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FNXvsESMLETF Comparison

ETF 1

FNX

First Trust Mid Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund ETF

This fund is part of

US Multi-Factor

-0.37%

Full FNX fund page

VS

ETF 2

ESML

iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF

This fund is part of

US Small Cap

-0.6%

Full ESML fund page

First Trust Mid Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund ETF (FNX) belongs to the US Multi-Factor segment. iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF (ESML) is part of the US Small Cap segment. FNX's top 3 sector exposures are Finance, Industrials and Healthcare. In contrast, ESML's top sector exposures are Finance, Technology and Healthcare. FNX is more expensive with a Total Expense Ratio (TER) of 0.62%, versus 0.17% for ESML. FNX is up 12.81% year-to-date (YTD) with +$35M in YTD flows. ESML performs better with 16.49% YTD performance, and +$411M in YTD flows. Run a side-by-side ETF comparison of FNX and ESML below, and assess how they stack up in performance, liquidity, risk, exposure, holdings, and more, helping you select the best ETF for your investments.

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FNX vs ESML performance and flow charts

Performance

Cumulative Flows

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Daily, global ETF data for advanced analysis or integration into apps (API), from our partner Trackinsight.

Data Services

Historic performance and flows

Data as of 09/14/2026

		1M	3M	YTD	1Y	3Y	5Y
Perf.	FNX ESML	-4.41%-5.83%	-1.47%-2.43%	+12.81%+16.49%	+14.14%+19.63%	+52.65%+58.45%	+50.60%+42.76%
Flows	FNX ESML	-+$7M	-$5M+$20M	+$35M+$411M	+$26M+$416M	-$135M+$632M	-$87M+$1.10B

Volatility and drawdown

		3M	1Y	3Y	5Y
Volatility	FNX ESML	+11.05%+14.56%	+15.40%+16.82%	+18.71%+19.66%	+20.58%+21.23%
Max drawdown	FNX ESML	-4.67%-5.89%	-9.22%-9.05%	-25.04%-26.61%	-25.04%-28.52%
Max drawdown duration	FNX ESML	29d30d	65d46d	289d296d	289d980d

Trading data

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	FNX	ESML
Last sale 9/15/2026 at 7:49 PM	$140.54	$53.23
Previous close 09/15/2026	$141.56	$53.19
Consolidated volume 09/15/2026
Average volume 30 days
Average discount or premium 30 days
Average Bid/Ask spread 30 days

Replication quality

Data as of August 31, 2026

1-year trailing difference

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	FNX	ESML
Tracking error
Tracking difference
1 year cumulative return difference
Best
Worst
Daily return difference
Average
Worst

Main metrics

Last update 9/15/2026 at 7:49 PM

Live

Closed

	FNX	ESML
Last price	$140.54	$53.23
1D performance	-0.72%	+0.08%
AuM	$1.36 B	$2.79 B
E/R	0.62%	0.17%

Characteristics

	FNX	ESML
Management strategy	Passive	Passive
Provider	First Trust	iShares
Benchmark	NASDAQ AlphaDEX Mid Cap Core Index	MSCI USA Small Cap Extended ESG Focus Index
N° of holdings	448	901
Asset class	Equities	Equities
Trailing 12m distribution yield	Join	Join
Inception date	May 8, 2007	April 10, 2018
ESG	No	Yes

More FNX data on Trackinsight

More ESML data on Trackinsight

Exposure

Countries

FNX

USA

97.13%

Other

2.87%

ESML

USA

96.59%

Other

3.41%

Sectors

FNX

Finance

25.35%

Industrials

13.44%

Healthcare

11.43%

Technology

10.03%

Consumer Cyclical.

9.05%

Energy

8.57%

Other

22.13%

ESML

Finance

22.56%

Technology

16.47%

Healthcare

14.46%

Industrials

13.98%

Other

32.53%

Diversification

FNX

Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15

6.94%

ESML

Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15

7.94%

Top 15 holdings

Data as of July 31, 2026

FNX

SM Energy Co.

