Is First Trust Small Cap Core AlphaDEX ETF (FYX) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Core Insights - The First Trust Small Cap Core AlphaDEX ETF (FYX) debuted on May 8, 2007, and provides broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Blend category of the market [1] Fund Overview - FYX is managed by First Trust Advisors and has accumulated over $880.27 million in assets, categorizing it as an average-sized ETF in its segment [5] - The fund aims to match the performance of the Nasdaq AlphaDEX Small Cap Core Index, which utilizes the AlphaDEX stock selection methodology [5] Cost Structure - FYX has annual operating expenses of 0.61%, making it one of the more expensive options in the smart beta ETF space [6] - The ETF has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.13% [6] Sector Allocation - The Financials sector represents 20.6% of the portfolio, followed by Industrials and Consumer Discretionary as the next largest sectors [7] - The top 10 holdings account for approximately 4.31% of total assets under management, with Commscope Holding Company, Inc. (COMM) being the largest individual holding at about 0.58% [8] Performance Metrics - Year-to-date, FYX has gained approximately 6.63% and is up about 10.81% over the last 12 months as of September 1, 2025 [10] - The ETF has a beta of 1.13 and a standard deviation of 22.17% over the trailing three-year period, indicating medium risk [10] Alternatives - Other ETFs in the small-cap blend space include iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) and iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR), which have significantly larger asset bases and lower expense ratios [12]