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 High Income Strategic Focus 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...
Returns By Period
First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF) has returned -0.74% so far this year and 5.20% over the past 12 months.
First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF
- 1D
- 0.60%
- 1M
- -1.96%
- YTD
- -0.74%
- 6M
- 0.66%
- 1Y
- 5.20%
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
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%
Monthly Returns
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Feb 28, 2024, HISF's average daily return is +0.02%, while the average monthly return is +0.41%. At this rate, your investment would double in approximately 14.1 years.
Historically, 73% of months were positive and 27% were negative. The best month was Jul 2024 with a return of +2.1%, while the worst month was Apr 2024 at -2.3%. The longest winning streak lasted 7 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 1 months.
On a daily basis, HISF closed higher 56% of trading days. The best single day was Aug 2, 2024 with a return of +0.7%, while the worst single day was Apr 7, 2025 at -1.0%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.25% | 0.99% | -1.96% | -0.74% | |||||||||
| 2025 | 0.78% | 1.73% | -0.25% | 0.50% | -0.08% | 1.80% | -0.23% | 1.39% | 1.06% | 0.52% | 0.76% | 0.13% | 8.39% |
| 2024 | 0.17% | 0.60% | -2.32% | 1.75% | 0.75% | 2.13% | 1.59% | 1.30% | -2.26% | 1.11% | -1.43% | 3.30% |
Benchmark Metrics
First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF has an annualized alpha of 4.27%, beta of 0.07, and R² of 0.09 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since February 29, 2024.
- This ETF participates in less of S&P 500 Index's moves in both directions, but captures a larger share of gains (29.20%) than losses (25.20%) — typical of diversified or defensive assets.
- Beta of 0.07 may look defensive, but with R² of 0.09 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 0.09 means this ETF moves largely independently of S&P 500 Index — capture ratios reflect limited market correlation rather than active downside protection. Consider using a more representative benchmark.
- Alpha
- 4.27%
- Beta
- 0.07
- R²
- 0.09
- Upside Capture
- 29.20%
- Downside Capture
- 25.20%
Expense Ratio
HISF has an expense ratio of 0.87%, placing it in the medium range.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
HISF ranks 72 for risk / return — better than 72% 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.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF) and compare them to a chosen benchmark (S&P 500 Index).
| HISF | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.42 | 0.90 | +0.53 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.98 | 1.39 | +0.59 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.27 | 1.21 | +0.06 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.83 | 1.40 | +0.43 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 7.59 | 6.61 | +0.99 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
Explore HISF 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 High Income Strategic Focus ETF provided a 4.92% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $2.18 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $2.18 | $2.12 | $1.71 |
Dividend yield | 4.92% | 4.69% | 3.92% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for First Trust High Income Strategic Focus 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 | $0.19 | $0.19 | $0.19 | $0.57 | |||||||||
| 2025 | $0.17 | $0.17 | $0.17 | $0.17 | $0.17 | $0.17 | $0.18 | $0.18 | $0.18 | $0.18 | $0.18 | $0.19 | $2.12 |
| 2024 | $0.16 | $0.17 | $0.17 | $0.18 | $0.18 | $0.18 | $0.18 | $0.17 | $0.17 | $0.17 | $1.71 |
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 High Income Strategic Focus 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 High Income Strategic Focus ETF was 3.86%, occurring on Jan 13, 2025. Recovery took 103 trading sessions.
The current First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF drawdown is 1.96%.
Depth | Start | To Bottom | Bottom | To Recover | End | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -3.86% | Oct 2, 2024 | 70 | Jan 13, 2025 | 103 | Jun 11, 2025 | 173 |
| -2.9% | Mar 2, 2026 | 20 | Mar 27, 2026 | — | — | — |
| -2.87% | Mar 11, 2024 | 26 | Apr 16, 2024 | 41 | Jun 13, 2024 | 67 |
| -0.91% | Jul 1, 2025 | 10 | Jul 15, 2025 | 13 | Aug 1, 2025 | 23 |
| -0.86% | Oct 29, 2025 | 6 | Nov 5, 2025 | 15 | Nov 26, 2025 | 21 |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
Loading graphics...