- Issuer
- First Trust
- Inception Date
- Aug 2, 2023
- Region
- North America (U.S.)
- Category
- Government Bonds
- Leveraged
- 1x (No leverage)
- Index Tracked
- No Index (Active)
- Domicile
- United States
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Bond
- Assets Under Management
- $105M
Share Price Chart
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Performance
MGOV Performance Chart
First Trust Intermediate Government Opportunities ETF (MGOV) is up 0.6% since the beginning of the year. MGOV is currently trading at $20 per share.
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Returns By Period
First Trust Intermediate Government Opportunities ETF (MGOV) has returned 0.59% so far this year and 5.71% over the past 12 months.
First Trust Intermediate Government Opportunities ETF
- 1D
- -0.25%
- 1M
- 0.84%
- YTD
- 0.59%
- 6M
- 0.77%
- 1Y
- 5.71%
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 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%
MGOV Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Aug 3, 2023, MGOV's average daily return is +0.02%, while the average monthly return is +0.44%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 13.2 years.
Historically, 69% of months were positive and 31% were negative. The best month was Nov 2023 with a return of +5.2%, while the worst month was Oct 2024 at -3.2%. The longest winning streak lasted 5 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 2 months.
On a daily basis, MGOV closed higher 51% of trading days. The best single day was May 3, 2024 with a return of +1.4%, while the worst single day was Apr 10, 2024 at -1.3%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.54% | 2.08% | -2.29% | 0.11% | 0.01% | 0.20% | 0.59% | ||||||
| 2025 | 0.69% | 2.55% | 0.20% | 0.44% | -1.53% | 1.84% | -0.19% | 1.71% | 1.29% | 0.90% | 0.70% | -0.33% | 8.54% |
| 2024 | -0.08% | -1.23% | 0.78% | -2.77% | 1.95% | 1.18% | 2.36% | 1.79% | 1.49% | -3.15% | 1.35% | -1.91% | 1.55% |
| 2023 | 0.35% | -2.73% | -1.90% | 5.23% | 3.77% | 4.56% |
Benchmark Metrics
First Trust Intermediate Government Opportunities ETF has an annualized alpha of 4.46%, beta of 0.05, and R2 of 0.02 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since August 03, 2023.
- This ETF participated in 34.00% of S&P 500 Index downside but only 25.42% of its upside - more exposed to losses than it benefited from rallies.
- Beta of 0.05 may look defensive, but with R2 of 0.02 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 0.02 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
- 4.46%
- Beta
- 0.05
- R²
- 0.02
- Upside Capture
- 25.42%
- Downside Capture
- 34.00%
Expense Ratio
MGOV has an expense ratio of 0.65%, placing it in the medium range.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
MGOV ranks 35 for risk / return — below 35% of ETFs on our site. The returns aren't fully compensating for the risk involved. This isn't necessarily a dealbreaker, but factor it into your decision — especially if you're risk-averse.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Intermediate Government Opportunities ETF (MGOV) 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.
| MGOV | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.75 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.86 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.22 | 1.37 | -0.14 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.63 | 2.78 | -1.16 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 4.63 | 12.44 | -7.81 |
Dividends
Dividend History
First Trust Intermediate Government Opportunities ETF provided a 4.96% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $1.00 per share. The fund has been increasing its distributions for 2 consecutive years.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $1.00 | $1.01 | $1.00 | $0.30 |
Dividend yield | 4.96% | 4.95% | 5.05% | 1.47% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for First Trust Intermediate Government Opportunities 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 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.00 | $0.42 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $1.01 |
| 2024 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $1.00 |
| 2023 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.30 |
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 Intermediate Government Opportunities 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 Intermediate Government Opportunities ETF was 6.11%, occurring on Oct 19, 2023. Recovery took 28 trading sessions.
The current First Trust Intermediate Government Opportunities ETF drawdown is 1.99%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 pullback2023 | -6.11%Oct 2023 | 2mo 10d | 1mo 11d | 3mo 21dAug 2023 - Nov 2023 |
2025 pullback2025 | -5.74%Jan 2025 | 3mo 28d | 6mo 20d | 10mo 18dSep 2024 - Aug 2025 |
2024 pullback2024 | -4.00%Apr 2024 | 2mo 14d | 1mo 29d | 4mo 13dFeb 2024 - Jun 2024 |
2026 pullback2026 | -3.53%May 2026 | 2mo 18d | — | 3mo 23dMar 2026 - now |
2024 pullback2024 | -1.86%Jan 2024 | 27d | 8d | 1mo 5dDec 2023 - Feb 2024 |
Drawdown Indicators
| MGOV | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -6.11% | -56.78% | +50.67% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -3.53% | -9.10% | +5.57% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | — | -18.90% | — |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -25.43% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -33.92% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.99% | -1.80% | -0.19% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -1.63% | -10.71% | +9.08% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.24% | 2.03% | -0.79% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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