- ISIN
- US33737J1741
- CUSIP
- 33737J174
- Issuer
- First Trust
- Inception Date
- Apr 18, 2011
- Region
- Developed Markets (Broad)
- Category
- Foreign Large Cap Equities
- Leveraged
- 1x (No leverage)
- Index Tracked
- NASDAQ AlphaDEX DM Ex-US Index
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Equity
- Asset Class Size
- Multi-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Blend
- Assets Under Management
- $1B
Share Price Chart
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Performance
FDT Performance Chart
First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT) is up 26.1% since the beginning of the year. FDT is currently trading at $100 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of FDT shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,884.
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Returns By Period
First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT) has returned 26.09% so far this year and 54.27% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, FDT has returned 11.64% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.88% annually.
First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund
- 1D
- 0.40%
- 1M
- 2.82%
- YTD
- 26.09%
- 6M
- 26.12%
- 1Y
- 54.27%
- 3Y*
- 29.97%
- 5Y*
- 13.51%
- 10Y*
- 11.64%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -0.37%
- 1M
- -0.01%
- YTD
- 9.16%
- 6M
- 8.64%
- 1Y
- 25.22%
- 3Y*
- 19.78%
- 5Y*
- 11.99%
- 10Y*
- 13.88%
FDT Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Apr 19, 2011, FDT's average daily return is +0.03%, while the average monthly return is +0.71%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 8.2 years.
Historically, 61% of months were positive and 39% were negative. The best month was Nov 2020 with a return of +12.2%, while the worst month was Mar 2020 at -18.5%. The longest winning streak lasted 14 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 5 months.
On a daily basis, FDT closed higher 54% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 24, 2020 with a return of +9.8%, while the worst single day was Mar 12, 2020 at -11.6%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 9.91% | 11.40% | -10.30% | 9.33% | 6.02% | -0.95% | 26.09% | ||||||
| 2025 | 3.13% | 3.35% | 1.24% | 4.76% | 7.31% | 6.53% | 1.14% | 4.79% | 3.99% | 2.36% | 1.97% | 2.41% | 52.21% |
| 2024 | -0.70% | 3.00% | 4.85% | -2.74% | 5.20% | -2.57% | 3.60% | 0.44% | 1.10% | -3.21% | 1.04% | -2.74% | 6.97% |
| 2023 | 9.22% | -3.17% | 0.84% | 0.79% | -4.21% | 6.76% | 6.41% | -4.04% | -3.66% | -4.78% | 6.94% | 4.47% | 15.03% |
| 2022 | -4.22% | -2.07% | 1.80% | -7.23% | 3.13% | -12.26% | 3.42% | -3.69% | -11.91% | 5.16% | 11.02% | -1.97% | -19.51% |
| 2021 | 0.41% | 1.62% | 4.63% | 3.33% | 4.43% | -2.48% | 0.56% | 0.75% | -3.42% | 1.66% | -4.48% | 4.39% | 11.43% |
Benchmark Metrics
First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund has an annualized alpha of -2.47%, beta of 0.87, and R2 of 0.66 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since April 19, 2011.
- This ETF participated in 102.43% of S&P 500 Index downside but only 81.76% of its upside - more exposed to losses than it benefited from rallies.
- This ETF had an annualized alpha of -2.47% versus S&P 500 Index - delivering less than market exposure alone would predict.
- With beta of 0.87 and R2 of 0.66, this ETF moves broadly in line with S&P 500 Index - much of its variation is explained by market exposure rather than independent behavior.
- Alpha
- -2.47%
- Beta
- 0.87
- R²
- 0.66
- Upside Capture
- 81.76%
- Downside Capture
- 102.43%
Expense Ratio
FDT has an expense ratio of 0.80%, placing it in the medium range.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
FDT ranks 84 for risk / return — in the top 84% of ETFs on our site. This means strong returns relative to risk — exactly what professional investors look for. Well-suited for investors who want to maximize return per unit of risk.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| FDT | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.74 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.78 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.50 | 1.37 | +0.13 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 4.07 | 2.78 | +1.28 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 15.38 | 12.44 | +2.94 |
Dividends
Dividend History
First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund provided a 2.82% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $2.82 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $2.82 | $2.60 | $2.10 | $2.29 | $1.09 | $2.31 | $1.37 | $1.55 | $1.05 | $0.98 | $0.83 | $0.85 |
Dividend yield | 2.82% | 3.27% | 3.89% | 4.36% | 2.29% | 3.80% | 2.42% | 2.78% | 2.13% | 1.57% | 1.76% | 1.83% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.33 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.33 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.11 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.98 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.41 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.11 | $2.60 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.20 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.87 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.25 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.79 | $2.10 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.20 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.88 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.28 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.93 | $2.29 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.08 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.66 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.16 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.19 | $1.09 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.23 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.61 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.36 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.11 | $2.31 |
Drawdowns
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.
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Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown for the First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund was 46.10%, occurring on Mar 23, 2020. Recovery took 268 trading sessions.
The current First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund drawdown is 1.13%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
COVID crash2020 | -46.10%Mar 2020 | 2y 1mo | 1y 23d | 3y 2moJan 2018 - Apr 2021 |
2011 bear market2011 | -33.25%Oct 2011 | 5mo 4d | 1y 11mo | 2y 4moMay 2011 - Sep 2013 |
Bear market2022 | -33.18%Sep 2022 | 1y 3mo | 2y | 3y 3moJun 2021 - Sep 2024 |
2016 bear market2016 | -22.94%Feb 2016 | 8mo 25d | 1y 1mo | 1y 9moMay 2015 - Mar 2017 |
2014 correction2014 | -14.71%Oct 2014 | 3mo 11d | 7mo 1d | 10mo 12dJul 2014 - May 2015 |
Drawdown Indicators
| FDT | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -46.10% | -56.78% | +10.68% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -13.41% | -9.10% | -4.31% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -14.29% | -18.90% | +4.61% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -32.80% | -25.43% | -7.37% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -46.10% | -33.92% | -12.18% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.13% | -1.80% | +0.67% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -10.75% | -10.71% | -0.04% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.54% | 2.03% | +1.51% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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