At a glance
EDOW charges 0.5% a year, above the 0.19% average of the 8 funds most like it (the 8th cheapest of 9). It has $306.6M in assets, the 8th largest of that group; it paid 1.21% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned +14.6% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 3rd of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +19.9% a year. At its worst it fell 33.1% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 22.0% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 8 months and 14 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 35.8% of the fund, out of 30 in all.
The short version
First Trust Dow 30 Equal Weight ETF (EDOW) tracks the Dow Jones Industrial Average Equal Weight Index, which holds the Dow's 30 large US companies in roughly equal amounts and rebalances quarterly. In the regular Dow, higher-priced stocks count more; here the largest holding, Caterpillar, was only about 4% of assets as of June 30, 2026. The trade-off is cost: its 0.50% yearly fee compares with 0.16% for DIA, SPDR's standard Dow fund.
Price history
The interactive chart needs JavaScript.
EDOW +14.6% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDOW official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +15.47% | — | +10.66% | — | +11.07% |
| EDOW price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +12.9% | +14.6% | +19.9% | +10.2% | — | +11.5% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, EDOW returned +14.6%, 3rd of 9 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +10.2%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 33.1% and regained its old high 7.6 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-7.5%); its best was 2019 (+24.7%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 33.7% (Feb 12, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020), recovered by Nov 16, 2020.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +12.9% | — |
| 2025 | +15.5% | +15.47% |
| 2024 | +13.2% | +13.16% |
| 2023 | +15.5% | +15.74% |
| 2022 | -7.5% | -7.52% |
| 2021 | +18.8% | +18.63% |
| 2020 | +6.6% | +6.41% |
| 2019 | +24.7% | +24.27% |
| 2018 | -2.0% | -0.88% |
| 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 | Lost 33.1% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 33.1%, back to its old high 7.6 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 20.1% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 22%, back to its old high 14 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.3900 | |
| 2025 | $0.5500 | -8.3% |
| 2024 | $0.6000 | -6.3% |
| 2023 | $0.6400 | +16.4% |
| 2022 | $0.5500 | +12.2% |
| 2021 | $0.4900 | -2.0% |
| 2020 | $0.5000 | +2.0% |
| 2019 | $0.4900 | +22.5% |
| 2018 | $0.4000 |
What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 30 securities; the ten largest made up 35.75% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| CATERPILLAR INC | 4.04% | |
| SHERWIN-WILLIAMS COMPANY (THE) | 3.68% | |
| HOME DEPOT INC (THE) | 3.59% | |
| TRAVELERS COMPANIES INC (THE) | 3.54% | |
| AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY | 3.51% | |
| MERCK & COMPANY INC | 3.51% | |
| AMGEN INC | 3.49% | |
| HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC | 3.48% | |
| JOHNSON & JOHNSON | 3.46% | |
| VISA INC | 3.45% | |
| JP MORGAN CHASE & COMPANY | 3.44% | |
| ALPHABET INC | 3.41% | |
| BOEING COMPANY (THE) | 3.37% | |
| INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP | 3.36% | |
| 3M COMPANY | 3.36% |
By country
United States 99.83%By asset type
Stocks 99.83%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 99.8% 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 Jun 30, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jun 30, 2026, investors withdrew a net $6.4M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +4.92%, +3.17%, +0.66%.
How it works
EDOW is an index fund. It aims to match the Dow Jones Industrial Average Equal Weight Index, before fees, and normally keeps at least 90% of its net assets in the index's stocks. S&P Dow Jones Indices runs the index. Its 30 stocks are the members of the Dow, which a committee of three S&P Dow Jones Indices staff and two Wall Street Journal staff selects. There is no set formula. The committee looks for US companies with an excellent reputation, sustained growth and wide investor interest, and it tries to cover a range of sectors. Transportation stocks and utilities are left out.
The fund resets every stock to the same weight once a quarter. Between resets, stocks that rise grow larger in the fund. As of June 30, 2026, Caterpillar was the largest holding at 4.0%, followed by Sherwin-Williams at 3.7% and Home Depot at 3.6%. The 10 largest holdings made up 35.75% of the fund. When the Dow drops a stock, its replacement enters EDOW at the departing stock's weight. Portfolio turnover was 16%, according to the prospectus.
This is a plain stock fund. As of June 30, 2026, it held no derivatives and just 0.14% in cash. The largest sectors were technology (19.1%), financials (17.2%) and health care (13.8%).
What it really costs
- EDOW charges 0.5% a year, versus an average of 0.19% for the similar funds below (8th of 9, cheapest first).
