First Trust Dividend Strength ETF
The ETF.net FTDS Grade
C
Score 40 out of 100
- 47 of 53
Score 40 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.F0 out of 100Rank 53 of 53Mission
Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.A83 out of 100Rank 31 of 50Risk
How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.C46 out of 100Rank 33 of 53Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.D27 out of 100Rank 42 of 53Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.B61 out of 100Rank 22 of 53Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.C54 out of 100Rank 31 of 53
Our read on FTDS
In short
CA yield fund with a bouncer at the door: companies must clear debt, return-on-equity, payout and dividend-growth tests before the index ranks them by yield. The roughly 50 survivors get equal weight, rechecked every quarter.
Stated mandate
The Fund seeks to track the price and yield performance of The Dividend Strength Index before fees and expenses.
Why people hold it
Worth knowing
FTDS Performance
Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.
FTDS$12,685
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 | FTDS |
|---|---|
| Year to date | +20.9% |
| 1 month | +9.4% |
| 3 months | +5.1% |
| 1 year | +26.8% |
| 3 years | +20.6% |
| 5 years | +8.3% |
| 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 | FTDS |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +20.9% | |
| 2025 | +13.6% | |
| 2024 | +11.1% | |
| 2023 | +11.7% | |
| 2022 | −13.5% | |
| 2021 | +24.8% | |
| 2020 | +14.1% |
FTDS in the news
FTDS Dividends
- 1.57%
- $1.06
- $0.31 per share
- Quarterly
FTDS Risk
- 14.3%
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.
- 1.08
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.
- −23.4%
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.
- 0.59
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.
FTDS Cost
Overpaying vs VIG, cheapest in US Dividend Index
$12,757
On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.
FTDS 0.70%
$13,606
VIG 0.04% Cheapest
$849
Cost over time
Year by year
| Year | FTDS | VIG | Overpaying |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $1,250 | $73 | $1,177 |
| 20 | $4,760 | $288 | $4,472 |
| 30 | $13,606 | $849 | $12,757 |
You pay 0.70%Waived by First Trust 0.11%
Full fee 0.81% waiver 0.11% you pay 0.70%
Other funds in US Dividend Index
- CSTXDStrive 1000 Dividend Growth ETFExpense ratio 0.35%1 year return +11.1%
- CPEYInvesco High Yield Equity Dividend Achievers ETFExpense ratio 0.68%1 year return +23.8%
- CTMDVProShares Russell U.S. Dividend Growers ETFExpense ratio 0.35%1 year return +18.6%
- DDDIVFirst Trust Dorsey Wright Momentum & Dividend ETFExpense ratio 0.60%1 year return +17.4%
- DKVLEKraneShares Value Line Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETFExpense ratio 0.56%1 year return +11.4%
