HFXI vs. DBEF

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about IQ 50 Percent Hedged FTSE International ETF (HFXI) and Xtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF (DBEF).

HFXI and DBEF are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. HFXI is a passively managed fund by New York Life that tracks the performance of the FTSE Developed ex North America 50% Hedged to USD Index. It was launched on Jul 22, 2015. DBEF is a passively managed fund by DWS that tracks the performance of the MSCI EAFE US Dollar Hedged Index. It was launched on Jun 9, 2011. Both HFXI and DBEF 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

HFXI vs. DBEF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in IQ 50 Percent Hedged FTSE International ETF (HFXI) and Xtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF (DBEF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

HFXI vs. DBEF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
HFXI IQ 50 Percent Hedged FTSE International ETF	3.78%	30.10%	7.58%	19.56%	-10.71%	13.96%	6.88%	23.67%	-12.69%	22.68%
DBEF Xtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF	2.68%	23.16%	13.40%	20.15%	-5.13%	19.60%	2.03%	24.94%	-9.52%	16.74%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, HFXI achieves a 3.78% return, which is significantly higher than DBEF's 2.68% return. Over the past 10 years, HFXI has underperformed DBEF with an annualized return of 10.49%, while DBEF has yielded a comparatively higher 11.65% annualized return.

HFXI

• 1D: 3.13%
• 1M: -7.94%
• YTD: 3.78%
• 6M: 11.06%
• 1Y: 27.85%
• 3Y*: 16.89%
• 5Y*: 10.58%
• 10Y*: 10.49%

DBEF

• 1D: 2.34%
• 1M: -5.60%
• YTD: 2.68%
• 6M: 9.22%
• 1Y: 20.92%
• 3Y*: 16.41%
• 5Y*: 12.35%
• 10Y*: 11.65%

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

HFXI vs. DBEF - Expense Ratio Comparison

HFXI has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is lower than DBEF's 0.36% expense ratio.

DBEF

Xtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF

HFXI

IQ 50 Percent Hedged FTSE International ETF

Return for Risk

HFXI vs. DBEF — Risk / Return Rank

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

HFXI

HFXI Risk / Return Rank: 85
HFXI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
HFXI Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
HFXI Omega Ratio Rank: 87
HFXI Calmar Ratio Rank: 85
HFXI Martin Ratio Rank: 84

DBEF

DBEF Risk / Return Rank: 74
DBEF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
DBEF Sortino Ratio Rank: 74
DBEF Omega Ratio Rank: 77
DBEF Calmar Ratio Rank: 69
DBEF Martin Ratio Rank: 75

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.

HFXI vs. DBEF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for IQ 50 Percent Hedged FTSE International ETF (HFXI) and Xtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF (DBEF). 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.

	HFXI	DBEF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.67	1.27	+0.40
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.31	1.82	+0.49
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.34	1.28	+0.07
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.47	1.68	+0.79
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.41	7.43	+1.98
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

HFXI vs. DBEF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current HFXI Sharpe Ratio is 1.67, which is higher than the DBEF Sharpe Ratio of 1.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of HFXI and DBEF, 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

	HFXI	DBEF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.67	1.27	+0.40
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.73	0.91	-0.18
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.64	0.74	-0.10
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.51	0.53	-0.02

Correlation

The correlation between HFXI and DBEF is 0.89, 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

HFXI vs. DBEF - Dividend Comparison

HFXI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.34%, less than DBEF's 5.40% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
HFXI IQ 50 Percent Hedged FTSE International ETF	4.34%	4.19%	2.68%	2.49%	4.65%	3.10%	2.00%	3.19%	4.33%	2.56%	2.71%	0.78%
DBEF Xtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF	5.40%	5.55%	1.29%	4.46%	15.85%	2.28%	2.41%	3.03%	3.22%	2.98%	2.55%	3.70%

Drawdowns

HFXI vs. DBEF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HFXI drawdown since its inception was -32.42%, roughly equal to the maximum DBEF drawdown of -32.46%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HFXI and DBEF.

Drawdown Indicators

	HFXI	DBEF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-32.42%	-32.46%	+0.04%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.91%	-11.93%	+1.02%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-22.35%	-14.95%	-7.40%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-32.42%	-32.46%	+0.04%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.96%	-5.87%	-2.09%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.51%	-4.77%	-0.74%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.87%	2.70%	+0.17%

Volatility

HFXI vs. DBEF - Volatility Comparison

IQ 50 Percent Hedged FTSE International ETF (HFXI) has a higher volatility of 7.85% compared to Xtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF (DBEF) at 6.23%. This indicates that HFXI's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DBEF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	HFXI	DBEF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.85%	6.23%	+1.62%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.82%	9.33%	+1.49%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.73%	16.55%	+0.18%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.59%	13.62%	+0.97%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.54%	15.82%	+0.72%