ETF Evaluator:
First Trust Hrzn MgdVolatil Dev Intl ETF ()
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(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Foreign Large Value Over the Last Year
| 42.4% | GMO International Value ETF (GMOI) |
| 42.0% | JPMorgan International Value ETF (JIVE) |
| 40.1% | Schwab Fundamental International Eq ETF (FNDF) |
| 39.7% | Cambria Global Value ETF (GVAL) |
| 39.3% | Invesco RAFI Developed Markets ex-US ETF (PXF) |
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ETF Details
First Trust Hrzn MgdVolatil Dev Intl ETF Overview
First Trust Hrzn MgdVolatil Dev Intl ETF (HDMV) is an actively managed International Equity Foreign Large Value exchange-traded fund (ETF). First Trust launched the ETF in 2016.
The investment seeks to provide capital appreciation.
Under normal market conditions, the fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets (including investment borrowings) in common stocks and depositary receipts of developed market companies listed and traded on non-U.S. exchanges that the Sub-Advisor believes exhibit low future expected volatility. Under normal market conditions, it will invest in at least three countries and at least 40% of its net assets in countries other than the United States.
About First Trust Hrzn MgdVolatil Dev Intl ETF (HDMV)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 9.94 years: Scott Ladner (2016), Michael Dickson (2016) and Steven Clark (2016). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 1 primary benchmark: MSCI EAFE NR USD index with a weighting of 100%. First Trust Hrzn MgdVolatil Dev Intl ETF has 159 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 16.3% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
First Trust Hrzn MgdVolatil Dev Intl ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity ETF group. First Trust Hrzn MgdVolatil Dev Intl ETF has 99.7% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0% There is 99.7% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). First Trust Hrzn MgdVolatil Dev Intl ETF has 0.3% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $17 million in total assets, which is below the $2 billion average for the Foreign Large Value category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
HDMV Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The First Trust Hrzn MgdVolatil Dev Intl ETF expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Foreign Large Value category. First Trust Hrzn MgdVolatil Dev Intl ETF has an expense ratio of 0.80%, which is 73% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a F. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. First Trust Hrzn MgdVolatil Dev Intl ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 90%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 44% for the Foreign Large Value category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, First Trust Hrzn MgdVolatil Dev Intl ETF returned 5.2%, which earned it a grade of C, as the Foreign Large Value category had an average return of 4.5%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
First Trust Hrzn MgdVolatil Dev Intl ETF has a trailing yield of 3.99%, which is above the 3.26% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income quarterly.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
First Trust Hrzn MgdVolatil Dev Intl ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 11.2%, 3.9 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of F. The fund has returned 18.0% over the past year (grade of F), 14.4% over the past three years (grade of F) and 7.6% per year over the past five years (grade of F).
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HDMV Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| HDMV Return (NAV) | 5.2% | 3.9% | 18.0% | 14.4% | 7.6% | na |
| HDMV Return (Price) | 5.5% | 4.6% | 18.8% | 14.6% | 7.7% | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.370% | -0.685% | -0.782% | -0.261% | -0.112% | na |
| Foreign Large Value Avg | 4.5% | 5.1% | 30.8% | 19.8% | 12.1% | 9.9% |
| HDMV Grade (NAV) | C | D | F | F | F | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 0.7% | -1.2% | -12.8% | -5.4% | -4.5% | na |
| HDMV Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 1.5% | 1.1% | 1.1% | na |
HDMV Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| HDMV Return (NAV) | 11.2% | 29.1% | 3.1% | 9.2% | -10.8% | 6.9% | -8.5% | 14.9% | -7.3% | 27.2% | na |
| HDMV Return (Price) | 12.2% | 29.3% | 3.0% | 9.6% | -11.4% | 7.4% | -9.4% | 15.0% | -7.6% | 27.5% | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.096% | 0.006% | -0.028% | 0.050% | 0.055% | 0.078% | 0.107% | 0.8% | 3.9% | 1.1% | na |
| Foreign Large Value Avg | 15.0% | 38.6% | 4.7% | 16.7% | -8.9% | 12.3% | -0.7% | 18.8% | -13.7% | 23.2% | 6.9% |
| HDMV Grade (NAV) | F | F | D | F | D | F | F | F | A | A | na |
| +/- Category | -3.9% | -9.4% | -1.7% | -7.6% | -1.9% | -5.4% | -7.8% | -3.9% | 6.4% | 4.0% | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.63 |
| R-Squared: | 57% |
| Standard Deviation: | 11.6% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.92 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Low |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.94 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Below Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 4.0% |
| Total Assets: | $ 17 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 17 Mil |
| Turnover: | 90.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.80% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | MSCI EAFE NR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Quarterly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 9.9 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 9.9 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Ladner Scott (2016), Dickson Michael (2016), Clark Steven (2016) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 159 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 16.3% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 99.7% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 99.7% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.3% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | First Trust |
| Phone Number: | 800-621-1675 |
| Website: | www.ftportfolios.com |
| Inception Date: | August 24, 2016 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.80% (Rating: High) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.46% |
