FAAR Performance — First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF
Data updated: 2026-08-21
FAAR returned +17.37% year to date and +26.68% over one year to Jun 2026. Annualised returns are +9.88% over 3 years and +7.11% over 5 years. The fund beat its Multistrategy category average: $100 invested three years ago grew to $133, against $124 for the category, and to $127 over one year, against $110. Volatility over the past three years was 11.93% a year. In the 12 months to Jun 2026 the fund took in a net $64.2M, and assets reached $178.24M.
FAAR Growth of $100
What $100 invested in First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF grew to, compounded from monthly returns reported on SEC Form N-PORT, against the Multistrategy category average over the same months.
| Period | FAAR | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year (Jul 2025 – Jun 2026) | $127 | $110 |
| 3 years (Jul 2023 – Jun 2026) | $133 | $124 |
| 5 years (Jul 2021 – Jun 2026) | $141 | $124 |
| Since data start (Jul 2019 – Jun 2026) | $167 | $152 |
FAAR Trailing Returns
Total returns to Jun 2026, from SEC N-PORT.
| Period | Total return |
|---|---|
| YTD | +17.37% |
| 1 year | +26.68% |
| 3 years (annualised) | +9.88% |
| 5 years (annualised) | +7.11% |
FAAR Annual Returns
Calendar-year total returns of First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF, compounded from monthly SEC N-PORT returns. Partial years show the months covered.
| Year | Total return |
|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Jun) | +17.37% |
| 2025 | +7.96% |
| 2024 | +6.31% |
| 2023 | −5.72% |
| 2022 | +9.97% |
| 2021 | +13.49% |
| 2020 | +7.34% |
| 2019 (Jul–Dec) | −1.71% |
FAAR Monthly Returns
Monthly total returns as reported on SEC Form N-PORT.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | +8.1% | +3.1% | +12.2% | +1.5% | −1.2% | −6.3% | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025 | +1.6% | −0.7% | +2.6% | −7.5% | −0.5% | +5.0% | +4.1% | +3.0% | +3.0% | −1.1% | +0.7% | −1.9% |
| 2024 | +1.8% | +2.2% | +1.7% | +0.5% | −1.9% | +1.6% | +0.7% | −1.4% | −1.1% | +0.4% | +0.2% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | +0.9% | −0.8% | +0.2% | −3.1% | +1.2% | −2.7% | +2.0% | +0.8% | −0.3% | −3.0% | +0.9% | −1.7% |
| 2022 | +3.9% | +5.9% | +7.1% | +2.5% | −1.1% | −3.0% | −1.7% | −0.7% | −4.5% | +3.1% | −2.5% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | +1.6% | +5.0% | +0.3% | +3.0% | +3.1% | −1.0% | −0.2% | −2.1% | +3.2% | +2.6% | −6.1% | +3.8% |
| 2020 | −2.1% | 0.0% | −1.2% | +0.6% | +2.5% | +1.1% | +2.6% | +0.5% | −1.9% | −0.7% | +2.2% | +3.7% |
| 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | +0.1% | −0.2% | −1.5% | +0.9% | −1.5% | +0.4% |
FAAR Risk
Risk measures from monthly returns over Jul 2023 – Jun 2026.
- 3-year volatility (annualised): 11.93%
- 3-year Sharpe ratio: 0.45 (vs 4.5% risk-free rate)
- Best month: +12.19% (Mar 2026)
- Worst month: −7.48% (Apr 2025)
FAAR Fund Flows
Monthly money in and out of First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF, from SEC Form N-PORT.
- 12-month net flow: $64.2M
- 12-month gross sales (incl. reinvestments): $97.2M
- Sales ÷ redemptions: 2.95×
| Month | Sales | Redemptions | Net flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2026 | $14.9M | $0 | $14.9M |
| May 2026 | $10.2M | $0 | $10.2M |
| Apr 2026 | $1.7M | $10.1M | −$8.4M |
| Mar 2026 | $8.2M | $3.4M | $4.9M |
| Feb 2026 | $4.5M | $0 | $4.5M |
| Jan 2026 | $9.8M | $0 | $9.8M |
| Dec 2025 | $4.4M | $0 | $4.4M |
| Nov 2025 | $37.6M | $19.5M | $18.1M |
| Oct 2025 | $3.0M | $0 | $3.0M |
| Sep 2025 | $1.5M | $0 | $1.5M |
| Aug 2025 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Jul 2025 | $1.4M | $0 | $1.4M |
FAAR Assets Under Management
Net assets of First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF by report date, from SEC N-PORT filings.
| Report date | Net assets |
|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | $178.24M |
| 2026-03-31 | $173.88M |
| 2025-12-31 | $121.89M |
| 2025-09-30 | $111.12M |
| 2025-06-30 | $98.35M |
| 2025-03-31 | $99.56M |
| 2024-12-31 | $96.70M |
| 2024-09-30 | $115.22M |
| 2024-06-30 | $123.88M |
| 2024-03-31 | $141.95M |
| 2023-12-31 | $156.87M |
| 2023-09-30 | $171.92M |
For information only. Not investment advice: figures are as reported in SEC filings and may contain errors or be out of date. Past performance does not guarantee future results.