Skip to content

EDOW vs EQL

First Trust Dow 30 Equal Weight ETF

EDOWCNYSE Arca

ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF

EQLBNYSE Arca

Overlap

24.2%by weight

Expense ratio

EQL −0.31pt a year

EDOW0.50%EQL0.19%

Avg volume · 30D

EQL 3.2×the volume

EDOW14.2KEQL44.7K

5Y return · a year

EQL +3.2pt

EDOW+9.9%EQL+13.1%

EDOW vs EQL Performance

Oct 29, 2021 – Oct 30, 2026

+60.3%EDOW+85.2%EQL

Oct 29, 2021 to Oct 30, 2026. EDOW +60.3%. EQL +85.2%. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−20%0%20%40%Oct 2021Apr 2024Oct 2026
Expense ratio
EDOW 0.50%
EQL 0.19%, better
Fund size
EDOW $325M
EQL $786M
1Y total return
EDOW +14.3%
EQL +14.7%, better
Yield (12M)
EDOW 1.22%
EQL 1.29%, better
Holdings
EDOW 31
EQL 498
Avg volume (30D)
EDOW 14.2K sh
EQL 44.7K sh, better
NAV per share
EDOW $46.13
EQL $51.91
52W range

ETF.net Grade

EDOW: Cost 8, Risk 57, Mission 85, Tradability 44, Holdings 31, Durability 45. EQL: Cost 62, Risk 74, Mission 89, Tradability 46, Holdings 44, Durability 64.
Pillar letters and Scores for EDOW, EQL, with each pillar’s weight
PillarEDOWEQL
Cost30% weightF8B62Higher
Mission25% weightA85A89Higher
Risk15% weightB57A74Higher
Tradability15% weightC44C46Higher
Holdings10% weightD31C44Higher
Durability5% weightC45B64Higher

Rank among US Equal Weight funds

Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Same Category. EDOW and EQL are both graded against the same 9 US Equal Weight funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

US Equal Weight⁠

Category · 9 funds
See all 9 ›

EQL ranks 4th and EDOW 8th of 9 funds in the US Equal Weight Category.

  1. Rank 1AEUSAiShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETFScore 80
  2. Rank 2AGSEWGoldman Sachs Equal Weight U.S. Large Cap Equity ETFScore 78
  3. Rank 3AEQALInvesco Russell 1000 Equal Weight ETFScore 70
  4. Rank 4BEQLALPS Equal Sector Weight ETFScore 66
  5. Rank 5BEQWLInvesco S&P 100 Equal Weight ETFScore 65
  6. Rank 7CQEWInvesco QQQ Equal Weight ETFScore 45
  7. Rank 8CEDOWFirst Trust Dow 30 Equal Weight ETFScore 44
  8. Rank 9DUSEWCambria US EW ETFScore 25

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

EDOWCFirst Trust Dow 30 Equal Weight ETF

EQLBALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF

In short

EDOW The Dow, with the price tags ignored. EDOW holds the index's roughly 30 blue chips at equal weight, so no single high-priced share dominates the portfolio. The trade-off is a fee well above most equal-weight rivals.

EQL Every equal-weight fund levels something. EQL levels sectors: eleven U.S. economic sectors, each handed an equal slice, so no single sector sets the agenda. Running since 2009 at 0.19% a year.

Stated mandate

EDOW The fund seeks to track generally the price and yield, before fees and expenses, of the Dow Jones Industrial Average® Equal Weight Index.

EQL EQL passively seeks to track, before fees and expenses, the VettaFi Modelist Equal Weight Sector 500 Index. The index equally weights eleven U.S. economic sectors and float-adjusts stocks within each sector.

Why people hold it

  • EDOW A rare mandate: it equal-weights the Dow's roughly 30 blue chips, so each name gets the same slice instead of share price deciding influence.
  • Straight indexing, no manager discretion: the stated job is tracking the Dow Jones Industrial Average Equal Weight Index, and it has run that job since 2017.ftportfolios.com
  • A portfolio you can read in one screen: about 30 US large caps, with distributions paid quarterly.
  • EQL Eleven sectors, eleven equal slices at each index reset. Any sector's share of the portfolio is capped by the rulebook, not by a manager's opinion.alpsfunds.com
  • 0.19% a year, a shade under the 0.20% typical of its equal-weight peer group.
  • Trading since 2009, one of the longer-running equal-weight funds on the tape, and it sits in the upper half of that peer group.
  • A plain index tracker with a published benchmark (the VettaFi Modelist Equal Weight Sector 500 Index) and no discretionary tilts bolted on.alpsfunds.com

