HEFA vs. FDT

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF (HEFA) and First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT).

HEFA and FDT are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. HEFA is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI EAFE 100% Hedged to USD Index. It was launched on Jan 31, 2014. FDT is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ AlphaDEX DM Ex-US Index. It was launched on Apr 18, 2011. Both HEFA and FDT 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

HEFA vs. FDT - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF (HEFA) and First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

HEFA vs. FDT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
HEFA iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF	4.23%	24.58%	13.71%	20.33%	-4.86%	19.59%	2.09%	27.63%	-9.33%	16.67%
FDT First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund	11.73%	52.21%	6.97%	15.03%	-19.51%	11.43%	4.29%	16.82%	-19.98%	34.42%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, HEFA achieves a 4.23% return, which is significantly lower than FDT's 11.73% return. Over the past 10 years, HEFA has outperformed FDT with an annualized return of 12.30%, while FDT has yielded a comparatively lower 9.91% annualized return.

HEFA

• 1D: 1.45%
• 1M: -3.12%
• YTD: 4.23%
• 6M: 11.29%
• 1Y: 24.10%
• 3Y*: 17.63%
• 5Y*: 13.08%
• 10Y*: 12.30%

FDT

• 1D: 1.73%
• 1M: -7.63%
• YTD: 11.73%
• 6M: 18.75%
• 1Y: 57.05%
• 3Y*: 25.20%
• 5Y*: 11.64%
• 10Y*: 9.91%

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

HEFA vs. FDT - Expense Ratio Comparison

HEFA has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is lower than FDT's 0.80% expense ratio.

FDT

First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund

HEFA

iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF

Return for Risk

HEFA vs. FDT — Risk / Return Rank

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

HEFA

HEFA Risk / Return Rank: 77
HEFA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 77
HEFA Sortino Ratio Rank: 77
HEFA Omega Ratio Rank: 79
HEFA Calmar Ratio Rank: 76
HEFA Martin Ratio Rank: 79

FDT

FDT Risk / Return Rank: 96
FDT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 97
FDT Sortino Ratio Rank: 97
FDT Omega Ratio Rank: 97
FDT Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
FDT Martin Ratio Rank: 96

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.

HEFA vs. FDT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF (HEFA) and First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT). 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.

	HEFA	FDT	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.45	2.96	-1.51
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.03	3.59	-1.56
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.31	1.56	-0.25
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.08	4.30	-2.21
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.91	17.64	-8.72
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

HEFA vs. FDT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current HEFA Sharpe Ratio is 1.45, which is lower than the FDT Sharpe Ratio of 2.96. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of HEFA and FDT, 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

	HEFA	FDT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.45	2.96	-1.51
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.96	0.65	+0.31
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.78	0.54	+0.23
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.64	0.36	+0.28

Correlation

The correlation between HEFA and FDT is 0.78, 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

HEFA vs. FDT - Dividend Comparison

HEFA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.22%, more than FDT's 3.19% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
HEFA iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF	4.22%	4.40%	3.09%	3.02%	25.14%	3.06%	2.10%	7.56%	4.58%	2.55%	3.17%	3.54%
FDT First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund	3.19%	3.27%	3.89%	4.36%	2.29%	3.80%	2.42%	2.78%	2.13%	1.57%	1.76%	1.83%

Drawdowns

HEFA vs. FDT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HEFA drawdown since its inception was -32.39%, smaller than the maximum FDT drawdown of -46.10%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HEFA and FDT.

Drawdown Indicators

	HEFA	FDT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-32.39%	-46.10%	+13.71%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.64%	-13.41%	+1.77%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-14.79%	-33.18%	+18.39%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-32.39%	-46.10%	+13.71%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.58%	-8.75%	+4.17%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.21%	-10.86%	+6.65%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.73%	3.27%	-0.54%

Volatility

HEFA vs. FDT - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF (HEFA) is 5.88%, while First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT) has a volatility of 8.78%. This indicates that HEFA experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FDT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	HEFA	FDT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.88%	8.78%	-2.90%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.67%	14.05%	-4.38%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.72%	19.39%	-2.67%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	13.66%	17.87%	-4.21%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.90%	18.33%	-2.43%