DBMF vs. ARB

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iM DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF (DBMF) and AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF (ARB).

DBMF and ARB are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. DBMF is an actively managed fund by Litman Gregory Capital Partners LLC. It was launched on May 8, 2019. ARB is a passively managed fund by Water Island Capital Partners LP that tracks the performance of the Water Island Merger Arbitrage USD Hedged Index. It was launched on May 7, 2020.

Performance

DBMF vs. ARB - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iM DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF (DBMF) and AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF (ARB). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

DBMF vs. ARB - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
DBMF iM DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF	7.87%	13.85%	7.24%	-8.94%	21.61%	11.49%	0.21%
ARB AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF	0.86%	6.05%	4.07%	3.85%	2.67%	3.16%	3.78%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DBMF achieves a 7.87% return, which is significantly higher than ARB's 0.86% return.

DBMF

• 1D: -0.20%
• 1M: -3.82%
• YTD: 7.87%
• 6M: 15.44%
• 1Y: 26.29%
• 3Y*: 9.90%
• 5Y*: 8.63%
• 10Y*: —

ARB

• 1D: 0.34%
• 1M: 0.65%
• YTD: 0.86%
• 6M: 1.58%
• 1Y: 4.27%
• 3Y*: 5.50%
• 5Y*: 4.12%
• 10Y*: —

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

DBMF vs. ARB - Expense Ratio Comparison

DBMF has a 0.85% expense ratio, which is lower than ARB's 0.87% expense ratio.

ARB

AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF

DBMF

iM DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF

Return for Risk

DBMF vs. ARB — Risk / Return Rank

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

DBMF

DBMF Risk / Return Rank: 95
DBMF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 94
DBMF Sortino Ratio Rank: 95
DBMF Omega Ratio Rank: 95
DBMF Calmar Ratio Rank: 96
DBMF Martin Ratio Rank: 97

ARB

ARB Risk / Return Rank: 87
ARB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 82
ARB Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
ARB Omega Ratio Rank: 80
ARB Calmar Ratio Rank: 93
ARB Martin Ratio Rank: 96

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.

DBMF vs. ARB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iM DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF (DBMF) and AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF (ARB). 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.

	DBMF	ARB	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.19	1.54	+0.64
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.98	2.23	+0.75
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.46	1.30	+0.16
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.25	3.50	+0.75
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	18.51	17.20	+1.31
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DBMF vs. ARB - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DBMF Sharpe Ratio is 2.19, which is higher than the ARB Sharpe Ratio of 1.54. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DBMF and ARB, 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

	DBMF	ARB	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.19	1.54	+0.64
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.68	0.95	-0.26
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.74	0.94	-0.21

Correlation

The correlation between DBMF and ARB is 0.07, 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

DBMF vs. ARB - Dividend Comparison

DBMF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.30%, more than ARB's 0.43% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
DBMF iM DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF	5.30%	5.91%	5.75%	2.91%	7.72%	10.38%	0.86%	9.35%
ARB AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF	0.43%	0.43%	1.12%	0.00%	4.18%	0.00%	2.87%	0.00%

Drawdowns

DBMF vs. ARB - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DBMF drawdown since its inception was -20.39%, which is greater than ARB's maximum drawdown of -5.60%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DBMF and ARB.

Drawdown Indicators

	DBMF	ARB	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-20.39%	-5.60%	-14.79%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-6.10%	-1.20%	-4.90%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-20.39%	-5.60%	-14.79%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.82%	0.00%	-3.82%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.70%	-0.96%	-5.74%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.40%	0.26%	+1.14%

Volatility

DBMF vs. ARB - Volatility Comparison

iM DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF (DBMF) has a higher volatility of 5.24% compared to AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF (ARB) at 0.96%. This indicates that DBMF's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ARB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DBMF	ARB	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.24%	0.96%	+4.28%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.10%	2.01%	+9.09%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.09%	2.79%	+9.30%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	12.66%	4.37%	+8.29%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	12.48%	4.41%	+8.07%