FXN vs VDE: Grades, Fees and Holdings Compared

First Trust Energy AlphaDEX Fund

FXNCNYSE Arca

Vanguard Energy ETF

VDEANYSE Arca

Overlap

47.4%by weight

Expense ratio

VDE −0.54pt a year

FXN0.63%VDE0.09%

Avg volume · 30D

FXN 2.3×the volume

FXN1.28MVDE543K

10Y return · a year

VDE +3.2pt

FXN+8.2%VDE+11.4%

FXN vs VDE Performance

Oct 29, 2021 – Oct 30, 2026

+123.7%FXN+184.7%VDE

Expense ratio: FXN 0.63%; VDE 0.09%, better
Fund size: FXN $407M; VDE $12.7B
1Y total return: FXN +60.8%; VDE +61.2%, better
Yield (12M): FXN 1.68%; VDE 2.09%, better
Holdings: FXN 41; VDE 114
Avg volume (30D): FXN 1.28M sh, better; VDE 543K sh
NAV per share: FXN $24.99; VDE $195.50
52W range

ETF.net Grade

Pillar letters and Scores for FXN, VDE, with each pillar’s weight
Pillar	FXN	VDE
Cost30% weight	D29	A92Higher
Mission25% weight	B67	Not scored
Risk15% weight	D25	C43Higher
Tradability15% weight	A77Higher	B61
Holdings10% weight	A89Higher	C49
Durability5% weight	B69	A91Higher

Rank among Energy (Broad) funds

How we build Categories ›

Same Category. FXN and VDE are both graded against the same 24 Energy (Broad) funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Energy (Broad)⁠

Category · 24 funds

See all 24 ›

VDE ranks 3rd and FXN 11th of 24 funds in the Energy (Broad) Category.

Rank 1AXLEState Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETFScore 80
Rank 2AFENYFidelity MSCI Energy Index ETFScore 77
Rank 3AVDEVanguard Energy ETFScore 69
Rank 4BENFRAlerian Energy Infrastructure ETFScore 65
Rank 10CPXIInvesco Dorsey Wright Energy Momentum ETFScore 49
Rank 11CFXNFirst Trust Energy AlphaDEX FundScore 48
Rank 12CFCGFirst Trust Natural Gas ETFScore 47

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

FXNCFirst Trust Energy AlphaDEX Fund

VDEAVanguard Energy ETF

In short

FXN Energy exposure without the two-giant problem. FXN ranks Russell 1000 energy names on growth and value marks, keeps the best scorers, and tier-weights about 40 of them so smaller drillers carry real weight. Running since 2007.

VDE Energy without the mega-cap tunnel vision. VDE tracks an index of roughly 110 US energy stocks, large down to small cap, for 0.09% a year, and it has been running since 2004.

Stated mandate

FXN The Fund seeks to track before expenses the price and yield of the StrataQuant® Energy Index, an enhanced index using the AlphaDEX® methodology to select energy-sector stocks.

VDE The fund seeks to track the MSCI US Investable Market Energy 25/50 Index, which represents large-, mid-, and small-cap U.S. energy-sector stocks.

Why people hold it

FXN Rules do the picking: stocks are scored on growth marks (3, 6 and 12-month price moves, sales to price, sales growth) and value marks, then sorted into quintiles by score.nyse.com ftportfolios.com
Weighting is tiered, not cap-driven: the top-scoring quintile takes a third of the index, equal-weighted within tiers, so about 40 names share the load instead of two giants.nyse.com
A 2007 launch means this strategy has run through multiple oil booms and busts, and shares change hands actively. Pays quarterly.

VDE Costs 0.09% a year, a fraction of what the typical energy sector fund charges.
Casts a wider net than mega-cap-only energy funds: about 110 large-, mid- and small-cap US names, from the integrated majors to shale drillers and refiners.vanguard.com
Hugs its benchmark closely and trades actively, which tends to keep spreads slim for everyday buys and sells.
Live since 2004 and one of the strongest builds in the broad energy group, with a Vanguard fee structure that has only ratcheted downward.

Worth knowing

FXN At 0.63% a year, it charges roughly double the median factor fund in its peer group. That is the price of the quant screen.
The index reconstitutes and rebalances quarterly, which the fund's prospectus notes can push portfolio turnover higher.otcmarkets.com nyse.com
One sector, concentrated by design: energy prices and drilling budgets drive results, with no cushion from other parts of the market.ftportfolios.com

VDE One sector, one storyline: this rides crude and natural gas prices, and it swings harder in both directions than a total-market fund.
Cap-weighted, so a handful of US oil majors carry outsized weight despite the long holdings list; the index's 25/50 rules limit that concentration rather than erase it.vanguard.com
Income arrives quarterly, not monthly, and moves with what energy companies choose to pay out.

