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DSEPFT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - September

Stay safeGrow my money5y track recordRanked #113 of 343 in this goal

Seeks to provide investors with returns before fees and expenses.

By First Trust · Launched 2020

Annual Cost

0.85%

#4,345 of 5,573 · expensive

Fund Size

$350M

#1,844 of 5,573 · large

Dividend YieldGoal

0.00%

Track Record

5 years

#2,194 of 5,573 · seasoned

Performance

Total-return NAV · USD
Growth of $10,000
$11,372+13.7%

Total-return NAV, USD. Net of fund fees, before tax.

What's inside

How Beacon categorizes this fund

Asset class

Alternative

Strategy

Structured outcome

Index tracked

S&P 500 Index

What it actually holds

By weight

Concentration

Top 10 holdings = 103.8% of fundconcentrated

CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.SPY 9 C6.63
88.1%
CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.SPY 9 C6.63
9.7%
CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.SPY 9 P630.52
3.0%
CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.SPY 9 C6.63
1.7%
Dreyfus Government Cash Management
1.0%
CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.SPY 9 P630.52
0.3%
CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.SPY 9 P630.52
0.0%
CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.SPY 9 P464.59
-0.0%
CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.SPY 9 C739.56
-0.1%
CBOE GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.SPY 9 P464.59
-0.1%

Asset allocation

Stocks
99.3%
Cash
0.7%

Risk profile

Last 12 months · Sharpe & Sortino need 3+ years
Volatility (1Y)
5.9%Low

Year-on-year price swings

Max drawdown
-11.8%Mild

Worst peak-to-trough loss

Sharpe (3Y)
1.11Strong risk-adjusted returns
Sortino (3Y)
1.63Good downside protection

Listing

Exchange
Cboe BZX

Full fund details

Objective
Seeks to provide investors with returns before fees and expenses.
Strategy
Invests primarily in FLEX Options that reference the price performance of U.S. equities. The strategy aims to provide a buffer against losses while participating in market gains.
Inception date
September 18, 2020
Fund family
First Trust

Our take

Structural notes on how this fund behaves. Read our guide on the 6 warning signs.

Buffer
Warning

You can build this cheaper yourself

Defined-outcome funds cap your gains (often 8% to 20%) in exchange for cushioning losses by 9% to 30%, priced with options. The fee runs about 0.70% or more, against 0.03% to 0.10% for a plain index fund. For most investors, a simple stock-and-bond mix gives similar protection for far less.

Sources: Morningstar, 'Buffer Funds Are on the Rise, but They May Not Make Sense for Most Investors' (2025)

Educational analysis of structural product characteristics. Not investment advice. Always read the fund prospectus and consult a qualified advisor before investing. More

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Data updated on 2026-06-20