AFSC vs. FDM

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF (AFSC) and First Trust Dow Jones Select MicroCap Index Fund (FDM).

AFSC and FDM are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. AFSC is an actively managed fund by Aberdeen. It was launched on Jun 29, 2004. FDM is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones Select Microcap Index. It was launched on Sep 27, 2005.

Performance

AFSC vs. FDM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF (AFSC) and First Trust Dow Jones Select MicroCap Index Fund (FDM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

AFSC vs. FDM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
AFSC abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF	0.79%	2.67%
FDM First Trust Dow Jones Select MicroCap Index Fund	3.39%	12.71%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AFSC achieves a 0.79% return, which is significantly lower than FDM's 3.39% return.

AFSC

• 1D: 3.06%
• 1M: -6.08%
• YTD: 0.79%
• 6M: 2.45%
• 1Y: 14.60%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

FDM

• 1D: 1.32%
• 1M: -3.24%
• YTD: 3.39%
• 6M: 9.17%
• 1Y: 33.86%
• 3Y*: 17.23%
• 5Y*: 7.95%
• 10Y*: 11.22%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

AFSC vs. FDM - Expense Ratio Comparison

AFSC has a 0.65% expense ratio, which is higher than FDM's 0.60% expense ratio.

AFSC

abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF

FDM

First Trust Dow Jones Select MicroCap Index Fund

Return for Risk

AFSC vs. FDM — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

AFSC

AFSC Risk / Return Rank: 41
AFSC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 33
AFSC Sortino Ratio Rank: 34
AFSC Omega Ratio Rank: 32
AFSC Calmar Ratio Rank: 50
AFSC Martin Ratio Rank: 55

FDM

FDM Risk / Return Rank: 83
FDM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 81
FDM Sortino Ratio Rank: 84
FDM Omega Ratio Rank: 78
FDM Calmar Ratio Rank: 88
FDM Martin Ratio Rank: 85

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

AFSC vs. FDM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF (AFSC) and First Trust Dow Jones Select MicroCap Index Fund (FDM). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	AFSC	FDM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.65	1.53	-0.88
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.05	2.22	-1.16
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.14	1.29	-0.15
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.34	2.78	-1.44
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.61	9.61	-4.00
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AFSC vs. FDM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AFSC Sharpe Ratio is 0.65, which is lower than the FDM Sharpe Ratio of 1.53. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AFSC and FDM, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	AFSC	FDM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.65	1.53	-0.88
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.37	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.48	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.14	0.34	-0.20

Correlation

The correlation between AFSC and FDM is 0.81, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

AFSC vs. FDM - Dividend Comparison

AFSC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.08%, less than FDM's 1.33% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AFSC abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF	0.08%	0.08%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
FDM First Trust Dow Jones Select MicroCap Index Fund	1.33%	1.43%	1.56%	1.81%	1.80%	1.08%	1.68%	1.37%	1.26%	0.97%	1.13%	1.45%

Drawdowns

AFSC vs. FDM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AFSC drawdown since its inception was -21.68%, smaller than the maximum FDM drawdown of -63.45%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AFSC and FDM.

Drawdown Indicators

	AFSC	FDM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-21.68%	-63.45%	+41.77%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.95%	-11.99%	-1.96%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-23.74%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-47.76%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.54%	-5.74%	-1.80%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.56%	-11.43%	+6.87%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.32%	3.46%	-0.14%

Volatility

AFSC vs. FDM - Volatility Comparison

abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF (AFSC) has a higher volatility of 7.87% compared to First Trust Dow Jones Select MicroCap Index Fund (FDM) at 6.37%. This indicates that AFSC's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FDM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AFSC	FDM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.87%	6.37%	+1.50%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.07%	14.17%	-0.10%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.82%	22.29%	+0.53%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.98%	21.53%	+1.45%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.98%	23.33%	-0.35%