First Trust Small Cap BuyWrite Income ETF (FTKI) Performance
FTKI total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +13.5% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +18.5% total return
- Since first price
- +18.4% since 2025
FTKI trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | FTKI total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +1.5% | −0.5% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +1.4% | −1.6% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +5.3% | −0.8% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +13.5% | +2.9% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +18.5% | +5.3% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| Since inceptionFeb 27, 2025 | +18.4% | −2.0% | — | — | — |
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: FTKI vs SPY
From Feb 27, 2025: FTKI grew to $11,841, SPY to $13,245.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
FTKI returns by calendar year
2026 is year to date.
FTKI annual returns table
| Year | FTKI | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +13.5% | −5.6% | +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.
FTKI largest drawdowns
Now 2.9% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 28, 2025 | −15.2% | Apr 8, 2025 | Sep 4, 2025 | 39 days | 6 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
FTKI risk statistics
| Statistic | Since 2025 |
|---|---|
| Annualized return | +8.9% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 11.0% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.49 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.77 |
| Best month | +6.2% |
| Worst month | −4.5% |
| Best 12 months | +21.6% |
| Worst 12 months | +13.2% |
| Positive months | 58% |
| 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.
FTKI rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 9 | +13.2% | +19.3% | +21.6% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2025. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
FTKI performance overview
First Trust Small Cap BuyWrite Income ETF (FTKI) returned +18.5% over the past year, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price on Feb 27, 2025 it has returned +18.4%. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −15.2%, from Feb 28, 2025 to Apr 8, 2025, and it took 5 months to get back to the old high. Volatility has been 11.0% a year.
Related: FTKI chart, FTKI holdings, FTKI dividends, FTKI valuation. See the FTKI overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
FTKI performance FAQ
What is the FTKI return over the past year?
FTKI returned +18.5% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 5.3%.
How much would $10,000 invested in FTKI be worth?
$10,000 invested in FTKI at its first recorded close on February 27, 2025 would be worth about $11,841 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What is the biggest drawdown of FTKI?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −15.2% between February 28, 2025 and April 8, 2025. It recovered to the old high on September 4, 2025, 5 months after the bottom.
How volatile is FTKI?
Over the past history FTKI had an annualized volatility of 11.0% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.49 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).