EFAD vs FVD: Performance, Holdings, Fees & Risk

EFAD and FVD are ETFs, but they can differ materially in exposure, yield, fees and risk. EFAD is ProShares - MSCI EAFE Dividend Growers ETF, while FVD is First Trust Value Line Dividend Index Fund. FVD is broader by holdings count, with 243 positions versus 77 for EFAD. EFAD has the lower expense ratio. Current AlgovestIQ evidence has FVD ahead on AIQ Score, 63 versus 56.

Market data as of Oct 21, 2026 market close· Fund characteristics as of Oct 21, 2026
EFAD
ProShares
vs
FVD
First Trust
EFAD
ProShares - MSCI EAFE Dividend Growers ETF
Issuer
ProShares
Inception
2014-08-19
FVD
First Trust Value Line Dividend Index Fund
Issuer
First Trust
Inception
2003-08-19

What is the main difference between EFAD and FVD?

FVD holds 243 positions to EFAD's 77.

Expense ratio
EFAD
0.5%
FVD
0.62%
Lower annual fund costEFAD
Holdings
EFAD
77
FVD
243
Broader reported basketFVD
1Y return
EFAD
+6.8%
FVD
+8.8%
Trailing performanceFVD
Annualized volatility
EFAD
13.8%
FVD
10.3%
Lower realized volatilityFVD
MetricEFADFVD
Fund
Expense ratio0.5%0.62%
Holdings77243
Distribution yieldTrailing 12 months2.48%2.26%
Average volume3,126551,373
Performance
1Y return+6.8%+8.8%
YTD return+8.2%+7.6%
5Y annualized returnTotal return, distributions reinvested+1.7%+6.1%
Risk
Annualized volatility13.8%10.3%
Max drawdown (1Y)-10.3%-8.1%
Max drawdown (5Y)Total return, distributions reinvested-34%-16.4%
Beta0.730.18
Sharpe ratio0.230.44
Sortino ratio0.370.82
AlgovestIQ
AIQ Score56/10063/100
AIQ Edge Score6/109/10
Momentum79/10079/100
Risk Resilience81/10069/100

AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison

ProShares - MSCI EAFE Dividend Growers ETF vs First Trust Value Line Dividend Index Fund

Data as of Oct 21, 2026· market close· Dividend & Income· Coverage 64/66 fields· High confidence
AIQ VerdictFragileAIQ Comparison Conviction 4/10

FVD leads

FVD leads by 7 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Value, and the lead has widened from 4 points over 30 sessions.

Fragile: 2 of 4 evidence groups support FVD, its lead is widening, and its current signal state is conflicted.

Evidence agreement: 2 of 4Comparison trend: Strengthening
EFAD

ProShares - MSCI EAFE Dividend Growers ETF

AIQ Score
56/100
AIQ Edge Score
6/10
FVD

First Trust Value Line Dividend Index Fund

Leads
AIQ Score
63/100
AIQ Edge Score
9/10

The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors FVD over EFAD, 63 versus 56 as of Oct 21, 2026. FVD's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and value, while EFAD holds the stronger risk resilience profile. FVD also shows the weaker technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 2 of 4 covered evidence groups favor FVD today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: only 2 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. FVD lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 4 to 7 points over 30 sessions.

Compare ProShares - MSCI EAFE Dividend Growers ETF and First Trust Value Line Dividend Index Fund across performance, expense ratio, dividend yield, drawdown, volatility and the Algovestiq AIQ Score.

EFAD vs FVD: which fits what

Each row is settled by a single measure. Where the gap is too small to matter it reads Similar, and no row decides the comparison as a whole.

If you wantEFADFVDFits
Lower costExpense ratio0.5%0.62%EFAD
Broader diversificationNumber of holdings77243FVD
Higher incomeTrailing 12-month distribution yield2.48%2.26%EFAD
Smaller drawdownsMax drawdown, 5 years-34%-16.4%FVD
Lower volatilityAnnualized volatility, 1 year13.8%10.3%FVD

Similar means the gap is within 0.01 percentage points of expense ratio, 25% more holdings, 3 points of top-10 weight, 0.2 points of yield, 2 points of drawdown or 1 point of volatility. Past drawdowns and volatility describe the funds’ history, not their future.

