SAUG vs. LITL

Last updated Aug 1, 2026

SAUG (FT Cboe Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - August) and LITL (Simplify Piper Sandler US Small-Cap PLUS Income ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - SAUG is a Options Trading fund actively managed by FT Vest, while LITL is a Small Cap Blend Equities fund actively managed by Simplify. Both are actively managed. Over the past year, SAUG returned 20.30% vs 31.53% for LITL. Their correlation of 0.85 means they have usually moved in the same direction. SAUG charges 0.90%/yr vs 0.91%/yr for LITL.

Performance

SAUG vs. LITL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in FT Cboe Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - August (SAUG) and Simplify Piper Sandler US Small-Cap PLUS Income ETF (LITL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SAUG achieves a 9.62% return, which is significantly lower than LITL's 15.04% return.

SAUG

• 1D: 0.04%
• 1M: 0.61%
• 6M: 7.15%
• YTD: 9.62%
• 1Y: 20.30%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 12.16%

LITL

• 1D: 0.24%
• 1M: -2.40%
• 6M: 12.72%
• YTD: 15.04%
• 1Y: 31.53%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 28.40%

*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)
LITL Simplify Piper Sandler US Small-Cap PLUS Income ETF	$92.88K	$67.65K	$57.85K
SAUG FT Cboe Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - August	$107.72K	$109.09K	$121.07K

SAUG vs. LITL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
SAUG FT Cboe Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - August	9.62%	15.20%
LITL Simplify Piper Sandler US Small-Cap PLUS Income ETF	15.04%	18.93%

Correlation

The correlation between SAUG and LITL is 0.82, meaning they have usually moved in the same direction, including during past declines.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.82
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 29, 2025	0.85

The correlation between SAUG and LITL has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.82 to 0.85 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

SAUG vs. LITL — Risk / Return Rank

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

SAUG

SAUG Risk / Return Rank: 92
SAUG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
SAUG Sortino Ratio Rank: 92
SAUG Omega Ratio Rank: 92
SAUG Calmar Ratio Rank: 93
SAUG Martin Ratio Rank: 93

LITL

LITL Risk / Return Rank: 72
LITL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 67
LITL Sortino Ratio Rank: 71
LITL Omega Ratio Rank: 63
LITL Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
LITL Martin Ratio Rank: 75

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.

SAUG vs. LITL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FT Cboe Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - August (SAUG) and Simplify Piper Sandler US Small-Cap PLUS Income ETF (LITL). 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.

	SAUG	LITL	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.17	1.57	+0.60
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.41	2.35	+1.06
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.46	1.27	+0.18
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.60	3.05	+1.55
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	17.48	9.55	+7.92

SAUG vs. LITL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SAUG Sharpe Ratio is 2.17, which is higher than the LITL Sharpe Ratio of 1.57. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SAUG and LITL, 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

SAUG vs. LITL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SAUG drawdown since its inception was -14.62%, which is greater than LITL's maximum drawdown of -9.32%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SAUG and LITL.

Drawdown Indicators

	SAUG	LITL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-14.62%	-9.32%	-5.30%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-4.10%	-9.32%	+5.22%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	-2.98%	+2.98%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.13%	-2.24%	+0.11%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.08%	2.98%	-1.90%

Volatility

SAUG vs. LITL - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for FT Cboe Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - August (SAUG) is 0.41%, while Simplify Piper Sandler US Small-Cap PLUS Income ETF (LITL) has a volatility of 3.56%. This indicates that SAUG experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than LITL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SAUG	LITL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.41%	3.56%	-3.15%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	5.10%	12.19%	-7.09%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	8.71%	18.20%	-9.49%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	11.50%	18.33%	-6.83%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	11.50%	18.33%	-6.83%

SAUG vs. LITL - Expense Ratio Comparison

SAUG has a 0.90% expense ratio, which is lower than LITL's 0.91% expense ratio.

Dividends

SAUG vs. LITL - Dividend Comparison

SAUG has not paid dividends to shareholders, while LITL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.67%.

Position	TTM	2025
LITL Simplify Piper Sandler US Small-Cap PLUS Income ETF	1.67%	0.71%
SAUG FT Cboe Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - August	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both SAUG and LITL in my portfolio?

SAUG and LITL have a correlation of 0.82, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, SAUG or LITL?

LITL has higher volatility (3.56%) compared to SAUG (0.41%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SAUG dropped -14.62% vs LITL's -9.32%.

Which ETF is better, SAUG or LITL?

On 1-year performance, LITL leads with 31.53% vs 20.30% for SAUG. On fees, SAUG is cheaper at 0.90% per year. On volatility, SAUG has been the lower-risk option at 0.41%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, SAUG or LITL?

Over the 1-year period, LITL has performed better with a 31.53% return vs 20.30%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, SAUG or LITL?

SAUG is cheaper with a 0.90% expense ratio, compared with 0.91% for LITL.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, SAUG or LITL?

LITL has the higher dividend yield at 1.67%, compared with 0.00% for SAUG.

What is the main difference between SAUG and LITL?

SAUG is categorized as Options Trading, while LITL is Small Cap Blend Equities. They also come from different issuers: FT Vest and Simplify. Their fees differ too: 0.90% for SAUG and 0.91% for LITL.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SAUG currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.17 vs 1.57), 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.