First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund
$54.19+0.35 (+0.65%)
- 0.43%
- $8.39B
- +31.1%
- 3.60%
- 751K sh
- low $42.10high $54.18
The ETF.net FDL Grade
C
Score 52 out of 100
- 30 of 53
Score 52 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.D29 out of 100Rank 38 of 53Mission
Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.B64 out of 100Rank 43 of 50Risk
How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.A73 out of 100Rank 8 of 53Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.A72 out of 100Rank 11 of 53Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.F24 out of 100Rank 50 of 53Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.A79 out of 100Rank 7 of 53
Our read on FDL
In short
CFDL doesn't weight by company size or by yield. It weights by dividend dollars, so America's biggest cash payers carry the most weight. Roughly 100 high-yield names, screened for payouts they can keep funding, running since 2006.
Stated mandate
The fund is an exchange-traded index fund seeking to replicate the price and yield of the Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index before fees and expenses.
Why people hold it
Worth knowing
FDL Holdings
- Stocks
- 101
- 51%
- CVX
Sectors
- Consumer Staples24.4%
- Utilities14.7%
- Energy12.5%
- Financials12.5%
- Health Care12.3%
- Communication10.8%
- Technology5.1%
- Consumer Discretionary3.9%
- Industrials3.4%
- Materials0.4%
Geography
- United States98.66%
- United Kingdom0.79%
- Ireland0.55%
FDL Performance
Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.
FDL$13,107
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 | FDL |
|---|---|
| Year to date | +24.8% |
| 1 month | +9.6% |
| 3 months | +5.7% |
| 1 year | +31.1% |
| 3 years | +24.0% |
| 5 years | +14.8% |
| 10 years | +11.9% |
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 | FDL |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +24.8% | |
| 2025 | +14.8% | |
| 2024 | +18.0% | |
| 2023 | +2.9% | |
| 2022 | +6.7% | |
| 2021 | +26.1% | |
| 2020 | −4.4% |
FDL in the news
FDL Dividends
- 3.60%
- $1.94
- $0.51 per share
- Quarterly
FDL Risk
- 13.9%
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.
- 1.31
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.
- −16.4%
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.
- 0.39
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.
FDL Cost
Overpaying vs VIG, cheapest in US Dividend Index
$7,813
On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.
FDL 0.43%
$8,662
VIG 0.04% Cheapest
$849
Cost over time
Year by year
| Year | FDL | VIG | Overpaying |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $776 | $73 | $703 |
| 20 | $2,994 | $288 | $2,706 |
| 30 | $8,662 | $849 | $7,813 |
Other funds in US Dividend Index
- BDESWisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend FundExpense ratio 0.38%1 year return +23.0%
- CFVDFirst Trust Value Line Dividend Index FundExpense ratio 0.62%1 year return +15.1%
- CPFMInvesco Dividend Achievers ETFExpense ratio 0.52%1 year return +16.4%
- CQDEFNorthern Trust Quality Dividend Defensive ETFExpense ratio 0.39%1 year return +15.1%
- CRDIVInvesco S&P Ultra Dividend Revenue ETFExpense ratio 0.39%1 year return +21.7%