In a retirement portfolio
By spreading money evenly across 30 large US companies, EDOW could offset the heavy weighting toward a few giant companies in cap-weighted index funds, but it is still a pure US stock fund.
EDOW could sit alongside a broad cap-weighted US stock fund. Its holdings overlapped only 28% with SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF, so it adds a different mix of companies. It still falls when stocks fall. In the 2020 COVID crash it dropped 33.1% and took about 7.6 months to recover. In the 2022 bear market it fell 22% from its peak and took about 14 months to recover. Even so, it lost only 7.52% for calendar 2022, its worst year. The fund launched in 2017, so it has no record from 2008. Anyone selling shares for spending money during a slump like 2022 would have sold at a loss. Income is modest: a 1.21% trailing yield as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly. The 0.50% expense ratio is above the 0.19% average for similar funds. Past results don't predict future returns, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want all 30 Dow stocks in equal amounts, so no company gets extra weight just because its share price is high.
- People looking to pair a cap-weighted fund with something different: EDOW's holdings overlapped only 28% with SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF.
- Long-term holders who can wait out steep drops. EDOW fell 33.7% in early 2020 and took about 7.8 months to recover.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors. The 0.50% expense ratio ranked 8th of 9 among similar funds, against 0.16% for DIA and 0.07% for DJD.
- Anyone who wants broad diversification. The fund owns just 30 large US companies, with no small, mid-size or foreign stocks.
- Investors who need a lot of income. The trailing yield was 1.21% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDOW this fund | — | 0.5% | $306.6M | +14.6% | +19.9% |
| DIA SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust | 79% | 0.16% | $45.21B | +10.8% | +17.2% |
| DJD Invesco Dow Jones Industrial Average Divide… | 71% | 0.07% | $486.5M | +22.3% | +22.2% |
| USMC Principal U.S. Mega-Cap ETF | 38% | 0.12% | $3.49B | +11.3% | +24.5% |
| WOMN Tidal Trust III YWCA WOMENS EMPOWERMENT ETF | 34% | 0.75% | $55.1M | +11.0% | +18.1% |
| DYNF iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active … | 32% | 0.27% | $38.61B | +10.7% | +24.9% |
| DGRO iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | 32% | 0.08% | $42.77B | +21.8% | +20.6% |
| USCL iShares Climate Conscious & Transition MSCI… | 29% | 0.08% | $2.87B | +9.2% | +23.1% |
Questions investors ask
What's the difference between EDOW and DIA?
Both hold the 30 Dow stocks, but they weight them differently. DIA follows the Dow itself, which is price-weighted, so stocks with higher share prices have more influence. EDOW gives each stock an equal weight and resets the weights every quarter. Their holdings overlapped 79%. DIA costs 0.16% a year and EDOW costs 0.50%. DIA is also far larger: $45.2 billion in net assets as of July 31, 2026, against EDOW's $306.6 million as of June 30, 2026.
Does EDOW pay dividends?
Yes. EDOW pays dividends quarterly. Over the 12 months through October 27, 2026, it paid $0.56 per share, a trailing yield of 1.21%. That money comes from the dividends of the 30 Dow companies it holds, after the fund's 0.50% annual expenses. The yield is modest because the fund holds every Dow stock equally rather than favoring high-dividend companies, so it is not built mainly for income.
What are EDOW's top holdings?
As of June 30, 2026, the largest holdings were Caterpillar (4.0%), Sherwin-Williams (3.7%), Home Depot (3.6%), Travelers (3.5%) and American Express (3.5%). The rest of the top 10 were Merck, Amgen, Honeywell, Johnson & Johnson and Visa. Because every stock is reset to an equal weight each quarter, the weights stay close together. The top 10 made up 35.75% of the fund.
How has EDOW performed over the long term?
As of December 31, 2025, EDOW returned 15.47% over one year and averaged 10.66% a year over five years and 11.07% a year since its 2017 launch, according to its prospectus. Its strongest calendar year was 2019, at 24.27%. Its weakest was 2022, at -7.52%. Its worst quarter was the first quarter of 2020, when it lost 22.01%.
Is EDOW good for retirement?
It may suit some retirement portfolios as a complement to a broad stock fund, but it is not a defensive holding. It fell 33.1% in the 2020 COVID crash and 22% in the 2022 bear market, and it took about 14 months to recover from the 2022 drop. It pays a modest quarterly income, with a 1.21% yield as of October 27, 2026. Its 0.50% fee is above the 0.19% average of similar funds.