FTDS vs. SPMD

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Dividend Strength ETF (FTDS) and SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF (SPMD).

FTDS and SPMD are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FTDS is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Dividend Strength Index. It was launched on Dec 5, 2006. SPMD is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P MidCap 400 Index. It was launched on Nov 8, 2005. Both FTDS and SPMD 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

FTDS vs. SPMD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Dividend Strength ETF (FTDS) and SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF (SPMD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FTDS vs. SPMD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FTDS First Trust Dividend Strength ETF	7.34%	13.64%	11.12%	11.75%	-13.54%	24.79%	14.16%	24.29%	-10.35%	20.07%
SPMD SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF	2.59%	7.44%	13.91%	16.48%	-13.13%	24.76%	13.46%	25.19%	-10.34%	15.12%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FTDS achieves a 7.34% return, which is significantly higher than SPMD's 2.59% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with FTDS having a 11.06% annualized return and SPMD not far behind at 10.73%.

FTDS

• 1D: 0.71%
• 1M: -2.93%
• YTD: 7.34%
• 6M: 9.57%
• 1Y: 20.58%
• 3Y*: 14.86%
• 5Y*: 7.57%
• 10Y*: 11.06%

SPMD

• 1D: 2.99%
• 1M: -5.29%
• YTD: 2.59%
• 6M: 4.27%
• 1Y: 17.37%
• 3Y*: 12.11%
• 5Y*: 6.60%
• 10Y*: 10.73%

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

FTDS vs. SPMD - Expense Ratio Comparison

FTDS has a 0.70% expense ratio, which is higher than SPMD's 0.05% expense ratio.

FTDS

First Trust Dividend Strength ETF

SPMD

SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF

Return for Risk

FTDS vs. SPMD — Risk / Return Rank

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

FTDS

FTDS Risk / Return Rank: 66
FTDS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 64
FTDS Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
FTDS Omega Ratio Rank: 64
FTDS Calmar Ratio Rank: 64
FTDS Martin Ratio Rank: 71

SPMD

SPMD Risk / Return Rank: 52
SPMD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 49
SPMD Sortino Ratio Rank: 51
SPMD Omega Ratio Rank: 49
SPMD Calmar Ratio Rank: 53
SPMD Martin Ratio Rank: 59

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.

FTDS vs. SPMD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Dividend Strength ETF (FTDS) and SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF (SPMD). 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.

	FTDS	SPMD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.15	0.83	+0.32
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.74	1.30	+0.44
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.24	1.18	+0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.66	1.25	+0.41
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.46	5.41	+2.05
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FTDS vs. SPMD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FTDS Sharpe Ratio is 1.15, which is higher than the SPMD Sharpe Ratio of 0.83. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FTDS and SPMD, 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

	FTDS	SPMD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.15	0.83	+0.32
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.43	0.34	+0.09
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.55	0.51	+0.04
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.32	0.43	-0.11

Correlation

The correlation between FTDS and SPMD is 0.68, 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

FTDS vs. SPMD - Dividend Comparison

FTDS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.64%, more than SPMD's 1.37% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FTDS First Trust Dividend Strength ETF	1.64%	1.59%	2.05%	2.15%	2.31%	0.72%	0.99%	1.13%	1.14%	0.79%	1.24%	0.95%
SPMD SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF	1.37%	1.39%	1.42%	1.47%	1.64%	1.24%	1.30%	1.57%	1.85%	1.97%	2.13%	5.33%

Drawdowns

FTDS vs. SPMD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FTDS drawdown since its inception was -56.53%, roughly equal to the maximum SPMD drawdown of -57.62%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FTDS and SPMD.

Drawdown Indicators

	FTDS	SPMD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-56.53%	-57.62%	+1.09%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.98%	-14.12%	+1.14%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-23.35%	-24.08%	+0.73%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-42.47%	-41.86%	-0.61%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.74%	-6.13%	+2.39%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.92%	-8.18%	-1.74%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.89%	3.27%	-0.38%

Volatility

FTDS vs. SPMD - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for First Trust Dividend Strength ETF (FTDS) is 2.94%, while SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF (SPMD) has a volatility of 6.56%. This indicates that FTDS experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SPMD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FTDS	SPMD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.94%	6.56%	-3.62%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.68%	11.95%	-2.27%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.99%	21.11%	-3.12%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.65%	19.71%	-2.06%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.14%	21.18%	-1.04%