KSEP vs. BUFD

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Innovator U.S. Small Cap Power Buffer ETF - September (KSEP) and FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF (BUFD).

KSEP and BUFD are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. KSEP is an actively managed fund by Innovator. It was launched on Aug 30, 2024. BUFD is an actively managed fund by FT Vest. It was launched on Jan 20, 2021.

Performance

KSEP vs. BUFD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Innovator U.S. Small Cap Power Buffer ETF - September (KSEP) and FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF (BUFD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

KSEP vs. BUFD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
KSEP Innovator U.S. Small Cap Power Buffer ETF - September	1.13%	8.54%	3.08%
BUFD FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF	-0.85%	10.66%	3.66%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, KSEP achieves a 1.13% return, which is significantly higher than BUFD's -0.85% return.

KSEP

• 1D: 2.01%
• 1M: -2.00%
• YTD: 1.13%
• 6M: 2.94%
• 1Y: 14.69%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

BUFD

• 1D: 1.52%
• 1M: -1.65%
• YTD: -0.85%
• 6M: 1.30%
• 1Y: 12.22%
• 3Y*: 11.08%
• 5Y*: 6.54%
• 10Y*: —

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

KSEP vs. BUFD - Expense Ratio Comparison

KSEP has a 0.79% expense ratio, which is lower than BUFD's 0.95% expense ratio.

BUFD

FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF

KSEP

Innovator U.S. Small Cap Power Buffer ETF - September

Return for Risk

KSEP vs. BUFD — Risk / Return Rank

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

KSEP

KSEP Risk / Return Rank: 66
KSEP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 62
KSEP Sortino Ratio Rank: 66
KSEP Omega Ratio Rank: 58
KSEP Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
KSEP Martin Ratio Rank: 75

BUFD

BUFD Risk / Return Rank: 81
BUFD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 76
BUFD Sortino Ratio Rank: 80
BUFD Omega Ratio Rank: 85
BUFD Calmar Ratio Rank: 75
BUFD Martin Ratio Rank: 88

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.

KSEP vs. BUFD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Innovator U.S. Small Cap Power Buffer ETF - September (KSEP) and FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF (BUFD). 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.

	KSEP	BUFD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.12	1.36	-0.24
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.71	2.01	-0.31
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.22	1.33	-0.11
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.76	1.93	-0.17
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.12	10.57	-2.44
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

KSEP vs. BUFD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current KSEP Sharpe Ratio is 1.12, which is comparable to the BUFD Sharpe Ratio of 1.36. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of KSEP and BUFD, 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

	KSEP	BUFD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.12	1.36	-0.24
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.85	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.68	0.87	-0.19

Correlation

The correlation between KSEP and BUFD is 0.73, 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

KSEP vs. BUFD - Dividend Comparison

Neither KSEP nor BUFD has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

KSEP vs. BUFD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum KSEP drawdown since its inception was -14.92%, which is greater than BUFD's maximum drawdown of -10.75%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for KSEP and BUFD.

Drawdown Indicators

	KSEP	BUFD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-14.92%	-10.75%	-4.17%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.33%	-6.57%	-1.76%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-10.75%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.84%	-1.96%	-0.88%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.69%	-2.03%	-0.66%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.80%	1.20%	+0.60%

Volatility

KSEP vs. BUFD - Volatility Comparison

Innovator U.S. Small Cap Power Buffer ETF - September (KSEP) has a higher volatility of 4.07% compared to FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF (BUFD) at 2.69%. This indicates that KSEP's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BUFD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	KSEP	BUFD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.07%	2.69%	+1.38%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.37%	4.10%	+3.27%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.15%	9.04%	+4.11%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	12.09%	7.71%	+4.38%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	12.09%	7.63%	+4.46%