At a glance
FTC charges 0.58% a year, above the 0.24% average of the 8 funds most like it (the 7th cheapest of 9). It has $1.32B in assets, the 6th largest of that group; it paid 0.11% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned +6.4% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), the weakest of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +24.5% a year. At its worst it fell 34.7% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 28.0% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 4 months and 20 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 9.7% of the fund, out of 188 in all.
The short version
First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (FTC) is an ETF that tracks the Nasdaq AlphaDEX Large Cap Growth Index. That index uses a set of rules to pick about 187 stocks from a large-cap growth universe and spreads money fairly evenly among them. As of July 31, 2026, no single holding was much above 1% of the fund. The trade-off is cost: 0.58% a year, compared with a 0.24% average for similar funds.
Price history
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FTC +6.4% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTC official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2024 | — | +26.58% | — | +14.16% | +12.10% | +9.68% |
| FTC price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +9.7% | +6.4% | +24.5% | +8.8% | +14.3% | +10.2% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, FTC returned +6.4%, 9th of 9 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +8.8% and its 10-year +14.3%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 34.7% and regained its old high 3.5 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2008 (-40.6%); its best was 2013 (+37.8%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 54% (Oct 11, 2007 to Mar 9, 2009), recovered by Jan 4, 2013.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +9.7% | — |
| 2025 | +15.9% | — |
| 2024 | +26.6% | +26.58% |
| 2023 | +20.7% | +20.12% |
| 2022 | -23.3% | -22.98% |
| 2021 | +24.4% | +24.40% |
| 2020 | +33.3% | +33.11% |
| 2019 | +28.1% | +28.34% |
| 2018 | -6.0% | -5.98% |
| 2017 | +25.3% | +25.18% |
| 2016 | +2.6% | +2.55% |
| 2015 | +4.3% | +4.29% |
| 2014 | +14.3% | — |
| 2013 | +37.8% | — |
| 2012 | +10.9% | — |
| 2011 | -2.9% | — |
| 2010 | +23.6% | — |
| 2009 | +28.9% | — |
| 2008 | -40.6% | — |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Lost 53.5% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 54%, back to its old high 45.9 months after the low |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 34.7% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 34.7%, back to its old high 3.5 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 26.7% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 28%, back to its old high 19.7 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.1700 | |
| 2025 | $0.3100 | -31.1% |
| 2024 | $0.4500 | -35.7% |
| 2023 | $0.7000 | -15.7% |
| 2022 | $0.8300 | +112.8% |
| 2020 | $0.3900 | -17.0% |
| 2019 | $0.4700 | +135.0% |
| 2018 | $0.2000 | -20.0% |
| 2017 | $0.2500 | -40.5% |
| 2016 | $0.4200 | +61.5% |
| 2015 | $0.2600 | -27.8% |
| 2014 | $0.3600 | +89.5% |
| 2013 | $0.1900 | -68.3% |
| 2012 | $0.6000 | +215.8% |
| 2011 | $0.1900 | +26.7% |
| 2010 | $0.1500 | +114.3% |
| 2009 | $0.0700 | -41.7% |
| 2008 | $0.1200 |
What's inside
As of Jul 31, 2026, the fund held 188 securities; the ten largest made up 9.74% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| INCYTE CORP | 1.03% | |
| FORTINET INC | 1.03% | |
| DATADOG INC | 1.00% | |
| EBAY INC | 0.99% | |
| INTERACTIVE BROKERS GROUP INC | 0.99% | |
| MORGAN STANLEY | 0.98% | |
| EMCOR GROUP INC | 0.94% | |
| CINCINNATI FINANCIAL CORP | 0.94% | |
| UNITED RENTALS INC | 0.93% | |
| ROSS STORES INC | 0.92% | |
| DELL TECHNOLOGIES INC | 0.92% | |
| ILLUMINA INC | 0.91% | |
| QUANTA SERVICES INC | 0.90% | |
| ANALOG DEVICES INC | 0.90% | |
| KEYSIGHT TECHNOLOGIES INC | 0.89% |
By country
United States 94%Ireland 3.32%Cayman Islands 1.48%Liberia 0.57%Switzerland 0.48%By asset type
Stocks 99.92%RA 0.31%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 58.6% 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 Jul 31, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jul 31, 2026, investors added a net $18.1M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +7.53%, +5.19%, -9.29%.
How it works
The fund puts at least 90% of its net assets into the stocks of the Nasdaq AlphaDEX Large Cap Growth Index, which Nasdaq owns and maintains. The starting pool is the Nasdaq US 500 Large Cap Growth Index. Nasdaq first removes duplicate share classes and any stocks that fail its liquidity (ease of trading) screens.
Next, it ranks the remaining stocks on growth and value factors. Each stock is labeled either growth or value, and the matching rank becomes its "selection score." The top 187 stocks make the cut. They are then sorted into five equal groups (quintiles) by score, and the higher-scoring groups get bigger weights. First Trust calls this method AlphaDEX. Its goal is "alpha," meaning returns above a benchmark after adjusting for risk. Company size does not set the weights, so the portfolio stays spread out. As of July 31, 2026, the 10 largest positions made up just 9.74% of the fund, led by Incyte, Fortinet and Datadog at about 1% each.
