GSEP vs. FSEP

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

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

GSEP and FSEP are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. GSEP is an actively managed fund by FT Vest. It was launched on Sep 15, 2023. 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

GSEP vs. FSEP - Performance Comparison

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

GSEP vs. FSEP - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
GSEP FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF – September	-1.34%	10.56%	10.85%	4.70%
FSEP FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September	-2.03%	12.83%	13.56%	5.73%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GSEP achieves a -1.34% return, which is significantly higher than FSEP's -2.03% return.

GSEP

• 1D: 0.29%
• 1M: -1.97%
• YTD: -1.34%
• 6M: 0.17%
• 1Y: 10.62%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

FSEP

• 1D: 0.36%
• 1M: -2.75%
• YTD: -2.03%
• 6M: -0.29%
• 1Y: 13.03%
• 3Y*: 12.62%
• 5Y*: 8.66%
• 10Y*: —

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

GSEP vs. FSEP - Expense Ratio Comparison

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

GSEP

FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF – September

FSEP

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

Return for Risk

GSEP vs. FSEP — Risk / Return Rank

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

GSEP

GSEP Risk / Return Rank: 61
GSEP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 56
GSEP Sortino Ratio Rank: 58
GSEP Omega Ratio Rank: 68
GSEP Calmar Ratio Rank: 52
GSEP Martin Ratio Rank: 70

FSEP

FSEP Risk / Return Rank: 64
FSEP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
FSEP Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
FSEP Omega Ratio Rank: 66
FSEP Calmar Ratio Rank: 61
FSEP Martin Ratio Rank: 73

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.

GSEP vs. FSEP - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF – September (GSEP) 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.

	GSEP	FSEP	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.07	1.08	-0.01
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.60	1.61	-0.01
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.26	1.26	+0.01
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.51	1.64	-0.14
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.05	8.27	-0.22
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GSEP vs. FSEP - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GSEP Sharpe Ratio is 1.07, which is comparable to the FSEP Sharpe Ratio of 1.08. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GSEP 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

	GSEP	FSEP	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.07	1.08	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.81	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.27	0.96	+0.30

Correlation

The correlation between GSEP and FSEP is 0.95, 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

GSEP vs. FSEP - Dividend Comparison

Neither GSEP nor FSEP has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

GSEP vs. FSEP - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GSEP drawdown since its inception was -10.09%, smaller than the maximum FSEP drawdown of -13.79%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GSEP and FSEP.

Drawdown Indicators

	GSEP	FSEP	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-10.09%	-13.79%	+3.70%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.09%	-8.16%	+1.07%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-13.79%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.50%	-3.25%	+0.75%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.77%	-2.19%	+1.42%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.33%	1.62%	-0.29%

Volatility

GSEP vs. FSEP - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF – September (GSEP) is 3.16%, while FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September (FSEP) has a volatility of 3.74%. This indicates that GSEP 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

	GSEP	FSEP	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.16%	3.74%	-0.58%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	5.06%	6.14%	-1.08%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.01%	12.12%	-2.11%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	7.73%	10.75%	-3.02%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	7.73%	10.64%	-2.91%