At a glance
EMOT charges 0.6% a year, above the 0.36% average of the 7 funds most like it (the 7th cheapest of 8). It has $2.7M in assets, the 8th largest of that group; it paid 1.05% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned +11.6% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 4th of those 8 funds. Its ten largest positions make up 23.3% of the fund, out of 50 in all.
The short version
First Trust S&P 500 Economic Moat ETF (EMOT) tracks the S&P 500 Economic Moat Index: 50 S&P 500 stocks judged to have a lasting competitive edge ("economic moat"), weighted equally. It may appeal to investors wanting that quality screen without the S&P 500's tilt toward its giants. The drawbacks: a 0.60% expense ratio, well above the 0.36% average for similar funds, and only $2.7 million in net assets as of June 30, 2026.
Price history
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EMOT +11.6% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMOT official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +14.13% | — | — | — | +13.21% |
| EMOT price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +13.3% | +11.6% | — | — | — | +14.3% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, EMOT returned +11.6%, 4th of 8 among similar funds.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2025 (+14.2%); its best was 2025 (+14.2%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 16.4% (Feb 19, 2025 to Apr 8, 2025), recovered by Jun 24, 2025.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +13.3% | — |
| 2025 | +14.2% | +14.13% |
| 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 | Before this security existed |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Before this security existed |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.1800 | |
| 2025 | $0.2000 |
What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 50 securities; the ten largest made up 23.34% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| APPLIED MATERIALS INC | 2.82% | |
| KLA CORP | 2.74% | |
| LAM RESEARCH CORP | 2.62% | |
| TEXAS PACIFIC LAND CORP | 2.27% | |
| METTLER-TOLEDO INTERNATIONAL INC | 2.21% | |
| BOOKING HOLDINGS INC | 2.16% | |
| FORTINET INC | 2.15% | |
| HOME DEPOT INC (THE) | 2.15% | |
| JABIL INC | 2.13% | |
| KIMBERLY CLARK CORP | 2.10% | |
| PROGRESSIVE CORP (THE) | 2.08% | |
| ELI LILLY & COMPANY | 2.07% | |
| VISA INC | 2.06% | |
| TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC | 2.06% | |
| YUM! BRANDS INC | 2.06% |
By country
United States 99.86%By asset type
Stocks 99.86%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 92.2% 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 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 $14K (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +6.79%, +4.00%, +2.68%.
How it works
EMOT aims to match, before fees, the S&P 500 Economic Moat Index, run by S&P Dow Jones Indices. The index starts with the S&P 500 minus real estate stocks. It scores each company's "economic moat," or ability to fend off rivals, by combining three measures: high and steady gross margin (the share of revenue left after direct costs), five-year average return on invested capital (profit earned on lenders' and shareholders' money), and a market share score. Financial stocks skip the gross-margin test.
The 50 top scorers enter the index at equal weights. Twice a year the index is rebuilt and the weights are reset, and the fund trades to match soon after the changes are made public. In between, rising stocks grow larger: Applied Materials was the largest holding at 2.8% of assets as of June 30, 2026, ahead of KLA and Lam Research. Turnover, a gauge of trading activity, was 18%.
The fund normally owns every index stock at its index weight and held no derivatives as of June 30, 2026. It is "non-diversified," so it may hold bigger stakes in fewer companies than a diversified fund, and it concentrates in an industry whenever the index does. As of December 31, 2025, the index leaned toward consumer discretionary and information technology companies.
What it really costs
- EMOT charges 0.6% a year, versus an average of 0.36% for the similar funds below (7th of 8, cheapest first).
In a retirement portfolio
With 50 stocks, non-diversified status, a history starting June 27, 2024, and $2.7 million in net assets, it fits better as a small add-on than a core position.
EMOT offers an equal-weighted tilt toward highly profitable large US companies. Launched June 27, 2024, it did not exist during the 2008, 2020 or 2022 downturns; 2025 (up 14.1%) is its only full calendar year. Its deepest drop, 16.4% from February 19 to April 8, 2025, was made up by June 24, 2025, about 2.5 months later. Withdrawals made mid-drop would still have locked in losses, and one quick rebound proves little.
