First Trust Senior Loan Fund (FTSL) Performance
FTSL total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +1.7% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +3.7% total return
- 5 years
- +5.1% a year
- 10 years
- +4.4% a year
- Since first price
- +4.0% a year since 2013
FTSL trailing returns vs AGG, TLT, SPY
| Period | FTSL total return | Price only | U.S. bonds (AGG) | 20+ yr Treasuries (TLT) | S&P 500 (SPY) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −0.4% | −1.4% | +0.9% | +1.5% | −1.0% |
| 3 months | +0.7% | −0.8% | −0.4% | −1.0% | +3.2% |
| 6 months | +1.4% | −1.6% | −1.5% | −3.8% | +7.8% |
| YTD | +1.7% | −3.4% | −1.0% | −3.4% | +12.3% |
| 1 year | +3.7% | −3.0% | −1.1% | −6.9% | +14.4% |
| 3 years | +20.3%+6.3%/yr | −3.3% | +16.6%+5.2%/yr | +9.7%+3.1%/yr | +87.4%+23.3%/yr |
| 5 years | +28.4%+5.1%/yr | −7.5% | −0.8%−0.2%/yr | −32.5%−7.6%/yr | +79.3%+12.4%/yr |
| 10 years | +53.5%+4.4%/yr | −8.6% | +14.0%+1.3%/yr | −18.7%−2.0%/yr | +315.9%+15.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionMay 2, 2013 | +69.7%+4.0%/yr | −11.5% | — | — | — |
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: FTSL vs AGG
From May 2, 2013: FTSL grew to $16,969, AGG to $12,407.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
FTSL returns by calendar year
10 of 12 full years positive. Best 2023 (+11.6%), worst 2022 (−2.5%). 2026 is year to date.
FTSL annual returns table
| Year | FTSL | Largest drop | AGG | TLT | SPY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +1.7% | −2.3% | −1.0% | −3.4% | +12.3% |
| 2025 | +6.5% | −2.7% | +7.2% | +4.3% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | +8.3% | −1.1% | +1.3% | −8.1% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +11.6% | −1.5% | +5.7% | +2.8% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | −2.5% | −7.0% | −13.0% | −31.2% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +3.9% | −0.9% | −1.8% | −4.6% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | +3.0% | −22.7% | +7.5% | +18.2% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +10.1% | −1.2% | +8.5% | +14.1% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | −1.3% | −4.6% | +0.1% | −1.6% | −4.6% |
| 2017 | +2.6% | −0.6% | +3.6% | +9.2% | +21.7% |
| 2016 | +7.5% | −1.5% | +2.4% | +1.2% | +12.0% |
| 2015 | +0.4% | −3.4% | +0.5% | −1.8% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | +1.4% | −2.5% | +6.0% | +27.3% | +13.5% |
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.
FTSL largest drawdowns
Now 0.6% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 29, 2020 | −22.7% | Mar 23, 2020 | Nov 9, 2020 | 54 days | 9 months |
| Jan 24, 2022 | −7.0% | Jul 5, 2022 | Feb 1, 2023 | 5 months | 1.0 years |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 5% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
FTSL risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +6.4% | +5.2% | +4.4% | +4.0% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 2.1% | 3.7% | 5.4% | 4.8% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.94 | 0.44 | 0.41 | 0.49 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.51 | 0.63 | 0.54 | 0.64 |
| Best month | +1.5% | +3.0% | +5.6% | +5.6% |
| Worst month | −1.4% | −3.4% | −10.7% | −10.7% |
| Best 12 months | +9.4% | +11.7% | +18.5% | +18.5% |
| Worst 12 months | +4.0% | −4.3% | −7.3% | −7.3% |
| Positive months | 81% | 75% | 68% | 68% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.08 | 0.14 | 0.23 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.47 | 0.58 | 0.66 | — |
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.
FTSL rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 150 | −7.3% | +3.4% | +18.5% | 91% |
| 3-year (a year) | 126 | −0.8% | +3.7% | +9.0% | 99% |
| 5-year (a year) | 102 | +0.7% | +3.6% | +7.5% | 100% |
| 10-year (a year) | 42 | +2.9% | +4.1% | +4.9% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2013. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
FTSL performance overview
First Trust Senior Loan Fund (FTSL) returned +3.7% over the past year and +4.4% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2013 it has returned +4.0% a year, turning $10,000 into about $16,969. Over the same year U.S. bonds (AGG) returned −1.1%.
The deepest decline was −22.7%, from Jan 29, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 8 months to get back to the old high. FTSL finished 10 of its 12 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+11.6%) and the worst 2022 (−2.5%). Volatility has been 4.8% a year.
Related: FTSL chart, FTSL dividends, FTSL bond profile. See the FTSL overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
FTSL performance FAQ
What is the FTSL return over the past year?
FTSL returned +3.7% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 3.0%.
What is the average annual return of FTSL?
FTSL has returned +5.1% a year over 5 years, +4.4% a year over 10 years, +4.0% a year since May 2, 2013 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in FTSL be worth?
$10,000 invested in FTSL at its first recorded close on May 2, 2013 would be worth about $16,969 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for FTSL?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −2.5%. The best was 2023 at +11.6%.
What is the biggest drawdown of FTSL?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −22.7% between January 29, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on November 9, 2020, 8 months after the bottom.
How volatile is FTSL?
Over the past 3 years FTSL had an annualized volatility of 2.1% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.94 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).