First Trust Balanced Income ETF (FTBI) Performance
FTBI total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +6.1% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +8.0% total return
- Since first price
- +18.6% since 2025
FTBI trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | FTBI total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +0.1% | −1.2% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +0.9% | −1.0% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +2.0% | −1.9% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +6.1% | −0.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +8.0% | −0.8% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| Since inceptionMay 29, 2025 | +18.6% | +5.8% | — | — | — |
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: FTBI vs SPY
From May 29, 2025: FTBI grew to $11,860, SPY to $13,093.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
FTBI returns by calendar year
2026 is year to date.
FTBI annual returns table
| Year | FTBI | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +6.1% | −5.3% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
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.
FTBI risk statistics
| Statistic | Since 2025 |
|---|---|
| Annualized return | +12.5% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 6.6% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.25 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.03 |
| Best month | +4.1% |
| Worst month | −3.5% |
| Best 12 months | +18.4% |
| Worst 12 months | +7.6% |
| Positive months | 81% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | — |
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.
FTBI rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 6 | +7.6% | +13.4% | +18.4% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2025. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
FTBI performance overview
First Trust Balanced Income ETF (FTBI) returned +8.0% over the past year, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price on May 29, 2025 it has returned +18.6%. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
Related: FTBI chart, FTBI holdings, FTBI dividends. See the FTBI overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
FTBI performance FAQ
What is the FTBI return over the past year?
FTBI returned +8.0% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 0.8%.
How much would $10,000 invested in FTBI be worth?
$10,000 invested in FTBI at its first recorded close on May 29, 2025 would be worth about $11,860 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
How volatile is FTBI?
Over the past history FTBI had an annualized volatility of 6.6% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.25 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).