FTHF vs. DFEM

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Emerging Markets Human Flourishing ETF (FTHF) and Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF (DFEM).

FTHF and DFEM are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FTHF is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Emerging Markets Human Flourishing Index. It was launched on Oct 30, 2023. DFEM is an actively managed fund by Dimensional. It was launched on Apr 26, 2022.

Performance

FTHF vs. DFEM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Emerging Markets Human Flourishing ETF (FTHF) and Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF (DFEM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FTHF vs. DFEM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
FTHF First Trust Emerging Markets Human Flourishing ETF	13.15%	65.30%	-8.14%	18.14%
DFEM Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF	4.58%	29.51%	7.53%	11.69%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FTHF achieves a 13.15% return, which is significantly higher than DFEM's 4.58% return.

FTHF

• 1D: 4.87%
• 1M: -11.82%
• YTD: 13.15%
• 6M: 30.54%
• 1Y: 74.58%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

DFEM

• 1D: 3.38%
• 1M: -8.36%
• YTD: 4.58%
• 6M: 8.55%
• 1Y: 33.76%
• 3Y*: 16.41%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

FTHF vs. DFEM - Expense Ratio Comparison

FTHF has a 0.75% expense ratio, which is higher than DFEM's 0.39% expense ratio.

FTHF

First Trust Emerging Markets Human Flourishing ETF

DFEM

Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF

Return for Risk

FTHF vs. DFEM — Risk / Return Rank

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

FTHF

FTHF Risk / Return Rank: 94
FTHF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 95
FTHF Sortino Ratio Rank: 94
FTHF Omega Ratio Rank: 96
FTHF Calmar Ratio Rank: 96
FTHF Martin Ratio Rank: 92

DFEM

DFEM Risk / Return Rank: 88
DFEM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 87
DFEM Sortino Ratio Rank: 88
DFEM Omega Ratio Rank: 88
DFEM Calmar Ratio Rank: 88
DFEM Martin Ratio Rank: 88

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.

FTHF vs. DFEM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Emerging Markets Human Flourishing ETF (FTHF) and Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF (DFEM). 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.

	FTHF	DFEM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.39	1.78	+0.61
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.97	2.36	+0.61
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.50	1.35	+0.15
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.52	2.69	+1.83
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	13.04	10.49	+2.55
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FTHF vs. DFEM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FTHF Sharpe Ratio is 2.39, which is higher than the DFEM Sharpe Ratio of 1.78. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FTHF and DFEM, 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

	FTHF	DFEM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.39	1.78	+0.61
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.42	0.67	+0.75

Correlation

The correlation between FTHF and DFEM is 0.85, 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

FTHF vs. DFEM - Dividend Comparison

FTHF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.98%, more than DFEM's 2.18% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022
FTHF First Trust Emerging Markets Human Flourishing ETF	3.98%	4.40%	3.34%	0.51%	0.00%
DFEM Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF	2.18%	2.32%	2.50%	2.38%	1.99%

Drawdowns

FTHF vs. DFEM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FTHF drawdown since its inception was -17.36%, smaller than the maximum DFEM drawdown of -20.82%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FTHF and DFEM.

Drawdown Indicators

	FTHF	DFEM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-17.36%	-20.82%	+3.46%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-16.31%	-12.29%	-4.02%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-12.23%	-9.15%	-3.08%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.33%	-5.16%	+0.83%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.65%	3.16%	+2.49%

Volatility

FTHF vs. DFEM - Volatility Comparison

First Trust Emerging Markets Human Flourishing ETF (FTHF) has a higher volatility of 15.47% compared to Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF (DFEM) at 10.03%. This indicates that FTHF's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DFEM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FTHF	DFEM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	15.47%	10.03%	+5.44%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	20.68%	13.86%	+6.82%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	31.44%	19.09%	+12.35%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	24.24%	16.80%	+7.44%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	24.24%	16.80%	+7.44%