FAD vs. SPY
Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Multi Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (FAD) and SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY).
FAD and SPY 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. SPY is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 Index. It was launched on Jan 22, 1993. Both FAD and SPY 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 SPY.
Performance
FAD vs. SPY - Performance Comparison
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FAD achieves a 32.69% return, which is significantly higher than SPY's 26.47% return. Over the past 10 years, FAD has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of 12.36%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 13.14% annualized return.
FAD
32.69%
9.69%
20.35%
44.05%
15.09%
12.36%
SPY
26.47%
3.03%
13.19%
32.65%
15.68%
13.14%
Key characteristics
| FAD | SPY | |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio | 2.70 | 2.69 |
| Sortino Ratio | 3.59 | 3.59 |
| Omega Ratio | 1.45 | 1.50 |
| Calmar Ratio | 2.16 | 3.88 |
| Martin Ratio | 17.31 | 17.47 |
| Ulcer Index | 2.55% | 1.87% |
| Daily Std Dev | 16.33% | 12.14% |
| Max Drawdown | -54.33% | -55.19% |
| Current Drawdown | 0.00% | -0.54% |
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FAD vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison
FAD has a 0.63% expense ratio, which is higher than SPY's 0.09% expense ratio.
Correlation
The correlation between FAD and SPY is 0.80, 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.
Risk-Adjusted Performance
FAD vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Performance Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Multi Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (FAD) and SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). 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. SPY - Dividend Comparison
FAD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.47%, less than SPY's 1.18% yield.
| TTM | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FAD First Trust Multi Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund | 0.47% | 0.51% | 0.60% | 0.09% | 0.32% | 0.48% | 0.20% | 0.22% | 0.64% | 0.41% | 0.44% | 0.31% |
SPY SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 1.18% | 1.40% | 1.65% | 1.20% | 1.52% | 1.75% | 2.04% | 1.80% | 2.03% | 2.06% | 1.87% | 1.81% |
Drawdowns
FAD vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FAD drawdown since its inception was -54.33%, roughly equal to the maximum SPY drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FAD and SPY. For additional features, visit the drawdowns tool.
Volatility
FAD vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison
First Trust Multi Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (FAD) has a higher volatility of 5.52% compared to SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) at 3.98%. This indicates that FAD's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.