First Trust North American Energy… (EMLP) Performance
EMLP total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +18.3% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +18.7% total return
- 5 years
- +15.3% a year
- 10 years
- +9.8% a year
- Since first price
- +9.6% a year since 2012
EMLP trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | EMLP total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +3.9% | +3.9% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −1.5% | −2.3% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +2.1% | +0.6% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +18.3% | +15.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +18.7% | +15.3% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +84.6%+22.7%/yr | +67.4% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +104.2%+15.3%/yr | +72.4% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +155.7%+9.8%/yr | +75.2% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionJun 21, 2012 | +273.6%+9.6%/yr | +121.1% | — | — | — |
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: EMLP vs SPY
From Jun 21, 2012: EMLP grew to $37,365, SPY to $73,339.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
EMLP returns by calendar year
10 of 13 full years positive. Best 2024 (+33.4%), worst 2015 (−25.4%). 2026 is year to date.
EMLP annual returns table
| Year | EMLP | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +18.3% | −7.9% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +9.7% | −11.5% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +33.4% | −8.7% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +8.1% | −8.8% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | +10.4% | −14.6% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +23.2% | −7.1% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | −13.4% | −43.6% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +23.4% | −5.7% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −8.7% | −14.2% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +1.1% | −5.2% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | +29.9% | −13.0% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | −25.4% | −30.9% | +1.2% | +9.4% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | +23.8% | −9.7% | +13.5% | +19.2% | +6.0% |
| 2013 | +16.7% | −8.4% | +32.3% | +36.6% | −2.0% |
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.
EMLP largest drawdowns
Now 1.5% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 20, 2020 | −43.6% | Mar 23, 2020 | Jun 3, 2021 | 32 days | 1.3 years |
| Dec 29, 2014 | −35.6% | Jan 20, 2016 | Mar 11, 2019 | 1.1 years | 4.2 years |
| Jun 7, 2022 | −14.6% | Jun 17, 2022 | Aug 18, 2022 | 10 days | 2 months |
| Aug 25, 2022 | −14.4% | Oct 12, 2022 | Jul 21, 2023 | 48 days | 11 months |
| Jan 21, 2025 | −11.5% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jul 18, 2025 | 3 months | 6 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
EMLP risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +19.6% | +15.5% | +9.0% | +9.0% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 13.1% | 14.6% | 16.0% | 15.0% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.11 | 0.82 | 0.48 | 0.54 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.09 | 1.36 | 0.69 | 0.80 |
| Best month | +12.1% | +12.1% | +14.4% | +14.4% |
| Worst month | −6.4% | −9.5% | −23.1% | −23.1% |
| Best 12 months | +43.7% | +43.7% | +43.7% | +43.7% |
| Worst 12 months | +6.0% | −3.1% | −24.8% | −25.4% |
| Positive months | 72% | 67% | 62% | 62% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.34 | 0.57 | 0.72 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.32 | 0.62 | 0.69 | — |
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.
EMLP rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 161 | −25.4% | +11.4% | +43.7% | 77% |
| 3-year (a year) | 137 | −7.3% | +6.4% | +22.5% | 85% |
| 5-year (a year) | 113 | −4.0% | +6.1% | +20.5% | 96% |
| 10-year (a year) | 53 | +5.1% | +6.5% | +12.0% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2012. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
EMLP performance overview
First Trust North American Energy… (EMLP) returned +18.7% over the past year and +9.8% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2012 it has returned +9.6% a year, turning $10,000 into about $37,365. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −43.6%, from Feb 20, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 1.2 years to get back to the old high. EMLP finished 10 of its 13 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2024 (+33.4%) and the worst 2015 (−25.4%). Volatility has been 15.0% a year.
Related: EMLP chart, EMLP holdings, EMLP dividends, EMLP valuation. See the EMLP overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
EMLP performance FAQ
What is the EMLP return over the past year?
EMLP returned +18.7% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 15.3%.
What is the average annual return of EMLP?
EMLP has returned +15.3% a year over 5 years, +9.8% a year over 10 years, +9.6% a year since June 21, 2012 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in EMLP be worth?
$10,000 invested in EMLP at its first recorded close on June 21, 2012 would be worth about $37,365 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for EMLP?
The worst calendar year was 2015, with a total return of −25.4%. The best was 2024 at +33.4%.
What is the biggest drawdown of EMLP?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −43.6% between February 20, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on June 3, 2021, 1.2 years after the bottom.
How volatile is EMLP?
Over the past 3 years EMLP had an annualized volatility of 13.1% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.11 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).