ALTY vs. FDM

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Global X Alternative Income ETF (ALTY) and First Trust Dow Jones Select MicroCap Index Fund (FDM).

ALTY and FDM are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. ALTY is a passively managed fund by Global X that tracks the performance of the Indxx SuperDividend Alternatives Index. It was launched on Jul 14, 2015. 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. Both ALTY and FDM are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

ALTY vs. FDM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Global X Alternative Income ETF (ALTY) and First Trust Dow Jones Select MicroCap Index Fund (FDM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ALTY vs. FDM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ALTY Global X Alternative Income ETF	2.00%	11.07%	10.88%	10.58%	-11.92%	23.08%	-12.82%	21.44%	-6.18%	10.82%
FDM First Trust Dow Jones Select MicroCap Index Fund	3.39%	18.64%	13.00%	12.76%	-11.61%	35.08%	-4.04%	27.45%	-13.53%	8.72%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ALTY achieves a 2.00% return, which is significantly lower than FDM's 3.39% return. Over the past 10 years, ALTY has underperformed FDM with an annualized return of 6.25%, while FDM has yielded a comparatively higher 11.22% annualized return.

ALTY

• 1D: 0.92%
• 1M: -3.20%
• YTD: 2.00%
• 6M: 5.15%
• 1Y: 10.74%
• 3Y*: 10.06%
• 5Y*: 6.33%
• 10Y*: 6.25%

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)

ALTY vs. FDM - Expense Ratio Comparison

ALTY has a 0.50% expense ratio, which is lower than FDM's 0.60% expense ratio.

FDM

First Trust Dow Jones Select MicroCap Index Fund

ALTY

Global X Alternative Income ETF

Return for Risk

ALTY vs. FDM — Risk / Return Rank

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

ALTY

ALTY Risk / Return Rank: 64
ALTY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 65
ALTY Sortino Ratio Rank: 62
ALTY Omega Ratio Rank: 73
ALTY Calmar Ratio Rank: 52
ALTY Martin Ratio Rank: 68

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.

ALTY vs. FDM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Global X Alternative Income ETF (ALTY) 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.

	ALTY	FDM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.11	1.53	-0.41
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.54	2.22	-0.68
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.27	1.29	-0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.27	2.78	-1.50
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.72	9.61	-2.89
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ALTY vs. FDM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ALTY Sharpe Ratio is 1.11, which is comparable to the FDM Sharpe Ratio of 1.53. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ALTY 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

	ALTY	FDM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.11	1.53	-0.41
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.59	0.37	+0.22
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.38	0.48	-0.11
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.32	0.34	-0.02

Correlation

The correlation between ALTY and FDM is 0.57, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

ALTY vs. FDM - Dividend Comparison

ALTY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 7.51%, more than FDM's 1.33% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ALTY Global X Alternative Income ETF	7.51%	7.50%	7.88%	7.31%	7.66%	6.88%	9.20%	8.74%	8.49%	7.52%	8.20%	4.21%
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

ALTY vs. FDM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ALTY drawdown since its inception was -51.47%, smaller than the maximum FDM drawdown of -63.45%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ALTY and FDM.

Drawdown Indicators

	ALTY	FDM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-51.47%	-63.45%	+11.98%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.52%	-11.99%	+3.47%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.48%	-23.74%	+5.26%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-51.47%	-47.76%	-3.71%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.46%	-5.74%	+2.28%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.85%	-11.43%	+4.58%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.61%	3.46%	-1.85%

Volatility

ALTY vs. FDM - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Global X Alternative Income ETF (ALTY) is 2.90%, while First Trust Dow Jones Select MicroCap Index Fund (FDM) has a volatility of 6.37%. This indicates that ALTY experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FDM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ALTY	FDM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.90%	6.37%	-3.47%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.65%	14.17%	-9.52%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	9.68%	22.29%	-12.61%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	10.77%	21.53%	-10.76%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.63%	23.33%	-6.70%