CTEF vs. TUSA

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Castellan Targeted Equity ETF (CTEF) and First Trust Total US Market AlphaDEX ETF (TUSA).

CTEF and TUSA are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. CTEF is an actively managed fund by Castellan. It was launched on Jun 18, 2025. TUSA is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ AlphaDEX Total US Market Index. It was launched on Dec 5, 2006.

Performance

CTEF vs. TUSA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Castellan Targeted Equity ETF (CTEF) and First Trust Total US Market AlphaDEX ETF (TUSA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

CTEF vs. TUSA - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
CTEF Castellan Targeted Equity ETF	3.80%	33.22%
TUSA First Trust Total US Market AlphaDEX ETF	7.05%	11.76%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CTEF achieves a 3.80% return, which is significantly lower than TUSA's 7.05% return.

CTEF

• 1D: 2.06%
• 1M: -7.37%
• YTD: 3.80%
• 6M: 5.92%
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

TUSA

• 1D: -0.28%
• 1M: -4.01%
• YTD: 7.05%
• 6M: 9.20%
• 1Y: 19.97%
• 3Y*: 14.76%
• 5Y*: 7.51%
• 10Y*: 11.03%

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

CTEF vs. TUSA - Expense Ratio Comparison

CTEF has a 0.45% expense ratio, which is lower than TUSA's 0.70% expense ratio.

TUSA

First Trust Total US Market AlphaDEX ETF

CTEF

Castellan Targeted Equity ETF

Return for Risk

CTEF vs. TUSA — Risk / Return Rank

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

TUSA

TUSA Risk / Return Rank: 59
TUSA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
TUSA Sortino Ratio Rank: 63
TUSA Omega Ratio Rank: 59
TUSA Calmar Ratio Rank: 54
TUSA Martin Ratio Rank: 62

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.

CTEF vs. TUSA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Castellan Targeted Equity ETF (CTEF) and First Trust Total US Market AlphaDEX ETF (TUSA). 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.

Risk / return metrics aren't available yet — we need at least 12 months of trading data to calculate them.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	CTEF	TUSA	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	—	1.12	—
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.43	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.55	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	2.45	0.32	+2.13

Correlation

The correlation between CTEF and TUSA is 0.38, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

CTEF vs. TUSA - Dividend Comparison

CTEF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.07%, less than TUSA's 1.65% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CTEF Castellan Targeted Equity ETF	0.07%	0.08%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
TUSA First Trust Total US Market AlphaDEX ETF	1.65%	1.59%	2.05%	2.15%	2.31%	0.72%	0.99%	1.13%	1.14%	0.79%	1.24%	0.95%

Drawdowns

CTEF vs. TUSA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CTEF drawdown since its inception was -15.00%, smaller than the maximum TUSA drawdown of -56.53%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CTEF and TUSA.

Drawdown Indicators

	CTEF	TUSA	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-15.00%	-56.53%	+41.53%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	—	-12.98%	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-23.35%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-42.47%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.76%	-4.01%	-5.75%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.81%	-9.92%	+8.11%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	—	2.91%	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	CTEF	TUSA	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	—	2.78%	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	—	9.68%	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.03%	17.98%	+3.05%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.03%	17.64%	+3.39%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.03%	20.14%	+0.89%