First Trust Long Duration Opportunities ETF (LGOV) Performance
LGOV total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- −3.5% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- −3.8% total return
- 5 years
- −2.4% a year
- Since first price
- +0.8% a year since 2019
LGOV trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | LGOV total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +1.4% | +0.6% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −1.6% | −2.7% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | −4.2% | −6.3% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | −3.5% | −7.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | −3.8% | −8.2% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +18.1%+5.7%/yr | +3.6% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | −11.5%−2.4%/yr | −26.0% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionJan 23, 2019 | +6.1%+0.8%/yr | −18.9% | — | — | — |
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: LGOV vs SPY
From Jan 23, 2019: LGOV grew to $10,613, SPY to $32,331.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
LGOV returns by calendar year
3 of 6 full years positive. Best 2020 (+11.3%), worst 2022 (−19.7%). 2026 is year to date.
LGOV annual returns table
| Year | LGOV | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | −3.5% | −10.6% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +9.5% | −5.0% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | −2.1% | −7.9% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +4.9% | −15.1% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −19.7% | −22.1% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | −1.9% | −8.0% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +11.3% | −11.0% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
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.
LGOV largest drawdowns
Now 17.5% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 9, 2020 | −30.9% | Oct 19, 2023 | not yet | 3.6 years | 6.6 years so far |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
LGOV risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +3.2% | −3.3% | +0.1% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 10.3% | 10.0% | 9.2% |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.07 | -0.65 | -0.23 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.10 | -0.80 | -0.32 |
| Best month | +7.8% | +7.8% | +7.8% |
| Worst month | −5.6% | −5.6% | −5.6% |
| Best 12 months | +15.0% | +15.0% | +19.6% |
| Worst 12 months | −5.6% | −21.1% | −21.1% |
| Positive months | 61% | 48% | 50% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.40 | 0.35 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.48 | 0.54 | — |
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.
LGOV rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 82 | −21.1% | −0.4% | +19.6% | 49% |
| 3-year (a year) | 58 | −10.2% | −3.9% | +5.9% | 34% |
| 5-year (a year) | 34 | −3.8% | −2.1% | +0.1% | 3% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2019. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
LGOV performance overview
First Trust Long Duration Opportunities ETF (LGOV) returned −3.8% over the past year and −2.4% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2019 it has returned +0.8% a year, turning $10,000 into about $10,613. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −30.9%, from Mar 9, 2020 to Oct 19, 2023; the fund has not yet regained that high. LGOV finished 3 of its 6 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2020 (+11.3%) and the worst 2022 (−19.7%). Volatility has been 9.2% a year.
Related: LGOV chart, LGOV dividends. See the LGOV overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
LGOV performance FAQ
What is the LGOV return over the past year?
LGOV returned −3.8% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 8.2%.
What is the average annual return of LGOV?
LGOV has returned −2.4% a year over 5 years, +0.8% a year since January 23, 2019 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in LGOV be worth?
$10,000 invested in LGOV at its first recorded close on January 23, 2019 would be worth about $10,613 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for LGOV?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −19.7%. The best was 2020 at +11.3%.
What is the biggest drawdown of LGOV?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −30.9% between March 9, 2020 and October 19, 2023. It has not yet recovered to that high; it is 17.5% below its peak.
How volatile is LGOV?
Over the past 3 years LGOV had an annualized volatility of 10.3% and a Sharpe ratio of -0.07 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).