Question 1

What is FEM?

Accepted Answer

FEM — First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX® Fund — is a Canadian-listed ETF trading on the NASDAQ. The fund will normally invest at least 90% of its net assets (including investment borrowings) in the securities that comprise the index. The index is designed to select stocks from the NASDAQ Emerging Markets Index (the base index) that may generate positive alpha, or risk-adjusted returns, relative to traditional indices through the use of the AlphaDEX® selection methodology.

Question 2

What is the FEM ETF price today?

Accepted Answer

FEM last traded at $32.09 CAD on the NASDAQ. See the price chart above for recent performance.

Question 3

What is the FEM MER (management expense ratio)?

Accepted Answer

FEM has a management expense ratio (MER) of 0.8% per year. This fee is automatically deducted from the fund's assets, so you never pay it directly — but it does reduce your net returns over time.

Question 4

What are FEM annualised returns?

Accepted Answer

FEM historical returns: YTD: +0.73%, 1-year: +25.31%, 3-year annualised: +19.18%, 5-year annualised: +8.22%, 10-year annualised: +8.42%. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. The 3-year Sharpe ratio is 0.99, which measures risk-adjusted return.

Question 5

Does FEM pay dividends or distributions?

Accepted Answer

Yes, FEM distributes income to unitholders. The current distribution yield is approximately 2.16%, paid na. Distributions may include dividends, interest, capital gains, or return of capital depending on the fund's holdings. In a TFSA or RRSP, distributions are sheltered from tax.

Question 6

What does FEM invest in?

Accepted Answer

FEM's top holdings include Kinsus Interconnect Technology Corp (3189, 3.1%), Unimicron Technology Corp (3037, 2.1%), Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board Corp (8046, 2.0%), Asia Vital Components Co Ltd (3017, 1.7%), Innolux Corp (3481, 1.7%) — and 43 more positions. See the full Top 10 Holdings table above for a complete breakdown.

Question 7

What sectors does FEM invest in?

Accepted Answer

FEM's largest sector exposures are Technology (28.8%), Industrials (19.4%), Energy (14.3%). The full sector breakdown is shown in the Sector Weights table on this page.

Question 8

How large is FEM? (Assets under management)

Accepted Answer

FEM has approximately $808M in assets under management (AUM). Larger AUM generally means better liquidity, tighter bid-ask spreads, and a lower risk of the fund being wound down.

Question 9

When was FEM launched?

Accepted Answer

FEM was launched on April 18, 2011, giving it a 15-year track record. A longer history makes it easier to evaluate how the ETF performs across different market cycles.

Question 10

How do I buy FEM in Canada?

Accepted Answer

FEM trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker FEM. You can buy it through any Canadian brokerage, including Wealthsimple Trade (commission-free), Questrade, TD Direct Investing, RBC Direct, and CIBC Investor's Edge. It can be held in a TFSA, RRSP, FHSA, or taxable account.

Question 11

How risky is FEM?

Accepted Answer

FEM has a 1-year volatility of 18.11% and a beta of 0.78 (less volatile than the broad market). Its 3-year Sharpe ratio of 0.99 indicates moderate risk-adjusted returns. As with all market-linked investments, past volatility does not predict future risk.

Date	Open	High	Low	Close	Adj Close	Volume
2026-10-01	$32.11	$32.16	$31.87	$32.09	$32.09	138,607
2026-09-30	$32.37	$32.37	$32.10	$32.21	$32.21	92,124
2026-09-29	$32.23	$32.28	$32.01	$32.19	$32.19	515,300
2026-09-28	$32.27	$32.35	$32.09	$32.29	$32.29	50,200
2026-09-25	$32.54	$32.71	$32.45	$32.60	$32.60	82,800
2026-09-24	$32.63	$32.68	$32.38	$32.48	$32.48	53,300
2026-09-23	$33.09	$33.09	$32.70	$32.76	$32.76	95,000
2026-09-21	$33.10	$33.39	$33.08	$33.36	$33.36	37,500
2026-09-18	$32.82	$32.91	$32.70	$32.86	$32.86	74,800
2026-09-17	$32.87	$32.95	$32.77	$32.93	$32.93	39,200

#	Ticker	Name	Weight
1	3189	Kinsus Interconnect Technology Corp	3.06%
2	3037	Unimicron Technology Corp	2.11%
3	8046	Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board Corp	1.95%
4	3017	Asia Vital Components Co Ltd	1.72%
5	3481	Innolux Corp	1.67%
6	2383	Elite Material Co Ltd	1.52%
7	2615	Wan Hai Lines Ltd	1.44%
8	UGPA3	Ultrapar Participações S.A	1.34%
9	3702	WPG Holdings Ltd	1.31%
10	3711	ASE Industrial Holding Co Ltd	1.26%

Sector	Weight
Technology	28.81%
Industrials	19.39%
Energy	14.33%
Basic Materials	8.78%
Financial Services	6.09%
Utilities	5.87%
Consumer Cyclicals	4.81%
Communication Services	3.99%
Consumer Defensive	3.06%
Healthcare	2.56%
Real Estate	2.30%

Ticker	Name	Price	1D
MSTU		$43.77	+9.62%
OILU		$59.51	+6.19%
HOU	BetaPro Crude Oil Daily Bull ETF	$26.42	+5.98%
MUU		$19.42	+5.72%
RDDY	Harvest Reddit Enhanced High Income Shares ETF	$4.63	+5.71%
MSTE	Harvest MicroStrategy Enhanced High Income Shares ETF - Class A Units	$2.85	+4.40%
CSHI	Ninepoint Constellation Software HighShares ETF	$12.40	+4.11%
HND	BetaPro Natural Gas 2x Daily Bear	$24.40	+4.01%

CIBC Investor's Edge

First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX® Fund (FEM : NASDAQ)

Price Chart (30 Days)

Key Statistics

Recent Price History

Annualised Returns

Top 10 Holdings

Sector Weights

About First Trust Emerging Markets AlphaDEX® Fund

ETF Details

7 stocks to buy and hold forever

Compare FEM

Explore More

Compare FEM vs Similar ETFs

Frequently Asked Questions — FEM