First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF (FAN)

TotalReturn:

'Total return, when measuring performance, is the actual rate of return of an investment or a pool of investments over a given evaluation period. Total return includes interest, capital gains, dividends and distributions realized over a given period of time. Total return accounts for two categories of return: income including interest paid by fixed-income investments, distributions or dividends and capital appreciation, representing the change in the market price of an asset.'

• The total return, or increase in value over 5 years of First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF is 10.7%, which is lower, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (85.1%) in the same period.
• Looking at total return, or performance in of 64.6% in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively smaller, thus worse in comparison to SPY (85.5%).

CAGR:

'The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is a useful measure of growth over multiple time periods. It can be thought of as the growth rate that gets you from the initial investment value to the ending investment value if you assume that the investment has been compounding over the time period.'

• Compared with the benchmark SPY (13.2%) in the period of the last 5 years, the annual performance (CAGR) of 2.1% of First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF is lower, thus worse.
• Compared with SPY (23%) in the period of the last 3 years, the annual performance (CAGR) of 18.2% is lower, thus worse.

Volatility:

'Volatility is a rate at which the price of a security increases or decreases for a given set of returns. Volatility is measured by calculating the standard deviation of the annualized returns over a given period of time. It shows the range to which the price of a security may increase or decrease. Volatility measures the risk of a security. It is used in option pricing formula to gauge the fluctuations in the returns of the underlying assets. Volatility indicates the pricing behavior of the security and helps estimate the fluctuations that may happen in a short period of time.'

• The volatility over 5 years of First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF is 21.4%, which is greater, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (17.1%) in the same period.
• During the last 3 years, the volatility is 20.3%, which is greater, thus worse than the value of 15.3% from the benchmark.

DownVol:

'Risk measures typically quantify the downside risk, whereas the standard deviation (an example of a deviation risk measure) measures both the upside and downside risk. Specifically, downside risk in our definition is the semi-deviation, that is the standard deviation of all negative returns.'

• The downside risk over 5 years of First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF is 14.9%, which is greater, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (11.8%) in the same period.
• During the last 3 years, the downside deviation is 14%, which is higher, thus worse than the value of 10.1% from the benchmark.

Sharpe:

'The Sharpe ratio was developed by Nobel laureate William F. Sharpe, and is used to help investors understand the return of an investment compared to its risk. The ratio is the average return earned in excess of the risk-free rate per unit of volatility or total risk. Subtracting the risk-free rate from the mean return allows an investor to better isolate the profits associated with risk-taking activities. One intuition of this calculation is that a portfolio engaging in 'zero risk' investments, such as the purchase of U.S. Treasury bills (for which the expected return is the risk-free rate), has a Sharpe ratio of exactly zero. Generally, the greater the value of the Sharpe ratio, the more attractive the risk-adjusted return.'

• Looking at the Sharpe Ratio of -0.02 in the last 5 years of First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF, we see it is relatively lower, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (0.62)
• Compared with SPY (1.34) in the period of the last 3 years, the ratio of return and volatility (Sharpe) of 0.77 is smaller, thus worse.

Sortino:

'The Sortino ratio, a variation of the Sharpe ratio only factors in the downside, or negative volatility, rather than the total volatility used in calculating the Sharpe ratio. The theory behind the Sortino variation is that upside volatility is a plus for the investment, and it, therefore, should not be included in the risk calculation. Therefore, the Sortino ratio takes upside volatility out of the equation and uses only the downside standard deviation in its calculation instead of the total standard deviation that is used in calculating the Sharpe ratio.'

• Looking at the downside risk / excess return profile of -0.03 in the last 5 years of First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF, we see it is relatively lower, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (0.91)
• Compared with SPY (2.02) in the period of the last 3 years, the excess return divided by the downside deviation of 1.12 is lower, thus worse.

Ulcer:

'The ulcer index is a stock market risk measure or technical analysis indicator devised by Peter Martin in 1987, and published by him and Byron McCann in their 1989 book The Investors Guide to Fidelity Funds. It's designed as a measure of volatility, but only volatility in the downward direction, i.e. the amount of drawdown or retracement occurring over a period. Other volatility measures like standard deviation treat up and down movement equally, but a trader doesn't mind upward movement, it's the downside that causes stress and stomach ulcers that the index's name suggests.'

• Compared with the benchmark SPY (8.45 ) in the period of the last 5 years, the Downside risk index of 20 of First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF is larger, thus worse.
• During the last 3 years, the Ulcer Ratio is 8.54 , which is higher, thus worse than the value of 3.22 from the benchmark.

MaxDD:

'A maximum drawdown is the maximum loss from a peak to a trough of a portfolio, before a new peak is attained. Maximum Drawdown is an indicator of downside risk over a specified time period. It can be used both as a stand-alone measure or as an input into other metrics such as 'Return over Maximum Drawdown' and the Calmar Ratio. Maximum Drawdown is expressed in percentage terms.'

• Compared with the benchmark SPY (-24.5 days) in the period of the last 5 years, the maximum DrawDown of -37.9 days of First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF is lower, thus worse.
• Looking at maximum reduction from previous high in of -24.1 days in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively lower, thus worse in comparison to SPY (-18.8 days).

MaxDuration:

'The Drawdown Duration is the length of any peak to peak period, or the time between new equity highs. The Max Drawdown Duration is the worst (the maximum/longest) amount of time an investment has seen between peaks (equity highs) in days.'

• The maximum time in days below previous high water mark over 5 years of First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF is 1045 days, which is higher, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (488 days) in the same period.
• Looking at maximum days below previous high in of 177 days in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively higher, thus worse in comparison to SPY (87 days).

AveDuration:

'The Drawdown Duration is the length of any peak to peak period, or the time between new equity highs. The Avg Drawdown Duration is the average amount of time an investment has seen between peaks (equity highs), or in other terms the average of time under water of all drawdowns. So in contrast to the Maximum duration it does not measure only one drawdown event but calculates the average of all.'

• Compared with the benchmark SPY (118 days) in the period of the last 5 years, the average time in days below previous high water mark of 455 days of First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF is greater, thus worse.
• Compared with SPY (17 days) in the period of the last 3 years, the average days under water of 46 days is greater, thus worse.