First Trust Income Opportunities ETF
$22.90−0.02 (−0.09%)
- 3.69%
- $80M
- +7.3%
- 7.16%
- 16.3K sh
- low $21.95high $24.35
The ETF.net FCEF Grade
C
Score 45 out of 100
- 5 of 7
Score 45 of 100 falls in the C 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.F20 out of 100Rank 6 of 7Mission
Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.Risk
How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.B60 out of 100Rank 2 of 7Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.B61 out of 100Rank 2 of 7Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.B61 out of 100Rank 4 of 7Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.A71 out of 100Rank 3 of 7
Our read on FCEF
In short
COne of the few ETFs whose portfolio is other closed-end funds: a manager assembles about 50 income vehicles into a single monthly-paying ticker. The convenience is real, and so is the layered cost.
Stated mandate
The Fund seeks current income, with total return as a secondary objective. It normally invests in closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds listed on U.S. exchanges.
Why people hold it
Worth knowing
FCEF Holdings
- Other
- 59
- 34%
- US Dollar
Sectors
- Financials25.0%
- Technology16.4%
- Utilities14.0%
- Health Care10.1%
- Energy9.5%
- Industrials8.4%
- Real Estate4.2%
- Communication4.1%
- Consumer Discretionary4.0%
- Materials2.6%
- Consumer Staples1.9%
Geography
- United States99.78%
- Netherlands0.05%
- Taiwan0.03%
- United Kingdom0.03%
- Canada0.02%
- Switzerland0.01%
- Australia0.01%
- Uruguay0.01%
- 0.05%
FCEF Performance
Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.
FCEF$10,733
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.
| Period | FCEF |
|---|---|
| Year to date | +5.8% |
| 1 month | +1.3% |
| 3 months | −1.9% |
| 1 year | +7.3% |
| 3 years | +16.8% |
| 5 years | +5.0% |
| 10 years | +8.1% |
Calendar-year total return with cash distributions hypothetically reinvested at the ex-dividend date’s closing price. The current year shows year to date.
| Year | Return bar | FCEF |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +5.8% | |
| 2025 | +14.4% | |
| 2024 | +17.5% | |
| 2023 | +10.2% | |
| 2022 | −19.5% | |
| 2021 | +19.5% | |
| 2020 | +3.9% |
FCEF in the news
FCEF Dividends
- 7.16%
- $1.64
- $0.14 per share
- Monthly
FCEF Risk
- 9.2%
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.
- 1.26
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.
- −25.0%
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.
- 0.97
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.
FCEF Cost
Overpaying vs CEFS, cheapest in Closed-End Fund Portfolios
$9,726
On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.
FCEF 3.69%
$49,560
CEFS 2.61% Cheapest
$39,834
Cost over time
Year by year
| Year | FCEF | CEFS | Overpaying |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $5,822 | $4,305 | $1,517 |
| 20 | $19,517 | $15,082 | $4,435 |
| 30 | $49,560 | $39,834 | $9,726 |
Other funds in Closed-End Fund Portfolios
- BCEFSSaba Opportunistic Hedged Closed-End Funds ETFExpense ratio 2.61%1 year return +13.4%
- CYYYAmplify CEF High Income ETFExpense ratio 3.23%1 year return −0.5%
- CCEFZRiverNorth Active Income ETFExpense ratio 2.82%1 year return +5.6%
- CCCEFCalamos CEF Income & Arbitrage ETFExpense ratio 3.19%1 year return +7.0%
- DRDFIRareview Dynamic Fixed Income ETFExpense ratio 4.23%1 year return −2.2%
