UCON Performance — First Trust Smith Unconstrained Bond ETF
Data updated: 2026-07-22
UCON returned +0.90% year to date and +5.30% over one year to May 2026. Annualised returns are +5.75% over 3 years and +2.82% over 5 years. The fund trailed its Intermediate Corporate Bond category average: $100 invested three years ago grew to $118, against $119 for the category, and to $105 over one year, against $106. Volatility over the past three years was 3.41% a year. In the 12 months to May 2026 the fund took in a net $291.5M, and assets reached $3.28B.
UCON Growth of $100
What $100 invested in First Trust Smith Unconstrained Bond ETF grew to, compounded from monthly returns reported on SEC Form N-PORT, against the Intermediate Corporate Bond category average over the same months.
| Period | UCON | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year (Jun 2025 – May 2026) | $105 | $106 |
| 3 years (Jun 2023 – May 2026) | $118 | $119 |
| 5 years (Jun 2021 – May 2026) | $115 | $107 |
| Since data start (Sep 2019 – May 2026) | $125 | $116 |
UCON Trailing Returns
Total returns to May 2026, from SEC N-PORT.
| Period | Total return |
|---|---|
| YTD | +0.90% |
| 1 year | +5.30% |
| 3 years (annualised) | +5.75% |
| 5 years (annualised) | +2.82% |
UCON Annual Returns
Calendar-year total returns of First Trust Smith Unconstrained Bond ETF, compounded from monthly SEC N-PORT returns. Partial years show the months covered.
| Year | Total return |
|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–May) | +0.90% |
| 2025 | +6.99% |
| 2024 | +4.89% |
| 2023 | +7.54% |
| 2022 | −5.86% |
| 2021 | +1.03% |
| 2020 | +6.80% |
| 2019 (Sep–Dec) | +0.96% |
UCON 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 | +0.3% | +1.0% | −1.5% | +0.7% | +0.5% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025 | +0.7% | +1.2% | +0.2% | +0.3% | +0.2% | +1.2% | 0.0% | +1.1% | +0.8% | +0.5% | +0.7% | 0.0% |
| 2024 | +0.5% | −0.6% | +0.8% | −1.3% | +1.2% | +0.8% | +1.7% | +1.2% | +1.1% | −1.3% | +0.9% | −0.3% |
| 2023 | +2.3% | −1.2% | +1.4% | +0.8% | −0.3% | −0.1% | +0.9% | 0.0% | −0.9% | −1.0% | +3.1% | +2.5% |
| 2022 | −0.9% | −0.8% | −1.1% | −1.7% | +0.1% | −2.1% | +1.9% | −0.8% | −2.3% | −0.4% | +1.9% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | +0.3% | −0.1% | −0.1% | +0.4% | +0.3% | +0.2% | +0.2% | +0.1% | +0.1% | −0.3% | −0.4% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | +1.1% | +0.1% | −5.7% | +3.0% | +1.9% | +1.7% | +1.6% | +0.5% | +0.2% | +0.3% | +1.3% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | +0.1% | +0.6% | 0.0% | +0.3% |
UCON Risk
Risk measures from monthly returns over Jun 2023 – May 2026.
- 3-year volatility (annualised): 3.41%
- 3-year Sharpe ratio: 0.37 (vs 4.5% risk-free rate)
- Best month: +3.06% (Nov 2023)
- Worst month: −1.51% (Mar 2026)
UCON Fund Flows
Monthly money in and out of First Trust Smith Unconstrained Bond ETF, from SEC Form N-PORT.
- 12-month net flow: $291.5M
- 12-month gross sales (incl. reinvestments): $366.1M
- Sales ÷ redemptions: 4.91×
| Month | Sales | Redemptions | Net flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | $44.7M | $0 | $44.7M |
| Apr 2026 | $1.3M | $0 | $1.3M |
| Mar 2026 | $18.9M | $0 | $18.9M |
| Feb 2026 | $37.8M | $0 | $37.8M |
| Jan 2026 | $23.9M | $0 | $23.9M |
| Dec 2025 | $54.1M | $0 | $54.1M |
| Nov 2025 | $29.0M | $0 | $29.0M |
| Oct 2025 | $137.8M | $0 | $137.8M |
| Sep 2025 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Aug 2025 | $0 | $29.9M | −$29.9M |
| Jul 2025 | $18.7M | $11.2M | $7.5M |
| Jun 2025 | $0 | $33.5M | −$33.5M |
UCON Assets Under Management
Net assets of First Trust Smith Unconstrained Bond ETF by report date, from SEC N-PORT filings.
| Report date | Net assets |
|---|---|
| 2026-05-31 | $3.28B |
| 2026-02-28 | $3.26B |
| 2025-11-30 | $3.14B |
| 2025-08-31 | $2.95B |
| 2025-05-31 | $2.97B |
| 2025-02-28 | $3.49B |
| 2024-11-30 | $3.26B |
| 2024-08-31 | $2.91B |
| 2024-05-31 | $2.40B |
| 2024-02-29 | $2.11B |
| 2023-11-30 | $1.67B |
| 2023-08-31 | $1.49B |
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.