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First Trust Small Cap BuyWrite Income ETF

FTKINYSE ArcaFirst TrustB

$19.47−0.05 (−0.26%)

As of Nov 2, 2026, 3:59 PM ET

Intraday session: down, 73 prints from 19.52 to 19.47. Range 19.47 to 19.52. Use the arrow keys to read each point.19.4819.4919.5019.5110 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM
Expense ratio
0.86%
Fund size
$25M
1Y total return
+19.9%
Yield · Last 12 months
11.81%
Holdings
199
Avg volume · 30D
6.66K sh
52W range
low $18.12high $21.63
Launched

The ETF.net FTKI Grade

B

Score 65 out of 100

Rank
4 of 9
Six-pillar profile for FTKI. Scores out of 100: Cost 40, Risk 82, Mission 100, Tradability 45, Holdings 75, Durability 45. Strongest: Mission (100). Weakest: Cost (40). Leans toward Mission.

Score 65 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.
    C40 out of 100
    Rank 6 of 9
  • Mission

    Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.
    A100 out of 100
    Rank 1 of 7
  • Risk

    How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.
    A82 out of 100
    Rank 2 of 9
  • Tradability

    How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.
    C45 out of 100
    Rank 6 of 9
  • Holdings

    How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.
    A75 out of 100
    Rank 2 of 6
  • Durability

    Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.
    C45 out of 100
    Rank 6 of 9

Our read on FTKI

ETF.net Research

In short

BMost Russell 2000 income funds own the index and sell calls on it. FTKI runs an actively picked basket of roughly 300 US small caps, then writes index-level calls over the top: income first, appreciation second, paid monthly.

Stated mandate

The Fund seeks current income first and capital appreciation second. It primarily invests in small-cap equities listed on U.S. exchanges and writes exchange-traded calls on the Russell 2000 Index or small-cap equity ETFs.

Why people hold it

  • Two moving parts, one wrapper: an actively chosen small-cap stock portfolio underneath, calls on the Russell 2000 or small-cap ETFs written over the top.ftportfolios.com
  • The mandate puts current income first and capital appreciation second, and the cash goes out monthly.ftportfolios.com
  • Roughly 300 US-listed small caps sit under the options overlay, spreading the equity risk across the bench instead of a short list of names.

Worth knowing

  • At 0.86%, it prices above index-run Russell 2000 call writers such as RYLD and RYLG. Active stock selection is what you are paying the difference for.
  • Writing calls swaps upside for premium. When small caps run hard, the overlay limits how much of that run the fund keeps.ftportfolios.com
  • Launched in 2025 and still a small, lightly traded fund, so bid-ask spreads can run wider than the category's heavyweights.

FTKI Holdings

Asset class
Stocks
Holdings
199
Top-10 weight
23%
Largest holding
US Dollar5.8%

Sectors

  • Technology23.2%
  • Financials18.0%
  • Health Care14.6%
  • Consumer Discretionary14.1%
  • Energy8.4%
  • Industrials6.7%
  • Materials6.2%
  • Real Estate4.2%
  • Communication1.9%
  • Consumer Staples1.7%
  • Utilities1.0%

Geography

  • United States95.62%
  • Canada2.04%
  • Israel1.13%
  • Brazil0.37%
  • Taiwan0.34%
  • Switzerland0.33%
  • China0.17%
The fund’s holdings, weight-ordered — page 1 of 14.
#TickerCompanyWeight %SharesMarket valueHeld by ETFs
1No dataUS Dollar5.76%1,465,317$1.47M408
2ANFAbercrombie & Fitch Co. (Class A)2.28%3,530$580K183
3ETSYEtsy, Inc.2.26%6,450$574K177
4PATHUiPath, Inc. (Class A)2.13%39,520$543K155
5CARTMaplebear Inc. (Instacart)2.09%9,406$531K221
6APPNAppian Corporation1.92%9,961$489K89
7EHCEncompass Health Corporation1.92%3,595$489K172
8STNGScorpio Tankers Inc.1.88%5,172$479K90
9CRDOCredo Technology Group Holding Ltd1.59%2,675$404K234
10TXRHTexas Roadhouse, Inc.1.51%2,100$383K180
11RNRRenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd.1.50%1,121$380K214
12EQXEquinox Gold Corp.1.37%35,972$349K21
13LPGDorian LPG Ltd.1.34%6,250$340K127
14FCFSFirstCash Holdings, Inc.1.28%1,801$326K153
15BOXBox, Inc. (Class A)1.28%7,470$325K137

