At a glance
FTHF charges 0.75% a year, above the 0.32% average of the 7 funds most like it (the most expensive of 8). It has $132.7M in assets, the 8th largest of that group; it paid 3.39% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned +48.8% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), the best of those 8 funds. Its ten largest positions make up 56.5% of the fund, out of 100 in all.
The short version
First Trust Emerging Markets Human Flourishing ETF (FTHF) is an index fund that holds about 100 emerging-market stocks picked through country, values and quality screens. It leaves out countries that score poorly on religious and personal freedom. It also drops companies tied to forced labor, abortion procedures or adult entertainment, and those with large gambling, alcohol or tobacco sales. At 0.75% a year, it costs more than all seven similar funds compared, which average 0.32%.
Price history
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FTHF +48.8% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTHF official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +63.52% | — | — | — | +30.91% |
| FTHF price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +37.4% | +48.8% | — | — | — | +32.8% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, FTHF returned +48.8%, 1st of 8 among similar funds.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2024 (-8.2%); its best was 2025 (+65.4%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 21.1% (Jun 22, 2026 to Jul 29, 2026), not yet recovered.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +37.4% | — |
| 2025 | +65.4% | +63.52% |
| 2024 | -8.2% | -7.42% |
| 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) | $0.5650 | |
| 2025 | $1.4530 | +106.7% |
| 2024 | $0.7030 |
What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 100 securities; the ten largest made up 56.51% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| SK HYNIX INC | 18.87% | |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 11.48% | |
| TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD | 8.04% | |
| PETROLEO BRASILEIRO SA Preferred stock | 4.59% | |
| MEDIATEK INC | 3.06% | |
| ITAU UNIBANCO HOLDING SA Preferred stock | 2.86% | |
| GOLD FIELDS LTD | 2.21% | |
| VALTERRA PLATINUM LTD | 1.82% | |
| DELTA ELECTRONICS INC | 1.81% | |
| FIRSTRAND LTD | 1.76% | |
| WEG SA | 1.75% | |
| GRUPO FINANCIERO BANORTE SAB DE CV | 1.75% | |
| INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINAL SERVICES INC | 1.53% | |
| CAPITEC BANK HOLDINGS LTD | 1.51% | |
| WAL-MART DE MEXICO SAB DE CV (WAL-MART DE MEXICO SA DE CV) | 1.51% |
By country
South Korea 34.59%Taiwan 22.72%South Africa 13.49%Brazil 12.77%Poland 4.48%By asset type
Stocks 89.96%Preferred stock 9.74%What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jun 30, 2026, investors added a net $17.0M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +15.25%, +15.25%, +0.59%.
How it works
FTHF tracks the Emerging Markets Human Flourishing Index. Oak City Consulting owns the index and Bloomberg Index Services calculates it. The adviser, First Trust Advisors, does not pick stocks. The starting pool is the Bloomberg Emerging Markets Large & Mid Cap universe. Each country gets a Human Dignity Score built from Freedom House data on free media, religious freedom, academic freedom and equal treatment. Only countries in the top half qualify. Companies are then removed for forced or child labor, breaking United Nations Global Compact principles, providing abortion procedures, any adult-entertainment revenue, or getting 10% or more of revenue from gambling, alcohol or tobacco.
The 150 largest remaining stocks by free-float market value (counting only shares that can trade freely) are cut to the 100 with the highest Quality Score. That score rewards steady earnings and revenue over five years, strong profitability and low debt. Stocks are weighted by size. The five largest are capped at 8% each and the rest at 4%. Each country is capped at 20%, and sector weights are limited relative to the broad universe.
These caps apply only at the twice-yearly rebalance, so weights can drift well past them in between. As of June 30, 2026, SK Hynix made up 18.9% of the fund and South Korea 34.6%. The fund owns shares directly, including preferred stock (9.7%). It held no derivatives on that date.
What it really costs
- FTHF charges 0.75% a year, versus an average of 0.32% for the similar funds below (8th of 8, cheapest first).
In a retirement portfolio
It is a concentrated, volatile, high-cost emerging-markets fund with a values screen and a short record, so it fits better as a small add-on than a foundation.
