FMHI vs. SCMB

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Municipal High Income ETF (FMHI) and Schwab Municipal Bond ETF (SCMB).

FMHI and SCMB are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FMHI is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Nov 1, 2017. SCMB is a passively managed fund by Charles Schwab that tracks the performance of the ICE AMT-Free Core U.S. National Municipal Index - Benchmark TR Gross. It was launched on Oct 11, 2022.

Performance

FMHI vs. SCMB - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Municipal High Income ETF (FMHI) and Schwab Municipal Bond ETF (SCMB). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FMHI vs. SCMB - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
FMHI First Trust Municipal High Income ETF	0.67%	3.54%	5.41%	7.20%	1.71%
SCMB Schwab Municipal Bond ETF	-0.33%	3.78%	0.91%	5.86%	3.05%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FMHI achieves a 0.67% return, which is significantly higher than SCMB's -0.33% return.

FMHI

• 1D: 0.40%
• 1M: -1.21%
• YTD: 0.67%
• 6M: 2.57%
• 1Y: 3.67%
• 3Y*: 4.81%
• 5Y*: 1.07%
• 10Y*: —

SCMB

• 1D: 0.18%
• 1M: -2.05%
• YTD: -0.33%
• 6M: 1.25%
• 1Y: 3.75%
• 3Y*: 2.51%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

FMHI vs. SCMB - Expense Ratio Comparison

FMHI has a 0.55% expense ratio, which is higher than SCMB's 0.03% expense ratio.

FMHI

First Trust Municipal High Income ETF

SCMB

Schwab Municipal Bond ETF

Return for Risk

FMHI vs. SCMB — Risk / Return Rank

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

FMHI

FMHI Risk / Return Rank: 34
FMHI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 38
FMHI Sortino Ratio Rank: 31
FMHI Omega Ratio Rank: 44
FMHI Calmar Ratio Rank: 32
FMHI Martin Ratio Rank: 26

SCMB

SCMB Risk / Return Rank: 42
SCMB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 47
SCMB Sortino Ratio Rank: 40
SCMB Omega Ratio Rank: 53
SCMB Calmar Ratio Rank: 40
SCMB Martin Ratio Rank: 33

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.

FMHI vs. SCMB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Municipal High Income ETF (FMHI) and Schwab Municipal Bond ETF (SCMB). 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.

	FMHI	SCMB	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.76	0.91	-0.15
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.98	1.18	-0.20
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.18	1.21	-0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.86	1.08	-0.21
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	2.21	3.02	-0.82
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FMHI vs. SCMB - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FMHI Sharpe Ratio is 0.76, which is comparable to the SCMB Sharpe Ratio of 0.91. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FMHI and SCMB, 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

	FMHI	SCMB	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.76	0.91	-0.15
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.23	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.53	0.91	-0.38

Correlation

The correlation between FMHI and SCMB is 0.77, 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

FMHI vs. SCMB - Dividend Comparison

FMHI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.25%, more than SCMB's 3.45% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FMHI First Trust Municipal High Income ETF	4.25%	4.16%	4.01%	3.89%	3.57%	2.87%	3.13%	3.33%	3.46%	0.30%
SCMB Schwab Municipal Bond ETF	3.45%	3.36%	3.34%	3.10%	0.59%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

FMHI vs. SCMB - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FMHI drawdown since its inception was -18.83%, which is greater than SCMB's maximum drawdown of -6.13%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FMHI and SCMB.

Drawdown Indicators

	FMHI	SCMB	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-18.83%	-6.13%	-12.70%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-4.89%	-3.79%	-1.10%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.83%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.41%	-2.24%	+0.83%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.60%	-1.32%	-3.28%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.91%	1.35%	+0.56%

Volatility

FMHI vs. SCMB - Volatility Comparison

First Trust Municipal High Income ETF (FMHI) and Schwab Municipal Bond ETF (SCMB) have volatilities of 1.42% and 1.39%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FMHI	SCMB	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.42%	1.39%	+0.03%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.98%	2.03%	-0.05%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.88%	4.15%	+0.73%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	4.75%	4.21%	+0.54%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	5.77%	4.21%	+1.56%