UCON ETF — First Trust Smith Unconstrained Plus Bond ETF

First Trust Smith Unconstrained Plus Bond ETF (UCON)

Updated October 16, 2026.

UCON is an ETF. its distribution rate is 4.77%, its trailing-12-month yield is 4.87%, its expense ratio is 0.86%. Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™ is 86/100 (Safe). Total return is 31.0% over the past 8.4 years, 184.6 points behind SPY at 215.6%.

UCON performance versus SPY

Price and return data through 2026-10-16.

Total return is 31.0% over the past 8.4 years, 184.6 points behind SPY at 215.6%. Over the past year its total return — price change plus distributions reinvested — is -1.2%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 3.6%.

UCON key facts

Distribution Safety Score™

86 · Safe

Safety-Adjusted Yield

4.10%

Issuer

First Trust

Asset type

ETF

Asset class

Fixed Income

Inception date

06/04/2018

Expense ratio

0.86%

Distribution rate

4.77%

Distribution frequency

Monthly

Trailing yield

4.87%

Last close

$23.91 (as of 2026-10-16)

AUM

$3,137,527,230

Average volume

568265.0

Dividend

$0.095

Ex-dividend date

09/24/2026

Payment date

09/30/2026

Beta

0.64

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (4.77%) uses calculation basis unavailable. Issuer rates can use a different denominator and date, including ex-date NAV. Trailing-12-month yield (4.87%) 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.

UCON risks and drawbacks

Total return has trailed SPY over the available window. The deepest 1-year drawdown on record here is 3.6%.

Who may consider UCON — and who may not

UCON may suit someone looking for a high Distribution Safety Score, moderate current income with a quality tilt. It is a weaker fit for 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 UCON

• All tickers starting with U

Tagged: Fixed Income.

Frequently asked questions

More securities from First Trust.