- ISIN
- US33739P7078
- CUSIP
- 33739P707
- Issuer
- First Trust
- Inception Date
- Jun 14, 2016
- Region
- Emerging Markets (Broad)
- Category
- Emerging Markets Equities
- Leveraged
- 1x (No leverage)
- Index Tracked
- No Index (Active)
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Equity
- Asset Class Size
- Multi-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Blend
- Assets Under Management
- $81M
Share Price Chart
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Performance
RFEM Performance Chart
First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Emerging Markets ETF (RFEM) is up 21.8% since the beginning of the year. RFEM is currently trading at $96 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of RFEM shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,580.
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Returns By Period
First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Emerging Markets ETF (RFEM) has returned 21.81% so far this year and 42.44% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, RFEM has returned 9.73% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.88% annually.
First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Emerging Markets ETF
- 1D
- 0.02%
- 1M
- 3.41%
- YTD
- 21.81%
- 6M
- 23.05%
- 1Y
- 42.44%
- 3Y*
- 24.04%
- 5Y*
- 9.58%
- 10Y*
- 9.73%
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%
RFEM Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Jun 15, 2016, RFEM's average daily return is +0.05%, while the average monthly return is +0.93%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 6.2 years.
Historically, 63% of months were positive and 37% were negative. The best month was Nov 2022 with a return of +14.2%, while the worst month was Mar 2020 at -18.0%. The longest winning streak lasted 8 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 4 months.
On a daily basis, RFEM closed higher 53% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 13, 2020 with a return of +7.4%, while the worst single day was Mar 16, 2020 at -11.7%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7.19% | 4.76% | -7.56% | 12.83% | 2.79% | 1.17% | 21.81% | ||||||
| 2025 | 1.02% | 0.78% | 1.01% | 0.39% | 2.89% | 6.64% | -0.20% | 3.21% | 3.96% | 3.37% | 0.27% | 1.57% | 27.71% |
| 2024 | -1.97% | 3.78% | 1.79% | 0.55% | 4.01% | 3.29% | 0.02% | 0.73% | 3.93% | -4.61% | -1.04% | 0.26% | 10.85% |
| 2023 | 9.17% | -5.51% | 2.36% | -1.35% | -0.15% | 5.77% | 4.08% | -5.26% | -0.80% | -1.62% | 7.77% | 5.85% | 20.78% |
| 2022 | -0.74% | -2.79% | -0.57% | -5.96% | 1.07% | -12.07% | 2.53% | -1.68% | -11.59% | 3.15% | 14.15% | -3.80% | -19.05% |
| 2021 | 3.94% | 2.04% | 0.18% | 0.56% | 2.40% | -0.38% | -4.73% | 0.77% | -5.31% | -0.47% | -1.54% | 3.98% | 0.97% |
Benchmark Metrics
First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Emerging Markets ETF has an annualized alpha of 0.19%, beta of 0.80, and R2 of 0.53 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since June 15, 2016.
- This ETF participated in 79.79% of S&P 500 Index downside but only 72.01% of its upside - more exposed to losses than it benefited from rallies.
- Alpha
- 0.19%
- Beta
- 0.80
- R²
- 0.53
- Upside Capture
- 72.01%
- Downside Capture
- 79.79%
Expense Ratio
RFEM has a high expense ratio of 0.95%, indicating above-average management fees.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
RFEM ranks 76 for risk / return — better than 76% 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 RiverFront Dynamic Emerging Markets ETF (RFEM) 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.
| RFEM | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.36 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.40 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.44 | 1.37 | +0.07 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.66 | 2.78 | +0.88 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 14.41 | 12.44 | +1.97 |
Dividends
Dividend History
First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Emerging Markets ETF provided a 1.67% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $1.61 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $1.61 | $1.57 | $2.30 | $1.94 | $3.92 | $2.17 | $0.84 | $2.43 | $1.33 | $1.14 | $1.97 |
Dividend yield | 1.67% | 1.98% | 3.64% | 3.28% | 7.74% | 3.21% | 1.22% | 3.75% | 2.37% | 1.62% | 3.73% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Emerging Markets 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 | $0.05 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.05 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.26 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.66 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.65 | $1.57 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.73 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.33 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.24 | $2.30 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.74 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.58 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.63 | $1.94 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.85 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.61 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.46 | $3.92 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.05 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.64 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.59 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.90 | $2.17 |
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 RiverFront Dynamic Emerging Markets 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 RiverFront Dynamic Emerging Markets ETF was 42.22%, occurring on Mar 23, 2020. Recovery took 206 trading sessions.
The current First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Emerging Markets ETF drawdown is 1.27%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
COVID crash2020 | -42.22%Mar 2020 | 2y 1mo | 9mo 27d | 2y 11moJan 2018 - Jan 2021 |
Bear market2022 | -36.01%Sep 2022 | 1y 7mo | 1y 9mo | 3y 4moFeb 2021 - Jul 2024 |
2025 selloff2025 | -15.81%Apr 2025 | 6mo 13d | 1mo 11d | 7mo 24dSep 2024 - May 2025 |
2026 correction2026 | -11.65%Mar 2026 | 1mo 2d | 18d | 1mo 20dFeb 2026 - Apr 2026 |
2024 correction2024 | -10.45%Aug 2024 | 21d | 1mo 20d | 2mo 11dJul 2024 - Sep 2024 |
Drawdown Indicators
| RFEM | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -42.22% | -56.78% | +14.56% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -11.65% | -9.10% | -2.55% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -15.81% | -18.90% | +3.09% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -34.25% | -25.43% | -8.82% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -42.22% | -33.92% | -8.30% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.27% | -1.80% | +0.53% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -11.93% | -10.71% | -1.22% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.95% | 2.03% | +0.92% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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