Currently unavailable

Performance over time

Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes for both ETFs.

EFAD
+8.6%
FVD
+34.3%

Total return comparison

Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested

EFAD $10,859 · FVD $13,434

Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.

Compare EFAD and FVD against another ticker

Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.

Basic: 2 symbols·Explorer: 3 symbols·Pro and Premium: 5 symbols·Your limit: 2

AIQ Factor Divergence

Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.

EFAD advantage
0
FVD advantage
  • Quality30 vs 55
    FVD +25
  • Risk Resilience81 vs 69
    EFAD +12
  • Value50 vs 55
    FVD +5
  • Momentum79 vs 79
    Even

2 of 4 evidence groups favor FVD. FVD’s edge is concentrated in quality and value; EFAD keeps a meaningful risk resilience edge.

What changed since the last close

Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.

EFAD0 AIQ

Largest factor move: Risk Resilience -1, not enough on its own to move the overall score.

New signals

  • BB Upper Band Breach — bearish, volatility, short horizon
FVD+3 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum +13

New signals

  • BB Upper Band Breach — bearish, volatility, short horizon
  • EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish — bullish, trend, medium horizon
  • Uptrend Structure Active — bullish, trend, long horizon

FVD's lead widened by 3 AIQ points in the latest session.

Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — EFAD and FVD both carry a full feed there.

The central trade-off

FVD (First Trust Value Line Dividend Index Fund): the stronger current systematic profile, led by quality and value.

EFAD (ProShares - MSCI EAFE Dividend Growers ETF): the counter-case, on risk resilience, technicals.

Fund facts, side by side

Two funds tracking overlapping universes are separated by cost and risk far more than by holdings. Those lead here.

MeasureEFADFVDWhy it matters
Expense ratio0.5%0.62%Lower is better — it compounds against you every year you hold.
Holdings77243More holdings means broader diversification, not better returns.
Average volume3,126551,373Liquidity — matters most if you trade size.
Annualized volatility13.8%10.3%Lower is a steadier ride for the same exposure.
Max drawdown (1Y)-10.3%-8.1%The worst peak-to-trough loss over the past year.
Sharpe ratio0.230.44Return per unit of risk. Higher is better.
Beta0.730.18Sensitivity to the broad market. Neither direction is better — it depends on the role in your portfolio.

Where the exposure actually sits

Sector exposure for each fund, ordered by the size of the difference.

Healthcare18.5% vs 8.1%
Utilities8.2% vs 18.0%
Technology14.5% vs 5.3%
Basic Materials9.8% vs 2.2%
Financial Services13.8% vs 21.0%
Real Estate4.2% vs 8.0%
Communication Services5.6% vs 2.9%
Industrials14.8% vs 14.5%
EFADFVD

EFAD vs FVD: five-year payout growth

EFAD grew its split-adjusted payout faster over 2020-2025 — 12.67% a year against FVD's 6.04%. EFAD: The 2020 payout was 21.9% below 2019, so the growth rate measures a recovery from a weak starting year. EFAD: The payout jumped 110.0% in 2021, a single step rather than steady compounding - often an index or mandate change.

Dividend metricEFADFVD
5Y payout CAGR12.67%6.04%
2020 annual payout$0.651$0.811
2025 annual payout$1.182$1.087
Calendar-year declines11
Peer rank#3 of 33#13 of 33

Split-adjusted annual distributions, 2020–2025. Research as of Sep 19, 2026. Yield and expense ratio above are current values, not part of this window.

AIQ Agreement Matrix

2 of 4 covered evidence groups favor FVD. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.

