HFSI vs. VMAX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Hartford Strategic Income ETF (HFSI) and Hartford US Value ETF (VMAX).

HFSI and VMAX are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. HFSI is an actively managed fund by Hartford. It was launched on Sep 21, 2021. VMAX is an actively managed fund by Hartford. It was launched on Dec 5, 2023.

Performance

HFSI vs. VMAX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Hartford Strategic Income ETF (HFSI) and Hartford US Value ETF (VMAX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

HFSI vs. VMAX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
HFSI Hartford Strategic Income ETF	-0.99%	9.56%	7.91%	2.81%
VMAX Hartford US Value ETF	3.79%	15.65%	15.89%	6.98%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, HFSI achieves a -0.99% return, which is significantly lower than VMAX's 3.79% return.

HFSI

• 1D: 0.35%
• 1M: -2.49%
• YTD: -0.99%
• 6M: 0.35%
• 1Y: 6.27%
• 3Y*: 7.40%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

VMAX

• 1D: 1.83%
• 1M: -1.87%
• YTD: 3.79%
• 6M: 7.09%
• 1Y: 19.55%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

HFSI vs. VMAX - Expense Ratio Comparison

HFSI has a 0.49% expense ratio, which is higher than VMAX's 0.29% expense ratio.

HFSI

Hartford Strategic Income ETF

VMAX

Hartford US Value ETF

Return for Risk

HFSI vs. VMAX — Risk / Return Rank

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

HFSI

HFSI Risk / Return Rank: 77
HFSI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 81
HFSI Sortino Ratio Rank: 80
HFSI Omega Ratio Rank: 80
HFSI Calmar Ratio Rank: 72
HFSI Martin Ratio Rank: 72

VMAX

VMAX Risk / Return Rank: 64
VMAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 61
VMAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
VMAX Omega Ratio Rank: 64
VMAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 62
VMAX Martin Ratio Rank: 73

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.

HFSI vs. VMAX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Hartford Strategic Income ETF (HFSI) and Hartford US Value ETF (VMAX). 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.

	HFSI	VMAX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.47	1.07	+0.41
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.01	1.53	+0.47
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.29	1.23	+0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.78	1.55	+0.23
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.04	7.49	-0.45
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

HFSI vs. VMAX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current HFSI Sharpe Ratio is 1.47, which is higher than the VMAX Sharpe Ratio of 1.07. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of HFSI and VMAX, 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

	HFSI	VMAX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.47	1.07	+0.41
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.45	1.20	-0.74

Correlation

The correlation between HFSI and VMAX 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

HFSI vs. VMAX - Dividend Comparison

HFSI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.66%, more than VMAX's 2.06% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
HFSI Hartford Strategic Income ETF	5.66%	5.67%	6.51%	5.77%	4.87%	0.71%
VMAX Hartford US Value ETF	2.06%	2.14%	1.95%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

HFSI vs. VMAX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HFSI drawdown since its inception was -19.34%, roughly equal to the maximum VMAX drawdown of -19.05%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HFSI and VMAX.

Drawdown Indicators

	HFSI	VMAX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-19.34%	-19.05%	-0.29%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-3.56%	-13.38%	+9.82%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.49%	-2.36%	-0.13%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.91%	-2.72%	-3.19%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.90%	2.76%	-1.86%

Volatility

HFSI vs. VMAX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Hartford Strategic Income ETF (HFSI) is 1.61%, while Hartford US Value ETF (VMAX) has a volatility of 4.21%. This indicates that HFSI experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VMAX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	HFSI	VMAX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.61%	4.21%	-2.60%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.37%	9.83%	-7.46%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.27%	18.42%	-14.15%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	5.02%	15.81%	-10.79%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	5.02%	15.81%	-10.79%