AVDS vs. FDTS

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Avantis International Small Cap Equity ETF (AVDS) and First Trust Developed Markets ex-US Small Cap AlphaDEX Fund (FDTS).

AVDS and FDTS are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. AVDS is an actively managed fund by Avantis. It was launched on Jul 18, 2023. FDTS is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ AlphaDEX DM Ex-US Small Cap Index. It was launched on Feb 15, 2012.

Performance

AVDS vs. FDTS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Avantis International Small Cap Equity ETF (AVDS) and First Trust Developed Markets ex-US Small Cap AlphaDEX Fund (FDTS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

AVDS vs. FDTS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
AVDS Avantis International Small Cap Equity ETF	2.97%	38.18%	3.20%	3.79%
FDTS First Trust Developed Markets ex-US Small Cap AlphaDEX Fund	11.04%	51.17%	2.44%	2.60%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AVDS achieves a 2.97% return, which is significantly lower than FDTS's 11.04% return.

AVDS

• 1D: 3.25%
• 1M: -9.50%
• YTD: 2.97%
• 6M: 7.76%
• 1Y: 35.81%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

FDTS

• 1D: 3.04%
• 1M: -9.63%
• YTD: 11.04%
• 6M: 16.94%
• 1Y: 59.05%
• 3Y*: 21.33%
• 5Y*: 10.78%
• 10Y*: 10.43%

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

AVDS vs. FDTS - Expense Ratio Comparison

AVDS has a 0.30% expense ratio, which is lower than FDTS's 0.80% expense ratio.

FDTS

First Trust Developed Markets ex-US Small Cap AlphaDEX Fund

AVDS

Avantis International Small Cap Equity ETF

Return for Risk

AVDS vs. FDTS — Risk / Return Rank

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

AVDS

AVDS Risk / Return Rank: 91
AVDS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
AVDS Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
AVDS Omega Ratio Rank: 93
AVDS Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
AVDS Martin Ratio Rank: 90

FDTS

FDTS Risk / Return Rank: 97
FDTS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
FDTS Sortino Ratio Rank: 98
FDTS Omega Ratio Rank: 97
FDTS Calmar Ratio Rank: 97
FDTS Martin Ratio Rank: 97

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.

AVDS vs. FDTS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Avantis International Small Cap Equity ETF (AVDS) and First Trust Developed Markets ex-US Small Cap AlphaDEX Fund (FDTS). 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.

	AVDS	FDTS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.10	3.16	-1.06
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.73	3.90	-1.17
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.42	1.60	-0.18
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.78	4.68	-1.90
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.23	18.83	-7.60
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AVDS vs. FDTS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AVDS Sharpe Ratio is 2.10, which is lower than the FDTS Sharpe Ratio of 3.16. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AVDS and FDTS, 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

	AVDS	FDTS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.10	3.16	-1.06
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.37	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.42	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.12	0.36	+0.76

Correlation

The correlation between AVDS and FDTS is 0.89, 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

AVDS vs. FDTS - Dividend Comparison

AVDS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.35%, less than FDTS's 2.71% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AVDS Avantis International Small Cap Equity ETF	2.35%	2.37%	3.07%	0.72%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
FDTS First Trust Developed Markets ex-US Small Cap AlphaDEX Fund	2.71%	2.94%	3.94%	2.90%	3.71%	3.01%	2.02%	2.30%	1.96%	2.08%	1.78%	1.73%

Drawdowns

AVDS vs. FDTS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AVDS drawdown since its inception was -13.51%, smaller than the maximum FDTS drawdown of -51.26%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AVDS and FDTS.

Drawdown Indicators

	AVDS	FDTS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-13.51%	-51.26%	+37.75%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.44%	-12.61%	+0.17%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-33.11%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-51.26%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.50%	-9.95%	+0.45%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.84%	-10.74%	+7.90%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.08%	3.13%	-0.05%

Volatility

AVDS vs. FDTS - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Avantis International Small Cap Equity ETF (AVDS) is 7.45%, while First Trust Developed Markets ex-US Small Cap AlphaDEX Fund (FDTS) has a volatility of 7.97%. This indicates that AVDS experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FDTS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AVDS	FDTS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.45%	7.97%	-0.52%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.46%	12.60%	-1.14%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.16%	18.77%	-1.61%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.18%	29.14%	-13.96%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.18%	24.75%	-9.57%