FAD vs. PEXL
Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Multi Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (FAD) and Pacer US Export Leaders ETF (PEXL).
FAD and PEXL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FAD is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ AlphaDEX Multi Cap Growth Index. It was launched on May 8, 2007. PEXL is a passively managed fund by Pacer Advisors that tracks the performance of the Pacer US Export Leaders ETF Index. It was launched on Jul 23, 2018. Both FAD and PEXL are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.
Scroll down to visually compare performance, riskiness, drawdowns, and other indicators and decide which better suits your portfolio: FAD or PEXL.
Correlation
The correlation between FAD and PEXL is 0.75, 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.

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FAD vs. PEXL - Performance Comparison
Key characteristics
FAD:
0.12
PEXL:
-0.65
FAD:
0.29
PEXL:
-0.75
FAD:
1.04
PEXL:
0.90
FAD:
0.14
PEXL:
-0.72
FAD:
0.46
PEXL:
-2.61
FAD:
5.16%
PEXL:
4.72%
FAD:
19.24%
PEXL:
19.13%
FAD:
-54.33%
PEXL:
-33.67%
FAD:
-17.18%
PEXL:
-17.23%
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FAD achieves a -10.12% return, which is significantly higher than PEXL's -11.30% return.
FAD
-10.12%
-7.12%
-5.54%
1.93%
17.64%
9.72%
PEXL
-11.30%
-8.85%
-13.92%
-12.63%
18.33%
N/A
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FAD vs. PEXL - Expense Ratio Comparison
FAD has a 0.63% expense ratio, which is higher than PEXL's 0.60% expense ratio.
Risk-Adjusted Performance
FAD vs. PEXL — Risk-Adjusted Performance Rank
FAD
PEXL
FAD vs. PEXL - Risk-Adjusted Performance Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Multi Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (FAD) and Pacer US Export Leaders ETF (PEXL). 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.
Dividends
FAD vs. PEXL - Dividend Comparison
FAD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.60%, more than PEXL's 0.49% yield.
TTM | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FAD First Trust Multi Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund | 0.64% | 0.59% | 0.51% | 0.60% | 0.09% | 0.32% | 0.48% | 0.20% | 0.22% | 0.64% | 0.41% | 0.44% |
PEXL Pacer US Export Leaders ETF | 0.52% | 0.48% | 0.49% | 0.59% | 0.22% | 0.48% | 0.48% | 0.29% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
FAD vs. PEXL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FAD drawdown since its inception was -54.33%, which is greater than PEXL's maximum drawdown of -33.67%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FAD and PEXL. For additional features, visit the drawdowns tool.
Volatility
FAD vs. PEXL - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for First Trust Multi Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (FAD) is 11.18%, while Pacer US Export Leaders ETF (PEXL) has a volatility of 11.97%. This indicates that FAD experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than PEXL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
Recent discussions
Dividend Paying Stock Portfolio
4803heights
Going forward performance roughly coinciding with historically optimized portfolios on this site?
I'm quite new to the site, but I am concerned that a portfolio optimized with past data may have no bearing at all on its future performance. Has anyone been around long enough to speak to this concern. Have you outperformed a relevant benchmark with actual invested money?
Also, if you've been here awhile, what tools on the site do you find most useful?
Thanks for reading!
Bob Peticolas
Discrepancy between SPY and ^GSPC?
Hello, from the charts, SPY seems to be outperforming its benchmark ^GSPC. That looks strange. From my understanding, SPY is designed to closely track the S&P 500.
Could there be an error in the charts?
Hedge Cat