Franklin FTSE Asia ex Japan ETF (FLAX) Performance
FLAX total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +14.1% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +15.5% total return
- 5 years
- +6.8% a year
- Since first price
- +6.9% a year since 2018
FLAX trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | FLAX total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −9.2% | −9.2% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −4.5% | −4.5% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +0.4% | −0.1% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +14.1% | +13.5% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +15.5% | +12.8% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +83.0%+22.3%/yr | +69.8% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +38.6%+6.8%/yr | +21.7% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionFeb 8, 2018 | +78.3%+6.9%/yr | +46.4% | — | — | — |
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: FLAX vs SPY
From Feb 8, 2018: FLAX grew to $17,835, SPY to $33,685.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
FLAX returns by calendar year
5 of 7 full years positive. Best 2025 (+33.7%), worst 2022 (−18.9%). 2026 is year to date.
FLAX annual returns table
| Year | FLAX | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +14.1% | −14.4% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +33.7% | −15.3% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +9.8% | −11.0% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +6.3% | −13.5% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −18.9% | −33.8% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | −3.5% | −18.5% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +24.2% | −29.4% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +17.2% | −13.4% | +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.
FLAX largest drawdowns
Now 13.4% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 17, 2021 | −42.5% | Oct 24, 2022 | Sep 11, 2025 | 1.7 years | 4.6 years |
| Mar 19, 2018 | −29.7% | Mar 23, 2020 | Aug 4, 2020 | 2.0 years | 2.4 years |
| Jun 22, 2026 | −14.4% | Jul 29, 2026 | not yet | 37 days | 4 months so far |
| Feb 25, 2026 | −13.0% | Mar 30, 2026 | Apr 17, 2026 | 33 days | 51 days |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
FLAX risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +24.7% | +9.3% | +7.3% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 15.6% | 18.6% | 18.1% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.22 | 0.38 | 0.34 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.27 | 0.64 | 0.52 |
| Best month | +13.7% | +19.8% | +19.8% |
| Worst month | −9.2% | −12.5% | −12.7% |
| Best 12 months | +57.4% | +57.4% | +60.5% |
| Worst 12 months | +9.8% | −32.8% | −32.8% |
| Positive months | 69% | 55% | 56% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.80 | 0.70 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.64 | 0.59 | — |
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.
FLAX rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 93 | −32.8% | +11.0% | +60.5% | 67% |
| 3-year (a year) | 69 | −9.1% | +4.8% | +25.5% | 71% |
| 5-year (a year) | 45 | −1.0% | +4.3% | +9.3% | 91% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2018. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
FLAX performance overview
Franklin FTSE Asia ex Japan ETF (FLAX) returned +15.5% over the past year and +6.8% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2018 it has returned +6.9% a year, turning $10,000 into about $17,835. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −42.5%, from Feb 17, 2021 to Oct 24, 2022, and it took 2.9 years to get back to the old high. FLAX finished 5 of its 7 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2025 (+33.7%) and the worst 2022 (−18.9%). Volatility has been 18.1% a year.
Related: FLAX chart, FLAX holdings, FLAX dividends. See the FLAX overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
FLAX performance FAQ
What is the FLAX return over the past year?
FLAX returned +15.5% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 12.8%.
What is the average annual return of FLAX?
FLAX has returned +6.8% a year over 5 years, +6.9% a year since February 8, 2018 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in FLAX be worth?
$10,000 invested in FLAX at its first recorded close on February 8, 2018 would be worth about $17,835 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for FLAX?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −18.9%. The best was 2025 at +33.7%.
What is the biggest drawdown of FLAX?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −42.5% between February 17, 2021 and October 24, 2022. It recovered to the old high on September 11, 2025, 2.9 years after the bottom.
How volatile is FLAX?
Over the past 3 years FLAX had an annualized volatility of 15.6% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.22 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).