First Trust Dow Jones Select MicroCap Index Fund (FDM) belongs to the Small Cap Blend Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with FDM. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to FDM
FDM charges 0.60% annually. There are 42 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF | 0.03% | 16.36B | Jul 2013 | FDM vs SPSM | |
| Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 23.58B | Nov 2009 | FDM vs SCHA | |
| iShares Morningstar Small-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 290.06M | Jun 2004 | FDM vs ISCB | |
| Vanguard Small-Cap ETF | 0.05% | 182.70B | Jan 2004 | FDM vs VB | |
| iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF | 0.06% | 109.76B | May 2000 | FDM vs IJR |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to FDM
FDM has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 55. There are 42 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 87.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Trust Small Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund | 87 | 1.31B | May 2007 | FDM vs FYX | |
| Fidelity Enhanced Small Cap ETF | 85 | 5.29B | Dec 2007 | FDM vs FESM | |
| JPMorgan Fundamental Data Science Small Core ETF | 85 | 9.11M | Aug 2024 | FDM vs SCDS | |
| Invesco NASDAQ Future Gen 200 ETF | 80 | 26.73M | Oct 2022 | FDM vs QQQS | |
| Hartford Multifactor Small Cap ETF | 79 | 59.51M | Mar 2015 | FDM vs ROSC |
Top Performing FDM Alternatives (YTD)
FDM is at 13.86% YTD. There are 43 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 56.90%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares | 56.90% | 1.44B | Nov 2008 | FDM vs TNA | |
| Allspring SMID Core ETF | 28.36% | 78.82M | Jul 2025 | FDM vs ASCE | |
| JPMorgan Fundamental Data Science Small Core ETF | 26.51% | 9.11M | Aug 2024 | FDM vs SCDS | |
| Inspire Small/Mid Cap Impact ETF | 25.15% | 328.92M | Feb 2017 | FDM vs ISMD | |
| Fidelity Enhanced Small Cap ETF | 24.59% | 5.29B | Dec 2007 | FDM vs FESM |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to FDM
FDM has 18.84% 1-year volatility. There are 47 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 6.55%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProShares Russell 2000 Dynamic Daily Buffer ETF | 6.55% | — | Jun 2025 | FDM vs RB | |
| First Trust Horizon Managed Volatility Small/Mid E... | 10.62% | 33.69M | Apr 2020 | FDM vs HSMV | |
| Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | 10.66% | 1.36B | Apr 2019 | FDM vs RYLD | |
| OShares U.S. Small-Cap Quality Dividend ETF | 13.17% | 875.00M | Dec 2016 | FDM vs OUSM | |
| Opus Small Cap Value Plus ETF | 13.36% | 685.56M | Jul 2018 | FDM vs OSCV |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to FDM
FDM has a 1-year max drawdown of -9.30%. There are 27 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -6.15%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows 100 ETF | -6.15% | 3.49B | Jun 2017 | FDM vs CALF | |
| Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | -6.29% | 1.36B | Apr 2019 | FDM vs RYLD | |
| Hypatia Women CEO ETF | -6.96% | 5.55M | Jan 2023 | FDM vs WCEO | |
| 6 Meridian Small Cap Equity ETF | -7.16% | 106.31M | May 2020 | FDM vs SIXS | |
| VictoryShares US Small Cap High Dividend Volatilit... | -7.18% | 257.49M | Jul 2015 | FDM vs CSB |
Other ETFs from First Trust
The 10 most viewed First Trust ETFs shown here include CIBR, GRID, NFTY and span 13 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $14B.
Often Compared With FDM
Investors most often compare FDM with IWC, PVIVX, DFSCX. These 20 comparison targets span 7 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare FDM with Any Fund or Stock
Compare FDM with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair FDM with funds that move differently
First Trust Dow Jones Select MicroCap Index Fund alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to FDM.
Explore FDM Diversifiers