First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF) Performance
HISF total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- −1.4% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- −0.5% total return
- 5 years
- +1.2% a year
- 10 years
- +2.8% a year
- Since first price
- +3.0% a year since 2014
HISF trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | HISF total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +0.3% | −0.6% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −0.9% | −2.1% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | −1.7% | −4.1% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | −1.4% | −5.5% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | −0.5% | −5.8% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +18.5%+5.8%/yr | +1.7% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +6.1%+1.2%/yr | −15.4% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +31.6%+2.8%/yr | −15.2% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionAug 14, 2014 | +43.3%+3.0%/yr | −14.8% | — | — | — |
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: HISF vs SPY
From Aug 14, 2014: HISF grew to $14,327, SPY to $47,597.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
HISF returns by calendar year
7 of 11 full years positive. Best 2019 (+16.2%), worst 2022 (−10.0%). 2026 is year to date.
HISF annual returns table
| Year | HISF | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | −1.4% | −4.1% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +8.8% | −2.2% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +2.2% | −3.3% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +6.4% | −5.3% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −10.0% | −13.2% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +10.2% | −3.6% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | −2.8% | −27.3% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +16.2% | −4.5% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −5.0% | −8.8% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +6.2% | −2.0% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | +11.9% | −6.6% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | −5.5% | −11.7% | +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.
HISF largest drawdowns
Now 2.6% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 14, 2019 | −27.9% | Mar 23, 2020 | Apr 6, 2021 | 5 months | 1.5 years |
| Aug 12, 2015 | −13.3% | Jan 20, 2016 | May 27, 2016 | 5 months | 9 months |
| Jan 13, 2022 | −13.2% | Oct 20, 2022 | Sep 16, 2024 | 9 months | 2.7 years |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
HISF risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +4.7% | +1.5% | +2.7% | +2.8% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 5.3% | 6.0% | 8.0% | 7.8% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.07 | -0.33 | 0.08 | 0.15 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.10 | -0.44 | 0.11 | 0.20 |
| Best month | +4.2% | +4.2% | +7.4% | +7.4% |
| Worst month | −3.0% | −3.3% | −14.0% | −14.0% |
| Best 12 months | +11.5% | +11.5% | +23.3% | +23.3% |
| Worst 12 months | −1.2% | −10.4% | −13.4% | −13.4% |
| Positive months | 67% | 55% | 61% | 60% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.24 | 0.27 | 0.40 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.57 | 0.71 | 0.77 | — |
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.
HISF rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 135 | −13.4% | +4.1% | +23.3% | 71% |
| 3-year (a year) | 111 | −2.4% | +3.7% | +7.6% | 87% |
| 5-year (a year) | 87 | +0.2% | +2.5% | +5.7% | 100% |
| 10-year (a year) | 27 | +2.7% | +3.2% | +4.4% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2014. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
HISF performance overview
First Trust High Income Strategic Focus ETF (HISF) returned −0.5% over the past year and +2.8% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2014 it has returned +3.0% a year, turning $10,000 into about $14,327. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −27.9%, from Oct 14, 2019 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 1.0 years to get back to the old high. HISF finished 7 of its 11 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2019 (+16.2%) and the worst 2022 (−10.0%). Volatility has been 7.8% a year.
Related: HISF chart, HISF holdings, HISF dividends. See the HISF overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
HISF performance FAQ
What is the HISF return over the past year?
HISF returned −0.5% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 5.8%.
What is the average annual return of HISF?
HISF has returned +1.2% a year over 5 years, +2.8% a year over 10 years, +3.0% a year since August 14, 2014 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in HISF be worth?
$10,000 invested in HISF at its first recorded close on August 14, 2014 would be worth about $14,327 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for HISF?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −10.0%. The best was 2019 at +16.2%.
What is the biggest drawdown of HISF?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −27.9% between October 14, 2019 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on April 6, 2021, 1.0 years after the bottom.
How volatile is HISF?
Over the past 3 years HISF had an annualized volatility of 5.3% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.07 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).