First Trust Dorsey Wright DALI 1 ETF (DALI) Performance
DALI total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- −4.9% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- −3.7% total return
- 5 years
- +1.6% a year
- Since first price
- +4.6% a year since 2018
DALI trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | DALI total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −6.0% | −6.5% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −4.4% | −4.9% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | −8.2% | −9.5% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | −4.9% | −6.2% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | −3.7% | −5.2% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +17.3%+5.5%/yr | +13.9% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +8.4%+1.6%/yr | +2.4% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionMay 15, 2018 | +46.6%+4.6%/yr | +35.5% | — | — | — |
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: DALI vs SPY
From May 15, 2018: DALI grew to $14,657, SPY to $31,883.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
DALI returns by calendar year
5 of 7 full years positive. Best 2019 (+25.4%), worst 2023 (−8.5%). 2026 is year to date.
DALI annual returns table
| Year | DALI | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | −4.9% | −13.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +11.9% | −22.7% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +19.9% | −12.4% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | −8.5% | −21.7% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −8.1% | −20.2% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +22.3% | −9.9% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +4.5% | −36.1% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +25.4% | −7.9% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
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.
DALI largest drawdowns
Now 13.0% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2020 | −36.1% | Mar 23, 2020 | Jan 7, 2021 | 33 days | 11 months |
| Mar 8, 2022 | −26.3% | Dec 12, 2023 | Oct 24, 2025 | 1.8 years | 3.6 years |
| Aug 29, 2018 | −25.4% | Dec 24, 2018 | Jan 9, 2020 | 4 months | 1.4 years |
| Nov 16, 2021 | −15.2% | Feb 23, 2022 | Mar 7, 2022 | 3 months | 4 months |
| May 11, 2026 | −13.0% | Oct 23, 2026 | not yet | 5 months | 5 months so far |
| Jan 22, 2026 | −12.5% | Mar 20, 2026 | May 6, 2026 | 57 days | 3 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
DALI risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +5.5% | +3.8% | +5.2% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 15.9% | 15.8% | 16.9% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.14 | 0.09 | 0.23 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.20 | 0.12 | 0.32 |
| Best month | +9.3% | +9.3% | +11.6% |
| Worst month | −8.5% | −8.5% | −15.7% |
| Best 12 months | +28.2% | +28.2% | +48.2% |
| Worst 12 months | −0.5% | −12.2% | −17.3% |
| Positive months | 64% | 60% | 65% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.99 | 0.74 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.77 | 0.73 | — |
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.
DALI rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 90 | −17.3% | +5.1% | +48.2% | 61% |
| 3-year (a year) | 66 | −3.7% | +6.8% | +17.0% | 86% |
| 5-year (a year) | 42 | +1.5% | +5.6% | +10.2% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2018. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
DALI performance overview
First Trust Dorsey Wright DALI 1 ETF (DALI) returned −3.7% over the past year and +1.6% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2018 it has returned +4.6% a year, turning $10,000 into about $14,657. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −36.1%, from Feb 19, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 10 months to get back to the old high. DALI finished 5 of its 7 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2019 (+25.4%) and the worst 2023 (−8.5%). Volatility has been 16.9% a year.
Related: DALI chart, DALI dividends. See the DALI overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
DALI performance FAQ
What is the DALI return over the past year?
DALI returned −3.7% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 5.2%.
What is the average annual return of DALI?
DALI has returned +1.6% a year over 5 years, +4.6% a year since May 15, 2018 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in DALI be worth?
$10,000 invested in DALI at its first recorded close on May 15, 2018 would be worth about $14,657 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for DALI?
The worst calendar year was 2023, with a total return of −8.5%. The best was 2019 at +25.4%.
What is the biggest drawdown of DALI?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −36.1% between February 19, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on January 7, 2021, 10 months after the bottom.
How volatile is DALI?
Over the past 3 years DALI had an annualized volatility of 15.9% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.14 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).