FCA vs. QCLN

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust China AlphaDEX Fund (FCA) and First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Index Fund (QCLN).

FCA and QCLN 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. QCLN is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy. It was launched on Feb 8, 2007. Both FCA and QCLN 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. QCLN - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust China AlphaDEX Fund (FCA) and First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Index Fund (QCLN). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FCA vs. QCLN - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FCA First Trust China AlphaDEX Fund	10.86%	45.20%	14.07%	-8.28%	-17.61%	-0.65%	11.80%	18.72%	-18.30%	60.26%
QCLN First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Index Fund	4.23%	31.81%	-18.86%	-10.02%	-30.37%	-3.21%	184.00%	42.65%	-12.38%	32.34%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FCA achieves a 10.86% return, which is significantly higher than QCLN's 4.23% return. Over the past 10 years, FCA has underperformed QCLN with an annualized return of 9.40%, while QCLN has yielded a comparatively higher 12.77% annualized return.

FCA

• 1D: -0.29%
• 1M: -7.82%
• YTD: 10.86%
• 6M: 8.68%
• 1Y: 53.93%
• 3Y*: 17.99%
• 5Y*: 5.95%
• 10Y*: 9.40%

QCLN

• 1D: 6.51%
• 1M: -3.99%
• YTD: 4.23%
• 6M: 10.87%
• 1Y: 62.76%
• 3Y*: -3.26%
• 5Y*: -7.25%
• 10Y*: 12.77%

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

FCA vs. QCLN - Expense Ratio Comparison

FCA has a 0.80% expense ratio, which is higher than QCLN's 0.60% expense ratio.

FCA

First Trust China AlphaDEX Fund

QCLN

First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Index Fund

Return for Risk

FCA vs. QCLN — Risk / Return Rank

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

FCA

FCA Risk / Return Rank: 92
FCA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 91
FCA Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
FCA Omega Ratio Rank: 90
FCA Calmar Ratio Rank: 92
FCA Martin Ratio Rank: 95

QCLN

QCLN Risk / Return Rank: 87
QCLN Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
QCLN Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
QCLN Omega Ratio Rank: 77
QCLN Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
QCLN Martin Ratio Rank: 91

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. QCLN - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust China AlphaDEX Fund (FCA) and First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Index Fund (QCLN). 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	QCLN	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.07	1.67	+0.40
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.56	2.28	+0.28
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.38	1.28	+0.10
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.34	3.81	-0.48
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	15.08	11.86	+3.22
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. QCLN - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FCA Sharpe Ratio is 2.07, which is comparable to the QCLN Sharpe Ratio of 1.67. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FCA and QCLN, 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	QCLN	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.07	1.67	+0.40
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.22	-0.19	+0.41
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.36	0.37	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.13	0.14	-0.01

Correlation

The correlation between FCA and QCLN is 0.33, 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.

Dividends

FCA vs. QCLN - Dividend Comparison

FCA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.32%, more than QCLN's 0.22% 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%
QCLN First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Index Fund	0.22%	0.25%	0.87%	0.76%	0.33%	0.01%	0.30%	0.85%	1.03%	0.45%	1.24%	0.72%

Drawdowns

FCA vs. QCLN - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FCA drawdown since its inception was -45.56%, smaller than the maximum QCLN drawdown of -76.18%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FCA and QCLN.

Drawdown Indicators

	FCA	QCLN	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-45.56%	-76.18%	+30.62%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.81%	-16.18%	+0.37%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-42.47%	-69.49%	+27.02%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-42.47%	-71.73%	+29.26%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.75%	-46.16%	+37.41%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-21.81%	-43.54%	+21.73%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.50%	5.20%	-1.70%

Volatility

FCA vs. QCLN - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for First Trust China AlphaDEX Fund (FCA) is 8.25%, while First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Index Fund (QCLN) has a volatility of 14.18%. This indicates that FCA experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than QCLN based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FCA	QCLN	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.25%	14.18%	-5.93%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.57%	27.32%	-10.75%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	26.19%	37.76%	-11.57%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	27.43%	37.87%	-10.44%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	26.57%	34.63%	-8.06%