At a glance
SDVY charges 0.58% a year, above the 0.54% average of the 3 funds most like it (the 2nd cheapest of 4). It has $11.35B in assets, the largest of that group; it paid 1.0% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned +12.2% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 2nd of those 4 funds; over three years it returned +18.5% a year. At its worst it fell 42.8% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 24.5% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 8 months and 10 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 11.1% of the fund, out of 173 in all.
The short version
First Trust SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (SDVY) is an index fund that held 173 small and mid-sized US companies as of June 30, 2026, each picked because it raised its dividend over the prior three and five years. The index also requires rising earnings, enough cash relative to debt and moderate payouts, and it weights stocks roughly equally. It costs 0.58% a year, slightly above the 0.54% average for similar funds.
Price history
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SDVY +12.2% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDVY official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +8.42% | — | +12.01% | — | +10.20% |
| SDVY price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +10.6% | +12.2% | +18.5% | +9.7% | — | +10.5% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, SDVY returned +12.2%, 2nd of 4 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +9.7%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 42.8% and regained its old high 7.6 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2018 (-15.3%); its best was 2021 (+29.1%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 44.7% (Jul 24, 2019 to Mar 23, 2020), recovered by Nov 17, 2020.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +10.6% | — |
| 2025 | +8.9% | +8.42% |
| 2024 | +11.2% | +11.07% |
| 2023 | +28.5% | +28.69% |
| 2022 | -12.0% | -11.94% |
| 2021 | +29.1% | +29.17% |
| 2020 | +11.8% | +11.25% |
| 2019 | +25.6% | +24.69% |
| 2018 | -15.3% | -13.81% |
| 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 42.5% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 42.8%, back to its old high 7.6 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 20.2% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 24.5%, back to its old high 9.7 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.2900 | |
| 2025 | $0.6600 | +15.8% |
| 2024 | $0.5700 | -8.1% |
| 2023 | $0.6200 | +5.1% |
| 2022 | $0.5900 | +84.4% |
| 2021 | $0.3200 | -11.1% |
| 2020 | $0.3600 | -2.7% |
| 2019 | $0.3700 | +37.0% |
| 2018 | $0.2700 |
What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 173 securities; the ten largest made up 11.12% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| ENERSYS | 1.28% | |
| COMFORT SYSTEMS USA INC | 1.24% | |
| NATIONAL HEALTHCARE CORP | 1.19% | |
| PRICESMART INC | 1.18% | |
| WOODWARD INC | 1.11% | |
| WATTS WATER TECHNOLOGIES INC | 1.08% | |
| CLEAR SECURE INC | 1.06% | |
| INTERACTIVE BROKERS GROUP INC | 1.01% | |
| APPLIED INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES INC | 1.00% | |
| EMCOR GROUP INC | 0.98% | |
| FIRST BANCORP (PUERTO RICO) | 0.98% | |
| ZIONS BANCORP NA | 0.98% | |
| WILLIAMS SONOMA INC | 0.98% | |
| UMB FINANCIAL CORP | 0.97% | |
| SELECTIVE INSURANCE GROUP INC | 0.97% |
By country
United States 94.75%Puerto Rico 1.89%Bermuda 1.82%Ireland 0.96%Bahamas 0.51%By asset type
Stocks 99.93%What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jun 30, 2026, investors added a net $276.2M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +7.38%, -2.48%, +4.77%.
How it works
SDVY tracks the Nasdaq US Small Mid Cap Rising Dividend Achievers Index, which Nasdaq builds and maintains. The fund normally puts at least 90% of its assets in the index's stocks. To qualify, a company must be in the Nasdaq US Mid Cap or Small Cap index and must not be a real estate investment trust (REIT). Its dividends over the last 12 months must be higher than three and five years earlier. Its earnings per share must be positive and higher than three years ago. Its cash must be worth more than 25% of its debt, and its payout ratio (the share of earnings paid out as dividends) must be no higher than 65%.
