- ISIN
- US33733E7085
- Issuer
- First Trust
- Inception Date
- Dec 5, 2006
- Region
- North America (U.S.)
- Category
- Mid Cap Blend Equities
- Leveraged
- 1x (No leverage)
- Index Tracked
- Dividend Strength Index
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Equity
- Asset Class Size
- Mid-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Value
- Assets Under Management
- $39M
Share Price Chart
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Performance
FTDS Performance Chart
First Trust Dividend Strength ETF (FTDS) is up 6.2% since the beginning of the year. FTDS is currently trading at $60 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of FTDS shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,380.
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Returns By Period
First Trust Dividend Strength ETF (FTDS) has returned 6.18% so far this year and 18.57% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, FTDS has returned 10.96% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.88% annually.
First Trust Dividend Strength ETF
- 1D
- 0.40%
- 1M
- -1.13%
- YTD
- 6.18%
- 6M
- 4.93%
- 1Y
- 18.57%
- 3Y*
- 15.76%
- 5Y*
- 6.66%
- 10Y*
- 10.96%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -0.37%
- 1M
- -0.01%
- YTD
- 9.16%
- 6M
- 8.64%
- 1Y
- 25.22%
- 3Y*
- 19.78%
- 5Y*
- 11.99%
- 10Y*
- 13.88%
FTDS Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Apr 28, 2004, FTDS's average daily return is +0.03%, while the average monthly return is +0.65%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 8.9 years.
Historically, 60% of months were positive and 40% were negative. The best month was Nov 2020 with a return of +16.4%, while the worst month was Mar 2020 at -21.9%. The longest winning streak lasted 8 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 6 months.
On a daily basis, FTDS closed higher 46% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 24, 2020 with a return of +10.6%, while the worst single day was Dec 7, 2006 at -14.8%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5.89% | 4.43% | -2.93% | 3.14% | -4.48% | 0.40% | 6.18% | ||||||
| 2025 | 3.92% | -0.76% | -1.90% | -3.04% | 3.11% | 2.95% | 1.58% | 5.41% | -0.16% | -2.68% | 3.38% | 1.46% | 13.64% |
| 2024 | -1.26% | 3.09% | 6.90% | -4.16% | 2.58% | -0.91% | 5.70% | 1.69% | -0.20% | -0.48% | 6.35% | -7.68% | 11.12% |
| 2023 | 7.06% | -2.28% | -4.45% | -1.86% | -5.77% | 8.56% | 5.97% | -3.14% | -2.74% | -2.93% | 7.51% | 6.88% | 11.75% |
| 2022 | -8.22% | 2.25% | 4.40% | -8.99% | 2.94% | -10.95% | 8.47% | -2.34% | -8.95% | 9.19% | 5.56% | -4.83% | -13.54% |
| 2021 | 2.63% | 5.84% | 3.30% | 4.10% | 1.57% | -0.85% | 0.75% | 2.72% | -3.99% | 5.75% | -2.57% | 3.62% | 24.79% |
Benchmark Metrics
First Trust Dividend Strength ETF has an annualized alpha of 1.08%, beta of 0.69, and R2 of 0.42 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since April 28, 2004.
- This ETF participated in 103.79% of S&P 500 Index downside but only 92.31% of its upside - more exposed to losses than it benefited from rallies.
- Beta of 0.69 may look defensive, but with R2 of 0.42 this ETF is largely uncorrelated with S&P 500 Index - low beta reflects independence, not downside protection. See the Volatility section for a true picture of this ETF's risk.
- R2 of 0.42 means the benchmark explains less than half of this ETF's behavior - treat beta with caution or consider switching to a more representative benchmark.
- Alpha
- 1.08%
- Beta
- 0.69
- R²
- 0.42
- Upside Capture
- 92.31%
- Downside Capture
- 103.79%
Expense Ratio
FTDS has an expense ratio of 0.70%, placing it in the medium range.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
FTDS ranks 46 for risk / return — on par with similar ETFs. You're getting a typical balance of risk and reward. Not a standout, but not a red flag either — a reasonable choice if other factors align with your goals.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Dividend Strength ETF (FTDS) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| FTDS | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.60 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.60 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.25 | 1.37 | -0.11 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.84 | 2.78 | +0.05 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 7.28 | 12.44 | -5.16 |
Dividends
Dividend History
First Trust Dividend Strength ETF provided a 1.66% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.99 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $0.99 | $0.90 | $1.04 | $1.00 | $0.98 | $0.36 | $0.40 | $0.41 | $0.33 | $0.26 | $0.35 | $0.23 |
Dividend yield | 1.66% | 1.59% | 2.05% | 2.15% | 2.31% | 0.72% | 0.99% | 1.13% | 1.14% | 0.79% | 1.24% | 0.95% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for First Trust Dividend Strength 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.31 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.31 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.22 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.20 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.23 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.25 | $0.90 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.19 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.27 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.23 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.34 | $1.04 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.22 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.27 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.14 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.38 | $1.00 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.14 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.23 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.23 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.38 | $0.98 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.08 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.09 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.10 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.09 | $0.36 |
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 First Trust Dividend Strength 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 Dividend Strength ETF was 56.53%, occurring on Mar 9, 2009. Recovery took 1012 trading sessions.
The current First Trust Dividend Strength ETF drawdown is 4.79%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -56.53%Mar 2009 | 3y 2mo | 4y 7d | 7y 3moDec 2005 - Mar 2013 |
COVID crash2020 | -42.47%Mar 2020 | 1mo 2d | 7mo 23d | 8mo 25dFeb 2020 - Nov 2020 |
Bear market2022 | -23.35%Sep 2022 | 10mo 17d | 1y 5mo | 2y 4moNov 2021 - Mar 2024 |
Rate-hike selloffLate 2018 | -22.60%Dec 2018 | 3mo 7d | 11mo 26d | 1y 2moSep 2018 - Dec 2019 |
2016 bear market2016 | -21.85%Feb 2016 | 1y 5mo | 9mo 10d | 2y 2moSep 2014 - Nov 2016 |
Drawdown Indicators
| FTDS | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -56.53% | -56.78% | +0.25% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -6.57% | -9.10% | +2.53% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -18.04% | -18.90% | +0.86% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -23.35% | -25.43% | +2.08% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -42.47% | -33.92% | -8.55% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -4.79% | -1.80% | -2.99% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -9.85% | -10.71% | +0.86% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.56% | 2.03% | +0.53% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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