FTHY vs. KNG

Last updated Aug 1, 2026

FTHY (First Trust High Yield Opportunities 2027 Term Fund) and KNG (FT Vest S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Target Income ETF) are both funds - FTHY is a High Yield Bonds fund managed by First Trust, while KNG is a Dividend fund tracking the Cboe S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Target Income Index Monthly Series. Over the past 5 years, FTHY returned 2.63%/yr vs 5.62%/yr for KNG. Their 0.36 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship. FTHY charges 0.02%/yr vs 0.75%/yr for KNG.

Performance

FTHY vs. KNG - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust High Yield Opportunities 2027 Term Fund (FTHY) and FT Vest S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Target Income ETF (KNG). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FTHY achieves a 3.22% return, which is significantly lower than KNG's 8.70% return.

FTHY

• 1D: 0.22%
• 1M: 0.29%
• 6M: 1.51%
• YTD: 3.22%
• 1Y: 3.64%
• 3Y*: 10.78%
• 5Y*: 2.63%
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 3.44%

KNG

• 1D: -0.22%
• 1M: -0.81%
• 6M: 3.64%
• YTD: 8.70%
• 1Y: 13.21%
• 3Y*: 6.91%
• 5Y*: 5.62%
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 8.97%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
FTHY First Trust High Yield Opportunities 2027 Term Fund	$1.02M	$1.13M	$1.23M
KNG FT Vest S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Target Income ETF	$17.95M	$15.66M	$14.57M

FTHY vs. KNG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
FTHY First Trust High Yield Opportunities 2027 Term Fund	3.22%	7.80%	15.71%	14.65%	-26.09%	7.63%	4.66%
KNG FT Vest S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Target Income ETF	8.70%	6.63%	5.99%	7.48%	-7.03%	24.78%	21.38%

Correlation

The correlation between FTHY and KNG is 0.36, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.36
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.35
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.41
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 26, 2020	0.36

Return for Risk

FTHY vs. KNG — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

FTHY

FTHY Risk / Return Rank: 13
FTHY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 13
FTHY Sortino Ratio Rank: 12
FTHY Omega Ratio Rank: 12
FTHY Calmar Ratio Rank: 13
FTHY Martin Ratio Rank: 13

KNG

KNG Risk / Return Rank: 44
KNG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 48
KNG Sortino Ratio Rank: 51
KNG Omega Ratio Rank: 44
KNG Calmar Ratio Rank: 42
KNG Martin Ratio Rank: 37

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

FTHY vs. KNG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust High Yield Opportunities 2027 Term Fund (FTHY) and FT Vest S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Target Income ETF (KNG). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

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.

	FTHY	KNG	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.53	1.17	-0.63
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.78	1.80	-1.02
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.10	1.20	-0.10
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.69	1.47	-0.78
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	1.86	3.70	-1.84

FTHY vs. KNG - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FTHY Sharpe Ratio is 0.53, which is lower than the KNG Sharpe Ratio of 1.17. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FTHY and KNG, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

FTHY vs. KNG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FTHY drawdown since its inception was -31.17%, smaller than the maximum KNG drawdown of -35.12%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FTHY and KNG.

Drawdown Indicators

	FTHY	KNG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-31.17%	-35.12%	+3.95%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-5.44%	-8.61%	+3.17%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-8.70%	-14.24%	+5.54%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-31.17%	-18.20%	-12.97%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.22%	-2.12%	+1.90%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.95%	-4.09%	-5.86%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.02%	3.42%	-1.40%

Volatility

FTHY vs. KNG - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for First Trust High Yield Opportunities 2027 Term Fund (FTHY) is 1.83%, while FT Vest S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Target Income ETF (KNG) has a volatility of 4.58%. This indicates that FTHY experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than KNG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FTHY	KNG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.83%	4.58%	-2.75%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	5.81%	8.36%	-2.55%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	7.14%	10.87%	-3.73%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	12.80%	13.65%	-0.85%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	13.14%	17.12%	-3.98%

FTHY vs. KNG - Expense Ratio Comparison

FTHY has a 0.02% expense ratio, which is lower than KNG's 0.75% expense ratio.

Dividends

FTHY vs. KNG - Dividend Comparison

FTHY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 11.01%, more than KNG's 8.27% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
FTHY First Trust High Yield Opportunities 2027 Term Fund	10.09%	10.66%	10.70%	10.22%	11.85%	7.83%	2.94%	0.00%	0.00%
KNG FT Vest S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Target Income ETF	8.27%	8.61%	9.08%	5.91%	4.00%	3.45%	3.62%	4.09%	3.46%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both FTHY and KNG in my portfolio?

FTHY and KNG have a correlation of 0.36, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, FTHY or KNG?

KNG has higher volatility (4.58%) compared to FTHY (1.83%). In terms of maximum drawdown, FTHY dropped -31.17% vs KNG's -35.12%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

KNG currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.17 vs 0.53), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.