First Trust Active Factor Large Cap ETF (AFLG) Performance
AFLG total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +14.7% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +16.0% total return
- 5 years
- +12.0% a year
- Since first price
- +13.6% a year since 2019
AFLG trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | AFLG total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +0.7% | +0.7% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +3.2% | +3.2% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +7.2% | +7.0% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +14.7% | +14.3% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +16.0% | +15.1% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +89.1%+23.7%/yr | +84.0% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +76.5%+12.0%/yr | +67.3% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionDec 4, 2019 | +141.2%+13.6%/yr | +123.6% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: AFLG vs SPY
From Dec 4, 2019: AFLG grew to $24,117, SPY to $26,967.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
AFLG returns by calendar year
5 of 6 full years positive. Best 2021 (+27.3%), worst 2022 (−16.4%). 2026 is year to date.
AFLG annual returns table
| Year | AFLG | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +14.7% | −8.2% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +14.2% | −17.3% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +27.0% | −7.3% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +20.1% | −8.8% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −16.4% | −23.0% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +27.3% | −6.0% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +10.3% | −35.8% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
AFLG largest drawdowns
Now 1.5% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 14, 2020 | −35.8% | Mar 23, 2020 | Sep 1, 2020 | 38 days | 7 months |
| Dec 29, 2021 | −23.5% | Sep 30, 2022 | Jan 10, 2024 | 9 months | 2.0 years |
| Dec 4, 2024 | −17.5% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 30, 2025 | 4 months | 7 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
AFLG risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +22.5% | +13.0% | +13.3% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 12.1% | 15.2% | 16.7% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.39 | 0.65 | 0.67 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.77 | 1.04 | 1.04 |
| Best month | +9.8% | +9.8% | +12.4% |
| Worst month | −5.0% | −8.9% | −13.6% |
| Best 12 months | +41.2% | +41.2% | +52.5% |
| Worst 12 months | +9.7% | −16.4% | −16.4% |
| Positive months | 69% | 62% | 64% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.94 | 0.95 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.96 | 0.98 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
AFLG rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 71 | −16.4% | +15.8% | +52.5% | 83% |
| 3-year (a year) | 47 | +5.5% | +11.9% | +23.7% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 23 | +11.3% | +13.4% | +17.7% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2019. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
AFLG performance overview
First Trust Active Factor Large Cap ETF (AFLG) returned +16.0% over the past year and +12.0% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2019 it has returned +13.6% a year, turning $10,000 into about $24,117. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −35.8%, from Feb 14, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 5 months to get back to the old high. AFLG finished 5 of its 6 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+27.3%) and the worst 2022 (−16.4%). Volatility has been 16.7% a year.
Related: AFLG chart, AFLG holdings, AFLG dividends, AFLG valuation. See the AFLG overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
AFLG performance FAQ
What is the AFLG return over the past year?
AFLG returned +16.0% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 15.1%.
What is the average annual return of AFLG?
AFLG has returned +12.0% a year over 5 years, +13.6% a year since December 4, 2019 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in AFLG be worth?
$10,000 invested in AFLG at its first recorded close on December 4, 2019 would be worth about $24,117 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for AFLG?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −16.4%. The best was 2021 at +27.3%.
What is the biggest drawdown of AFLG?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −35.8% between February 14, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on September 1, 2020, 5 months after the bottom.
How volatile is AFLG?
Over the past 3 years AFLG had an annualized volatility of 12.1% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.39 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).