FEX vs. SPTM

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund (FEX) and SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF (SPTM).

FEX and SPTM 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. SPTM is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P Composite 1500 Index. It was launched on Oct 4, 2000. Both FEX and SPTM 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

FEX vs. SPTM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund (FEX) and SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF (SPTM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FEX vs. SPTM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FEX First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund	3.04%	15.05%	17.07%	14.31%	-11.86%	26.83%	14.28%	26.93%	-9.89%	21.41%
SPTM SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF	-3.88%	16.93%	23.87%	25.55%	-17.75%	28.58%	17.94%	31.34%	-5.30%	21.18%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FEX achieves a 3.04% return, which is significantly higher than SPTM's -3.88% return. Over the past 10 years, FEX has underperformed SPTM with an annualized return of 11.97%, while SPTM has yielded a comparatively higher 13.82% annualized 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%

SPTM

• 1D: 2.86%
• 1M: -5.00%
• YTD: -3.88%
• 6M: -1.39%
• 1Y: 17.66%
• 3Y*: 17.75%
• 5Y*: 11.28%
• 10Y*: 13.82%

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

FEX vs. SPTM - Expense Ratio Comparison

FEX has a 0.59% expense ratio, which is higher than SPTM's 0.03% expense ratio.

FEX

First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund

SPTM

SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF

Return for Risk

FEX vs. SPTM — Risk / Return Rank

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

FEX

FEX Risk / Return Rank: 68
FEX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 66
FEX Sortino Ratio Rank: 66
FEX Omega Ratio Rank: 67
FEX Calmar Ratio Rank: 64
FEX Martin Ratio Rank: 76

SPTM

SPTM Risk / Return Rank: 64
SPTM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 58
SPTM Sortino Ratio Rank: 61
SPTM Omega Ratio Rank: 64
SPTM Calmar Ratio Rank: 64
SPTM 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.

FEX vs. SPTM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund (FEX) and SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF (SPTM). 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	SPTM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.15	0.97	+0.18
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.66	1.48	+0.18
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.25	1.22	+0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.62	1.51	+0.12
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.98	7.28	+0.70
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FEX vs. SPTM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FEX Sharpe Ratio is 1.15, which is comparable to the SPTM Sharpe Ratio of 0.97. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FEX and SPTM, 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

	FEX	SPTM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.15	0.97	+0.18
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.61	0.67	-0.06
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.65	0.77	-0.12
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.45	0.43	+0.02

Correlation

The correlation between FEX and SPTM is 0.88, 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

FEX vs. SPTM - Dividend Comparison

FEX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.06%, less than SPTM's 1.20% 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%
SPTM SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF	1.20%	1.13%	1.28%	1.44%	1.69%	1.25%	1.56%	1.72%	1.90%	1.66%	1.91%	1.92%

Drawdowns

FEX vs. SPTM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FEX drawdown since its inception was -58.81%, which is greater than SPTM's maximum drawdown of -54.80%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FEX and SPTM.

Drawdown Indicators

	FEX	SPTM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-58.81%	-54.80%	-4.01%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.08%	-12.21%	-0.87%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.27%	-24.14%	+2.87%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-39.51%	-34.66%	-4.85%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.27%	-6.07%	+1.80%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.95%	-9.10%	+1.15%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.66%	2.53%	+0.13%

Volatility

FEX vs. SPTM - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund (FEX) is 4.81%, while SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF (SPTM) has a volatility of 5.32%. This indicates that FEX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SPTM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FEX	SPTM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.81%	5.32%	-0.51%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.73%	9.52%	+0.21%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.71%	18.32%	-0.61%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.45%	16.88%	-0.43%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.56%	18.03%	+0.53%