VanEck Long/Flat Trend ETF (LFEQ) Performance
LFEQ total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +11.7% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +13.8% total return
- 5 years
- +8.5% a year
- Since first price
- +11.4% a year since 2017
LFEQ trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | LFEQ total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −1.0% | −1.0% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +3.1% | +3.1% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +7.6% | +7.6% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +11.7% | +11.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +13.8% | +12.8% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +69.1%+19.1%/yr | +63.9% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +50.3%+8.5%/yr | +43.4% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionOct 5, 2017 | +165.7%+11.4%/yr | +140.3% | — | — | — |
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: LFEQ vs SPY
From Oct 5, 2017: LFEQ grew to $26,569, SPY to $34,252.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
LFEQ returns by calendar year
6 of 8 full years positive. Best 2021 (+28.0%), worst 2022 (−22.0%). 2026 is year to date.
LFEQ annual returns table
| Year | LFEQ | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +11.7% | −9.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +10.5% | −19.0% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +24.3% | −8.5% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +19.7% | −10.1% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −22.0% | −25.5% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +28.0% | −5.2% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +17.6% | −35.2% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +24.1% | −6.6% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −5.5% | −16.5% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
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.
LFEQ largest drawdowns
Now 2.5% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2020 | −35.2% | Mar 23, 2020 | Aug 12, 2020 | 33 days | 6 months |
| Jan 4, 2022 | −25.5% | Oct 12, 2022 | Mar 1, 2024 | 9 months | 2.2 years |
| Feb 19, 2025 | −19.0% | Apr 8, 2025 | Aug 28, 2025 | 48 days | 6 months |
| Sep 21, 2018 | −16.5% | Dec 24, 2018 | Jul 12, 2019 | 3 months | 10 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
LFEQ risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +18.7% | +9.8% | +11.5% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 12.0% | 13.4% | 14.7% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.13 | 0.50 | 0.65 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.10 | 0.77 | 1.00 |
| Best month | +10.5% | +10.5% | +12.9% |
| Worst month | −5.7% | −9.1% | −12.4% |
| Best 12 months | +33.3% | +33.3% | +55.7% |
| Worst 12 months | +6.2% | −22.0% | −22.0% |
| Positive months | 69% | 63% | 67% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.94 | 0.75 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.97 | 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.
LFEQ rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 97 | −22.0% | +11.3% | +55.7% | 79% |
| 3-year (a year) | 73 | +4.2% | +11.3% | +23.1% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 49 | +6.3% | +10.4% | +15.8% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2017. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
LFEQ performance overview
VanEck Long/Flat Trend ETF (LFEQ) returned +13.8% over the past year and +8.5% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2017 it has returned +11.4% a year, turning $10,000 into about $26,569. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −35.2%, from Feb 19, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 5 months to get back to the old high. LFEQ finished 6 of its 8 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+28.0%) and the worst 2022 (−22.0%). Volatility has been 14.7% a year.
Related: LFEQ chart, LFEQ dividends. See the LFEQ overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
LFEQ performance FAQ
What is the LFEQ return over the past year?
LFEQ returned +13.8% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 12.8%.
What is the average annual return of LFEQ?
LFEQ has returned +8.5% a year over 5 years, +11.4% a year since October 5, 2017 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in LFEQ be worth?
$10,000 invested in LFEQ at its first recorded close on October 5, 2017 would be worth about $26,569 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for LFEQ?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −22.0%. The best was 2021 at +28.0%.
What is the biggest drawdown of LFEQ?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −35.2% between February 19, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on August 12, 2020, 5 months after the bottom.
How volatile is LFEQ?
Over the past 3 years LFEQ had an annualized volatility of 12.0% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.13 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).