Full FXN profile⁠

Full VDE profile⁠

FXN vs VDE Holdings

How FXN and VDE differ

Overlap by weight

47.4%

Shared holdings make up 93.1% of FXN and 90.9% of VDE.

Level by level

Holdings35 in both47.4%
Sector5 Sectors96.2%
Asset classEquity100%
Countryby domicile100%

Sector

Sector weights in FXN and VDE, widest gap first
Sector	More in FXNMore in VDE	FXN	VDE
Energy	VDE +3.3 points	96.2%	99.5%
Technology	FXN +3.3 points	3.3%	0.0%
Utilities	FXN +0.5 points	0.5%	0.0%
Materials	VDE +0.4 points	0.0%	0.4%
Industrials	VDE +0.1 points	0.0%	0.1%

Country, concentration and asset class

Country by domicile

Country weights in FXN and VDE, widest gap first
Country	More in FXNMore in VDE	FXN	VDE
United States	Same weight	100.0%	100.0%

Concentration

Weight in the 10 largest Holdings

FXN41.0%
VDE67.2%

Securities held

FXN40
VDE112

Asset class

FXN: Equity
VDE: Equity

Holdings

Only in FXN5
In both35
Only in VDE77

Only in FXN

5 securities, 6.9% of FXN by weight

First Solar, Inc.3.63%
Nextpower Inc. (Class A)1.48%
SOLV Energy, Inc. (Class A)0.71%
Enphase Energy, Inc.0.57%
X-Energy, Inc. (Class A)0.56%

Only in VDE

77 securities, 8.8% of VDE by weight

SM Energy Co0.33%
PBF Energy Inc0.32%
Magnolia Oil & Gas Corp0.24%
Kodiak Gas Services Inc0.23%
Plains GP Holdings LP0.23%
International Seaways Inc0.23%
Murphy Oil Corp0.23%
Transocean Ltd0.22%
Archrock Inc0.22%
Delek US Holdings Inc0.22%
Valaris Ltd0.21%
Oceaneering International Inc0.21%
Par Pacific Holdings Inc0.21%
Hess Midstream LP0.21%
Core Natural Resources Inc0.20%
Cactus Inc. Class A0.20%
Calumet Inc0.19%
Uranium Energy Corp0.19%
CNX Resources Corp0.19%
Patterson-UTI Energy Inc0.19%
Tidewater Inc0.18%
Helmerich & Payne Inc0.17%
Noble Corp PLC0.17%
Crescent Energy Co0.17%
California Resources Corp0.16%
Solaris Energy Infrastructure Inc0.16%
Peabody Energy Corp0.14%
Dorian LPG Ltd0.14%
Select Water Solutions Inc0.13%
Seadrill Ltd0.13%
Liberty Energy Inc0.13%
CVR Energy Inc0.13%
Kinetik Holdings Inc0.13%
Talos Energy Inc0.12%
Centrus Energy Corp0.11%
World Kinect Corp0.11%
Gulfport Energy Corp0.11%
Northern Oil & Gas Inc0.11%
SLBBH11420.11%
Kosmos Energy Ltd0.10%
Expro Ltd0.09%
REX American Resources Corp0.09%
Kimbell Royalty Partners LP0.08%
Green Plains Inc0.07%
Innovex International Inc0.07%
Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc0.07%
NextDecade Corp0.07%
Nabors Industries Ltd0.07%
Riley Exploration Permian Inc0.06%
Comstock Resources Inc0.06%

Weight gaps

All 35 Holdings in both funds, largest gap first.

