At a glance
FXG charges 0.63% a year, above the 0.36% average of the 8 funds most like it (the most expensive of 9). It has $229.3M in assets, the 6th largest of that group; it paid 2.08% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned −1.7% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), the weakest of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +4.3% a year. At its worst it fell 25.3% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 15.7% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 3 months and 17 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 40.8% of the fund, out of 41 in all.
The short version
First Trust Consumer Staples AlphaDEX Fund (FXG) is an ETF that tracks the StrataQuant Consumer Staples Index. The index holds about 40 mostly US staples stocks, picked by growth and value scores and weighted fairly evenly rather than by company size. JBS, Smithfield Foods and Ingredion were the largest positions at roughly 4% to 5% each as of July 31, 2026. The 0.63% expense ratio is higher than all eight similar funds compared, including XLP at 0.08%.
Price history
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FXG -1.7% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FXG official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2024 | — | +3.31% | — | +6.75% | +5.92% | +8.41% |
| FXG price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +2.2% | -1.7% | +4.3% | +3.3% | +4.8% | +7.6% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, FXG returned -1.7%, 9th of 9 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +3.3% and its 10-year +4.8%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 25.3% and regained its old high 2.5 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2008 (-25.2%); its best was 2013 (+42.3%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 38.7% (Jun 4, 2007 to Mar 6, 2009), recovered by Apr 1, 2010.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +2.2% | — |
| 2025 | -2.6% | — |
| 2024 | +3.2% | +3.31% |
| 2023 | +2.0% | +1.92% |
| 2022 | +3.3% | +3.32% |
| 2021 | +21.7% | +21.68% |
| 2020 | +4.8% | +4.74% |
| 2019 | +20.6% | +20.72% |
| 2018 | -11.5% | -11.40% |
| 2017 | +7.9% | +7.81% |
| 2016 | +4.7% | +4.70% |
| 2015 | +6.2% | +6.14% |
| 2014 | +21.0% | — |
| 2013 | +42.3% | — |
| 2012 | +9.1% | — |
| 2011 | +12.9% | — |
| 2010 | +19.7% | — |
| 2009 | +27.5% | — |
| 2008 | -25.2% | — |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Lost 38% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 38.4%, back to its old high 12.5 months after the low |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 25% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 25.3%, back to its old high 2.5 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 5.4% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 15.7%, back to its old high 17.3 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.9300 | |
| 2025 | $1.7200 | +57.8% |
| 2024 | $1.0900 | +22.5% |
| 2023 | $0.8900 | -21.9% |
| 2022 | $1.1400 | +32.6% |
| 2021 | $0.8600 | +19.4% |
| 2020 | $0.7200 | -12.2% |
| 2019 | $0.8200 | -15.5% |
| 2018 | $0.9700 | +49.2% |
| 2017 | $0.6500 | -17.7% |
| 2016 | $0.7900 | +8.2% |
| 2015 | $0.7300 | +37.7% |
| 2014 | $0.5300 | +54.5% |
| 2013 | $0.3430 | -27.3% |
| 2012 | $0.4720 | +162.2% |
| 2011 | $0.1800 | -17.8% |
| 2010 | $0.2190 | +12.3% |
| 2009 | $0.1950 | -22.3% |
| 2008 | $0.2510 |
What's inside
As of Jul 31, 2026, the fund held 41 securities; the ten largest made up 40.76% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| JBS NV | 4.81% | |
| SMITHFIELD FOODS INC | 4.37% | |
| INGREDION INC | 4.27% | |
| GENERAL MILLS INC | 4.18% | |
| MCCORMICK & CO. INC | 4.11% | |
| FRESHPET INC | 4.10% | |
| SEABOARD CORP | 4.02% | |
| PILGRIM'S PRIDE CORP | 3.96% | |
| CASEY'S GENERAL STORES INC | 3.57% | |
| POST HOLDINGS INC | 3.37% | |
| MONSTER BEVERAGE CORP | 3.26% | |
| CAMPBELL'S COMPANY (THE) | 3.21% | |
| COCA-COLA CONSOLIDATED INC | 3.20% | |
| CARDINAL HEALTH INC | 3.15% | |
| CONSTELLATION BRANDS INC | 3.05% |
By country
United States 95.63%Netherlands 4.81%Switzerland 2.43%By asset type
Stocks 99.91%RA 2.97%What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jul 31, 2026, investors withdrew a net $12.5M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: -6.81%, +3.54%, +3.18%.
How it works
FXG tracks the StrataQuant Consumer Staples Index, which ICE Data Indices builds and owns. The fund normally invests at least 90% of its net assets in the index's stocks. The index starts with consumer staples stocks in the Russell 1000, which covers about the 1,000 largest US companies, and removes any that fail share-class and liquidity screens. It then applies the AlphaDEX method: each stock gets a score based on growth factors, value factors or both. The aim is to pick stocks that may beat traditional indices on a risk-adjusted basis.
The index keeps the top-scoring 75% of the sector's stocks or 40 stocks, whichever is greater. It sorts them into five groups, called quintiles, by score. Higher-scoring groups get more weight under a modified equal-dollar approach, so company size doesn't drive the weights. As of October 31, 2025, the index held 40 stocks with market values from $2.16 billion to $351.37 billion.
