FTCS vs. USMV

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS) and iShares MSCI USA Minimum Volatility Factor ETF (USMV).

FTCS and USMV are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FTCS is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the The NASDAQ Capital Strength Index. It was launched on Jul 6, 2006. USMV is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI USA Minimum Volatility Index. It was launched on Oct 18, 2011. Both FTCS and USMV 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

FTCS vs. USMV - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS) and iShares MSCI USA Minimum Volatility Factor ETF (USMV). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FTCS vs. USMV - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FTCS First Trust Capital Strength ETF	0.54%	6.46%	11.19%	8.48%	-10.22%	26.75%	13.05%	26.71%	-4.22%	26.57%
USMV iShares MSCI USA Minimum Volatility Factor ETF	-1.18%	7.65%	15.74%	10.33%	-9.43%	20.85%	5.64%	27.69%	1.33%	18.91%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FTCS achieves a 0.54% return, which is significantly higher than USMV's -1.18% return. Over the past 10 years, FTCS has outperformed USMV with an annualized return of 10.24%, while USMV has yielded a comparatively lower 9.64% annualized return.

FTCS

• 1D: -0.04%
• 1M: -6.46%
• YTD: 0.54%
• 6M: 0.03%
• 1Y: 4.55%
• 3Y*: 9.73%
• 5Y*: 6.79%
• 10Y*: 10.24%

USMV

• 1D: -0.08%
• 1M: -4.74%
• YTD: -1.18%
• 6M: -1.61%
• 1Y: 0.57%
• 3Y*: 10.26%
• 5Y*: 7.59%
• 10Y*: 9.64%

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

FTCS vs. USMV - Expense Ratio Comparison

FTCS has a 0.56% expense ratio, which is higher than USMV's 0.15% expense ratio.

FTCS

First Trust Capital Strength ETF

USMV

iShares MSCI USA Minimum Volatility Factor ETF

Return for Risk

FTCS vs. USMV — Risk / Return Rank

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

FTCS

FTCS Risk / Return Rank: 21
FTCS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 20
FTCS Sortino Ratio Rank: 20
FTCS Omega Ratio Rank: 20
FTCS Calmar Ratio Rank: 22
FTCS Martin Ratio Rank: 25

USMV

USMV Risk / Return Rank: 12
USMV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 13
USMV Sortino Ratio Rank: 11
USMV Omega Ratio Rank: 11
USMV Calmar Ratio Rank: 13
USMV Martin Ratio Rank: 14

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.

FTCS vs. USMV - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS) and iShares MSCI USA Minimum Volatility Factor ETF (USMV). 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.

	FTCS	USMV	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.34	0.05	+0.29
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.59	0.15	+0.44
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.08	1.02	+0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.49	0.06	+0.43
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.87	0.25	+1.63
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FTCS vs. USMV - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FTCS Sharpe Ratio is 0.34, which is higher than the USMV Sharpe Ratio of 0.05. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FTCS and USMV, 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

	FTCS	USMV	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.34	0.05	+0.29
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.52	0.62	-0.10
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.66	0.67	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.51	0.85	-0.35

Correlation

The correlation between FTCS and USMV 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

FTCS vs. USMV - Dividend Comparison

FTCS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.12%, less than USMV's 1.59% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FTCS First Trust Capital Strength ETF	1.12%	1.04%	1.33%	1.47%	1.23%	1.06%	0.93%	1.26%	1.26%	1.15%	1.43%	1.50%
USMV iShares MSCI USA Minimum Volatility Factor ETF	1.59%	1.49%	1.67%	1.82%	1.62%	1.26%	1.81%	1.88%	2.12%	1.77%	2.22%	2.02%

Drawdowns

FTCS vs. USMV - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FTCS drawdown since its inception was -53.64%, which is greater than USMV's maximum drawdown of -33.10%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FTCS and USMV.

Drawdown Indicators

	FTCS	USMV	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-53.64%	-33.10%	-20.54%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.38%	-8.91%	-0.47%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-20.93%	-17.93%	-3.00%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-31.93%	-33.10%	+1.17%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.46%	-4.87%	-1.59%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.93%	-2.88%	-4.05%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.46%	2.03%	+0.43%

Volatility

FTCS vs. USMV - Volatility Comparison

First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS) has a higher volatility of 3.18% compared to iShares MSCI USA Minimum Volatility Factor ETF (USMV) at 3.02%. This indicates that FTCS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than USMV based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FTCS	USMV	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.18%	3.02%	+0.16%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.05%	6.07%	+0.98%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.55%	12.50%	+1.05%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	13.14%	12.38%	+0.76%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.54%	14.51%	+1.03%