First Trust Water ETF (FIW)

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The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in First Trust Water ETF, comparing it to the performance of the S&P 500 index or another benchmark. All prices have been adjusted for splits and dividends.

First Trust Water ETF (FIW) has returned -4.90% so far this year and 3.18% over the past 12 months. Over the last decade, FIW has posted an annualized return of 12.78%, slightly higher than the S&P 500 Index benchmark’s 12.16%.

Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since May 11, 2007, FIW's average daily return is +0.05%, while the average monthly return is +0.94%. At this rate, your investment would double in approximately 6.2 years.

Historically, 63% of months were positive and 37% were negative. The best month was Apr 2009 with a return of +15.0%, while the worst month was Oct 2008 at -22.3%. The longest winning streak lasted 9 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 5 months.

On a daily basis, FIW closed higher 53% of trading days. The best single day was Oct 13, 2008 with a return of +10.0%, while the worst single day was Oct 15, 2008 at -11.6%.

First Trust Water ETF has an annualized alpha of 2.25%, beta of 1.00, and R² of 0.77 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since May 14, 2007.

• This ETF captured 111.61% of S&P 500 Index gains and 103.29% of its losses — amplifying both gains and losses, but participating more in upside than downside.
• This ETF generated an annualized alpha of 2.25% versus S&P 500 Index — delivering returns beyond what market exposure alone would predict.
• With beta of 1.00 and R² of 0.77, this ETF moves broadly in line with S&P 500 Index — much of its variation is explained by market exposure rather than independent behavior.

FIW has an expense ratio of 0.54%, placing it in the medium range.

FIW ranks 16 for risk / return — in the bottom 16% of ETFs on our site. This means you're taking on significantly more risk than the returns justify. Consider whether the potential upside is worth the volatility, or explore alternatives with better risk / return profiles.

The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Water ETF (FIW) and compare them to a chosen benchmark (S&P 500 Index).

First Trust Water ETF provided a 0.80% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.82 per share. The fund has been increasing its distributions for 4 consecutive years.

The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for First Trust Water ETF. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.

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.

The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the First Trust Water 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 Water ETF was 52.75%, occurring on Mar 9, 2009. Recovery took 522 trading sessions.

The current First Trust Water ETF drawdown is 10.81%.

The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.