DDX vs. HISF

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Defined Duration 10 ETF (DDX) and First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF).

DDX and HISF are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. DDX is an actively managed fund by Discipline Funds. It was launched on Sep 21, 2021. HISF is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Aug 13, 2014.

Performance

DDX vs. HISF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Defined Duration 10 ETF (DDX) and First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

DDX vs. HISF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
DDX Defined Duration 10 ETF	0.74%	12.02%	3.47%
HISF First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF	-0.74%	8.39%	3.30%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DDX achieves a 0.74% return, which is significantly higher than HISF's -0.74% return.

DDX

• 1D: 1.02%
• 1M: -3.21%
• YTD: 0.74%
• 6M: 2.79%
• 1Y: 9.41%
• 3Y*: 6.77%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

HISF

• 1D: 0.60%
• 1M: -1.96%
• YTD: -0.74%
• 6M: 0.66%
• 1Y: 5.20%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

DDX vs. HISF - Expense Ratio Comparison

DDX has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is lower than HISF's 0.87% expense ratio.

HISF

First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF

DDX

Defined Duration 10 ETF

Return for Risk

DDX vs. HISF — Risk / Return Rank

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

DDX

DDX Risk / Return Rank: 79
DDX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 80
DDX Sortino Ratio Rank: 82
DDX Omega Ratio Rank: 77
DDX Calmar Ratio Rank: 79
DDX Martin Ratio Rank: 78

HISF

HISF Risk / Return Rank: 74
HISF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 77
HISF Sortino Ratio Rank: 77
HISF Omega Ratio Rank: 72
HISF Calmar Ratio Rank: 71
HISF Martin Ratio Rank: 72

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.

DDX vs. HISF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Defined Duration 10 ETF (DDX) and First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF). 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.

	DDX	HISF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.54	1.42	+0.12
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.17	1.98	+0.19
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	1.27	+0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.21	1.83	+0.39
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.58	7.59	+0.98
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DDX vs. HISF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DDX Sharpe Ratio is 1.54, which is comparable to the HISF Sharpe Ratio of 1.42. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DDX and HISF, 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

	DDX	HISF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.54	1.42	+0.12
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.26	1.32	-1.06

Correlation

The correlation between DDX and HISF is 0.79, 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

DDX vs. HISF - Dividend Comparison

DDX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.53%, less than HISF's 4.92% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
DDX Defined Duration 10 ETF	3.53%	3.17%	3.11%	2.41%	1.38%	1.14%
HISF First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF	4.92%	4.69%	3.92%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

DDX vs. HISF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DDX drawdown since its inception was -21.27%, which is greater than HISF's maximum drawdown of -3.86%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DDX and HISF.

Drawdown Indicators

	DDX	HISF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-21.27%	-3.86%	-17.41%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-4.41%	-2.90%	-1.51%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.21%	-1.96%	-1.25%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.36%	-0.86%	-6.50%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.14%	0.70%	+0.44%

Volatility

DDX vs. HISF - Volatility Comparison

Defined Duration 10 ETF (DDX) has a higher volatility of 2.75% compared to First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF) at 1.76%. This indicates that DDX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than HISF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DDX	HISF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.75%	1.76%	+0.99%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	3.84%	2.26%	+1.58%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	6.13%	3.67%	+2.46%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	7.50%	3.96%	+3.54%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	7.50%	3.96%	+3.54%