XSOE vs. FEM

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

XSOE (WisdomTree Emerging Markets ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund) and FEM (First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund) are both Emerging Markets Equities funds - XSOE tracks the WisdomTree Emerging Markets ex-State-Owned Enterprises Index while FEM tracks the NASDAQ AlphaDEX EM Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, XSOE returned 10.77%/yr vs 9.75%/yr for FEM. A 0.74 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. XSOE charges 0.32%/yr vs 0.80%/yr for FEM.

Performance

XSOE vs. FEM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in WisdomTree Emerging Markets ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund (XSOE) and First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XSOE achieves a 27.99% return, which is significantly higher than FEM's 20.43% return. Over the past 10 years, XSOE has outperformed FEM with an annualized return of 10.77%, while FEM has yielded a comparatively lower 9.75% annualized return.

XSOE

• 1D: -1.31%
• 1M: 9.84%
• YTD: 27.99%
• 6M: 30.83%
• 1Y: 54.87%
• 3Y*: 23.36%
• 5Y*: 5.06%
• 10Y*: 10.77%

FEM

• 1D: -1.38%
• 1M: -0.66%
• YTD: 20.43%
• 6M: 22.40%
• 1Y: 42.41%
• 3Y*: 20.73%
• 5Y*: 7.34%
• 10Y*: 9.75%

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

XSOE vs. FEM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
XSOE WisdomTree Emerging Markets ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund	27.99%	30.05%	7.02%	10.28%	-25.83%	-5.92%	28.61%	24.81%	-18.60%	49.23%
FEM First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund	20.43%	28.36%	3.01%	10.84%	-14.24%	7.40%	-1.68%	20.55%	-15.51%	41.05%

Correlation

The correlation between XSOE and FEM is 0.78, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.78
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.80
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.79
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.78
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 11, 2014	0.74

The correlation between XSOE and FEM has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.74 to 0.80 - a consistent structural relationship.

XSOE vs. FEM - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	XSOE	FEM
Technology	37.3%	24.5%
Financial Services	15.5%	7.0%
Consumer Cyclical	12.6%	5.7%
Industrials	9.6%	20.9%
Communication Services	7.0%	4.6%
Basic Materials	5.3%	8.6%
Healthcare	4.4%	3.1%
Consumer Defensive	3.8%	2.8%
Energy	2.0%	14.1%
Utilities	1.4%	6.2%
Real Estate	1.0%	2.5%

Return for Risk

XSOE vs. FEM — Risk / Return Rank

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

XSOE

XSOE Risk / Return Rank: 82
XSOE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 84
XSOE Sortino Ratio Rank: 81
XSOE Omega Ratio Rank: 84
XSOE Calmar Ratio Rank: 80
XSOE Martin Ratio Rank: 80

FEM

FEM Risk / Return Rank: 76
FEM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
FEM Sortino Ratio Rank: 67
FEM Omega Ratio Rank: 72
FEM Calmar Ratio Rank: 84
FEM Martin Ratio Rank: 84

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.

XSOE vs. FEM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for WisdomTree Emerging Markets ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund (XSOE) and First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM). 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.

	XSOE	FEM	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.79	2.45	+0.34
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.65	3.11	+0.54
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.51	1.43	+0.08
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.14	4.58	-0.44
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	15.84	17.35	-1.50
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XSOE vs. FEM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XSOE Sharpe Ratio is 2.79, which is comparable to the FEM Sharpe Ratio of 2.45. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XSOE and FEM, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	XSOE	FEM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.79	2.45	+0.34
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.26	0.40	-0.14
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.52	0.47	+0.06
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.40	0.19	+0.21

Drawdowns

XSOE vs. FEM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XSOE drawdown since its inception was -45.23%, roughly equal to the maximum FEM drawdown of -46.23%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XSOE and FEM.

Drawdown Indicators

	XSOE	FEM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-45.23%	-46.23%	+1.00%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.31%	-9.31%	-4.00%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-19.96%	-18.79%	-1.17%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-42.05%	-31.72%	-10.33%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-45.23%	-46.23%	+1.00%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.31%	-2.46%	+1.15%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-17.28%	-15.04%	-2.24%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.47%	2.45%	+1.02%

Volatility

XSOE vs. FEM - Volatility Comparison

WisdomTree Emerging Markets ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund (XSOE) has a higher volatility of 8.57% compared to First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund (FEM) at 6.18%. This indicates that XSOE's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FEM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XSOE	FEM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.57%	6.18%	+2.39%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	17.24%	14.47%	+2.77%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.77%	17.40%	+2.37%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.43%	18.39%	+1.04%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.59%	20.96%	-0.37%

XSOE vs. FEM - Expense Ratio Comparison

XSOE has a 0.32% expense ratio, which is lower than FEM's 0.80% expense ratio.

Dividends

XSOE vs. FEM - Dividend Comparison

XSOE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.28%, less than FEM's 2.58% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FEM First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX Fund	2.58%	3.13%	3.66%	4.96%	6.15%	4.15%	2.68%	3.31%	3.52%	2.45%	2.25%	3.61%
XSOE WisdomTree Emerging Markets ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund	1.28%	1.50%	1.44%	1.78%	2.53%	1.36%	1.02%	2.01%	1.56%	0.65%	1.43%	3.93%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both XSOE and FEM in my portfolio?

XSOE and FEM have a correlation of 0.78, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, XSOE or FEM?

XSOE has higher volatility (8.57%) compared to FEM (6.18%). In terms of maximum drawdown, XSOE dropped -45.23% vs FEM's -46.23%.

Which ETF is better, XSOE or FEM?

On 10-year performance, XSOE leads with 10.77% vs 9.75% for FEM. On fees, XSOE is cheaper at 0.32% per year. On volatility, FEM has been the lower-risk option at 6.18%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, XSOE or FEM?

Over the 10-year period, XSOE has performed better with a 10.77% return vs 9.75%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, XSOE or FEM?

XSOE is cheaper with a 0.32% expense ratio, compared with 0.80% for FEM.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, XSOE or FEM?

FEM has the higher dividend yield at 2.58%, compared with 1.28% for XSOE.

What is the main difference between XSOE and FEM?

XSOE tracks WisdomTree Emerging Markets ex-State-Owned Enterprises Index, while FEM tracks NASDAQ AlphaDEX EM Index. They also come from different issuers: WisdomTree and First Trust. Their fees differ too: 0.32% for XSOE and 0.80% for FEM.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

XSOE currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.79 vs 2.45), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.