First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF (FTXR) Performance
FTXR total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +6.5% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +17.6% total return
- 5 years
- +6.1% a year
- 10 years
- +8.8% a year
- Since first price
- +8.7% a year since 2016
FTXR trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | FTXR total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −2.2% | −2.5% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −8.2% | −8.4% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | −0.9% | −1.5% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +6.5% | +5.8% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +17.6% | +16.3% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +65.7%+18.3%/yr | +57.6% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +34.3%+6.1%/yr | +23.2% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +133.5%+8.8%/yr | +103.0% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionSep 22, 2016 | +132.4%+8.7%/yr | +102.1% | — | — | — |
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: FTXR vs SPY
From Sep 22, 2016: FTXR grew to $23,244, SPY to $40,975.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
FTXR returns by calendar year
7 of 9 full years positive. Best 2021 (+24.0%), worst 2022 (−25.4%). 2026 is year to date.
FTXR annual returns table
| Year | FTXR | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +6.5% | −14.5% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +14.7% | −29.1% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +17.1% | −14.6% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +20.9% | −20.4% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −25.4% | −34.0% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +24.0% | −12.4% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +15.0% | −49.5% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +14.8% | −12.6% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −15.3% | −22.3% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +15.8% | −10.2% | +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.
FTXR largest drawdowns
Now 10.1% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 16, 2018 | −52.1% | Mar 23, 2020 | Nov 18, 2020 | 2.2 years | 2.8 years |
| Jan 4, 2022 | −34.0% | Sep 30, 2022 | Nov 6, 2024 | 9 months | 2.8 years |
| Nov 25, 2024 | −29.7% | Apr 8, 2025 | Nov 12, 2025 | 4 months | 12 months |
| Feb 18, 2026 | −14.5% | Mar 30, 2026 | May 26, 2026 | 40 days | 3 months |
| Jun 3, 2021 | −12.4% | Sep 20, 2021 | Nov 4, 2021 | 4 months | 5 months |
| Aug 4, 2026 | −10.7% | Sep 30, 2026 | not yet | 57 days | 3 months so far |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
FTXR risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +15.1% | +7.6% | +8.6% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 20.2% | 23.7% | 23.9% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.58 | 0.27 | 0.37 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.90 | 0.42 | 0.55 |
| Best month | +11.9% | +14.6% | +18.3% |
| Worst month | −10.4% | −15.4% | −27.0% |
| Best 12 months | +47.7% | +47.7% | +118.2% |
| Worst 12 months | −5.8% | −25.4% | −34.4% |
| Positive months | 69% | 57% | 59% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.27 | 1.31 | 1.35 |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.78 | 0.87 | 0.87 |
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.
FTXR rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 110 | −34.4% | +8.2% | +118.2% | 68% |
| 3-year (a year) | 86 | −11.6% | +6.8% | +23.1% | 88% |
| 5-year (a year) | 62 | +0.5% | +7.7% | +16.1% | 100% |
| 10-year (a year) | 2 | +8.6% | +8.7% | +8.8% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2016. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
FTXR performance overview
First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF (FTXR) returned +17.6% over the past year and +8.8% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2016 it has returned +8.7% a year, turning $10,000 into about $23,244. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −52.1%, from Jan 16, 2018 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 8 months to get back to the old high. FTXR finished 7 of its 9 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+24.0%) and the worst 2022 (−25.4%). Volatility has been 23.9% a year.
Related: FTXR chart, FTXR holdings, FTXR dividends, FTXR valuation. See the FTXR overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
FTXR performance FAQ
What is the FTXR return over the past year?
FTXR returned +17.6% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 16.3%.
What is the average annual return of FTXR?
FTXR has returned +6.1% a year over 5 years, +8.8% a year over 10 years, +8.7% a year since September 22, 2016 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in FTXR be worth?
$10,000 invested in FTXR at its first recorded close on September 22, 2016 would be worth about $23,244 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for FTXR?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −25.4%. The best was 2021 at +24.0%.
What is the biggest drawdown of FTXR?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −52.1% between January 16, 2018 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on November 18, 2020, 8 months after the bottom.
How volatile is FTXR?
Over the past 3 years FTXR had an annualized volatility of 20.2% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.58 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).