AMSC vs. FTGC

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

AMSC (American Superconductor Corporation) is a stock, while FTGC (First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund) is Commodities fund actively managed by First Trust. Over the past 10 years, AMSC returned 18.35%/yr vs 7.77%/yr for FTGC. At a 0.15 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

AMSC vs. FTGC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC) and First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund (FTGC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AMSC achieves a 62.16% return, which is significantly higher than FTGC's 27.15% return. Over the past 10 years, AMSC has outperformed FTGC with an annualized return of 18.35%, while FTGC has yielded a comparatively lower 7.77% annualized return.

AMSC

• 1D: -8.79%
• 1M: -7.22%
• YTD: 62.16%
• 6M: 45.66%
• 1Y: 55.26%
• 3Y*: 97.26%
• 5Y*: 21.62%
• 10Y*: 18.35%

FTGC

• 1D: -0.44%
• 1M: -2.63%
• YTD: 27.15%
• 6M: 26.06%
• 1Y: 41.32%
• 3Y*: 18.13%
• 5Y*: 13.08%
• 10Y*: 7.77%

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

AMSC vs. FTGC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
AMSC American Superconductor Corporation	62.16%	16.85%	121.10%	202.72%	-66.18%	-53.54%	198.34%	-29.60%	207.16%	-50.75%
FTGC First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund	27.15%	14.61%	9.96%	-5.36%	17.36%	27.95%	2.17%	6.40%	-12.75%	2.73%

Correlation

The correlation between AMSC and FTGC is -0.04, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.04
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.04
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.10
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.15
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 24, 2013	0.15

The correlation between AMSC and FTGC shifts across timeframes, from -0.04 (1 year) to 0.15 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

AMSC vs. FTGC — Risk / Return Rank

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

AMSC

AMSC Risk / Return Rank: 61
AMSC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 62
AMSC Sortino Ratio Rank: 62
AMSC Omega Ratio Rank: 64
AMSC Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
AMSC Martin Ratio Rank: 56

FTGC

FTGC Risk / Return Rank: 81
FTGC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 81
FTGC Sortino Ratio Rank: 75
FTGC Omega Ratio Rank: 77
FTGC Calmar Ratio Rank: 88
FTGC Martin Ratio Rank: 84

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.

AMSC vs. FTGC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC) and First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund (FTGC). 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.

	AMSC	FTGC	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.66	2.66	-2.01
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.37	3.43	-2.06
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.19	1.47	-0.27
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.91	5.25	-4.34
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	1.54	17.39	-15.84
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AMSC vs. FTGC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AMSC Sharpe Ratio is 0.66, which is lower than the FTGC Sharpe Ratio of 2.66. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AMSC and FTGC, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	AMSC	FTGC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.66	2.66	-2.01
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.25	0.82	-0.57
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.23	0.53	-0.30
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.03	0.24	-0.27

Drawdowns

AMSC vs. FTGC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AMSC drawdown since its inception was -99.57%, which is greater than FTGC's maximum drawdown of -59.47%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AMSC and FTGC.

Drawdown Indicators

	AMSC	FTGC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-99.57%	-59.47%	-40.10%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-61.08%	-7.91%	-53.17%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-63.86%	-10.39%	-53.47%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-82.94%	-22.64%	-60.30%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-89.06%	-35.91%	-53.15%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-93.26%	-4.65%	-88.61%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-75.75%	-27.42%	-48.33%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	35.95%	2.38%	+33.57%

Volatility

AMSC vs. FTGC - Volatility Comparison

American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC) has a higher volatility of 23.45% compared to First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund (FTGC) at 4.50%. This indicates that AMSC's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FTGC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AMSC	FTGC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	23.45%	4.50%	+18.95%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	52.45%	13.15%	+39.30%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	84.87%	15.59%	+69.28%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	88.79%	16.00%	+72.79%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	79.07%	14.71%	+64.36%

Dividends

AMSC vs. FTGC - Dividend Comparison

AMSC has not paid dividends to shareholders, while FTGC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 15.08%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
AMSC American Superconductor Corporation	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
FTGC First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund	15.08%	17.74%	3.05%	3.34%	10.35%	7.21%	0.00%	0.81%	0.80%	1.21%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both AMSC and FTGC in my portfolio?

AMSC and FTGC have a correlation of -0.04, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, AMSC or FTGC?

AMSC has higher volatility (23.45%) compared to FTGC (4.50%). In terms of maximum drawdown, AMSC dropped -99.57% vs FTGC's -59.47%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

FTGC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.66 vs 0.66), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.