FSEP vs. QDEC

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September (FSEP) and FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF – December (QDEC).

FSEP and QDEC 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. QDEC is an actively managed fund by FT Vest. It was launched on Dec 18, 2020.

Performance

FSEP vs. QDEC - 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 FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF – December (QDEC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FSEP vs. QDEC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
FSEP FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September	-2.39%	12.83%	13.56%	20.23%	-7.05%	11.61%	1.08%
QDEC FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF – December	-3.29%	18.12%	16.40%	29.29%	-22.26%	17.23%	1.37%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FSEP achieves a -2.39% return, which is significantly higher than QDEC's -3.29% return.

FSEP

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

QDEC

• 1D: 2.74%
• 1M: -2.75%
• YTD: -3.29%
• 6M: 1.11%
• 1Y: 20.31%
• 3Y*: 14.90%
• 5Y*: 8.67%
• 10Y*: —

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

FSEP vs. QDEC - Expense Ratio Comparison

FSEP has a 0.85% expense ratio, which is lower than QDEC's 0.90% expense ratio.

QDEC

FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF – December

FSEP

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

Return for Risk

FSEP vs. QDEC — 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

QDEC

QDEC Risk / Return Rank: 79
QDEC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
QDEC Sortino Ratio Rank: 79
QDEC Omega Ratio Rank: 78
QDEC Calmar Ratio Rank: 78
QDEC Martin Ratio Rank: 86

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. QDEC - 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 FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF – December (QDEC). 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	QDEC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.08	1.34	-0.26
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.60	2.07	-0.47
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.25	1.30	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.64	2.12	-0.48
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.32	10.19	-1.87
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FSEP vs. QDEC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FSEP Sharpe Ratio is 1.08, which is comparable to the QDEC Sharpe Ratio of 1.34. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FSEP and QDEC, 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

	FSEP	QDEC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.08	1.34	-0.26
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.80	0.59	+0.21
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.96	0.62	+0.33

Correlation

The correlation between FSEP and QDEC is 0.86, 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

FSEP vs. QDEC - Dividend Comparison

Neither FSEP nor QDEC has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

FSEP vs. QDEC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FSEP drawdown since its inception was -13.79%, smaller than the maximum QDEC drawdown of -25.25%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FSEP and QDEC.

Drawdown Indicators

	FSEP	QDEC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-13.79%	-25.25%	+11.46%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.16%	-9.45%	+1.29%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-13.79%	-25.25%	+11.46%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.60%	-5.04%	+1.44%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.19%	-5.18%	+2.99%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.60%	1.97%	-0.37%

Volatility

FSEP vs. QDEC - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September (FSEP) is 3.75%, while FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF – December (QDEC) has a volatility of 4.92%. This indicates that FSEP experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than QDEC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FSEP	QDEC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.75%	4.92%	-1.17%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.13%	8.04%	-1.91%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.12%	15.27%	-3.15%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	10.75%	14.77%	-4.02%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	10.64%	14.77%	-4.13%