FCA vs. CXSE

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust China AlphaDEX Fund (FCA) and WisdomTree China ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund (CXSE).

FCA and CXSE are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FCA is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ AlphaDEX China Index. It was launched on Apr 18, 2011. CXSE is a passively managed fund by WisdomTree that tracks the performance of the WisdomTree China ex-State-Owned Enterprises Index. It was launched on Sep 19, 2012. Both FCA and CXSE 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

FCA vs. CXSE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust China AlphaDEX Fund (FCA) and WisdomTree China ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund (CXSE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FCA vs. CXSE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FCA First Trust China AlphaDEX Fund	11.25%	45.20%	14.07%	-8.28%	-17.61%	-0.65%	11.80%	18.72%	-18.30%	60.26%
CXSE WisdomTree China ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund	-5.37%	37.00%	8.56%	-18.02%	-29.32%	-23.67%	59.39%	37.96%	-28.55%	81.50%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FCA achieves a 11.25% return, which is significantly higher than CXSE's -5.37% return. Over the past 10 years, FCA has outperformed CXSE with an annualized return of 9.44%, while CXSE has yielded a comparatively lower 6.57% annualized return.

FCA

• 1D: 0.35%
• 1M: -8.43%
• YTD: 11.25%
• 6M: 8.59%
• 1Y: 53.44%
• 3Y*: 18.13%
• 5Y*: 6.02%
• 10Y*: 9.44%

CXSE

• 1D: 0.30%
• 1M: -3.35%
• YTD: -5.37%
• 6M: -14.60%
• 1Y: 13.26%
• 3Y*: 4.84%
• 5Y*: -9.25%
• 10Y*: 6.57%

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

FCA vs. CXSE - Expense Ratio Comparison

FCA has a 0.80% expense ratio, which is higher than CXSE's 0.32% expense ratio.

FCA

First Trust China AlphaDEX Fund

CXSE

WisdomTree China ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund

Return for Risk

FCA vs. CXSE — Risk / Return Rank

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

FCA

FCA Risk / Return Rank: 90
FCA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
FCA Sortino Ratio Rank: 88
FCA Omega Ratio Rank: 88
FCA Calmar Ratio Rank: 92
FCA Martin Ratio Rank: 94

CXSE

CXSE Risk / Return Rank: 27
CXSE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 28
CXSE Sortino Ratio Rank: 28
CXSE Omega Ratio Rank: 28
CXSE Calmar Ratio Rank: 30
CXSE Martin Ratio Rank: 24

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.

FCA vs. CXSE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust China AlphaDEX Fund (FCA) and WisdomTree China ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund (CXSE). 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.

	FCA	CXSE	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.05	0.53	+1.52
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.54	0.86	+1.68
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.37	1.12	+0.26
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.45	0.77	+2.68
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	15.39	1.80	+13.59
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FCA vs. CXSE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FCA Sharpe Ratio is 2.05, which is higher than the CXSE Sharpe Ratio of 0.53. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FCA and CXSE, 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

	FCA	CXSE	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.05	0.53	+1.52
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.22	-0.29	+0.51
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.36	0.23	+0.13
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.13	0.18	-0.04

Correlation

The correlation between FCA and CXSE is 0.62, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

FCA vs. CXSE - Dividend Comparison

FCA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.32%, more than CXSE's 2.12% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FCA First Trust China AlphaDEX Fund	2.32%	2.67%	5.17%	5.70%	6.00%	4.91%	4.12%	3.73%	3.10%	2.30%	2.51%	4.13%
CXSE WisdomTree China ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund	2.12%	1.95%	1.70%	1.71%	1.55%	0.86%	0.54%	0.96%	1.49%	1.24%	1.39%	2.50%

Drawdowns

FCA vs. CXSE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FCA drawdown since its inception was -45.56%, smaller than the maximum CXSE drawdown of -70.01%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FCA and CXSE.

Drawdown Indicators

	FCA	CXSE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-45.56%	-70.01%	+24.45%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.81%	-17.70%	+1.89%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-42.47%	-64.47%	+22.00%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-42.47%	-70.01%	+27.54%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.43%	-49.38%	+40.95%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-21.80%	-27.59%	+5.79%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.54%	7.64%	-4.10%

Volatility

FCA vs. CXSE - Volatility Comparison

First Trust China AlphaDEX Fund (FCA) has a higher volatility of 7.28% compared to WisdomTree China ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund (CXSE) at 6.47%. This indicates that FCA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CXSE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FCA	CXSE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.28%	6.47%	+0.81%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.52%	15.27%	+1.25%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	26.17%	24.92%	+1.25%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	27.43%	32.28%	-4.85%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	26.57%	28.64%	-2.07%