SMAY vs. APXM

Last updated Jun 6, 2026

SMAY (FT Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - May) and APXM (FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - April) are both Defined Outcome funds from First Trust. Both are actively managed. Over the past year, SMAY returned 17.21% vs 5.14% for APXM. A 0.55 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. SMAY charges 0.90%/yr vs 0.85%/yr for APXM.

Performance

SMAY vs. APXM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in FT Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - May (SMAY) and FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - April (APXM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SMAY achieves a 5.63% return, which is significantly higher than APXM's 1.79% return.

SMAY

• 1D: -1.69%
• 1M: 1.06%
• YTD: 5.63%
• 6M: 6.31%
• 1Y: 17.21%
• 3Y*: 10.07%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

APXM

• 1D: -0.35%
• 1M: 0.13%
• YTD: 1.79%
• 6M: 2.18%
• 1Y: 5.14%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

SMAY vs. APXM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
SMAY FT Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - May	5.63%	13.84%
APXM FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - April	1.79%	5.40%

Correlation

The correlation between SMAY and APXM is 0.58, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.58
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 22, 2025	0.55

The correlation between SMAY and APXM has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.55 to 0.58 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

SMAY vs. APXM — Risk / Return Rank

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

SMAY

SMAY Risk / Return Rank: 85
SMAY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 77
SMAY Sortino Ratio Rank: 81
SMAY Omega Ratio Rank: 81
SMAY Calmar Ratio Rank: 92
SMAY Martin Ratio Rank: 93

APXM

APXM Risk / Return Rank: 98
APXM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
APXM Sortino Ratio Rank: 98
APXM Omega Ratio Rank: 98
APXM Calmar Ratio Rank: 98
APXM Martin Ratio Rank: 99

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.

SMAY vs. APXM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FT Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - May (SMAY) and FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - April (APXM). 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.

	SMAY	APXM	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.30	4.82	-2.52
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.39	8.19	-4.80
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.45	2.37	-0.92
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	5.76	13.61	-7.85
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	23.19	93.63	-70.43
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SMAY vs. APXM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SMAY Sharpe Ratio is 2.30, which is lower than the APXM Sharpe Ratio of 4.82. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SMAY and APXM, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	SMAY	APXM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.30	4.82	-2.52
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.04	5.20	-4.16

Drawdowns

SMAY vs. APXM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SMAY drawdown since its inception was -14.44%, which is greater than APXM's maximum drawdown of -0.40%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SMAY and APXM.

Drawdown Indicators

	SMAY	APXM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-14.44%	-0.40%	-14.04%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-3.00%	-0.38%	-2.62%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-14.44%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.69%	-0.38%	-1.31%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.54%	-0.03%	-2.51%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.74%	0.06%	+0.68%

Volatility

SMAY vs. APXM - Volatility Comparison

FT Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - May (SMAY) has a higher volatility of 2.81% compared to FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - April (APXM) at 0.50%. This indicates that SMAY's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than APXM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SMAY	APXM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.81%	0.50%	+2.31%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.81%	0.86%	+3.95%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	7.52%	1.07%	+6.45%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	10.22%	1.24%	+8.98%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	10.22%	1.24%	+8.98%

SMAY vs. APXM - Expense Ratio Comparison

SMAY has a 0.90% expense ratio, which is higher than APXM's 0.85% expense ratio.

Dividends

SMAY vs. APXM - Dividend Comparison

Neither SMAY nor APXM has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both SMAY and APXM in my portfolio?

SMAY and APXM have a correlation of 0.58, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, SMAY or APXM?

SMAY has higher volatility (2.81%) compared to APXM (0.50%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SMAY dropped -14.44% vs APXM's -0.40%.

Which ETF is better, SMAY or APXM?

On 1-year performance, SMAY leads with 17.21% vs 5.14% for APXM. On fees, APXM is cheaper at 0.85% per year. On volatility, APXM has been the lower-risk option at 0.50%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, SMAY or APXM?

Over the 1-year period, SMAY has performed better with a 17.21% return vs 5.14%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, SMAY or APXM?

APXM is cheaper with a 0.85% expense ratio, compared with 0.90% for SMAY.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, SMAY or APXM?

SMAY and APXM have nearly identical dividend yields, around 0.00%.

What is the main difference between SMAY and APXM?

Their fees differ too: 0.90% for SMAY and 0.85% for APXM.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

APXM currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (4.82 vs 2.30), 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.