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Should First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX ETF (FTC) Be on Your Investing Radar?
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The First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX ETF (FTC - Free Report) was launched on May 8, 2007, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $1.20 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Growth
Companies that fall in the large cap category tend to have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Considered a more stable option, large cap companies boast more predictable cash flows and are less volatile than their mid and small cap counterparts.
Growth stocks have higher than average sales and earnings growth rates. While these are expected to grow faster than the broader market, they also have higher valuations. Something to keep in mind is the higher level of volatility that is affiliated with growth stocks. Even though growth stocks are more likely to outperform their value counterparts in strong bull markets, value stocks have a record of delivering better returns in almost all markets than growth stocks.
Costs
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.58%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.34%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector -- about 21.2% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Industrials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Robinhood Markets, Inc. (class A) (HOOD) accounts for about 1.77% of total assets, followed by Roblox Corporation (class A) (RBLX) and Carvana Co. (class A) (CVNA).
The top 10 holdings account for about 12.52% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
FTC seeks to match the performance of the Nasdaq AlphaDEX Large Cap Growth Index before fees and expenses. The NASDAQ AlphaDEX Large Cap Growth Index is an enhanced index which employs the AlphaDEX stock selection methodology to select stocks from the NASDAQ US 500 Large Cap Growth Index.
The ETF has added about 11.49% so far this year and was up about 22.59% in the last one year (as of 08/22/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $116.97 and $157.19.
The ETF has a beta of 1.11 and standard deviation of 18.47% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 188 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, FTC is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Growth segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) and the Invesco QQQ (QQQ) track a similar index. While Vanguard Growth ETF has $181.63 billion in assets, Invesco QQQ has $362.77 billion. VUG has an expense ratio of 0.04% and QQQ charges 0.2%.
Bottom-Line
An increasingly popular option among retail and institutional investors, passively managed ETFs offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; they are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.
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Should First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX ETF (FTC) Be on Your Investing Radar?
The First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX ETF (FTC - Free Report) was launched on May 8, 2007, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $1.20 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Growth
Companies that fall in the large cap category tend to have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Considered a more stable option, large cap companies boast more predictable cash flows and are less volatile than their mid and small cap counterparts.
Growth stocks have higher than average sales and earnings growth rates. While these are expected to grow faster than the broader market, they also have higher valuations. Something to keep in mind is the higher level of volatility that is affiliated with growth stocks. Even though growth stocks are more likely to outperform their value counterparts in strong bull markets, value stocks have a record of delivering better returns in almost all markets than growth stocks.
Costs
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.58%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.34%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector -- about 21.2% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Industrials round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Robinhood Markets, Inc. (class A) (HOOD) accounts for about 1.77% of total assets, followed by Roblox Corporation (class A) (RBLX) and Carvana Co. (class A) (CVNA).
The top 10 holdings account for about 12.52% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
FTC seeks to match the performance of the Nasdaq AlphaDEX Large Cap Growth Index before fees and expenses. The NASDAQ AlphaDEX Large Cap Growth Index is an enhanced index which employs the AlphaDEX stock selection methodology to select stocks from the NASDAQ US 500 Large Cap Growth Index.
The ETF has added about 11.49% so far this year and was up about 22.59% in the last one year (as of 08/22/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $116.97 and $157.19.
The ETF has a beta of 1.11 and standard deviation of 18.47% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 188 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, FTC is an outstanding option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Growth segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) and the Invesco QQQ (QQQ) track a similar index. While Vanguard Growth ETF has $181.63 billion in assets, Invesco QQQ has $362.77 billion. VUG has an expense ratio of 0.04% and QQQ charges 0.2%.
Bottom-Line
An increasingly popular option among retail and institutional investors, passively managed ETFs offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; they are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.