XJUL vs. FSEP

Last updated Aug 1, 2026

XJUL (FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - July) and FSEP (FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September) are both Options Trading funds from FT Vest. XJUL is actively managed, while FSEP is passively managed. Over the past 3 years, XJUL returned 9.89%/yr vs 12.54%/yr for FSEP. Their correlation of 0.89 means they have usually moved in the same direction. Both charge a 0.85% expense ratio.

Performance

XJUL vs. FSEP - Performance Comparison

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XJUL achieves a 4.97% return, which is significantly lower than FSEP's 7.68% return.

XJUL

• 1D: 0.34%
• 1M: 0.72%
• 6M: 4.40%
• YTD: 4.97%
• 1Y: 10.17%
• 3Y*: 9.89%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 9.93%

FSEP

• 1D: 0.48%
• 1M: 0.78%
• 6M: 6.71%
• YTD: 7.68%
• 1Y: 14.78%
• 3Y*: 12.54%
• 5Y*: 10.08%
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 11.45%

*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)
FSEP FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September	$1.01M	$986.22K	$2.87M
XJUL FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - July	$231.21K	$142.92K	$603.44K

XJUL vs. FSEP - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
XJUL FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - July	4.97%	10.19%	10.58%	4.05%
FSEP FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September	7.68%	12.83%	13.56%	4.09%

Correlation

The correlation between XJUL and FSEP is 0.89, 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.	0.89
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.89
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 24, 2023	0.89

The correlation between XJUL and FSEP has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.89 to 0.89 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

XJUL vs. FSEP — Risk / Return Rank

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

XJUL

XJUL Risk / Return Rank: 91
XJUL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
XJUL Sortino Ratio Rank: 91
XJUL Omega Ratio Rank: 93
XJUL Calmar Ratio Rank: 87
XJUL Martin Ratio Rank: 94

FSEP

FSEP Risk / Return Rank: 79
FSEP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 78
FSEP Sortino Ratio Rank: 79
FSEP Omega Ratio Rank: 81
FSEP Calmar Ratio Rank: 70
FSEP Martin Ratio Rank: 85

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.

XJUL vs. FSEP - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - July (XJUL) 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.

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.

	XJUL	FSEP	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.23	1.78	+0.45
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.32	2.57	+0.75
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.49	1.34	+0.15
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.47	2.45	+1.02
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	18.85	12.11	+6.74

XJUL vs. FSEP - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XJUL Sharpe Ratio is 2.23, which is comparable to the FSEP Sharpe Ratio of 1.78. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XJUL and FSEP, 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

XJUL vs. FSEP - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XJUL drawdown since its inception was -9.10%, smaller than the maximum FSEP drawdown of -13.79%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XJUL and FSEP.

Drawdown Indicators

	XJUL	FSEP	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-9.10%	-13.79%	+4.69%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-2.76%	-5.62%	+2.86%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-9.10%	-12.37%	+3.27%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-13.79%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	-0.05%	+0.05%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.55%	-2.09%	+1.54%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.51%	1.14%	-0.63%

Volatility

XJUL vs. FSEP - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - July (XJUL) is 1.25%, while FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September (FSEP) has a volatility of 1.88%. This indicates that XJUL 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

	XJUL	FSEP	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.25%	1.88%	-0.63%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	3.27%	6.06%	-2.79%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.29%	7.72%	-3.43%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.84%	10.86%	-4.02%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	6.84%	10.46%	-3.62%

XJUL vs. FSEP - Expense Ratio Comparison

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

Dividends

XJUL vs. FSEP - Dividend Comparison

Neither XJUL nor FSEP has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both XJUL and FSEP in my portfolio?

XJUL and FSEP have a correlation of 0.89, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, XJUL or FSEP?

FSEP has higher volatility (1.88%) compared to XJUL (1.25%). In terms of maximum drawdown, XJUL dropped -9.10% vs FSEP's -13.79%.

Which ETF is better, XJUL or FSEP?

On 3-year performance, FSEP leads with 12.54% vs 9.89% for XJUL. Both ETFs have the same 0.85% expense ratio. On volatility, XJUL has been the lower-risk option at 1.25%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, XJUL or FSEP?

Over the 3-year period, FSEP has performed better with a 12.54% return vs 9.89%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, XJUL or FSEP?

XJUL and FSEP have the same expense ratio: 0.85% per year.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, XJUL or FSEP?

XJUL and FSEP have nearly identical dividend yields, around 0.00%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

XJUL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.23 vs 1.78), 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.