DWM vs. FDT

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about WisdomTree International Equity Fund (DWM) and First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT).

DWM and FDT are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. DWM is a passively managed fund by WisdomTree that tracks the performance of the WisdomTree International Equity Index. It was launched on Jun 16, 2006. FDT is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ AlphaDEX DM Ex-US Index. It was launched on Apr 18, 2011. Both DWM and FDT 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

DWM vs. FDT - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in WisdomTree International Equity Fund (DWM) and First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

DWM vs. FDT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
DWM WisdomTree International Equity Fund	1.89%	34.83%	4.15%	16.63%	-9.04%	10.76%	-2.33%	18.98%	-13.53%	24.08%
FDT First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund	9.83%	52.21%	6.97%	15.03%	-19.51%	11.43%	4.29%	16.82%	-19.98%	34.42%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DWM achieves a 1.89% return, which is significantly lower than FDT's 9.83% return. Over the past 10 years, DWM has underperformed FDT with an annualized return of 8.25%, while FDT has yielded a comparatively higher 9.73% annualized return.

DWM

• 1D: 2.87%
• 1M: -7.57%
• YTD: 1.89%
• 6M: 6.51%
• 1Y: 23.99%
• 3Y*: 16.07%
• 5Y*: 9.79%
• 10Y*: 8.25%

FDT

• 1D: 3.59%
• 1M: -10.30%
• YTD: 9.83%
• 6M: 17.39%
• 1Y: 54.93%
• 3Y*: 24.48%
• 5Y*: 11.26%
• 10Y*: 9.73%

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

DWM vs. FDT - Expense Ratio Comparison

DWM has a 0.48% expense ratio, which is lower than FDT's 0.80% expense ratio.

FDT

First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund

DWM

WisdomTree International Equity Fund

Return for Risk

DWM vs. FDT — Risk / Return Rank

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

DWM

DWM Risk / Return Rank: 80
DWM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 79
DWM Sortino Ratio Rank: 81
DWM Omega Ratio Rank: 80
DWM Calmar Ratio Rank: 80
DWM Martin Ratio Rank: 78

FDT

FDT Risk / Return Rank: 96
FDT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 97
FDT Sortino Ratio Rank: 97
FDT Omega Ratio Rank: 97
FDT Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
FDT Martin Ratio Rank: 96

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.

DWM vs. FDT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for WisdomTree International Equity Fund (DWM) and First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT). 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.

	DWM	FDT	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.46	2.86	-1.39
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.06	3.48	-1.42
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	1.55	-0.24
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.15	4.01	-1.86
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.33	16.70	-8.37
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DWM vs. FDT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DWM Sharpe Ratio is 1.46, which is lower than the FDT Sharpe Ratio of 2.86. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DWM and FDT, 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

	DWM	FDT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.46	2.86	-1.39
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.65	0.63	+0.02
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.50	0.53	-0.03
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.26	0.35	-0.10

Correlation

The correlation between DWM and FDT is 0.89, 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

DWM vs. FDT - Dividend Comparison

DWM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.91%, less than FDT's 3.24% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DWM WisdomTree International Equity Fund	2.91%	3.06%	3.86%	4.15%	4.36%	3.64%	2.74%	3.46%	3.86%	2.99%	3.43%	3.55%
FDT First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund	3.24%	3.27%	3.89%	4.36%	2.29%	3.80%	2.42%	2.78%	2.13%	1.57%	1.76%	1.83%

Drawdowns

DWM vs. FDT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DWM drawdown since its inception was -62.10%, which is greater than FDT's maximum drawdown of -46.10%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DWM and FDT.

Drawdown Indicators

	DWM	FDT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-62.10%	-46.10%	-16.00%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.93%	-13.41%	+2.48%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.64%	-33.18%	+7.54%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-37.82%	-46.10%	+8.28%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.80%	-10.30%	+2.50%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-13.59%	-10.86%	-2.73%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.82%	3.22%	-0.40%

Volatility

DWM vs. FDT - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for WisdomTree International Equity Fund (DWM) is 7.14%, while First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT) has a volatility of 9.73%. This indicates that DWM experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FDT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DWM	FDT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.14%	9.73%	-2.59%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.31%	13.97%	-3.66%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.48%	19.35%	-2.87%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.08%	17.86%	-2.78%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.52%	18.32%	-1.80%