0.53%

Genpact Ltd.

0.50%

APA Corp.

0.50%

EPAM Systems, Inc.

0.50%

HF Sinclair Corp.

0.49%

Permian Resources Corp.

0.48%

Lithia Motors, Inc.

0.47%

Ovintiv, Inc.

0.47%

Lyft, Inc.

0.44%

Matador Resources Co.

0.43%

Solventum Corp.

0.43%

CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

0.43%

Universal Health Services, Inc.

0.43%

Matson, Inc.

0.42%

ADT, Inc.

0.42%

ESML

Sandisk Corp.

2.76%

US Foods Holding Corp.

0.55%

Assurant, Inc.

0.50%

Ovintiv, Inc.

0.43%

ATI, Inc.

0.40%

Carpenter Technology Corp.

0.39%

nVent Electric Plc

0.37%

Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc.

0.36%

Woodward, Inc.

0.33%

BlackRock Cash Funds - Treasury

0.32%

Equitable Holdings, Inc.

0.31%

Healthpeak Properties, Inc.

0.31%

Moderna, Inc.

0.31%

Brixmor Property Group, Inc.

0.31%

East West Bancorp, Inc.

0.31%

Frequently asked questions about FNX and ESML

How have the FNX and ESML ETFs performed in 2026?

As of September 14, 2026, FNX is up 12.81% year-to-date (YTD), while ESML has returned 16.49%. That puts ESML better performer ahead so far this year.

Which ETF is attracting more investor money: FNX or ESML?

Year-to-date, the FNX ETF saw +$35M in flows, compared to +$411M for ESML.

Which ETF is more volatile: FNX or ESML?

Over the past year, FNX had a volatility of 15.4%, while ESML experienced 16.82%.

Which ETF is bigger: FNX or ESML?

As of September 14, 2026, FNX holds $1.36 B in assets under management (AUM), while ESML manages $2.79 B.

What sectors do the FNX and ESML ETFs invest in?

FNX leans toward sectors like Finance, Industrials and Healthcare. Meanwhile, ESML focuses on Finance, Technology and Healthcare.

What are the top holdings of the FNX ETF and ESML ETF?

FNX top holdings include SM Energy Co., Genpact Ltd. and APA Corp.. ESML holds in its top three: Sandisk Corp., US Foods Holding Corp. and Assurant, Inc..

FNXvsESMLETF Comparison

First Trust Mid Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund ETF

iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF

FNX vs ESML performance and flow charts

Performance

Cumulative Flows

Get all the metrics on this page, and more, through a reliable ETF data feed

Countries

Sectors

Diversification

Top 15 holdings

How have the FNX and ESML ETFs performed in 2026?

As of September 14, 2026, FNX is up 12.81% year-to-date (YTD), while ESML has returned 16.49%. That puts ESML better performer ahead so far this year.

Which ETF is attracting more investor money: FNX or ESML?

Year-to-date, the FNX ETF saw +$35M in flows, compared to +$411M for ESML.

Which ETF is more volatile: FNX or ESML?

Over the past year, FNX had a volatility of 15.4%, while ESML experienced 16.82%.

Which ETF is bigger: FNX or ESML?

As of September 14, 2026, FNX holds $1.36 B in assets under management (AUM), while ESML manages $2.79 B.

What sectors do the FNX and ESML ETFs invest in?

FNX leans toward sectors like Finance, Industrials and Healthcare. Meanwhile, ESML focuses on Finance, Technology and Healthcare.

What are the top holdings of the FNX ETF and ESML ETF?

FNX top holdings include SM Energy Co., Genpact Ltd. and APA Corp.. ESML holds in its top three: Sandisk Corp., US Foods Holding Corp. and Assurant, Inc..

Which ETF is more diversified: FNX or ESML?

FNX holds 448 securities with 6.94% of its assets in the top 15. ESML has 904 securities and a top 15 weight of 7.94%.

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