ECF vs. CEFS

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd. (ECF) and Saba Closed-End Funds ETF (CEFS).

CEFS is an actively managed fund by Exchange Traded Concepts. It was launched on Mar 21, 2017.

Performance

ECF vs. CEFS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd. (ECF) and Saba Closed-End Funds ETF (CEFS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ECF vs. CEFS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ECF Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd.	-2.53%	30.03%	27.48%	8.01%	-31.63%	-0.79%	31.72%	47.17%	-3.70%	6.15%
CEFS Saba Closed-End Funds ETF	-0.33%	16.67%	23.48%	20.99%	-7.08%	17.86%	3.40%	28.41%	-9.97%	7.63%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ECF achieves a -2.53% return, which is significantly lower than CEFS's -0.33% return.

ECF

• 1D: 3.43%
• 1M: -3.36%
• YTD: -2.53%
• 6M: 1.33%
• 1Y: 33.40%
• 3Y*: 19.10%
• 5Y*: 3.62%
• 10Y*: 11.60%

CEFS

• 1D: 2.04%
• 1M: -2.99%
• YTD: -0.33%
• 6M: 3.31%
• 1Y: 14.56%
• 3Y*: 17.06%
• 5Y*: 11.58%
• 10Y*: —

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

Return for Risk

ECF vs. CEFS — Risk / Return Rank

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

ECF

ECF Risk / Return Rank: 84
ECF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
ECF Sortino Ratio Rank: 82
ECF Omega Ratio Rank: 82
ECF Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
ECF Martin Ratio Rank: 86

CEFS

CEFS Risk / Return Rank: 66
CEFS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 66
CEFS Sortino Ratio Rank: 63
CEFS Omega Ratio Rank: 70
CEFS Calmar Ratio Rank: 61
CEFS 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.

ECF vs. CEFS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd. (ECF) and Saba Closed-End Funds ETF (CEFS). 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.

	ECF	CEFS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.74	1.11	+0.63
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.21	1.54	+0.68
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	1.25	+0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.52	1.43	+1.08
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.46	6.94	+1.51
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ECF vs. CEFS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ECF Sharpe Ratio is 1.74, which is higher than the CEFS Sharpe Ratio of 1.11. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ECF and CEFS, 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

	ECF	CEFS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.74	1.11	+0.63
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.21	0.90	-0.69
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.54	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.34	0.70	-0.36

Correlation

The correlation between ECF and CEFS is 0.45, 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

ECF vs. CEFS - Dividend Comparison

ECF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 8.25%, more than CEFS's 8.01% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ECF Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd.	8.25%	7.39%	5.47%	6.44%	6.52%	12.14%	9.59%	6.63%	5.82%	4.68%	5.32%	10.22%
CEFS Saba Closed-End Funds ETF	8.01%	7.84%	8.79%	9.20%	11.32%	10.73%	8.61%	8.10%	10.43%	5.02%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

ECF vs. CEFS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ECF drawdown since its inception was -49.86%, which is greater than CEFS's maximum drawdown of -38.99%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ECF and CEFS.

Drawdown Indicators

	ECF	CEFS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-49.86%	-38.99%	-10.87%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.16%	-9.80%	-3.36%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-42.58%	-16.85%	-25.73%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-47.28%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.18%	-3.75%	-6.43%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.19%	-3.73%	-6.46%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.91%	2.02%	+1.89%

Volatility

ECF vs. CEFS - Volatility Comparison

Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd. (ECF) has a higher volatility of 8.38% compared to Saba Closed-End Funds ETF (CEFS) at 4.75%. This indicates that ECF's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CEFS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ECF	CEFS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.38%	4.75%	+3.63%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.89%	7.46%	+7.43%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.26%	13.15%	+6.11%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.59%	12.99%	+4.60%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.63%	15.38%	+6.25%