VPC vs. FESM

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Virtus Private Credit Strategy ETF (VPC) and Fidelity Enhanced Small Cap ETF (FESM).

VPC and FESM are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VPC is a passively managed fund by Virtus Investment Partners that tracks the performance of the Indxx Private Credit Index. It was launched on Feb 7, 2019. FESM is an actively managed fund by Fidelity. It was launched on Dec 20, 2007.

Performance

VPC vs. FESM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Virtus Private Credit Strategy ETF (VPC) and Fidelity Enhanced Small Cap ETF (FESM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VPC vs. FESM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
VPC Virtus Private Credit Strategy ETF	-11.66%	-6.75%	10.52%	5.03%
FESM Fidelity Enhanced Small Cap ETF	0.82%	17.88%	16.22%	12.19%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VPC achieves a -11.66% return, which is significantly lower than FESM's 0.82% return.

VPC

• 1D: 2.93%
• 1M: -0.03%
• YTD: -11.66%
• 6M: -12.28%
• 1Y: -16.52%
• 3Y*: 2.20%
• 5Y*: 2.19%
• 10Y*: —

FESM

• 1D: 3.29%
• 1M: -4.77%
• YTD: 0.82%
• 6M: 4.42%
• 1Y: 29.74%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

VPC vs. FESM - Expense Ratio Comparison

VPC has a 5.53% expense ratio, which is higher than FESM's 0.28% expense ratio.

VPC

Virtus Private Credit Strategy ETF

FESM

Fidelity Enhanced Small Cap ETF

Return for Risk

VPC vs. FESM — Risk / Return Rank

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

VPC

VPC Risk / Return Rank: 1
VPC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 0
VPC Sortino Ratio Rank: 1
VPC Omega Ratio Rank: 1
VPC Calmar Ratio Rank: 2
VPC Martin Ratio Rank: 1

FESM

FESM Risk / Return Rank: 76
FESM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 75
FESM Sortino Ratio Rank: 76
FESM Omega Ratio Rank: 69
FESM Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
FESM Martin Ratio Rank: 80

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.

VPC vs. FESM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Virtus Private Credit Strategy ETF (VPC) and Fidelity Enhanced Small Cap ETF (FESM). 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.

	VPC	FESM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-1.00	1.30	-2.30
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-1.30	1.87	-3.17
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.83	1.24	-0.42
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.74	2.19	-2.93
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-1.75	8.40	-10.15
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VPC vs. FESM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VPC Sharpe Ratio is -1.00, which is lower than the FESM Sharpe Ratio of 1.30. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VPC and FESM, 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

	VPC	FESM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-1.00	1.30	-2.30
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.16	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.18	0.96	-0.77

Correlation

The correlation between VPC and FESM is 0.54, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

VPC vs. FESM - Dividend Comparison

VPC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 17.77%, more than FESM's 0.63% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
VPC Virtus Private Credit Strategy ETF	17.77%	14.33%	11.26%	11.71%	10.74%	6.31%	10.06%	8.19%
FESM Fidelity Enhanced Small Cap ETF	0.63%	0.82%	1.08%	0.06%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

VPC vs. FESM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VPC drawdown since its inception was -53.45%, which is greater than FESM's maximum drawdown of -26.93%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VPC and FESM.

Drawdown Indicators

	VPC	FESM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-53.45%	-26.93%	-26.52%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-22.76%	-13.54%	-9.22%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.86%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-21.75%	-7.23%	-14.52%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.41%	-5.04%	-2.37%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	9.59%	3.53%	+6.06%

Volatility

VPC vs. FESM - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Virtus Private Credit Strategy ETF (VPC) is 5.51%, while Fidelity Enhanced Small Cap ETF (FESM) has a volatility of 7.40%. This indicates that VPC experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FESM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VPC	FESM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.51%	7.40%	-1.89%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.48%	14.26%	-3.78%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.60%	22.98%	-6.38%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	13.39%	21.49%	-8.10%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.68%	21.49%	-0.81%