The index is rebuilt and rebalanced every quarter, and the fund trades to match shortly after. That produced 81% portfolio turnover, which brings trading costs on top of the expense ratio. The fund held no derivatives as of July 31, 2026. The index provider uses its own sector definitions, so holdings can go beyond grocery brands. One example is drug distributor Cardinal Health, at about 3.2% of the fund.
What it really costs
- FXG charges 0.63% a year, versus an average of 0.36% for the similar funds below (9th 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 single-sector fund with a rules-based stock-picking tilt, a higher cost than plain staples index funds and a deepest drop of 38.7%, so it fits better as a small add-on than as a core position.
FXG could add a tilt toward food, meat and beverage companies whose products people keep buying in a slowdown. Its record in downturns is uneven. It fell 38.4% in the 2008 financial crisis and lost 25.2% in calendar 2008, its worst year. It took about 12.5 months after the March 2009 low to recover. In the 2020 COVID crash it dropped 25.3% and recovered in about 2.5 months. In 2022 it fell 15.7% and did not regain its high until March 2024. Anyone who had to sell during those stretches would have locked in losses. Income is modest: the trailing yield was 2.08% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly. The 0.63% expense ratio is well above the 0.36% average for similar funds. 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 who want consumer staples exposure spread evenly across about 40 stocks, with no holding above about 5% as of July 31, 2026.
- Investors who like a rules-based growth-and-value screen and accept the 81% turnover that comes with rebuilding the index every quarter.
- Investors adding a small staples position that pays quarterly dividends, with a trailing yield of 2.08% as of October 27, 2026.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: FXG's 0.63% expense ratio compares with 0.08% for XLP, 0.084% for FSTA and 0.09% for VDC.
- Investors who want returns close to the broad staples sector: FXG returned -1.7% over one year, against XLP's 20.1%, as of late October 2026.
- Anyone who may need to sell in a crash: FXG fell 38.4% in the 2008 crisis and did not recover until March 2010.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FXG this fund | — | 0.63% | $229.3M | -1.7% | +4.3% |
| RSPS Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Stapl… | 42% | 0.4% | $246.8M | +7.2% | +5.7% |
| FTXG First Trust Nasdaq Food & Beverage ETF | 37% | 0.6% | $23.4M | +6.0% | +3.1% |
| PBJ Invesco Food & Beverage ETF | 32% | 0.62% | $107.8M | +7.0% | +6.8% |
| IYK iShares U.S. Consumer Staples ETF | 32% | 0.4% | $1.42B | +13.3% | +11.2% |
| PSL Invesco Dorsey Wright Consumer Staples Mome… | 28% | 0.6% | $84.7M | +4.5% | +13.8% |
| XLP Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund | 28% | 0.08% | $13.65B | +20.1% | +12.8% |
| VDC Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF | 26% | 0.09% | $9.25B | +12.2% | +13.0% |
Questions investors ask
What's the difference between FXG and RSPS?
Both spread money more evenly than size-weighted funds, but they choose stocks differently. RSPS, the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF, gives each S&P 500 staples stock an equal share. FXG scores Russell 1000 staples stocks on growth and value and gives higher-scoring groups more weight. About 42% of their holdings overlap. RSPS charges 0.40% against FXG's 0.63%. Over the year to October 27, 2026, RSPS returned 7.2% and FXG returned -1.7%.
Does FXG pay monthly dividends?
No. FXG pays dividends quarterly, not monthly. Over the trailing 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid about $1.27 per share, a trailing yield of 2.08%. The money comes from dividends on the staples stocks it holds, so the amount can change from one quarter to the next. Investors who want monthly income would need a different fund, or a mix of funds that pay on different schedules.
What is the FXG expense ratio?
FXG's expense ratio is 0.63% a year, according to its prospectus filed November 28, 2025. That includes a 0.50% management fee, and there is no fee waiver. It is the highest cost among nine comparable consumer staples funds, where the average is 0.36%. Broad staples index funds cost much less: XLP charges 0.08%, FSTA 0.084% and VDC 0.09%. The fund's 81% turnover also brings trading costs that the expense ratio doesn't include.
What are FXG's top holdings?
As of July 31, 2026, FXG's largest holdings were JBS (4.8%), Smithfield Foods (4.4%), Ingredion (4.3%), General Mills (4.2%), McCormick (4.1%), Freshpet (4.1%), Seaboard (4.0%) and Pilgrim's Pride (4.0%). The fund held 41 stocks, and the top 10 made up about 40.8% of its assets. Because the index weights stocks fairly evenly, no single company dominates, and meat and food processors feature heavily. About 95.6% of the fund was in US companies.
How has FXG performed over 10 years?
Its returns have been modest. FXG's prospectus reports average annual returns of 5.92% over 10 years and 6.75% over five years through December 31, 2024. Price-based returns through October 27, 2026 were lower: about 4.8% a year over 10 years and -1.7% over one year. Its one-year return ranked ninth of nine similar funds. The fund lost 2.65% in 2025. Its worst quarter on record was a 19.62% drop in early 2020.