FTLS Performance — First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF
Data updated: 2026-09-24
FTLS returned +6.04% year to date and +13.64% over one year to Jul 2026. Annualised returns are +13.13% over 3 years and +10.08% over 5 years. The fund trailed its US Large Blend category average: $100 invested three years ago grew to $145, against $153 for the category, and to $114 over one year, against $116. Volatility over the past three years was 7.00% a year. In the 12 months to Jul 2026 the fund took in a net $312.8M, and assets reached $2.49B.
FTLS Growth of $100
What $100 invested in First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF grew to, compounded from monthly returns reported on SEC Form N-PORT, against the US Large Blend category average over the same months.
| Period | FTLS | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year (Aug 2025 – Jul 2026) | $114 | $116 |
| 3 years (Aug 2023 – Jul 2026) | $145 | $153 |
| 5 years (Aug 2021 – Jul 2026) | $162 | $159 |
| Since data start (Aug 2019 – Jul 2026) | $196 | $226 |
FTLS Trailing Returns
Total returns to Jul 2026, from SEC N-PORT.
| Period | Total return |
|---|---|
| YTD | +6.04% |
| 1 year | +13.64% |
| 3 years (annualised) | +13.13% |
| 5 years (annualised) | +10.08% |
FTLS Annual Returns
Calendar-year total returns of First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF, compounded from monthly SEC N-PORT returns. Partial years show the months covered.
| Year | Total return |
|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Jul) | +6.04% |
| 2025 | +9.14% |
| 2024 | +18.56% |
| 2023 | +17.03% |
| 2022 | −5.19% |
| 2021 | +19.48% |
| 2020 | +2.36% |
| 2019 (Aug–Dec) | +5.09% |
FTLS 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 | +1.0% | −0.8% | −1.2% | +4.8% | +1.0% | −0.7% | +1.9% | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025 | +2.5% | −1.7% | −3.4% | −0.5% | +2.9% | +1.5% | +0.7% | +1.4% | +3.6% | +1.5% | +0.9% | −0.3% |
| 2024 | +2.5% | +4.0% | +2.5% | −3.5% | +3.1% | +2.5% | +0.5% | +1.2% | +0.1% | +0.6% | +3.8% | 0.0% |
| 2023 | +2.7% | −1.8% | +3.3% | +1.3% | −0.8% | +3.4% | +2.5% | −0.5% | −0.9% | −0.4% | +4.5% | +2.8% |
| 2022 | −4.2% | −0.1% | +1.9% | −1.7% | +1.8% | −5.0% | +4.1% | −2.4% | −4.3% | +4.0% | +4.3% | −3.2% |
| 2021 | +2.9% | +1.5% | +0.1% | +2.9% | +2.4% | +1.3% | +0.9% | +1.4% | −3.0% | +4.2% | −0.2% | +3.8% |
| 2020 | +0.4% | −6.2% | −7.2% | +6.5% | +3.1% | −0.1% | +4.9% | +3.2% | −4.1% | −1.6% | +2.1% | +2.2% |
| 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | −0.8% | +1.4% | +1.7% | +1.4% | +1.4% |
FTLS Risk
Risk measures from monthly returns over Aug 2023 – Jul 2026.
- 3-year volatility (annualised): 7.00%
- 3-year Sharpe ratio: 1.23 (vs 4.5% risk-free rate)
- Best month: +4.79% (Apr 2026)
- Worst month: −3.50% (Apr 2024)
FTLS Fund Flows
Monthly money in and out of First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF, from SEC Form N-PORT.
- 12-month net flow: $312.8M
- 12-month gross sales (incl. reinvestments): $2.4B
- Sales ÷ redemptions: 1.15×
| Month | Sales | Redemptions | Net flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | $41.0M | $0 | $41.0M |
| Jun 2026 | $863.9M | $782.7M | $81.2M |
| May 2026 | $33.4M | $3.7M | $29.6M |
| Apr 2026 | $29.1M | $0 | $29.1M |
| Mar 2026 | $338.7M | $321.8M | $16.9M |
| Feb 2026 | $14.3M | $21.6M | −$7.3M |
| Jan 2026 | $35.6M | $14.3M | $21.4M |
| Dec 2025 | $510.7M | $479.3M | $31.4M |
| Nov 2025 | $31.8M | $10.7M | $21.1M |
| Oct 2025 | $63.4M | $0 | $63.4M |
| Sep 2025 | $3.5M | $23.8M | −$20.3M |
| Aug 2025 | $451.4M | $446.1M | $5.3M |
FTLS Assets Under Management
Net assets of First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF by report date, from SEC N-PORT filings.
| Report date | Net assets |
|---|---|
| 2026-07-31 | $2.49B |
| 2026-04-30 | $2.30B |
| 2026-01-31 | $2.20B |
| 2025-10-31 | $2.10B |
| 2025-07-31 | $1.93B |
| 2025-04-30 | $1.93B |
| 2025-01-31 | $1.88B |
| 2024-10-31 | $1.57B |
| 2024-07-31 | $1.47B |
| 2024-04-30 | $1.16B |
| 2024-01-31 | $922.22M |
| 2023-10-31 | $731.72M |
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.