HISF vs. LDSF

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF) and First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF (LDSF).

HISF and LDSF are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. HISF is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Aug 13, 2014. LDSF is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Jan 3, 2019.

Performance

HISF vs. LDSF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF) and First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF (LDSF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

HISF vs. LDSF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
HISF First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF	-0.74%	8.39%	3.30%
LDSF First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF	-0.07%	6.82%	4.41%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, HISF achieves a -0.74% return, which is significantly lower than LDSF's -0.07% return.

HISF

• 1D: 0.60%
• 1M: -1.96%
• YTD: -0.74%
• 6M: 0.66%
• 1Y: 5.20%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

LDSF

• 1D: 0.64%
• 1M: -0.94%
• YTD: -0.07%
• 6M: 1.25%
• 1Y: 4.97%
• 3Y*: 5.13%
• 5Y*: 2.33%
• 10Y*: —

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

HISF vs. LDSF - Expense Ratio Comparison

Both HISF and LDSF have an expense ratio of 0.87%.

HISF

First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF

LDSF

First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF

Return for Risk

HISF vs. LDSF — Risk / Return Rank

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

HISF

HISF Risk / Return Rank: 74
HISF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 77
HISF Sortino Ratio Rank: 77
HISF Omega Ratio Rank: 72
HISF Calmar Ratio Rank: 71
HISF Martin Ratio Rank: 72

LDSF

LDSF Risk / Return Rank: 92
LDSF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
LDSF Sortino Ratio Rank: 94
LDSF Omega Ratio Rank: 94
LDSF Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
LDSF Martin Ratio Rank: 92

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.

HISF vs. LDSF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF) and First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF (LDSF). 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.

	HISF	LDSF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.42	2.09	-0.67
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.98	2.93	-0.96
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.27	1.45	-0.18
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.83	2.95	-1.12
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.59	12.81	-5.22
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

HISF vs. LDSF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current HISF Sharpe Ratio is 1.42, which is lower than the LDSF Sharpe Ratio of 2.09. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of HISF and LDSF, 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

	HISF	LDSF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.42	2.09	-0.67
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.76	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.32	0.79	+0.53

Correlation

The correlation between HISF and LDSF is 0.82, 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

HISF vs. LDSF - Dividend Comparison

HISF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.92%, more than LDSF's 4.61% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
HISF First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF	4.92%	4.69%	3.92%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
LDSF First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF	4.61%	4.52%	4.53%	4.08%	2.61%	1.97%	2.65%	3.06%

Drawdowns

HISF vs. LDSF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HISF drawdown since its inception was -3.86%, smaller than the maximum LDSF drawdown of -8.56%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HISF and LDSF.

Drawdown Indicators

	HISF	LDSF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-3.86%	-8.56%	+4.70%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-2.90%	-1.74%	-1.16%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-7.83%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.96%	-1.07%	-0.89%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.86%	-1.48%	+0.62%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.70%	0.40%	+0.30%

Volatility

HISF vs. LDSF - Volatility Comparison

First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF) has a higher volatility of 1.76% compared to First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF (LDSF) at 1.17%. This indicates that HISF's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than LDSF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	HISF	LDSF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.76%	1.17%	+0.59%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.26%	1.48%	+0.78%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.67%	2.39%	+1.28%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	3.96%	3.08%	+0.88%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	3.96%	3.20%	+0.76%