FXZ vs. RING

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Materials AlphaDEX Fund (FXZ) and iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF (RING).

FXZ and RING are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FXZ is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the StrataQuant Materials Index. It was launched on May 8, 2007. RING is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI ACWI Select Gold Miners Investable Market Index. It was launched on Jan 31, 2012. Both FXZ and RING 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

FXZ vs. RING - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Materials AlphaDEX Fund (FXZ) and iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF (RING). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FXZ vs. RING - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FXZ First Trust Materials AlphaDEX Fund	17.95%	16.25%	-16.31%	16.27%	-0.92%	30.84%	22.52%	21.52%	-22.62%	23.72%
RING iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF	7.25%	164.72%	15.98%	12.29%	-15.40%	-7.46%	24.98%	49.92%	-13.14%	10.24%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FXZ achieves a 17.95% return, which is significantly higher than RING's 7.25% return. Over the past 10 years, FXZ has underperformed RING with an annualized return of 11.09%, while RING has yielded a comparatively higher 17.97% annualized return.

FXZ

• 1D: 3.07%
• 1M: -3.11%
• YTD: 17.95%
• 6M: 24.85%
• 1Y: 39.96%
• 3Y*: 7.22%
• 5Y*: 8.21%
• 10Y*: 11.09%

RING

• 1D: 6.67%
• 1M: -20.56%
• YTD: 7.25%
• 6M: 22.69%
• 1Y: 108.05%
• 3Y*: 48.58%
• 5Y*: 24.99%
• 10Y*: 17.97%

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

FXZ vs. RING - Expense Ratio Comparison

FXZ has a 0.67% expense ratio, which is higher than RING's 0.39% expense ratio.

FXZ

First Trust Materials AlphaDEX Fund

RING

iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF

Return for Risk

FXZ vs. RING — Risk / Return Rank

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

FXZ

FXZ Risk / Return Rank: 82
FXZ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 81
FXZ Sortino Ratio Rank: 82
FXZ Omega Ratio Rank: 77
FXZ Calmar Ratio Rank: 84
FXZ Martin Ratio Rank: 84

RING

RING Risk / Return Rank: 93
RING Sharpe Ratio Rank: 95
RING Sortino Ratio Rank: 91
RING Omega Ratio Rank: 91
RING Calmar Ratio Rank: 94
RING Martin Ratio Rank: 93

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.

FXZ vs. RING - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Materials AlphaDEX Fund (FXZ) and iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF (RING). 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.

	FXZ	RING	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.52	2.33	-0.81
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.12	2.52	-0.40
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.29	1.37	-0.08
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.45	3.64	-1.18
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.45	13.06	-3.62
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FXZ vs. RING - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FXZ Sharpe Ratio is 1.52, which is lower than the RING Sharpe Ratio of 2.33. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FXZ and RING, 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

	FXZ	RING	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.52	2.33	-0.81
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.34	0.70	-0.36
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.45	0.49	-0.04
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.33	0.12	+0.22

Correlation

The correlation between FXZ and RING is 0.28, 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

FXZ vs. RING - Dividend Comparison

FXZ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.52%, more than RING's 0.78% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FXZ First Trust Materials AlphaDEX Fund	1.52%	1.74%	1.81%	1.97%	1.56%	1.11%	1.51%	1.58%	1.38%	1.01%	1.19%	1.26%
RING iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF	0.78%	0.84%	1.43%	2.01%	2.29%	2.38%	0.83%	0.83%	0.70%	0.42%	1.41%	0.96%

Drawdowns

FXZ vs. RING - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FXZ drawdown since its inception was -65.46%, smaller than the maximum RING drawdown of -79.47%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FXZ and RING.

Drawdown Indicators

	FXZ	RING	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-65.46%	-79.47%	+14.01%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-16.38%	-30.11%	+13.73%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-33.99%	-47.94%	+13.95%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-49.41%	-52.04%	+2.63%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.10%	-20.56%	+16.46%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.45%	-47.75%	+36.30%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.25%	8.38%	-4.13%

Volatility

FXZ vs. RING - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for First Trust Materials AlphaDEX Fund (FXZ) is 8.64%, while iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF (RING) has a volatility of 18.16%. This indicates that FXZ experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than RING based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FXZ	RING	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.64%	18.16%	-9.52%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	17.29%	38.56%	-21.27%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	26.42%	46.62%	-20.20%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	24.10%	35.85%	-11.75%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	24.79%	36.85%	-12.06%