EWU vs. FDD

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU) and First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend Index Fund (FDD).

EWU and FDD are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. EWU is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI United Kingdom Index. It was launched on Mar 12, 1996. FDD is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the STOXX Europe Select Dividend 30. It was launched on Aug 27, 2007. Both EWU and FDD 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

EWU vs. FDD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU) and First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend Index Fund (FDD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

EWU vs. FDD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
EWU iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF	3.59%	34.95%	6.74%	12.40%	-4.39%	18.19%	-11.80%	21.29%	-14.30%	21.54%
FDD First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend Index Fund	2.13%	62.50%	0.28%	14.16%	-16.14%	16.03%	-3.80%	23.79%	-8.98%	19.07%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, EWU achieves a 3.59% return, which is significantly higher than FDD's 2.13% return. Over the past 10 years, EWU has underperformed FDD with an annualized return of 8.05%, while FDD has yielded a comparatively higher 9.42% annualized return.

EWU

• 1D: 2.52%
• 1M: -6.41%
• YTD: 3.59%
• 6M: 10.65%
• 1Y: 26.48%
• 3Y*: 16.82%
• 5Y*: 11.88%
• 10Y*: 8.05%

FDD

• 1D: 3.55%
• 1M: -4.63%
• YTD: 2.13%
• 6M: 11.69%
• 1Y: 36.97%
• 3Y*: 22.64%
• 5Y*: 10.69%
• 10Y*: 9.42%

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

EWU vs. FDD - Expense Ratio Comparison

EWU has a 0.50% expense ratio, which is lower than FDD's 0.58% expense ratio.

FDD

First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend Index Fund

EWU

iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF

Return for Risk

EWU vs. FDD — Risk / Return Rank

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

EWU

EWU Risk / Return Rank: 83
EWU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 83
EWU Sortino Ratio Rank: 82
EWU Omega Ratio Rank: 83
EWU Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
EWU Martin Ratio Rank: 86

FDD

FDD Risk / Return Rank: 92
FDD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 91
FDD Sortino Ratio Rank: 92
FDD Omega Ratio Rank: 92
FDD Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
FDD Martin Ratio Rank: 92

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.

EWU vs. FDD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU) and First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend Index Fund (FDD). 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.

	EWU	FDD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.59	2.00	-0.40
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.11	2.65	-0.54
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.32	1.40	-0.08
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.22	3.15	-0.94
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.82	12.09	-2.27
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

EWU vs. FDD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current EWU Sharpe Ratio is 1.59, which is comparable to the FDD Sharpe Ratio of 2.00. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of EWU and FDD, 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

	EWU	FDD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.59	2.00	-0.40
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.74	0.59	+0.15
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.43	0.47	-0.04
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.26	0.08	+0.18

Correlation

The correlation between EWU and FDD is 0.76, 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

EWU vs. FDD - Dividend Comparison

EWU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.60%, less than FDD's 3.87% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
EWU iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF	3.60%	3.73%	4.16%	4.14%	3.43%	4.35%	2.48%	4.13%	4.98%	3.91%	3.97%	4.11%
FDD First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend Index Fund	3.87%	3.99%	7.65%	6.85%	6.07%	3.44%	4.01%	4.69%	5.05%	2.78%	4.88%	4.35%

Drawdowns

EWU vs. FDD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum EWU drawdown since its inception was -63.99%, smaller than the maximum FDD drawdown of -74.77%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EWU and FDD.

Drawdown Indicators

	EWU	FDD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-63.99%	-74.77%	+10.78%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.75%	-11.44%	-0.31%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.91%	-35.11%	+10.20%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-43.33%	-41.43%	-1.90%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.41%	-5.69%	-0.72%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-14.23%	-35.79%	+21.56%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.66%	2.98%	-0.32%

Volatility

EWU vs. FDD - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU) is 7.05%, while First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend Index Fund (FDD) has a volatility of 7.53%. This indicates that EWU experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FDD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	EWU	FDD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.05%	7.53%	-0.48%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.72%	11.41%	-0.69%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.70%	18.63%	-1.93%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.25%	18.26%	-2.01%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.81%	20.10%	-1.29%