FDT vs. IVAL
Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT) and Alpha Architect International Quantitative Value ETF (IVAL).
FDT and IVAL 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. IVAL is an actively managed fund by Alpha Architect. It was launched on Dec 16, 2014.
Performance
FDT vs. IVAL - Performance Comparison
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FDT vs. IVAL - 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% |
IVAL Alpha Architect International Quantitative Value ETF | 8.42% | 34.92% | -0.71% | 20.61% | -10.06% | -0.22% | -4.94% | 21.26% | -22.50% | 31.03% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FDT achieves a 9.83% return, which is significantly higher than IVAL's 8.42% return. Over the past 10 years, FDT has outperformed IVAL with an annualized return of 9.73%, while IVAL has yielded a comparatively lower 7.75% 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%
IVAL
- 1D
- 2.88%
- 1M
- -7.11%
- YTD
- 8.42%
- 6M
- 14.13%
- 1Y
- 37.22%
- 3Y*
- 17.52%
- 5Y*
- 8.19%
- 10Y*
- 7.75%
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FDT vs. IVAL - Expense Ratio Comparison
FDT has a 0.80% expense ratio, which is higher than IVAL's 0.39% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
FDT vs. IVAL — Risk / Return Rank
FDT
IVAL
FDT vs. IVAL - 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 Alpha Architect International Quantitative Value ETF (IVAL). 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 | IVAL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 2.86 | 2.13 | +0.73 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 3.48 | 2.85 | +0.63 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.55 | 1.41 | +0.13 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 4.01 | 3.24 | +0.77 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 16.70 | 12.61 | +4.09 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| FDT | IVAL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.86 | 2.13 | +0.73 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.63 | 0.47 | +0.17 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.53 | 0.41 | +0.12 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.35 | 0.33 | +0.03 |
Correlation
The correlation between FDT and IVAL is 0.84, 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. IVAL - Dividend Comparison
FDT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.24%, more than IVAL's 2.77% 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% |
IVAL Alpha Architect International Quantitative Value ETF | 2.77% | 2.75% | 3.60% | 5.15% | 8.00% | 3.95% | 2.07% | 2.51% | 2.93% | 1.73% | 2.02% | 1.86% |
Drawdowns
FDT vs. IVAL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FDT drawdown since its inception was -46.10%, roughly equal to the maximum IVAL drawdown of -46.09%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FDT and IVAL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FDT | IVAL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -46.10% | -46.09% | -0.01% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -13.41% | -11.24% | -2.17% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -33.18% | -31.01% | -2.17% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -46.10% | -46.09% | -0.01% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -10.30% | -7.11% | -3.19% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -10.86% | -12.12% | +1.26% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.22% | 2.89% | +0.33% |
Volatility
FDT vs. IVAL - Volatility Comparison
First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT) has a higher volatility of 9.73% compared to Alpha Architect International Quantitative Value ETF (IVAL) at 7.41%. This indicates that FDT's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IVAL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| FDT | IVAL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 9.73% | 7.41% | +2.32% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 13.97% | 11.38% | +2.59% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 19.35% | 17.60% | +1.75% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 17.86% | 17.67% | +0.19% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 18.32% | 18.91% | -0.59% |