First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR)
FAAR is an actively managed ETF by First Trust. FAAR launched on May 18, 2016 and has a 0.95% expense ratio.
ETF Info
US33740Y1010
33740Y101
May 18, 2016
Global (Broad)
1x
No Index (Active)
Expense Ratio
FAAR has a high expense ratio of 0.95%, indicating above-average management fees.
Share Price Chart
Loading data...
Compare to other instruments
Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.
Performance
Performance Chart
Loading data...
Returns By Period
First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR) returned -3.74% year-to-date (YTD) and -3.25% over the past 12 months.
FAAR
-3.74%
1.28%
-1.82%
-3.25%
-3.73%
5.47%
N/A
^GSPC (Benchmark)
-0.63%
13.31%
-1.23%
9.83%
14.42%
14.61%
10.64%
Monthly Returns
The table below presents the monthly returns of FAAR, with color gradation from worst to best to easily spot seasonal factors. Returns are adjusted for dividends.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.61% | -0.56% | 2.73% | -7.75% | 0.52% | -3.74% | |||||||
| 2024 | 1.79% | 1.80% | 2.31% | -0.24% | -1.67% | 1.44% | 1.09% | -1.60% | -0.81% | 0.58% | -0.18% | 1.41% | 5.96% |
| 2023 | 0.40% | -0.63% | 0.16% | -2.83% | 1.08% | -2.68% | 1.99% | 0.87% | -0.15% | -3.31% | 0.90% | -1.41% | -5.63% |
| 2022 | 4.17% | 6.12% | 6.48% | 3.43% | -1.66% | -3.11% | -1.72% | -0.98% | -4.30% | 3.04% | -2.75% | 1.74% | 10.15% |
| 2021 | 0.52% | 4.68% | 0.56% | 3.41% | 2.97% | -1.06% | -0.31% | -2.26% | 3.29% | 2.50% | -6.01% | 3.94% | 12.34% |
| 2020 | -2.08% | -0.22% | 0.08% | -0.41% | 2.32% | 1.41% | 2.66% | 0.50% | -1.16% | -1.32% | 3.04% | 3.66% | 8.60% |
| 2019 | 0.34% | 0.68% | -0.23% | 1.45% | -1.79% | 0.11% | -0.04% | -0.08% | -1.58% | 0.66% | -1.33% | 0.59% | -1.27% |
| 2018 | 0.19% | -1.53% | 1.32% | 1.38% | -0.27% | -1.75% | -1.78% | 0.70% | 0.42% | -5.50% | -2.23% | -0.30% | -9.16% |
| 2017 | 0.56% | 0.45% | -0.14% | 1.52% | 0.51% | -1.27% | -2.38% | 2.81% | 0.44% | 1.57% | -0.78% | 1.71% | 5.00% |
| 2016 | 0.43% | -1.43% | -0.27% | -0.98% | 0.22% | -0.63% | -0.09% | -1.08% | -3.78% |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Adjusted Performance Rank
The current rank of FAAR is 8, meaning it’s performing worse than 92% of other ETFs on our website when it comes to balancing risk and reward. Below is a breakdown of how it compares using common performance measures.
Risk-Adjusted Performance Indicators
The charts below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR) and compare them to a chosen benchmark (^GSPC). These indicators evaluate an investment's returns against its associated risks.
Loading data...
Dividends
Dividend History
First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF provided a 3.41% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.92 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $0.92 | $0.97 | $0.88 | $1.74 | $1.87 | $0.83 | $0.27 | $0.15 | $0.83 |
Dividend yield | 3.41% | 3.45% | 3.20% | 5.82% | 6.49% | 3.04% | 1.02% | 0.58% | 2.83% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.15 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.15 | |||||||
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.20 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.24 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.20 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.33 | $0.97 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.16 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.23 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.23 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.26 | $0.88 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.74 | $1.74 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.01 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.86 | $1.87 |
| 2020 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.01 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.82 | $0.83 |
| 2019 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.27 | $0.27 |
| 2018 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.01 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.14 | $0.15 |
| 2017 | $0.83 | $0.83 |
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.
Loading data...
Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF. 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 First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF was 18.03%, occurring on Apr 8, 2025. The portfolio has not yet recovered.
The current First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF drawdown is 14.40%.
Depth | Start | To Bottom | Bottom | To Recover | End | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -18.03% | Jun 10, 2022 | 709 | Apr 8, 2025 | — | — | — |
| -16.65% | May 22, 2018 | 463 | Mar 24, 2020 | 230 | Feb 22, 2021 | 693 |
| -12.2% | Jul 14, 2021 | 28 | Aug 20, 2021 | 117 | Feb 7, 2022 | 145 |
| -6.77% | May 4, 2017 | 52 | Jul 20, 2017 | 114 | Jan 11, 2018 | 166 |
| -6.33% | Mar 9, 2022 | 5 | Mar 15, 2022 | 60 | Jun 9, 2022 | 65 |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
Loading data...