DGRO vs. FPX

Last updated Apr 3, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) and First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF (FPX).

DGRO and FPX are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. DGRO is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index. It was launched on Jun 10, 2014. FPX is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the IPOX-100 U.S. Index. It was launched on Apr 12, 2006. Both DGRO and FPX 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

DGRO vs. FPX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) and First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF (FPX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

DGRO vs. FPX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
DGRO iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	1.76%	15.69%	16.62%	10.47%	-7.91%	26.64%	9.50%	29.87%	-2.38%	23.00%
FPX First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF	-0.28%	37.62%	24.75%	22.26%	-35.11%	3.69%	47.89%	30.37%	-8.35%	27.03%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DGRO achieves a 1.76% return, which is significantly higher than FPX's -0.28% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with DGRO having a 12.88% annualized return and FPX not far ahead at 13.15%.

DGRO

• 1D: 0.16%
• 1M: -3.33%
• YTD: 1.76%
• 6M: 4.21%
• 1Y: 15.91%
• 3Y*: 14.42%
• 5Y*: 10.17%
• 10Y*: 12.88%

FPX

• 1D: 1.05%
• 1M: -0.73%
• YTD: -0.28%
• 6M: -2.40%
• 1Y: 41.86%
• 3Y*: 25.16%
• 5Y*: 6.54%
• 10Y*: 13.15%

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

DGRO vs. FPX - Expense Ratio Comparison

DGRO has a 0.08% expense ratio, which is lower than FPX's 0.57% expense ratio.

FPX

First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF

DGRO

iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF

Return for Risk

DGRO vs. FPX — Risk / Return Rank

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

DGRO

DGRO Risk / Return Rank: 58
DGRO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 58
DGRO Sortino Ratio Rank: 59
DGRO Omega Ratio Rank: 61
DGRO Calmar Ratio Rank: 50
DGRO Martin Ratio Rank: 60

FPX

FPX Risk / Return Rank: 78
FPX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 75
FPX Sortino Ratio Rank: 74
FPX Omega Ratio Rank: 69
FPX Calmar Ratio Rank: 88
FPX Martin Ratio Rank: 83

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.

DGRO vs. FPX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) and First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF (FPX). 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.

	DGRO	FPX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.11	1.44	-0.33
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.61	2.00	-0.38
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.24	1.27	-0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.52	3.17	-1.65
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.97	10.67	-3.71
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DGRO vs. FPX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DGRO Sharpe Ratio is 1.11, which is comparable to the FPX Sharpe Ratio of 1.44. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DGRO and FPX, 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

	DGRO	FPX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.11	1.44	-0.33
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.74	0.25	+0.49
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.78	0.55	+0.23
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.73	0.53	+0.20

Correlation

The correlation between DGRO and FPX is 0.69, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

DGRO vs. FPX - Dividend Comparison

DGRO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.09%, more than FPX's 0.58% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DGRO iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	2.09%	2.09%	2.26%	2.45%	2.34%	1.93%	2.30%	2.21%	2.44%	2.03%	2.27%	2.52%
FPX First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF	0.58%	0.53%	0.09%	0.27%	1.08%	0.14%	0.28%	0.67%	0.88%	0.68%	0.77%	0.62%

Drawdowns

DGRO vs. FPX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DGRO drawdown since its inception was -35.10%, smaller than the maximum FPX drawdown of -56.29%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DGRO and FPX.

Drawdown Indicators

	DGRO	FPX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-35.10%	-56.29%	+21.19%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.50%	-12.28%	+4.78%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-19.31%	-43.14%	+23.83%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.10%	-43.14%	+8.04%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.55%	-5.77%	+1.22%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.48%	-11.42%	+7.94%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.39%	4.21%	-1.82%

Volatility

DGRO vs. FPX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) is 3.57%, while First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF (FPX) has a volatility of 9.02%. This indicates that DGRO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FPX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DGRO	FPX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.57%	9.02%	-5.45%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.20%	18.71%	-11.51%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	14.47%	29.36%	-14.89%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	13.83%	26.53%	-12.70%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.62%	24.17%	-7.55%