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First Trust Small Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (FYC) Sharpe Ratio: 2.70

ETF · Currency in USD · Last updated Jun 3, 2026

FYC is a passive ETF by First Trust tracking the investment results of the NASDAQ AlphaDEX Small Cap Growth Index. FYC launched on Apr 19, 2011 and has a 0.71% expense ratio.

FYC's Sharpe Ratio of 2.70 indicates that for each unit of volatility, it generates 2.70 units of excess return above the risk-free rate. The ratio is calculated using historical daily returns over the past 12 months (as of Jun 3, 2026).

Sharpe uses total volatility (standard deviation) which includes both upside and downside price movements, making it useful for comparing risk-adjusted returns across different assets.

FYC Sharpe Ratio Rank

FYC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 81.882
Exceptional

FYC ranks above 81.8% of all investments in our database based on Sharpe Ratio over the past 12 months, demonstrating exceptional risk-adjusted returns. Securities are ranked from 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

What moves the rank

  • Strong returns with low total volatility → Higher rank
  • High volatility (both upside and downside) → Lower rank
  • Consistent returns → Higher rank than volatile returns of same magnitude
  • Sharp drawdowns increase volatility → Lower rank

What you can do with this information

  • Suitable as a core holding given strong risk-adjusted returns
  • Monitor rank changes to detect deteriorating return-to-volatility profile
  • Exceptional Sharpe ratio supports larger position sizes
  • Compare with category peers to assess whether strength is investment-specific or category-wide

FYC Sharpe Ratio Market Positioning

The chart shows FYC's Sharpe Ratio relative to all ETFs on our platform, with color zones indicating percentile rankings. Higher ratios indicate better risk-adjusted returns.

  • Red zone (bottom 25%): 0.91 or lower
  • Yellow zone (middle 50%): 0.91 to 2.51
  • Green zone (top 25%): 2.51 or higher
  • Top 1%: 7.87+
  • Median: 1.77 — half of all investments score higher

How it compares to other similar ETFs

The table compares First Trust Small Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund's Sharpe Ratio with other ETFs in the Small Cap Growth Equities category across multiple time periods, showing how FYC's risk-adjusted performance compares to similar funds.

Data shows 1-, 5-, and 10-year periods, plus each fund's all-time average, as of Jun 3, 2026.

SymbolName1Y Sharpe Ratio5Y Sharpe Ratio10Y Sharpe RatioAll Time Sharpe Ratio
PBWInvesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF4.27
FYCFirst Trust Small Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund2.70
SCHASchwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF2.42
SMMDiShares Russell 2500 ETF2.26
ESMLiShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF2.22
JPSEJPMorgan Diversified Return U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF2.19
BBMCJPMorgan BetaBuilders U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF2.14
BKSEBNY Mellon US Small Cap Core Equity ETF2.08
MMSCFirst Trust Multi-Manager Small Cap Opportunities ETF2.03
IWOiShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF1.95

S&P 500 Index

How to choose period

Historical Sharpe Ratio

The chart shows FYC's rolling Sharpe ratio over time compared to your chosen benchmark. Rising trends indicate improving returns relative to total volatility, while declining trends may signal deteriorating risk-adjusted performance or increased volatility. Use multiple timeframes to distinguish short-term fluctuations from long-term patterns.

Identify market cycles by observing when FYC consistently outperforms (line above benchmark), underperforms (below benchmark), or aligns with the benchmark.

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Sharpe Ratio Calculator

How does FYC fit in your portfolio?

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