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FTLS
Performance
Return for Risk
Dividends
Drawdowns
Volatility
Diversification

Asset Allocation


FTLS 100.00%AlternativesAlternatives
PositionCategory/SectorTarget Weight
FTLS
First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF
Long-Short, Actively Managed
100%

S&P 500 Index

Performance

Performance Chart

The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in FTLS, comparing it to the performance of the S&P 500 index or another benchmark. All prices have been adjusted for splits and dividends. The portfolio is rebalanced Every 3 months.


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The earliest data available for this chart is Sep 10, 2014, corresponding to the inception date of FTLS

Returns By Period

As of Apr 2, 2026, the FTLS returned -0.54% Year-To-Date and 9.17% of annualized return in the last 10 years.


1D1MYTD6M1Y3Y*5Y*10Y*
Benchmark
S&P 500 Index
0.11%-3.43%-3.84%-1.98%16.08%16.86%10.37%12.29%
Portfolio
FTLS
-0.10%-0.19%-0.54%0.69%11.28%12.70%10.00%9.17%
FTLS
First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF
-0.10%-0.19%-0.54%0.69%11.28%12.70%10.00%9.17%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Monthly Returns

Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Sep 11, 2014, FTLS's average daily return is +0.04%, while the average monthly return is +0.72%. At this rate, your investment would double in approximately 8.1 years.

Historically, 63% of months were positive and 37% were negative. The best month was Apr 2020 with a return of +6.0%, while the worst month was Feb 2020 at -6.6%. The longest winning streak lasted 7 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 3 months.

On a daily basis, FTLS closed higher 52% of trading days. The best single day was Apr 9, 2025 with a return of +4.4%, while the worst single day was Mar 16, 2020 at -7.1%.


JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
20261.03%-0.65%-1.17%0.26%-0.54%
20252.70%-1.72%-3.31%-0.86%3.15%1.49%0.71%1.36%3.65%1.47%0.82%-0.50%9.09%
20243.16%3.88%2.49%-3.89%3.53%2.52%0.53%1.24%0.06%0.55%3.82%-0.25%18.80%
20233.01%-2.09%3.35%1.63%-0.72%3.37%2.42%-0.85%-0.47%-0.36%4.46%2.24%16.94%
2022-3.99%-0.66%1.87%-1.64%2.17%-4.52%3.13%-1.85%-4.74%4.46%4.27%-3.55%-5.56%
20212.90%1.51%-0.23%3.07%2.48%1.37%0.79%1.54%-2.89%4.24%-0.16%3.68%19.65%

Benchmark Metrics

FTLS has an annualized alpha of 2.53%, beta of 0.54, and R² of 0.72 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since September 11, 2014.

  • This portfolio participates in less of S&P 500 Index's moves in both directions, but captures a larger share of gains (58.57%) than losses (56.95%) — typical of diversified or defensive assets.
  • This portfolio generated an annualized alpha of 2.53% versus S&P 500 Index — delivering returns beyond what market exposure alone would predict.
  • Beta of 0.54 indicates this portfolio moves significantly less than S&P 500 Index — a genuinely defensive profile with reduced participation in both market rallies and downturns.

Alpha
2.53%
Beta
0.54
0.72
Upside Capture
58.57%
Downside Capture
56.95%

Expense Ratio

FTLS has a high expense ratio of 1.60%, indicating above-average management fees. Below, you can find the expense ratios of the portfolio's funds side by side and easily compare their relative costs.


Return for Risk

Risk / Return Rank

FTLS ranks 40 for risk / return — below 40% of portfolios on our site. The returns aren't fully compensating for the risk involved. This isn't necessarily a dealbreaker, but factor it into your decision — especially if you're risk-averse.


