PortfoliosLab logoPortfoliosLab logo
First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF (FTQI)
Performance
Return for Risk
Dividends
Drawdowns
Volatility

ETF Info

ISIN
US33738R4074
Inception Date
Jan 6, 2014
Region
North America (U.S.)
Leveraged
1x (No leverage)
Index Tracked
NASDAQ-100 Index
Distribution Policy
Distributing
Asset Class
Equity
Asset Class Size
Large-Cap
Asset Class Style
Growth

Share Price Chart


Loading graphics...

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.


Performance

Performance Chart

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


Loading graphics...

S&P 500 Index

Returns By Period

First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF (FTQI) has returned -1.37% so far this year and 19.08% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, FTQI has returned 6.85% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 12.16% annually.


First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF

1D
3.05%
1M
-1.40%
YTD
-1.37%
6M
2.69%
1Y
19.08%
3Y*
13.75%
5Y*
9.36%
10Y*
6.85%

Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)

1D
2.91%
1M
-5.09%
YTD
-4.63%
6M
-2.39%
1Y
16.33%
3Y*
16.69%
5Y*
10.18%
10Y*
12.16%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Monthly Returns

Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Jan 7, 2014, FTQI's average daily return is +0.03%, while the average monthly return is +0.53%. At this rate, your investment would double in approximately 10.9 years.

Historically, 64% of months were positive and 36% were negative. The best month was Jul 2022 with a return of +7.5%, while the worst month was Sep 2022 at -9.3%. The longest winning streak lasted 10 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 4 months.

On a daily basis, FTQI closed higher 49% of trading days. The best single day was Apr 9, 2025 with a return of +9.9%, while the worst single day was Apr 4, 2025 at -5.9%.


JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
20261.16%-1.11%-1.40%-1.37%
20252.10%-2.37%-6.37%0.05%3.42%3.35%2.65%1.74%3.83%2.80%0.40%0.88%12.68%
20241.45%3.33%1.81%-2.60%3.14%2.00%-0.14%1.21%2.24%-0.24%5.73%-0.75%18.30%
20237.33%-0.22%3.13%1.09%0.77%3.44%1.85%-0.78%-2.77%-0.54%6.29%2.29%23.63%
20220.00%1.48%3.87%-5.09%0.41%-5.89%7.51%-3.77%-9.29%4.19%2.01%-3.24%-8.77%
20211.44%0.30%2.30%1.29%3.18%-0.48%-1.94%1.60%1.27%0.99%-1.51%1.68%10.46%

Benchmark Metrics

First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF has an annualized alpha of 1.04%, beta of 0.49, and R² of 0.40 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since January 08, 2014.

  • This ETF participated in 61.77% of S&P 500 Index downside but only 52.02% of its upside — more exposed to losses than it benefited from rallies.
  • Beta of 0.49 may look defensive, but with R² of 0.40 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 0.40 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
1.04%
Beta
0.49
0.40
Upside Capture
52.02%
Downside Capture
61.77%

Expense Ratio

FTQI has an expense ratio of 0.75%, placing it in the medium range.


Return for Risk

Risk / Return Rank

FTQI ranks 69 for risk / return — better than 69% 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.


FTQI Risk / Return Rank: 6969
Overall Rank
FTQI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6262
Sharpe Ratio Rank
FTQI Sortino Ratio Rank: 6565
Sortino Ratio Rank
FTQI Omega Ratio Rank: 7474
Omega Ratio Rank
FTQI Calmar Ratio Rank: 6363
Calmar Ratio Rank
FTQI Martin Ratio Rank: 8383
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

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


FTQIBenchmarkDifference

Sharpe ratio

Return per unit of total volatility

1.12

0.90

+0.22

Sortino ratio

Return per unit of downside risk

1.70

1.39

+0.31

Omega ratio

Gain probability vs. loss probability

1.28

1.21

+0.07

Calmar ratio

Return relative to maximum drawdown

1.66

1.40

+0.26

Martin ratio

Return relative to average drawdown

9.64

6.61

+3.03

Explore FTQI risk-adjusted metrics in detail

Dive deeper into individual metrics with historical trends, benchmark comparisons, and performance across different time periods.

Dividends

Dividend History

First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF provided a 11.97% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $2.39 per share.


2.00%4.00%6.00%8.00%10.00%12.00%$0.00$0.50$1.00$1.50$2.00$2.5020152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Dividends
Dividend Yield
PeriodTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Dividend$2.39$2.39$2.43$2.28$1.78$0.66$0.66$0.66$0.66$0.63$0.64$0.70

Dividend yield

11.97%11.46%11.66%11.49%9.85%3.05%3.27%2.95%3.27%2.74%3.02%3.54%

Monthly Dividends

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


JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
2026$0.21$0.21$0.21$0.62
2025$0.21$0.21$0.21$0.19$0.19$0.19$0.20$0.20$0.20$0.21$0.21$0.21$2.39
2024$0.20$0.20$0.20$0.20$0.20$0.20$0.20$0.20$0.20$0.20$0.20$0.20$2.43
2023$0.18$0.18$0.18$0.19$0.19$0.19$0.20$0.20$0.20$0.19$0.19$0.19$2.28
2022$0.06$0.06$0.06$0.06$0.21$0.21$0.20$0.20$0.20$0.18$0.18$0.18$1.78
2021$0.06$0.06$0.06$0.06$0.06$0.06$0.06$0.06$0.06$0.06$0.06$0.06$0.66

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 graphics...

Worst Drawdowns

The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income 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 Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF was 19.42%, occurring on Apr 8, 2025. Recovery took 83 trading sessions.

The current First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF drawdown is 3.38%.


Depth

Start

To Bottom

Bottom

To Recover

End

Total

-19.42%Feb 20, 202534Apr 8, 202583Aug 7, 2025117
-18.6%Apr 21, 2022123Oct 14, 2022184Jul 12, 2023307
-15.51%Jan 21, 202044Mar 23, 2020291May 18, 2021335
-15.2%Jan 24, 2018232Dec 24, 2018250Dec 20, 2019482
-13.45%Dec 9, 201528Jan 20, 2016123Jul 15, 2016151

Volatility

Volatility Chart

The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.


Loading graphics...