Which returned more over the last year, IVV or XSEP?

In the year to Sep 19, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IVV returned +16.6% and XSEP returned +8.8%, so IVV returned more.

Which is cheaper, IVV or XSEP?

IVV charges 0.03% a year and XSEP charges 0.85%, so IVV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Are IVV and XSEP the same kind of fund?

No. IVV is an index ETF and XSEP is a buffer ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.

Data as of Sep 19, 2026.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

IVV vs XSEP: how they differ

Over the year IVV returned more, +16.6% to XSEP's +8.8%, and IVV charges 0.03% to XSEP's 0.85%.

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - September.

IVV and XSEP on the fields both publish, as of Sep 19, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	IVV iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	XSEP FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - September
Where it sits	Core fund	Buffer ETF
Issuer	iShares	First Trust
What it is	Tracks the S&P 500	Defined outcome, 15% on SPY
Total return, 1 year	+16.6%	+8.8%
S&P 500 over the same days	+16.6%	+16.6%
Gap to the S&P 500	0.0 pts	−7.7 pts
Expense ratio	0.03%	0.85%
Holdings	508	not filed
Net assets	$846.6bn	$164m

IVV in plain words

IVV tracks the S&P 500. Over the year to Sep 18, 2026 it returned +16.6% with distributions reinvested, against +16.6% for the S&P 500 and +21.8% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Sep 18, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 508 positions, with the top ten at 38.5%.

XSEP in plain words

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +9.6% for the period on Sep 19, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about −0.1% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 8.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 12.9% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 0 days remained on Sep 19, 2026. On Sep 18, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, IVV or XSEP?: In the year to Sep 19, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IVV returned +16.6% and XSEP returned +8.8%, so IVV returned more.
Which is cheaper, IVV or XSEP?: IVV charges 0.03% a year and XSEP charges 0.85%, so IVV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Are IVV and XSEP the same kind of fund?: No. IVV is an index ETF and XSEP is a buffer ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.

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Where these figures came from

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.

IVV against XSEP, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 19, 2026. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, IVV against XSEP, data as of Sep 19, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ivv-vs-xsep Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources