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ISDE.L vs. FEM.L
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

ISDE.L vs. FEM.L

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

ISDE.L (iShares MSCI EM Islamic UCITS ETF USD (Dist)) and FEM.L (First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX UCITS ETF Acc) are both Emerging Markets Equities funds - ISDE.L tracks the MSCI Emerging Markets Islamic Index while FEM.L tracks the MSCI EM NR USD. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, ISDE.L returned 13.09%/yr vs 9.34%/yr for FEM.L. A 0.78 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. ISDE.L charges 0.85%/yr vs 0.80%/yr for FEM.L.

Performance

ISDE.L vs. FEM.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI EM Islamic UCITS ETF USD (Dist) (ISDE.L) and First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX UCITS ETF Acc (FEM.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Different Trading Currencies

ISDE.L is traded in USD, while FEM.L is traded in GBp. To make them comparable, the FEM.L values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ISDE.L achieves a 60.11% return, which is significantly higher than FEM.L's 19.09% return. Over the past 10 years, ISDE.L has outperformed FEM.L with an annualized return of 13.09%, while FEM.L has yielded a comparatively lower 9.34% annualized return.

ISDE.L

1D
-2.79%
1M
13.41%
YTD
60.11%
6M
64.90%
1Y
107.18%
3Y*
32.29%
5Y*
12.82%
10Y*
13.09%

FEM.L

1D
-0.48%
1M
-1.48%
YTD
19.09%
6M
21.29%
1Y
39.68%
3Y*
20.22%
5Y*
7.18%
10Y*
9.34%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ISDE.L vs. FEM.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
ISDE.L
iShares MSCI EM Islamic UCITS ETF USD (Dist)		60.11%40.46%-3.55%13.97%-22.72%2.64%22.21%19.39%-17.27%41.72%
FEM.L
First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX UCITS ETF Acc		19.09%27.40%3.37%9.71%-14.08%7.73%-1.00%19.72%-16.32%39.74%

Correlation

The correlation between ISDE.L and FEM.L is 0.69, 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

0.69

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.67

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.70

Correlation (10Y)
Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.76

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 15, 2013

0.78

The correlation between ISDE.L and FEM.L shifts across timeframes, from 0.67 (3 years) to 0.78 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

ISDE.L vs. FEM.L - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
ISDE.L
FEM.L

Technology

48.0%
27.7%

Basic Materials

12.2%
7.9%

Energy

10.1%
13.1%

Industrials

8.6%
20.3%

Consumer Cyclical

5.3%
5.7%

Healthcare

4.8%
2.8%

Financial Services

3.7%
6.4%

Consumer Defensive

3.3%
2.9%

Utilities

2.3%
6.0%

Real Estate

0.9%
2.6%

Communication Services

0.9%
4.6%

Technology

ISDE.L
48.0%
FEM.L
27.7%

Basic Materials

ISDE.L
12.2%
FEM.L
7.9%

Energy

ISDE.L
10.1%
FEM.L
13.1%

Industrials

ISDE.L
8.6%
FEM.L
20.3%

Consumer Cyclical

ISDE.L
5.3%
FEM.L
5.7%

Healthcare

ISDE.L
4.8%
FEM.L
2.8%

Financial Services

ISDE.L
3.7%
FEM.L
6.4%

Consumer Defensive

ISDE.L
3.3%
FEM.L
2.9%

Utilities

ISDE.L
2.3%
FEM.L
6.0%

Real Estate

ISDE.L
0.9%
FEM.L
2.6%

Communication Services

ISDE.L
0.9%
FEM.L
4.6%

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

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iShares MSCI EM Islamic UCITS ETF USD (Dist)

First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX UCITS ETF Acc

Often compared with ISDE.L:
ISDE.L vs. JRDM.LISDE.L vs. VFEG.LISDE.L vs. VDEM.LISDE.L vs. LEML.LISDE.L vs. EDG2.LISDE.L vs. EMVL.LISDE.L vs. PRAM.L
Often compared with FEM.L:
FEM.L vs. JMRE.LFEM.L vs. EMXC.LFEM.L vs. MXFP.LFEM.L vs. SEGM.LFEM.L vs. FEMD.LFEM.L vs. AEMU.LFEM.L vs. FEMQ.L

