DDIV vs. FDL

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Dorsey Wright Momentum & Dividend ETF (DDIV) and First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL).

DDIV and FDL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. DDIV is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Dorsey Wright Momentum Plus Dividend Yield Index. It was launched on Mar 10, 2014. 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 DDIV 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

DDIV vs. FDL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Dorsey Wright Momentum & Dividend ETF (DDIV) and First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

DDIV vs. FDL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
DDIV First Trust Dorsey Wright Momentum & Dividend ETF	-2.41%	12.23%	27.18%	9.95%	-12.44%	39.96%	-3.59%	32.40%	-16.50%	11.31%
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, DDIV achieves a -2.41% return, which is significantly lower than FDL's 15.49% return. Over the past 10 years, DDIV has underperformed FDL with an annualized return of 8.89%, while FDL has yielded a comparatively higher 11.60% annualized return.

DDIV

• 1D: 3.23%
• 1M: -5.19%
• YTD: -2.41%
• 6M: 1.54%
• 1Y: 9.00%
• 3Y*: 16.13%
• 5Y*: 9.44%
• 10Y*: 8.89%

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)

DDIV vs. FDL - Expense Ratio Comparison

DDIV has a 0.60% expense ratio, which is higher than FDL's 0.45% expense ratio.

DDIV

First Trust Dorsey Wright Momentum & Dividend ETF

FDL

First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund

Return for Risk

DDIV vs. FDL — Risk / Return Rank

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

DDIV

DDIV Risk / Return Rank: 28
DDIV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 27
DDIV Sortino Ratio Rank: 26
DDIV Omega Ratio Rank: 29
DDIV Calmar Ratio Rank: 29
DDIV Martin Ratio Rank: 30

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.

DDIV vs. FDL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Dorsey Wright Momentum & Dividend ETF (DDIV) 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.

	DDIV	FDL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.46	1.47	-1.01
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.74	2.06	-1.32
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.11	1.29	-0.18
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.66	1.96	-1.30
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	2.42	7.63	-5.22
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DDIV vs. FDL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DDIV Sharpe Ratio is 0.46, which is lower than the FDL Sharpe Ratio of 1.47. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DDIV 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

	DDIV	FDL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.46	1.47	-1.01
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.50	0.99	-0.49
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.45	0.68	-0.23
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.43	0.46	-0.03

Correlation

The correlation between DDIV and FDL is 0.71, 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

DDIV vs. FDL - Dividend Comparison

DDIV's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.77%, less than FDL's 3.61% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DDIV First Trust Dorsey Wright Momentum & Dividend ETF	1.77%	1.94%	2.22%	3.18%	3.60%	2.43%	2.63%	2.93%	3.27%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
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

DDIV vs. FDL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DDIV drawdown since its inception was -47.56%, smaller than the maximum FDL drawdown of -65.93%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DDIV and FDL.

Drawdown Indicators

	DDIV	FDL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-47.56%	-65.93%	+18.37%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.88%	-11.58%	-3.30%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.10%	-16.46%	-4.64%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-47.56%	-41.40%	-6.16%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.44%	-0.10%	-8.34%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.08%	-9.73%	+3.65%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.09%	3.10%	+0.99%

Volatility

DDIV vs. FDL - Volatility Comparison

First Trust Dorsey Wright Momentum & Dividend ETF (DDIV) has a higher volatility of 6.19% compared to First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL) at 2.56%. This indicates that DDIV'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

	DDIV	FDL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.19%	2.56%	+3.63%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.99%	8.16%	+3.83%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.58%	14.96%	+4.62%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	18.80%	14.31%	+4.49%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	19.89%	17.09%	+2.80%