PEXL vs. FTDS
Compare and contrast key facts about Pacer US Export Leaders ETF (PEXL) and First Trust Dividend Strength ETF (FTDS).
PEXL and FTDS are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. PEXL is a passively managed fund by Pacer that tracks the performance of the Pacer US Export Leaders Index. It was launched on Jul 23, 2018. FTDS is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Dividend Strength Index. It was launched on Dec 5, 2006. Both PEXL and FTDS are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.
Performance
PEXL vs. FTDS - Performance Comparison
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PEXL vs. FTDS - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PEXL Pacer US Export Leaders ETF | -3.74% | 27.33% | 5.79% | 24.40% | -20.41% | 30.12% | 25.02% | 39.86% | -17.19% |
FTDS First Trust Dividend Strength ETF | 7.34% | 13.64% | 11.12% | 11.75% | -13.54% | 24.79% | 14.16% | 24.29% | -15.12% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, PEXL achieves a -3.74% return, which is significantly lower than FTDS's 7.34% return.
PEXL
- 1D
- 3.54%
- 1M
- -6.91%
- YTD
- -3.74%
- 6M
- 2.59%
- 1Y
- 29.20%
- 3Y*
- 12.71%
- 5Y*
- 8.85%
- 10Y*
- —
FTDS
- 1D
- 0.71%
- 1M
- -2.93%
- YTD
- 7.34%
- 6M
- 9.57%
- 1Y
- 20.58%
- 3Y*
- 14.86%
- 5Y*
- 7.57%
- 10Y*
- 11.06%
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PEXL vs. FTDS - Expense Ratio Comparison
PEXL has a 0.60% expense ratio, which is lower than FTDS's 0.70% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
PEXL vs. FTDS — Risk / Return Rank
PEXL
FTDS
PEXL vs. FTDS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Pacer US Export Leaders ETF (PEXL) and First Trust Dividend Strength ETF (FTDS). 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.
| PEXL | FTDS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.17 | 1.15 | +0.02 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.74 | 1.74 | +0.01 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.25 | 1.24 | +0.02 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.81 | 1.66 | +0.15 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.35 | 7.46 | +0.89 |
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
| PEXL | FTDS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.17 | 1.15 | +0.02 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.41 | 0.43 | -0.02 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.55 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.51 | 0.32 | +0.19 |
Correlation
The correlation between PEXL and FTDS is 0.70, 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
PEXL vs. FTDS - Dividend Comparison
PEXL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.43%, less than FTDS's 1.64% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PEXL Pacer US Export Leaders ETF | 0.43% | 0.44% | 0.48% | 0.48% | 0.60% | 0.22% | 0.48% | 0.49% | 0.29% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
FTDS First Trust Dividend Strength ETF | 1.64% | 1.59% | 2.05% | 2.15% | 2.31% | 0.72% | 0.99% | 1.13% | 1.14% | 0.79% | 1.24% | 0.95% |
Drawdowns
PEXL vs. FTDS - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum PEXL drawdown since its inception was -36.76%, smaller than the maximum FTDS drawdown of -56.53%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PEXL and FTDS.
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Drawdown Indicators
| PEXL | FTDS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -36.76% | -56.53% | +19.77% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -16.20% | -12.98% | -3.22% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -30.44% | -23.35% | -7.09% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -42.47% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -8.30% | -3.74% | -4.56% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -6.85% | -9.92% | +3.07% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.51% | 2.89% | +0.62% |
Volatility
PEXL vs. FTDS - Volatility Comparison
Pacer US Export Leaders ETF (PEXL) has a higher volatility of 6.96% compared to First Trust Dividend Strength ETF (FTDS) at 2.94%. This indicates that PEXL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FTDS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| PEXL | FTDS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 6.96% | 2.94% | +4.02% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 13.74% | 9.68% | +4.06% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 25.05% | 17.99% | +7.06% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 21.77% | 17.65% | +4.12% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 24.14% | 20.14% | +4.00% |