First Trust Water ETF
$117.33−1.30 (−1.10%)
- 0.50%
- $1.87B
- +7.3%
- 0.67%
- 49.5K sh
- low $98.52high $119.55
The ETF.net FIW Grade
B
Score 67 out of 100
- 1 of 6
Score 67 of 100 falls in the B 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.B66 out of 100Rank 2 of 6Mission
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.C48 out of 100Rank 5 of 6Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.A79 out of 100Rank 2 of 6Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.A80 out of 100Rank 1 of 6Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.A76 out of 100Rank 2 of 6
Our read on FIW
In short
BWater is the least glamorous essential business on earth, and FIW has been buying it since 2007: roughly 40 companies earning real revenue from drinking water and wastewater, at a fee below most of the water field.
Stated mandate
The fund seeks returns that generally track the pre-expense price and yield of the ISE Clean Edge WaterTM Index, which covers listed companies deriving substantial revenue from potable and wastewater activities.
Why people hold it
Worth knowing
FIW Performance
Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.
FIW$10,727
Returns run to the Nov 9, 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 | FIW |
|---|---|
| Year to date | +9.8% |
| 1 month | +12.9% |
| 3 months | +4.7% |
| 1 year | +7.3% |
| 3 years | +14.2% |
| 5 years | +5.6% |
| 10 years | +13.0% |
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 | FIW |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +9.8% | |
| 2025 | +7.2% | |
| 2024 | +8.4% | |
| 2023 | +20.3% | |
| 2022 | −15.7% | |
| 2021 | +32.0% | |
| 2020 | +21.1% |
FIW in the news
FIW Dividends
- 0.67%
- $0.79
- $0.19 per share
- Quarterly
FIW Risk
- 16.1%
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.
- 0.59
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.
- −28.5%
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.
- 0.98
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.
FIW Cost
Overpaying vs TBLU, cheapest in Water
$1,889
On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.
FIW 0.50%
$9,979
TBLU 0.40% Cheapest
$8,090
Cost over time
Year by year
| Year | FIW | TBLU | Overpaying |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $900 | $723 | $177 |
| 20 | $3,460 | $2,793 | $667 |
| 30 | $9,979 | $8,090 | $1,889 |
Other funds in Water
- BTBLUTortoise Global Water FundExpense ratio 0.40%1 year return +3.5%
- CCGWInvesco S&P Global Water Index ETFExpense ratio 0.58%1 year return +4.2%
- CPHOInvesco Water Resources ETFExpense ratio 0.59%1 year return +8.0%
- CAQWAGlobal X Clean Water ETFExpense ratio 0.50%1 year return +1.0%
- DPIOInvesco Global Water ETFExpense ratio 0.75%1 year return +2.1%
