FPA vs. FLAX
Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Asia Pacific ex-Japan AlphaDEX Fund (FPA) and Franklin FTSE Asia ex Japan ETF (FLAX).
FPA and FLAX are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FPA is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ AlphaDEX Asia Pacific Ex-Japan Index. It was launched on Apr 18, 2011. FLAX is a passively managed fund by Franklin Templeton that tracks the performance of the FTSE Asia ex Japan RIC Capped Index. It was launched on Feb 6, 2018. Both FPA and FLAX 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
FPA vs. FLAX - Performance Comparison
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FPA vs. FLAX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FPA First Trust Asia Pacific ex-Japan AlphaDEX Fund | 17.42% | 43.16% | 3.95% | 9.97% | -14.55% | 2.98% | 13.43% | 8.91% | -18.94% |
FLAX Franklin FTSE Asia ex Japan ETF | 3.14% | 33.72% | 9.82% | 6.27% | -18.88% | -3.54% | 24.17% | 17.19% | -12.02% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FPA achieves a 17.42% return, which is significantly higher than FLAX's 3.14% return.
FPA
- 1D
- 3.37%
- 1M
- -12.20%
- YTD
- 17.42%
- 6M
- 20.56%
- 1Y
- 61.12%
- 3Y*
- 21.98%
- 5Y*
- 9.33%
- 10Y*
- 8.13%
FLAX
- 1D
- 3.31%
- 1M
- -9.20%
- YTD
- 3.14%
- 6M
- 7.81%
- 1Y
- 33.81%
- 3Y*
- 15.61%
- 5Y*
- 3.61%
- 10Y*
- —
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FPA vs. FLAX - Expense Ratio Comparison
FPA has a 0.80% expense ratio, which is higher than FLAX's 0.19% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
FPA vs. FLAX — Risk / Return Rank
FPA
FLAX
FPA vs. FLAX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Asia Pacific ex-Japan AlphaDEX Fund (FPA) and Franklin FTSE Asia ex Japan ETF (FLAX). 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.
| FPA | FLAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 2.40 | 1.73 | +0.68 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 3.14 | 2.39 | +0.75 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.44 | 1.35 | +0.09 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.96 | 2.57 | +1.39 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 16.04 | 10.05 | +5.98 |
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
| FPA | FLAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.40 | 1.73 | +0.68 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.41 | 0.20 | +0.21 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.37 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.26 | 0.31 | -0.05 |
Correlation
The correlation between FPA and FLAX is 0.63, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.
Dividends
FPA vs. FLAX - Dividend Comparison
FPA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.54%, more than FLAX's 2.30% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FPA First Trust Asia Pacific ex-Japan AlphaDEX Fund | 4.54% | 4.71% | 3.40% | 3.02% | 4.22% | 5.12% | 1.59% | 3.90% | 2.81% | 3.15% | 2.42% | 1.74% |
FLAX Franklin FTSE Asia ex Japan ETF | 2.30% | 2.37% | 3.12% | 2.20% | 2.86% | 2.38% | 1.57% | 2.23% | 2.35% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
FPA vs. FLAX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FPA drawdown since its inception was -52.91%, which is greater than FLAX's maximum drawdown of -42.51%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FPA and FLAX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FPA | FLAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -52.91% | -42.51% | -10.40% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -15.37% | -12.99% | -2.38% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -35.36% | -39.07% | +3.71% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -52.91% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -12.52% | -10.12% | -2.40% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -13.60% | -15.70% | +2.10% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.80% | 3.32% | +0.48% |
Volatility
FPA vs. FLAX - Volatility Comparison
First Trust Asia Pacific ex-Japan AlphaDEX Fund (FPA) has a higher volatility of 12.28% compared to Franklin FTSE Asia ex Japan ETF (FLAX) at 9.89%. This indicates that FPA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FLAX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| FPA | FLAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 12.28% | 9.89% | +2.39% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 17.57% | 14.21% | +3.36% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 25.56% | 19.67% | +5.89% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 23.12% | 18.55% | +4.57% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 21.91% | 19.75% | +2.16% |