CARZ vs. GM

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust NASDAQ Global Auto Index Fund (CARZ) and General Motors Company (GM).

CARZ is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ OMX Global Automobile (TR). It was launched on May 9, 2011.

Performance

CARZ vs. GM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust NASDAQ Global Auto Index Fund (CARZ) and General Motors Company (GM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

CARZ vs. GM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CARZ First Trust NASDAQ Global Auto Index Fund	3.74%	37.18%	3.26%	42.47%	-31.25%	18.09%	54.66%	11.39%	-23.91%	25.47%
GM General Motors Company	-8.17%	54.24%	49.84%	7.92%	-42.36%	40.80%	15.16%	14.02%	-15.06%	22.51%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CARZ achieves a 3.74% return, which is significantly higher than GM's -8.17% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with CARZ having a 11.68% annualized return and GM not far behind at 11.64%.

CARZ

• 1D: 5.11%
• 1M: -8.16%
• YTD: 3.74%
• 6M: 12.72%
• 1Y: 54.64%
• 3Y*: 18.45%
• 5Y*: 8.71%
• 10Y*: 11.68%

GM

• 1D: 2.39%
• 1M: -5.12%
• YTD: -8.17%
• 6M: 22.73%
• 1Y: 60.02%
• 3Y*: 27.97%
• 5Y*: 6.01%
• 10Y*: 11.64%

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

Return for Risk

CARZ vs. GM — Risk / Return Rank

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

CARZ

CARZ Risk / Return Rank: 89
CARZ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 87
CARZ Sortino Ratio Rank: 88
CARZ Omega Ratio Rank: 86
CARZ Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
CARZ Martin Ratio Rank: 92

GM

GM Risk / Return Rank: 89
GM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
GM Sortino Ratio Rank: 89
GM Omega Ratio Rank: 87
GM Calmar Ratio Rank: 90
GM Martin Ratio Rank: 91

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.

CARZ vs. GM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust NASDAQ Global Auto Index Fund (CARZ) and General Motors Company (GM). 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.

	CARZ	GM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.80	1.73	+0.07
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.45	2.67	-0.22
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.34	1.34	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.10	3.83	-0.72
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	12.53	11.57	+0.96
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CARZ vs. GM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CARZ Sharpe Ratio is 1.80, which is comparable to the GM Sharpe Ratio of 1.73. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CARZ and GM, 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

	CARZ	GM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.80	1.73	+0.07
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.32	0.17	+0.15
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.45	0.32	+0.13
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.34	0.21	+0.13

Correlation

The correlation between CARZ and GM 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

CARZ vs. GM - Dividend Comparison

CARZ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.06%, more than GM's 0.85% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CARZ First Trust NASDAQ Global Auto Index Fund	2.06%	2.13%	1.17%	1.40%	1.59%	2.25%	0.63%	3.23%	2.85%	2.11%	2.47%	1.64%
GM General Motors Company	0.85%	0.70%	0.90%	1.00%	0.54%	0.00%	0.91%	4.15%	4.54%	3.71%	4.36%	4.06%

Drawdowns

CARZ vs. GM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CARZ drawdown since its inception was -51.20%, smaller than the maximum GM drawdown of -59.96%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CARZ and GM.

Drawdown Indicators

	CARZ	GM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-51.20%	-59.96%	+8.76%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-16.91%	-16.00%	-0.91%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-40.30%	-58.96%	+18.66%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-51.20%	-59.96%	+8.76%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.07%	-13.55%	+3.48%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-13.03%	-21.67%	+8.64%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.19%	5.29%	-1.10%

Volatility

CARZ vs. GM - Volatility Comparison

First Trust NASDAQ Global Auto Index Fund (CARZ) has a higher volatility of 11.13% compared to General Motors Company (GM) at 8.00%. This indicates that CARZ's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than GM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CARZ	GM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	11.13%	8.00%	+3.13%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	19.44%	25.53%	-6.09%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	30.54%	34.79%	-4.25%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	27.64%	36.57%	-8.93%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	26.03%	36.73%	-10.70%