Rankings / FTHI
First Trust BuyWrite Income ETF
5.8
Overall Score
FTHI holds about 192 U.S.-listed equities of all sizes and writes covered calls on the S&P 500 Index. The overwrite averages 69% of NAV, with calls about 0.6% out of the money and 26 days to expiry on average. First Trust Advisors manages it and the fund pays monthly.
The fund holds a diversified portfolio of US exchange-listed equities and writes call options on the S&P 500 Index. In 2026, the Board approved an increase in the allowed notional range of sold call options from 25-75% to 50-100% of the portfolio. Premium collected is distributed monthly. The strategy does not hedge market declines: down-capture has exceeded up-capture since inception.
A 9.0% yield with a 69% overwrite, but the worst drawdown (-23.6%) was nearly identical to SPY's (-23.9%).
Cumulative total return of FTHI against SPY, distributions reinvested.
Cumulative total return, rebased to 0% at the start of each period. Distributions reinvested. Data through end of previous month.
Calendar-year total return, distributions reinvested.
| Year | FTHI | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +6.78% | +12.71% |
| 2025 | +11.03% | +17.72% |
| 2024 | +18.99% | +24.89% |
| 2023 | +20.71% | +26.19% |
| 2022 | -4.36% | -18.17% |
| 2021 | +13.92% | +28.75% |
| 2020 | -7.15% | +18.37% |
| 2019 | +11.46% | n/a |
Historical years are frozen. YTD is refreshed monthly.
Composite score from six weighted criteria, measured since inception.
Performance since inception against the benchmark.
How much of the benchmark drawdown the fund absorbed.
How much of the benchmark rally the fund kept.
Frequency of distribution cuts below 85% of the previous payment.
Inversely proportional to the annual management fee.
Assets under management on a log scale.
Sector and geographic composition of FTHI underlying holdings.
| # | Symbol | Name | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AAPL | Apple | 7.75% |
| 2 | NVDA | NVIDIA | 7.36% |
| 3 | MSFT | Microsoft | 3.15% |
| 4 | AMZN | Amazon.com, | 2.59% |
| 5 | DELL | Dell Technologies Inc. (Class C) | 2.57% |
| 6 | JPM | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | 2.51% |
| 7 | GOOGL | Alphabet Inc. (Class A) | 2.41% |
| 8 | ASML | ASML Holding N.V. (New York Registry Shares) | 2.33% |
| 9 | AVGO | Broadcom | 2.11% |
| 10 | BAC | Bank of America | 2.06% |
Holdings data from fund disclosures, updated periodically. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to cash, options, and other positions not shown.
The same six criteria, applied to different trailing periods. Pro subscribers see the full breakdown.
Since inception
5.8
3 years
7.3
1 year
6.9
3 months
6.9
How has FTHI ranked across inception, 3 years, 1 year, and 3 months? Pro subscribers can compare a fund's trajectory over every window, across all 28 funds.
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Expense Ratio
0.750%
Inception Date
January 6, 2014
Benchmark
SPY
Category
Covered Call - Large Cap
Distribution Frequency
Monthly
Maturity Rating
5/5 stars
Scores calculated using CoveredRank methodology. Every formula is published and reproducible.
See full methodology→Disclaimer: CoveredRank provides independent educational content only. This is not financial advice. Please consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Past performance does not guarantee future results.