FAD vs. VOT
Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Multi Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (FAD) and Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF (VOT).
FAD and VOT 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. VOT is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the CRSP US Mid Cap Growth Index. It was launched on Aug 17, 2006. Both FAD and VOT 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
FAD vs. VOT - Performance Comparison
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FAD vs. VOT - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FAD First Trust Multi Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund | -1.80% | 17.23% | 23.85% | 19.07% | -24.06% | 21.17% | 34.92% | 26.66% | -6.45% | 25.75% |
VOT Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF | -7.62% | 10.72% | 16.38% | 23.10% | -28.87% | 20.50% | 34.50% | 33.76% | -5.56% | 21.80% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FAD achieves a -1.80% return, which is significantly higher than VOT's -7.62% return. Over the past 10 years, FAD has outperformed VOT with an annualized return of 12.73%, while VOT has yielded a comparatively lower 10.62% annualized return.
FAD
- 1D
- 3.83%
- 1M
- -5.64%
- YTD
- -1.80%
- 6M
- -0.99%
- 1Y
- 22.98%
- 3Y*
- 17.93%
- 5Y*
- 8.03%
- 10Y*
- 12.73%
VOT
- 1D
- 3.09%
- 1M
- -7.40%
- YTD
- -7.62%
- 6M
- -12.08%
- 1Y
- 5.90%
- 3Y*
- 10.49%
- 5Y*
- 4.04%
- 10Y*
- 10.62%
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FAD vs. VOT - Expense Ratio Comparison
FAD has a 0.63% expense ratio, which is higher than VOT's 0.07% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
FAD vs. VOT — Risk / Return Rank
FAD
VOT
FAD vs. VOT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Multi Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (FAD) and Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF (VOT). 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.
| FAD | VOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.05 | 0.28 | +0.77 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.55 | 0.55 | +1.00 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.21 | 1.07 | +0.14 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.78 | 0.38 | +1.39 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 7.13 | 1.20 | +5.93 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| FAD | VOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.05 | 0.28 | +0.77 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.39 | 0.19 | +0.20 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.61 | 0.51 | +0.10 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.46 | 0.42 | +0.04 |
Correlation
The correlation between FAD and VOT is 0.87, 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
FAD vs. VOT - Dividend Comparison
FAD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.11%, less than VOT's 0.72% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FAD First Trust Multi Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund | 0.11% | 0.09% | 0.59% | 0.51% | 0.60% | 0.09% | 0.32% | 0.48% | 0.20% | 0.22% | 0.64% | 0.41% |
VOT Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF | 0.72% | 0.64% | 0.67% | 0.71% | 0.78% | 0.34% | 0.56% | 0.78% | 0.84% | 0.72% | 0.81% | 0.81% |
Drawdowns
FAD vs. VOT - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FAD drawdown since its inception was -54.33%, smaller than the maximum VOT drawdown of -60.16%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FAD and VOT.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FAD | VOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -54.33% | -60.16% | +5.83% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -13.08% | -15.96% | +2.88% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -31.99% | -37.19% | +5.20% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -37.25% | -37.19% | -0.06% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -7.24% | -13.36% | +6.12% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -9.72% | -10.01% | +0.29% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.26% | 5.10% | -1.84% |
Volatility
FAD vs. VOT - Volatility Comparison
First Trust Multi Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (FAD) has a higher volatility of 7.87% compared to Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF (VOT) at 6.50%. This indicates that FAD's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VOT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| FAD | VOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.87% | 6.50% | +1.37% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 14.67% | 12.32% | +2.35% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 21.90% | 21.01% | +0.89% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 20.50% | 21.33% | -0.83% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 21.07% | 20.92% | +0.15% |