At a glance
AGQI charges 0.85% a year, above the 0.49% average of the 6 funds most like it (the most expensive of 7). It has $55.4M in assets, the 7th largest of that group; it paid 1.7% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned +12.7% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 3rd of those 7 funds. Its ten largest positions make up 40.8% of the fund, out of 32 in all.
The short version
First Trust Active Global Quality Income ETF (AGQI) is an actively managed fund of 32 dividend-paying stocks from the US and abroad. Its sub-advisor, Janus Henderson, picks them for stable and growing dividends. It is concentrated and costs more than similar funds. The top 10 holdings were about 41% of assets as of August 31, 2026. Its 0.85% expense ratio compares with a 0.49% average for similar funds.
Price history
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AGQI +12.7% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGQI official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +26.54% | — | +8.73% | +5.76% | +5.66% |
| AGQI price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +11.2% | +12.7% | — | — | — | +15.5% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, AGQI returned +12.7%, 3rd of 7 among similar funds.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2024 (+3.0%); its best was 2025 (+26.7%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 14.1% (Sep 26, 2024 to Apr 8, 2025), recovered by May 15, 2025.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +11.2% | — |
| 2025 | +26.7% | +26.54% |
| 2024 | +3.0% | +3.23% |
| 2023 | — | +9.95% |
| 2022 | — | -9.56% |
| 2021 | — | +17.01% |
| 2020 | — | -7.79% |
| 2019 | — | +22.24% |
| 2018 | — | -19.36% |
| 2017 | — | +22.66% |
| 2016 | — | +3.30% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Not in the price data, which starts Nov 21, 2023 |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Not in the price data, which starts Nov 21, 2023 |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.2310 | |
| 2025 | $0.4190 | +46.0% |
| 2024 | $0.2870 |
What's inside
As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 32 securities; the ten largest made up 40.78% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| MICROSOFT CORP | 5.69% | |
| EOG RESOURCES INC | 4.27% | |
| COMPAGNIE FINANCIERE RICHEMONT SA | 4.11% | |
| CARLSBERG A/S | 4.02% | |
| TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD | 3.95% | |
| COCA-COLA COMPANY (THE) | 3.79% | |
| BAE SYSTEMS PLC | 3.76% | |
| ALPHABET INC | 3.75% | |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD Preferred stock | 3.74% | |
| JOHNSON & JOHNSON | 3.70% | |
| SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC SE | 3.65% | |
| RIO TINTO PLC | 3.48% | |
| ABBVIE INC | 3.46% | |
| KOMATSU LTD | 3.36% | |
| BANK OF AMERICA CORP | 3.32% |
By country
United States 41.23%United Kingdom 12.7%Japan 11.2%France 6.95%Taiwan 6.51%By asset type
Stocks 96.6%Preferred stock 3.74%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 41.2% of the fund in companies that have a stock page here; other holdings and cash aren't classified. Source: N-PORT holdings report as of Aug 31, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Aug 31, 2026, investors withdrew a net $2.7M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +0.12%, +3.60%, +0.85%.
How it works
AGQI does not track an index. First Trust hires Janus Henderson Investors US LLC as sub-advisor to pick stocks, aiming for income with the potential for long-term growth. The manager looks for what it calls "Quality Income": companies that can keep paying, and ideally raise, dividends without hurting their finances. It judges each stock on three things. The first is return on equity or return on invested capital, which measure how well a company turns money into profit. The second is financial leverage, meaning debt compared with book value. The third is the payout ratio, the share of earnings paid out as dividends.
The fund typically keeps at least 40% of net assets in companies tied to countries outside the US. It invests in at least three countries and can put up to 20% in emerging markets. It leans toward large companies and may hold common stock, depositary receipts, preferred shares and REITs (real estate investment trusts). As of August 31, 2026, about 41% was in the US, 13% in the UK and 11% in Japan. The largest positions were Microsoft (5.7%), EOG Resources (4.3%), Richemont (4.1%) and Carlsberg (4.0%).
The manager trades as its views change, and portfolio turnover was 64%. The fund is "non-diversified," so it can hold bigger stakes in fewer companies. It held no derivatives as of August 31, 2026. Its foreign holdings expose it to currency swings.
What it really costs
- AGQI charges 0.85% a year, versus an average of 0.49% for the similar funds below (7th of 7, cheapest first).
In a retirement portfolio
It adds dividend-paying stocks from the UK, Japan, Europe and Asia to a portfolio, but its 1.7% yield is too modest to serve as a main income source.
