FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF… (DFEB) Performance
DFEB total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +8.3% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +10.6% total return
- 5 years
- +8.2% a year
- Since first price
- +8.3% a year since 2020
DFEB trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | DFEB 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 | +2.5% | +2.5% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +4.8% | +4.8% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +8.3% | +8.3% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +10.6% | +10.6% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +50.0%+14.5%/yr | +50.0% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +48.3%+8.2%/yr | +48.3% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionFeb 24, 2020 | +70.5%+8.3%/yr | +70.5% | — | — | — |
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: DFEB vs SPY
From Feb 24, 2020: DFEB grew to $17,046, SPY to $25,923.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
DFEB returns by calendar year
4 of 5 full years positive. Best 2024 (+13.9%), worst 2022 (−5.4%). 2026 is year to date.
DFEB annual returns table
| Year | DFEB | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +8.3% | −4.1% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +11.8% | −8.3% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +13.9% | −4.1% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +12.5% | −5.7% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −5.4% | −9.5% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +8.8% | −1.6% | +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.
DFEB largest drawdowns
Now 0.7% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 24, 2020 | −14.1% | Mar 18, 2020 | Jun 8, 2020 | 23 days | 3 months |
| Mar 29, 2022 | −10.0% | Mar 10, 2023 | Nov 14, 2023 | 11 months | 1.6 years |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
DFEB risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +14.0% | +8.5% | +9.0% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 6.3% | 7.1% | 7.4% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.45 | 0.69 | 0.84 |
| Sortino ratio | 3.00 | 1.09 | 1.35 |
| Best month | +6.8% | +6.8% | +6.8% |
| Worst month | −2.8% | −4.2% | −5.7% |
| Best 12 months | +21.8% | +21.8% | +21.8% |
| Worst 12 months | +7.8% | −7.1% | −7.1% |
| Positive months | 81% | 72% | 72% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.48 | 0.42 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.95 | 0.93 | — |
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.
DFEB rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 69 | −7.1% | +10.9% | +21.8% | 84% |
| 3-year (a year) | 45 | +3.9% | +6.8% | +14.7% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 21 | +7.4% | +8.2% | +8.9% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2020. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
DFEB performance overview
FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF… (DFEB) returned +10.6% over the past year and +8.2% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2020 it has returned +8.3% a year, turning $10,000 into about $17,046. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −14.1%, from Feb 24, 2020 to Mar 18, 2020, and it took 3 months to get back to the old high. DFEB finished 4 of its 5 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2024 (+13.9%) and the worst 2022 (−5.4%). Volatility has been 7.4% a year.
Related: DFEB chart. See the DFEB overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
DFEB performance FAQ
What is the DFEB return over the past year?
DFEB returned +10.6% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 10.6%.
What is the average annual return of DFEB?
DFEB has returned +8.2% a year over 5 years, +8.3% a year since February 24, 2020 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in DFEB be worth?
$10,000 invested in DFEB at its first recorded close on February 24, 2020 would be worth about $17,046 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for DFEB?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −5.4%. The best was 2024 at +13.9%.
What is the biggest drawdown of DFEB?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −14.1% between February 24, 2020 and March 18, 2020. It recovered to the old high on June 8, 2020, 3 months after the bottom.
How volatile is DFEB?
Over the past 3 years DFEB had an annualized volatility of 6.3% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.45 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).