VALQ vs. FDL
Compare and contrast key facts about American Century STOXX U.S. Quality Value ETF (VALQ) and First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL).
VALQ and FDL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VALQ is a passively managed fund by American Century that tracks the performance of the iSTOXX American Century USA Quality Value Index. It was launched on Jan 11, 2018. FDL is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index. It was launched on Mar 9, 2006. Both VALQ and FDL are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.
Performance
VALQ vs. FDL - Performance Comparison
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VALQ vs. FDL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VALQ American Century STOXX U.S. Quality Value ETF | -1.39% | 10.58% | 16.71% | 13.87% | -7.73% | 27.05% | 0.64% | 24.52% | -10.46% |
FDL First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund | 15.49% | 14.79% | 17.98% | 2.94% | 6.66% | 26.10% | -4.30% | 24.41% | -7.17% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VALQ achieves a -1.39% return, which is significantly lower than FDL's 15.49% return.
VALQ
- 1D
- 1.32%
- 1M
- -5.86%
- YTD
- -1.39%
- 6M
- 1.66%
- 1Y
- 8.97%
- 3Y*
- 12.63%
- 5Y*
- 8.53%
- 10Y*
- —
FDL
- 1D
- 0.43%
- 1M
- 0.01%
- YTD
- 15.49%
- 6M
- 19.42%
- 1Y
- 21.84%
- 3Y*
- 18.00%
- 5Y*
- 14.12%
- 10Y*
- 11.60%
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VALQ vs. FDL - Expense Ratio Comparison
VALQ has a 0.29% expense ratio, which is lower than FDL's 0.45% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
VALQ vs. FDL — Risk / Return Rank
VALQ
FDL
VALQ vs. FDL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Century STOXX U.S. Quality Value ETF (VALQ) and First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL). 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.
| VALQ | FDL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 0.59 | 1.47 | -0.89 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 0.94 | 2.06 | -1.12 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.13 | 1.29 | -0.16 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.88 | 1.96 | -1.08 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 3.65 | 7.63 | -3.99 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| VALQ | FDL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.59 | 1.47 | -0.89 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.59 | 0.99 | -0.40 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.68 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.46 | 0.46 | 0.00 |
Correlation
The correlation between VALQ and FDL is 0.80, 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
VALQ vs. FDL - Dividend Comparison
VALQ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.85%, less than FDL's 3.61% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VALQ American Century STOXX U.S. Quality Value ETF | 1.85% | 1.88% | 1.58% | 1.76% | 2.71% | 1.58% | 2.08% | 2.31% | 2.35% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
FDL First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund | 3.61% | 4.04% | 4.96% | 4.58% | 3.58% | 4.59% | 4.48% | 3.75% | 3.97% | 3.18% | 2.93% | 3.65% |
Drawdowns
VALQ vs. FDL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VALQ drawdown since its inception was -38.19%, smaller than the maximum FDL drawdown of -65.93%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VALQ and FDL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VALQ | FDL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -38.19% | -65.93% | +27.74% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -11.41% | -11.58% | +0.17% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -20.19% | -16.46% | -3.73% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -41.40% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -6.63% | -0.10% | -6.53% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.97% | -9.73% | +4.76% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.74% | 3.10% | -0.36% |
Volatility
VALQ vs. FDL - Volatility Comparison
American Century STOXX U.S. Quality Value ETF (VALQ) has a higher volatility of 3.31% compared to First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL) at 2.56%. This indicates that VALQ's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FDL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VALQ | FDL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.31% | 2.56% | +0.75% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 8.37% | 8.16% | +0.21% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 15.35% | 14.96% | +0.39% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 14.49% | 14.31% | +0.18% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 17.78% | 17.09% | +0.69% |