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FYX

First Trust Small Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund (FYX)

Rating:65Neutral
Price Target:$147.00▲(7.51% Upside)

FYX, the First Trust Small Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund, has a solid overall rating that reflects a mix of strong standouts and more challenged holdings among small-cap stocks. Strong contributors like Academy Sports and Outdoors, with its attractive valuation, solid financial performance, and supportive technical trends, help lift the fund’s quality, while names such as Sunrun and Xeris Pharmaceuticals, which face high leverage and profitability issues, weigh on the rating. The main risk is the fund’s exposure to smaller companies that often carry higher financial and operational uncertainty, which can make performance more volatile.

Positive Factors
Strong Year-to-Date PerformanceThe fund has delivered strong gains so far this year, showing solid momentum in its small-cap strategy.
Healthy Diversification Across SectorsHoldings are spread across many industries like financials, health care, consumer cyclical, technology, and industrials, which helps reduce the impact of weakness in any single sector.
Several Strong-Performing Top HoldingsMany of the largest positions, including names in technology, insurance, and retail, have shown strong performance this year, supporting the fund’s overall returns.
Negative Factors
Higher Expense RatioThe fund’s fee is on the higher side for an ETF, which means more of the return is eaten up by costs over time.
Short-Term Performance VolatilityRecent one-month and three-month results have been more mixed, showing that returns can be choppy over shorter periods.
Heavy U.S. Market DependenceWith almost all assets in U.S. companies, the fund is highly sensitive to the health of the U.S. economy and offers little geographic diversification.

FYX vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

-10%0%10%20%30%40%SPY+8.76%FYX+28.75%Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
AUM
1.36B
Region
North America
Expense Ratio
0.58%
Beta
0.94
Issuer
First Trust
Inception Date
May 08, 2007
Dividend Yield
1.11%
Asset Class
Equity
Index Tracked
Nasdaq AlphaDEX Small Cap Core Index

FYX Summary

FYX is an exchange-traded fund that follows the Nasdaq AlphaDEX Small Cap Core Index, focusing on smaller U.S. companies with room to grow. It spreads your money across many industries, including financials, health care, technology, and consumer companies. Well-known names in the fund include Kohl’s and Harley-Davidson, along with other emerging businesses. Someone might invest in FYX to diversify beyond large, well-known stocks and tap into the growth potential of smaller companies. A key risk is that small-cap stocks can be more volatile, so the fund’s value can move up and down more sharply with the market.

How much will it cost me?

FYX has an annual expense ratio of 0.58%, which means you’ll pay about $5.80 per year for every $1,000 invested. This cost is higher than the average ETF because FYX is more actively managed, using the AlphaDEX strategy to select and weight stocks rather than simply tracking a basic market index.

What would affect this ETF?

FYX could benefit if the U.S. economy stays healthy, consumer spending remains strong, and technology and health care innovation continue, supporting many of its small-cap holdings like DXC Technology, Appian, and Mattel. On the downside, rising interest rates, tighter credit conditions, or an economic slowdown would likely hurt small U.S. companies in cyclical areas such as financials, consumer discretionary, and real estate, making this ETF more volatile and sensitive to market stress.

FYX Top 10 Holdings

FYX is powered by a mix of scrappy U.S. small caps, with rising tech names like Appian and Amplitude helping to set the pace as they lean into cloud and AI themes. Retail players such as Kohl’s and Academy Sports are steady contributors, benefiting from solid cash flow even as consumer spending remains choppy. On the flip side, Comstock Resources and Mattel are lagging, with energy and toy demand losing some steam and weighing on results. Overall, the fund is broadly diversified across sectors, but leans into small-cap tech, consumer, and financial stories.

FYX top ten holdings
NameCompany NameWeight %Market ValueMarket CapYearly GainOverall Rating
XERSXERSXeris Pharmaceuticals0.49%$6.71M$2.78B97.15%46Neutral
APPNAPPNAppian0.45%$6.17M$3.70B34.52%58Neutral
STGWSTGWStagwell0.44%$6.03M$2.89B107.12%65Neutral
ASOASOAcademy Sports and Outdoors0.43%$5.90M$4.14B46.07%75Outperform
DXCDXCDXC Technology0.43%$5.79M$2.31B8.94%62Neutral
ARDTARDTArdent Health Partners, Inc.0.42%$5.65M$2.44B19.64%68Neutral
HOGHOGHarley-Davidson0.42%$5.64M$3.30B29.91%60Neutral
FAFAFirst Advantage0.41%$5.58M$4.05B70.51%51Neutral
RUNRUNSunrun0.40%$5.42M$2.41B-51.13%52Neutral
SEPNSEPNSepterna, Inc.0.39%$5.27M$2.28B159.84%61Neutral

FYX Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis SentimentNegative
Last Price136.73

Price Trends

50DMA137.64Negative
100DMA139.84Negative
200DMA132.75Positive

Market Momentum

MACD0.40Negative
RSI47.13Neutral
STOCH38.40Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in ETF analysis to make informed investment decisions. For FYX, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 136.73 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 137.25, below the 50-day MA of 137.64, and above the 200-day MA of 132.75, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of 0.40 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 47.13 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 38.40 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for FYX.

FYX Peer Comparison

Comparison Results

FYX against its peer funds
NamePricePrice TargetAUMExpense RatioOverall Rating
FYXFYX$136.73$147.00(7.51% Upside)$1.36B0.58%65Neutral
FNDAFNDA$35.48$42.07(18.58% Upside)$8.78B0.25%67Neutral
FESMFESM$44.33$57.52(29.75% Upside)$6.61B0.28%64Neutral
VIOOVIOO$128.08$155.68(21.55% Upside)$4.07B0.07%66Neutral
SMLFSMLF$83.45$103.14(23.59% Upside)$4.13B0.15%66Neutral
CALFCALF$56.76$64.70(13.99% Upside)$3.85B0.59%65Neutral

Performance Comparison

0%10%20%30%FYXFNDAFESMVIOOSMLFCALFDec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
FYX and its peers over the selected period
Show on chartTickerCompany NamePriceChange% Change
FYXFirst Trust Small Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund136.7328.3926.21%
FNDASchwab Fundamental US Small Co. Index ETF35.484.8615.87%
FESMFidelity Enhanced Small Cap ETF44.337.3920.00%
VIOOVanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 ETF128.0818.3816.75%
SMLFiShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Multifactor ETF83.459.6213.03%
CALFPacer US Small Cap Cash Cows 100 ETF56.7613.3230.68%
Glossary
BuyAn ETF rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the ETF is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other ETFs in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldAn ETF rated as a "Hold" s expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the ETF is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellAn ETF rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the ETF may deliver lower returns compared to other ETFs in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer

This AI Analyst ETF Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in ETFs carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.