LTTI vs. DDEC

Last updated Aug 2, 2026

LTTI (FT Vest 20+ Year Treasury & Target Income ETF) and DDEC (FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December) are both exchange-traded funds - LTTI is a Derivative Income fund actively managed by FT Vest, while DDEC is a Defined Outcome fund tracking the S&P 500. LTTI is actively managed, while DDEC is passively managed. Over the past year, LTTI returned -2.61% vs 13.75% for DDEC. Their 0.14 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship. LTTI charges 0.65%/yr vs 0.85%/yr for DDEC.

Performance

LTTI vs. DDEC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in FT Vest 20+ Year Treasury & Target Income ETF (LTTI) and FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December (DDEC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, LTTI achieves a -4.10% return, which is significantly lower than DDEC's 5.82% return.

LTTI

• 1D: -0.74%
• 1M: -3.51%
• 6M: -4.04%
• YTD: -4.10%
• 1Y: -2.61%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: -1.21%

DDEC

• 1D: 0.29%
• 1M: 0.76%
• 6M: 5.22%
• YTD: 5.82%
• 1Y: 13.75%
• 3Y*: 11.75%
• 5Y*: 8.31%
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 8.50%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
DDEC FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December	$574.23K	$437.89K	$441.73K
LTTI FT Vest 20+ Year Treasury & Target Income ETF	$120.18K	$116.89K	$129.92K

LTTI vs. DDEC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
LTTI FT Vest 20+ Year Treasury & Target Income ETF	-4.10%	2.43%
DDEC FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December	5.82%	10.60%

Correlation

The correlation between LTTI and DDEC is 0.17, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.17
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 13, 2025	0.14

Return for Risk

LTTI vs. DDEC — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

LTTI

LTTI Risk / Return Rank: 8
LTTI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8
LTTI Sortino Ratio Rank: 8
LTTI Omega Ratio Rank: 8
LTTI Calmar Ratio Rank: 9
LTTI Martin Ratio Rank: 8

DDEC

DDEC Risk / Return Rank: 88
DDEC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
DDEC Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
DDEC Omega Ratio Rank: 90
DDEC Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
DDEC Martin Ratio Rank: 91

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

LTTI vs. DDEC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FT Vest 20+ Year Treasury & Target Income ETF (LTTI) and FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December (DDEC). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	LTTI	DDEC	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-0.16	2.16	-2.32
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	-0.16	3.17	-3.33
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.98	1.42	-0.44
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.18	3.06	-3.24
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-0.39	15.04	-15.43

LTTI vs. DDEC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current LTTI Sharpe Ratio is -0.16, which is lower than the DDEC Sharpe Ratio of 2.16. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of LTTI and DDEC, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

LTTI vs. DDEC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum LTTI drawdown since its inception was -9.02%, smaller than the maximum DDEC drawdown of -10.22%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LTTI and DDEC.

Drawdown Indicators

	LTTI	DDEC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-9.02%	-10.22%	+1.20%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.63%	-4.18%	-3.45%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	—	-9.40%	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-10.22%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.63%	0.00%	-7.63%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.78%	-1.83%	-1.95%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.44%	0.85%	+2.59%

Volatility

LTTI vs. DDEC - Volatility Comparison

FT Vest 20+ Year Treasury & Target Income ETF (LTTI) has a higher volatility of 2.24% compared to FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December (DDEC) at 1.52%. This indicates that LTTI's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DDEC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	LTTI	DDEC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.24%	1.52%	+0.72%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.27%	4.63%	+1.64%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	8.45%	5.94%	+2.51%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	10.05%	7.08%	+2.97%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	10.05%	6.84%	+3.21%

LTTI vs. DDEC - Expense Ratio Comparison

LTTI has a 0.65% expense ratio, which is lower than DDEC's 0.85% expense ratio.

Dividends

LTTI vs. DDEC - Dividend Comparison

LTTI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 9.55%, while DDEC has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025
DDEC FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December	0.00%	0.00%
LTTI FT Vest 20+ Year Treasury & Target Income ETF	8.74%	7.08%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both LTTI and DDEC in my portfolio?

LTTI and DDEC have a correlation of 0.17, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, LTTI or DDEC?

LTTI has higher volatility (2.24%) compared to DDEC (1.52%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LTTI dropped -9.02% vs DDEC's -10.22%.

Which ETF is better, LTTI or DDEC?

On 1-year performance, DDEC leads with 13.75% vs -2.61% for LTTI. On fees, LTTI is cheaper at 0.65% per year. On volatility, DDEC has been the lower-risk option at 1.52%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, LTTI or DDEC?

Over the 1-year period, DDEC has performed better with a 13.75% return vs -2.61%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, LTTI or DDEC?

LTTI is cheaper with a 0.65% expense ratio, compared with 0.85% for DDEC.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, LTTI or DDEC?

LTTI has the higher dividend yield at 8.74%, compared with 0.00% for DDEC.

What is the main difference between LTTI and DDEC?

LTTI is categorized as Derivative Income, while DDEC is Defined Outcome. Their fees differ too: 0.65% for LTTI and 0.85% for DDEC.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

DDEC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.16 vs -0.16), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.