First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF (FTXL) Performance
FTXL total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +65.7% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +77.7% total return
- 5 years
- +26.3% a year
- 10 years
- +27.4% a year
- Since first price
- +27.2% a year since 2016
FTXL trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | FTXL total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −14.6% | −14.6% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −10.6% | −10.6% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +7.7% | +7.7% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +65.7% | +65.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +77.7% | +77.5% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +236.7%+49.9%/yr | +233.1% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +221.9%+26.3%/yr | +213.7% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +1,027.5%+27.4%/yr | +965.0% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionSep 21, 2016 | +1,028.0%+27.2%/yr | +965.5% | — | — | — |
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: FTXL vs SPY
From Sep 21, 2016: FTXL grew to $112,804, SPY to $41,234.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
FTXL returns by calendar year
7 of 9 full years positive. Best 2019 (+61.8%), worst 2022 (−33.9%). 2026 is year to date.
FTXL annual returns table
| Year | FTXL | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +65.7% | −32.6% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +48.9% | −34.7% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +7.6% | −25.0% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +54.4% | −17.3% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −33.9% | −43.9% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +36.0% | −18.0% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +46.1% | −35.4% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +61.8% | −18.2% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −14.5% | −32.6% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +32.2% | −11.7% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
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.
FTXL largest drawdowns
Now 27.8% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 3, 2022 | −43.9% | Oct 14, 2022 | Dec 26, 2023 | 9 months | 2.0 years |
| Jul 10, 2024 | −41.6% | Apr 8, 2025 | Sep 18, 2025 | 9 months | 1.2 years |
| Jan 23, 2020 | −35.4% | Mar 16, 2020 | Jun 5, 2020 | 53 days | 4 months |
| Jun 22, 2026 | −32.6% | Jul 29, 2026 | not yet | 37 days | 4 months so far |
| Mar 12, 2018 | −32.6% | Dec 24, 2018 | Apr 24, 2019 | 9 months | 1.1 years |
| Apr 24, 2019 | −18.2% | May 28, 2019 | Jul 24, 2019 | 34 days | 3 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
FTXL risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +55.8% | +30.8% | +29.4% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 39.9% | 37.8% | 31.4% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.20 | 0.80 | 0.91 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.74 | 1.51 | 1.67 |
| Best month | +44.8% | +44.8% | +44.8% |
| Worst month | −24.0% | −24.0% | −24.0% |
| Best 12 months | +216.4% | +216.4% | +216.4% |
| Worst 12 months | −16.2% | −33.9% | −33.9% |
| Positive months | 64% | 63% | 64% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 2.24 | 1.75 | 1.47 |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.70 | 0.72 | 0.72 |
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.
FTXL rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 110 | −33.9% | +31.1% | +216.4% | 77% |
| 3-year (a year) | 86 | +3.1% | +20.9% | +59.5% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 62 | +10.4% | +19.6% | +33.7% | 100% |
| 10-year (a year) | 2 | +27.5% | +28.5% | +29.4% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2016. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
FTXL performance overview
First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF (FTXL) returned +77.7% over the past year and +27.4% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2016 it has returned +27.2% a year, turning $10,000 into about $112,804. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −43.9%, from Jan 3, 2022 to Oct 14, 2022, and it took 1.2 years to get back to the old high. FTXL finished 7 of its 9 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2019 (+61.8%) and the worst 2022 (−33.9%). Volatility has been 31.4% a year.
Related: FTXL chart, FTXL holdings, FTXL dividends, FTXL valuation. See the FTXL overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
FTXL performance FAQ
What is the FTXL return over the past year?
FTXL returned +77.7% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 77.5%.
What is the average annual return of FTXL?
FTXL has returned +26.3% a year over 5 years, +27.4% a year over 10 years, +27.2% a year since September 21, 2016 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in FTXL be worth?
$10,000 invested in FTXL at its first recorded close on September 21, 2016 would be worth about $112,804 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for FTXL?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −33.9%. The best was 2019 at +61.8%.
What is the biggest drawdown of FTXL?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −43.9% between January 3, 2022 and October 14, 2022. It recovered to the old high on December 26, 2023, 1.2 years after the bottom.
How volatile is FTXL?
Over the past 3 years FTXL had an annualized volatility of 39.9% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.20 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).