CDL vs. FDL

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about VictoryShares US Large Cap High Dividend Volatility Wtd ETF (CDL) and First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL).

CDL and FDL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. CDL is a passively managed fund by Crestview that tracks the performance of the Nasdaq Victory U.S. Large Cap High Dividend 100 Volatility Weighted Index. It was launched on Jul 8, 2015. FDL is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index. It was launched on Mar 9, 2006. Both CDL and FDL are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

CDL vs. FDL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in VictoryShares US Large Cap High Dividend Volatility Wtd ETF (CDL) and First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

CDL vs. FDL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CDL VictoryShares US Large Cap High Dividend Volatility Wtd ETF	8.87%	9.04%	15.58%	3.03%	-0.45%	33.42%	-3.35%	26.38%	-5.86%	16.29%
FDL First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund	15.49%	14.79%	17.98%	2.94%	6.66%	26.10%	-4.30%	24.41%	-5.99%	12.02%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CDL achieves a 8.87% return, which is significantly lower than FDL's 15.49% return. Over the past 10 years, CDL has underperformed FDL with an annualized return of 10.80%, while FDL has yielded a comparatively higher 11.60% annualized return.

CDL

• 1D: 0.78%
• 1M: -2.91%
• YTD: 8.87%
• 6M: 8.94%
• 1Y: 12.62%
• 3Y*: 12.90%
• 5Y*: 9.94%
• 10Y*: 10.80%

FDL

• 1D: 0.43%
• 1M: 0.01%
• YTD: 15.49%
• 6M: 19.42%
• 1Y: 21.84%
• 3Y*: 18.00%
• 5Y*: 14.12%
• 10Y*: 11.60%

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

CDL vs. FDL - Expense Ratio Comparison

CDL has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is lower than FDL's 0.45% expense ratio.

FDL

First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund

CDL

VictoryShares US Large Cap High Dividend Volatility Wtd ETF

Return for Risk

CDL vs. FDL — Risk / Return Rank

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

CDL

CDL Risk / Return Rank: 52
CDL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 53
CDL Sortino Ratio Rank: 51
CDL Omega Ratio Rank: 51
CDL Calmar Ratio Rank: 50
CDL Martin Ratio Rank: 53

FDL

FDL Risk / Return Rank: 79
FDL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 81
FDL Sortino Ratio Rank: 82
FDL Omega Ratio Rank: 79
FDL Calmar Ratio Rank: 77
FDL Martin Ratio Rank: 76

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.

CDL vs. FDL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VictoryShares US Large Cap High Dividend Volatility Wtd ETF (CDL) and First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL). 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.

	CDL	FDL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.93	1.47	-0.55
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.33	2.06	-0.73
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.19	1.29	-0.10
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.24	1.96	-0.72
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.03	7.63	-2.60
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CDL vs. FDL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CDL Sharpe Ratio is 0.93, which is lower than the FDL Sharpe Ratio of 1.47. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CDL and FDL, 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

	CDL	FDL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.93	1.47	-0.55
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.72	0.99	-0.27
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.64	0.68	-0.05
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.64	0.46	+0.18

Correlation

The correlation between CDL and FDL is 0.88, 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

CDL vs. FDL - Dividend Comparison

CDL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.18%, less than FDL's 3.61% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CDL VictoryShares US Large Cap High Dividend Volatility Wtd ETF	3.18%	3.33%	3.27%	3.61%	3.31%	2.60%	3.32%	3.04%	3.32%	2.87%	2.97%	1.28%
FDL First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund	3.61%	4.04%	4.96%	4.58%	3.58%	4.59%	4.48%	3.75%	3.97%	3.18%	2.93%	3.65%

Drawdowns

CDL vs. FDL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CDL drawdown since its inception was -41.03%, smaller than the maximum FDL drawdown of -65.93%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CDL and FDL.

Drawdown Indicators

	CDL	FDL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-41.03%	-65.93%	+24.90%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.29%	-11.58%	+0.29%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-17.28%	-16.46%	-0.82%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-41.03%	-41.40%	+0.37%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.07%	-0.10%	-2.97%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.39%	-9.73%	+5.34%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.79%	3.10%	-0.31%

Volatility

CDL vs. FDL - Volatility Comparison

VictoryShares US Large Cap High Dividend Volatility Wtd ETF (CDL) has a higher volatility of 2.95% compared to First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL) at 2.56%. This indicates that CDL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FDL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CDL	FDL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.95%	2.56%	+0.39%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.97%	8.16%	-1.19%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.72%	14.96%	-1.24%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	13.87%	14.31%	-0.44%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.05%	17.09%	-0.04%