FDT vs. FNDF

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT) and Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF (FNDF).

FDT and FNDF 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. FNDF is a passively managed fund by Charles Schwab that tracks the performance of the Russell Fundamental Developed ex-U.S. Large Company Index. It was launched on Aug 15, 2013. Both FDT and FNDF 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. FNDF - 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 Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF (FNDF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FDT vs. FNDF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FDT First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund	9.83%	52.21%	6.97%	15.03%	-19.51%	11.43%	4.29%	16.82%	-19.98%	34.42%
FNDF Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF	8.23%	40.99%	2.29%	20.22%	-7.78%	14.97%	3.61%	18.46%	-14.21%	23.98%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FDT achieves a 9.83% return, which is significantly higher than FNDF's 8.23% return. Over the past 10 years, FDT has underperformed FNDF with an annualized return of 9.73%, while FNDF has yielded a comparatively higher 11.09% annualized return.

FDT

• 1D: 3.59%
• 1M: -10.30%
• YTD: 9.83%
• 6M: 17.39%
• 1Y: 54.93%
• 3Y*: 24.48%
• 5Y*: 11.26%
• 10Y*: 9.73%

FNDF

• 1D: 2.95%
• 1M: -7.26%
• YTD: 8.23%
• 6M: 17.33%
• 1Y: 40.22%
• 3Y*: 20.38%
• 5Y*: 12.44%
• 10Y*: 11.09%

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

FDT vs. FNDF - Expense Ratio Comparison

FDT has a 0.80% expense ratio, which is higher than FNDF's 0.25% expense ratio.

FDT

First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund

FNDF

Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF

Return for Risk

FDT vs. FNDF — 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

FNDF

FNDF Risk / Return Rank: 95
FNDF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 95
FNDF Sortino Ratio Rank: 95
FNDF Omega Ratio Rank: 95
FNDF Calmar Ratio Rank: 94
FNDF 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.

FDT vs. FNDF - 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 Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF (FNDF). 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	FNDF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.86	2.31	+0.54
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.48	3.02	+0.46
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.55	1.46	+0.08
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.01	3.52	+0.49
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	16.70	13.78	+2.92
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. FNDF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FDT Sharpe Ratio is 2.86, which is comparable to the FNDF Sharpe Ratio of 2.31. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FDT and FNDF, 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	FNDF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.86	2.31	+0.54
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.63	0.78	-0.15
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.53	0.63	-0.10
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.35	0.49	-0.14

Correlation

The correlation between FDT and FNDF is 0.91, 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. FNDF - Dividend Comparison

FDT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.24%, more than FNDF's 3.18% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FDT First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund	3.24%	3.27%	3.89%	4.36%	2.29%	3.80%	2.42%	2.78%	2.13%	1.57%	1.76%	1.83%
FNDF Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF	3.18%	3.44%	4.01%	3.41%	3.10%	3.54%	2.17%	3.20%	3.47%	2.32%	2.42%	2.08%

Drawdowns

FDT vs. FNDF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FDT drawdown since its inception was -46.10%, which is greater than FNDF's maximum drawdown of -40.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FDT and FNDF.

Drawdown Indicators

	FDT	FNDF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-46.10%	-40.14%	-5.96%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.41%	-11.08%	-2.33%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-33.18%	-25.56%	-7.62%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-46.10%	-40.14%	-5.96%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.30%	-7.26%	-3.04%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.86%	-7.72%	-3.14%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.22%	2.83%	+0.39%

Volatility

FDT vs. FNDF - Volatility Comparison

First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT) has a higher volatility of 9.73% compared to Schwab Fundamental International Large Company Index ETF (FNDF) at 8.06%. This indicates that FDT's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FNDF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FDT	FNDF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.73%	8.06%	+1.67%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.97%	11.42%	+2.55%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.35%	17.50%	+1.85%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.86%	16.05%	+1.81%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.32%	17.64%	+0.68%