LDSF vs. SPTS
LDSF (First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF) and SPTS (SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - LDSF is a Short-Term Bond fund actively managed by First Trust, while SPTS is a Government Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. LDSF is actively managed, while SPTS is passively managed. Over the past 5 years, LDSF returned 2.38%/yr vs 1.81%/yr for SPTS. At a 0.43 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. LDSF charges 0.87%/yr vs 0.03%/yr for SPTS.
Performance
LDSF vs. SPTS - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, LDSF achieves a 0.74% return, which is significantly higher than SPTS's 0.45% return.
LDSF
- 1D
- -0.05%
- 1M
- 0.26%
- YTD
- 0.74%
- 6M
- 1.04%
- 1Y
- 5.06%
- 3Y*
- 5.29%
- 5Y*
- 2.38%
- 10Y*
- —
SPTS
- 1D
- -0.07%
- 1M
- 0.05%
- YTD
- 0.45%
- 6M
- 0.77%
- 1Y
- 3.45%
- 3Y*
- 4.18%
- 5Y*
- 1.81%
- 10Y*
- 1.67%
LDSF vs. SPTS - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LDSF First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF | 0.74% | 6.82% | 4.20% | 6.53% | -5.47% | -0.28% | 2.48% | 4.52% |
SPTS SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF | 0.45% | 5.05% | 4.20% | 4.27% | -3.86% | -0.72% | 3.23% | 3.56% |
Correlation
The correlation between LDSF and SPTS is 0.65, 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 | 0.65 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.61 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.56 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 8, 2019 | 0.43 |
Over the past year, LDSF and SPTS have become more correlated (0.65) than their long-term average of 0.43, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
LDSF vs. SPTS — Risk / Return Rank
LDSF
SPTS
LDSF vs. SPTS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF (LDSF) and SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF (SPTS). 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 | SPTS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.17 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.67 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.51 | 1.55 | -0.04 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.92 | 4.13 | -1.21 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 12.40 | 16.52 | -4.13 |
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
| LDSF | SPTS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.47 | 2.63 | -0.17 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.77 | 0.92 | -0.14 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.98 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.81 | 0.49 | +0.32 |
Drawdowns
LDSF vs. SPTS - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum LDSF drawdown since its inception was -8.56%, which is greater than SPTS's maximum drawdown of -5.83%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LDSF and SPTS.
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Drawdown Indicators
| LDSF | SPTS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -8.56% | -5.83% | -2.73% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.74% | -0.84% | -0.90% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -1.74% | -0.96% | -0.78% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -7.83% | -5.71% | -2.12% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -5.71% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.27% | -0.28% | +0.01% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -1.46% | -1.72% | +0.26% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.41% | 0.21% | +0.20% |
Volatility
LDSF vs. SPTS - Volatility Comparison
First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF (LDSF) has a higher volatility of 0.73% compared to SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF (SPTS) at 0.34%. This indicates that LDSF's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPTS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| LDSF | SPTS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.73% | 0.34% | +0.39% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.65% | 0.86% | +0.79% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.06% | 1.32% | +0.74% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 3.08% | 1.98% | +1.10% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 3.18% | 1.72% | +1.46% |
LDSF vs. SPTS - Expense Ratio Comparison
LDSF has a 0.87% expense ratio, which is higher than SPTS's 0.03% expense ratio.
Dividends
LDSF vs. SPTS - Dividend Comparison
LDSF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.63%, more than SPTS's 3.91% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LDSF First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF | 4.63% | 4.52% | 4.53% | 4.08% | 2.61% | 1.97% | 2.65% | 3.06% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
SPTS SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF | 3.91% | 3.99% | 4.25% | 3.61% | 1.27% | 0.19% | 0.70% | 2.21% | 2.04% | 1.20% | 0.95% | 0.83% |
Frequently Asked Questions
LDSF and SPTS have a correlation of 0.65, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
LDSF has higher volatility (0.73%) compared to SPTS (0.34%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LDSF dropped -8.56% vs SPTS's -5.83%.
On 5-year performance, LDSF leads with 2.38% vs 1.81% for SPTS. On fees, SPTS is cheaper at 0.03% per year. On volatility, SPTS has been the lower-risk option at 0.34%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, LDSF has performed better with a 2.38% return vs 1.81%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
SPTS is cheaper with a 0.03% expense ratio, compared with 0.87% for LDSF.
LDSF has the higher dividend yield at 4.63%, compared with 3.91% for SPTS.
LDSF is categorized as Short-Term Bond, while SPTS is Government Bonds. They also come from different issuers: First Trust and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.87% for LDSF and 0.03% for SPTS.
SPTS currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.63 vs 2.47), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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