First Trust SMID Growth Strength ETF (FSGS) Performance
FSGS total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +7.9% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +5.1% total return
- 5 years
- +3.9% a year
- Since first price
- +7.2% a year since 2017
FSGS trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | FSGS total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +2.3% | +2.3% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +4.6% | +4.6% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +6.9% | +6.9% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +7.9% | +7.9% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +5.1% | +5.0% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +40.3%+11.9%/yr | +35.3% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +21.2%+3.9%/yr | +12.1% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionJun 26, 2017 | +91.3%+7.2%/yr | +64.7% | — | — | — |
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: FSGS vs SPY
From Jun 26, 2017: FSGS grew to $19,132, SPY to $36,030.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
FSGS returns by calendar year
6 of 8 full years positive. Best 2021 (+25.6%), worst 2022 (−13.2%). 2026 is year to date.
FSGS annual returns table
| Year | FSGS | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +7.9% | −11.3% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +2.4% | −21.8% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +6.4% | −8.7% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +16.0% | −17.4% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −13.2% | −23.3% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +25.6% | −9.3% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +10.3% | −42.1% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +21.3% | −11.2% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −11.9% | −23.5% | −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.
FSGS largest drawdowns
Now 3.9% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 31, 2018 | −43.3% | Mar 18, 2020 | Nov 24, 2020 | 1.5 years | 2.2 years |
| Nov 25, 2024 | −24.1% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jul 6, 2026 | 4 months | 1.6 years |
| Nov 5, 2021 | −23.8% | Sep 30, 2022 | Jul 16, 2024 | 11 months | 2.7 years |
| Jan 23, 2018 | −10.2% | Feb 9, 2018 | May 21, 2018 | 17 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.
FSGS risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +8.8% | +3.9% | +6.8% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 16.6% | 19.2% | 20.8% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.33 | 0.11 | 0.30 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.53 | 0.16 | 0.46 |
| Best month | +10.9% | +12.8% | +19.0% |
| Worst month | −7.3% | −11.7% | −22.2% |
| Best 12 months | +27.2% | +27.2% | +93.3% |
| Worst 12 months | −4.0% | −17.2% | −27.9% |
| Positive months | 58% | 53% | 59% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.92 | 0.98 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.68 | 0.80 | — |
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.
FSGS rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 101 | −27.9% | +4.4% | +93.3% | 66% |
| 3-year (a year) | 77 | −2.5% | +8.1% | +23.5% | 94% |
| 5-year (a year) | 53 | +2.4% | +7.1% | +15.3% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2017. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
FSGS performance overview
First Trust SMID Growth Strength ETF (FSGS) returned +5.1% over the past year and +3.9% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2017 it has returned +7.2% a year, turning $10,000 into about $19,132. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −43.3%, from Aug 31, 2018 to Mar 18, 2020, and it took 8 months to get back to the old high. FSGS finished 6 of its 8 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+25.6%) and the worst 2022 (−13.2%). Volatility has been 20.8% a year.
Related: FSGS chart, FSGS holdings, FSGS dividends, FSGS valuation. See the FSGS overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
FSGS performance FAQ
What is the FSGS return over the past year?
FSGS returned +5.1% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 5.0%.
What is the average annual return of FSGS?
FSGS has returned +3.9% a year over 5 years, +7.2% a year since June 26, 2017 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in FSGS be worth?
$10,000 invested in FSGS at its first recorded close on June 26, 2017 would be worth about $19,132 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for FSGS?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −13.2%. The best was 2021 at +25.6%.
What is the biggest drawdown of FSGS?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −43.3% between August 31, 2018 and March 18, 2020. It recovered to the old high on November 24, 2020, 8 months after the bottom.
How volatile is FSGS?
Over the past 3 years FSGS had an annualized volatility of 16.6% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.33 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).