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FYT vs. SVAL
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

FYT vs. SVAL

Last updated Aug 2, 2026
Documentation

FYT (First Trust Small Cap Value AlphaDEX Fund) and SVAL (iShares US Small Cap Value Factor ETF) are both Small Cap Value Equities funds - FYT tracks the NASDAQ AlphaDEX Small Cap Value Index while SVAL tracks the Russell 2000 Focused Value Select Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, FYT returned 9.12%/yr vs 9.86%/yr for SVAL. Their 0.96 correlation means they have historically moved very closely together. FYT charges 0.72%/yr vs 0.20%/yr for SVAL.

Performance

FYT vs. SVAL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Small Cap Value AlphaDEX Fund (FYT) and iShares US Small Cap Value Factor ETF (SVAL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FYT achieves a 28.00% return, which is significantly higher than SVAL's 25.30% return.

FYT

1D
-0.24%
1M
2.47%
6M
19.17%
YTD
28.00%
1Y
45.15%
3Y*
14.49%
5Y*
9.12%
10Y*
10.88%
ALL TIME*
10.02%

SVAL

1D
0.26%
1M
2.62%
6M
17.08%
YTD
25.30%
1Y
43.73%
3Y*
16.07%
5Y*
9.86%
10Y*
—
ALL TIME*
17.62%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

PositionAvg. Volume Value (2W)Avg. Volume Value (1M)Avg. Volume Value (3M)

FYT

First Trust Small Cap Value AlphaDEX Fund
$944.63K$705.42K$773.70K

SVAL

iShares US Small Cap Value Factor ETF
$620.93K$633.76K$608.86K

FYT vs. SVAL - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020
FYT
First Trust Small Cap Value AlphaDEX Fund		28.00%4.00%3.24%22.90%-14.05%29.33%32.77%
SVAL
iShares US Small Cap Value Factor ETF		25.30%8.23%7.54%12.27%-10.15%33.18%29.82%

Correlation

The correlation between FYT and SVAL is 0.92, meaning they have usually moved in the same direction, including during past declines.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.

0.92

Correlation (3Y)
Balances recent behavior with more history.

0.95

Correlation (5Y)
Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.

0.96

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 29, 2020

0.96

The correlation between FYT and SVAL has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.92 to 0.96 - a consistent structural relationship.

FYT vs. SVAL - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
FYT
SVAL

Financial Services

27.4%
22.7%

Consumer Cyclical

12.9%
11.8%

Industrials

12.2%
12.9%

Real Estate

10.3%
4.7%

Technology

8.0%
10.4%

Energy

7.2%
10.0%

Consumer Defensive

6.1%
4.3%

Healthcare

5.7%
12.0%

Basic Materials

4.6%
4.7%

Communication Services

3.0%
3.0%

Utilities

2.3%
3.4%

Financial Services

FYT
27.4%
SVAL
22.7%

Consumer Cyclical

FYT
12.9%
SVAL
11.8%

Industrials

FYT
12.2%
SVAL
12.9%

Real Estate

FYT
10.3%
SVAL
4.7%

Technology

FYT
8.0%
SVAL
10.4%

Energy

FYT
7.2%
SVAL
10.0%

Consumer Defensive

FYT
6.1%
SVAL
4.3%

Healthcare

FYT
5.7%
SVAL
12.0%

Basic Materials

FYT
4.6%
SVAL
4.7%

Communication Services

FYT
3.0%
SVAL
3.0%

Utilities

FYT
2.3%
SVAL
3.4%

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

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First Trust Small Cap Value AlphaDEX Fund

iShares US Small Cap Value Factor ETF

Often compared with FYT:
FYT vs. AVUVFYT vs. VTIFYT vs. SLYGFYT vs. VBRFYT vs. SPYFYT vs. VIOGFYT vs. RWJ
Often compared with SVAL:
SVAL vs. AVUVSVAL vs. XSVMSVAL vs. SPYVSVAL vs. IJSSVAL vs. SLYVSVAL vs. IWOSVAL vs. VDC

