FYT First Trust Small Cap Value AlphaDEX Fund

First Trust Small Cap Value AlphaDEX Fund (FYT) currently reports 263 stock positions (subject to change), placing it in the broadly constructed range by holdings breadth. The top line-up is KOS (1.55%), VAL (1.16%), PARR (1.08%), with KOS as the largest single weight at 1.55%. Together, the top three holdings account for 3.79%, which suggests the fund is not overly reliant on its largest positions to generate returns. The fund's architecture positions it to benefit from strength in its top holdings while the broader basket provides a degree of insulation against single-name shocks.

Looking at how effectively the underlying holdings deploy capital, ROIC is 7.07%, WACC is 7.35%, and the economic spread is -0.28%. On balance, capital is being deployed at rates below what debt and equity holders require, a headwind to long-term value creation if sustained. Supporting metrics show ROE at 7.62% and ROA at 3.68%, a combination that helps frame whether profitability strength is broad enough to hold through different market conditions. Taken together, the return profile suggests a portfolio that likely needs operating improvement before returns quality can be considered durable.

From a pricing standpoint, the portfolio sits at trailing P/E of 13.47, forward P/E of 10.88, PEG of 2.64. The narrow spread between trailing and forward multiples implies earnings expectations are relatively stable — the portfolio is not being priced for an earnings inflection. A PEG above 2.5 implies investors are paying well above fair value for the growth embedded in estimates — a setup that typically leaves little room for earnings disappointment. A current ratio reading of 2.80 suggests the portfolio's businesses are well-capitalized for near-term needs. In total, the multiple and liquidity readings describe a portfolio where valuation is a secondary risk relative to earnings delivery — the numbers are defensible if estimates hold.

Across the three margin layers, gross margin sits at 38.42%, operating margin at 15.04%, and free cash flow margin at 13.95%. The portfolio's gross margins reflect businesses operating in environments with meaningful cost pressure at the production layer. Operating margins are in good shape, consistent with businesses that maintain reasonable earnings conversion after overhead. At this level, free cash flow generation is present but not a defining strength of the portfolio's underlying businesses. Read together, these margin levels suggest a portfolio where earnings durability is present in parts but not consistent across the full holding set.

On a forward-looking basis, TTM revenue growth of 8.04% a signal of steady demand without the volatility of high-growth names, while the estimated 12-month price change of 13.08%, where the target distribution indicates incremental upside rather than outsized repricing. Revenue growth and price targets are correlated but not the same — strong operations do not always translate to strong price appreciation, and vice versa. The forward return case rests on whether the businesses can sustain their operating trajectory long enough for analyst price targets to be reached or exceeded. The estimated 12-month price change is a weighted composite of analyst price target estimates adjusted by each holding's ETF weight, sourced from publicly available data, and should not be interpreted as a reliable prediction of future performance.

Balancing the strengths against the areas of uncertainty, the weight of evidence favors an optimistic view with appropriate risk awareness.

These findings are based solely on the metrics presented and do not constitute an investment recommendation. Always perform your own due diligence before committing capital.