At a glance
RDVY charges 0.47% a year, above the 0.27% average of the 8 funds most like it (the 8th cheapest of 9). It has $24.48B in assets, the 4th largest of that group; it paid 0.85% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned +19.7% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), the best of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +22.2% a year. At its worst it fell 40.4% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 25.3% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 8 months and 15 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 28.6% of the fund, out of 71 in all.
The short version
First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (RDVY) tracks the Nasdaq US Rising Dividend Achievers Index, which picks companies that have raised dividends over three and five years, grown earnings and hold ample cash against debt. It aims for dividend growth, not high yield: its 12-month yield was 0.85% as of October 29, 2026. Its 0.47% expense ratio is above the 0.27% average of similar funds, and its holdings lean heavily on financial and technology stocks.
Price history
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RDVY +19.7% over the year to Nov 2, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RDVY official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +18.96% | — | +13.65% | +14.83% | +12.98% |
| RDVY price data to Nov 2, 2026 | +15.6% | +19.7% | +22.2% | +11.4% | +15.5% | +13.4% |
- Over the year to Nov 2, 2026, RDVY returned +19.7%, 1st of 9 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +11.4% and its 10-year +15.5%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 40.4% and regained its old high 7.6 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-13.3%); its best was 2019 (+37.7%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 40.6% (Feb 12, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020), recovered by Nov 9, 2020.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +15.6% | — |
| 2025 | +18.9% | +18.96% |
| 2024 | +16.4% | +16.38% |
| 2023 | +20.3% | +20.39% |
| 2022 | -13.3% | -13.28% |
| 2021 | +31.1% | +31.17% |
| 2020 | +13.5% | +13.30% |
| 2019 | +37.7% | +37.58% |
| 2018 | -9.9% | -9.71% |
| 2017 | +22.8% | +22.58% |
| 2016 | +21.9% | +21.86% |
| 2015 | -3.0% | — |
| 2014 | +11.6% | — |
| 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 40.4% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 40.4%, back to its old high 7.6 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 23.6% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 25.3%, back to its old high 14.5 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.4800 | |
| 2025 | $0.7700 | -20.6% |
| 2024 | $0.9700 | -9.3% |
| 2023 | $1.0700 | +10.3% |
| 2022 | $0.9700 | +79.6% |
| 2021 | $0.5400 | -12.9% |
| 2020 | $0.6200 | +10.7% |
| 2019 | $0.5600 | +27.3% |
| 2018 | $0.4400 | +15.8% |
| 2017 | $0.3800 | -25.5% |
| 2016 | $0.5100 | +13.3% |
| 2015 | $0.4500 | -25.0% |
| 2014 | $0.6000 |
Living on RDVY: its income record, cuts, and how much a $1,000 monthly income takes →
What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 71 securities; the ten largest made up 28.58% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| APPLIED MATERIALS INC | 4.68% | |
| LAM RESEARCH CORP | 4.42% | |
| KLA CORP | 4.14% | |
| GE VERNOVA INC | 2.80% | |
| BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON CORP (THE) | 2.15% | |
| GE AEROSPACE | 2.13% | |
| ALPHABET INC | 2.12% | |
| WILLIAMS SONOMA INC | 2.12% | |
| ROSS STORES INC | 2.01% | |
| ALLSTATE CORP (THE) | 2.01% | |
| TRAVELERS COMPANIES INC (THE) | 2.00% | |
| SNAP-ON INC | 2.00% | |
| CHUBB LTD (SWITZERLAND) | 1.97% | |
| BANK OF AMERICA CORP | 1.96% | |
| MUELLER INDUSTRIES INC | 1.93% |
By country
United States 96.02%Switzerland 1.97%Ireland 1.38%Bermuda 0.54%By asset type
Stocks 99.91%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 80.1% 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 added a net $831.5M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +9.39%, +0.72%, +7.97%.
How it works
RDVY is an index fund that normally invests at least 90% of its net assets in the stocks of the Nasdaq US Rising Dividend Achievers Index, built by Nasdaq. Candidates come from the Nasdaq US Benchmark Index, must meet size and liquidity rules, and cannot be real estate investment trusts. Each needs a dividend over the past 12 months above its level three and five years earlier, positive earnings per share higher than three years before, cash worth more than half its debt, and a payout ratio (the share of profit paid as dividends) of 65% or less.
The index is split into four sub-portfolios, each rebuilt once a year in its own quarter, so part changes each quarter. Qualifying stocks are ranked to favor bigger five-year dollar dividend increases, higher yields and lower payout ratios. Up to 50 with the strongest combined rank are picked and equally weighted, with at least 33 large companies and a limit of 15 per industry.
Each March the four sub-portfolios are reset to 25% apiece. A stock in several sub-portfolios carries their combined weight, so weights vary: Applied Materials led at 4.7% on June 30, 2026. The fund trades shortly after each index change, and its prospectus reported portfolio turnover (the share of holdings replaced in a year) of 69%.
