HYEM vs. FTSL
Compare and contrast key facts about VanEck Vectors Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF (HYEM) and First Trust Senior Loan Fund (FTSL).
HYEM and FTSL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. HYEM is a passively managed fund by VanEck that tracks the performance of the BofA Merrill Lynch Diversified High Yield US Emerging Markets Corporate Plus Index. It was launched on May 8, 2012. FTSL is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on May 1, 2013.
Performance
HYEM vs. FTSL - Performance Comparison
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HYEM vs. FTSL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HYEM VanEck Vectors Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF | 0.36% | 9.24% | 12.14% | 8.35% | -13.39% | -1.31% | 6.87% | 12.85% | -3.38% | 7.94% |
FTSL First Trust Senior Loan Fund | -0.69% | 5.98% | 8.27% | 11.58% | -2.50% | 3.94% | 2.99% | 10.11% | -1.30% | 2.59% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, HYEM achieves a 0.36% return, which is significantly higher than FTSL's -0.69% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with HYEM having a 4.66% annualized return and FTSL not far behind at 4.50%.
HYEM
- 1D
- 0.10%
- 1M
- -1.79%
- YTD
- 0.36%
- 6M
- 1.52%
- 1Y
- 7.53%
- 3Y*
- 9.25%
- 5Y*
- 2.64%
- 10Y*
- 4.66%
FTSL
- 1D
- 0.11%
- 1M
- 1.04%
- YTD
- -0.69%
- 6M
- 0.98%
- 1Y
- 4.82%
- 3Y*
- 7.14%
- 5Y*
- 4.89%
- 10Y*
- 4.50%
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HYEM vs. FTSL - Expense Ratio Comparison
HYEM has a 0.40% expense ratio, which is lower than FTSL's 0.86% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
HYEM vs. FTSL — Risk / Return Rank
HYEM
FTSL
HYEM vs. FTSL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Vectors Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF (HYEM) and First Trust Senior Loan Fund (FTSL). 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.
| HYEM | FTSL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.14 | 1.56 | -0.42 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.61 | 2.05 | -0.43 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.26 | 1.42 | -0.16 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.54 | 2.06 | -0.52 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 7.62 | 7.37 | +0.26 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| HYEM | FTSL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.14 | 1.56 | -0.42 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.35 | 1.46 | -1.11 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.50 | 0.87 | -0.36 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.52 | 0.83 | -0.32 |
Correlation
The correlation between HYEM and FTSL is 0.27, 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
HYEM vs. FTSL - Dividend Comparison
HYEM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.77%, more than FTSL's 6.58% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HYEM VanEck Vectors Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF | 6.77% | 6.67% | 6.34% | 6.27% | 6.47% | 5.33% | 5.56% | 6.14% | 5.71% | 5.86% | 6.25% | 7.64% |
FTSL First Trust Senior Loan Fund | 6.58% | 6.59% | 7.56% | 7.59% | 4.77% | 3.17% | 3.48% | 4.44% | 4.29% | 3.64% | 3.70% | 3.95% |
Drawdowns
HYEM vs. FTSL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum HYEM drawdown since its inception was -30.96%, which is greater than FTSL's maximum drawdown of -22.67%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HYEM and FTSL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| HYEM | FTSL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -30.96% | -22.67% | -8.29% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -4.85% | -2.33% | -2.52% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -26.30% | -6.96% | -19.34% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -30.96% | -22.67% | -8.29% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.13% | -1.13% | -1.00% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.45% | -0.77% | -3.68% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.98% | 0.65% | +0.33% |
Volatility
HYEM vs. FTSL - Volatility Comparison
VanEck Vectors Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF (HYEM) has a higher volatility of 2.06% compared to First Trust Senior Loan Fund (FTSL) at 1.36%. This indicates that HYEM's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FTSL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| HYEM | FTSL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.06% | 1.36% | +0.70% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 3.41% | 1.91% | +1.50% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 6.64% | 3.11% | +3.53% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 7.47% | 3.36% | +4.11% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 9.27% | 5.19% | +4.08% |