FEX vs. IGLD
Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund (FEX) and FT Cboe Vest Gold Strategy Target Income ETF (IGLD).
FEX and IGLD are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FEX is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ AlphaDEX Large Cap Core Index. It was launched on May 8, 2007. IGLD is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Mar 2, 2021.
Performance
FEX vs. IGLD - Performance Comparison
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FEX vs. IGLD - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FEX First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund | 3.04% | 15.05% | 17.07% | 14.31% | -11.86% | 20.45% |
IGLD FT Cboe Vest Gold Strategy Target Income ETF | 5.99% | 47.46% | 19.36% | 9.24% | -2.34% | 4.30% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FEX achieves a 3.04% return, which is significantly lower than IGLD's 5.99% return.
FEX
- 1D
- 2.09%
- 1M
- -4.09%
- YTD
- 3.04%
- 6M
- 4.98%
- 1Y
- 20.33%
- 3Y*
- 16.27%
- 5Y*
- 9.93%
- 10Y*
- 11.97%
IGLD
- 1D
- 3.70%
- 1M
- -10.43%
- YTD
- 5.99%
- 6M
- 16.73%
- 1Y
- 38.18%
- 3Y*
- 24.46%
- 5Y*
- 15.50%
- 10Y*
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FEX vs. IGLD - Expense Ratio Comparison
FEX has a 0.59% expense ratio, which is lower than IGLD's 0.85% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
FEX vs. IGLD — Risk / Return Rank
FEX
IGLD
FEX vs. IGLD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund (FEX) and FT Cboe Vest Gold Strategy Target Income ETF (IGLD). 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.
| FEX | IGLD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.15 | 1.62 | -0.46 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.66 | 2.09 | -0.43 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.25 | 1.32 | -0.07 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.62 | 2.25 | -0.63 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 7.98 | 9.68 | -1.70 |
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
| FEX | IGLD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.15 | 1.62 | -0.46 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.61 | 1.05 | -0.44 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.65 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.45 | 1.05 | -0.59 |
Correlation
The correlation between FEX and IGLD is 0.14, 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
FEX vs. IGLD - Dividend Comparison
FEX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.06%, less than IGLD's 12.45% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FEX First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund | 1.06% | 1.10% | 1.18% | 1.38% | 1.61% | 0.80% | 1.21% | 1.32% | 1.34% | 1.07% | 1.29% | 1.33% |
IGLD FT Cboe Vest Gold Strategy Target Income ETF | 12.45% | 9.91% | 20.81% | 7.85% | 4.45% | 2.24% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
FEX vs. IGLD - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FEX drawdown since its inception was -58.81%, which is greater than IGLD's maximum drawdown of -18.59%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FEX and IGLD.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FEX | IGLD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -58.81% | -18.59% | -40.22% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -13.08% | -17.56% | +4.48% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -21.27% | -18.59% | -2.68% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -39.51% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -4.27% | -11.57% | +7.30% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -7.95% | -5.01% | -2.94% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.66% | 4.08% | -1.42% |
Volatility
FEX vs. IGLD - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund (FEX) is 4.81%, while FT Cboe Vest Gold Strategy Target Income ETF (IGLD) has a volatility of 11.19%. This indicates that FEX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than IGLD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| FEX | IGLD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.81% | 11.19% | -6.38% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 9.73% | 21.21% | -11.48% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 17.71% | 23.75% | -6.04% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 16.45% | 14.90% | +1.55% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 18.56% | 14.86% | +3.70% |