Worth knowing

  • EDOW At 0.50% a year, the fee runs more than double the 0.20% median for equal-weight peers, and rivals like GSEW and EUSA charge 0.09%.
  • Thinly traded next to the larger equal-weight funds, so bid-ask spreads can be wider, particularly in fast markets.
  • About 30 holdings means every name carries real weight, and the sector mix is simply whoever sits in the Dow at the time.
  • EQL Cheaper equal-weight funds exist: GSEW and EUSA both run 0.09%, though they level individual stocks rather than sectors.
  • Thinly traded next to the giants in its category, which can mean wider bid-ask spreads at the moment you trade.
  • Equal sectors is not equal stocks. Inside each sector slice, names are float-adjusted, so the biggest companies still lead their own group.alpsfunds.com

Full EDOW profile⁠

Full EQL profile⁠

EDOW vs EQL Holdings

How EDOW and EQL differ

Overlap by weight

24.2%

Shared holdings make up 99.8% of EDOW and 26.0% of EQL.

Level by level

  • Holdings30 in both24.2%
  • Sector11 Sectors69.6%
  • Countryby domicile99.4%
  • Asset classEquity100%

Sector

Sector weights in EDOW and EQL, widest gap first
SectorMore in EDOWMore in EQL
TechnologyEDOW +9.5 points
Real EstateEQL +8.6 points
UtilitiesEQL +8.6 points
FinancialsEDOW +7.4 points
EnergyEQL +5.7 points
MaterialsEQL +4.8 points
IndustrialsEDOW +4.7 points
Health CareEDOW +4.1 points
Consumer DiscretionaryEDOW +3.4 points
CommunicationEQL +2.5 points
Consumer StaplesEDOW +1.1 points

Country, concentration and asset class

Country by domicile

Country weights in EDOW and EQL, widest gap first
CountryMore in EDOWMore in EQL
United StatesEDOW +0.6 points
Other countries (4)EQL +0.6 points

Concentration

Weight in the 10 largest Holdings

  • EDOW36.3%
  • EQL23.1%

Securities held

  • EDOW30
  • EQL497

Asset class

EDOW
Equity
EQL
Equity

Holdings

  • Only in EDOW0
  • In both30
  • Only in EQL467

Only in EDOW

0 securities, 0.0% of EDOW by weight

Only in EQL

467 securities, 73.5% of EQL by weight

  • ExxonMobil Holdings Corp.2.89%
  • Linde PLC1.91%
  • Meta Platforms Inc.1.85%

Weight gaps

All 30 Holdings in both funds, largest gap first.

Holding weights in EDOW and EQL, widest gap first
HoldingMore in EDOWMore in EQL
Amgen Inc.AMGNEDOW +3.52 points
The Travelers Companies, Inc.TRVEDOW +3.44 points
Honeywell International Inc.HONEDOW +3.43 points
International Business Machines CorporationIBMEDOW +3.42 points
3M CompanyMMMEDOW +3.33 points
NIKE, Inc. (Class B)NKEEDOW +3.32 points
The Walt Disney CompanyDISEDOW +3.22 points
McDonald's CorporationMCDEDOW +3.06 points

All 30 EDOW holdings⁠All EQL holdings⁠

How we measure overlap

Each holding counts at its smaller weight in the two funds, summed over the full Holdings. Sector, country and asset class use the same rule on each fund’s split. Cash, FX and derivative lines stay out of the counts. Two bond funds get no overlap figure.

EDOW vs EQL Cost

Overpaying EDOW vs EQL

$6,027

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

  • EDOW 0.50%

    $9,979

  • EQL 0.19%

    $3,952

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • EDOW 0.50%
  • EQL 0.19%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$2K$4K$6K$8K$10K051015202530EDOW $9,979EQL $3,952

Year by year

YearEDOWEQLOverpaying
10$900$347$553
20$3,460$1,351$2,109
30$9,979$3,952$6,027

Expense ratio

  • 0.50%EDOW
  • 0.19%EQL, cheaper
  • Middle half of US Equal Weight funds
  • Median 0.20%

EQL 3rd cheapest of 9 funds

EDOW 9th cheapest of 9 funds

EDOW vs EQL Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026
Yield (12M)
EDOW 1.22%
EQL 1.29%, better
Payout (12M)
EDOW $0.56
EQL $0.67
Last payment
EDOW $0.13
EQL $0.18
Ex-dividend
EDOW Sep 24, 2026
EQL Sep 24, 2026
Paid on
EDOW Sep 30, 2026
EQL Sep 29, 2026
Frequency
EDOW Quarterly
EQL Quarterly

