ILDR vs. TCAI

Last updated Aug 2, 2026

ILDR (First Trust Innovation Leaders ETF) and TCAI (Tortoise AI Infrastructure ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - ILDR is a Technology Equities fund actively managed by First Trust, while TCAI is a Artificial Intelligence fund actively managed by Tortoise. Both are actively managed. Their 0.77 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. ILDR charges 0.75%/yr vs 0.65%/yr for TCAI.

Performance

ILDR vs. TCAI - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Innovation Leaders ETF (ILDR) and Tortoise AI Infrastructure ETF (TCAI). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ILDR achieves a 10.34% return, which is significantly lower than TCAI's 55.27% return.

ILDR

• 1D: 1.11%
• 1M: -4.81%
• 6M: 10.66%
• YTD: 10.34%
• 1Y: 22.56%
• 3Y*: 24.57%
• 5Y*: 10.56%
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 11.99%

TCAI

• 1D: -0.41%
• 1M: -7.41%
• 6M: 37.28%
• YTD: 55.27%
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: —

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
ILDR First Trust Innovation Leaders ETF	$1.72M	$2.15M	$1.99M
TCAI Tortoise AI Infrastructure ETF	$4.79M	$5.54M	$6.96M

ILDR vs. TCAI - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
ILDR First Trust Innovation Leaders ETF	10.34%	8.73%
TCAI Tortoise AI Infrastructure ETF	55.27%	17.27%

Correlation

The correlation between ILDR and TCAI is 0.77, which is moderate. They have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently, sharing some price drivers without tracking each other closely.

	Correlation
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 5, 2025	0.77

ILDR vs. TCAI - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	ILDR	TCAI
Technology	37.8%	44.4%
Healthcare	13.4%	-
Industrials	13.4%	30.5%
Utilities	7.3%	9.8%
Communication Services	6.1%	2.2%
Consumer Cyclical	4.9%	2.1%
Financial Services	4.9%	7.2%
Basic Materials	1.2%	-
Energy	1.2%	3.9%
Consumer Defensive	-	-
Real Estate	-	0.6%

Return for Risk

ILDR vs. TCAI — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

ILDR

ILDR Risk / Return Rank: 33
ILDR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 33
ILDR Sortino Ratio Rank: 32
ILDR Omega Ratio Rank: 31
ILDR Calmar Ratio Rank: 33
ILDR Martin Ratio Rank: 34

TCAI

Risk / return metrics aren't available yet — we need at least 12 months of trading data to calculate them.

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

ILDR vs. TCAI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Innovation Leaders ETF (ILDR) and Tortoise AI Infrastructure ETF (TCAI). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	ILDR	TCAI	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.81	—	—
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.23	—	—
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.15	—	—
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.12	—	—
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	3.28	—	—

Drawdowns

ILDR vs. TCAI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ILDR drawdown since its inception was -44.61%, which is greater than TCAI's maximum drawdown of -28.82%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ILDR and TCAI.

Drawdown Indicators

	ILDR	TCAI	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-44.61%	-28.82%	-15.79%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-17.70%	—	—
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-26.43%	—	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-44.61%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.21%	-20.91%	+10.70%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-14.71%	-4.71%	-10.00%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.01%	—	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	ILDR	TCAI	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.29%	—	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	19.87%	—	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	24.43%	41.71%	-17.28%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	26.62%	41.71%	-15.09%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	26.27%	41.71%	-15.44%

ILDR vs. TCAI - Expense Ratio Comparison

ILDR has a 0.75% expense ratio, which is higher than TCAI's 0.65% expense ratio.

Dividends

ILDR vs. TCAI - Dividend Comparison

ILDR has not paid dividends to shareholders, while TCAI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.03%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
ILDR First Trust Innovation Leaders ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.16%
TCAI Tortoise AI Infrastructure ETF	0.03%	0.05%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ILDR and TCAI in my portfolio?

ILDR and TCAI have a correlation of 0.77, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, ILDR or TCAI?

On fees, TCAI is cheaper at 0.65% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, ILDR or TCAI?

TCAI is cheaper with a 0.65% expense ratio, compared with 0.75% for ILDR.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, ILDR or TCAI?

TCAI has the higher dividend yield at 0.03%, compared with 0.00% for ILDR.

What is the main difference between ILDR and TCAI?

ILDR is categorized as Technology Equities, while TCAI is Artificial Intelligence. They also come from different issuers: First Trust and Tortoise. Their fees differ too: 0.75% for ILDR and 0.65% for TCAI.