SPBC vs. HISF

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Simplify US Equity PLUS GBTC ETF (SPBC) and First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF).

SPBC and HISF are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SPBC is an actively managed fund by Simplify. It was launched on May 24, 2021. HISF is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Aug 13, 2014.

Performance

SPBC vs. HISF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Simplify US Equity PLUS GBTC ETF (SPBC) and First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SPBC vs. HISF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
SPBC Simplify US Equity PLUS GBTC ETF	-6.79%	16.83%	22.04%
HISF First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF	-0.74%	8.39%	3.30%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SPBC achieves a -6.79% return, which is significantly lower than HISF's -0.74% return.

SPBC

• 1D: 3.13%
• 1M: -4.69%
• YTD: -6.79%
• 6M: -6.85%
• 1Y: 15.60%
• 3Y*: 23.43%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

HISF

• 1D: 0.60%
• 1M: -1.96%
• YTD: -0.74%
• 6M: 0.66%
• 1Y: 5.20%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

SPBC vs. HISF - Expense Ratio Comparison

SPBC has a 0.50% expense ratio, which is lower than HISF's 0.87% expense ratio.

HISF

First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF

SPBC

Simplify US Equity PLUS GBTC ETF

Return for Risk

SPBC vs. HISF — Risk / Return Rank

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

SPBC

SPBC Risk / Return Rank: 47
SPBC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 44
SPBC Sortino Ratio Rank: 47
SPBC Omega Ratio Rank: 46
SPBC Calmar Ratio Rank: 50
SPBC Martin Ratio Rank: 48

HISF

HISF Risk / Return Rank: 74
HISF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 77
HISF Sortino Ratio Rank: 77
HISF Omega Ratio Rank: 72
HISF Calmar Ratio Rank: 71
HISF Martin Ratio Rank: 72

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.

SPBC vs. HISF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Simplify US Equity PLUS GBTC ETF (SPBC) and First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF). 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.

	SPBC	HISF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.77	1.42	-0.65
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.24	1.98	-0.74
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.17	1.27	-0.10
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.20	1.83	-0.62
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.37	7.59	-3.22
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SPBC vs. HISF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SPBC Sharpe Ratio is 0.77, which is lower than the HISF Sharpe Ratio of 1.42. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SPBC and HISF, 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

	SPBC	HISF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.77	1.42	-0.65
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.65	1.32	-0.67

Correlation

The correlation between SPBC and HISF is 0.25, 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

SPBC vs. HISF - Dividend Comparison

SPBC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.96%, less than HISF's 4.92% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
SPBC Simplify US Equity PLUS GBTC ETF	0.96%	0.85%	0.98%	3.79%	0.60%	1.41%
HISF First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF	4.92%	4.69%	3.92%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

SPBC vs. HISF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SPBC drawdown since its inception was -33.99%, which is greater than HISF's maximum drawdown of -3.86%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SPBC and HISF.

Drawdown Indicators

	SPBC	HISF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-33.99%	-3.86%	-30.13%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.16%	-2.90%	-10.26%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.50%	-1.96%	-7.54%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.89%	-0.86%	-8.03%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.62%	0.70%	+2.92%

Volatility

SPBC vs. HISF - Volatility Comparison

Simplify US Equity PLUS GBTC ETF (SPBC) has a higher volatility of 6.14% compared to First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF) at 1.76%. This indicates that SPBC's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than HISF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SPBC	HISF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.14%	1.76%	+4.38%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.68%	2.26%	+9.42%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	20.28%	3.67%	+16.61%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.59%	3.96%	+16.63%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.59%	3.96%	+16.63%