FCAL vs. SWNTX
FCAL (First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF) and SWNTX (Schwab Tax-Free Bond Fund™) are both Municipal Bonds funds. Over the past 5 years, FCAL returned 0.17%/yr vs 0.13%/yr for SWNTX. Their 0.55 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. FCAL charges 0.50%/yr vs 0.48%/yr for SWNTX.
Performance
FCAL vs. SWNTX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FCAL achieves a 0.34% return, which is significantly higher than SWNTX's -0.15% return.
FCAL
- 1D
- -0.26%
- 1M
- -2.20%
- 6M
- -0.57%
- YTD
- 0.34%
- 1Y
- 5.06%
- 3Y*
- 3.05%
- 5Y*
- 0.17%
- 10Y*
- —
- ALL TIME*
- 2.39%
SWNTX
- 1D
- -0.09%
- 1M
- -2.01%
- 6M
- -1.07%
- YTD
- -0.15%
- 1Y
- 4.09%
- 3Y*
- 2.71%
- 5Y*
- 0.13%
- 10Y*
- 1.43%
- ALL TIME*
- 4.01%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $990.65K | $776.41K | $953.25K | |
| $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
FCAL vs. SWNTX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FCAL First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF | 0.34% | 3.19% | 1.90% | 6.08% | -9.50% | 3.26% | 3.51% | 9.32% | 0.31% | 4.38% |
SWNTX Schwab Tax-Free Bond Fund™ | -0.15% | 4.20% | 1.57% | 5.09% | -8.57% | 0.37% | 4.45% | 6.55% | 0.88% | 0.77% |
Correlation
The correlation between FCAL and SWNTX is 0.69, which is moderate. They have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently, sharing some price drivers without tracking each other closely.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.69 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.65 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.64 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 27, 2017 | 0.55 |
The correlation between FCAL and SWNTX shifts across timeframes, from 0.55 (all time) to 0.69 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
FCAL vs. SWNTX — Risk / Return Rank
FCAL
SWNTX
FCAL vs. SWNTX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF (FCAL) and Schwab Tax-Free Bond Fund™ (SWNTX). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| FCAL | SWNTX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.01 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.14 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.39 | 1.43 | -0.04 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.97 | 1.56 | +0.41 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.67 | 4.67 | +1.99 |
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Drawdowns
FCAL vs. SWNTX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FCAL drawdown since its inception was -14.81%, which is greater than SWNTX's maximum drawdown of -13.26%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FCAL and SWNTX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FCAL | SWNTX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -14.81% | -13.26% | -1.55% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -2.57% | -2.88% | +0.31% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -5.46% | -4.75% | -0.71% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -14.28% | -13.26% | -1.02% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -13.26% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.20% | -2.24% | +0.04% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.30% | -1.88% | -1.42% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.76% | 0.96% | -0.20% |
Volatility
FCAL vs. SWNTX - Volatility Comparison
First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF (FCAL) has a higher volatility of 1.00% compared to Schwab Tax-Free Bond Fund™ (SWNTX) at 0.86%. This indicates that FCAL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SWNTX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| FCAL | SWNTX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.00% | 0.86% | +0.14% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 2.33% | 2.05% | +0.28% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.82% | 2.54% | +0.28% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 4.26% | 3.51% | +0.75% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 5.22% | 3.58% | +1.64% |
FCAL vs. SWNTX - Expense Ratio Comparison
FCAL has a 0.50% expense ratio, which is higher than SWNTX's 0.48% expense ratio.
Dividends
FCAL vs. SWNTX - Dividend Comparison
FCAL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.44%, more than SWNTX's 3.22% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FCAL First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF | 3.44% | 3.22% | 2.99% | 2.74% | 2.38% | 2.03% | 2.11% | 2.68% | 2.99% | 1.30% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
SWNTX Schwab Tax-Free Bond Fund™ | 3.22% | 3.78% | 3.20% | 2.54% | 1.73% | 1.62% | 2.34% | 2.58% | 2.41% | 2.21% | 3.14% | 2.71% |
Frequently Asked Questions
FCAL and SWNTX have a correlation of 0.69, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
FCAL has higher volatility (1.00%) compared to SWNTX (0.86%). In terms of maximum drawdown, FCAL dropped -14.81% vs SWNTX's -13.26%.
FCAL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.81 vs 1.79), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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