FEP vs. ^GSPC

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Europe AlphaDEX Fund (FEP) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC).

FEP is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Defined Europe Index. It was launched on Apr 26, 2011.

Performance

FEP vs. ^GSPC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Europe AlphaDEX Fund (FEP) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FEP vs. ^GSPC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FEP First Trust Europe AlphaDEX Fund	3.30%	55.72%	3.38%	16.85%	-22.97%	17.03%	4.12%	24.83%	-19.00%	36.27%
^GSPC S&P 500 Index	-3.95%	16.39%	23.31%	24.23%	-19.44%	26.89%	16.26%	28.88%	-6.24%	19.42%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FEP achieves a 3.30% return, which is significantly higher than ^GSPC's -3.95% return. Over the past 10 years, FEP has underperformed ^GSPC with an annualized return of 9.94%, while ^GSPC has yielded a comparatively higher 12.24% annualized return.

FEP

• 1D: 1.54%
• 1M: -4.13%
• YTD: 3.30%
• 6M: 8.62%
• 1Y: 40.34%
• 3Y*: 21.59%
• 5Y*: 9.91%
• 10Y*: 9.94%

^GSPC

• 1D: 0.72%
• 1M: -4.45%
• YTD: -3.95%
• 6M: -2.02%
• 1Y: 16.73%
• 3Y*: 16.96%
• 5Y*: 10.34%
• 10Y*: 12.24%

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

Return for Risk

FEP vs. ^GSPC — Risk / Return Rank

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

FEP

FEP Risk / Return Rank: 91
FEP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 91
FEP Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
FEP Omega Ratio Rank: 91
FEP Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
FEP Martin Ratio Rank: 90

^GSPC

^GSPC Risk / Return Rank: 67
^GSPC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 63
^GSPC Sortino Ratio Rank: 64
^GSPC Omega Ratio Rank: 69
^GSPC Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
^GSPC Martin Ratio Rank: 77

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.

FEP vs. ^GSPC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Europe AlphaDEX Fund (FEP) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC). 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.

	FEP	^GSPC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.08	0.92	+1.16
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.66	1.41	+1.25
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.41	1.21	+0.19
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.31	1.41	+1.89
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	12.59	6.61	+5.98
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FEP vs. ^GSPC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FEP Sharpe Ratio is 2.08, which is higher than the ^GSPC Sharpe Ratio of 0.92. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FEP and ^GSPC, 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

	FEP	^GSPC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.08	0.92	+1.16
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.51	0.61	-0.11
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.48	0.68	-0.20
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.32	0.46	-0.14

Correlation

The correlation between FEP and ^GSPC is 0.67, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Drawdowns

FEP vs. ^GSPC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FEP drawdown since its inception was -46.05%, smaller than the maximum ^GSPC drawdown of -56.78%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FEP and ^GSPC.

Drawdown Indicators

	FEP	^GSPC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-46.05%	-56.78%	+10.73%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.31%	-12.14%	-0.17%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-38.99%	-25.43%	-13.56%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-46.05%	-33.92%	-12.13%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.38%	-5.78%	-0.60%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-12.14%	-10.75%	-1.39%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.23%	2.60%	+0.63%

Volatility

FEP vs. ^GSPC - Volatility Comparison

First Trust Europe AlphaDEX Fund (FEP) has a higher volatility of 8.46% compared to S&P 500 Index (^GSPC) at 5.37%. This indicates that FEP's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ^GSPC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FEP	^GSPC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.46%	5.37%	+3.09%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.63%	9.55%	+3.08%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.48%	18.33%	+1.15%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.57%	16.90%	+2.67%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.65%	18.05%	+2.60%