Is First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX ETF (FEX) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Core Insights - The First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX ETF (FEX) is a smart beta ETF launched on 05/08/2007, providing broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend category [1] - The ETF has amassed assets over $1.36 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in its category [5] - The fund seeks to match the performance of the Nasdaq AlphaDEX Large Cap Core Index, which employs the AlphaDEX stock selection methodology [5] Fund Characteristics - FEX has annual operating expenses of 0.58% and a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.16% [6] - The fund's heaviest allocation is to the Financials sector at 22.4%, followed by Information Technology and Industrials [7] - Top holdings include Robinhood Markets, Inc. (0.92%), Carvana Co., and Western Digital Corporation, with the top 10 holdings accounting for approximately 6.34% of total assets [8] Performance Metrics - The ETF has gained about 10.91% and is up roughly 15.94% year-to-date as of 08/25/2025 [10] - FEX has traded between $90.17 and $115.10 over the last 52 weeks, with a beta of 0.98 and a standard deviation of 16.45% for the trailing three-year period [10] - The fund effectively diversifies company-specific risk with about 377 holdings [10] Alternatives - Other ETFs in the same space include iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO), with assets of $660.8 billion and $725.36 billion respectively [11] - Both IVV and VOO have a lower expense ratio of 0.03% [11]