SDVY ETF — First Trust SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers ETF

First Trust SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (SDVY)

Updated October 2, 2026.

SDVY is an ETF. its distribution rate is 0.97%, its trailing-12-month yield is 1.01%, its expense ratio is 0.58%. Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™ is 66/100 (Generally safe). Total return is 140.3% over the past 8.9 years, 101.5 points behind SPY at 241.8%.

At the current 0.97% distribution rate, a $10,000 investment would generate approximately $97 per year, or about $24.25 per quarter if the next payment matches the last regular one.

First Trust SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers ETF is an equity fund that tracks an index of small- and mid-cap stocks selected for having increased their dividends consistently over the preceding three and five year periods. The fund distributes dividends quarterly at a modest current distribution rate and carries an expense ratio of 0.58%. It appeals to income-focused investors seeking exposure to dividend-growth stocks in the small- and mid-cap segment.

SDVY performance versus SPY

Price and return data through 2026-10-02.

Total return is 140.3% over the past 8.9 years, 101.5 points behind SPY at 241.8%. Over the past year its total return — price change plus distributions reinvested — is 9.8%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 9.5%.

SDVY key facts

Distribution Safety Score™

66 · Generally safe

Safety-Adjusted Yield

0.64%

Issuer

First Trust

Asset type

ETF

Asset class

Equity

Inception date

11/01/2017

Expense ratio

0.58%

Distribution rate

0.97%

Distribution frequency

Quarterly

Trailing yield

1.01%

Last close

$41.28 (as of 2026-10-02)

AUM

$11,122,548,183

Average volume

1331400.0

Last dividend

$0.10

Last ex-dividend date

09/24/2026

Last payment date

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

Beta

0.96

P/E ratio

15.7528

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (0.97%) 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 (1.01%) 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; 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.

SDVY risks and drawbacks

SDVY'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 9.5%.

Who may consider SDVY — and who may not

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

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