Showing 1–15 of 199 holdings

FTKI Performance

Launched Feb 26, 2025

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

Not enough history yet.Not enough history yet.Not enough history yet.
FTKI$11,994
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. FTKI $11,994. 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 FTKI. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.
PeriodFTKI
Year to date+14.1%
1 month+3.2%
3 months+1.1%
1 year+19.9%
3 yearsFund is under 3 years oldper yearNo data
5 yearsFund is under 5 years oldper yearNo data
10 yearsFund is under 10 years oldper yearNo data

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 FTKI
YearReturn barFTKI
2026 YTD+14.1%
2025+4.3%

History from Feb 27, 2025

FTKI in the news

FTKI 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.
11.81%Last 12 months
Payout per share
$2.31Last 12 months
Last payment
$0.19 per share
Paid on
Shares bought on or after this date do not qualify for this distribution.
Frequency
Monthly

Distribution history

2025–2026

One bar per payment. 19 payments from 2025 to 2026 YTD. Apr 22, 2025 $0.19; May 21, 2025 $0.19; Jun 26, 2025 $0.19; Jul 22, 2025 $0.19; Aug 21, 2025 $0.19; Sep 25, 2025 $0.19; Oct 21, 2025 $0.19; Nov 21, 2025 $0.19; Dec 12, 2025 $0.19; Jan 21, 2026 $0.19; Feb 20, 2026 $0.19; Mar 26, 2026 $0.19; Apr 21, 2026 $0.19; May 21, 2026 $0.19; Jun 25, 2026 $0.19; Jul 21, 2026 $0.20; Aug 21, 2026 $0.20; Sep 24, 2026 $0.20; Oct 21, 2026 $0.19. Use the arrow keys to read each point.20252026YTD
Ex-datePay dateAmount per share
Oct 21, 2026Oct 30, 2026$0.19
Sep 24, 2026Sep 30, 2026$0.20
Aug 21, 2026Aug 31, 2026$0.20
Jul 21, 2026Jul 31, 2026$0.20
Jun 25, 2026Jun 30, 2026$0.19
May 21, 2026May 29, 2026$0.19
Apr 21, 2026Apr 30, 2026$0.19
Mar 26, 2026Mar 31, 2026$0.19
Feb 20, 2026Feb 27, 2026$0.19
Jan 21, 2026Jan 30, 2026$0.19
Dec 12, 2025Dec 31, 2025$0.19
Nov 21, 2025Nov 28, 2025$0.19

See all 19 payments⁠

$10,000 in FTKI 1 year ago paid $1,259 in dividends.⁠

FTKI Risk

How much the fund’s monthly returns vary, scaled to a year.
10.8%
Annualised · 20 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.
0.61
vs 3-month T-bills · 20 months 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.
−15.2%
20 months · 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.
0.27
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.

FTKI Cost

Overpaying vs RYLG, cheapest in Russell 2000 Option Income

$9,242

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

  • FTKI 0.86%

    $16,368

  • RYLG 0.35% Cheapest

    $7,126

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • FTKI 0.86%
  • RYLG 0.35%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$5K$10K$15K$20K051015202530FTKI $16,368RYLG $7,126

Year by year

YearFTKIRYLGOverpaying
10$1,525$634$891
20$5,768$2,454$3,314
30$16,368$7,126$9,242

Other funds in Russell 2000 Option Income