First Trust Dorsey Wright Momentum & Value ETF (DVLU) Performance
DVLU total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +10.0% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +16.0% total return
- 5 years
- +10.8% a year
- Since first price
- +10.3% a year since 2018
DVLU trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | DVLU 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 | −3.3% | −3.6% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +5.0% | +4.4% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +10.0% | +9.4% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +16.0% | +15.1% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +87.7%+23.4%/yr | +82.2% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +66.9%+10.8%/yr | +56.2% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionSep 7, 2018 | +122.1%+10.3%/yr | +97.9% | — | — | — |
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: DVLU vs SPY
From Sep 7, 2018: DVLU grew to $22,207, SPY to $29,920.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
DVLU returns by calendar year
5 of 7 full years positive. Best 2021 (+41.7%), worst 2022 (−9.7%). 2026 is year to date.
DVLU annual returns table
| Year | DVLU | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +10.0% | −12.2% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +23.7% | −21.4% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +13.4% | −12.5% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +18.8% | −14.6% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −9.7% | −22.4% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +41.7% | −11.2% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | −6.7% | −53.3% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +33.6% | −7.5% | +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.
DVLU largest drawdowns
Now 7.4% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 17, 2020 | −53.3% | Mar 23, 2020 | Feb 5, 2021 | 2 months | 1.1 years |
| Sep 20, 2018 | −26.6% | Dec 24, 2018 | Nov 26, 2019 | 3 months | 1.2 years |
| Nov 25, 2024 | −24.9% | Apr 8, 2025 | Sep 18, 2025 | 4 months | 10 months |
| Jun 7, 2022 | −22.4% | Sep 26, 2022 | Dec 14, 2023 | 4 months | 1.5 years |
| Feb 9, 2026 | −12.2% | Mar 30, 2026 | Apr 30, 2026 | 49 days | 3 months |
| Jun 1, 2021 | −11.2% | Jul 19, 2021 | Oct 18, 2021 | 48 days | 5 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
DVLU risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +20.3% | +11.9% | +10.5% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 18.6% | 20.3% | 23.9% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.86 | 0.48 | 0.43 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.47 | 0.73 | 0.61 |
| Best month | +11.4% | +11.8% | +16.3% |
| Worst month | −10.4% | −15.9% | −28.9% |
| Best 12 months | +42.2% | +42.2% | +88.1% |
| Worst 12 months | −4.6% | −14.7% | −30.7% |
| Positive months | 69% | 62% | 61% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.20 | 1.04 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.80 | 0.80 | — |
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.
DVLU rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 86 | −30.7% | +12.0% | +88.1% | 69% |
| 3-year (a year) | 62 | +5.0% | +13.1% | +24.7% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 38 | +5.0% | +12.5% | +20.5% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2018. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
DVLU performance overview
First Trust Dorsey Wright Momentum & Value ETF (DVLU) returned +16.0% over the past year and +10.8% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2018 it has returned +10.3% a year, turning $10,000 into about $22,207. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −53.3%, from Jan 17, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 10 months to get back to the old high. DVLU finished 5 of its 7 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+41.7%) and the worst 2022 (−9.7%). Volatility has been 23.9% a year.
Related: DVLU chart, DVLU holdings, DVLU dividends, DVLU valuation. See the DVLU overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
DVLU performance FAQ
What is the DVLU return over the past year?
DVLU 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 DVLU?
DVLU has returned +10.8% a year over 5 years, +10.3% a year since September 7, 2018 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in DVLU be worth?
$10,000 invested in DVLU at its first recorded close on September 7, 2018 would be worth about $22,207 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for DVLU?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −9.7%. The best was 2021 at +41.7%.
What is the biggest drawdown of DVLU?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −53.3% between January 17, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on February 5, 2021, 10 months after the bottom.
How volatile is DVLU?
Over the past 3 years DVLU had an annualized volatility of 18.6% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.86 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).