FTGC vs. GRID

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund (FTGC) and First Trust Nasdaq Clean Edge Smart GRID Infrastructure Index (GRID).

FTGC and GRID are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FTGC is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Oct 23, 2013. GRID is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ OMX Clean Edge Smart Grid Infrastructure Index. It was launched on Nov 17, 2009.

Performance

FTGC vs. GRID - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund (FTGC) and First Trust Nasdaq Clean Edge Smart GRID Infrastructure Index (GRID). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FTGC vs. GRID - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FTGC First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund	25.41%	14.61%	9.96%	-5.36%	17.36%	27.95%	2.17%	6.40%	-12.75%	2.73%
GRID First Trust Nasdaq Clean Edge Smart GRID Infrastructure Index	6.96%	29.65%	15.18%	21.57%	-13.89%	27.65%	48.84%	42.80%	-22.69%	27.44%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FTGC achieves a 25.41% return, which is significantly higher than GRID's 6.96% return. Over the past 10 years, FTGC has underperformed GRID with an annualized return of 8.37%, while GRID has yielded a comparatively higher 18.08% annualized return.

FTGC

• 1D: 0.53%
• 1M: 14.11%
• YTD: 25.41%
• 6M: 30.43%
• 1Y: 34.03%
• 3Y*: 15.69%
• 5Y*: 15.71%
• 10Y*: 8.37%

GRID

• 1D: 3.81%
• 1M: -7.97%
• YTD: 6.96%
• 6M: 8.57%
• 1Y: 46.12%
• 3Y*: 20.12%
• 5Y*: 14.69%
• 10Y*: 18.08%

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

FTGC vs. GRID - Expense Ratio Comparison

FTGC has a 0.95% expense ratio, which is higher than GRID's 0.70% expense ratio.

FTGC

First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund

GRID

First Trust Nasdaq Clean Edge Smart GRID Infrastructure Index

Return for Risk

FTGC vs. GRID — Risk / Return Rank

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

FTGC

FTGC Risk / Return Rank: 91
FTGC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
FTGC Sortino Ratio Rank: 92
FTGC Omega Ratio Rank: 90
FTGC Calmar Ratio Rank: 93
FTGC Martin Ratio Rank: 89

GRID

GRID Risk / Return Rank: 94
GRID Sharpe Ratio Rank: 94
GRID Sortino Ratio Rank: 95
GRID Omega Ratio Rank: 93
GRID Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
GRID Martin Ratio Rank: 95

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.

FTGC vs. GRID - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund (FTGC) and First Trust Nasdaq Clean Edge Smart GRID Infrastructure Index (GRID). 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.

	FTGC	GRID	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.05	2.16	-0.12
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.67	2.95	-0.28
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.37	1.41	-0.04
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.39	3.82	-0.44
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	10.79	14.42	-3.63
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FTGC vs. GRID - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FTGC Sharpe Ratio is 2.05, which is comparable to the GRID Sharpe Ratio of 2.16. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FTGC and GRID, 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

	FTGC	GRID	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.05	2.16	-0.12
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.99	0.71	+0.28
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.57	0.80	-0.23
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.23	0.52	-0.29

Correlation

The correlation between FTGC and GRID is 0.25, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

FTGC vs. GRID - Dividend Comparison

FTGC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 15.29%, more than GRID's 0.92% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FTGC First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund	15.29%	17.74%	3.05%	3.34%	10.35%	7.21%	0.00%	0.81%	0.80%	1.21%	0.00%	0.00%
GRID First Trust Nasdaq Clean Edge Smart GRID Infrastructure Index	0.92%	1.01%	1.06%	1.23%	1.26%	0.63%	0.68%	1.26%	1.28%	1.07%	1.07%	1.23%

Drawdowns

FTGC vs. GRID - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FTGC drawdown since its inception was -59.47%, which is greater than GRID's maximum drawdown of -40.56%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FTGC and GRID.

Drawdown Indicators

	FTGC	GRID	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-59.47%	-40.56%	-18.91%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.36%	-11.73%	+1.37%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-22.64%	-29.64%	+7.00%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.91%	-40.56%	+4.65%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	-8.37%	+8.37%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-27.79%	-8.50%	-19.29%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.25%	3.11%	+0.14%

Volatility

FTGC vs. GRID - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund (FTGC) is 6.58%, while First Trust Nasdaq Clean Edge Smart GRID Infrastructure Index (GRID) has a volatility of 9.26%. This indicates that FTGC experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than GRID based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FTGC	GRID	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.58%	9.26%	-2.68%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.86%	14.14%	-1.28%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.72%	21.44%	-4.72%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.94%	20.68%	-4.74%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.69%	22.74%	-8.05%