First Trust Innovation Leaders ETF (ILDR) Performance
ILDR total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +11.8% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +10.3% total return
- 5 years
- +10.4% a year
- Since first price
- +11.7% a year since 2021
ILDR trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | ILDR total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −7.5% | −7.5% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +0.2% | +0.2% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +6.8% | +6.8% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +11.8% | +11.8% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +10.3% | +10.3% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +120.4%+30.1%/yr | +120.4% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +64.3%+10.4%/yr | +64.0% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionMay 26, 2021 | +81.6%+11.7%/yr | +81.3% | — | — | — |
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: ILDR vs SPY
From May 26, 2021: ILDR grew to $18,161, SPY to $19,515.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
ILDR returns by calendar year
3 of 4 full years positive. Best 2023 (+39.3%), worst 2022 (−34.9%). 2026 is year to date.
ILDR annual returns table
| Year | ILDR | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +11.8% | −16.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +29.2% | −26.4% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +29.3% | −13.4% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +39.3% | −15.6% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −34.9% | −39.9% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
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.
ILDR largest drawdowns
Now 9.7% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 17, 2021 | −44.6% | Jun 16, 2022 | Jul 3, 2024 | 7 months | 2.6 years |
| Feb 18, 2025 | −26.4% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 12, 2025 | 49 days | 4 months |
| Oct 29, 2025 | −17.7% | Mar 30, 2026 | Apr 22, 2026 | 5 months | 6 months |
| Jun 2, 2026 | −14.3% | Jul 29, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | 57 days | 4 months |
| Jul 16, 2024 | −13.4% | Aug 5, 2024 | Sep 24, 2024 | 20 days | 2 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
ILDR risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +32.0% | +12.8% | +13.2% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 22.3% | 23.6% | 23.3% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.17 | 0.48 | 0.51 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.40 | 0.76 | 0.81 |
| Best month | +16.7% | +16.7% | +16.7% |
| Worst month | −10.2% | −17.2% | −17.2% |
| Best 12 months | +49.8% | +49.8% | +49.8% |
| Worst 12 months | +4.4% | −35.9% | −37.6% |
| Positive months | 64% | 55% | 55% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.60 | 1.30 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.89 | 0.86 | — |
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.
ILDR rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 54 | −37.6% | +23.7% | +49.8% | 80% |
| 3-year (a year) | 30 | +1.0% | +24.9% | +33.1% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 6 | +10.2% | +11.6% | +14.3% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2021. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
ILDR performance overview
First Trust Innovation Leaders ETF (ILDR) returned +10.3% over the past year and +10.4% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2021 it has returned +11.7% a year, turning $10,000 into about $18,161. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −44.6%, from Nov 17, 2021 to Jun 16, 2022, and it took 2.0 years to get back to the old high. ILDR finished 3 of its 4 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+39.3%) and the worst 2022 (−34.9%). Volatility has been 23.3% a year.
Related: ILDR chart, ILDR holdings, ILDR valuation. See the ILDR overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
ILDR performance FAQ
What is the ILDR return over the past year?
ILDR returned +10.3% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 10.3%.
What is the average annual return of ILDR?
ILDR has returned +10.4% a year over 5 years, +11.7% a year since May 26, 2021 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in ILDR be worth?
$10,000 invested in ILDR at its first recorded close on May 26, 2021 would be worth about $18,161 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for ILDR?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −34.9%. The best was 2023 at +39.3%.
What is the biggest drawdown of ILDR?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −44.6% between November 17, 2021 and June 16, 2022. It recovered to the old high on July 3, 2024, 2.0 years after the bottom.
How volatile is ILDR?
Over the past 3 years ILDR had an annualized volatility of 22.3% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.17 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).