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Launched · SEC filings

First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF

FAARNasdaqFirst TrustD

$32.11−0.43 (−1.32%)

At close: Nov 2, 2026, 4:00 PM ET

D39/ 100

Rank 19 of 23 in Broad Commodity Futures

D39/100Rank 19 of 23inBroad Commodity Futures
Intraday session: down, 79 prints from 32.53 to 32.11. Range 32.07 to 32.40. Use the arrow keys to read each point.32.2032.3032.4010 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM
Expense ratio
0.98%
Fund size
$252M
1Y total return
+20.0%
Yield · Last 12 months
9.34%
Holdings
16
Avg volume · 30D
51.7K sh
52W range
low $26.73high $35.81
Launched
Filings
SEC EDGAR

The ETF.net FAAR Grade

Based on 5 of 6 pillars

D

Score 39 out of 100

Category
Broad Commodity Futures⁠
Rank
19 of 23
Six-pillar profile for FAAR. Scores out of 100: Cost 7, Risk 69, Mission not scored, Tradability 62, Holdings 49, Durability 67. Strongest: Risk (69). Weakest: Cost (7). Based on 5 of 6 pillars.

Score 39 of 100 falls in the D band. A is 70 or higher, B 55 to under 70, C 40 to under 55, D 25 to under 40, F under 25.

  • Cost

    The fund’s net expense ratio, ranked against its category.
    F7 out of 100
    Rank 21 of 23

  • Mission

    Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.
    Not scored

  • Risk

    How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.
    B69 out of 100
    Rank 6 of 23

  • Tradability

    How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.
    B62 out of 100
    Rank 6 of 23

  • Holdings

    How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.
    C49 out of 100
    Rank 8 of 15

  • Durability

    Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.
    B67 out of 100
    Rank 6 of 23

Our read on FAAR

ETF.net Research

In short

DMost commodity funds only bet one way: up. FAAR is actively managed and can run short positions alongside long ones across the futures complex, aiming at absolute return rather than tracking a commodity index.

Stated mandate

The Fund seeks long-term total return through active management of long and short exchange-traded commodity futures positions, accessed through a wholly owned Cayman Islands subsidiary.

Why people hold it

  • Goes both ways. The managers can hold long and short exchange-traded commodity futures, so the fund is not structurally locked into commodity prices rising.ftportfolios.com
  • Active by design. A few dozen futures positions sized by the manager, not by a fixed index weighting, in a cohort where most rivals simply track a broad commodity benchmark.
  • Runs as a registered 1940 Act fund, with the futures book held in a wholly owned Cayman subsidiary. Distributions are paid quarterly.
  • Trading since 2016, giving the long/short approach a live record across very different commodity markets rather than a backtest.

Worth knowing

  • Active costs money: 0.98% a year against a cohort median near 0.68%, and several times what index-based peers like BCI (0.26%) or CMDY (0.29%) charge.
  • No index to hug. Short positions can offset a broad commodity rally, so results track the manager's calls rather than the commodity complex itself.
  • Mid-sized and moderately traded, so spreads can run wider than the largest commodity futures ETFs.

FAAR Holdings

Holdings pillarC49 out of 100Rank 8 of 15 in Broad Commodity Futures
Asset class
Other
Holdings
16
Top-10 weight
133%
Largest holding
US Dollar62.1%

Sectors

  • Financials100.0%
The fund’s holdings, weight-ordered — page 1 of 2.
#TickerCompanyWeight %SharesMarket valueHeld by ETFs
1No dataUS Dollar62.11%129,437,326$129M408
2No dataGASOLINE RBOB FUT Dec2612.02%189$25.1M5
3No dataSOYBEAN FUTURE Jan2711.76%397$24.5M6
4No dataLME ZINC FUTURE Dec2611.07%239$23.1M2
5No dataSOYBEAN MEAL FUTR Dec2610.95%703$22.8M2
6No dataNY Harb ULSD Fut Dec265.94%63$12.4M4
7No dataSILVER FUTURE Dec265.67%48$11.8M6
8No dataWTI CRUDE FUTURE Mar275.66%121$11.8M2
9No dataNATURAL GAS FUTR Dec264.66%335$9.71M8
10No dataSUGAR #11 (WORLD) Mar273.66%352$7.63M4
11No dataCOFFEE 'C' FUTURE Mar273.64%73$7.58M7
12No dataGOLD 100 OZ FUTR Dec262.43%13$5.07M10
13No dataCOPPER FUTURE Dec262.18%28$4.54M6
14No dataLME PRI ALUM FUTR Dec261.90%51$3.96M3
15No dataWTI CRUDE FUTURE Jan271.52%31$3.17M3

Showing 1–15 of 16 holdings

FAAR Performance

Launched May 18, 2016

Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.