What it really costs
- RDVY charges 0.47% a year, versus an average of 0.27% for the similar funds below (8th of 9, cheapest first).
In a retirement portfolio
Its rules-based dividend-growth tilt, heavy financials and technology weights, 0.47% fee and 40.6% drop in early 2020 point to a supporting role beside a broad core fund.
RDVY could add a tilt toward profitable dividend growers, but it remains a stock fund with sharp swings. It launched in January 2014, so it has no record from the 2008 financial crisis. Its deepest drop came in the 2020 COVID crash: 40.6% from February 12 to March 23, 2020, and it regained its peak by November 9, 2020, about 7.6 months later. In the 2022 bear market it fell 25.3% and took 14.5 months to recover, and 2022 was its worst calendar year, a 13.28% loss. Drawing cash in such a slump would mean cashing in shares well below their peak.
Income is modest: the trailing 12-month yield was 0.85% as of October 29, 2026, paid quarterly. The 0.47% expense ratio is above the 0.27% average of 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 dividend growers screened for rising earnings, ample cash against debt and payout ratios of 65% or less, rather than high yielders.
- Holders comfortable with sector bets: 31.4% financials and 25.5% technology as of June 30, 2026, with Applied Materials, Lam Research and KLA on top.
- Long-term investors adding a dividend-growth tilt beside a broad core fund; RDVY returned 14.83% a year over 10 years to December 31, 2025.
Look elsewhere if
- Retirees who need sizable dividend income: the trailing 12-month yield was 0.85% as of October 29, 2026, paid quarterly.
- Cost-focused investors: the 0.47% expense ratio is above the 0.27% peer average and far above SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF's 0.02%.
- Investors needing steadiness in market drops: RDVY fell 40.6% in early 2020 and took 14.5 months to recover from its 2022 slide.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RDVY this fund | — | 0.47% | $24.48B | +19.7% | +22.2% |
| RSPF Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Financials ETF | 29% | 0.4% | $304.7M | +7.7% | +21.1% |
| DYNF iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active … | 27% | 0.27% | $38.61B | +10.7% | +24.9% |
| HAPI Harbor Human Capital Factor US Large Cap ETF | 26% | 0.35% | $490.2M | +12.2% | +24.5% |
| TDVG T. Rowe Price Dividend Growth ETF | 25% | 0.5% | $1.38B | +13.6% | +18.7% |
| MODL VictoryShares WestEnd U.S. Sector ETF | 24% | 0.46% | $1.02B | +11.9% | +23.8% |
| XLF Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund | 24% | 0.08% | $51.35B | +9.9% | +22.7% |
| SPYM SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF | 24% | 0.02% | $153.92B | +11.5% | +22.0% |
Questions investors ask
Is RDVY good for retirement income?
Not as a main source of income. RDVY's trailing 12-month yield was 0.85% as of October 29, 2026, paid quarterly, because its index rewards dividend growth and low payout ratios (the share of profit paid as dividends), not just high yields. Its 0.47% expense ratio is more than half the size of that yield. Some retirees may use it as a growth-oriented stock holding instead, but it fell 40.6% in early 2020 and 25.3% during the 2022 bear market.
Does RDVY pay monthly dividends?
No. RDVY pays dividends quarterly. Over the 12 months to October 29, 2026, it paid about $0.68 per share, a trailing yield of 0.85%. Payments can vary from one quarter to the next, because the fund passes along dividends from its holdings after expenses, and companies are not required to keep paying them. Its index does require each company to have raised its dividend over three and five years before it can join.
What are RDVY's top holdings?
As of June 30, 2026, RDVY's largest holdings were Applied Materials (4.7%), Lam Research (4.4%) and KLA (4.1%), followed by GE Vernova, Bank of New York Mellon, GE Aerospace, Alphabet, Williams-Sonoma, Ross Stores and Allstate. The top 10 made up 28.58% of a 71-stock portfolio. Financials were 31.4% of assets and technology 25.5%, and about 96% sat in U.S. companies, with small stakes in firms based in Switzerland, Ireland and Bermuda.
What's the difference between RDVY and TDVG?
Both lean toward dividend growth, but they differ in cost, size and past results. RDVY tracks the Nasdaq US Rising Dividend Achievers Index; TDVG is the T. Rowe Price Dividend Growth ETF, and their holdings overlap by about 25%. RDVY charges 0.47% a year versus 0.50% for TDVG. RDVY returned 18.8% over one year and 24.3% a year over three years to October 29, 2026; TDVG returned 13.6% and 18.7% to October 27, 2026. Net assets on June 30, 2026, were $24.5 billion versus $1.4 billion.
Why does RDVY hold so many tech and financial stocks?
Because those are the companies that ranked well under its index's rules. The index picks firms that have raised dividends over three and five years, grown earnings, hold cash worth more than half their debt and pay out 65% or less of profits. Apart from a 15-stock limit per industry, the rules don't set sector weights. On June 30, 2026, financials were 31.4% of assets and technology 25.5%, so trouble in either sector would hit the fund harder.