FXL vs. XLK

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Technology AlphaDEX Fund (FXL) and State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK).

FXL and XLK are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FXL is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the StrataQuant Technology Index. It was launched on May 8, 2007. XLK is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P Technology Select Sector Daily Capped 35/20 Index. It was launched on Dec 16, 1998. Both FXL and XLK 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

FXL vs. XLK - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Technology AlphaDEX Fund (FXL) and State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FXL vs. XLK - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FXL First Trust Technology AlphaDEX Fund	-5.59%	13.29%	16.13%	40.50%	-30.44%	18.20%	54.20%	38.66%	2.72%	35.82%
XLK State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF	-7.57%	24.61%	21.63%	56.02%	-27.73%	34.74%	43.62%	49.86%	-1.68%	34.26%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FXL achieves a -5.59% return, which is significantly higher than XLK's -7.57% return. Over the past 10 years, FXL has underperformed XLK with an annualized return of 17.30%, while XLK has yielded a comparatively higher 20.82% annualized return.

FXL

• 1D: 4.22%
• 1M: -4.11%
• YTD: -5.59%
• 6M: -5.43%
• 1Y: 20.14%
• 3Y*: 14.92%
• 5Y*: 6.57%
• 10Y*: 17.30%

XLK

• 1D: 4.24%
• 1M: -4.10%
• YTD: -7.57%
• 6M: -5.44%
• 1Y: 29.46%
• 3Y*: 21.58%
• 5Y*: 15.31%
• 10Y*: 20.82%

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

FXL vs. XLK - Expense Ratio Comparison

FXL has a 0.61% expense ratio, which is higher than XLK's 0.08% expense ratio.

FXL

First Trust Technology AlphaDEX Fund

XLK

State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF

Return for Risk

FXL vs. XLK — Risk / Return Rank

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

FXL

FXL Risk / Return Rank: 45
FXL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 40
FXL Sortino Ratio Rank: 44
FXL Omega Ratio Rank: 42
FXL Calmar Ratio Rank: 52
FXL Martin Ratio Rank: 47

XLK

XLK Risk / Return Rank: 69
XLK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 66
XLK Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
XLK Omega Ratio Rank: 67
XLK Calmar Ratio Rank: 75
XLK Martin Ratio Rank: 65

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.

FXL vs. XLK - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Technology AlphaDEX Fund (FXL) and State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK). 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.

	FXL	XLK	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.72	1.10	-0.37
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.20	1.66	-0.47
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.16	1.23	-0.07
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.30	1.85	-0.55
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.37	5.98	-1.61
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FXL vs. XLK - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FXL Sharpe Ratio is 0.72, which is lower than the XLK Sharpe Ratio of 1.10. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FXL and XLK, 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

	FXL	XLK	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.72	1.10	-0.37
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.27	0.62	-0.36
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.69	0.86	-0.17
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.48	0.36	+0.12

Correlation

The correlation between FXL and XLK is 0.86, 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

FXL vs. XLK - Dividend Comparison

FXL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.01%, less than XLK's 0.57% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FXL First Trust Technology AlphaDEX Fund	0.01%	0.01%	0.11%	0.41%	0.34%	0.11%	0.04%	0.37%	0.32%	0.27%	1.12%	0.36%
XLK State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF	0.57%	0.54%	0.66%	0.76%	1.04%	0.65%	0.92%	1.16%	1.60%	1.37%	1.74%	1.79%

Drawdowns

FXL vs. XLK - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FXL drawdown since its inception was -61.41%, smaller than the maximum XLK drawdown of -82.05%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FXL and XLK.

Drawdown Indicators

	FXL	XLK	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-61.41%	-82.05%	+20.64%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.84%	-15.92%	+1.08%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-38.49%	-33.56%	-4.93%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-38.49%	-33.56%	-4.93%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.91%	-12.36%	+2.45%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.46%	-35.17%	+23.71%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.42%	4.93%	-0.51%

Volatility

FXL vs. XLK - Volatility Comparison

First Trust Technology AlphaDEX Fund (FXL) and State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) have volatilities of 8.19% and 8.06%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FXL	XLK	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.19%	8.06%	+0.13%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	17.53%	16.43%	+1.10%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	27.98%	27.02%	+0.96%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	24.94%	24.72%	+0.22%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.13%	24.33%	+0.80%