RDVY ETF — First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF

First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (RDVY)

Updated October 2, 2026.

RDVY is an ETF linked to Basket (First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF holdings). its distribution rate is 0.77%, its trailing-12-month yield is 0.86%, its expense ratio is 0.47%. Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™ is 74/100 (Generally safe). Total return is 391.1% over the past 12.7 years, 27.9 points behind SPY at 419.0%.

At the current 0.77% distribution rate, a $10,000 investment would generate approximately $77 per year, or about $19.25 per quarter if the next payment matches the last regular one.

First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF tracks the NASDAQ U.S. Rising Dividend Achievers Index, holding 50 large-cap stocks selected for demonstrable dividend growth over three- and five-year periods. The fund carries a modest distribution rate with quarterly distributions and an expense ratio of 0.47%. It appeals to income investors seeking exposure to companies with a track record of increasing payouts.

RDVY performance versus SPY

Price and return data through 2026-10-02.

Total return is 391.1% over the past 12.7 years, 27.9 points behind SPY at 419.0%. Over the past year its total return — price change plus distributions reinvested — is 18.3%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 9.0%.

RDVY key facts

Distribution Safety Score™

74 · Generally safe

Safety-Adjusted Yield

0.57%

Issuer

First Trust

Asset type

ETF

Asset class

Equity

Inception date

01/06/2014

Expense ratio

0.47%

Distribution rate

0.77%

Distribution frequency

Quarterly

Trailing yield

0.86%

Last close

$79.21 (as of 2026-10-02)

AUM

$25,201,935,872

Average volume

1152300.0

Last dividend

$0.152

Last ex-dividend date

09/24/2026

Last payment date

09/30/2026 (as of 2026-09-30)

Beta

0.91

P/E ratio

17.0245

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (0.77%) is the latest regular payout annualized by the fund's stated frequency, divided by the last close. Issuers often publish this as “Distribution Rate” on the fact sheet. Trailing-12-month yield (0.86%) is the sum of distributions paid in the last 12 months, split-adjusted, divided by the last close. 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; Index: Basket (First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF holdings); 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.

RDVY risks and drawbacks

RDVY'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 9.0%.

Who may consider RDVY — and who may not

It is a weaker fit for investors who need monthly cash flow (RDVY 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.

Frequently asked questions

More securities from First Trust.