FSEP vs. APRQ

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September (FSEP) and Innovator Premium Income 40 Barrier ETF - April (APRQ).

FSEP and APRQ are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. 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. APRQ is an actively managed fund by Innovator. It was launched on Mar 31, 2023.

Performance

FSEP vs. APRQ - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September (FSEP) and Innovator Premium Income 40 Barrier ETF - April (APRQ). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FSEP vs. APRQ - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)
FSEP FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September	-3.32%
APRQ Innovator Premium Income 40 Barrier ETF - April	0.00%

Returns By Period

FSEP

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

APRQ

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 0.00%
• YTD: —
• 6M: —
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

FSEP vs. APRQ - Expense Ratio Comparison

FSEP has a 0.85% expense ratio, which is higher than APRQ's 0.79% expense ratio.

FSEP

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

APRQ

Innovator Premium Income 40 Barrier ETF - April

Return for Risk

FSEP vs. APRQ — Risk / Return Rank

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

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.

FSEP vs. APRQ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September (FSEP) and Innovator Premium Income 40 Barrier ETF - April (APRQ). 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.

	FSEP	APRQ	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.08	—	—
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.60	—	—
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.25	—	—
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.64	—	—
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.32	—	—
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	FSEP	APRQ	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.08	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.80	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.96	—	—

Dividends

FSEP vs. APRQ - Dividend Comparison

Neither FSEP nor APRQ has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

FSEP vs. APRQ - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FSEP drawdown since its inception was -13.79%, which is greater than APRQ's maximum drawdown of 0.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FSEP and APRQ.

Drawdown Indicators

	FSEP	APRQ	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-13.79%	0.00%	-13.79%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.16%	—	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-13.79%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.60%	0.00%	-3.60%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.19%	0.00%	-2.19%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.60%	—	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	FSEP	APRQ	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.75%	—	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.13%	—	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.12%	0.00%	+12.12%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	10.75%	0.00%	+10.75%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	10.64%	0.00%	+10.64%