FDT vs. EFAV

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT) and iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EAFE ETF (EFAV).

FDT and EFAV are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FDT is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ AlphaDEX DM Ex-US Index. It was launched on Apr 18, 2011. EFAV is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI EAFE Minimum Volatility Index. It was launched on Oct 18, 2011. Both FDT and EFAV 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

FDT vs. EFAV - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT) and iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EAFE ETF (EFAV). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FDT vs. EFAV - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FDT First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund	11.73%	52.21%	6.97%	15.03%	-19.51%	11.43%	4.29%	16.82%	-19.98%	34.42%
EFAV iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EAFE ETF	6.56%	26.00%	5.30%	12.52%	-15.11%	7.20%	-0.06%	16.67%	-5.74%	22.24%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FDT achieves a 11.73% return, which is significantly higher than EFAV's 6.56% return. Over the past 10 years, FDT has outperformed EFAV with an annualized return of 9.91%, while EFAV has yielded a comparatively lower 6.52% annualized return.

FDT

• 1D: 1.73%
• 1M: -7.63%
• YTD: 11.73%
• 6M: 18.75%
• 1Y: 57.05%
• 3Y*: 25.20%
• 5Y*: 11.64%
• 10Y*: 9.91%

EFAV

• 1D: 0.59%
• 1M: -1.60%
• YTD: 6.56%
• 6M: 9.32%
• 1Y: 21.69%
• 3Y*: 14.35%
• 5Y*: 7.66%
• 10Y*: 6.52%

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

FDT vs. EFAV - Expense Ratio Comparison

FDT has a 0.80% expense ratio, which is higher than EFAV's 0.20% expense ratio.

FDT

First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund

EFAV

iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EAFE ETF

Return for Risk

FDT vs. EFAV — Risk / Return Rank

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

FDT

FDT Risk / Return Rank: 96
FDT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 97
FDT Sortino Ratio Rank: 97
FDT Omega Ratio Rank: 97
FDT Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
FDT Martin Ratio Rank: 96

EFAV

EFAV Risk / Return Rank: 87
EFAV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
EFAV Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
EFAV Omega Ratio Rank: 84
EFAV Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
EFAV Martin Ratio Rank: 88

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.

FDT vs. EFAV - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT) and iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EAFE ETF (EFAV). 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.

	FDT	EFAV	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.96	1.78	+1.17
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.59	2.38	+1.20
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.56	1.34	+0.22
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.30	3.06	+1.24
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	17.64	11.18	+6.45
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FDT vs. EFAV - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FDT Sharpe Ratio is 2.96, which is higher than the EFAV Sharpe Ratio of 1.78. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FDT and EFAV, 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

	FDT	EFAV	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.96	1.78	+1.17
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.65	0.66	0.00
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.54	0.50	+0.05
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.36	0.55	-0.20

Correlation

The correlation between FDT and EFAV is 0.81, 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

FDT vs. EFAV - Dividend Comparison

FDT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.19%, more than EFAV's 3.00% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FDT First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund	3.19%	3.27%	3.89%	4.36%	2.29%	3.80%	2.42%	2.78%	2.13%	1.57%	1.76%	1.83%
EFAV iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EAFE ETF	3.00%	3.20%	3.24%	3.08%	2.53%	2.47%	1.33%	4.19%	3.34%	2.45%	3.94%	2.49%

Drawdowns

FDT vs. EFAV - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FDT drawdown since its inception was -46.10%, which is greater than EFAV's maximum drawdown of -27.56%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FDT and EFAV.

Drawdown Indicators

	FDT	EFAV	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-46.10%	-27.56%	-18.54%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.41%	-7.14%	-6.27%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-33.18%	-27.46%	-5.72%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-46.10%	-27.56%	-18.54%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.75%	-3.12%	-5.63%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.86%	-4.78%	-6.08%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.27%	1.95%	+1.32%

Volatility

FDT vs. EFAV - Volatility Comparison

First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT) has a higher volatility of 8.78% compared to iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EAFE ETF (EFAV) at 4.83%. This indicates that FDT's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than EFAV based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FDT	EFAV	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.78%	4.83%	+3.95%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.05%	7.57%	+6.48%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.39%	12.22%	+7.17%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.87%	11.74%	+6.13%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.33%	13.21%	+5.12%