FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF - December
$37.08−0.02 (−0.06%)
- 0.90%
- $713M
- +20.6%
- 0M sh
- $37.15
- low $30.51high $37.26
The ETF.net QDEC Grade
C
Score 44 out of 100
- 8 of 12
Score 44 of 100 falls in the C band. A is 70 or higher, B 55 to under 70, C 40 to under 55, D 25 to under 40, F under 25.
Cost
The fund’s net expense ratio, ranked against its category.F15 out of 100Rank 9 of 12Mission
Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.Risk
How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.C45 out of 100Rank 8 of 12Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.A84 out of 100Rank 2 of 12Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.C50 out of 100Rank 5 of 6Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.A84 out of 100Rank 2 of 12
Our read on QDEC
CDecember's rung on First Trust's ladder of Nasdaq-100 buffer funds. It absorbs the first 10% of a decline over each one-year outcome period, in exchange for giving up gains above a cap that resets every December.
The Fund seeks to match the price return of the Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1, before fees and expenses, subject to an 18.22% upside cap and protection against the first 10% of losses during the stated outcome period.
Why people hold it
- The deal is written down in advance: first 10% of a Nasdaq-100 decline absorbed, upside capped, over a one-year outcome period that resets each December.ftportfolios.com
- One of several First Trust Nasdaq-100 buffers on staggered reset months (QMAR, QJUN, QSPT), so the start date is a choice rather than whatever month you showed up.
- Running since December 2020 with multiple complete outcome periods behind it, and a few hundred million dollars in assets. Not a launch-year experiment.
Worth knowing
- At 0.90% it sits above the buffer-cohort median, and cheaper Nasdaq-100 buffers exist: QBUF at 0.79%, PGIM's series at 0.50%, QTR at 0.25%.
- Thinly traded next to the category's biggest names, so the bid-ask spread is part of the cost, especially on larger orders.
- Buffer and cap apply before fees and run December to December. Buy mid-period and your own protection and ceiling differ from the stated terms.ftportfolios.com
QDEC Holdings
- Other
- 3
- 106%
- 2026-12-18 Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 C 6.16
Sectors
- Technology60.6%
- Communication12.1%
- Consumer Discretionary10.2%
- Consumer Staples5.6%
- Industrials5.3%
- Health Care3.6%
- Utilities1.1%
- Materials0.9%
- Energy0.4%
- Financials0.2%
QDEC Performance
Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.
Not enough history yet.
QDEC$12,057
Returns run to the Oct 12, 2026 close, with cash distributions reinvested. Each period starts on the same date that many months or years earlier. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.
| Period | QDEC |
|---|---|
| Year to date | +14.1% |
| 1 month | +2.5% |
| 3 months | +4.1% |
| 1 year | +20.6% |
| 3 years | +17.4% |
| 5 years | +10.8% |
| 10 years | — |
Calendar-year total return with cash distributions hypothetically reinvested at the ex-dividend date’s closing price. The current year shows year to date.
| Year | Return bar | QDEC |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +14.1% | |
| 2025 | +18.1% | |
| 2024 | +16.4% | |
| 2023 | +29.3% | |
| 2022 | −22.3% | |
| 2021 | +17.2% | |
| 2020 | +1.4% |
QDEC in the news
QDEC Dividends
No distributions in the last 12 months.
QDEC Risk
- 8.8%
How it’s calculated: standard deviation
The sample standard deviation of monthly total returns, multiplied by the square root of 12.
Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Total returns include reinvested distributions.
- 1.40
How it’s calculated: Sharpe ratio
Subtract each month’s Treasury-bill return from the fund’s monthly total return.
Divide the average of those excess returns by their sample standard deviation, then multiply by the square root of 12.
Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Each month uses the Treasury yield quoted at the end of the previous month.
- −25.3%
How it’s calculated: maximum drawdown
The largest percentage decline from an earlier peak, using total returns with reinvested distributions.
Uses up to five years through the last close, with at least 12 months required.
- 0.59
How it’s calculated: beta
The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.
QDEC Cost
0.90%
QDEC0.90%
- The middle half of Nasdaq-100 Buffer 9-12% funds
- Median 0.79%
8 of the 12 Nasdaq-100 Buffer 9-12% funds charge less.
Other funds in Nasdaq-100 Buffer 9-12%
- CQBUFInnovator Nasdaq-100 10 Buffer ETFExpense ratio 0.79%1 year return +8.9%
- CQMARFT Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF - MarchExpense ratio 0.90%1 year return +20.9%
- CQJUNFT Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF - JuneExpense ratio 0.90%1 year return +12.3%
- CDDNQInnovator Growth-100 Dual Directional 5 Buffer ETFExpense ratio 0.79%1 year return —
- CQSPTFT Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF - SeptemberExpense ratio 0.90%1 year return +20.2%