HNDL vs. HISF

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Strategy Shares Nasdaq 7HANDL Index ETF (HNDL) and First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF).

HNDL and HISF are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. HNDL is a passively managed fund by Rational Capital LLC that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ 7 HANDL™ Index. It was launched on Jan 17, 2018. HISF is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Aug 13, 2014.

Performance

HNDL vs. HISF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Strategy Shares Nasdaq 7HANDL Index ETF (HNDL) and First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

HNDL vs. HISF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
HNDL Strategy Shares Nasdaq 7HANDL Index ETF	1.31%	10.76%	8.74%
HISF First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF	-0.74%	8.39%	3.30%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, HNDL achieves a 1.31% return, which is significantly higher than HISF's -0.74% return.

HNDL

• 1D: 0.37%
• 1M: -3.40%
• YTD: 1.31%
• 6M: 1.45%
• 1Y: 11.56%
• 3Y*: 10.19%
• 5Y*: 4.55%
• 10Y*: —

HISF

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: -1.61%
• YTD: -0.74%
• 6M: 0.44%
• 1Y: 4.87%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

HNDL vs. HISF - Expense Ratio Comparison

HNDL has a 0.97% expense ratio, which is higher than HISF's 0.87% expense ratio.

HNDL

Strategy Shares Nasdaq 7HANDL Index ETF

HISF

First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF

Return for Risk

HNDL vs. HISF — Risk / Return Rank

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

HNDL

HNDL Risk / Return Rank: 55
HNDL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 52
HNDL Sortino Ratio Rank: 52
HNDL Omega Ratio Rank: 59
HNDL Calmar Ratio Rank: 47
HNDL Martin Ratio Rank: 64

HISF

HISF Risk / Return Rank: 67
HISF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 72
HISF Sortino Ratio Rank: 70
HISF Omega Ratio Rank: 65
HISF Calmar Ratio Rank: 64
HISF Martin Ratio Rank: 66

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.

HNDL vs. HISF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Strategy Shares Nasdaq 7HANDL Index ETF (HNDL) and First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF). 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.

	HNDL	HISF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.97	1.34	-0.37
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.44	1.86	-0.42
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.25	-0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.28	1.79	-0.52
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.74	7.34	-0.60
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

HNDL vs. HISF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current HNDL Sharpe Ratio is 0.97, which is comparable to the HISF Sharpe Ratio of 1.34. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of HNDL and HISF, 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

	HNDL	HISF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.97	1.34	-0.37
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.40	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.48	1.32	-0.84

Correlation

The correlation between HNDL and HISF is 0.56, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

HNDL vs. HISF - Dividend Comparison

HNDL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.98%, more than HISF's 4.92% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
HNDL Strategy Shares Nasdaq 7HANDL Index ETF	6.98%	6.86%	7.02%	6.78%	7.87%	6.86%	6.21%	5.27%	6.42%
HISF First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF	4.92%	4.69%	3.92%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

HNDL vs. HISF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HNDL drawdown since its inception was -23.72%, which is greater than HISF's maximum drawdown of -3.86%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HNDL and HISF.

Drawdown Indicators

	HNDL	HISF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-23.72%	-3.86%	-19.86%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.00%	-2.90%	-6.10%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-23.72%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.40%	-1.96%	-1.44%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.96%	-0.86%	-4.10%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.71%	0.71%	+1.00%

Volatility

HNDL vs. HISF - Volatility Comparison

Strategy Shares Nasdaq 7HANDL Index ETF (HNDL) has a higher volatility of 3.53% compared to First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF) at 1.75%. This indicates that HNDL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than HISF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	HNDL	HISF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.53%	1.75%	+1.78%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	5.59%	2.26%	+3.33%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.02%	3.67%	+8.35%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	11.49%	3.95%	+7.54%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	10.80%	3.95%	+6.85%