DVYE vs. FEM

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (DVYE) and First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM).

DVYE and FEM are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. DVYE is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones Emerging Markets Select Dividend Index. It was launched on Feb 23, 2012. FEM is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ AlphaDEX EM Index. It was launched on Apr 18, 2011. Both DVYE and FEM 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

DVYE vs. FEM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (DVYE) and First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

DVYE vs. FEM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
DVYE iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF	10.54%	28.36%	8.89%	20.88%	-31.38%	11.02%	-2.51%	15.41%	-5.56%	27.04%
FEM First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund	10.91%	28.36%	3.01%	10.84%	-14.24%	7.40%	-1.68%	20.55%	-15.51%	41.05%

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with DVYE having a 10.54% return and FEM slightly higher at 10.91%. Over the past 10 years, DVYE has underperformed FEM with an annualized return of 7.75%, while FEM has yielded a comparatively higher 8.59% annualized return.

DVYE

• 1D: -0.12%
• 1M: -1.30%
• YTD: 10.54%
• 6M: 17.72%
• 1Y: 32.92%
• 3Y*: 22.29%
• 5Y*: 6.19%
• 10Y*: 7.75%

FEM

• 1D: 1.16%
• 1M: -3.14%
• YTD: 10.91%
• 6M: 12.82%
• 1Y: 36.30%
• 3Y*: 17.19%
• 5Y*: 7.16%
• 10Y*: 8.59%

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

DVYE vs. FEM - Expense Ratio Comparison

DVYE has a 0.49% expense ratio, which is lower than FEM's 0.80% expense ratio.

FEM

First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund

DVYE

iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF

Return for Risk

DVYE vs. FEM — Risk / Return Rank

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

DVYE

DVYE Risk / Return Rank: 89
DVYE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
DVYE Sortino Ratio Rank: 89
DVYE Omega Ratio Rank: 89
DVYE Calmar Ratio Rank: 85
DVYE Martin Ratio Rank: 92

FEM

FEM Risk / Return Rank: 88
FEM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
FEM Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
FEM Omega Ratio Rank: 87
FEM Calmar Ratio Rank: 86
FEM Martin Ratio Rank: 91

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.

DVYE vs. FEM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (DVYE) and First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM). 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.

	DVYE	FEM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.92	1.89	+0.03
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.56	2.39	+0.17
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.38	1.37	+0.01
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.64	2.80	-0.16
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	13.28	13.17	+0.11
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DVYE vs. FEM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DVYE Sharpe Ratio is 1.92, which is comparable to the FEM Sharpe Ratio of 1.89. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DVYE and FEM, 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

	DVYE	FEM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.92	1.89	+0.03
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.37	0.40	-0.03
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.42	0.41	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.16	0.17	0.00

Correlation

The correlation between DVYE and FEM is 0.85, 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

DVYE vs. FEM - Dividend Comparison

DVYE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.12%, more than FEM's 2.80% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DVYE iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF	5.12%	5.88%	11.81%	9.05%	9.89%	7.31%	5.27%	5.97%	5.69%	4.81%	4.56%	6.53%
FEM First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund	2.80%	3.13%	3.66%	4.96%	6.15%	4.15%	2.68%	3.31%	3.52%	2.45%	2.25%	3.61%

Drawdowns

DVYE vs. FEM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DVYE drawdown since its inception was -47.42%, roughly equal to the maximum FEM drawdown of -46.23%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DVYE and FEM.

Drawdown Indicators

	DVYE	FEM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-47.42%	-46.23%	-1.19%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.65%	-12.93%	+0.28%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-40.89%	-31.72%	-9.17%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-40.89%	-46.23%	+5.34%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.11%	-4.31%	+1.20%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-15.54%	-15.20%	-0.34%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.52%	2.81%	-0.29%

Volatility

DVYE vs. FEM - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (DVYE) is 6.20%, while First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM) has a volatility of 7.29%. This indicates that DVYE experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FEM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DVYE	FEM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.20%	7.29%	-1.09%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.75%	13.67%	-2.92%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.19%	19.27%	-2.08%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.85%	18.20%	-1.35%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.47%	20.95%	-2.48%