First Trust Nasdaq Artificial Intelligence… (ROBT) Performance
ROBT total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +10.6% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +4.1% total return
- 5 years
- +1.1% a year
- Since first price
- +8.1% a year since 2018
ROBT trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | ROBT total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −3.7% | −3.7% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +8.6% | +8.6% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +14.1% | +14.0% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +10.6% | +10.6% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +4.1% | +4.0% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +53.5%+15.4%/yr | +52.4% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +5.5%+1.1%/yr | +4.2% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionFeb 22, 2018 | +95.7%+8.1%/yr | +91.2% | — | — | — |
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: ROBT vs SPY
From Feb 22, 2018: ROBT grew to $19,575, SPY to $32,094.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
ROBT returns by calendar year
5 of 7 full years positive. Best 2020 (+46.2%), worst 2022 (−34.9%). 2026 is year to date.
ROBT annual returns table
| Year | ROBT | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +10.6% | −20.5% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +15.2% | −27.7% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | −0.4% | −17.0% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +27.8% | −22.9% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −34.9% | −40.7% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +9.9% | −17.6% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +46.2% | −37.1% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +34.3% | −9.4% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
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.
ROBT largest drawdowns
Now 6.0% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 2021 | −44.5% | Oct 14, 2022 | Jun 1, 2026 | 1.7 years | 5.3 years |
| Feb 12, 2020 | −37.1% | Mar 18, 2020 | Jul 6, 2020 | 35 days | 5 months |
| Sep 14, 2018 | −25.1% | Dec 24, 2018 | Apr 10, 2019 | 3 months | 7 months |
| Jun 2, 2026 | −12.4% | Jul 23, 2026 | Aug 13, 2026 | 51 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.
ROBT risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +13.8% | +2.3% | +8.5% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 21.6% | 23.3% | 23.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.50 | 0.06 | 0.36 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.86 | 0.08 | 0.56 |
| Best month | +13.7% | +14.6% | +20.5% |
| Worst month | −9.2% | −12.8% | −14.7% |
| Best 12 months | +30.9% | +30.9% | +91.9% |
| Worst 12 months | −9.5% | −37.2% | −37.2% |
| Positive months | 56% | 52% | 54% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.51 | 1.29 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.87 | 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.
ROBT rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 93 | −37.2% | +10.5% | +91.9% | 71% |
| 3-year (a year) | 69 | −8.1% | +7.5% | +29.2% | 74% |
| 5-year (a year) | 45 | −2.1% | +6.4% | +12.4% | 91% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2018. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
ROBT performance overview
First Trust Nasdaq Artificial Intelligence… (ROBT) returned +4.1% over the past year and +1.1% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2018 it has returned +8.1% a year, turning $10,000 into about $19,575. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −44.5%, from Feb 12, 2021 to Oct 14, 2022, and it took 3.6 years to get back to the old high. ROBT finished 5 of its 7 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2020 (+46.2%) and the worst 2022 (−34.9%). Volatility has been 23.5% a year.
Related: ROBT chart, ROBT holdings, ROBT dividends. See the ROBT overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
ROBT performance FAQ
What is the ROBT return over the past year?
ROBT returned +4.1% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 4.0%.
What is the average annual return of ROBT?
ROBT has returned +1.1% a year over 5 years, +8.1% a year since February 22, 2018 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in ROBT be worth?
$10,000 invested in ROBT at its first recorded close on February 22, 2018 would be worth about $19,575 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for ROBT?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −34.9%. The best was 2020 at +46.2%.
What is the biggest drawdown of ROBT?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −44.5% between February 12, 2021 and October 14, 2022. It recovered to the old high on June 1, 2026, 3.6 years after the bottom.
How volatile is ROBT?
Over the past 3 years ROBT had an annualized volatility of 21.6% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.50 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).