First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Emerging… (RFEM) Performance
RFEM total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +17.6% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +20.5% total return
- 5 years
- +10.0% a year
- 10 years
- +8.5% a year
- Since first price
- +9.5% a year since 2016
RFEM trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | RFEM total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −7.0% | −7.7% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −0.2% | −0.2% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +3.3% | +2.0% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +17.6% | +16.1% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +20.5% | +18.0% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +91.3%+24.1%/yr | +76.8% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +60.8%+10.0%/yr | +32.6% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +125.7%+8.5%/yr | +62.3% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionJun 15, 2016 | +156.1%+9.5%/yr | +82.4% | — | — | — |
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: RFEM vs SPY
From Jun 15, 2016: RFEM grew to $25,606, SPY to $43,276.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
RFEM returns by calendar year
7 of 9 full years positive. Best 2017 (+35.7%), worst 2022 (−19.0%). 2026 is year to date.
RFEM annual returns table
| Year | RFEM | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +17.6% | −11.6% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +27.7% | −14.3% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +10.9% | −10.4% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +20.8% | −9.4% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −19.0% | −31.3% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +1.0% | −15.0% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +8.2% | −36.0% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +20.3% | −13.8% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −18.8% | −30.2% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +35.7% | −4.6% | +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.
RFEM largest drawdowns
Now 8.4% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 26, 2018 | −42.2% | Mar 23, 2020 | Jan 14, 2021 | 2.2 years | 3.0 years |
| Feb 17, 2021 | −36.0% | Sep 30, 2022 | Jul 5, 2024 | 1.6 years | 3.4 years |
| Sep 26, 2024 | −15.8% | Apr 8, 2025 | May 19, 2025 | 6 months | 8 months |
| Feb 25, 2026 | −11.6% | Mar 30, 2026 | Apr 17, 2026 | 33 days | 51 days |
| Jul 12, 2024 | −10.4% | Aug 5, 2024 | Sep 24, 2024 | 24 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.
RFEM risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +25.8% | +12.1% | +9.1% | +10.5% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 13.0% | 16.5% | 17.1% | 17.2% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.51 | 0.56 | 0.47 | 0.54 |
| Sortino ratio | 3.31 | 0.89 | 0.70 | 0.83 |
| Best month | +12.8% | +14.2% | +14.2% | +14.2% |
| Worst month | −7.6% | −12.1% | −18.0% | −18.0% |
| Best 12 months | +44.9% | +44.9% | +55.4% | +55.4% |
| Worst 12 months | +8.7% | −27.2% | −27.2% | −27.2% |
| Positive months | 75% | 60% | 61% | 62% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.71 | 0.79 | 0.81 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.68 | 0.75 | 0.73 | — |
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.
RFEM rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 113 | −27.2% | +11.2% | +55.4% | 68% |
| 3-year (a year) | 89 | −4.8% | +4.0% | +25.8% | 76% |
| 5-year (a year) | 65 | −4.2% | +5.6% | +12.1% | 82% |
| 10-year (a year) | 5 | +8.5% | +9.1% | +10.3% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2016. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
RFEM performance overview
First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Emerging… (RFEM) returned +20.5% over the past year and +8.5% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2016 it has returned +9.5% a year, turning $10,000 into about $25,606. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −42.2%, from Jan 26, 2018 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 10 months to get back to the old high. RFEM finished 7 of its 9 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2017 (+35.7%) and the worst 2022 (−19.0%). Volatility has been 17.2% a year.
Related: RFEM chart, RFEM holdings, RFEM dividends. See the RFEM overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
RFEM performance FAQ
What is the RFEM return over the past year?
RFEM returned +20.5% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 18.0%.
What is the average annual return of RFEM?
RFEM has returned +10.0% a year over 5 years, +8.5% a year over 10 years, +9.5% a year since June 15, 2016 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in RFEM be worth?
$10,000 invested in RFEM at its first recorded close on June 15, 2016 would be worth about $25,606 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for RFEM?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −19.0%. The best was 2017 at +35.7%.
What is the biggest drawdown of RFEM?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −42.2% between January 26, 2018 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on January 14, 2021, 10 months after the bottom.
How volatile is RFEM?
Over the past 3 years RFEM had an annualized volatility of 13.0% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.51 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).