FAAR vs. ETH-USD

Last updated Apr 3, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR) and Ethereum (ETH-USD).

FAAR is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on May 18, 2016.

Performance

FAAR vs. ETH-USD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR) and Ethereum (ETH-USD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FAAR vs. ETH-USD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FAAR First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF	25.98%	8.07%	5.97%	-5.63%	10.15%	12.34%	8.60%	-1.28%	-9.17%	5.00%
ETH-USD Ethereum	-30.81%	-10.91%	46.00%	90.84%	-67.48%	398.30%	473.88%	-1.52%	-82.39%	8,984.19%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FAAR achieves a 25.98% return, which is significantly higher than ETH-USD's -30.81% return.

FAAR

• 1D: 1.19%
• 1M: 7.97%
• YTD: 25.98%
• 6M: 25.53%
• 1Y: 30.67%
• 3Y*: 10.59%
• 5Y*: 9.59%
• 10Y*: —

ETH-USD

• 1D: -4.09%
• 1M: 3.52%
• YTD: -30.81%
• 6M: -54.26%
• 1Y: 14.38%
• 3Y*: 4.27%
• 5Y*: 0.43%
• 10Y*: 68.46%

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

Return for Risk

FAAR vs. ETH-USD — Risk / Return Rank

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

FAAR

FAAR Risk / Return Rank: 83
FAAR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
FAAR Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
FAAR Omega Ratio Rank: 84
FAAR Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
FAAR Martin Ratio Rank: 68

ETH-USD

ETH-USD Risk / Return Rank: 74
ETH-USD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 86
ETH-USD Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
ETH-USD Omega Ratio Rank: 84
ETH-USD Calmar Ratio Rank: 68
ETH-USD Martin Ratio Rank: 49

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.

FAAR vs. ETH-USD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR) and Ethereum (ETH-USD). 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.

	FAAR	ETH-USD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.01	0.19	+1.82
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.70	0.85	+1.85
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.35	1.09	+0.26
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.78	-0.92	+3.70
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.15	-1.58	+9.73
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FAAR vs. ETH-USD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FAAR Sharpe Ratio is 2.01, which is higher than the ETH-USD Sharpe Ratio of 0.19. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FAAR and ETH-USD, 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

	FAAR	ETH-USD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.01	0.19	+1.82
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.74	0.01	+0.73
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.72	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.46	0.79	-0.34

Correlation

The correlation between FAAR and ETH-USD is 0.03, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Drawdowns

FAAR vs. ETH-USD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FAAR drawdown since its inception was -18.03%, smaller than the maximum ETH-USD drawdown of -94.01%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FAAR and ETH-USD.

Drawdown Indicators

	FAAR	ETH-USD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-18.03%	-94.01%	+75.98%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.92%	-62.26%	+54.34%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.03%	-79.35%	+61.32%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-94.01%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	-57.51%	+57.51%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.96%	-50.82%	+42.86%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.93%	36.50%	-32.57%

Volatility

FAAR vs. ETH-USD - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR) is 5.60%, while Ethereum (ETH-USD) has a volatility of 18.12%. This indicates that FAAR experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ETH-USD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FAAR	ETH-USD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.60%	18.12%	-12.52%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.65%	51.50%	-40.85%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	15.33%	62.47%	-47.14%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	13.01%	63.54%	-50.53%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	11.54%	78.86%	-67.32%