rank: 77
FMAR Omega Ratio Rank: 93
FMAR Calmar Ratio Rank: 71
FMAR Martin Ratio Rank: 90

FSEP

FSEP Risk / Return Rank: 68
FSEP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 63
FSEP Sortino Ratio Rank: 64
FSEP Omega Ratio Rank: 70
FSEP Calmar Ratio Rank: 66
FSEP Martin Ratio Rank: 79

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.

FMAR vs. FSEP - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - March (FMAR) and FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September (FSEP). 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.

	FMAR	FSEP	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.36	1.08	+0.28
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.99	1.60	+0.39
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.43	1.25	+0.17
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.84	1.64	+0.20
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.70	8.32	+3.37
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FMAR vs. FSEP - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FMAR Sharpe Ratio is 1.36, which is comparable to the FSEP Sharpe Ratio of 1.08. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FMAR and FSEP, 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

	FMAR	FSEP	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.36	1.08	+0.28
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.95	0.80	+0.15
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.98	0.96	+0.02

Correlation

The correlation between FMAR and FSEP is 0.91, 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

FMAR vs. FSEP - Dividend Comparison

Neither FMAR nor FSEP has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

FMAR vs. FSEP - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FMAR drawdown since its inception was -14.36%, roughly equal to the maximum FSEP drawdown of -13.79%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FMAR and FSEP.

Drawdown Indicators

	FMAR	FSEP	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-14.36%	-13.79%	-0.57%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.31%	-8.16%	-0.15%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-14.36%	-13.79%	-0.57%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.49%	-3.60%	+3.11%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.21%	-2.19%	-0.02%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.30%	1.60%	-0.30%

Volatility

FMAR vs. FSEP - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - March (FMAR) is 2.90%, while FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September (FSEP) has a volatility of 3.75%. This indicates that FMAR experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FSEP based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FMAR	FSEP	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.90%	3.75%	-0.85%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	3.75%	6.13%	-2.38%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	11.04%	12.12%	-1.08%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	10.49%	10.75%	-0.26%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	10.47%	10.64%	-0.17%