LDSF vs. HISF

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF (LDSF) and First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF).

LDSF and HISF are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. LDSF is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Jan 3, 2019. HISF is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Aug 13, 2014.

Performance

LDSF vs. HISF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF (LDSF) and First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

LDSF vs. HISF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
LDSF First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF	-0.07%	6.82%	4.41%
HISF First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF	-0.74%	8.39%	3.30%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, LDSF achieves a -0.07% return, which is significantly higher than HISF's -0.74% return.

LDSF

• 1D: 0.64%
• 1M: -0.94%
• YTD: -0.07%
• 6M: 1.25%
• 1Y: 4.97%
• 3Y*: 5.13%
• 5Y*: 2.33%
• 10Y*: —

HISF

• 1D: 0.60%
• 1M: -1.96%
• YTD: -0.74%
• 6M: 0.66%
• 1Y: 5.20%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

LDSF vs. HISF - Expense Ratio Comparison

Both LDSF and HISF have an expense ratio of 0.87%.

LDSF

First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF

HISF

First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF

Return for Risk

LDSF vs. HISF — Risk / Return Rank

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

LDSF

LDSF Risk / Return Rank: 92
LDSF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
LDSF Sortino Ratio Rank: 94
LDSF Omega Ratio Rank: 94
LDSF Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
LDSF Martin Ratio Rank: 92

HISF

HISF Risk / Return Rank: 74
HISF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 77
HISF Sortino Ratio Rank: 77
HISF Omega Ratio Rank: 72
HISF Calmar Ratio Rank: 71
HISF Martin Ratio Rank: 72

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.

LDSF vs. HISF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF (LDSF) 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.

	LDSF	HISF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.09	1.42	+0.67
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.93	1.98	+0.96
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.45	1.27	+0.18
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.95	1.83	+1.12
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	12.81	7.59	+5.22
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

LDSF vs. HISF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current LDSF Sharpe Ratio is 2.09, which is higher than the HISF Sharpe Ratio of 1.42. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of LDSF 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

	LDSF	HISF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.09	1.42	+0.67
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.76	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.79	1.32	-0.53

Correlation

The correlation between LDSF and HISF is 0.82, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

LDSF vs. HISF - Dividend Comparison

LDSF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.61%, less than HISF's 4.92% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
LDSF First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF	4.61%	4.52%	4.53%	4.08%	2.61%	1.97%	2.65%	3.06%
HISF First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF	4.92%	4.69%	3.92%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

LDSF vs. HISF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum LDSF drawdown since its inception was -8.56%, which is greater than HISF's maximum drawdown of -3.86%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LDSF and HISF.

Drawdown Indicators

	LDSF	HISF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-8.56%	-3.86%	-4.70%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-1.74%	-2.90%	+1.16%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-7.83%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.07%	-1.96%	+0.89%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.48%	-0.86%	-0.62%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.40%	0.70%	-0.30%

Volatility

LDSF vs. HISF - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF (LDSF) is 1.17%, while First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF) has a volatility of 1.76%. This indicates that LDSF experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than HISF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	LDSF	HISF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.17%	1.76%	-0.59%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.48%	2.26%	-0.78%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.39%	3.67%	-1.28%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	3.08%	3.96%	-0.88%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	3.20%	3.96%	-0.76%