- ISIN
- US33738R8372
- CUSIP
- 33738R837
- Issuer
- First Trust
- Inception Date
- Sep 20, 2016
- Region
- North America (U.S.)
- Category
- Health & Biotech Equities
- Leveraged
- 1x (No leverage)
- Index Tracked
- Nasdaq U.S. Smart Pharmaceuticals Index
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Equity
- Asset Class Size
- Multi-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Blend
- Assets Under Management
- $34M
Share Price Chart
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Performance
FTXH Performance Chart
First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF (FTXH) is up 9.0% since the beginning of the year. FTXH is currently trading at $36 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of FTXH shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,496.
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Returns By Period
First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF (FTXH) has returned 8.95% so far this year and 42.53% over the past 12 months.
First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF
- 1D
- 1.27%
- 1M
- 2.75%
- YTD
- 8.95%
- 6M
- 7.56%
- 1Y
- 42.53%
- 3Y*
- 12.47%
- 5Y*
- 8.39%
- 10Y*
- —
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%
FTXH Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Sep 22, 2016, FTXH's average daily return is +0.03%, while the average monthly return is +0.67%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 8.7 years.
Historically, 57% of months were positive and 43% were negative. The best month was Apr 2020 with a return of +15.1%, while the worst month was Dec 2018 at -11.3%. The longest winning streak lasted 6 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 4 months.
On a daily basis, FTXH closed higher 47% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 24, 2020 with a return of +8.2%, while the worst single day was Mar 12, 2020 at -7.4%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2.93% | 5.03% | -3.36% | -1.33% | 3.31% | 2.29% | 8.95% | ||||||
| 2025 | 2.87% | 1.79% | -2.30% | -5.42% | -1.81% | 0.74% | 0.53% | 7.71% | 3.32% | 5.80% | 9.86% | -0.24% | 24.15% |
| 2024 | 1.33% | 2.82% | 1.25% | -7.21% | 2.22% | 3.03% | 4.80% | 3.87% | -2.34% | -1.96% | 0.32% | -4.46% | 2.98% |
| 2023 | 0.36% | -4.47% | -0.37% | 1.92% | -3.91% | 2.91% | 1.34% | 1.26% | -4.58% | -5.97% | 3.91% | 7.05% | -1.41% |
| 2022 | -4.73% | -1.92% | 5.43% | -1.63% | 1.51% | -0.38% | 0.22% | -6.08% | -3.02% | 9.98% | 6.01% | -1.69% | 2.55% |
| 2021 | 1.32% | -1.21% | -0.60% | 1.21% | -0.28% | 0.53% | 1.95% | 1.10% | -3.17% | 1.71% | -2.90% | 6.68% | 6.14% |
Benchmark Metrics
First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF has an annualized alpha of -0.13%, beta of 0.61, and R2 of 0.37 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since September 22, 2016.
- This ETF participated in 84.27% of S&P 500 Index downside but only 64.73% of its upside - more exposed to losses than it benefited from rallies.
- Beta of 0.61 may look defensive, but with R2 of 0.37 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 0.37 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
- -0.13%
- Beta
- 0.61
- R²
- 0.37
- Upside Capture
- 64.73%
- Downside Capture
- 84.27%
Expense Ratio
FTXH has an expense ratio of 0.60%, placing it in the medium range.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
FTXH ranks 83 for risk / return — in the top 83% of ETFs on our site. This means strong returns relative to risk — exactly what professional investors look for. Well-suited for investors who want to maximize return per unit of risk.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF (FTXH) 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.
| FTXH | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.46 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.92 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.42 | 1.37 | +0.05 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 5.72 | 2.78 | +2.94 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 16.84 | 12.44 | +4.40 |
Dividends
Dividend History
First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF provided a 1.18% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.42 per share. The fund has been increasing its distributions for 6 consecutive years.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $0.42 | $0.46 | $0.45 | $0.41 | $0.30 | $0.28 | $0.21 | $0.16 | $0.18 | $0.47 | $0.03 |
Dividend yield | 1.18% | 1.41% | 1.66% | 1.55% | 1.11% | 1.03% | 0.82% | 0.67% | 0.91% | 2.18% | 0.19% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals 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 | $0.06 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.06 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.10 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.09 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.15 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.13 | $0.46 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.07 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.13 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.12 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.13 | $0.45 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.10 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.12 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.07 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.12 | $0.41 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.05 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.04 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.09 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.13 | $0.30 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.08 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.05 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.04 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.11 | $0.28 |
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 Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals 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 Pharmaceuticals ETF was 32.11%, occurring on Mar 23, 2020. Recovery took 82 trading sessions.
The current First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF drawdown is 0.74%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
COVID crash2020 | -32.11%Mar 2020 | 2mo 6d | 3mo 29d | 6mo 5dJan 2020 - Jul 2020 |
Rate-hike selloffLate 2018 | -23.42%Dec 2018 | 3mo 27d | 1y 21d | 1y 4moAug 2018 - Jan 2020 |
2025 selloff2025 | -19.51%Apr 2025 | 7mo 9d | 5mo 24d | 1y 28dSep 2024 - Oct 2025 |
2018 correction2018 | -14.62%May 2018 | 3mo 3d | 3mo 6d | 6mo 9dJan 2018 - Aug 2018 |
2023 correction2023 | -14.58%Oct 2023 | 10mo 26d | 3mo 28d | 1y 2moDec 2022 - Feb 2024 |
Drawdown Indicators
| FTXH | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -32.11% | -56.78% | +24.67% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -7.47% | -9.10% | +1.63% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -19.51% | -18.90% | -0.61% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -19.51% | -25.43% | +5.92% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -33.92% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.74% | -1.80% | +1.06% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -5.81% | -10.71% | +4.90% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.53% | 2.03% | +0.50% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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