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FEP vs. FDD
Performance
Return for Risk
Dividends
Drawdowns
Volatility

FEP vs. FDD

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Europe AlphaDEX Fund (FEP) and First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend Index Fund (FDD).

FEP and FDD are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. 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. FDD is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the STOXX Europe Select Dividend 30. It was launched on Aug 27, 2007. Both FEP and FDD 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

FEP vs. FDD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Europe AlphaDEX Fund (FEP) and First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend Index Fund (FDD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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FEP vs. FDD - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
FEP
First Trust Europe AlphaDEX Fund		1.73%55.72%3.38%16.85%-22.97%17.03%4.12%24.83%-19.00%36.27%
FDD
First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend Index Fund		2.13%62.50%0.28%14.16%-16.14%16.03%-3.80%23.79%-8.98%19.07%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FEP achieves a 1.73% return, which is significantly lower than FDD's 2.13% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with FEP having a 9.77% annualized return and FDD not far behind at 9.42%.

FEP

1D
4.18%
1M
-7.37%
YTD
1.73%
6M
7.95%
1Y
38.59%
3Y*
20.97%
5Y*
9.58%
10Y*
9.77%

FDD

1D
3.55%
1M
-4.63%
YTD
2.13%
6M
11.69%
1Y
36.97%
3Y*
22.64%
5Y*
10.69%
10Y*
9.42%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

First Trust Europe AlphaDEX Fund

First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend Index Fund

Often compared with FEP:
FEP vs. DFEFEP vs. FEUZFEP vs. HEDJFEP vs. DWMFFEP vs. VGKFEP vs. QYLDFEP vs. DBEU
Often compared with FDD:
FDD vs. EUFNFDD vs. VTIFDD vs. FLAXFDD vs. RFEUFDD vs. VUAA.LFDD vs. IQDFFDD vs. DVY

FEP vs. FDD - Expense Ratio Comparison

FEP has a 0.80% expense ratio, which is higher than FDD's 0.58% expense ratio.

FEP
First Trust Europe AlphaDEX Fund
FDD
First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend Index Fund

Return for Risk

FEP vs. FDD — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
FEP
FEP Risk / Return Rank: 9090
Overall Rank
FEP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 9090
Sharpe Ratio Rank
FEP Sortino Ratio Rank: 9090
Sortino Ratio Rank
FEP Omega Ratio Rank: 9191
Omega Ratio Rank
FEP Calmar Ratio Rank: 9090
Calmar Ratio Rank
FEP Martin Ratio Rank: 9090
Martin Ratio Rank
FDD
FDD Risk / Return Rank: 9292
Overall Rank
FDD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 9191
Sharpe Ratio Rank
FDD Sortino Ratio Rank: 9292
Sortino Ratio Rank
FDD Omega Ratio Rank: 9292
Omega Ratio Rank
FDD Calmar Ratio Rank: 9191
Calmar Ratio Rank
FDD Martin Ratio Rank: 9292
Martin Ratio Rank
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. FDD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Europe AlphaDEX Fund (FEP) and First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend Index Fund (FDD). 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.

FEPFDDDifference

Sharpe ratio

Return per unit of total volatility

2.00

2.00

0.00

Sortino ratio

Return per unit of downside risk

2.57

2.65

-0.08

Omega ratio

Gain probability vs. loss probability

1.39

1.40

0.00

Calmar ratio

Return relative to maximum drawdown

2.98

3.15

-0.17

Martin ratio

Return relative to average drawdown

11.45

12.09

-0.64

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. FDD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FEP Sharpe Ratio is 2.00, which is comparable to the FDD Sharpe Ratio of 2.00. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FEP and FDD, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

FEPFDDDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

2.00

2.00

0.00

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.49

0.59

-0.10

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.47

0.47

0.00

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.31

0.08

+0.24

Correlation

The correlation between FEP and FDD is 0.80, 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

FEP vs. FDD - Dividend Comparison

FEP's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.21%, less than FDD's 3.87% yield.

TTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
FEP
First Trust Europe AlphaDEX Fund		3.21%3.33%4.94%3.27%3.00%3.49%2.32%2.63%2.62%1.65%2.14%2.20%
FDD
First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend Index Fund		3.87%3.99%7.65%6.85%6.07%3.44%4.01%4.69%5.05%2.78%4.88%4.35%

Drawdowns

FEP vs. FDD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FEP drawdown since its inception was -46.05%, smaller than the maximum FDD drawdown of -74.77%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FEP and FDD.

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Drawdown Indicators

FEPFDDDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-46.05%

-74.77%

+28.72%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-12.31%

-11.44%

-0.87%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-38.99%

-35.11%

-3.88%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-46.05%

-41.43%

-4.62%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-7.79%

-5.69%

-2.10%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-12.14%

-35.79%

+23.65%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

3.21%

2.98%

+0.23%

Volatility

FEP vs. FDD - Volatility Comparison

First Trust Europe AlphaDEX Fund (FEP) has a higher volatility of 9.11% compared to First Trust STOXX European Select Dividend Index Fund (FDD) at 7.53%. This indicates that FEP's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FDD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

FEPFDDDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

9.11%

7.53%

+1.58%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

12.56%

11.41%

+1.15%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

19.48%

18.63%

+0.85%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

19.58%

18.26%

+1.32%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

20.65%

20.10%

+0.55%