First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF (FTLS) Performance
FTLS total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +8.7% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +11.0% total return
- 5 years
- +10.1% a year
- 10 years
- +9.9% a year
- Since first price
- +9.0% a year since 2014
FTLS trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | FTLS total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −0.2% | −0.2% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +2.8% | +2.6% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +6.0% | +5.5% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +8.7% | +8.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +11.0% | +10.0% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +51.1%+14.7%/yr | +45.4% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +61.6%+10.1%/yr | +52.7% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +156.9%+9.9%/yr | +135.4% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionSep 9, 2014 | +184.6%+9.0%/yr | +156.5% | — | — | — |
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: FTLS vs SPY
From Sep 9, 2014: FTLS grew to $28,456, SPY to $46,747.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
FTLS returns by calendar year
9 of 11 full years positive. Best 2021 (+19.6%), worst 2022 (−5.6%). 2026 is year to date.
FTLS annual returns table
| Year | FTLS | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +8.7% | −3.8% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +9.1% | −11.7% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +18.8% | −4.4% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +16.9% | −4.0% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −5.6% | −10.0% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +19.6% | −4.8% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +2.6% | −20.5% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +16.2% | −3.7% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −4.8% | −13.4% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +14.4% | −2.8% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | +6.6% | −6.9% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | +4.7% | −8.2% | +1.2% | +9.4% | +0.5% |
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.
FTLS largest drawdowns
Now 1.8% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2020 | −20.5% | Mar 23, 2020 | Aug 31, 2020 | 33 days | 6 months |
| Jan 26, 2018 | −13.4% | Dec 24, 2018 | Sep 17, 2019 | 11 months | 1.6 years |
| Jan 23, 2025 | −11.7% | Apr 8, 2025 | Aug 27, 2025 | 2 months | 7 months |
| Dec 29, 2021 | −10.4% | Sep 26, 2022 | Jun 2, 2023 | 9 months | 1.4 years |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
FTLS risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +14.4% | +10.9% | +9.7% | +9.2% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 7.1% | 8.5% | 8.8% | 8.7% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.34 | 0.85 | 0.84 | 0.84 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.49 | 1.37 | 1.29 | 1.31 |
| Best month | +4.9% | +4.9% | +6.0% | +6.0% |
| Worst month | −3.9% | −4.7% | −6.6% | −6.6% |
| Best 12 months | +22.5% | +24.3% | +24.3% | +24.3% |
| Worst 12 months | +5.6% | −5.6% | −5.6% | −5.6% |
| Positive months | 72% | 63% | 65% | 64% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 0.52 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.88 | 0.91 | 0.90 | — |
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.
FTLS rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 134 | −5.6% | +9.4% | +24.3% | 88% |
| 3-year (a year) | 110 | +3.2% | +8.6% | +16.1% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 86 | +3.7% | +8.8% | +12.3% | 100% |
| 10-year (a year) | 26 | +7.8% | +9.0% | +9.9% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2014. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
FTLS performance overview
First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF (FTLS) returned +11.0% over the past year and +9.9% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2014 it has returned +9.0% a year, turning $10,000 into about $28,456. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −20.5%, from Feb 19, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 5 months to get back to the old high. FTLS finished 9 of its 11 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+19.6%) and the worst 2022 (−5.6%). Volatility has been 8.7% a year.
Related: FTLS chart, FTLS dividends. See the FTLS overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
FTLS performance FAQ
What is the FTLS return over the past year?
FTLS returned +11.0% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 10.0%.
What is the average annual return of FTLS?
FTLS has returned +10.1% a year over 5 years, +9.9% a year over 10 years, +9.0% a year since September 9, 2014 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in FTLS be worth?
$10,000 invested in FTLS at its first recorded close on September 9, 2014 would be worth about $28,456 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for FTLS?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −5.6%. The best was 2021 at +19.6%.
What is the biggest drawdown of FTLS?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −20.5% between February 19, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on August 31, 2020, 5 months after the bottom.
How volatile is FTLS?
Over the past 3 years FTLS had an annualized volatility of 7.1% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.34 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).