The index is rebuilt and rebalanced every quarter. Portfolio turnover was 114%, which means the fund traded more than the value of its whole portfolio in a year. That much trading can add hidden costs. The fund uses no leverage or derivatives. It was 99.9% stocks, and 94% of its holdings were US companies.
What it really costs
- FTC charges 0.58% a year, versus an average of 0.24% for the similar funds below (7th of 9, cheapest first).
- Of that, 0.5% is the management fee; the rest covers other fund expenses.
In a retirement portfolio
It is a high-turnover, rules-based tilt toward growth stocks with above-market swings and above-average costs, so it fits more naturally beside a broad core fund than in place of one.
FTC could add a growth tilt to a portfolio built around a broad core fund, with each stock held in a fairly even weight. The ride has been bumpy. The fund fell 54% from October 2007 to March 2009 and did not regain that peak until January 2013. In 2008 alone it lost 40.6%. It dropped 34.7% in the 2020 COVID crash but recovered by July 2020. In 2022 it fell 28% and took until February 2024 to recover. Anyone forced to sell during those stretches would have locked in losses. Its one-year beta, a measure of how much it moves with the market, was 1.48 as of October 27, 2026. That points to bigger swings than the market. Income is small: a 0.11% trailing yield, paid quarterly. Costs are high: the 0.58% expense ratio is more than double the 0.24% peer average. 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 large-cap growth exposure spread across about 188 stocks, with no single holding much above 1% as of July 31, 2026.
- Those comfortable with a rules-based stock-picking screen that rebuilds the portfolio every quarter and had 114% annual portfolio turnover.
- Long-term holders who can sit through deep drops like the 54% fall from 2007 to 2009 and the 28% slide in 2022.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: the 0.58% expense ratio compares with 0.09% for GSEW and EUSA and 0.04% for Vanguard Large Cap ETF (VV).
- Income seekers: the trailing yield was just 0.11% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly.
- Retirees who may need to sell in a downturn: after 2008 the fund didn't regain its peak until January 2013, and its one-year beta is 1.48.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTC this fund | — | 0.58% | $1.32B | +6.4% | +24.5% |
| FAD First Trust Multi Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund | 50% | 0.62% | $577.4M | +8.6% | +25.1% |
| FEX First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund | 40% | 0.58% | $1.57B | +17.4% | +22.9% |
| GSEW Goldman Sachs Equal Weight U.S. Large Cap E… | 34% | 0.09% | $2.08B | +13.5% | +21.4% |
| EUSA iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF | 32% | 0.09% | $1.93B | +12.3% | +19.6% |
| SIZE iShares MSCI USA Size Factor ETF | 31% | 0.15% | $428.8M | +12.2% | +19.6% |
| CFA VictoryShares US 500 Volatility Wtd ETF | 31% | 0.35% | $533.5M | +11.2% | +17.3% |
| USPX Franklin U.S. Equity Index ETF | 30% | 0.03% | $1.98B | +12.9% | +24.9% |
Questions investors ask
How does FTC choose its stocks?
FTC tracks the Nasdaq AlphaDEX Large Cap Growth Index instead of simply owning the biggest growth companies. Nasdaq starts with the Nasdaq US 500 Large Cap Growth Index, screens out hard-to-trade stocks, and ranks the rest on growth and value factors. The top 187 make the cut. Higher-scoring tiers get bigger weights, and the list is rebuilt every quarter. As of July 31, 2026, the fund held 188 stocks. The largest, Incyte and Fortinet, were about 1% each, and the top 10 totaled 9.74%.
Is FTC good for retirement income?
Not as an income source. FTC's yield over the past year was 0.11% as of October 27, 2026, or $0.20 per share, paid quarterly. The fund targets growth, and its prospectus warns that growth stocks may lack the dividends that help cushion price drops. Swings can be large: it fell 54% between October 2007 and March 2009 and didn't recover until January 2013. It may suit retirees who want a growth-focused slice alongside steadier income holdings.
What is FTC's expense ratio?
FTC's expense ratio, the yearly fee taken out of fund assets, is 0.58%, according to its prospectus filed November 28, 2025. That includes a 0.50% management fee, with no fee waiver. It costs more than most similar funds: the average among funds with overlapping holdings is 0.24%, and FTC ranks 7th of 9 on cost. Vanguard Large Cap ETF (VV) charges 0.04%. The prospectus reports 114% portfolio turnover, a sign of heavy trading tied to quarterly index changes. Those trading costs aren't part of the expense ratio.
What's the difference between FTC and FAD?
The main difference is company size. Both are First Trust AlphaDEX growth funds. FTC picks from large-company growth stocks, while the name of FAD, the Multi Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund, signals a broader mix of company sizes. About 50% of their holdings overlap. FTC charges 0.58% versus FAD's 0.62%, and FTC is larger: $1.32 billion in net assets versus $577 million as of July 31, 2026. As of October 27, 2026, FAD returned more over one year (8.6% vs. 6.4%) and three years (25.1% vs. 24.5% a year).
How has FTC performed over the long term?
Its long-term record is positive but uneven. Its prospectus shows average annual returns of 14.16% over five years, 12.1% over ten years and 9.68% since its May 2007 launch, all through December 31, 2024. Price-based returns as of October 27, 2026 show 14.3% a year over ten years, 8.8% over five and 6.4% over one. That one-year figure ranked 9th of 9 among similar funds. It lost 22.98% in 2022, and its worst quarter, ending December 31, 2018, was an 18.53% drop.