- ISIN
- US33738D4088
- CUSIP
- 33738D408
- Issuer
- First Trust
- Inception Date
- Feb 27, 2013
- Region
- North America (U.S.)
- Category
- High Yield Bonds
- Leveraged
- 1x (No leverage)
- Index Tracked
- No Index (Active)
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Bond
- Assets Under Management
- $2B
Share Price Chart
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Performance
HYLS Performance Chart
First Trust Tactical High Yield ETF (HYLS) is up 0.5% since the beginning of the year. HYLS is currently trading at $41 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of HYLS shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,156.
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Returns By Period
First Trust Tactical High Yield ETF (HYLS) has returned 0.45% so far this year and 5.02% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, HYLS has returned 4.45% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.88% annually.
First Trust Tactical High Yield ETF
- 1D
- 0.05%
- 1M
- 0.44%
- YTD
- 0.45%
- 6M
- 0.74%
- 1Y
- 5.02%
- 3Y*
- 8.01%
- 5Y*
- 2.94%
- 10Y*
- 4.45%
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%
HYLS Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Feb 27, 2013, HYLS's average daily return is +0.02%, while the average monthly return is +0.37%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 15.6 years.
Historically, 65% of months were positive and 35% were negative. The best month was Apr 2020 with a return of +7.5%, while the worst month was Mar 2020 at -11.9%. The longest winning streak lasted 11 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 6 months.
On a daily basis, HYLS closed higher 54% of trading days. The best single day was Apr 9, 2020 with a return of +5.1%, while the worst single day was Mar 20, 2020 at -4.7%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | -0.08% | -0.67% | -0.72% | 1.52% | 0.42% | 0.00% | 0.45% | ||||||
| 2025 | 1.25% | 0.59% | -0.97% | 0.58% | 1.21% | 1.67% | 0.10% | 1.37% | 0.81% | 0.06% | 0.58% | 0.51% | 8.00% |
| 2024 | -0.25% | 0.40% | 0.66% | -1.79% | 1.21% | 0.73% | 1.72% | 1.64% | 1.44% | -0.75% | 1.45% | -0.69% | 5.85% |
| 2023 | 4.41% | -1.68% | 1.05% | 0.73% | -1.36% | 1.77% | 1.19% | 0.47% | -1.04% | -1.72% | 5.99% | 3.39% | 13.66% |
| 2022 | -1.89% | -0.66% | -0.31% | -4.40% | -1.80% | -7.13% | 7.18% | -2.29% | -4.84% | 3.34% | 1.54% | -1.60% | -12.83% |
| 2021 | 0.47% | 0.02% | 0.73% | 0.33% | 0.32% | 0.41% | 0.19% | 0.51% | -0.02% | -0.31% | -1.05% | 2.06% | 3.69% |
Benchmark Metrics
First Trust Tactical High Yield ETF has an annualized alpha of 1.38%, beta of 0.22, and R2 of 0.34 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since February 27, 2013.
- This ETF participated in 37.95% of S&P 500 Index downside but only 29.54% of its upside - more exposed to losses than it benefited from rallies.
- Beta of 0.22 may look defensive, but with R2 of 0.34 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 0.34 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
- 1.38%
- Beta
- 0.22
- R²
- 0.34
- Upside Capture
- 29.54%
- Downside Capture
- 37.95%
Expense Ratio
HYLS has a high expense ratio of 1.01%, indicating above-average management fees.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
HYLS ranks 41 for risk / return — on par with similar ETFs. You're getting a typical balance of risk and reward. Not a standout, but not a red flag either — a reasonable choice if other factors align with your goals.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Tactical High Yield ETF (HYLS) 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.
| HYLS | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.61 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.56 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.27 | 1.37 | -0.10 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.63 | 2.78 | -1.15 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.91 | 12.44 | -5.52 |
Dividends
Dividend History
First Trust Tactical High Yield ETF provided a 6.69% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $2.74 per share. The fund has been increasing its distributions for 2 consecutive years.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $2.74 | $2.67 | $2.58 | $2.48 | $2.87 | $2.62 | $2.48 | $2.52 | $2.61 | $2.69 | $2.59 | $2.87 |
Dividend yield | 6.69% | 6.38% | 6.25% | 5.98% | 7.38% | 5.48% | 5.09% | 5.17% | 5.81% | 5.53% | 5.37% | 6.11% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for First Trust Tactical High Yield 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 | $0.23 | $0.23 | $0.23 | $0.23 | $0.23 | $0.00 | $1.14 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.22 | $0.22 | $0.22 | $0.22 | $0.22 | $0.22 | $0.23 | $0.24 | $0.24 | $0.23 | $0.22 | $0.22 | $2.67 |
| 2024 | $0.23 | $0.22 | $0.22 | $0.21 | $0.22 | $0.22 | $0.22 | $0.21 | $0.21 | $0.21 | $0.21 | $0.22 | $2.58 |
| 2023 | $0.22 | $0.21 | $0.20 | $0.19 | $0.19 | $0.19 | $0.21 | $0.22 | $0.22 | $0.22 | $0.22 | $0.22 | $2.48 |
| 2022 | $0.23 | $0.24 | $0.26 | $0.26 | $0.26 | $0.26 | $0.27 | $0.24 | $0.23 | $0.21 | $0.20 | $0.22 | $2.87 |
| 2021 | $0.23 | $0.21 | $0.22 | $0.21 | $0.22 | $0.22 | $0.21 | $0.23 | $0.20 | $0.20 | $0.23 | $0.23 | $2.62 |
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 Tactical High Yield 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 Tactical High Yield ETF was 22.99%, occurring on Mar 20, 2020. Recovery took 96 trading sessions.
The current First Trust Tactical High Yield ETF drawdown is 0.14%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
COVID crash2020 | -22.99%Mar 2020 | 1mo 6d | 4mo 19d | 5mo 25dFeb 2020 - Aug 2020 |
Bear market2022 | -15.75%Sep 2022 | 8mo 29d | 1y 8mo | 2y 5moJan 2022 - Jun 2024 |
2016 pullback2016 | -7.46%Jan 2016 | 7mo 21d | 4mo 20d | 1y 6dJun 2015 - Jun 2016 |
2014 pullback2014 | -5.73%Dec 2014 | 5mo 12d | 2mo 13d | 7mo 25dJul 2014 - Feb 2015 |
Rate-hike selloffLate 2018 | -5.69%Dec 2018 | 2mo 23d | 1mo 8d | 4mo 1dOct 2018 - Jan 2019 |
Drawdown Indicators
| HYLS | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -22.99% | -56.78% | +33.79% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -3.09% | -9.10% | +6.01% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -3.96% | -18.90% | +14.94% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -15.75% | -25.43% | +9.68% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -22.99% | -33.92% | +10.93% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.14% | -1.80% | +1.66% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -2.15% | -10.71% | +8.56% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.73% | 2.03% | -1.30% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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