FDL vs. GCOW

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL) and Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF (GCOW).

FDL and GCOW are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FDL is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index. It was launched on Mar 9, 2006. GCOW is a passively managed fund by Pacer that tracks the performance of the Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividends Index. It was launched on Feb 23, 2016. Both FDL and GCOW 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

FDL vs. GCOW - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL) and Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF (GCOW). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FDL vs. GCOW - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FDL First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund	15.49%	14.79%	17.98%	2.94%	6.66%	26.10%	-4.30%	24.41%	-5.99%	12.02%
GCOW Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF	13.21%	27.34%	3.52%	13.95%	5.49%	14.58%	-4.33%	17.81%	-7.99%	20.71%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FDL achieves a 15.49% return, which is significantly higher than GCOW's 13.21% return. Over the past 10 years, FDL has outperformed GCOW with an annualized return of 11.60%, while GCOW has yielded a comparatively lower 10.20% annualized return.

FDL

• 1D: 0.43%
• 1M: 0.01%
• YTD: 15.49%
• 6M: 19.42%
• 1Y: 21.84%
• 3Y*: 18.00%
• 5Y*: 14.12%
• 10Y*: 11.60%

GCOW

• 1D: 0.85%
• 1M: -1.84%
• YTD: 13.21%
• 6M: 20.65%
• 1Y: 31.30%
• 3Y*: 16.89%
• 5Y*: 13.65%
• 10Y*: 10.20%

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

FDL vs. GCOW - Expense Ratio Comparison

FDL has a 0.45% expense ratio, which is lower than GCOW's 0.60% expense ratio.

GCOW

Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF

FDL

First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund

Return for Risk

FDL vs. GCOW — Risk / Return Rank

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

FDL

FDL Risk / Return Rank: 79
FDL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 81
FDL Sortino Ratio Rank: 82
FDL Omega Ratio Rank: 79
FDL Calmar Ratio Rank: 77
FDL Martin Ratio Rank: 76

GCOW

GCOW Risk / Return Rank: 93
GCOW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 94
GCOW Sortino Ratio Rank: 95
GCOW Omega Ratio Rank: 94
GCOW Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
GCOW Martin Ratio Rank: 94

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.

FDL vs. GCOW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL) and Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF (GCOW). 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.

	FDL	GCOW	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.47	2.27	-0.79
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.06	3.01	-0.95
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.29	1.44	-0.15
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.96	2.77	-0.81
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.63	14.12	-6.48
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FDL vs. GCOW - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FDL Sharpe Ratio is 1.47, which is lower than the GCOW Sharpe Ratio of 2.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FDL and GCOW, 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

	FDL	GCOW	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.47	2.27	-0.79
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.99	1.02	-0.03
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.68	0.63	+0.05
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.46	0.60	-0.14

Correlation

The correlation between FDL and GCOW is 0.77, 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

FDL vs. GCOW - Dividend Comparison

FDL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.61%, less than GCOW's 4.39% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FDL First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund	3.61%	4.04%	4.96%	4.58%	3.58%	4.59%	4.48%	3.75%	3.97%	3.18%	2.93%	3.65%
GCOW Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF	4.39%	4.06%	5.14%	5.28%	4.39%	4.23%	4.12%	4.40%	3.94%	2.79%	1.95%	0.00%

Drawdowns

FDL vs. GCOW - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FDL drawdown since its inception was -65.93%, which is greater than GCOW's maximum drawdown of -37.64%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FDL and GCOW.

Drawdown Indicators

	FDL	GCOW	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-65.93%	-37.64%	-28.29%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.58%	-11.05%	-0.53%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-16.46%	-21.48%	+5.02%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-41.40%	-37.64%	-3.76%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.10%	-1.84%	+1.74%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.73%	-5.90%	-3.83%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.10%	2.17%	+0.93%

Volatility

FDL vs. GCOW - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL) is 2.56%, while Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF (GCOW) has a volatility of 4.03%. This indicates that FDL experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than GCOW based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FDL	GCOW	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.56%	4.03%	-1.47%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.16%	7.90%	+0.26%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	14.96%	13.89%	+1.07%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.31%	13.48%	+0.83%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.09%	16.25%	+0.84%