Launched on 05/08/2007, the First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX ETF (FXU) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Utilities/Infrastructure ETFs category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.
Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.
But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.
Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance.
Even though this space provides many choices to investors--think one of the simplest methodologies like equal-weighting and more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting--not all have been able to deliver first-rate results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $802.03 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Utilities/Infrastructure ETFs. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the StrataQuant Utilities Index before fees and expenses.
The StrataQuant Utilities Index is a modified equal-dollar weighted index designed by the AMEX to objectively identify and select stocks from the Russell 1000 Index that may generate positive alpha relative to traditional passive style indices through the use of the AlphaDEX screening methodology.
Cost & Other Expenses
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins if all other fundamentals are the same.
With one of the more expensive products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.61%.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.24%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
FXU's heaviest allocation is in the Utilities sector, which is about 97.1% of the portfolio.
Looking at individual holdings, National Fuel Gas Company (NFG) accounts for about 4.46% of total assets, followed by Pg&e Corporation (PCG) and The Aes Corporation (AES).
The top 10 holdings account for about 40.92% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
So far this year, FXU has added about 6.68%, and it's up approximately 12.11% in the last one year (as of 09/09/2026). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $43.83 and $51.33.
FXU has a beta of 0.60 and standard deviation of 15.40% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a medium risk choice in the space. With about 41 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers .
Alternatives
First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX ETF is not a suitable option for investors seeking to outperform the Utilities/Infrastructure ETFs segment of the market. Instead, there are other ETFs in the space which investors should consider.
Vanguard Utilities Index Fund ETF Shares (VPU) tracks MSCI US Investable Market Utilities 25/50 Index and the State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) tracks Utilities Select Sector Index. Vanguard Utilities Index Fund ETF Shares has $8.43 billion in assets, State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF has $22.67 billion. VPU has an expense ratio of 0.09% and XLU changes 0.08%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Utilities/Infrastructure ETFs
Bottom Line
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First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX ETF (FXU): ETF Research Reports
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