FVC vs. ARB
Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Dorsey Wright Dynamic Focus 5 ETF (FVC) and AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF (ARB).
FVC and ARB are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FVC is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Dorsey Wright Dynamic Focus Five Index. It was launched on Mar 18, 2016. ARB is a passively managed fund by Water Island Capital Partners LP that tracks the performance of the Water Island Merger Arbitrage USD Hedged Index. It was launched on May 7, 2020. Both FVC and ARB 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
FVC vs. ARB - Performance Comparison
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FVC vs. ARB - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FVC First Trust Dorsey Wright Dynamic Focus 5 ETF | -3.36% | 2.12% | 12.43% | -4.59% | -6.03% | 21.92% | 32.16% |
ARB AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF | 0.91% | 6.05% | 4.07% | 3.85% | 2.67% | 3.16% | 3.78% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FVC achieves a -3.36% return, which is significantly lower than ARB's 0.91% return.
FVC
- 1D
- 0.91%
- 1M
- -6.96%
- YTD
- -3.36%
- 6M
- -1.69%
- 1Y
- 1.90%
- 3Y*
- 3.80%
- 5Y*
- 1.60%
- 10Y*
- 6.71%
ARB
- 1D
- 0.05%
- 1M
- 0.56%
- YTD
- 0.91%
- 6M
- 1.52%
- 1Y
- 4.55%
- 3Y*
- 5.52%
- 5Y*
- 4.13%
- 10Y*
- —
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FVC vs. ARB - Expense Ratio Comparison
FVC has a 0.71% expense ratio, which is lower than ARB's 0.87% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
FVC vs. ARB — Risk / Return Rank
FVC
ARB
FVC vs. ARB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Dorsey Wright Dynamic Focus 5 ETF (FVC) and AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF (ARB). 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.
| FVC | ARB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 0.14 | 1.64 | -1.50 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 0.29 | 2.38 | -2.09 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.04 | 1.33 | -0.28 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.16 | 3.59 | -3.42 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.69 | 17.51 | -16.82 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| FVC | ARB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.14 | 1.64 | -1.50 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.10 | 0.95 | -0.85 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.38 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.39 | 0.95 | -0.56 |
Correlation
The correlation between FVC and ARB is 0.33, 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
FVC vs. ARB - Dividend Comparison
FVC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.32%, more than ARB's 0.43% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FVC First Trust Dorsey Wright Dynamic Focus 5 ETF | 2.32% | 2.57% | 0.78% | 1.89% | 1.50% | 0.09% | 0.21% | 1.07% | 0.24% | 0.63% | 0.67% |
ARB AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF | 0.43% | 0.43% | 1.12% | 0.00% | 4.18% | 0.00% | 2.87% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
FVC vs. ARB - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FVC drawdown since its inception was -30.96%, which is greater than ARB's maximum drawdown of -5.60%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FVC and ARB.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FVC | ARB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -30.96% | -5.60% | -25.36% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -13.32% | -1.20% | -12.12% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -22.62% | -5.60% | -17.02% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -30.96% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -9.90% | 0.00% | -9.90% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -7.14% | -0.96% | -6.18% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.16% | 0.25% | +2.91% |
Volatility
FVC vs. ARB - Volatility Comparison
First Trust Dorsey Wright Dynamic Focus 5 ETF (FVC) has a higher volatility of 7.37% compared to AltShares Merger Arbitrage ETF (ARB) at 0.86%. This indicates that FVC's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ARB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| FVC | ARB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.37% | 0.86% | +6.51% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 11.09% | 2.01% | +9.08% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 13.19% | 2.79% | +10.40% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 16.29% | 4.37% | +11.92% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 17.54% | 4.41% | +13.13% |