FEM vs. SCHE

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM) and Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF (SCHE).

FEM and SCHE are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FEM is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ AlphaDEX EM Index. It was launched on Apr 18, 2011. SCHE is a passively managed fund by Charles Schwab that tracks the performance of the FTSE All-World Emerging. It was launched on Jan 14, 2010. Both FEM and SCHE 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

FEM vs. SCHE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM) and Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF (SCHE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FEM vs. SCHE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FEM First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund	9.64%	28.36%	3.01%	10.84%	-14.24%	7.40%	-1.68%	20.55%	-15.51%	41.05%
SCHE Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF	0.61%	26.54%	10.60%	8.93%	-17.84%	-0.65%	14.49%	20.31%	-13.57%	32.70%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FEM achieves a 9.64% return, which is significantly higher than SCHE's 0.61% return. Over the past 10 years, FEM has outperformed SCHE with an annualized return of 8.47%, while SCHE has yielded a comparatively lower 7.68% annualized return.

FEM

• 1D: 1.40%
• 1M: -4.37%
• YTD: 9.64%
• 6M: 11.51%
• 1Y: 35.39%
• 3Y*: 16.74%
• 5Y*: 6.92%
• 10Y*: 8.47%

SCHE

• 1D: 3.26%
• 1M: -6.74%
• YTD: 0.61%
• 6M: 1.48%
• 1Y: 22.98%
• 3Y*: 13.98%
• 5Y*: 3.67%
• 10Y*: 7.68%

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

FEM vs. SCHE - Expense Ratio Comparison

FEM has a 0.80% expense ratio, which is higher than SCHE's 0.11% expense ratio.

FEM

First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund

SCHE

Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF

Return for Risk

FEM vs. SCHE — Risk / Return Rank

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

FEM

FEM Risk / Return Rank: 88
FEM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
FEM Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
FEM Omega Ratio Rank: 88
FEM Calmar Ratio Rank: 87
FEM Martin Ratio Rank: 92

SCHE

SCHE Risk / Return Rank: 74
SCHE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
SCHE Sortino Ratio Rank: 74
SCHE Omega Ratio Rank: 73
SCHE Calmar Ratio Rank: 75
SCHE Martin Ratio Rank: 74

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.

FEM vs. SCHE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM) and Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF (SCHE). 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.

	FEM	SCHE	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.85	1.27	+0.58
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.34	1.80	+0.54
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.36	1.26	+0.10
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.66	1.88	+0.78
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	12.54	7.14	+5.40
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FEM vs. SCHE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FEM Sharpe Ratio is 1.85, which is higher than the SCHE Sharpe Ratio of 1.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FEM and SCHE, 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

	FEM	SCHE	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.85	1.27	+0.58
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.38	0.21	+0.17
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.41	0.40	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.16	0.22	-0.06

Correlation

The correlation between FEM and SCHE is 0.89, 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

FEM vs. SCHE - Dividend Comparison

FEM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.84%, which matches SCHE's 2.86% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FEM First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund	2.84%	3.13%	3.66%	4.96%	6.15%	4.15%	2.68%	3.31%	3.52%	2.45%	2.25%	3.61%
SCHE Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF	2.86%	2.88%	3.03%	3.83%	2.88%	2.86%	2.09%	3.27%	2.64%	2.31%	2.27%	2.50%

Drawdowns

FEM vs. SCHE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FEM drawdown since its inception was -46.23%, which is greater than SCHE's maximum drawdown of -36.20%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FEM and SCHE.

Drawdown Indicators

	FEM	SCHE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-46.23%	-36.20%	-10.03%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.19%	-12.14%	-1.05%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-31.72%	-33.77%	+2.05%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-46.23%	-36.20%	-10.03%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.40%	-8.40%	+3.00%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-15.20%	-12.71%	-2.49%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.79%	3.19%	-0.40%

Volatility

FEM vs. SCHE - Volatility Comparison

First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM) and Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF (SCHE) have volatilities of 8.51% and 8.44%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FEM	SCHE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.51%	8.44%	+0.07%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.64%	12.64%	+1.00%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.24%	18.23%	+1.01%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	18.21%	17.52%	+0.69%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.95%	19.43%	+1.52%