RFFC vs. ACES

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about ALPS Active Equity Opportunity ETF (RFFC) and ALPS Clean Energy ETF (ACES).

RFFC and ACES are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. RFFC is an actively managed fund by SS&C. It was launched on Jun 7, 2016. ACES is a passively managed fund by SS&C that tracks the performance of the CIBC Atlas Clean Energy Index. It was launched on Jun 29, 2018.

Performance

RFFC vs. ACES - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ALPS Active Equity Opportunity ETF (RFFC) and ALPS Clean Energy ETF (ACES). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

RFFC vs. ACES - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
RFFC ALPS Active Equity Opportunity ETF	-0.91%	16.83%	23.51%	19.50%	-14.58%	22.33%	12.48%	24.77%	-14.36%
ACES ALPS Clean Energy ETF	3.39%	25.44%	-26.71%	-20.04%	-28.44%	-19.44%	140.33%	51.70%	-9.63%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, RFFC achieves a -0.91% return, which is significantly lower than ACES's 3.39% return.

RFFC

• 1D: 2.74%
• 1M: -5.66%
• YTD: -0.91%
• 6M: 3.63%
• 1Y: 20.16%
• 3Y*: 18.07%
• 5Y*: 10.98%
• 10Y*: —

ACES

• 1D: 4.26%
• 1M: 2.79%
• YTD: 3.39%
• 6M: 5.24%
• 1Y: 47.29%
• 3Y*: -9.44%
• 5Y*: -14.81%
• 10Y*: —

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

RFFC vs. ACES - Expense Ratio Comparison

RFFC has a 0.48% expense ratio, which is lower than ACES's 0.55% expense ratio.

ACES

ALPS Clean Energy ETF

RFFC

ALPS Active Equity Opportunity ETF

Return for Risk

RFFC vs. ACES — Risk / Return Rank

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

RFFC

RFFC Risk / Return Rank: 70
RFFC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 67
RFFC Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
RFFC Omega Ratio Rank: 69
RFFC Calmar Ratio Rank: 69
RFFC Martin Ratio Rank: 75

ACES

ACES Risk / Return Rank: 74
ACES Sharpe Ratio Rank: 76
ACES Sortino Ratio Rank: 77
ACES Omega Ratio Rank: 64
ACES Calmar Ratio Rank: 87
ACES Martin Ratio Rank: 67

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.

RFFC vs. ACES - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ALPS Active Equity Opportunity ETF (RFFC) and ALPS Clean Energy ETF (ACES). 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.

	RFFC	ACES	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.19	1.36	-0.17
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.74	1.93	-0.19
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.25	1.23	+0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.76	2.66	-0.90
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.93	6.60	+1.34
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

RFFC vs. ACES - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current RFFC Sharpe Ratio is 1.19, which is comparable to the ACES Sharpe Ratio of 1.36. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of RFFC and ACES, 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

	RFFC	ACES	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.19	1.36	-0.17
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.68	-0.41	+1.09
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.65	0.14	+0.51

Correlation

The correlation between RFFC and ACES is 0.64, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

RFFC vs. ACES - Dividend Comparison

RFFC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.81%, more than ACES's 0.68% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
RFFC ALPS Active Equity Opportunity ETF	0.81%	0.78%	1.05%	1.35%	1.41%	0.71%	1.79%	1.34%	1.36%	0.93%	0.66%
ACES ALPS Clean Energy ETF	0.68%	0.70%	1.10%	1.44%	1.08%	0.71%	0.56%	1.79%	0.34%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

RFFC vs. ACES - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum RFFC drawdown since its inception was -36.26%, smaller than the maximum ACES drawdown of -79.05%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for RFFC and ACES.

Drawdown Indicators

	RFFC	ACES	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-36.26%	-79.05%	+42.79%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.73%	-17.44%	+5.71%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-22.29%	-74.44%	+52.15%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.77%	-64.99%	+58.22%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.09%	-38.35%	+33.26%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.60%	7.03%	-4.43%

Volatility

RFFC vs. ACES - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for ALPS Active Equity Opportunity ETF (RFFC) is 5.35%, while ALPS Clean Energy ETF (ACES) has a volatility of 10.50%. This indicates that RFFC experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ACES based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	RFFC	ACES	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.35%	10.50%	-5.15%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.48%	25.76%	-16.28%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.08%	35.00%	-17.92%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.28%	36.22%	-19.94%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.05%	35.71%	-17.66%