FTHF could add values-screened emerging-market stocks to a portfolio, but its record is short and uneven. It launched in October 2023, so it was not around for the 2008, 2020 or 2022 sell-offs. Its worst calendar year was 2024, when it lost 7.42%. Its deepest drop was 21.1%, from June 22 to July 29, 2026, and it had not fully recovered as of October 27, 2026. Its one-year volatility was 35.8% and its beta was 1.96, meaning it has tended to move about twice as much as the market. Anyone who has to sell shares in a slump could lock in steep losses. The trailing yield was 3.39% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly. The 0.75% expense ratio is more than double the 0.32% peer average. 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 emerging-market stocks screened by Freedom House country scores, plus exclusions for abortion procedures, adult entertainment, gambling, alcohol and tobacco.
- Those who accept heavy concentration: SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics and Taiwan Semiconductor made up about 38% of assets as of June 30, 2026.
- Investors holding a small satellite position who can live with 35.8% one-year volatility in exchange for a quality-screened, 100-stock portfolio.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: IEMG charges 0.09% and EMXC 0.25% a year, compared with FTHF's 0.75%.
- Those wanting broadly spread emerging-market exposure: South Korea and Taiwan together made up over 57% of assets as of June 30, 2026.
- Anyone who wants a long track record or a large fund: FTHF launched in October 2023 and held about $133 million as of June 30, 2026.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTHF this fund | — | 0.75% | $132.7M | +48.8% | — |
| EMXC iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF | 43% | 0.25% | $24.92B | +27.3% | +24.6% |
| EEM iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | 37% | 0.72% | $31.21B | +12.7% | +20.3% |
| IEMG iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | 33% | 0.09% | $160.90B | +11.7% | +19.8% |
| DFAE Dimensional Emerging Core Equity Market ETF | 29% | 0.35% | $9.47B | +14.5% | +22.1% |
| DFEM Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 … | 26% | 0.39% | $8.96B | +14.6% | +21.4% |
| AVEM Avantis Emerging Markets Equity ETF | 22% | 0.33% | $28.05B | +14.1% | +21.5% |
| SCHE Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF | 21% | 0.11% | $13.00B | +4.4% | +16.7% |
Questions investors ask
What does FTHF invest in?
FTHF holds about 100 large and mid-sized emerging-market stocks from the Emerging Markets Human Flourishing Index. As of June 30, 2026, its largest holdings were SK Hynix (18.9%), Samsung Electronics (11.5%), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (8.0%), Petrobras preferred shares (4.6%) and MediaTek (3.1%). South Korea made up 34.6% of assets, Taiwan 22.7%, South Africa 13.5% and Brazil 12.8%. The top 10 holdings made up 56.5% of the fund.
FTHF vs EMXC: what's the difference?
EMXC, the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF, overlaps most with FTHF: about 43% of holdings. EMXC costs 0.25% a year versus FTHF's 0.75%, and it is far larger, with about $24.9 billion in assets as of August 31, 2026. FTHF adds country freedom scores, values exclusions and a quality screen. FTHF returned 48.8% over one year as of October 27, 2026. EMXC returned 27.4% over one year as of October 30, 2026.
Does FTHF pay dividends?
Yes. FTHF pays distributions quarterly. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid $1.521 per share, a trailing yield of 3.39%. Payouts depend on dividends from the companies it holds, such as Korean chipmakers, Brazilian preferred shares and South African banks. Payouts can change with company profits and with currency moves against the US dollar.
How has FTHF performed since launch?
Returns have been strong but uneven. According to the fund's prospectus, FTHF lost 7.42% in 2024 and gained 63.52% in 2025. Its average annual return from its October 2023 launch through December 31, 2025, was 30.91%. Based on price, it was up 37.4% for 2026 through October 27. Along the way it fell 21.1% between June 22 and July 29, 2026, and it had not fully recovered as of October 27.
Why does FTHF own so much SK Hynix if its index caps holdings at 8%?
The caps apply only when the index rebalances, which happens twice a year. Between rebalances, a stock that rises sharply can grow well past its cap. As of June 30, 2026, SK Hynix made up 18.9% of the fund, and South Korea made up 34.6%, above its 20% country cap. This means a single memory-chip company can drive much of the fund's short-term results.