The index is split into four sub-portfolios. Each one is rebuilt once a year, in a different quarter. Stocks that pass the screens are ranked on five-year dividend growth, dividend yield and low payout ratio. The 125 with the strongest combined rank are chosen and given equal weights. Caps stop any one industry or either size group from taking too many spots. Each March, the four sub-portfolios are reset to 25% of the index each.
Because part of the index changes every quarter, portfolio turnover was 85%. Equal weighting keeps the fund spread out. As of June 30, 2026, the largest holding, EnerSys, was 1.28% of assets, and the top 10 together made up 11.12%.
What it really costs
- SDVY charges 0.58% a year, versus an average of 0.54% for the similar funds below (2nd of 4, cheapest first).
In a retirement portfolio
It adds small and mid-sized dividend-growing companies, mostly financials and industrials, to portfolios that often lean toward large US companies.
SDVY can widen a portfolio beyond the largest US companies. Its yield, though, was only about 1% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly, so it does more for dividend growth than for current income. It fell hard in past downturns. From July 24, 2019 to March 23, 2020 it lost 44.7%, then recovered by November 17, 2020, about 7.9 months later. In the 2022 bear market it fell 24.5% and needed 9.7 months to recover, reaching its old high on July 19, 2023. Its weakest calendar year was 2018, at -13.81%. The fund launched in 2017, so there is no record for 2008. Someone who has to sell shares during a drop like these would lock in losses.
The fund charges 0.58% a year. Past results don't predict future returns. A retirement plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors wanting small and mid-sized US companies with rising dividends, rising earnings and limited debt, rather than a plain small-cap index fund.
- People who like equal weighting: as of June 30, 2026, no stock was more than 1.3% of assets, and the top 10 totaled 11.12%.
- Long-term holders who can sit through drops like the 44.7% fall into March 2020 and wait months for a recovery.
Look elsewhere if
- Investors who need income now: the trailing yield was about 1% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly.
- Cost-focused investors: the 0.58% expense ratio is higher than the 0.38% charged by WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend Fund (DON).
- Investors who want a low-trading fund: quarterly index changes led to 85% portfolio turnover, and trading costs aren't counted in the expense ratio.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
Net assets from each fund's latest N-PORT or annual report where available. Returns through Oct 27, 2026.Questions investors ask
Is SDVY good for retirement income?
SDVY is built more for dividend growth than for high income. Its trailing 12-month yield was about 1% as of October 27, 2026, or $0.42 per share, paid quarterly. The fund picks small and mid-sized companies that have raised dividends over three and five years, so payouts may grow over time. But its prices swing a lot. It fell 44.7% into March 2020, which matters for anyone who may need to sell shares during a downturn.
SDVY vs DON: what's the difference?
Both hold mid-sized US dividend payers, but only about 20% of their holdings overlap. SDVY also includes small companies, requires rising dividends and earnings, and weights stocks equally. DON, the WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend Fund, is cheaper at 0.38% a year versus SDVY's 0.58%. As of October 27, 2026, both had returned 12.2% over one year. Over three years, SDVY averaged 18.5% a year and DON 16.5%.
How often does SDVY pay dividends?
SDVY pays dividends quarterly. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid $0.42 per share, a yield of about 1%. The payout comes from the dividends of the companies it holds, so it can rise or fall. The prospectus warns that companies are not required to keep paying dividends and may cut or stop them.
What stocks are in SDVY?
As of June 30, 2026, SDVY held 173 stocks. The largest were EnerSys (1.28%), Comfort Systems USA (1.24%), National HealthCare (1.19%), PriceSmart (1.18%) and Woodward (1.11%). Because stocks are weighted roughly equally, the top 10 made up just 11.12% of assets. About 94.75% was in US companies, with small amounts in Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Ireland and the Bahamas. Financial and industrial companies were the biggest groups as of December 31, 2025.
What is SDVY's long-term performance?
According to its prospectus, SDVY returned 8.42% in the year to December 31, 2025. Over five years it averaged 12.01% a year, and since its 2017 launch it averaged 10.2% a year. The ride has been bumpy. Its worst quarter was a 33.97% loss in early 2020, and the next quarter-end figure, at December 31, 2020, was its strongest gain, 30.44%. It also lost 13.81% in 2018 and 11.94% in 2022.