SHUS vs. FAAR

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Syntax Stratified U.S. Total Market Hedged ETF (SHUS) and First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR).

SHUS and FAAR are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SHUS is an actively managed fund by Syntax Advisors. It was launched on Jun 15, 2021. FAAR is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on May 18, 2016.

Performance

SHUS vs. FAAR - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Syntax Stratified U.S. Total Market Hedged ETF (SHUS) and First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SHUS vs. FAAR - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
SHUS Syntax Stratified U.S. Total Market Hedged ETF	0.99%	10.89%	-2.65%
FAAR First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF	24.94%	8.07%	1.82%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SHUS achieves a 0.99% return, which is significantly lower than FAAR's 24.94% return.

SHUS

• 1D: 1.31%
• 1M: -5.74%
• YTD: 0.99%
• 6M: 2.29%
• 1Y: 11.39%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

FAAR

• 1D: -0.05%
• 1M: 12.00%
• YTD: 24.94%
• 6M: 21.95%
• 1Y: 30.08%
• 3Y*: 10.56%
• 5Y*: 9.41%
• 10Y*: —

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

SHUS vs. FAAR - Expense Ratio Comparison

SHUS has a 0.65% expense ratio, which is lower than FAAR's 0.95% expense ratio.

FAAR

First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF

SHUS

Syntax Stratified U.S. Total Market Hedged ETF

Return for Risk

SHUS vs. FAAR — Risk / Return Rank

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

SHUS

SHUS Risk / Return Rank: 49
SHUS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 47
SHUS Sortino Ratio Rank: 46
SHUS Omega Ratio Rank: 44
SHUS Calmar Ratio Rank: 52
SHUS Martin Ratio Rank: 54

FAAR

FAAR Risk / Return Rank: 86
FAAR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
FAAR Sortino Ratio Rank: 91
FAAR Omega Ratio Rank: 86
FAAR Calmar Ratio Rank: 87
FAAR Martin Ratio Rank: 76

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.

SHUS vs. FAAR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Syntax Stratified U.S. Total Market Hedged ETF (SHUS) and First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR). 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.

	SHUS	FAAR	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.86	1.97	-1.12
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.27	2.65	-1.38
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.17	1.35	-0.17
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.34	2.71	-1.37
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.27	7.95	-2.68
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SHUS vs. FAAR - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SHUS Sharpe Ratio is 0.86, which is lower than the FAAR Sharpe Ratio of 1.97. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SHUS and FAAR, 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

	SHUS	FAAR	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.86	1.97	-1.12
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.73	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.46	0.45	+0.01

Correlation

The correlation between SHUS and FAAR is 0.05, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

SHUS vs. FAAR - Dividend Comparison

SHUS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.36%, less than FAAR's 9.21% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SHUS Syntax Stratified U.S. Total Market Hedged ETF	1.36%	1.37%	0.26%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
FAAR First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF	9.21%	11.63%	3.45%	3.20%	5.82%	6.49%	3.05%	1.02%	0.58%	2.83%

Drawdowns

SHUS vs. FAAR - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SHUS drawdown since its inception was -14.09%, smaller than the maximum FAAR drawdown of -18.03%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SHUS and FAAR.

Drawdown Indicators

	SHUS	FAAR	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-14.09%	-18.03%	+3.94%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.12%	-11.54%	+2.42%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-18.03%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.74%	-0.51%	-5.23%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.76%	-7.97%	+5.21%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.32%	3.93%	-1.61%

Volatility

SHUS vs. FAAR - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Syntax Stratified U.S. Total Market Hedged ETF (SHUS) is 3.54%, while First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR) has a volatility of 5.66%. This indicates that SHUS experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FAAR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SHUS	FAAR	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.54%	5.66%	-2.12%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.45%	10.64%	-3.19%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.38%	15.33%	-1.95%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	12.94%	13.00%	-0.06%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	12.94%	11.54%	+1.40%