Holding weights in FXN and VDE, widest gap first
Holding	More in FXNMore in VDE	FXN	VDE
ExxonMobil Holdings Corp.XOM	VDE +20.41 points	2.51%	22.92%
Chevron CorporationCVX	VDE +11.92 points	2.52%	14.44%
Range Resources CorporationRRC	FXN +5.01 points	5.37%	0.36%
Antero Resources CorporationAR	FXN +4.19 points	4.59%	0.40%
Chord Energy CorporationCHRD	FXN +3.93 points	4.26%	0.33%
ConocoPhillipsCOP	VDE +3.19 points	2.69%	5.88%
Matador Resources CompanyMTDR	FXN +3.18 points	3.44%	0.26%
Expand Energy CorporationEXE	FXN +3.14 points	3.92%	0.78%
APA CorporationAPA	FXN +3.10 points	3.70%	0.60%
Ovintiv Inc.OVV	FXN +3.00 points	3.66%	0.66%
Permian Resources Corp.PR	FXN +2.99 points	3.59%	0.60%
HF Sinclair Corp.DINO	FXN +2.43 points	3.12%	0.69%
The Williams Companies, Inc.WMB	VDE +2.36 points	0.80%	3.16%
Weatherford International PlcWFRD	FXN +2.29 points	2.52%	0.23%
EQT CorporationEQT	FXN +2.16 points	3.32%	1.16%
Halliburton CompanyHAL	FXN +1.43 points	2.48%	1.05%
Viper Energy, Inc. (Class A)VNOM	FXN +1.42 points	1.74%	0.32%
Targa Resources Corp.TRGP	VDE +1.36 points	0.85%	2.21%
Devon Energy CorporationDVN	FXN +1.30 points	3.30%	2.00%
SLB Ltd.SLB	VDE +1.22 points	1.61%	2.83%
NOV Inc.NOV	FXN +1.21 points	1.50%	0.29%
Diamondback Energy, Inc.FANG	FXN +1.19 points	2.52%	1.33%
TechnipFMC PlcFTI	FXN +1.13 points	2.21%	1.08%
Occidental Petroleum CorporationOXY	FXN +0.95 points	2.53%	1.58%
Valero Energy CorporationVLO	VDE +0.71 points	3.75%	4.46%
EOG Resources, Inc.EOG	FXN +0.65 points	3.50%	2.85%
Baker Hughes Company (Class A)BKR	VDE +0.60 points	1.47%	2.07%
Kinder Morgan, Inc.KMI	VDE +0.59 points	1.64%	2.23%
Antero Midstream Corp.AM	FXN +0.48 points	0.78%	0.30%
ONEOK, Inc.OKE	VDE +0.40 points	1.66%	2.06%
Marathon Petroleum CorporationMPC	VDE +0.37 points	4.10%	4.47%
Cheniere Energy, Inc.LNG	VDE +0.36 points	1.79%	2.15%
DT Midstream, Inc.DTM	FXN +0.27 points	0.76%	0.49%
Texas Pacific Land CorporationTPL	FXN +0.10 points	0.74%	0.64%
Phillips 66PSX	FXN +0.09 points	4.03%	3.94%

All 40 FXN holdings⁠All 112 VDE 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.

FXN vs VDE Cost

Overpaying FXN vs VDE

$10,461

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

FXN 0.63%
$12,359
VDE 0.09%
$1,898

Amount$10,000

Years30 years

Cost over time

FXN 0.63%
VDE 0.09%
Overpaying

Year by year

Year	FXN	VDE	Overpaying
10	$1,128	$165	$963
20	$4,311	$646	$3,665
30	$12,359	$1,898	$10,461

Expense ratio

0.63%FXN
0.09%VDE, cheaper

VDE0.09%FXN0.63%

0.08%0.95%

Middle half of Energy (Broad) funds
Median 0.46%

VDE 3rd cheapest of 24 funds

FXN 17th cheapest of 24 funds

FXN vs VDE Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026

Yield (12M): FXN 1.68%; VDE 2.09%, better
Payout (12M): FXN $0.42; VDE $4.08
Last payment: FXN $0.16; VDE $1.05
Ex-dividend: FXN Sep 24, 2026; VDE Sep 23, 2026
Paid on: FXN Sep 30, 2026; VDE Sep 25, 2026
Frequency: FXN Quarterly; VDE Quarterly

Distribution history

Per share, 2017 to 2026, same scale for both

FXNQuarterly · 37 paymentsAll FXN payments⁠

VDEQuarterly · 39 paymentsAll VDE payments⁠

FXN vs VDE Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years: FXN 22.8%VDE 21.2%, better
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years: FXN 0.56VDE 0.81, better
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years: FXN −31.7%VDE −26.6%, better
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years: FXN 0.06VDE −0.01; Market = 1

FXN and VDE in the news

All news⁠

Category Review
The large US oil-company fund returned 45% this year. A pipeline-and-power fund returned 13%.
Updated Oct 6, 2026VDE
Price vs Value
Vanguard showed a 1.94% discount on an energy fund that closed two cents above its value
Oct 4, 2026VDE
Deep Dive
Energy ETFs returned 43% this year. Two refiners pulled even with the majors
Sep 23, 2026VDE
Top Movers
Tanker ETF gains 8.4% as crude falls
Sep 16, 2026FXN

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FXN vs VDE

In short

Stated mandate

Why people hold it