BAI vs. FTXL

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF (BAI) and First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF (FTXL).

BAI and FTXL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. BAI is an actively managed fund by iShares. It was launched on Oct 21, 2024. FTXL is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Nasdaq U.S. Smart Semiconductor Index. It was launched on Sep 20, 2016.

Performance

BAI vs. FTXL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF (BAI) and First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF (FTXL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

BAI vs. FTXL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
BAI iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF	-1.05%	25.22%	8.06%
FTXL First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF	13.86%	48.94%	-5.10%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BAI achieves a -1.05% return, which is significantly lower than FTXL's 13.86% return.

BAI

• 1D: 5.71%
• 1M: -5.88%
• YTD: -1.05%
• 6M: -1.80%
• 1Y: 53.28%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

FTXL

• 1D: 5.87%
• 1M: -5.49%
• YTD: 13.86%
• 6M: 31.99%
• 1Y: 95.80%
• 3Y*: 32.15%
• 5Y*: 17.68%
• 10Y*: —

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

BAI vs. FTXL - Expense Ratio Comparison

BAI has a 0.55% expense ratio, which is lower than FTXL's 0.60% expense ratio.

FTXL

First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF

BAI

iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF

Return for Risk

BAI vs. FTXL — Risk / Return Rank

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

BAI

BAI Risk / Return Rank: 80
BAI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 80
BAI Sortino Ratio Rank: 78
BAI Omega Ratio Rank: 74
BAI Calmar Ratio Rank: 90
BAI Martin Ratio Rank: 76

FTXL

FTXL Risk / Return Rank: 95
FTXL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 95
FTXL Sortino Ratio Rank: 94
FTXL Omega Ratio Rank: 93
FTXL Calmar Ratio Rank: 97
FTXL 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.

BAI vs. FTXL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF (BAI) and First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF (FTXL). 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.

	BAI	FTXL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.54	2.30	-0.77
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.07	2.85	-0.78
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.28	1.41	-0.12
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.17	5.10	-1.93
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.33	19.84	-11.50
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BAI vs. FTXL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BAI Sharpe Ratio is 1.54, which is lower than the FTXL Sharpe Ratio of 2.30. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BAI and FTXL, 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

	BAI	FTXL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.54	2.30	-0.77
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.50	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.66	0.71	-0.05

Correlation

The correlation between BAI and FTXL is 0.79, 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

BAI vs. FTXL - Dividend Comparison

BAI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.81%, more than FTXL's 0.24% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
BAI iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF	1.81%	1.80%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
FTXL First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF	0.24%	0.28%	0.54%	0.60%	0.89%	0.25%	0.48%	0.92%	0.71%	0.47%	0.12%

Drawdowns

BAI vs. FTXL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BAI drawdown since its inception was -34.09%, smaller than the maximum FTXL drawdown of -43.87%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BAI and FTXL.

Drawdown Indicators

	BAI	FTXL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-34.09%	-43.87%	+9.78%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-16.22%	-18.57%	+2.35%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-43.87%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-11.44%	-9.49%	-1.95%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.57%	-10.72%	+3.15%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.17%	4.77%	+1.40%

Volatility

BAI vs. FTXL - Volatility Comparison

iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF (BAI) and First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF (FTXL) have volatilities of 14.66% and 14.06%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BAI	FTXL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	14.66%	14.06%	+0.60%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	25.45%	27.94%	-2.49%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	34.89%	41.85%	-6.96%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	34.51%	35.41%	-0.90%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	34.51%	33.98%	+0.53%