Distribution history

Per share, 2017 to 2026, same scale for both

EDOWQuarterly · 37 paymentsAll EDOW payments⁠
One bar per payment. 37 payments from 2017 to 2026 YTD. Sep 21, 2017 $0.05; Dec 21, 2017 $0.12; Mar 22, 2018 $0.07; Jun 21, 2018 $0.10; Sep 14, 2018 $0.14; Dec 18, 2018 $0.09; Mar 21, 2019 $0.12; Jun 14, 2019 $0.03; Sep 25, 2019 $0.20; Dec 13, 2019 $0.14; Mar 26, 2020 $0.14; Jun 25, 2020 $0.13; Sep 24, 2020 $0.15; Dec 24, 2020 $0.08; Mar 25, 2021 $0.12; Jun 24, 2021 $0.12; Sep 23, 2021 $0.11; Dec 23, 2021 $0.14; Mar 25, 2022 $0.15; Jun 24, 2022 $0.12; Sep 23, 2022 $0.14; Dec 23, 2022 $0.14; Mar 24, 2023 $0.15; Jun 27, 2023 $0.14; Sep 22, 2023 $0.15; Dec 22, 2023 $0.20; Mar 21, 2024 $0.14; Jun 27, 2024 $0.15; Sep 26, 2024 $0.16; Dec 13, 2024 $0.15; Mar 27, 2025 $0.14; Jun 26, 2025 $0.11; Sep 25, 2025 $0.13; Dec 12, 2025 $0.17; Mar 26, 2026 $0.13; Jun 25, 2026 $0.13; Sep 24, 2026 $0.13. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.502017202020232026YTD
EQLQuarterly · 39 paymentsAll EQL payments⁠
One bar per payment. 39 payments from 2017 to 2026 YTD. Mar 22, 2017 $0.27; Jun 21, 2017 $0.33; Sep 21, 2017 $0.35; Dec 21, 2017 $0.42; Mar 22, 2018 $0.30; Jun 21, 2018 $0.36; Sep 20, 2018 $0.38; Dec 20, 2018 $0.49; Mar 21, 2019 $0.31; Jun 20, 2019 $0.41; Sep 19, 2019 $0.36; Dec 19, 2019 $0.48; Mar 19, 2020 $0.64; Jun 18, 2020 $0.38; Sep 17, 2020 $0.41; Dec 22, 2020 $0.55; Mar 18, 2021 $0.37; Jun 17, 2021 $0.44; Sep 23, 2021 $0.45; Dec 22, 2021 $0.60; Mar 24, 2022 $0.41; Jun 23, 2022 $0.48; Sep 22, 2022 $0.54; Dec 22, 2022 $0.72; Mar 23, 2023 $0.52; Jun 22, 2023 $0.45; Sep 21, 2023 $0.56; Dec 21, 2023 $0.62; Mar 21, 2024 $0.48; Jun 20, 2024 $0.49; Sep 24, 2024 $0.59; Dec 24, 2024 $0.67; Mar 26, 2025 $0.51; Jun 25, 2025 $0.19; Sep 25, 2025 $0.20; Dec 24, 2025 $0.24; Mar 26, 2026 $0.18; Jun 25, 2026 $0.07; Sep 24, 2026 $0.18. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.502017202020232026YTD

EDOW vs EQL Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

  • EDOW
  • EQL
Oct 29, 2021 to Oct 30, 2026. Worst fall: EDOW −22.0% · Sep 2022. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−20%−15%−10%−5%0%Oct 2021Apr 2024Oct 2026

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years
EDOW 11.5%EQL 10.5%, better
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years
EDOW 1.18EQL 1.46, better
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years
EDOW −22.0%EQL −17.4%, better
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years
EDOW 0.85EQL 0.73

Popular comparisons

  • EDOWCvsEUSAA

    First Trust Dow 30 Equal Weight ETF · iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF

    Expense ratio
    0.50% · 0.09%
    Category
    Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.
  • EQLBvsEUSAA

    ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF · iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF

    Expense ratio
    0.19% · 0.09%
    Category
    Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.
  • EDOWCvsGSEWA

    First Trust Dow 30 Equal Weight ETF · Goldman Sachs Equal Weight U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF

    Expense ratio
    0.50% · 0.09%
    Category
    Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.
  • EQLBvsGSEWA

    ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF · Goldman Sachs Equal Weight U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF

    Expense ratio
    0.19% · 0.09%
    Category
    Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.
  • EDOWCvsEQALA

    First Trust Dow 30 Equal Weight ETF · Invesco Russell 1000 Equal Weight ETF

    Expense ratio
    0.50% · 0.20%
    Category
    Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.
  • EQLBvsEQALA

    ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF · Invesco Russell 1000 Equal Weight ETF

    Expense ratio
    0.19% · 0.20%
    Category
    Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.