XSEP vs. DDEC

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - September (XSEP) and FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December (DDEC).

XSEP and DDEC are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. XSEP is an actively managed fund by FT Vest. It was launched on Sep 20, 2022. DDEC is a passively managed fund by FT Vest that tracks the performance of the S&P 500. It was launched on Dec 18, 2020.

Performance

XSEP vs. DDEC - 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 - September (XSEP) and FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December (DDEC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

XSEP vs. DDEC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
XSEP FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - September	-1.18%	8.94%	8.41%	16.07%	2.83%
DDEC FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December	-1.64%	12.33%	12.26%	16.82%	1.49%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XSEP achieves a -1.18% return, which is significantly higher than DDEC's -1.64% return.

XSEP

• 1D: 1.48%
• 1M: -1.72%
• YTD: -1.18%
• 6M: 0.70%
• 1Y: 8.32%
• 3Y*: 8.91%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

DDEC

• 1D: 0.16%
• 1M: -1.99%
• YTD: -1.64%
• 6M: 1.28%
• 1Y: 13.05%
• 3Y*: 11.50%
• 5Y*: 7.23%
• 10Y*: —

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

XSEP vs. DDEC - Expense Ratio Comparison

Both XSEP and DDEC have an expense ratio of 0.85%.

XSEP

FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - September

DDEC

FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December

Return for Risk

XSEP vs. DDEC — Risk / Return Rank

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

XSEP

XSEP Risk / Return Rank: 55
XSEP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 47
XSEP Sortino Ratio Rank: 49
XSEP Omega Ratio Rank: 65
XSEP Calmar Ratio Rank: 45
XSEP Martin Ratio Rank: 70

DDEC

DDEC Risk / Return Rank: 82
DDEC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 78
DDEC Sortino Ratio Rank: 81
DDEC Omega Ratio Rank: 84
DDEC Calmar Ratio Rank: 80
DDEC Martin Ratio Rank: 87

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.

XSEP vs. DDEC - 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 - September (XSEP) 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.

	XSEP	DDEC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.89	1.52	-0.63
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.36	2.21	-0.84
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.25	1.34	-0.10
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.21	2.44	-1.23
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.38	11.53	-4.15
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XSEP vs. DDEC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XSEP Sharpe Ratio is 0.89, which is lower than the DDEC Sharpe Ratio of 1.52. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XSEP and DDEC, 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

	XSEP	DDEC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.89	1.52	-0.63
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	1.04	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.39	1.09	+0.30

Correlation

The correlation between XSEP and DDEC is 0.82, 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

XSEP vs. DDEC - Dividend Comparison

Neither XSEP nor DDEC has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

XSEP vs. DDEC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XSEP drawdown since its inception was -9.21%, smaller than the maximum DDEC drawdown of -10.22%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XSEP and DDEC.

Drawdown Indicators

	XSEP	DDEC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-9.21%	-10.22%	+1.01%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.16%	-5.46%	-1.70%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-10.22%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.08%	-2.53%	+0.45%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.56%	-1.92%	+1.36%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.17%	1.15%	+0.02%

Volatility

XSEP vs. DDEC - Volatility Comparison

FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - September (XSEP) and FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December (DDEC) have volatilities of 2.77% and 2.85%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XSEP	DDEC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.77%	2.85%	-0.08%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.27%	4.55%	-0.28%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	9.39%	8.63%	+0.76%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	7.14%	6.99%	+0.15%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	7.14%	6.92%	+0.22%