FJP vs. DBJP

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Japan AlphaDEX Fund (FJP) and Xtrackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity ETF (DBJP).

FJP and DBJP are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FJP is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ AlphaDEX Japan Index. It was launched on Apr 18, 2011. DBJP is a passively managed fund by Deutsche Bank that tracks the performance of the MSCI Japan US Dollar Hedged Index. It was launched on Jun 9, 2011. Both FJP and DBJP 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

FJP vs. DBJP - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Japan AlphaDEX Fund (FJP) and Xtrackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity ETF (DBJP). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FJP vs. DBJP - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FJP First Trust Japan AlphaDEX Fund	8.24%	33.60%	5.80%	23.00%	-12.83%	-1.13%	3.60%	7.72%	-18.60%	27.63%
DBJP Xtrackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity ETF	6.72%	29.51%	25.53%	36.21%	-4.19%	13.04%	10.53%	20.87%	-14.82%	21.24%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FJP achieves a 8.24% return, which is significantly higher than DBJP's 6.72% return. Over the past 10 years, FJP has underperformed DBJP with an annualized return of 7.51%, while DBJP has yielded a comparatively higher 15.16% annualized return.

FJP

• 1D: 2.19%
• 1M: -11.26%
• YTD: 8.24%
• 6M: 13.78%
• 1Y: 36.33%
• 3Y*: 20.73%
• 5Y*: 9.22%
• 10Y*: 7.51%

DBJP

• 1D: 2.55%
• 1M: -6.59%
• YTD: 6.72%
• 6M: 18.90%
• 1Y: 40.80%
• 3Y*: 28.75%
• 5Y*: 18.47%
• 10Y*: 15.16%

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

FJP vs. DBJP - Expense Ratio Comparison

FJP has a 0.80% expense ratio, which is higher than DBJP's 0.46% expense ratio.

FJP

First Trust Japan AlphaDEX Fund

DBJP

Xtrackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity ETF

Return for Risk

FJP vs. DBJP — Risk / Return Rank

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

FJP

FJP Risk / Return Rank: 83
FJP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 84
FJP Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
FJP Omega Ratio Rank: 79
FJP Calmar Ratio Rank: 85
FJP Martin Ratio Rank: 83

DBJP

DBJP Risk / Return Rank: 89
DBJP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 86
DBJP Sortino Ratio Rank: 88
DBJP Omega Ratio Rank: 88
DBJP Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
DBJP Martin Ratio Rank: 92

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.

FJP vs. DBJP - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Japan AlphaDEX Fund (FJP) and Xtrackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity ETF (DBJP). 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.

	FJP	DBJP	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.64	1.74	-0.10
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.18	2.40	-0.22
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	1.35	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.51	3.16	-0.65
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.35	12.34	-2.99
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FJP vs. DBJP - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FJP Sharpe Ratio is 1.64, which is comparable to the DBJP Sharpe Ratio of 1.74. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FJP and DBJP, 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

	FJP	DBJP	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.64	1.74	-0.10
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.46	0.99	-0.52
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.40	0.77	-0.37
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.31	0.65	-0.34

Correlation

The correlation between FJP and DBJP is 0.71, 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

FJP vs. DBJP - Dividend Comparison

FJP's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.63%, which matches DBJP's 2.64% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FJP First Trust Japan AlphaDEX Fund	2.63%	2.68%	3.18%	3.49%	2.21%	2.43%	0.99%	2.80%	1.54%	1.29%	1.46%	0.85%
DBJP Xtrackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity ETF	2.64%	2.81%	2.80%	5.21%	0.80%	2.30%	2.53%	2.56%	3.87%	2.07%	1.13%	5.95%

Drawdowns

FJP vs. DBJP - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FJP drawdown since its inception was -41.51%, which is greater than DBJP's maximum drawdown of -31.30%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FJP and DBJP.

Drawdown Indicators

	FJP	DBJP	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-41.51%	-31.30%	-10.21%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.43%	-12.11%	-2.32%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-31.88%	-21.50%	-10.38%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-41.51%	-31.30%	-10.21%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-11.29%	-7.24%	-4.05%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.51%	-7.35%	-4.16%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.88%	3.21%	+0.67%

Volatility

FJP vs. DBJP - Volatility Comparison

First Trust Japan AlphaDEX Fund (FJP) has a higher volatility of 9.09% compared to Xtrackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity ETF (DBJP) at 8.10%. This indicates that FJP's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DBJP based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FJP	DBJP	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.09%	8.10%	+0.99%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.45%	14.62%	-0.17%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.21%	23.52%	-1.31%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.98%	18.85%	+1.13%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.75%	19.77%	-1.02%