First Trust Emerging Markets Equity Select ETF (RNEM) Performance
RNEM total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +3.5% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +4.3% total return
- 5 years
- +5.4% a year
- Since first price
- +4.3% a year since 2017
RNEM trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | RNEM total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +1.3% | +0.1% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +2.6% | +1.5% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +1.0% | −0.7% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +3.5% | +1.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +4.3% | +1.8% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +31.8%+9.6%/yr | +21.8% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +30.3%+5.4%/yr | +14.9% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionJun 23, 2017 | +48.2%+4.3%/yr | +13.1% | — | — | — |
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: RNEM vs SPY
From Jun 23, 2017: RNEM grew to $14,821, SPY to $36,054.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
RNEM returns by calendar year
4 of 8 full years positive. Best 2023 (+23.4%), worst 2018 (−9.3%). 2026 is year to date.
RNEM annual returns table
| Year | RNEM | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +3.5% | −10.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +15.6% | −9.2% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | −1.5% | −9.6% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +23.4% | −10.6% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −8.7% | −21.4% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +6.2% | −7.3% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | −8.2% | −35.4% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +12.8% | −9.5% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −9.3% | −21.3% | −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.
RNEM largest drawdowns
Now 2.7% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2018 | −38.4% | Mar 23, 2020 | Jul 17, 2023 | 2.2 years | 5.5 years |
| Sep 26, 2024 | −13.1% | Apr 8, 2025 | May 12, 2025 | 6 months | 7 months |
| Feb 25, 2026 | −10.7% | Mar 30, 2026 | not yet | 33 days | 8 months so far |
| Jul 26, 2023 | −10.6% | Oct 27, 2023 | Dec 27, 2023 | 3 months | 5 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
RNEM risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +7.4% | +5.3% | +4.0% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 10.1% | 11.8% | 14.2% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.33 | 0.20 | 0.18 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.47 | 0.28 | 0.25 |
| Best month | +5.8% | +9.2% | +12.1% |
| Worst month | −6.9% | −7.7% | −19.0% |
| Best 12 months | +20.9% | +24.0% | +35.3% |
| Worst 12 months | −1.5% | −15.7% | −23.9% |
| Positive months | 67% | 62% | 57% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.32 | 0.43 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.39 | 0.58 | — |
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.
RNEM rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 101 | −23.9% | +3.9% | +35.3% | 64% |
| 3-year (a year) | 77 | −5.0% | +4.0% | +13.9% | 74% |
| 5-year (a year) | 53 | −2.5% | +3.3% | +9.3% | 79% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2017. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
RNEM performance overview
First Trust Emerging Markets Equity Select ETF (RNEM) returned +4.3% over the past year and +5.4% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2017 it has returned +4.3% a year, turning $10,000 into about $14,821. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −38.4%, from Jan 24, 2018 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 3.3 years to get back to the old high. RNEM finished 4 of its 8 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+23.4%) and the worst 2018 (−9.3%). Volatility has been 14.2% a year.
Related: RNEM chart, RNEM holdings, RNEM dividends. See the RNEM overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
RNEM performance FAQ
What is the RNEM return over the past year?
RNEM returned +4.3% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 1.8%.
What is the average annual return of RNEM?
RNEM has returned +5.4% a year over 5 years, +4.3% a year since June 23, 2017 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in RNEM be worth?
$10,000 invested in RNEM at its first recorded close on June 23, 2017 would be worth about $14,821 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for RNEM?
The worst calendar year was 2018, with a total return of −9.3%. The best was 2023 at +23.4%.
What is the biggest drawdown of RNEM?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −38.4% between January 24, 2018 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on July 17, 2023, 3.3 years after the bottom.
How volatile is RNEM?
Over the past 3 years RNEM had an annualized volatility of 10.1% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.33 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).