Return for Risk

FYT vs. SVAL — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.
FYT
FYT Risk / Return Rank: 9292
Overall Rank
FYT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 9292
Sharpe Ratio Rank
FYT Sortino Ratio Rank: 9393
Sortino Ratio Rank
FYT Omega Ratio Rank: 9090
Omega Ratio Rank
FYT Calmar Ratio Rank: 9595
Calmar Ratio Rank
FYT Martin Ratio Rank: 9191
Martin Ratio Rank
SVAL
SVAL Risk / Return Rank: 9292
Overall Rank
SVAL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 9292
Sharpe Ratio Rank
SVAL Sortino Ratio Rank: 9393
Sortino Ratio Rank
SVAL Omega Ratio Rank: 9191
Omega Ratio Rank
SVAL Calmar Ratio Rank: 9393
Calmar Ratio Rank
SVAL Martin Ratio Rank: 9292
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

FYT vs. SVAL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Small Cap Value AlphaDEX Fund (FYT) and iShares US Small Cap Value Factor ETF (SVAL). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

FYTSVALDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
2.39
2.41

-0.03

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
3.49
3.51

-0.02

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.42

1.42

-0.01

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

5.12

4.59

+0.53

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

15.45

15.49

-0.04

FYT vs. SVAL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FYT Sharpe Ratio is 2.39, which is comparable to the SVAL Sharpe Ratio of 2.41. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FYT and SVAL, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Drawdowns

FYT vs. SVAL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FYT drawdown since its inception was -50.48%, which is greater than SVAL's maximum drawdown of -27.44%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FYT and SVAL.

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Drawdown Indicators

FYTSVALDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-50.48%

-27.44%

-23.04%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-8.34%

-8.94%

+0.60%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-28.90%

-27.44%

-1.46%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-28.90%

-27.44%

-1.46%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-50.48%

—

—

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-1.41%

-0.79%

-0.62%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-8.46%

-8.29%

-0.17%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

2.76%

2.64%

+0.12%

Volatility

FYT vs. SVAL - Volatility Comparison

First Trust Small Cap Value AlphaDEX Fund (FYT) has a higher volatility of 4.25% compared to iShares US Small Cap Value Factor ETF (SVAL) at 3.19%. This indicates that FYT's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SVAL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

FYTSVALDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

4.25%

3.19%

+1.06%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

11.19%

10.99%

+0.20%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

17.95%

17.03%

+0.92%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

22.41%

22.01%

+0.40%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

25.89%

23.04%

+2.85%

FYT vs. SVAL - Expense Ratio Comparison

FYT has a 0.72% expense ratio, which is higher than SVAL's 0.20% expense ratio.

Dividends

FYT vs. SVAL - Dividend Comparison

FYT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.43%, less than SVAL's 2.04% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
FYT
First Trust Small Cap Value AlphaDEX Fund		1.43%0.94%2.07%1.50%1.36%1.19%0.96%1.44%1.78%1.16%1.16%0.96%
SVAL
iShares US Small Cap Value Factor ETF		2.04%2.33%1.82%2.25%2.09%2.33%0.28%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

With a correlation of 0.92, FYT and SVAL move almost identically. Holding both adds very little diversification - you're essentially doubling your position in the same market segment. Choosing one is usually more capital-efficient.

FYT has higher volatility (4.25%) compared to SVAL (3.19%). In terms of maximum drawdown, FYT dropped -50.48% vs SVAL's -27.44%.

On 5-year performance, SVAL leads with 9.86% vs 9.12% for FYT. On fees, SVAL is cheaper at 0.20% per year. On volatility, SVAL has been the lower-risk option at 3.19%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 5-year period, SVAL has performed better with a 9.86% return vs 9.12%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

SVAL is cheaper with a 0.20% expense ratio, compared with 0.72% for FYT.

SVAL has the higher dividend yield at 2.04%, compared with 1.43% for FYT.

FYT tracks NASDAQ AlphaDEX Small Cap Value Index, while SVAL tracks Russell 2000 Focused Value Select Index. They also come from different issuers: First Trust and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.72% for FYT and 0.20% for SVAL.

SVAL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.41 vs 2.39), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.

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