- ISIN
- US33738R8117
- CUSIP
- 33738R811
- Issuer
- First Trust
- Inception Date
- Sep 20, 2016
- Region
- North America (U.S.)
- Category
- Semiconductors, Technology Equities
- Leveraged
- 1x (No leverage)
- Index Tracked
- Nasdaq U.S. Smart Semiconductor Index
- Domicile
- United States
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Equity
- Asset Class Size
- Multi-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Growth
- Assets Under Management
- $3B
Share Price Chart
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Performance
FTXL Performance Chart
First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF (FTXL) is up 123.3% since the beginning of the year. FTXL is currently trading at $289 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of FTXL shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $4,618.
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Returns By Period
First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF (FTXL) has returned 123.28% so far this year and 215.97% over the past 12 months.
First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF
- 1D
- 6.79%
- 1M
- 25.84%
- YTD
- 123.28%
- 6M
- 131.16%
- 1Y
- 215.97%
- 3Y*
- 60.67%
- 5Y*
- 35.80%
- 10Y*
- —
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- 1.08%
- 1M
- 2.00%
- YTD
- 9.57%
- 6M
- 10.71%
- 1Y
- 25.41%
- 3Y*
- 19.37%
- 5Y*
- 12.48%
- 10Y*
- 13.67%
FTXL Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Sep 21, 2016, FTXL's average daily return is +0.14%, while the average monthly return is +2.69%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 2.2 years.
Historically, 64% of months were positive and 36% were negative. The best month was Apr 2026 with a return of +44.8%, while the worst month was Jun 2022 at -16.0%. The longest winning streak lasted 6 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 3 months.
On a daily basis, FTXL closed higher 54% of trading days. The best single day was Apr 9, 2025 with a return of +18.9%, while the worst single day was Mar 16, 2020 at -13.7%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 17.39% | 2.62% | -5.49% | 44.79% | 21.51% | 11.47% | 123.28% | ||||||
| 2025 | 0.99% | -4.81% | -9.90% | -2.20% | 11.33% | 16.80% | 0.80% | 1.84% | 13.63% | 12.77% | -0.50% | 3.32% | 48.94% |
| 2024 | -1.20% | 8.96% | 3.25% | -4.45% | 8.67% | 6.36% | -3.77% | -2.85% | 0.02% | -5.52% | 0.37% | -1.15% | 7.59% |
| 2023 | 13.09% | 0.80% | 7.08% | -7.33% | 10.02% | 7.90% | 5.86% | -3.76% | -6.57% | -7.30% | 15.87% | 12.47% | 54.41% |
| 2022 | -13.86% | 0.59% | 0.26% | -13.81% | 4.38% | -15.96% | 15.55% | -9.92% | -11.61% | 2.07% | 17.00% | -8.37% | -33.88% |
| 2021 | 2.32% | 7.02% | -1.26% | -2.04% | 1.60% | 6.48% | -1.19% | 1.99% | -1.59% | 2.99% | 10.84% | 4.88% | 36.04% |
Benchmark Metrics
First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF has an annualized alpha of 12.87%, beta of 1.50, and R2 of 0.62 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since September 21, 2016.
- This ETF captured 178.91% of S&P 500 Index gains and 106.17% of its losses - amplifying both gains and losses, but participating more in upside than downside.
- This ETF generated an annualized alpha of 12.87% versus S&P 500 Index - delivering returns beyond what market exposure alone would predict.
- Beta of 1.50 means this ETF moves significantly more than S&P 500 Index - expect amplified gains in rallies and amplified losses in downturns.
- Alpha
- 12.87%
- Beta
- 1.50
- R²
- 0.62
- Upside Capture
- 178.91%
- Downside Capture
- 106.17%
Expense Ratio
FTXL has an expense ratio of 0.60%, placing it in the medium range.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
FTXL ranks 97 for risk / return — in the top 97% 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 Semiconductor ETF (FTXL) 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.
| FTXL | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +3.39 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +2.15 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.69 | 1.37 | +0.31 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 14.98 | 2.81 | +12.18 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 52.24 | 12.55 | +39.68 |
Dividends
Dividend History
First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF provided a 0.12% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.35 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $0.35 | $0.37 | $0.47 | $0.49 | $0.47 | $0.20 | $0.29 | $0.38 | $0.18 | $0.14 | $0.03 |
Dividend yield | 0.12% | 0.28% | 0.54% | 0.60% | 0.89% | 0.25% | 0.48% | 0.92% | 0.71% | 0.47% | 0.12% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor 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 | $0.01 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.01 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.03 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.14 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.08 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.12 | $0.37 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.08 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.12 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.10 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.17 | $0.47 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.09 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.10 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.13 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.17 | $0.49 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.06 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.10 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.12 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.19 | $0.47 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.01 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.03 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.06 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.11 | $0.20 |
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 Semiconductor 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 Semiconductor ETF was 43.87%, occurring on Oct 14, 2022. Recovery took 300 trading sessions.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bear market2022 | -43.87%Oct 2022 | 9mo 13d | 1y 2mo | 1y 11moJan 2022 - Dec 2023 |
2025 selloff2025 | -41.57%Apr 2025 | 9mo 1d | 5mo 13d | 1y 2moJul 2024 - Sep 2025 |
COVID crash2020 | -35.44%Mar 2020 | 1mo 22d | 2mo 21d | 4mo 13dJan 2020 - Jun 2020 |
Rate-hike selloffLate 2018 | -32.56%Dec 2018 | 9mo 16d | 4mo 1d | 1y 1moMar 2018 - Apr 2019 |
2019 correction2019 | -18.16%May 2019 | 1mo 3d | 1mo 27d | 3moApr 2019 - Jul 2019 |
Drawdown Indicators
| FTXL | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -43.87% | -56.78% | +12.91% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -14.51% | -9.10% | -5.41% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -41.57% | -18.90% | -22.67% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -43.87% | -25.43% | -18.44% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -33.92% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | -1.43% | +1.43% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -10.53% | -10.71% | +0.18% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.15% | 2.03% | +2.12% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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