TUSA vs. SAEF

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Total US Market AlphaDEX ETF (TUSA) and Schwab Ariel ESG ETF (SAEF).

TUSA and SAEF are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. TUSA is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ AlphaDEX Total US Market Index. It was launched on Dec 5, 2006. SAEF is an actively managed fund by Charles Schwab. It was launched on Nov 15, 2021.

Performance

TUSA vs. SAEF - Performance Comparison

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

TUSA vs. SAEF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
TUSA First Trust Total US Market AlphaDEX ETF	7.05%	13.64%	11.12%	11.75%	-13.54%	-2.76%
SAEF Schwab Ariel ESG ETF	0.94%	2.31%	16.14%	17.87%	-18.29%	-2.35%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, TUSA achieves a 7.05% return, which is significantly higher than SAEF's 0.94% return.

TUSA

• 1D: -0.28%
• 1M: -4.01%
• YTD: 7.05%
• 6M: 9.20%
• 1Y: 19.97%
• 3Y*: 14.76%
• 5Y*: 7.51%
• 10Y*: 11.03%

SAEF

• 1D: 0.84%
• 1M: -6.95%
• YTD: 0.94%
• 6M: -0.62%
• 1Y: 13.41%
• 3Y*: 9.75%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

TUSA vs. SAEF - Expense Ratio Comparison

TUSA has a 0.70% expense ratio, which is higher than SAEF's 0.59% expense ratio.

TUSA

First Trust Total US Market AlphaDEX ETF

SAEF

Schwab Ariel ESG ETF

Return for Risk

TUSA vs. SAEF — Risk / Return Rank

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

TUSA

TUSA Risk / Return Rank: 59
TUSA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
TUSA Sortino Ratio Rank: 63
TUSA Omega Ratio Rank: 59
TUSA Calmar Ratio Rank: 54
TUSA Martin Ratio Rank: 62

SAEF

SAEF Risk / Return Rank: 29
SAEF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 28
SAEF Sortino Ratio Rank: 29
SAEF Omega Ratio Rank: 28
SAEF Calmar Ratio Rank: 32
SAEF Martin Ratio Rank: 28

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.

TUSA vs. SAEF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Total US Market AlphaDEX ETF (TUSA) and Schwab Ariel ESG ETF (SAEF). 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.

	TUSA	SAEF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.12	0.56	+0.55
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.69	0.95	+0.74
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.12	+0.11
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.56	0.93	+0.63
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.97	2.55	+4.42
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

TUSA vs. SAEF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current TUSA Sharpe Ratio is 1.12, which is higher than the SAEF Sharpe Ratio of 0.56. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of TUSA and SAEF, 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

	TUSA	SAEF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.12	0.56	+0.55
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	0.32	0.13	+0.19

Correlation

The correlation between TUSA and SAEF 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

TUSA vs. SAEF - Dividend Comparison

TUSA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.65%, more than SAEF's 0.37% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
TUSA First Trust Total US Market AlphaDEX ETF	1.65%	1.59%	2.05%	2.15%	2.31%	0.72%	0.99%	1.13%	1.14%	0.79%	1.24%	0.95%
SAEF Schwab Ariel ESG ETF	0.37%	0.38%	0.46%	0.46%	0.61%	0.09%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

TUSA vs. SAEF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum TUSA drawdown since its inception was -56.53%, which is greater than SAEF's maximum drawdown of -28.05%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for TUSA and SAEF.

Drawdown Indicators

	TUSA	SAEF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-56.53%	-28.05%	-28.48%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.98%	-14.75%	+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	-4.01%	-8.92%	+4.91%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.92%	-10.66%	+0.74%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.91%	5.40%	-2.49%

Volatility

TUSA vs. SAEF - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for First Trust Total US Market AlphaDEX ETF (TUSA) is 2.78%, while Schwab Ariel ESG ETF (SAEF) has a volatility of 7.20%. This indicates that TUSA experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SAEF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	TUSA	SAEF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.78%	7.20%	-4.42%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.68%	14.36%	-4.68%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.98%	23.87%	-5.89%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.64%	21.50%	-3.86%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.14%	21.50%	-1.36%