FTXN vs. XLEI

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Nasdaq Oil & Gas ETF (FTXN) and State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF (XLEI).

FTXN and XLEI are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FTXN is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Nasdaq U.S. Smart Oil & Gas Index. It was launched on Sep 20, 2016. XLEI is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P Energy Select Sector. It was launched on Jul 29, 2025. Both FTXN and XLEI 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

FTXN vs. XLEI - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Nasdaq Oil & Gas ETF (FTXN) and State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF (XLEI). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FTXN vs. XLEI - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
FTXN First Trust Nasdaq Oil & Gas ETF	34.14%	0.29%
XLEI State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF	17.92%	6.77%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FTXN achieves a 34.14% return, which is significantly higher than XLEI's 17.92% return.

FTXN

• 1D: -3.32%
• 1M: 5.47%
• YTD: 34.14%
• 6M: 31.92%
• 1Y: 26.04%
• 3Y*: 14.63%
• 5Y*: 21.26%
• 10Y*: —

XLEI

• 1D: -2.12%
• 1M: 4.17%
• YTD: 17.92%
• 6M: 22.25%
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

FTXN vs. XLEI - Expense Ratio Comparison

FTXN has a 0.60% expense ratio, which is higher than XLEI's 0.35% expense ratio.

FTXN

First Trust Nasdaq Oil & Gas ETF

XLEI

State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF

Return for Risk

FTXN vs. XLEI — Risk / Return Rank

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

FTXN

FTXN Risk / Return Rank: 43
FTXN Sharpe Ratio Rank: 47
FTXN Sortino Ratio Rank: 44
FTXN Omega Ratio Rank: 46
FTXN Calmar Ratio Rank: 44
FTXN Martin Ratio Rank: 33

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.

FTXN vs. XLEI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Nasdaq Oil & Gas ETF (FTXN) and State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF (XLEI). 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.

	FTXN	XLEI	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.91	—	—
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.30	—	—
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.19	—	—
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.22	—	—
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.11	—	—
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	FTXN	XLEI	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.91	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.71	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.29	3.50	-3.22

Correlation

The correlation between FTXN and XLEI is 0.92, 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

FTXN vs. XLEI - Dividend Comparison

FTXN's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.02%, less than XLEI's 13.66% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
FTXN First Trust Nasdaq Oil & Gas ETF	2.02%	2.83%	2.51%	3.41%	2.26%	1.04%	1.76%	2.72%	2.16%	1.78%	0.20%
XLEI State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF	13.66%	10.17%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

FTXN vs. XLEI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FTXN drawdown since its inception was -73.49%, which is greater than XLEI's maximum drawdown of -5.31%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FTXN and XLEI.

Drawdown Indicators

	FTXN	XLEI	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-73.49%	-5.31%	-68.18%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-21.61%	—	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-29.97%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.37%	-3.02%	-3.35%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-19.43%	-0.95%	-18.48%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	8.49%	—	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	FTXN	XLEI	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.67%	—	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.59%	—	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	28.67%	11.73%	+16.94%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	30.03%	11.73%	+18.30%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	31.86%	11.73%	+20.13%