FTLS vs. EMPB

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF (FTLS) and Efficient Market Portfolio Plus ETF (EMPB).

FTLS and EMPB are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FTLS is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Sep 9, 2014. EMPB is an actively managed fund by Empowered Funds. It was launched on Dec 11, 2024.

Performance

FTLS vs. EMPB - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF (FTLS) and Efficient Market Portfolio Plus ETF (EMPB). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FTLS vs. EMPB - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
FTLS First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF	-0.80%	9.09%	-1.53%
EMPB Efficient Market Portfolio Plus ETF	1.31%	14.84%	0.89%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FTLS achieves a -0.80% return, which is significantly lower than EMPB's 1.31% return.

FTLS

• 1D: 1.32%
• 1M: -1.17%
• YTD: -0.80%
• 6M: 0.98%
• 1Y: 10.88%
• 3Y*: 12.98%
• 5Y*: 9.94%
• 10Y*: 9.10%

EMPB

• 1D: 2.72%
• 1M: -1.38%
• YTD: 1.31%
• 6M: -0.11%
• 1Y: 16.63%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

FTLS vs. EMPB - Expense Ratio Comparison

FTLS has a 1.60% expense ratio, which is lower than EMPB's 1.82% expense ratio.

EMPB

Efficient Market Portfolio Plus ETF

FTLS

First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF

Return for Risk

FTLS vs. EMPB — Risk / Return Rank

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

FTLS

FTLS Risk / Return Rank: 68
FTLS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 62
FTLS Sortino Ratio Rank: 63
FTLS Omega Ratio Rank: 59
FTLS Calmar Ratio Rank: 76
FTLS Martin Ratio Rank: 78

EMPB

EMPB Risk / Return Rank: 76
EMPB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
EMPB Sortino Ratio Rank: 77
EMPB Omega Ratio Rank: 68
EMPB Calmar Ratio Rank: 87
EMPB Martin Ratio Rank: 74

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.

FTLS vs. EMPB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF (FTLS) and Efficient Market Portfolio Plus ETF (EMPB). 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.

	FTLS	EMPB	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.04	1.37	-0.32
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.56	2.03	-0.48
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.26	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.90	2.76	-0.85
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.02	8.07	-0.05
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FTLS vs. EMPB - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FTLS Sharpe Ratio is 1.04, which is comparable to the EMPB Sharpe Ratio of 1.37. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FTLS and EMPB, 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

	FTLS	EMPB	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.04	1.37	-0.32
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.94	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.81	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.77	1.09	-0.32

Correlation

The correlation between FTLS and EMPB is 0.66, 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

FTLS vs. EMPB - Dividend Comparison

FTLS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.95%, more than EMPB's 0.87% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FTLS First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF	0.95%	1.07%	1.50%	1.49%	0.81%	0.01%	0.44%	0.83%	0.87%	0.43%	1.04%	0.49%
EMPB Efficient Market Portfolio Plus ETF	0.87%	0.88%	0.28%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

FTLS vs. EMPB - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FTLS drawdown since its inception was -20.54%, which is greater than EMPB's maximum drawdown of -7.55%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FTLS and EMPB.

Drawdown Indicators

	FTLS	EMPB	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-20.54%	-7.55%	-12.99%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-6.17%	-5.98%	-0.19%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-11.69%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-20.54%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.34%	-2.99%	+0.65%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.73%	-1.64%	-1.09%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.49%	2.04%	-0.55%

Volatility

FTLS vs. EMPB - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF (FTLS) is 2.93%, while Efficient Market Portfolio Plus ETF (EMPB) has a volatility of 5.97%. This indicates that FTLS experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than EMPB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FTLS	EMPB	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.93%	5.97%	-3.04%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.53%	9.49%	-2.96%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.50%	12.21%	-1.71%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	10.65%	12.26%	-1.61%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	11.31%	12.26%	-0.95%