DON vs. GDE

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about WisdomTree US MidCap Dividend ETF (DON) and WisdomTree Efficient Gold Plus Equity Strategy Fund (GDE).

DON and GDE are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. DON is a passively managed fund by WisdomTree that tracks the performance of the WisdomTree MidCap Dividend Index. It was launched on Jun 16, 2006. GDE is an actively managed fund by WisdomTree. It was launched on Mar 15, 2022.

Performance

DON vs. GDE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in WisdomTree US MidCap Dividend ETF (DON) and WisdomTree Efficient Gold Plus Equity Strategy Fund (GDE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

DON vs. GDE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
DON WisdomTree US MidCap Dividend ETF	2.25%	3.86%	14.20%	14.04%	-4.23%
GDE WisdomTree Efficient Gold Plus Equity Strategy Fund	2.08%	73.76%	44.79%	33.85%	-18.67%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DON achieves a 2.25% return, which is significantly higher than GDE's 2.08% return.

DON

• 1D: 1.78%
• 1M: -5.15%
• YTD: 2.25%
• 6M: 1.70%
• 1Y: 8.75%
• 3Y*: 11.36%
• 5Y*: 7.79%
• 10Y*: 8.98%

GDE

• 1D: 5.90%
• 1M: -13.55%
• YTD: 2.08%
• 6M: 14.59%
• 1Y: 60.26%
• 3Y*: 44.20%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

DON vs. GDE - Expense Ratio Comparison

DON has a 0.38% expense ratio, which is higher than GDE's 0.20% expense ratio.

DON

WisdomTree US MidCap Dividend ETF

GDE

WisdomTree Efficient Gold Plus Equity Strategy Fund

Return for Risk

DON vs. GDE — Risk / Return Rank

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

DON

DON Risk / Return Rank: 29
DON Sharpe Ratio Rank: 28
DON Sortino Ratio Rank: 29
DON Omega Ratio Rank: 28
DON Calmar Ratio Rank: 30
DON Martin Ratio Rank: 31

GDE

GDE Risk / Return Rank: 89
GDE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
GDE Sortino Ratio Rank: 89
GDE Omega Ratio Rank: 89
GDE Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
GDE Martin Ratio Rank: 90

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.

DON vs. GDE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for WisdomTree US MidCap Dividend ETF (DON) and WisdomTree Efficient Gold Plus Equity Strategy Fund (GDE). 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.

	DON	GDE	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.48	1.88	-1.40
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.81	2.40	-1.59
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.11	1.36	-0.25
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.69	2.79	-2.09
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	2.61	10.98	-8.38
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DON vs. GDE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DON Sharpe Ratio is 0.48, which is lower than the GDE Sharpe Ratio of 1.88. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DON and GDE, 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

	DON	GDE	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.48	1.88	-1.40
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.44	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.44	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.41	1.11	-0.70

Correlation

The correlation between DON and GDE is 0.50, 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

DON vs. GDE - Dividend Comparison

DON's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.41%, less than GDE's 4.23% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DON WisdomTree US MidCap Dividend ETF	2.41%	2.53%	2.27%	2.41%	2.71%	2.12%	2.77%	2.38%	2.55%	2.25%	2.48%	2.89%
GDE WisdomTree Efficient Gold Plus Equity Strategy Fund	4.23%	4.32%	7.14%	2.22%	0.81%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

DON vs. GDE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DON drawdown since its inception was -61.94%, which is greater than GDE's maximum drawdown of -32.01%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DON and GDE.

Drawdown Indicators

	DON	GDE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-61.94%	-32.01%	-29.93%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.82%	-22.66%	+8.84%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.46%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-46.80%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.50%	-17.41%	+10.91%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.95%	-7.74%	-0.21%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.66%	5.75%	-2.09%

Volatility

DON vs. GDE - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for WisdomTree US MidCap Dividend ETF (DON) is 4.16%, while WisdomTree Efficient Gold Plus Equity Strategy Fund (GDE) has a volatility of 12.84%. This indicates that DON experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than GDE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DON	GDE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.16%	12.84%	-8.68%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.55%	25.23%	-15.68%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.43%	32.26%	-13.83%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.86%	26.19%	-8.33%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.26%	26.19%	-5.93%