EWUS vs. FSZ

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares MSCI United Kingdom Small-Cap ETF (EWUS) and First Trust Switzerland AlphaDEX Fund (FSZ).

EWUS and FSZ are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. EWUS is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI United Kingdom Small Cap Index. It was launched on Jan 25, 2012. FSZ is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ AlphaDEX Switzerland Index. It was launched on Feb 14, 2012. Both EWUS and FSZ 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

EWUS vs. FSZ - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI United Kingdom Small-Cap ETF (EWUS) and First Trust Switzerland AlphaDEX Fund (FSZ). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

EWUS vs. FSZ - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
EWUS iShares MSCI United Kingdom Small-Cap ETF	-5.72%	25.13%	3.55%	15.41%	-31.19%	12.55%	-2.58%	35.16%	-20.16%	32.17%
FSZ First Trust Switzerland AlphaDEX Fund	-0.28%	30.10%	-1.85%	21.30%	-20.12%	20.18%	13.83%	25.88%	-15.22%	31.30%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, EWUS achieves a -5.72% return, which is significantly lower than FSZ's -0.28% return. Over the past 10 years, EWUS has underperformed FSZ with an annualized return of 3.52%, while FSZ has yielded a comparatively higher 9.39% annualized return.

EWUS

• 1D: 3.35%
• 1M: -11.10%
• YTD: -5.72%
• 6M: -2.16%
• 1Y: 17.68%
• 3Y*: 10.68%
• 5Y*: -0.08%
• 10Y*: 3.52%

FSZ

• 1D: 1.51%
• 1M: -7.05%
• YTD: -0.28%
• 6M: 4.35%
• 1Y: 20.25%
• 3Y*: 11.56%
• 5Y*: 7.17%
• 10Y*: 9.39%

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

EWUS vs. FSZ - Expense Ratio Comparison

EWUS has a 0.59% expense ratio, which is lower than FSZ's 0.80% expense ratio.

FSZ

First Trust Switzerland AlphaDEX Fund

EWUS

iShares MSCI United Kingdom Small-Cap ETF

Return for Risk

EWUS vs. FSZ — Risk / Return Rank

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

EWUS

EWUS Risk / Return Rank: 47
EWUS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 54
EWUS Sortino Ratio Rank: 52
EWUS Omega Ratio Rank: 49
EWUS Calmar Ratio Rank: 40
EWUS Martin Ratio Rank: 42

FSZ

FSZ Risk / Return Rank: 65
FSZ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 72
FSZ Sortino Ratio Rank: 71
FSZ Omega Ratio Rank: 68
FSZ Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
FSZ Martin Ratio Rank: 50

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.

EWUS vs. FSZ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI United Kingdom Small-Cap ETF (EWUS) and First Trust Switzerland AlphaDEX Fund (FSZ). 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.

	EWUS	FSZ	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.96	1.29	-0.33
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.37	1.78	-0.41
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.19	1.25	-0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.03	1.72	-0.69
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.99	4.84	-0.85
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

EWUS vs. FSZ - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current EWUS Sharpe Ratio is 0.96, which is comparable to the FSZ Sharpe Ratio of 1.29. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of EWUS and FSZ, 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

	EWUS	FSZ	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.96	1.29	-0.33
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.00	0.37	-0.38
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.16	0.50	-0.34
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.28	0.51	-0.23

Correlation

The correlation between EWUS and FSZ is 0.62, 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

EWUS vs. FSZ - Dividend Comparison

EWUS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.81%, more than FSZ's 2.44% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
EWUS iShares MSCI United Kingdom Small-Cap ETF	3.81%	3.59%	3.67%	2.88%	2.03%	3.54%	1.97%	2.59%	3.53%	2.61%	3.18%	2.85%
FSZ First Trust Switzerland AlphaDEX Fund	2.44%	1.80%	1.80%	2.11%	3.50%	1.62%	1.53%	2.01%	2.29%	1.49%	1.93%	1.08%

Drawdowns

EWUS vs. FSZ - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum EWUS drawdown since its inception was -49.33%, which is greater than FSZ's maximum drawdown of -33.97%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EWUS and FSZ.

Drawdown Indicators

	EWUS	FSZ	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-49.33%	-33.97%	-15.36%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.21%	-10.39%	-4.82%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-48.14%	-33.96%	-14.18%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-49.33%	-33.97%	-15.36%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-12.37%	-7.26%	-5.11%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-13.17%	-7.02%	-6.15%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.95%	3.70%	+0.25%

Volatility

EWUS vs. FSZ - Volatility Comparison

iShares MSCI United Kingdom Small-Cap ETF (EWUS) has a higher volatility of 7.54% compared to First Trust Switzerland AlphaDEX Fund (FSZ) at 5.05%. This indicates that EWUS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FSZ based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	EWUS	FSZ	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.54%	5.05%	+2.49%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.10%	9.14%	+2.96%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.62%	15.87%	+2.75%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.83%	19.33%	+1.50%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.44%	18.88%	+3.56%