BTAL vs. MARB
Compare and contrast key facts about AGFiQ US Market Neutral Anti-Beta Fund (BTAL) and First Trust Merger Arbitrage ETF (MARB).
BTAL and MARB are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. BTAL is a passively managed fund by AGF that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Thematic Market Neutral Anti-Beta Total Return Index. It was launched on Sep 13, 2011. MARB is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Feb 4, 2020.
Performance
BTAL vs. MARB - Performance Comparison
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BTAL vs. MARB - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BTAL AGFiQ US Market Neutral Anti-Beta Fund | -2.99% | -20.17% | 12.83% | -15.11% | 20.48% | -6.81% | -16.21% |
MARB First Trust Merger Arbitrage ETF | 0.29% | 7.02% | 0.73% | 2.16% | 3.89% | 0.26% | -2.35% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, BTAL achieves a -2.99% return, which is significantly lower than MARB's 0.29% return.
BTAL
- 1D
- -2.72%
- 1M
- -0.85%
- YTD
- -2.99%
- 6M
- -10.10%
- 1Y
- -31.33%
- 3Y*
- -8.29%
- 5Y*
- -1.50%
- 10Y*
- -3.16%
MARB
- 1D
- -0.14%
- 1M
- -0.00%
- YTD
- 0.29%
- 6M
- 2.63%
- 1Y
- 6.85%
- 3Y*
- 3.46%
- 5Y*
- 2.72%
- 10Y*
- —
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BTAL vs. MARB - Expense Ratio Comparison
BTAL has a 2.11% expense ratio, which is lower than MARB's 2.30% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
BTAL vs. MARB — Risk / Return Rank
BTAL
MARB
BTAL vs. MARB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for AGFiQ US Market Neutral Anti-Beta Fund (BTAL) and First Trust Merger Arbitrage ETF (MARB). 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.
| BTAL | MARB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.40 | 1.29 | -2.69 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.13 | 2.00 | -4.12 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.77 | 1.33 | -0.55 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.88 | 3.13 | -4.01 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -1.20 | 21.28 | -22.47 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| BTAL | MARB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -1.40 | 1.29 | -2.69 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.08 | 0.65 | -0.73 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | -0.19 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | -0.17 | 0.34 | -0.51 |
Correlation
The correlation between BTAL and MARB is -0.11. This indicates that the assets' prices tend to move in opposite directions. Negative correlation can be particularly beneficial for diversification and risk management, as one asset may offset the losses of the other during market fluctuations.
Dividends
BTAL vs. MARB - Dividend Comparison
BTAL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.56%, less than MARB's 3.01% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BTAL AGFiQ US Market Neutral Anti-Beta Fund | 2.56% | 2.49% | 3.49% | 6.14% | 1.01% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.88% | 0.39% |
MARB First Trust Merger Arbitrage ETF | 3.01% | 3.01% | 2.11% | 2.20% | 0.99% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
BTAL vs. MARB - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum BTAL drawdown since its inception was -41.01%, which is greater than MARB's maximum drawdown of -11.99%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BTAL and MARB.
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Drawdown Indicators
| BTAL | MARB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -41.01% | -11.99% | -29.02% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -34.94% | -2.43% | -32.51% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -34.94% | -3.67% | -31.27% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -41.01% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -39.53% | -0.24% | -39.29% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -21.67% | -1.44% | -20.23% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 25.64% | 0.36% | +25.28% |
Volatility
BTAL vs. MARB - Volatility Comparison
AGFiQ US Market Neutral Anti-Beta Fund (BTAL) has a higher volatility of 6.87% compared to First Trust Merger Arbitrage ETF (MARB) at 1.15%. This indicates that BTAL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than MARB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| BTAL | MARB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 6.87% | 1.15% | +5.72% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 15.84% | 3.17% | +12.67% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 22.51% | 5.36% | +17.15% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 18.36% | 4.23% | +14.13% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 17.04% | 5.64% | +11.40% |