FEGOX vs. FESCX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Eagle Gold Fund Class C (FEGOX) and First Eagle Small Cap Opportunity Fund (FESCX).

FEGOX is an actively managed fund by First Eagle. It was launched on May 15, 2003. FESCX is managed by First Eagle. It was launched on Apr 26, 2021.

Performance

FEGOX vs. FESCX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Eagle Gold Fund Class C (FEGOX) and First Eagle Small Cap Opportunity Fund (FESCX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FEGOX vs. FESCX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
FEGOX First Eagle Gold Fund Class C	2.40%	126.68%	9.47%	6.26%	-2.33%	-4.91%
FESCX First Eagle Small Cap Opportunity Fund	3.36%	13.33%	6.47%	16.75%	-14.05%	1.23%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FEGOX achieves a 2.40% return, which is significantly lower than FESCX's 3.36% return.

FEGOX

• 1D: -0.11%
• 1M: -22.44%
• YTD: 2.40%
• 6M: 18.50%
• 1Y: 76.76%
• 3Y*: 34.63%
• 5Y*: 21.68%
• 10Y*: 14.69%

FESCX

• 1D: -1.40%
• 1M: -8.54%
• YTD: 3.36%
• 6M: 5.15%
• 1Y: 29.53%
• 3Y*: 11.08%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

FEGOX vs. FESCX - Expense Ratio Comparison

FEGOX has a 1.91% expense ratio, which is higher than FESCX's 1.00% expense ratio.

FEGOX

First Eagle Gold Fund Class C

FESCX

First Eagle Small Cap Opportunity Fund

Return for Risk

FEGOX vs. FESCX — Risk / Return Rank

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

FEGOX

FEGOX Risk / Return Rank: 89
FEGOX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
FEGOX Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
FEGOX Omega Ratio Rank: 84
FEGOX Calmar Ratio Rank: 93
FEGOX Martin Ratio Rank: 91

FESCX

FESCX Risk / Return Rank: 71
FESCX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 70
FESCX Sortino Ratio Rank: 73
FESCX Omega Ratio Rank: 64
FESCX Calmar Ratio Rank: 76
FESCX Martin Ratio Rank: 73

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.

FEGOX vs. FESCX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Eagle Gold Fund Class C (FEGOX) and First Eagle Small Cap Opportunity Fund (FESCX). 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.

	FEGOX	FESCX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.03	1.23	+0.80
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.29	1.81	+0.49
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.35	1.24	+0.11
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.90	1.77	+1.14
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	10.72	6.90	+3.82
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FEGOX vs. FESCX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FEGOX Sharpe Ratio is 2.03, which is higher than the FESCX Sharpe Ratio of 1.23. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FEGOX and FESCX, 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

	FEGOX	FESCX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.03	1.23	+0.80
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.78	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.54	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.31	0.23	+0.08

Correlation

The correlation between FEGOX and FESCX is 0.32, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

FEGOX vs. FESCX - Dividend Comparison

FEGOX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.68%, less than FESCX's 1.00% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
FEGOX First Eagle Gold Fund Class C	0.68%	0.70%	5.05%	0.22%	0.00%	0.24%	0.76%
FESCX First Eagle Small Cap Opportunity Fund	1.00%	1.03%	1.56%	0.60%	0.11%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

FEGOX vs. FESCX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FEGOX drawdown since its inception was -71.67%, which is greater than FESCX's maximum drawdown of -28.53%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FEGOX and FESCX.

Drawdown Indicators

	FEGOX	FESCX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-71.67%	-28.53%	-43.14%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-26.69%	-14.72%	-11.97%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-34.24%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-43.08%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-22.78%	-9.50%	-13.28%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-31.43%	-9.12%	-22.31%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.23%	3.77%	+3.46%

Volatility

FEGOX vs. FESCX - Volatility Comparison

First Eagle Gold Fund Class C (FEGOX) has a higher volatility of 13.89% compared to First Eagle Small Cap Opportunity Fund (FESCX) at 7.01%. This indicates that FEGOX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FESCX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FEGOX	FESCX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	13.89%	7.01%	+6.88%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	32.49%	14.26%	+18.23%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	38.59%	23.91%	+14.68%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	28.09%	22.77%	+5.32%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	27.14%	22.77%	+4.37%