EWX vs. FEM

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF (EWX) and First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM).

EWX and FEM are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. EWX is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P Emerging Markets Under USD2 Billion Index. It was launched on May 12, 2008. FEM is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ AlphaDEX EM Index. It was launched on Apr 18, 2011. Both EWX and FEM 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

EWX vs. FEM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF (EWX) and First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

EWX vs. FEM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
EWX SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF	1.07%	15.46%	6.81%	18.13%	-15.00%	18.15%	14.84%	15.59%	-18.75%	34.12%
FEM First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund	10.91%	28.36%	3.01%	10.84%	-14.24%	7.40%	-1.68%	20.55%	-15.51%	41.05%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, EWX achieves a 1.07% return, which is significantly lower than FEM's 10.91% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with EWX having a 8.33% annualized return and FEM not far ahead at 8.59%.

EWX

• 1D: 0.36%
• 1M: -3.63%
• YTD: 1.07%
• 6M: 0.32%
• 1Y: 20.02%
• 3Y*: 12.47%
• 5Y*: 6.50%
• 10Y*: 8.33%

FEM

• 1D: 1.16%
• 1M: -3.14%
• YTD: 10.91%
• 6M: 12.82%
• 1Y: 36.30%
• 3Y*: 17.19%
• 5Y*: 7.16%
• 10Y*: 8.59%

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

EWX vs. FEM - Expense Ratio Comparison

EWX has a 0.65% expense ratio, which is lower than FEM's 0.80% expense ratio.

FEM

First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund

EWX

SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF

Return for Risk

EWX vs. FEM — Risk / Return Rank

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

EWX

EWX Risk / Return Rank: 65
EWX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 67
EWX Sortino Ratio Rank: 64
EWX Omega Ratio Rank: 65
EWX Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
EWX Martin Ratio Rank: 67

FEM

FEM Risk / Return Rank: 88
FEM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
FEM Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
FEM Omega Ratio Rank: 87
FEM Calmar Ratio Rank: 86
FEM Martin Ratio Rank: 91

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.

EWX vs. FEM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF (EWX) and First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM). 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.

	EWX	FEM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.22	1.89	-0.67
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.68	2.39	-0.71
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.25	1.37	-0.12
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.61	2.80	-1.19
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.23	13.17	-5.94
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

EWX vs. FEM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current EWX Sharpe Ratio is 1.22, which is lower than the FEM Sharpe Ratio of 1.89. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of EWX and FEM, 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

	EWX	FEM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.22	1.89	-0.67
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.43	0.40	+0.04
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.49	0.41	+0.08
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.19	0.17	+0.02

Correlation

The correlation between EWX and FEM is 0.86, 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

EWX vs. FEM - Dividend Comparison

EWX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.88%, more than FEM's 2.80% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
EWX SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF	2.88%	2.91%	2.90%	2.32%	3.00%	2.77%	2.24%	2.73%	3.26%	2.30%	2.46%	3.04%
FEM First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund	2.80%	3.13%	3.66%	4.96%	6.15%	4.15%	2.68%	3.31%	3.52%	2.45%	2.25%	3.61%

Drawdowns

EWX vs. FEM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum EWX drawdown since its inception was -63.90%, which is greater than FEM's maximum drawdown of -46.23%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EWX and FEM.

Drawdown Indicators

	EWX	FEM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-63.90%	-46.23%	-17.67%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.90%	-12.93%	+0.03%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.67%	-31.72%	+7.05%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-43.00%	-46.23%	+3.23%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.62%	-4.31%	-1.31%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-13.28%	-15.20%	+1.92%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.88%	2.81%	+0.07%

Volatility

EWX vs. FEM - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETF (EWX) is 6.64%, while First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM) has a volatility of 7.29%. This indicates that EWX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FEM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	EWX	FEM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.64%	7.29%	-0.65%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.51%	13.67%	-3.16%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.45%	19.27%	-2.82%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.12%	18.20%	-3.08%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.08%	20.95%	-3.87%