First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders… (FDL) Performance
FDL total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +22.8% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +27.8% total return
- 5 years
- +14.4% a year
- 10 years
- +11.8% a year
- Since first price
- +9.0% a year since 2006
FDL trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | FDL total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +5.1% | +5.1% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +5.6% | +4.5% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +7.8% | +5.7% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +22.8% | +19.4% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +27.8% | +22.8% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +88.1%+23.4%/yr | +64.5% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +96.1%+14.4%/yr | +56.5% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +205.4%+11.8%/yr | +99.96% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| 15 years | +469.9%+12.3%/yr | +214.2% | +696.0%+14.8%/yr | +1,299.3%+19.2%/yr | +32.2%+1.9%/yr |
| 20 years | +418.2%+8.6%/yr | +130.9% | +696.9%+10.9%/yr | +1,839.9%+16.0%/yr | +79.6%+3.0%/yr |
| Since inceptionMar 15, 2006 | +492.6%+9.0%/yr | +159.2% | — | — | — |
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: FDL vs SPY
From Mar 15, 2006: FDL grew to $59,265, SPY to $84,853.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
FDL returns by calendar year
15 of 19 full years positive. Best 2021 (+26.1%), worst 2008 (−31.1%). 2026 is year to date.
FDL annual returns table
| Year | FDL | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +22.8% | −7.2% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +14.8% | −12.2% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +18.0% | −8.9% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +2.9% | −14.7% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | +6.7% | −16.5% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +26.1% | −6.2% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | −4.3% | −41.4% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +24.4% | −7.0% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −6.0% | −13.3% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +12.0% | −4.3% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | +20.7% | −5.0% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | +2.6% | −11.2% | +1.2% | +9.4% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | +13.2% | −5.1% | +13.5% | +19.2% | +6.0% |
| 2013 | +22.7% | −6.0% | +32.3% | +36.6% | −2.0% |
| 2012 | +9.1% | −8.6% | +16.0% | +18.1% | +3.8% |
| 2011 | +14.4% | −12.7% | +1.9% | +3.4% | +7.7% |
| 2010 | +16.1% | −9.0% | +15.1% | +19.9% | +6.4% |
| 2009 | +13.4% | −41.2% | +26.4% | +54.7% | +3.0% |
| 2008 | −31.1% | −46.1% | −36.8% | −41.7% | +7.9% |
| 2007 | −11.0% | −18.6% | +5.1% | +19.0% | +6.6% |
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.
FDL largest drawdowns
Now 0.7% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2007 | −65.9% | Mar 5, 2009 | Feb 19, 2013 | 1.8 years | 5.7 years |
| Jan 2, 2020 | −41.4% | Mar 23, 2020 | Feb 22, 2021 | 3 months | 1.1 years |
| May 27, 2022 | −16.5% | Sep 30, 2022 | Feb 1, 2023 | 4 months | 8 months |
| Feb 13, 2023 | −14.7% | Oct 27, 2023 | Jan 5, 2024 | 8 months | 11 months |
| Jan 26, 2018 | −13.3% | Dec 24, 2018 | Mar 13, 2019 | 11 months | 1.1 years |
| Feb 28, 2025 | −12.2% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jul 2, 2025 | 39 days | 4 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
FDL risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +18.9% | +13.4% | +10.6% | +8.7% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 13.4% | 15.9% | 16.0% | 16.1% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.04 | 0.65 | 0.57 | — |
| Sortino ratio | 1.84 | 1.06 | 0.86 | — |
| Best month | +7.9% | +12.5% | +12.5% | +14.0% |
| Worst month | −6.6% | −9.3% | −18.4% | −21.5% |
| Best 12 months | +36.4% | +36.4% | +53.5% | +65.6% |
| Worst 12 months | +5.7% | −11.2% | −22.5% | −50.2% |
| Positive months | 67% | 60% | 62% | 64% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.34 | 0.59 | 0.77 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.32 | 0.58 | 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.
FDL rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 236 | −50.2% | +12.7% | +65.6% | 81% |
| 3-year (a year) | 212 | −18.4% | +11.0% | +31.3% | 88% |
| 5-year (a year) | 188 | −2.3% | +10.0% | +25.0% | 94% |
| 10-year (a year) | 128 | +5.4% | +10.5% | +17.2% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2006. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
FDL performance overview
First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders… (FDL) returned +27.8% over the past year and +11.8% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2006 it has returned +9.0% a year, turning $10,000 into about $59,265. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −65.9%, from May 22, 2007 to Mar 5, 2009, and it took 4.0 years to get back to the old high. FDL finished 15 of its 19 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+26.1%) and the worst 2008 (−31.1%). Volatility has been 16.1% a year.
Related: FDL chart, FDL holdings, FDL dividends, FDL valuation. See the FDL overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
FDL performance FAQ
What is the FDL return over the past year?
FDL returned +27.8% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 22.8%.
What is the average annual return of FDL?
FDL has returned +14.4% a year over 5 years, +11.8% a year over 10 years, +9.0% a year since March 15, 2006 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in FDL be worth?
$10,000 invested in FDL at its first recorded close on March 15, 2006 would be worth about $59,265 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for FDL?
The worst calendar year was 2008, with a total return of −31.1%. The best was 2021 at +26.1%.
What is the biggest drawdown of FDL?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −65.9% between May 22, 2007 and March 5, 2009. It recovered to the old high on February 19, 2013, 4.0 years after the bottom.
How volatile is FDL?
Over the past 3 years FDL had an annualized volatility of 13.4% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.04 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).