FXO ETF — First Trust Financials AlphaDEX® Fund

First Trust Financials AlphaDEX® Fund (FXO)

Updated October 16, 2026.

FXO is an ETF. its distribution rate is 2.09%, its trailing-12-month yield is 2.22%, its expense ratio is 0.60%. Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™ is 82/100 (Safe). Total return is 364.8% over the past 19.4 years, 263.8 points behind SPY at 628.6%.

First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund is an ETF that tracks a modified equal-dollar weighted index of financial services stocks selected from the Russell 1000 using a systematic selection methodology designed to identify securities with potential for positive alpha generation. The fund distributes on a quarterly basis and carries a modest current distribution rate with a 0.60% expense ratio. This fund appeals to income-focused investors seeking exposure to the financial services sector through a rules-based stock selection approach.

FXO performance versus SPY

Price and return data through 2026-10-16.

Total return is 364.8% over the past 19.4 years, 263.8 points behind SPY at 628.6%. Over the past year its total return — price change plus distributions reinvested — is 15.6%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 11.7%.

FXO key facts

Distribution Safety Score™

82 · Safe

Safety-Adjusted Yield

1.71%

Issuer

First Trust

Asset type

ETF

Asset class

Equity

Inception date

05/08/2007

Expense ratio

0.60%

Distribution rate

2.09%

Distribution frequency

Quarterly

Trailing yield

2.22%

Last close

$63.00 (as of 2026-10-16)

AUM

$1,039,449,906

Average volume

98512.0

Dividend

$0.329

Ex-dividend date

09/24/2026

Payment date

09/30/2026

Beta

0.89

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (2.09%) uses calculation basis unavailable. Issuer rates can use a different denominator and date, including ex-date NAV. Trailing-12-month yield (2.22%) is the sum of split-adjusted cash distributions with ex-dates in the last 12 months, divided by the published price. It lags a recent raise or cut. Total return uses split-adjusted close with distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date) from the first stored bar on or after inception through the latest bar, compared with the same window on the benchmark. That is the security's total return, not your personal gain/loss.

Yield and safety methodology · Distribution rate methodology · Distribution Safety Score methodology

Sources and review

Primary sources: First Trust or company page; prices and distributions from Dividend Vision, derived from vendor EOD data.

Reviewed by Bert Sweet, CEO and Co-owner of Dividend Vision. Methodology: Distribution Safety Score.

FXO risks and drawbacks

FXO's current distribution rate is moderate, not a high-yield payout — the strategy is dividend quality more than maximum income. Payments are quarterly, so cash flow is lumpy versus a monthly fund. Total return has trailed SPY over the available window. The deepest 1-year drawdown on record here is 11.7%.

Who may consider FXO — and who may not

FXO may suit someone looking for a high Distribution Safety Score, moderate current income with a quality tilt. It is a weaker fit for investors who need monthly cash flow (FXO pays quarterly); investors hunting double-digit covered-call yields; investors whose main goal is matching SPY total return. This is educational context, not a recommendation to buy or sell.

More on FXO

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Tagged: Financials.

Frequently asked questions

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