Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (FLQS) Performance
FLQS total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +14.5% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +13.1% total return
- 5 years
- +6.0% a year
- Since first price
- +8.7% a year since 2017
FLQS trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | FLQS total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +3.7% | +3.7% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +1.1% | +0.6% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +7.3% | +6.6% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +14.5% | +13.1% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +13.1% | +11.3% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +56.2%+16.0%/yr | +49.6% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +33.9%+6.0%/yr | +24.2% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionApr 28, 2017 | +119.8%+8.7%/yr | +92.9% | — | — | — |
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: FLQS vs SPY
From Apr 28, 2017: FLQS grew to $21,983, SPY to $36,998.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
FLQS returns by calendar year
6 of 8 full years positive. Best 2021 (+26.6%), worst 2022 (−16.9%). 2026 is year to date.
FLQS annual returns table
| Year | FLQS | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +14.5% | −8.5% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +5.0% | −19.3% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +8.3% | −9.1% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +21.3% | −12.2% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −16.9% | −25.4% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +26.6% | −9.1% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +10.5% | −42.0% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +18.3% | −8.5% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −5.1% | −21.7% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
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.
FLQS largest drawdowns
Now 3.2% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 10, 2018 | −42.2% | Mar 18, 2020 | Nov 16, 2020 | 1.5 years | 2.2 years |
| Nov 16, 2021 | −28.1% | Jun 16, 2022 | Mar 27, 2024 | 7 months | 2.4 years |
| Nov 25, 2024 | −23.1% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jan 15, 2026 | 4 months | 1.1 years |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
FLQS risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +12.4% | +5.9% | +8.2% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 17.5% | 18.5% | 18.7% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.51 | 0.21 | 0.39 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.87 | 0.33 | 0.58 |
| Best month | +10.5% | +11.7% | +14.5% |
| Worst month | −8.2% | −9.2% | −20.5% |
| Best 12 months | +30.4% | +30.4% | +82.3% |
| Worst 12 months | −4.2% | −19.7% | −25.3% |
| Positive months | 58% | 50% | 59% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.94 | 0.93 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.66 | 0.79 | — |
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.
FLQS rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 103 | −25.3% | +6.8% | +82.3% | 69% |
| 3-year (a year) | 79 | −1.7% | +9.0% | +20.3% | 99% |
| 5-year (a year) | 55 | +4.2% | +7.4% | +15.7% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2017. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
FLQS performance overview
Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (FLQS) returned +13.1% over the past year and +6.0% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2017 it has returned +8.7% a year, turning $10,000 into about $21,983. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −42.2%, from Sep 10, 2018 to Mar 18, 2020, and it took 8 months to get back to the old high. FLQS finished 6 of its 8 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+26.6%) and the worst 2022 (−16.9%). Volatility has been 18.7% a year.
Related: FLQS chart, FLQS holdings, FLQS dividends, FLQS valuation. See the FLQS overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
FLQS performance FAQ
What is the FLQS return over the past year?
FLQS returned +13.1% 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 FLQS?
FLQS has returned +6.0% a year over 5 years, +8.7% a year since April 28, 2017 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in FLQS be worth?
$10,000 invested in FLQS at its first recorded close on April 28, 2017 would be worth about $21,983 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for FLQS?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −16.9%. The best was 2021 at +26.6%.
What is the biggest drawdown of FLQS?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −42.2% between September 10, 2018 and March 18, 2020. It recovered to the old high on November 16, 2020, 8 months after the bottom.
How volatile is FLQS?
Over the past 3 years FLQS had an annualized volatility of 17.5% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.51 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).