First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF (FTLS)

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The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in First Trust Long/Short Equity 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 Long/Short Equity ETF (FTLS) has returned -0.80% so far this year and 10.88% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, FTLS has returned 9.10% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 12.16% annually.

Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Sep 10, 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%.

First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF has an annualized alpha of 2.55%, beta of 0.54, and R² of 0.72 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since September 11, 2014.

• This ETF participates in less of S&P 500 Index's moves in both directions, but captures a larger share of gains (58.63%) than losses (56.95%) — typical of diversified or defensive assets.
• This ETF generated an annualized alpha of 2.55% versus S&P 500 Index — delivering returns beyond what market exposure alone would predict.
• Beta of 0.54 indicates this ETF moves significantly less than S&P 500 Index — a genuinely defensive profile with reduced participation in both market rallies and downturns.

FTLS has a high expense ratio of 1.60%, indicating above-average management fees.

FTLS ranks 63 for risk / return — better than 63% of ETFs on our site. You're getting solid returns for the risk taken. A good sign, especially for investors who want growth without excessive volatility.

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

First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF provided a 0.95% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.67 per share.

The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for First Trust Long/Short Equity 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 Long/Short Equity 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 Long/Short Equity ETF was 20.54%, occurring on Mar 23, 2020. Recovery took 112 trading sessions.

The current First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF drawdown is 2.34%.

The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.