HSUS.L vs. FEX.L

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

HSUS.L (HSBC USA Sustainable Equity UCITS ETF USD) and FEX.L (First Trust US Large Cap Core AlphaDEX® UCITS ETF Class A USD) are both Large Cap Blend Equities funds tracking the Russell 1000 TR USD, from HSBC and First Trust respectively. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, HSUS.L returned 14.02%/yr vs 12.02%/yr for FEX.L. Their correlation of 0.84 suggests significant overlap in exposure. HSUS.L charges 0.12%/yr vs 0.75%/yr for FEX.L.

Performance

HSUS.L vs. FEX.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in HSBC USA Sustainable Equity UCITS ETF USD (HSUS.L) and First Trust US Large Cap Core AlphaDEX® UCITS ETF Class A USD (FEX.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

HSUS.L is traded in GBP, while FEX.L is traded in GBp. To make them comparable, the FEX.L values have been converted to GBP using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with HSUS.L having a 13.96% return and FEX.L slightly higher at 14.44%.

HSUS.L

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 8.60%
• YTD: 13.96%
• 6M: 14.87%
• 1Y: 35.83%
• 3Y*: 18.59%
• 5Y*: 14.02%
• 10Y*: —

FEX.L

• 1D: 0.52%
• 1M: 5.95%
• YTD: 14.44%
• 6M: 15.16%
• 1Y: 30.58%
• 3Y*: 17.63%
• 5Y*: 12.02%
• 10Y*: 13.68%

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

HSUS.L vs. FEX.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
HSUS.L HSBC USA Sustainable Equity UCITS ETF USD	13.96%	10.79%	21.83%	15.09%	-7.73%	29.76%	11.33%
FEX.L First Trust US Large Cap Core AlphaDEX® UCITS ETF Class A USD	14.44%	7.34%	18.68%	8.36%	-1.83%	28.60%	7.46%

Correlation

The correlation between HSUS.L and FEX.L is 0.73, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.73
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.76
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.82
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 8, 2020	0.84

The correlation between HSUS.L and FEX.L shifts across timeframes, from 0.73 (1 year) to 0.84 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

HSUS.L vs. FEX.L - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	HSUS.L	FEX.L
Technology	45.5%	21.0%
Financial Services	14.4%	14.0%
Healthcare	13.8%	8.9%
Consumer Cyclical	8.2%	8.3%
Communication Services	6.5%	3.4%
Basic Materials	4.0%	3.4%
Industrials	2.8%	18.8%
Energy	2.2%	6.0%
Consumer Defensive	2.0%	4.4%
Real Estate	0.6%	4.6%
Utilities	0.2%	7.3%

Return for Risk

HSUS.L vs. FEX.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

HSUS.L

HSUS.L Risk / Return Rank: 92
HSUS.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 93
HSUS.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
HSUS.L Omega Ratio Rank: 92
HSUS.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 92
HSUS.L Martin Ratio Rank: 92

FEX.L

FEX.L Risk / Return Rank: 88
FEX.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 86
FEX.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
FEX.L Omega Ratio Rank: 84
FEX.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 93
FEX.L Martin Ratio Rank: 90

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.

HSUS.L vs. FEX.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for HSBC USA Sustainable Equity UCITS ETF USD (HSUS.L) and First Trust US Large Cap Core AlphaDEX® UCITS ETF Class A USD (FEX.L). 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.

	HSUS.L	FEX.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	3.45	2.82	+0.62
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	4.64	3.82	+0.82
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.63	1.51	+0.12
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	6.33	6.57	-0.24
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	22.41	20.88	+1.52
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

HSUS.L vs. FEX.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current HSUS.L Sharpe Ratio is 3.45, which is comparable to the FEX.L Sharpe Ratio of 2.82. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of HSUS.L and FEX.L, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	HSUS.L	FEX.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.45	2.82	+0.62
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.02	0.83	+0.19
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.83	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.08	0.83	+0.25

Drawdowns

HSUS.L vs. FEX.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HSUS.L drawdown since its inception was -20.92%, smaller than the maximum FEX.L drawdown of -31.58%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HSUS.L and FEX.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	HSUS.L	FEX.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-20.92%	-31.58%	+10.66%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-5.63%	-4.63%	-1.00%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-20.92%	-21.34%	+0.42%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-20.92%	-21.34%	+0.42%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-31.58%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.18%	-4.12%	+0.94%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.59%	1.46%	+0.13%

Volatility

HSUS.L vs. FEX.L - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for HSBC USA Sustainable Equity UCITS ETF USD (HSUS.L) is 2.97%, while First Trust US Large Cap Core AlphaDEX® UCITS ETF Class A USD (FEX.L) has a volatility of 3.60%. This indicates that HSUS.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FEX.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	HSUS.L	FEX.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.97%	3.60%	-0.63%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.45%	7.23%	+0.22%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.46%	10.85%	-0.39%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	13.77%	14.53%	-0.76%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.21%	16.45%	-2.24%

HSUS.L vs. FEX.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

HSUS.L has a 0.12% expense ratio, which is lower than FEX.L's 0.75% expense ratio.

Dividends

HSUS.L vs. FEX.L - Dividend Comparison

Neither HSUS.L nor FEX.L has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both HSUS.L and FEX.L in my portfolio?

HSUS.L and FEX.L have a correlation of 0.73, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, HSUS.L or FEX.L?

On fees, HSUS.L is cheaper at 0.12% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, HSUS.L or FEX.L?

HSUS.L is cheaper with a 0.12% expense ratio, compared with 0.75% for FEX.L.

What is the main difference between HSUS.L and FEX.L?

Both ETFs track Russell 1000 TR USD. They also come from different issuers: HSBC and First Trust. Their fees differ too: 0.12% for HSUS.L and 0.75% for FEX.L.