First Trust Active Factor Mid Cap ETF (AFMC) Performance
AFMC total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +17.4% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +19.6% total return
- 5 years
- +10.1% a year
- Since first price
- +11.8% a year since 2019
AFMC trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | AFMC 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 | −0.2% | −0.2% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +4.7% | +4.6% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +17.4% | +17.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +19.6% | +18.7% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +83.7%+22.5%/yr | +78.9% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +61.8%+10.1%/yr | +54.1% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionDec 4, 2019 | +115.7%+11.8%/yr | +101.8% | — | — | — |
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: AFMC vs SPY
From Dec 4, 2019: AFMC grew to $21,571, SPY to $26,967.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
AFMC returns by calendar year
5 of 6 full years positive. Best 2021 (+25.8%), worst 2022 (−15.6%). 2026 is year to date.
AFMC annual returns table
| Year | AFMC | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +17.4% | −8.2% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +10.2% | −19.3% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +19.1% | −8.9% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +21.5% | −13.7% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −15.6% | −24.6% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +25.8% | −7.7% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +5.9% | −42.1% | +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.
AFMC largest drawdowns
Now 4.0% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 20, 2020 | −42.1% | Mar 23, 2020 | Dec 4, 2020 | 32 days | 9 months |
| Nov 16, 2021 | −25.4% | Sep 26, 2022 | Dec 14, 2023 | 10 months | 2.1 years |
| Nov 25, 2024 | −22.0% | Apr 8, 2025 | Sep 11, 2025 | 4 months | 10 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
AFMC risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +19.3% | +10.8% | +11.4% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 16.1% | 18.5% | 20.2% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.91 | 0.45 | 0.50 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.60 | 0.73 | 0.76 |
| Best month | +9.2% | +10.8% | +14.4% |
| Worst month | −8.4% | −11.0% | −20.1% |
| Best 12 months | +42.9% | +42.9% | +70.4% |
| Worst 12 months | +0.6% | −18.1% | −18.1% |
| Positive months | 64% | 57% | 60% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.99 | 1.01 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.76 | 0.85 | — |
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.
AFMC rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 71 | −18.1% | +14.5% | +70.4% | 82% |
| 3-year (a year) | 47 | +4.0% | +11.6% | +22.4% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 23 | +9.0% | +11.5% | +17.4% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2019. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
AFMC performance overview
First Trust Active Factor Mid Cap ETF (AFMC) returned +19.6% over the past year and +10.1% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2019 it has returned +11.8% a year, turning $10,000 into about $21,571. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −42.1%, from Feb 20, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 8 months to get back to the old high. AFMC finished 5 of its 6 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+25.8%) and the worst 2022 (−15.6%). Volatility has been 20.2% a year.
Related: AFMC chart, AFMC holdings, AFMC dividends, AFMC valuation. See the AFMC overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
AFMC performance FAQ
What is the AFMC return over the past year?
AFMC returned +19.6% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 18.7%.
What is the average annual return of AFMC?
AFMC has returned +10.1% a year over 5 years, +11.8% a year since December 4, 2019 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in AFMC be worth?
$10,000 invested in AFMC at its first recorded close on December 4, 2019 would be worth about $21,571 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for AFMC?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −15.6%. The best was 2021 at +25.8%.
What is the biggest drawdown of AFMC?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −42.1% between February 20, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on December 4, 2020, 8 months after the bottom.
How volatile is AFMC?
Over the past 3 years AFMC had an annualized volatility of 16.1% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.91 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).