First Trust International Developed Cap… (FICS) Performance
FICS total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +5.0% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +7.6% total return
- 5 years
- +4.9% a year
- Since first price
- +7.3% a year since 2020
FICS trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | FICS total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +2.0% | +1.7% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +0.7% | +0.5% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +3.2% | +1.8% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +5.0% | +3.1% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +7.6% | +5.6% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +49.2%+14.3%/yr | +40.6% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +27.0%+4.9%/yr | +16.0% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionDec 16, 2020 | +51.0%+7.3%/yr | +36.6% | — | — | — |
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: FICS vs SPY
From Dec 16, 2020: FICS grew to $15,102, SPY to $22,260.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
FICS returns by calendar year
4 of 5 full years positive. Best 2025 (+20.4%), worst 2022 (−19.5%). 2026 is year to date.
FICS annual returns table
| Year | FICS | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +5.0% | −10.3% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +20.4% | −11.1% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +2.6% | −9.6% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +18.1% | −11.7% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −19.5% | −28.9% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +19.8% | −7.8% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
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.
FICS largest drawdowns
Now 4.0% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 28, 2021 | −29.2% | Sep 27, 2022 | Jun 6, 2024 | 9 months | 2.4 years |
| Mar 7, 2025 | −11.1% | Apr 7, 2025 | Apr 22, 2025 | 31 days | 46 days |
| Sep 26, 2024 | −10.9% | Jan 13, 2025 | Mar 5, 2025 | 4 months | 5 months |
| Feb 27, 2026 | −10.3% | Mar 27, 2026 | Jul 2, 2026 | 28 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.
FICS risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +12.1% | +5.1% | +6.4% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 12.3% | 15.3% | 14.7% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.64 | 0.17 | 0.28 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.96 | 0.24 | 0.41 |
| Best month | +8.0% | +10.1% | +10.1% |
| Worst month | −7.6% | −8.0% | −8.0% |
| Best 12 months | +26.7% | +26.7% | +26.7% |
| Worst 12 months | +2.6% | −22.4% | −22.4% |
| Positive months | 67% | 58% | 59% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.50 | 0.70 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.50 | 0.72 | — |
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.
FICS rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 59 | −22.4% | +8.7% | +26.7% | 81% |
| 3-year (a year) | 35 | −0.8% | +9.4% | +15.6% | 97% |
| 5-year (a year) | 11 | +4.9% | +5.7% | +8.6% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2020. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
FICS performance overview
First Trust International Developed Cap… (FICS) returned +7.6% over the past year and +4.9% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2020 it has returned +7.3% a year, turning $10,000 into about $15,102. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −29.2%, from Dec 28, 2021 to Sep 27, 2022, and it took 1.7 years to get back to the old high. FICS finished 4 of its 5 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2025 (+20.4%) and the worst 2022 (−19.5%). Volatility has been 14.7% a year.
Related: FICS chart, FICS holdings, FICS dividends. See the FICS overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
FICS performance FAQ
What is the FICS return over the past year?
FICS returned +7.6% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 5.6%.
What is the average annual return of FICS?
FICS has returned +4.9% a year over 5 years, +7.3% a year since December 16, 2020 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in FICS be worth?
$10,000 invested in FICS at its first recorded close on December 16, 2020 would be worth about $15,102 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for FICS?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −19.5%. The best was 2025 at +20.4%.
What is the biggest drawdown of FICS?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −29.2% between December 28, 2021 and September 27, 2022. It recovered to the old high on June 6, 2024, 1.7 years after the bottom.
How volatile is FICS?
Over the past 3 years FICS had an annualized volatility of 12.3% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.64 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).