Income is modest: a 1.05% yield for the year to October 27, 2026, paid quarterly. The 0.60% expense ratio is above the 0.36% average for similar funds. At $2.7 million in net assets as of June 30, 2026, it is tiny, and tiny funds close more often, returning cash and possibly triggering a taxable gain outside retirement accounts. Past results don't predict future ones, 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 a rules-based screen for high, steady margins and returns on capital, applied to 50 S&P 500 stocks held in equal amounts.
- Those wanting a stock fund that moved less than the market: its beta, a sensitivity gauge, was 0.69 in the year to October 27, 2026.
- Holders of a low-cost S&P 500 fund wanting a small add-on that spreads money evenly instead of by company size.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: only one of seven similar funds charges more than EMOT's 0.60%, while SEIQ and FQAL charge 0.15% and 0.16%.
- Anyone wary of tiny funds: EMOT had $2.7 million in net assets as of June 30, 2026, raising risks of closure and thin trading.
- Income seekers or anyone wanting a long track record: the yield was 1.05% as of October 27, 2026, and history starts June 27, 2024.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMOT this fund | — | 0.6% | $2.7M | +11.6% | — |
| SEIQ SEI Enhanced U.S. Large Cap Quality Factor … | 35% | 0.15% | $663.8M | +10.6% | +18.4% |
| FQAL Fidelity Quality Factor ETF | 33% | 0.16% | $1.41B | +12.6% | +22.8% |
| ESMV iShares ESG MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF | 25% | 0.18% | $7.7M | +12.0% | +15.1% |
| OALC OneAscent Large Cap Core ETF | 25% | 0.49% | $263.9M | +16.9% | +24.8% |
| POWA Invesco Bloomberg Pricing Power ETF | 24% | 0.4% | $175.3M | +0.2% | +14.4% |
| ACVF American Conservative Values ETF | 24% | 0.75% | $152.3M | +11.1% | +21.5% |
| QOWZ Invesco Nasdaq Free Cash Flow Achievers ETF | 21% | 0.39% | $10.7M | +2.4% | — |
Questions investors ask
What stocks are in the EMOT ETF?
EMOT held 50 stocks as of June 30, 2026, all US companies from the S&P 500. Because they are equally weighted, no single name dominates: the largest, Applied Materials, was 2.8% of assets, followed by KLA, Lam Research, Texas Pacific Land, Mettler-Toledo, Booking Holdings, Fortinet, Home Depot, Jabil and Kimberly-Clark. The top 10 made up 23.3%. Technology was the biggest sector at 27.3%, then consumer discretionary at 21.8%.
What is EMOT's expense ratio?
EMOT's expense ratio is 0.60% a year, per its prospectus filed January 28, 2026, all of it management fee. That is well above the 0.36% average for seven similar funds. SEI Enhanced U.S. Large Cap Quality Factor ETF (SEIQ) charges 0.15% and Fidelity Quality Factor ETF (FQAL) 0.16%; only American Conservative Values ETF (ACVF), at 0.75%, costs more. Fees are taken from fund assets, reducing returns every year.
Does EMOT pay dividends?
Yes, EMOT pays dividends quarterly, though the income is modest. Its yield for the year to October 27, 2026, was 1.05%, or about $0.28 per share. Those payments pass along dividends from the fund's 50 stocks, after expenses. The index picks companies for high, steady margins, return on capital and market share, not dividend size, so the fund is not designed as an income product.
What's the difference between EMOT and SEIQ?
The main differences are cost and size. SEI Enhanced U.S. Large Cap Quality Factor ETF (SEIQ) has the largest holdings overlap with EMOT among similar funds, about 35%, but charges 0.15% a year versus EMOT's 0.60%. SEIQ had about $664 million in net assets as of June 30, 2026, against EMOT's $2.7 million. EMOT holds 50 equally weighted stocks chosen by an economic moat score. Over the year to October 27, 2026, EMOT returned 11.6% and SEIQ 10.6%.
Is EMOT a risky ETF?
Yes: it carries stock risk plus a few extras. Its deepest drop was 16.4%, from February 19 to April 8, 2025, and it recovered by June 24, 2025. Its beta, a gauge of market sensitivity, was 0.69 in the year to October 27, 2026, so it tended to swing less than the market. But it holds just 50 stocks, is classed as non-diversified, launched only on June 27, 2024, and had $2.7 million in net assets as of June 30, 2026, a size at which funds are more often closed.