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FEM
+3.00 · +9.86%
£33.40 · LSE
First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX® UCITS ETF Class A Accumulation | Global Emerging Markets Equity
First Trust Global Portfolios Management Limited · Ireland
AUM:£12.3M
#– of – in Global Emerging Markets Equity ETFs
ℹ️
Reward Rating
70
Strong
44.33% 1Y return
ℹ️
Risk Rating
41
Moderate
Risk Assessment
ℹ️

Educational tool only – Scores are based on historical data, holdings and expense metrics for informational purposes. This is not financial advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Always conduct your own research or consult a qualified financial adviser.

Market Performance

📈 Up 44.3% over the past year, reflecting strong price momentum.

Cost Efficiency

⚠️ Ongoing charge of 0.80% — above average for this category.

What is FEM?

First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX® UCITS ETF Class A Accumulation tracks Morningstar EM TME NR USD, providing diversified exposure across 50 holdings. Its ongoing charge is 0.80%.

Performance Highlights

Investment Breakdown

Strong Recent Performance
FEM delivered 44.3% over the past year. Historical returns only — past performance is not indicative of future results.
Higher Cost Profile
Ongoing charge of 0.80% is above average. Verify whether the strategy justifies the cost.
Broadly Diversified
Top 10 holdings represent just 14.8% of the ETF — exposure spread across many positions.

Openbook Analysis

Performance: Strong (70)

The scoring profile reflects strong historical performance characteristics, including a 44.3% 1-year return (historical). The ongoing charge of 0.80% should be considered against long-term return expectations. Risk indicators are moderate, in line with typical market exposure (historical).

For informational and educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

ETF Information
AUM£12.3M
Ongoing Charge0.80%
Dividend Yield0.00%
Holdings50
Inception DateApr 2013
DomicileIreland
DistributionNA
IndexMorningstar EM TME NR USD
ProviderFirst Trust Global Portfolios Management Limited
Beta–
CategoryGlobal Emerging Markets Equity
CurrencyGBX
Portfolio Impact

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6168
+7 points · better diversified
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Uses ISF.L (iShares FTSE 100 ETF)
Indicators

Performance Metrics

Historical returns

6M
+19.4%
1Y
+40.5%
3Y
+64.4%
5Y
+50.9%
OpenBook InsightIf you had invested £10,000 in FEM 5 years ago, it would have grown to £15,091 — a gain of £5,091.

Annual Returns

Calendar year performance

FEM delivered positive returns in 4 of the last 5 calendar years.
YearFEM
2026 YTD+17.4%
2025+17.4%
2024+5.0%
2023+3.1%
2022-3.5%
CAGR 4yr+5.2%
4/5 positive yearsAvg return: +7.9%Worst year: -3.5% (2022)

Technical Analysis Summary

Automated insights from historical price action and indicators

Technical Regime: MIXED
Trend Strength
67%
Positive
Volatility
15.7%
Low
Momentum
+1.3%
30-day change
Support Level
36.06
Key floor
Key Insights
  • Price is consolidating, with low momentum over the recent period.
  • Monitor key support and resistance levels as part of broader risk assessment.

Reward Rating Breakdown

Our reward rating analyses FEM's attractiveness using 4 weighted factors. Each factor is scored 0-100, then combined using the weights shown below. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Overall Reward Rating
70
Strong REWARD
Data Coverage: %
Factor Framework
Performance
Has the ETF delivered strong historical returns versus similar ETFs?
Cost Efficiency
Is the ETF cheap to own over long periods?
Income
Does it provide attractive and consistent distributions?
Diversification Quality
Does it spread exposure across holdings, sectors, and regions?

📈 Performance

Weight: 30%
80/100

Has the ETF delivered strong historical returns versus similar ETFs? Combines 1/3/5/10-year returns with the Sharpe ratio (risk-adjusted return).

