FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF… (DDEC) Performance
DDEC total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +7.9% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +10.5% total return
- 5 years
- +8.5% a year
- Since first price
- +8.5% a year since 2020
DDEC trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | DDEC total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +0.1% | +0.1% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +2.7% | +2.7% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +5.5% | +5.5% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +7.9% | +7.9% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +10.5% | +10.5% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +46.6%+13.6%/yr | +46.6% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +50.3%+8.5%/yr | +50.3% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionDec 21, 2020 | +60.7%+8.5%/yr | +60.7% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: DDEC vs SPY
From Dec 21, 2020: DDEC grew to $16,074, SPY to $22,305.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
DDEC returns by calendar year
4 of 5 full years positive. Best 2023 (+16.8%), worst 2022 (−6.7%). 2026 is year to date.
DDEC annual returns table
| Year | DDEC | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +7.9% | −4.2% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +12.3% | −9.4% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +12.3% | −3.3% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +16.8% | −5.5% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −6.7% | −10.2% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +7.6% | −1.7% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
DDEC largest drawdowns
Now 0.8% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 3, 2022 | −10.2% | Jun 16, 2022 | Jun 2, 2023 | 5 months | 1.4 years |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
DDEC risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +13.1% | +8.7% | +8.4% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 6.3% | 6.7% | 6.3% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.32 | 0.77 | 0.85 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.68 | 1.29 | 1.43 |
| Best month | +6.6% | +6.6% | +6.6% |
| Worst month | −3.3% | −4.5% | −4.5% |
| Best 12 months | +19.9% | +19.9% | +19.9% |
| Worst 12 months | +4.4% | −6.7% | −6.7% |
| Positive months | 83% | 75% | 75% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.47 | 0.38 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.93 | 0.89 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
DDEC rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 59 | −6.7% | +11.0% | +19.9% | 80% |
| 3-year (a year) | 35 | +5.4% | +9.5% | +13.8% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 11 | +7.3% | +8.3% | +8.7% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2020. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
DDEC performance overview
FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF… (DDEC) returned +10.5% over the past year and +8.5% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2020 it has returned +8.5% a year, turning $10,000 into about $16,074. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −10.2%, from Jan 3, 2022 to Jun 16, 2022, and it took 12 months to get back to the old high. DDEC finished 4 of its 5 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+16.8%) and the worst 2022 (−6.7%). Volatility has been 6.3% a year.
Related: DDEC chart. See the DDEC overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
DDEC performance FAQ
What is the DDEC return over the past year?
DDEC returned +10.5% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 10.5%.
What is the average annual return of DDEC?
DDEC has returned +8.5% a year over 5 years, +8.5% a year since December 21, 2020 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in DDEC be worth?
$10,000 invested in DDEC at its first recorded close on December 21, 2020 would be worth about $16,074 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for DDEC?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −6.7%. The best was 2023 at +16.8%.
What is the biggest drawdown of DDEC?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −10.2% between January 3, 2022 and June 16, 2022. It recovered to the old high on June 2, 2023, 12 months after the bottom.
How volatile is DDEC?
Over the past 3 years DDEC had an annualized volatility of 6.3% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.32 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).