FCEF Performance — First Trust Income Opportunities ETF
Data updated: 2026-07-22
FCEF returned +7.65% year to date and +18.12% over one year to May 2026. Annualised returns are +16.79% over 3 years and +6.13% over 5 years. The fund beat its US Multi-Cap Value category average: $100 invested three years ago grew to $159, against $151 for the category, and to $118 over one year, against $117. Volatility over the past three years was 9.66% a year. In the 12 months to May 2026 the fund took in a net $28.7M, and assets reached $79.25M.
FCEF Growth of $100
What $100 invested in First Trust Income Opportunities ETF grew to, compounded from monthly returns reported on SEC Form N-PORT, against the US Multi-Cap Value category average over the same months.
| Period | FCEF | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year (Jun 2025 – May 2026) | $118 | $117 |
| 3 years (Jun 2023 – May 2026) | $159 | $151 |
| 5 years (Jun 2021 – May 2026) | $135 | $144 |
| Since data start (Sep 2019 – May 2026) | $171 | $192 |
FCEF Trailing Returns
Total returns to May 2026, from SEC N-PORT.
| Period | Total return |
|---|---|
| YTD | +7.65% |
| 1 year | +18.12% |
| 3 years (annualised) | +16.79% |
| 5 years (annualised) | +6.13% |
FCEF Annual Returns
Calendar-year total returns of First Trust Income Opportunities ETF, compounded from monthly SEC N-PORT returns. Partial years show the months covered.
| Year | Total return |
|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–May) | +7.65% |
| 2025 | +14.38% |
| 2024 | +17.50% |
| 2023 | +10.12% |
| 2022 | −19.62% |
| 2021 | +19.17% |
| 2020 | +3.92% |
| 2019 (Sep–Dec) | +7.69% |
FCEF 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 | +2.9% | +1.9% | −4.9% | +6.2% | +1.6% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025 | +3.4% | +0.2% | −1.3% | −1.4% | +3.3% | +3.5% | +1.0% | +2.0% | +0.9% | +0.5% | +1.3% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | +1.4% | +2.1% | +3.2% | −2.5% | +4.4% | +1.7% | +3.3% | +2.0% | +2.3% | −1.3% | +3.6% | −3.7% |
| 2023 | +7.2% | −2.7% | −2.1% | +0.4% | −2.5% | +4.3% | +2.9% | −1.8% | −3.2% | −3.2% | +7.4% | +3.8% |
| 2022 | −5.6% | −3.9% | +2.4% | −6.8% | −0.4% | −7.0% | +7.7% | −2.5% | −10.1% | +6.0% | +4.7% | −4.3% |
| 2021 | +0.2% | +3.1% | +3.2% | +4.6% | +1.7% | +1.9% | −1.0% | +2.8% | −3.4% | +4.2% | −3.2% | +4.1% |
| 2020 | +0.5% | −9.1% | −20.9% | +9.3% | +4.9% | +1.8% | +4.0% | +3.7% | −1.9% | −2.2% | +13.9% | +4.6% |
| 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | +2.6% | +0.6% | +1.7% | +2.5% |
FCEF Risk
Risk measures from monthly returns over Jun 2023 – May 2026.
- 3-year volatility (annualised): 9.66%
- 3-year Sharpe ratio: 1.27 (vs 4.5% risk-free rate)
- Best month: +7.43% (Nov 2023)
- Worst month: −4.85% (Mar 2026)
FCEF Fund Flows
Monthly money in and out of First Trust Income Opportunities ETF, from SEC Form N-PORT.
- 12-month net flow: $28.7M
- 12-month gross sales (incl. reinvestments): $28.7M
| Month | Sales | Redemptions | Net flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | $3.6M | $0 | $3.6M |
| Apr 2026 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Mar 2026 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Feb 2026 | $4.7M | $0 | $4.7M |
| Jan 2026 | $1.2M | $0 | $1.2M |
| Dec 2025 | $2.3M | $0 | $2.3M |
| Nov 2025 | $1.1M | $0 | $1.1M |
| Oct 2025 | $2.3M | $0 | $2.3M |
| Sep 2025 | $6.8M | $0 | $6.8M |
| Aug 2025 | $2.3M | $0 | $2.3M |
| Jul 2025 | $2.2M | $0 | $2.2M |
| Jun 2025 | $2.2M | $0 | $2.2M |
FCEF Assets Under Management
Net assets of First Trust Income Opportunities ETF by report date, from SEC N-PORT filings.
| Report date | Net assets |
|---|---|
| 2026-05-31 | $79.25M |
| 2026-02-28 | $75.04M |
| 2025-11-30 | $64.64M |
| 2025-08-31 | $53.72M |
| 2025-05-31 | $44.76M |
| 2025-02-28 | $43.15M |
| 2024-11-30 | $40.65M |
| 2024-08-31 | $38.50M |
| 2024-05-31 | $33.41M |
| 2024-02-29 | $29.36M |
| 2023-11-30 | $25.91M |
| 2023-08-31 | $28.17M |
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.