First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Developed… (RFDI) Performance
RFDI total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +11.5% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +17.6% total return
- 5 years
- +8.2% a year
- 10 years
- +8.7% a year
- Since first price
- +8.5% a year since 2016
RFDI trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | RFDI total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −1.4% | −2.1% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +0.0% | +0.0% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +5.3% | +4.0% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +11.5% | +9.6% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +17.6% | +14.2% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +82.5%+22.2%/yr | +64.2% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +48.3%+8.2%/yr | +21.7% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +130.1%+8.7%/yr | +70.1% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionApr 14, 2016 | +136.4%+8.5%/yr | +72.4% | — | — | — |
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: RFDI vs SPY
From Apr 14, 2016: RFDI grew to $23,643, SPY to $43,222.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
RFDI returns by calendar year
7 of 9 full years positive. Best 2025 (+35.9%), worst 2022 (−23.6%). 2026 is year to date.
RFDI annual returns table
| Year | RFDI | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +11.5% | −10.2% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +35.9% | −13.4% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +5.6% | −9.6% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +18.1% | −9.8% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −23.6% | −34.9% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +17.4% | −9.4% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +9.2% | −34.4% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +20.5% | −8.5% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −18.3% | −26.7% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +24.1% | −2.8% | +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.
RFDI largest drawdowns
Now 5.4% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 26, 2018 | −39.4% | Mar 23, 2020 | Dec 29, 2020 | 2.2 years | 2.9 years |
| Sep 3, 2021 | −35.9% | Sep 27, 2022 | Aug 23, 2024 | 1.1 years | 3.0 years |
| Mar 19, 2025 | −13.4% | Apr 8, 2025 | Apr 28, 2025 | 20 days | 40 days |
| Apr 20, 2016 | −10.3% | Jun 27, 2016 | Aug 9, 2016 | 2 months | 4 months |
| Feb 25, 2026 | −10.2% | Mar 20, 2026 | Jun 12, 2026 | 23 days | 4 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
RFDI risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +21.2% | +9.4% | +8.6% | +8.7% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 11.4% | 15.8% | 15.6% | 15.3% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.37 | 0.42 | 0.46 | 0.48 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.43 | 0.61 | 0.66 | 0.69 |
| Best month | +7.9% | +11.7% | +11.7% | +11.7% |
| Worst month | −6.5% | −10.8% | −13.9% | −13.9% |
| Best 12 months | +39.4% | +39.4% | +46.5% | +46.5% |
| Worst 12 months | +5.6% | −29.3% | −29.3% | −29.3% |
| Positive months | 75% | 63% | 62% | 63% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.49 | 0.80 | 0.85 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.54 | 0.79 | 0.83 | — |
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.
RFDI rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 115 | −29.3% | +12.1% | +46.5% | 72% |
| 3-year (a year) | 91 | −4.8% | +4.4% | +22.9% | 87% |
| 5-year (a year) | 67 | −3.3% | +7.2% | +11.8% | 90% |
| 10-year (a year) | 7 | +8.5% | +8.8% | +9.1% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2016. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
RFDI performance overview
First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Developed… (RFDI) returned +17.6% over the past year and +8.7% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2016 it has returned +8.5% a year, turning $10,000 into about $23,643. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −39.4%, from Jan 26, 2018 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 9 months to get back to the old high. RFDI finished 7 of its 9 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2025 (+35.9%) and the worst 2022 (−23.6%). Volatility has been 15.3% a year.
Related: RFDI chart, RFDI holdings, RFDI dividends. See the RFDI overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
RFDI performance FAQ
What is the RFDI return over the past year?
RFDI returned +17.6% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 14.2%.
What is the average annual return of RFDI?
RFDI has returned +8.2% a year over 5 years, +8.7% a year over 10 years, +8.5% a year since April 14, 2016 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in RFDI be worth?
$10,000 invested in RFDI at its first recorded close on April 14, 2016 would be worth about $23,643 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for RFDI?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −23.6%. The best was 2025 at +35.9%.
What is the biggest drawdown of RFDI?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −39.4% between January 26, 2018 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on December 29, 2020, 9 months after the bottom.
How volatile is RFDI?
Over the past 3 years RFDI had an annualized volatility of 11.4% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.37 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).