FTLS Risk / Return Rank: 4040
Overall Rank
FTLS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 3737
Sharpe Ratio Rank
FTLS Sortino Ratio Rank: 3636
Sortino Ratio Rank
FTLS Omega Ratio Rank: 2828
Omega Ratio Rank
FTLS Calmar Ratio Rank: 5050
Calmar Ratio Rank
FTLS Martin Ratio Rank: 4646
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

Return / Risk — by metrics


PortfolioBenchmarkDifference

Sharpe ratio

Return per unit of total volatility

1.08

0.88

+0.20

Sortino ratio

Return per unit of downside risk

1.61

1.37

+0.24

Omega ratio

Gain probability vs. loss probability

1.21

1.21

+0.01

Calmar ratio

Return relative to maximum drawdown

1.83

1.39

+0.44

Martin ratio

Return relative to average drawdown

7.60

6.43

+1.16


How much return does each position deliver for the risk it carries? Higher values mean better reward for the risk taken.

Risk / Return RankSharpe ratioSortino ratioOmega ratioCalmar ratioMartin ratio
FTLS
First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF
591.081.611.211.837.60

Sharpe Ratio

The Sharpe ratio helps investors understand how much return they're getting for the level of risk taken. A higher Sharpe ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance, meaning more reward for each unit of risk.

FTLS Sharpe ratios as of Apr 2, 2026 (values are recalculated daily):

  • 1-Year: 1.08
  • 5-Year: 0.94
  • 10-Year: 0.81
  • All Time: 0.77

These values reflect how efficiently the investment has delivered returns relative to its volatility over different time periods. All figures are annualized and based on daily total returns (including price changes and dividends).

Compared to the broad market, where average Sharpe ratios range from 1.00 to 1.68, this portfolio's current Sharpe ratio falls between the 25th and 75th percentiles. This indicates that its risk-adjusted performance is in line with the majority of portfolios, suggesting a balanced approach to risk and return—likely suitable for a wide range of investors.

The chart below shows the rolling Sharpe ratio of FTLS compared to the selected benchmark. This view highlights how the investment's risk-adjusted performance has changed over time.


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Dividends

Dividend yield

FTLS provided a 0.95% dividend yield over the last twelve months.


TTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Portfolio0.95%1.07%1.50%1.49%0.81%0.01%0.44%0.83%0.87%0.43%1.04%0.49%
FTLS
First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF
0.95%1.07%1.50%1.49%0.81%0.01%0.44%0.83%0.87%0.43%1.04%0.49%

Monthly Dividends

The table below shows the monthly dividends paid by this portfolio.


JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
2026$0.00$0.00$0.06$0.00$0.06
2025$0.00$0.00$0.15$0.00$0.00$0.22$0.00$0.00$0.18$0.00$0.00$0.21$0.76
2024$0.00$0.00$0.13$0.00$0.00$0.31$0.00$0.00$0.26$0.00$0.00$0.29$0.99
2023$0.00$0.00$0.13$0.00$0.00$0.20$0.00$0.00$0.21$0.00$0.00$0.30$0.84
2022$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.07$0.00$0.00$0.33$0.40
2021$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00$0.00

Drawdowns

Drawdowns Chart

The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.


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Worst Drawdowns

The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the FTLS. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.

The maximum drawdown for the FTLS was 20.54%, occurring on Mar 23, 2020. Recovery took 112 trading sessions.

The current FTLS drawdown is 1.99%.


Depth

Start

To Bottom

Bottom

To Recover

End

Total

-20.54%Feb 20, 202023Mar 23, 2020112Aug 31, 2020135
-13.38%Jan 29, 2018229Dec 24, 2018183Sep 17, 2019412
-11.69%Jan 24, 202552Apr 8, 202597Aug 27, 2025149
-10.35%Dec 30, 2021190Sep 30, 2022168Jun 2, 2023358
-9.26%Dec 2, 201549Feb 11, 2016114Jul 26, 2016163

Volatility

Volatility Chart

The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.


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Diversification

Diversification Metrics


Number of Effective Assets

The portfolio contains 1 assets, with an effective number of assets of 1.00, reflecting the diversification based on asset allocation. This number of effective assets suggests a highly concentrated portfolio, where a few assets dominate the allocation, potentially increasing the portfolio's risk due to lack of diversification.

Asset Correlations Table

The table below displays the correlation coefficients between the individual components of the portfolio, the entire portfolio, and the chosen benchmark.

BenchmarkFTLSPortfolio
Benchmark1.000.820.82
FTLS0.821.001.00
Portfolio0.821.001.00
The correlation results are calculated based on daily price changes starting from Sep 11, 2014