EMDM vs. XTL
EMDM (First Trust Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies ETF) and XTL (SPDR S&P Telecom ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - EMDM is a Emerging Markets Diversified fund tracking the Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies Index - Benchmark TR Net, while XTL is a Communications Equities fund tracking the S&P Telecom Select Industry Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, EMDM returned 30.34%/yr vs 46.01%/yr for XTL. A 0.54 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. EMDM charges 0.75%/yr vs 0.35%/yr for XTL.
Performance
EMDM vs. XTL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, EMDM achieves a 36.28% return, which is significantly lower than XTL's 51.28% return.
EMDM
- 1D
- 0.70%
- 1M
- 6.11%
- YTD
- 36.28%
- 6M
- 42.03%
- 1Y
- 83.08%
- 3Y*
- 30.34%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
XTL
- 1D
- 0.16%
- 1M
- 2.24%
- YTD
- 51.28%
- 6M
- 51.62%
- 1Y
- 120.42%
- 3Y*
- 46.01%
- 5Y*
- 18.76%
- 10Y*
- 16.27%
EMDM vs. XTL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
EMDM First Trust Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies ETF | 36.28% | 59.68% | -4.93% | 14.75% |
XTL SPDR S&P Telecom ETF | 51.28% | 44.95% | 34.89% | -0.18% |
Correlation
The correlation between EMDM and XTL is 0.55, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.55 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.54 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 3, 2023 | 0.54 |
The correlation between EMDM and XTL has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.54 to 0.55 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
EMDM vs. XTL — Risk / Return Rank
EMDM
XTL
EMDM vs. XTL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies ETF (EMDM) and SPDR S&P Telecom ETF (XTL). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| EMDM | XTL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.67 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.48 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.55 | 1.56 | -0.01 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 5.18 | 7.95 | -2.77 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 20.59 | 33.56 | -12.97 |
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Drawdowns
EMDM vs. XTL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum EMDM drawdown since its inception was -18.81%, smaller than the maximum XTL drawdown of -37.01%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EMDM and XTL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| EMDM | XTL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -18.81% | -37.01% | +18.20% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -15.65% | -14.70% | -0.95% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -18.81% | -22.79% | +3.98% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -37.01% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -37.01% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -3.27% | -6.72% | +3.45% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.08% | -9.76% | +5.68% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.93% | 3.48% | +0.45% |
Volatility
EMDM vs. XTL - Volatility Comparison
First Trust Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies ETF (EMDM) has a higher volatility of 12.16% compared to SPDR S&P Telecom ETF (XTL) at 11.43%. This indicates that EMDM's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XTL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| EMDM | XTL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 12.16% | 11.43% | +0.73% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 22.86% | 24.28% | -1.42% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 25.23% | 30.13% | -4.90% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 20.36% | 25.34% | -4.98% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 20.36% | 23.66% | -3.30% |
EMDM vs. XTL - Expense Ratio Comparison
EMDM has a 0.75% expense ratio, which is higher than XTL's 0.35% expense ratio.
Dividends
EMDM vs. XTL - Dividend Comparison
EMDM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.62%, more than XTL's 0.86% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EMDM First Trust Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies ETF | 2.62% | 3.57% | 5.87% | 2.16% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
XTL SPDR S&P Telecom ETF | 0.86% | 1.05% | 0.62% | 0.80% | 0.74% | 1.25% | 0.88% | 0.92% | 1.90% | 2.08% | 1.11% | 1.38% |
Frequently Asked Questions
EMDM and XTL have a correlation of 0.55, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
EMDM has higher volatility (12.16%) compared to XTL (11.43%). In terms of maximum drawdown, EMDM dropped -18.81% vs XTL's -37.01%.
On 3-year performance, XTL leads with 46.01% vs 30.34% for EMDM. On fees, XTL is cheaper at 0.35% per year. On volatility, XTL has been the lower-risk option at 11.43%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 3-year period, XTL has performed better with a 46.01% return vs 30.34%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
XTL is cheaper with a 0.35% expense ratio, compared with 0.75% for EMDM.
EMDM has the higher dividend yield at 2.62%, compared with 0.86% for XTL.
EMDM is categorized as Emerging Markets Diversified, while XTL is Communications Equities. EMDM tracks Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies Index - Benchmark TR Net, while XTL tracks S&P Telecom Select Industry Index. They also come from different issuers: First Trust and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.75% for EMDM and 0.35% for XTL.
XTL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.88 vs 3.21), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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