First Trust United Kingdom AlphaDEX Fund (FKU) Performance
FKU total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +9.3% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +15.8% total return
- 5 years
- +8.8% a year
- 10 years
- +9.1% a year
- Since first price
- +7.4% a year since 2012
FKU trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | FKU total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −0.2% | −0.9% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +1.7% | +1.0% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +4.4% | +1.6% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +9.3% | +6.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +15.8% | +11.3% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +96.0%+25.1%/yr | +74.5% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +52.4%+8.8%/yr | +23.9% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +138.2%+9.1%/yr | +66.0% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionFeb 27, 2012 | +184.4%+7.4%/yr | +73.4% | — | — | — |
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: FKU vs SPY
From Feb 27, 2012: FKU grew to $28,441, SPY to $71,494.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
FKU returns by calendar year
8 of 13 full years positive. Best 2025 (+38.0%), worst 2022 (−24.1%). 2026 is year to date.
FKU annual returns table
| Year | FKU | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +9.3% | −14.2% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +38.0% | −12.5% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +8.1% | −9.3% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +20.6% | −13.5% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −24.1% | −41.2% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +20.6% | −8.1% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | −6.0% | −54.0% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +32.9% | −13.0% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −16.2% | −25.9% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +25.8% | −5.0% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | −16.6% | −25.5% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | +4.7% | −12.2% | +1.2% | +9.4% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | −6.1% | −19.6% | +13.5% | +19.2% | +6.0% |
| 2013 | +30.9% | −9.6% | +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.
FKU largest drawdowns
Now 5.7% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 16, 2019 | −54.4% | Mar 18, 2020 | Feb 16, 2021 | 3 months | 1.2 years |
| Jun 1, 2021 | −41.8% | Sep 28, 2022 | Aug 19, 2024 | 1.3 years | 3.2 years |
| May 21, 2015 | −31.8% | Jun 27, 2016 | Jan 23, 2018 | 1.1 years | 2.7 years |
| Jun 11, 2018 | −25.9% | Dec 24, 2018 | Dec 13, 2019 | 6 months | 1.5 years |
| Mar 6, 2014 | −19.6% | Oct 15, 2014 | May 13, 2015 | 7 months | 1.2 years |
| Feb 25, 2026 | −14.2% | Mar 20, 2026 | Jul 30, 2026 | 23 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.
FKU risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +23.2% | +9.6% | +8.5% | +7.3% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 15.3% | 18.6% | 21.1% | 19.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.16 | 0.40 | 0.39 | 0.39 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.06 | 0.61 | 0.55 | 0.55 |
| Best month | +12.3% | +14.7% | +16.5% | +16.5% |
| Worst month | −9.6% | −10.9% | −31.3% | −31.3% |
| Best 12 months | +41.9% | +41.9% | +79.6% | +79.6% |
| Worst 12 months | +8.1% | −32.1% | −32.6% | −32.6% |
| Positive months | 67% | 55% | 57% | 59% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.74 | 0.86 | 1.08 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.60 | 0.72 | 0.78 | — |
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.
FKU rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 165 | −32.6% | +10.4% | +79.6% | 63% |
| 3-year (a year) | 141 | −8.7% | +3.6% | +26.2% | 74% |
| 5-year (a year) | 117 | −7.1% | +4.5% | +15.2% | 79% |
| 10-year (a year) | 57 | +0.6% | +3.5% | +9.3% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2012. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
FKU performance overview
First Trust United Kingdom AlphaDEX Fund (FKU) returned +15.8% over the past year and +9.1% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2012 it has returned +7.4% a year, turning $10,000 into about $28,441. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −54.4%, from Dec 16, 2019 to Mar 18, 2020, and it took 11 months to get back to the old high. FKU finished 8 of its 13 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2025 (+38.0%) and the worst 2022 (−24.1%). Volatility has been 19.5% a year.
Related: FKU chart, FKU holdings, FKU dividends. See the FKU overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
FKU performance FAQ
What is the FKU return over the past year?
FKU returned +15.8% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 11.3%.
What is the average annual return of FKU?
FKU has returned +8.8% a year over 5 years, +9.1% a year over 10 years, +7.4% a year since February 27, 2012 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in FKU be worth?
$10,000 invested in FKU at its first recorded close on February 27, 2012 would be worth about $28,441 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for FKU?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −24.1%. The best was 2025 at +38.0%.
What is the biggest drawdown of FKU?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −54.4% between December 16, 2019 and March 18, 2020. It recovered to the old high on February 16, 2021, 11 months after the bottom.
How volatile is FKU?
Over the past 3 years FKU had an annualized volatility of 15.3% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.16 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).