SAEF vs. FTDS

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Schwab Ariel ESG ETF (SAEF) and First Trust Dividend Strength ETF (FTDS).

SAEF and FTDS are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SAEF is an actively managed fund by Charles Schwab. It was launched on Nov 15, 2021. 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.

Performance

SAEF vs. FTDS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Schwab Ariel ESG ETF (SAEF) and First Trust Dividend Strength ETF (FTDS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SAEF vs. FTDS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
SAEF Schwab Ariel ESG ETF	0.10%	2.31%	16.14%	17.87%	-18.29%	-2.35%
FTDS First Trust Dividend Strength ETF	7.34%	13.64%	11.12%	11.75%	-13.54%	-2.76%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SAEF achieves a 0.10% return, which is significantly lower than FTDS's 7.34% return.

SAEF

• 1D: 3.37%
• 1M: -8.16%
• YTD: 0.10%
• 6M: -1.45%
• 1Y: 12.83%
• 3Y*: 9.45%
• 5Y*: —
• 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%

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

SAEF vs. FTDS - Expense Ratio Comparison

SAEF has a 0.59% expense ratio, which is lower than FTDS's 0.70% expense ratio.

FTDS

First Trust Dividend Strength ETF

SAEF

Schwab Ariel ESG ETF

Return for Risk

SAEF vs. FTDS — Risk / Return Rank

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

SAEF

SAEF Risk / Return Rank: 30
SAEF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 29
SAEF Sortino Ratio Rank: 31
SAEF Omega Ratio Rank: 29
SAEF Calmar Ratio Rank: 34
SAEF Martin Ratio Rank: 28

FTDS

FTDS Risk / Return Rank: 66
FTDS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 64
FTDS Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
FTDS Omega Ratio Rank: 64
FTDS Calmar Ratio Rank: 64
FTDS Martin Ratio Rank: 71

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.

SAEF vs. FTDS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Schwab Ariel ESG ETF (SAEF) 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.

	SAEF	FTDS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.54	1.15	-0.61
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.92	1.74	-0.82
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.12	1.24	-0.12
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.86	1.66	-0.81
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	2.36	7.46	-5.11
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SAEF vs. FTDS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SAEF Sharpe Ratio is 0.54, which is lower than the FTDS Sharpe Ratio of 1.15. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SAEF and FTDS, 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

	SAEF	FTDS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.54	1.15	-0.61
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.43	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.55	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.12	0.32	-0.20

Correlation

The correlation between SAEF and FTDS is 0.83, 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

SAEF vs. FTDS - Dividend Comparison

SAEF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.38%, less than FTDS's 1.64% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SAEF Schwab Ariel ESG ETF	0.38%	0.38%	0.46%	0.46%	0.61%	0.09%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	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

SAEF vs. FTDS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SAEF drawdown since its inception was -28.05%, smaller than the maximum FTDS drawdown of -56.53%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SAEF and FTDS.

Drawdown Indicators

	SAEF	FTDS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-28.05%	-56.53%	+28.48%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.75%	-12.98%	-1.77%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-23.35%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-42.47%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.69%	-3.74%	-5.95%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.66%	-9.92%	-0.74%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.37%	2.89%	+2.48%

Volatility

SAEF vs. FTDS - Volatility Comparison

Schwab Ariel ESG ETF (SAEF) has a higher volatility of 7.20% compared to First Trust Dividend Strength ETF (FTDS) at 2.94%. This indicates that SAEF'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.

Volatility by Period

	SAEF	FTDS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.20%	2.94%	+4.26%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.34%	9.68%	+4.66%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	23.86%	17.99%	+5.87%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.51%	17.65%	+3.86%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.51%	20.14%	+1.37%