FAAR$11,999
SPY tracks large US stocks. It provides market context, rather than representing this fund’s strategy, asset class or investment benchmark.$11,199
Oct 31, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026. FAAR $11,999. SPY $11,199. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$10,000$11,000$12,000Oct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026

Oct 31, 2025 – Oct 30, 2026

Returns run to the Oct 30, 2026 close, with cash distributions reinvested. Each period starts on the same date that many months or years earlier. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.

Trailing total return for FAAR. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.
PeriodFAAR
Year to date+21.5%
1 month+0.9%
3 months+4.7%
1 year+20.0%
3 yearsper year+11.5%
5 yearsper year+7.2%
10 yearsper year+5.1%

With distributions reinvested.

Calendar-year total return with cash distributions hypothetically reinvested at the ex-dividend date’s closing price. The current year shows year to date.

Annual total returns for FAAR
YearReturn barFAAR
2026 YTD+21.5%
2025+8.2%
2024+6.0%
2023−5.6%
2022+10.1%
2021+12.3%
2020+8.6%

FAAR in the news

FAAR Dividends

Adds up every distribution paid per share over the last 12 months, divided by the last completed close. Distributions are counted by ex-date. Data through Oct 30, 2026.
9.34%Last 12 months
Payout per share
$3.04Last 12 months
Last payment
$0.14 per share
Paid on
Shares bought on or after this date do not qualify for this distribution.
Frequency
Quarterly

Distribution history

2017–2026

One bar per payment. 25 payments from 2017 to 2026 YTD. Dec 21, 2017 $0.83; Mar 22, 2018 $0.01; Dec 18, 2018 $0.14; Dec 13, 2019 $0.26; Jun 25, 2020 $0.0092; Dec 24, 2020 $0.82; Jun 24, 2021 $0.0054; Dec 23, 2021 $1.86; Jun 24, 2022 $0.0028; Dec 15, 2022 $1.74; Mar 24, 2023 $0.16; Jun 27, 2023 $0.23; Sep 22, 2023 $0.23; Dec 15, 2023 $0.26; Mar 21, 2024 $0.20; Jun 27, 2024 $0.24; Sep 26, 2024 $0.20; Dec 17, 2024 $0.33; Mar 27, 2025 $0.15; Jun 26, 2025 $0.18; Sep 25, 2025 $0.18; Dec 16, 2025 $2.65; Mar 26, 2026 $0.11; Jun 25, 2026 $0.14; Sep 24, 2026 $0.14. Use the arrow keys to read each point.2017201820192020202120222023202420252026YTD
Ex-datePay dateAmount per share
Sep 24, 2026Sep 30, 2026$0.14
Jun 25, 2026Jun 30, 2026$0.14
Mar 26, 2026Mar 31, 2026$0.11
Dec 16, 2025Dec 31, 2025$2.65
Sep 25, 2025Sep 30, 2025$0.18
Jun 26, 2025Jun 30, 2025$0.18
Mar 27, 2025Mar 31, 2025$0.15
Dec 17, 2024Dec 31, 2024$0.33
Sep 26, 2024Sep 30, 2024$0.20
Jun 27, 2024Jun 28, 2024$0.24
Mar 21, 2024Mar 28, 2024$0.20
Dec 15, 2023Dec 20, 2023$0.26

See all 25 payments⁠

$10,000 in FAAR 10 years ago paid $3,837 in dividends.⁠

FAAR Risk

Risk pillarB69 out of 100Rank 6 of 23 in Broad Commodity Futures
How much the fund’s monthly returns vary, scaled to a year.
12.0%
Annualised · 36 months to Oct 2026
How it’s calculated: standard deviation

The sample standard deviation of monthly total returns, multiplied by the square root of 12.

Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Total returns include reinvested distributions.

Return above 3-month US Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
0.59
vs 3-month T-bills · to Oct 2026
How it’s calculated: Sharpe ratio

Subtract each month’s Treasury-bill return from the fund’s monthly total return.

Divide the average of those excess returns by their sample standard deviation, then multiply by the square root of 12.

Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Each month uses the Treasury yield quoted at the end of the previous month.

The largest fall from a peak to the low that followed.
−18.1%
Trough Apr 2025
How it’s calculated: maximum drawdown

The largest percentage decline from an earlier peak, using total returns with reinvested distributions.

Uses up to five years through the last close, with at least 12 months required.

How strongly the fund’s returns move with its asset-class index.
0.66
vs its asset-class index
How it’s calculated: beta

The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.

FMP measures it over up to five years of monthly returns.

FAAR Cost

Compare FAAR and SDMF

Overpaying vs SDMF, cheapest in Broad Commodity Futures

$14,005

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

  • FAAR 0.98%

    $18,362

  • SDMF 0.21% Cheapest

    $4,357

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • FAAR 0.98%
  • SDMF 0.21%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$5K$10K$15K$20K051015202530FAAR $18,362SDMF $4,357

Year by year

YearFAARSDMFOverpaying
10$1,729$383$1,346
20$6,504$1,491$5,013
30$18,362$4,357$14,005

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