Evidence groupFavorsReading
AIQ ScoreFVD56 vs 63
FundamentalsNot coveredNot covered
ValuationFVDValue 50 vs 55
TechnicalsEFADPrice vs 50-day 2.4% vs 0.9%; vs 200-day 5.1% vs 2.4%
Risk ResilienceEFADRisk Resilience 81 vs 69
Analyst expectationsNot coveredNot covered

✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of EFAD and FVD and are excluded from the count.

AIQ Decision Stability

Fragile

The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.

  • The AIQ gap is moderate at 7 points.
  • Only 2 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • The leader's advantage has been widening. (supports the conclusion holding)
  • The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
  • The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)

Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on FVD.

How the comparison changed

95 daily snapshots · Jun 22 – Oct 20

FVD lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 4 to 7 points over 30 sessions.

Jun 22EFAD leads above the line · FVD leads belowOct 20
Today
FVD +7
56 vs 63
7 sessions ago
FVD +5
55 vs 60
30 sessions ago
FVD +4
46 vs 50
90 sessions ago
FVD +6
52 vs 58

The lead has not changed hands in this window.

AIQ Signal Divergence

Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.

EFADConflicted

6 bullish / 2 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted

Only EFAD

  • 52-Week High Proximity — bullish, risk, long horizon (1.0%)
FVDConflicted

5 bullish / 2 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted

No signal that the other name lacks.

Both carry 9 more signals that do not separate them: Bollinger Band Squeeze, Golden Cross Active, ATR Contraction - Coiling, BB Upper Band Breach, Keltner Channel Breakout, RSI Overbought, EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish, Uptrend Structure Active, MACD Bullish Crossover.

FVD leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.

Price vs model alignment

Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.

EFADNo material change

Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +0.1%, AIQ 0 points).

FVDNo material change

Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -0.04%, AIQ +3 points).

What would flip this result

A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.

  1. 1EFAD closes the Quality gap — currently 25 points behind, the largest single contributor to FVD's edge.
  2. 2EFAD's BB Upper Band Breach resolves — a bearish volatility rule currently active against it.
  3. 3FVD's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 5 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once.
  4. 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.

The full evidence

Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.

Performance

EFAD leads 4 of 6 windows
MetricEFADFVD
1 week (5 sessions)3.2%3.1%
1 month (20 sessions)2%2.7%
3 months (63 sessions)5.5%0.6%
6 months (126 sessions)5.6%3.6%
Year to date8.2%7.6%
1 year (252 sessions)6.8%8.8%

Technicals

EFAD has the stronger structure
MetricEFADFVD
RSI (14)83.280.1
ADX (14)18.233.5
Price vs 50-day2.4%0.9%
Price vs 200-day5.1%2.4%
Volatility (1M, annualized)12.5%11.4%

Risk

EFAD is the more resilient
MetricEFADFVD
Beta0.730.18
Sharpe ratio0.230.44
Sortino ratio0.370.82
Max drawdown-10.3%-8.1%
Current drawdown-1%-2.9%
Annualized volatility13.8%10.3%
Value at risk (95%)-1.4%-0.9%

Straight answers

Short answers to the questions fund investors ask about this pair, from the figures above.

What is the difference between EFAD and FVD?

FVD holds 243 positions to EFAD's 77.

Which ETF is more diversified, EFAD or FVD?

FVD holds more positions: 243 versus 77 for EFAD.

Which has the lower expense ratio?

EFAD has the lower expense ratio, 0.5% a year against 0.62% for FVD.

Which ETF has the higher distribution yield?

EFAD, with a trailing 12-month distribution yield of 2.48% against 2.26% for FVD.

Which ETF has been more volatile?

EFAD has been more volatile over the past year, at 13.8% annualized against 10.3% for FVD.

Which ETF has had the smaller drawdown?

FVD fell less from peak to trough over the past five years: -16.4% against -34% for EFAD.

Compare EFAD and FVD with others

Continue your research

This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.

How this comparison is scored

The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.

The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.

How to use side-by-side comparison →

This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.