# First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS): ETF Facts & Distributions > Markdown mirror of https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/ftcs for AI agents. Same live data as the HTML page, regenerated on the same refresh cycle. Not investment advice. - Issuer: First Trust · Asset class: Large Cap Equity - Strategy: Thematic · Inception: 2006-07-06 FTCS seeks to outperform the broader large-cap space by selecting companies based on their strength of their balance sheets, looking at cash balances, long-term debt ratios, and ROE. FTCS picks from a relatively narrow subset of the large-cap universe: the NASDAQ US benchmark, a 500-firm composite of NASDAQ-listed companies. By design, FTCS will always struggle to reflect the broad large-cap market given its limited selection universe, but it fills a niche within a crowded segment. The index undergoes quarterly reconstitution and rebalance. FTCS formerly tracked a large-cap value index and... ## Key Facts | Metric | Value | |---|---| | Price | $100.72 | | Expense Ratio | 0.53% | | Assets Under Management | $7.81B | | NAV | $100.72 | | Holdings Count | 50 | | Distribution Yield (TTM) | 1.14% | | Annual Distribution (TTM) | $1.14 /share | | Distribution Frequency | Quarterly | | 52-Week Range | $89.76 – $102.93 | | Beta | 0.53 | ## Latest Distribution - Amount: $0.3332 /share - Ex-date: 2026-09-24 - Pay date: 2026-09-30 ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What does FTCS invest in? FTCS seeks to outperform the broader large-cap space by selecting companies based on their strength of their balance sheets, looking at cash balances, long-term debt ratios, and ROE. FTCS picks from a relatively narrow subset of the large-cap universe: the NASDAQ US benchmark, a 500-firm composite of NASDAQ-listed companies. By design, FTCS will always struggle to reflect the broad large-cap market given its limited selection universe, but it fills a niche within a crowded segment. The index undergoes quarterly reconstitution and rebalance. FTCS formerly tracked a large-cap value index and traded under the ticker FDV. The fund was rebranded in May 2013. ### What is the expense ratio of FTCS? First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS) charges an expense ratio of 0.53%. This is the annual fee deducted from fund assets to cover management and operations. ### How big is FTCS? First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS) manages $7.81B in total assets. AUM determines bid-ask liquidity and the fund's vulnerability to closure. Funds below ~$50M are at higher risk of liquidation. ### Is FTCS actively managed or an index fund? FTCS's management style is described in the fund's prospectus. See the description on the Summary tab for the published strategy. ### When was FTCS launched? First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS) launched in July 2006 and is managed by First Trust. ### How has FTCS performed? FTCS's total return (price change plus reinvested distributions) is charted at the top of this page. Switch the price chart to Total Return and pick a 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, or 10-year window to read the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over each horizon. ### Does FTCS pay a dividend? First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS) currently distributes little or no income. Trailing-twelve-month yield is 1.14%. Investors looking for income should consider income-focused alternatives. See the Peers tab. ### How often does FTCS pay dividends? First Trust Capital Strength ETF pays dividends Quarterly. Each ex-dividend date, record date, and payment date is listed in the dividend history table on this page. ### What is FTCS's dividend yield? FTCS's trailing-twelve-month yield is 1.14%, calculated from the sum of dividends over the past year divided by the current price. ### When is FTCS's next ex-dividend date? The most recently announced ex-dividend date for FTCS was 2026-09-24. The next ex-date typically follows Quarterly; once announced it appears at the top of the dividend history table on this page. ### How much will FTCS's expense ratio cost me over 30 years? On a $10,000 investment compounding at 7% gross return, a 0.53% expense ratio quietly compounds against your balance every year. The Fee Compounding Forecast card above projects the dollar drag for any holding period and assumption you pick. The typical result for a 1.0% expense ratio on a 30-year hold is roughly 25% of the final balance lost to fees. ### How does FTCS charge its expense ratio? The expense ratio is deducted in tiny daily slices from FTCS's net asset value (NAV). You never see a bill. The price quoted on every exchange is already net of fees. There's no "fee day" to avoid; the cost is continuous and built into the trading price. ### Why does FTCS cost more than a fund like VOO? FTCS's strategy (current expense ratio 0.53%) is different from a broad-market index tracker like VOO, so its fee belongs to a different cohort. The Cost Verdict card above shows you where FTCS sits within its own category, which is the comparison that actually matters. ### Are there cheaper alternatives to FTCS? The Lower-Fee Alternatives card above lists ETFs following the same investment strategy as FTCS (0.53%) but at a lower expense ratio. Each row shows the fee gap, the peer's AUM as a liquidity sanity-check, and a direct link to that fund's analysis page. Cheaper price doesn't automatically mean better. Verify the peer holds what you actually want. ## More on Dividend Data - Overview (HTML): https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/ftcs - Distribution history: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/ftcs/dividend - Holdings & diversification: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/ftcs/diversification - Fees & cheaper alternatives: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/ftcs/expenses - Peer comparison: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/ftcs/peers Data sourced from primary filings and market data providers; see https://www.dividenddata.com/methodology.