- ISIN
- US33734K1097
- CUSIP
- 33734K109
- Issuer
- First Trust
- Inception Date
- May 8, 2007
- Region
- North America (U.S.)
- Category
- Large Cap Blend Equities
- Leveraged
- 1x (No leverage)
- Index Tracked
- Nasdaq AlphaDEX Large Cap Core Index
- Domicile
- United States
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Equity
- Asset Class Size
- Large-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Blend
- Assets Under Management
- $2B
Share Price Chart
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Performance
FEX Performance Chart
First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund (FEX) is up 17.7% since the beginning of the year. FEX is currently trading at $139 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of FEX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,752.
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Returns By Period
First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund (FEX) has returned 17.68% so far this year and 31.75% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, FEX has had an annualized return of 13.71%, just under the S&P 500 Index benchmark’s 13.88%.
First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund
- 1D
- 0.97%
- 1M
- 4.51%
- YTD
- 17.68%
- 6M
- 16.27%
- 1Y
- 31.75%
- 3Y*
- 21.12%
- 5Y*
- 11.87%
- 10Y*
- 13.71%
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%
FEX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since May 10, 2007, FEX's average daily return is +0.05%, while the average monthly return is +0.90%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 6.4 years.
Historically, 64% of months were positive and 36% were negative. The best month was Apr 2020 with a return of +15.5%, while the worst month was Oct 2008 at -19.1%. The longest winning streak lasted 10 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 5 months.
On a daily basis, FEX closed higher 53% of trading days. The best single day was Nov 24, 2008 with a return of +11.3%, while the worst single day was Mar 16, 2020 at -12.7%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3.77% | 3.53% | -4.09% | 7.15% | 3.34% | 3.13% | 17.68% | ||||||
| 2025 | 4.20% | -1.49% | -4.02% | -2.22% | 4.91% | 4.88% | 1.67% | 2.91% | 1.83% | 0.28% | 1.12% | 0.47% | 15.05% |
| 2024 | 0.45% | 5.24% | 4.34% | -4.79% | 2.88% | 0.03% | 3.17% | 2.42% | 1.99% | -0.39% | 8.79% | -7.25% | 17.07% |
| 2023 | 6.28% | -3.49% | -1.61% | -0.15% | -3.21% | 8.31% | 4.16% | -3.12% | -3.97% | -3.65% | 9.59% | 5.76% | 14.31% |
| 2022 | -5.76% | -1.06% | 2.77% | -6.21% | 2.34% | -9.93% | 7.56% | -2.43% | -9.11% | 10.65% | 6.36% | -5.23% | -11.86% |
| 2021 | 0.60% | 4.44% | 3.91% | 4.67% | 1.57% | 1.06% | 1.14% | 3.18% | -4.59% | 6.23% | -2.16% | 4.49% | 26.83% |
Benchmark Metrics
First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund has an annualized alpha of 2.08%, beta of 0.90, and R2 of 0.78 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since May 10, 2007.
- This ETF captured 105.89% of S&P 500 Index gains and 101.27% of its losses - amplifying both gains and losses, but participating more in upside than downside.
- This ETF generated an annualized alpha of 2.08% versus S&P 500 Index - delivering returns beyond what market exposure alone would predict.
- With beta of 0.90 and R2 of 0.78, 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
- 2.08%
- Beta
- 0.90
- R²
- 0.78
- Upside Capture
- 105.89%
- Downside Capture
- 101.27%
Expense Ratio
FEX has an expense ratio of 0.57%, placing it in the medium range.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
FEX ranks 82 for risk / return — in the top 82% 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 Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund (FEX) 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.
| FEX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.40 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.58 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.42 | 1.37 | +0.06 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 5.12 | 2.78 | +2.33 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 18.39 | 12.44 | +5.95 |
Dividends
Dividend History
First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund provided a 0.93% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $1.30 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $1.30 | $1.30 | $1.24 | $1.24 | $1.29 | $0.74 | $0.89 | $0.86 | $0.70 | $0.62 | $0.63 | $0.57 |
Dividend yield | 0.93% | 1.10% | 1.18% | 1.38% | 1.61% | 0.80% | 1.21% | 1.32% | 1.34% | 1.07% | 1.29% | 1.33% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for First Trust Large Cap Core 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 | $0.29 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.29 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.30 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.27 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.32 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.41 | $1.30 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.21 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.26 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.35 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.42 | $1.24 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.30 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.24 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.30 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.40 | $1.24 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.22 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.24 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.35 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.47 | $1.29 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.09 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.17 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.20 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.29 | $0.74 |
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 Large Cap Core 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 Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund was 58.81%, occurring on Mar 6, 2009. Recovery took 493 trading sessions.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -58.81%Mar 2009 | 1y 7mo | 1y 11mo | 3y 7moJul 2007 - Feb 2011 |
COVID crash2020 | -39.51%Mar 2020 | 1mo 2d | 6mo 23d | 7mo 25dFeb 2020 - Oct 2020 |
Rate-hike selloffLate 2018 | -21.98%Dec 2018 | 3mo 4d | 6mo 20d | 9mo 24dSep 2018 - Jul 2019 |
2011 bear market2011 | -21.96%Oct 2011 | 5mo 4d | 5mo 12d | 10mo 16dMay 2011 - Mar 2012 |
Bear market2022 | -21.27%Sep 2022 | 10mo 17d | 1y 2mo | 2y 27dNov 2021 - Dec 2023 |
Drawdown Indicators
| FEX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -58.81% | -56.78% | -2.03% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -6.23% | -9.10% | +2.87% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -19.58% | -18.90% | -0.68% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -21.27% | -25.43% | +4.16% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -39.51% | -33.92% | -5.59% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | -1.80% | +1.80% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -7.87% | -10.71% | +2.84% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.73% | 2.03% | -0.30% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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