AGQI could add global quality-dividend stocks to a US-heavy portfolio, with only about 41% of assets in US companies as of August 31, 2026. It still behaves like a stock fund. It lost 19.36% in 2018, its worst calendar year. It lost 7.79% in 2020 and 9.56% in 2022, and its worst quarter was a 33.44% drop in early 2020. It launched in 2015, so it has no 2008 record. Selling shares in a year like 2018 would have locked in losses. In price data since November 2023, its deepest drop was 14.1%, and it recovered by May 15, 2025. Income is modest: the trailing 12-month yield was 1.7% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly. The 0.85% expense ratio uses up half that yield. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors with mostly US stocks who want dividend payers from the UK, Japan, France and Taiwan in a single fund.
- People who prefer an active manager, Janus Henderson, screening dividend payers for profitability, debt levels and payout ratios.
- Holders comfortable with a concentrated 32-stock portfolio whose top 10 made up about 41% as of August 31, 2026.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: the 0.85% expense ratio was the highest among seven similar funds, which averaged 0.49%.
- Retirees seeking high income: the trailing 12-month yield was 1.7% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly.
- Investors uneasy with stock-sized losses: the fund fell 19.36% in 2018 and 33.44% in the first quarter of 2020.
Close alternatives
Matched by closest holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports (no similar fund shares 20% or more of its holdings).
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGQI this fund | — | 0.85% | $55.4M | +12.7% | — |
| DNL WisdomTree Global ex-U.S. Quality Dividend … · different strategy | 14% | 0.42% | $486.5M | +6.2% | +13.3% |
| IQDG WisdomTree International Quality Dividend G… · different strategy | 11% | 0.42% | $695.5M | +6.7% | +14.0% |
| IHDG WisdomTree International Hedged Quality Div… | 11% | 0.58% | $2.20B | +11.6% | +14.2% |
| EUDG WisdomTree Europe Quality Dividend Growth F… · different strategy | 9% | 0.58% | $67.5M | +7.1% | +13.9% |
| IQDF FlexShares International Quality Dividend I… · different strategy | 9% | 0.47% | $1.16B | +20.2% | +24.4% |
| IQDY FlexShares International Quality Dividend D… · different strategy | 8% | 0.47% | $111.0M | +19.5% | +25.6% |
Questions investors ask
Does AGQI pay monthly dividends?
No. AGQI pays dividends quarterly. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid $0.308 per share, a trailing yield of 1.7%. A trailing yield shows what the fund paid over the past year as a share of its price. It does not promise future payouts. The fund's stocks can cut or stop their dividends, and payments from foreign holdings also shift with exchange rates.
What is AGQI's expense ratio?
AGQI's expense ratio is 0.85% a year, according to its prospectus filed March 30, 2026, and the whole amount is the management fee. That is well above the 0.49% average for similar funds. It ranks last on cost among seven comparable funds. For example, WisdomTree's DNL and IQDG each charge 0.42%. Active stock picking by a sub-advisor helps explain the higher fee.
AGQI vs IHDG: what's the difference?
Both focus on quality dividend payers, but they share only about 11% of their holdings. AGQI is actively managed and held about 41% in US stocks as of August 31, 2026. As its name says, WisdomTree International Hedged Quality Dividend Growth Fund (IHDG) is international and currency-hedged. IHDG charges 0.58% against AGQI's 0.85%, and it is much larger, at about $2.2 billion as of June 30, 2026. Over one year to October 27, 2026, AGQI returned 12.7% and IHDG 11.6%.
Is AGQI good for retirement?
It depends on the role. AGQI is a global stock fund with a modest 1.7% yield (as of October 27, 2026), not a steady income product. As of December 31, 2025, it returned 5.76% a year over 10 years and 8.73% a year over five years. Losses can be steep: it fell 19.36% in 2018. It may suit investors who want non-US dividend stocks and can wait out downturns.
What stocks are in AGQI?
AGQI held 32 stocks as of August 31, 2026. The largest were Microsoft (5.7%), EOG Resources (4.3%), Richemont (4.1%), Carlsberg (4.0%) and Taiwan Semiconductor (3.9%). Coca-Cola, BAE Systems, Alphabet, Samsung Electronics preferred shares and Johnson & Johnson rounded out the top 10. Together the top 10 made up about 41% of assets. The fund is small, with about $55 million in net assets on that date.