FICS vs IDHQ

FICSCFirst Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF

IDHQBInvesco S&P International Developed Quality ETF

In short

FICS A balance-sheet screen shipped overseas. FICS holds roughly 60 developed-market names filtered for financial strength and lower volatility, and charges 0.70% for the sorting work.

IDHQ One of the longest-running international quality funds: since 2007 it has held the developed ex-US names scoring highest on return on equity, accruals and leverage, for a fee below the typical international-factor rate.

Stated mandate

FICS The fund seeks to track, before fees and expenses, the price and yield of The International Developed Capital StrengthTM Index. Normally, it invests at least 90% of net assets in the index’s common stocks and REITs.

IDHQ The Fund seeks to track, before fees and expenses, the investment results of the S&P Quality Developed ex-U.S. LargeMidCap Index. It uses an index-based strategy focused on international developed-market equities selected for quality.

Why people hold it

• FICS Rules-based quality and low-volatility screen on developed international stocks, with at least 90% of net assets in the index's own common stocks and REITs.ftportfolios.com
• Roughly 60 holdings, so the screen actually shows up in the portfolio instead of getting diluted into a market-cap blob.
• Pure non-US developed exposure with no home-market overlap, and cash comes back on a quarterly schedule.
• Running since its 2020 launch, tracking a named, published index rather than a manager's discretion.

• IDHQ Quality is defined, not vibes: return on equity, accruals ratio and financial leverage ratio, applied to the top slice of the developed ex-US large- and mid-cap universe.spglobal.cominvesco.com
• 0.29% a year runs below the typical fee in its international-factor group, and the fund has tracked its index closely.
• Running since 2007, with a live record through the financial crisis and everything since. The screen refreshes on a set schedule each June and December.invesco.com
• Country, sector and single-stock caps keep the quality screen from turning the portfolio into one concentrated country or sector bet.spglobal.comprnewswire.com

Worth knowing

• FICS The 0.70% expense ratio sits above what plain index trackers in its cohort typically charge. That is the price of the screen.
• One of the thinner traders in its category, so spreads can widen. Limit orders are the standard defense.
• About 60 stocks with a quality and low-vol tilt means returns can diverge meaningfully from broad developed-market indexes in either direction.

• IDHQ Roughly 200 stocks from a much wider developed ex-US universe, so its country and sector mix can sit far from the standard international benchmark.spglobal.com
• Cohort peers EFAV and ACWV target minimum volatility. This one screens for quality only and makes no attempt to damp market swings.
• A mid-size, moderately traded fund rather than a giant of the category, so order size and spreads matter more than with the biggest names.

Full FICS profile⁠

Full IDHQ profile⁠