1Y Return
44.33%
Very Good
3Y Return
18.34%
Very Good
5Y Return
8.39%
Good
10Y Return
9.73%
Good
Sharpe Ratio
—
No Data

Strong historical performance profile: 1-year return of 44.33%, 3-year annualised 18.34%, 5-year annualised 8.39%. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

💰 Cost Efficiency

Weight: 30%
68/100

Is the ETF cheap to own over long periods? Low ongoing charges compound into meaningful additional returns over a 10-year horizon.

Ongoing Charge
0.80%
Very Weak
Net Expense Ratio
0.00%
Very Good
Annual Turnover
0.00%
Very Good
Tracking Difference
—
No Data

Reasonable cost profile: ongoing charge of 0.80%, net expense ratio of 0.00%, annual turnover of 0.0%.

💵 Income

Weight: 15%
Not applicable

This is an accumulating ETF. It reinvests distributions inside the fund rather than paying cash to unit-holders, so income metrics don't apply. Reward is scored on the other three factors with the 15% income weight redistributed proportionally.

🌐 Diversification Quality

Weight: 25%
60/100

Does the ETF spread exposure across many holdings, sectors, and regions? Concentrated funds can be doing exactly what they're meant to do — treat the score as context, not a verdict.

Holdings
50
Weak
Top 10 Concentration
14.84%
Very Good
Top Sector
Basic Materials21.4%
Good
Top Region
Asia Emerging52.3%
Good

Moderate diversification: 50 holdings, top 10 at 14.8%, Basic Materials sector at 21.4%, Asia Emerging at 52.3%.

Scores are derived from fund-provider disclosures and historical data. For informational and educational purposes only — not investment advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Risk Rating Breakdown

Our risk rating analyses FEM using 4 weighted factors. A higher score indicates higher risk. This is a framework for understanding exposure — concentrated funds can still be doing exactly what they're meant to do.

Overall Risk Rating
41
Moderate RISK
Data Coverage: 75%
Factor Framework
Holdings Concentration
How much of the fund sits in its largest positions? Few dominant names mean returns ride on those companies.
Market Exposure
Geographic, sector and cyclical dependencies. High single-country or single-sector weight increases macro sensitivity.
Volatility
Historical price movement, beta and drawdowns — how sharply the fund moves relative to the market.
Income Reliability
How dependable the distribution yield is — cyclical-sector dependency and unusually high yields can flag payout risk.

🎯 Holdings Concentration

Weight: 25%
31/100

How much of the fund sits in a small number of positions? If the top holdings dominate, returns will be driven by those specific companies rather than the broader index.

Top 10 Weight
14.84%
Low Risk
Largest Holding
2.35%
Lower Risk
Number of Holdings
50
Moderate
HHI (weight²)
23
Low Risk

Reasonable spread across positions: top 10 holdings at 14.8%, largest single position at 2.35%, 50 total holdings.

🌍 Market Exposure

Weight: 25%
59/100

How dependent is the fund on a single country, sector or economic cycle? Heavy exposure to one market means a single macro event can drive most of the return.

Top Region
Asia Emerging52.3%
Lower Risk
Top Sector
Basic Materials21.4%
Lower Risk
Top 2 Sectors
41.17%
Moderate
Cyclical Sectors
63.56%
High Risk

Notable regional or sector dependency: Asia Emerging at 52.3%, Basic Materials sector at 21.4%, 63.6% in cyclical sectors.

📊 Volatility

Weight: 35%
35/100

How sharply does the fund move day-to-day and how deep have its drawdowns been? High volatility means wider return outcomes over short horizons.

1Y Volatility
9.46%
Lower Risk
Beta
—
No Data
Max Drawdown
—
No Data

Moderate volatility in line with broad market: 1Y volatility of 9.46% (historical).

💵 Income Reliability

Weight: 15%
Not applicable

This is an accumulating ETF. Distributions are reinvested inside the fund, so there's no dividend-reliability risk to assess. The 15% income weight is redistributed to the other three factors.

Scores are derived from fund-provider disclosures and historical data. For informational and educational purposes only — not investment advice. Risk scoring is model-based and past data does not guarantee future results.
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