Return for Risk

ISDE.L vs. FEM.L — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
ISDE.L
ISDE.L Risk / Return Rank: 9595
Overall Rank
ISDE.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 9696
Sharpe Ratio Rank
ISDE.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 9494
Sortino Ratio Rank
ISDE.L Omega Ratio Rank: 9595
Omega Ratio Rank
ISDE.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 9494
Calmar Ratio Rank
ISDE.L Martin Ratio Rank: 9595
Martin Ratio Rank
FEM.L
FEM.L Risk / Return Rank: 8484
Overall Rank
FEM.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8383
Sharpe Ratio Rank
FEM.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 7878
Sortino Ratio Rank
FEM.L Omega Ratio Rank: 8181
Omega Ratio Rank
FEM.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 9191
Calmar Ratio Rank
FEM.L Martin Ratio Rank: 8888
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

ISDE.L vs. FEM.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI EM Islamic UCITS ETF USD (Dist) (ISDE.L) and First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX UCITS ETF Acc (FEM.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.

ISDE.LFEM.LDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
4.28
2.34

+1.94

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
4.93
3.05

+1.88

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.73

1.41

+0.33

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

7.48

4.85

+2.63

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

28.54

15.48

+13.06

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ISDE.L vs. FEM.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ISDE.L Sharpe Ratio is 4.28, which is higher than the FEM.L Sharpe Ratio of 2.34. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ISDE.L and FEM.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.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

ISDE.LFEM.LDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

4.28

2.34

+1.94

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.67

0.39

+0.27

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.66

0.47

+0.19

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.23

0.28

-0.04

Drawdowns

ISDE.L vs. FEM.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ISDE.L drawdown since its inception was -59.96%, which is greater than FEM.L's maximum drawdown of -45.92%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ISDE.L and FEM.L.

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Drawdown Indicators

ISDE.LFEM.LDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-59.96%

-45.92%

-14.04%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-14.25%

-8.14%

-6.11%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-21.81%

-17.77%

-4.04%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-32.28%

-31.03%

-1.25%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-36.67%

-45.92%

+9.25%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-3.68%

-2.55%

-1.13%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-21.89%

-12.15%

-9.74%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

3.74%

2.56%

+1.18%

Volatility

ISDE.L vs. FEM.L - Volatility Comparison

iShares MSCI EM Islamic UCITS ETF USD (Dist) (ISDE.L) has a higher volatility of 12.14% compared to First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX UCITS ETF Acc (FEM.L) at 5.84%. This indicates that ISDE.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FEM.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

ISDE.LFEM.LDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

12.14%

5.84%

+6.30%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

22.26%

13.62%

+8.64%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

24.94%

16.90%

+8.04%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

19.26%

18.30%

+0.96%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

19.87%

20.11%

-0.24%

ISDE.L vs. FEM.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

ISDE.L has a 0.85% expense ratio, which is higher than FEM.L's 0.80% expense ratio.

Dividends

ISDE.L vs. FEM.L - Dividend Comparison

ISDE.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.08%, while FEM.L has not paid dividends to shareholders.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
FEM.L
First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX UCITS ETF Acc		0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%
ISDE.L
iShares MSCI EM Islamic UCITS ETF USD (Dist)		1.08%1.86%2.51%2.77%2.10%1.79%0.98%1.55%1.64%1.02%1.07%2.32%

Frequently Asked Questions

ISDE.L and FEM.L have a correlation of 0.69, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

On fees, FEM.L is cheaper at 0.80% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

FEM.L is cheaper with a 0.80% expense ratio, compared with 0.85% for ISDE.L.

ISDE.L tracks MSCI Emerging Markets Islamic Index, while FEM.L tracks MSCI EM NR USD. They also come from different issuers: iShares and First Trust. Their fees differ too: 0.85% for ISDE.L and 0.80% for FEM.L.

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