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Is First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF (FICS) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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The First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF (FICS - Free Report) was launched on 12/15/2020, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Foreign Large Growth ETF category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy.
Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.
However, some investors believe in the possibility of beating the market through exceptional stock selection, and choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: smart beta.
This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.
This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is managed by First Trust Advisors, and has been able to amass over $203.8 million, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Foreign Large Growth ETF. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the INTERNATIONAL DEVLPD CAPITAL STRENGTH ID before fees and expenses.
The International Developed Capital Strength Index provides exposure to well-capitalized companies in the developed markets outside of the U.S. with strong market positions that have the potential to provide their stockholders with a greater degree of stability and performance over time.
Cost & Other Expenses
When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor. And, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins in the long term if all other factors remain equal.
Annual operating expenses for FICS are 0.70%, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.
It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 1.87%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
When you look at individual holdings, Dbs Group Holdings Limited (DBS.SP) accounts for about 2.79% of the fund's total assets, followed by Great-west Lifeco Inc. (GWO.CN) and Sonova Holding Ag (registered) (SOON.SW).
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 23.73% of FICS's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
So far this year, FICS has added roughly 5.51%, and is up roughly 8.62% in the last one year (as of 10/23/2026). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $37.65 and $43.19.
FICS has a beta of 0.70 and standard deviation of 13.14% for the trailing three-year period. With about 56 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF is not a suitable option for investors seeking to outperform the Foreign Large Growth ETF segment of the market. Instead, there are other ETFs in the space which investors should consider.
Invesco Dorsey Wright Developed Markets Momentum ETF (PIZ) tracks Dorsey Wright Developed Markets Technical Leaders Index and the Invesco S&P International Developed Quality ETF (IDHQ) tracks S&P Quality Developed ex US LargeMidCap Index. Invesco Dorsey Wright Developed Markets Momentum ETF has $591.93 million in assets, Invesco S&P International Developed Quality ETF has $1.18 billion. PIZ has an expense ratio of 0.80% and IDHQ changes 0.29%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Foreign Large Growth ETF
Bottom Line
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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Is First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF (FICS) a Strong ETF Right Now?
The First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF (FICS - Free Report) was launched on 12/15/2020, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Foreign Large Growth ETF category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy.
Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.
However, some investors believe in the possibility of beating the market through exceptional stock selection, and choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: smart beta.
This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.
This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is managed by First Trust Advisors, and has been able to amass over $203.8 million, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Foreign Large Growth ETF. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the INTERNATIONAL DEVLPD CAPITAL STRENGTH ID before fees and expenses.
The International Developed Capital Strength Index provides exposure to well-capitalized companies in the developed markets outside of the U.S. with strong market positions that have the potential to provide their stockholders with a greater degree of stability and performance over time.
Cost & Other Expenses
When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor. And, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins in the long term if all other factors remain equal.
Annual operating expenses for FICS are 0.70%, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.
It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 1.87%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
When you look at individual holdings, Dbs Group Holdings Limited (DBS.SP) accounts for about 2.79% of the fund's total assets, followed by Great-west Lifeco Inc. (GWO.CN) and Sonova Holding Ag (registered) (SOON.SW).
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 23.73% of FICS's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
So far this year, FICS has added roughly 5.51%, and is up roughly 8.62% in the last one year (as of 10/23/2026). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $37.65 and $43.19.
FICS has a beta of 0.70 and standard deviation of 13.14% for the trailing three-year period. With about 56 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF is not a suitable option for investors seeking to outperform the Foreign Large Growth ETF segment of the market. Instead, there are other ETFs in the space which investors should consider.
Invesco Dorsey Wright Developed Markets Momentum ETF (PIZ) tracks Dorsey Wright Developed Markets Technical Leaders Index and the Invesco S&P International Developed Quality ETF (IDHQ) tracks S&P Quality Developed ex US LargeMidCap Index. Invesco Dorsey Wright Developed Markets Momentum ETF has $591.93 million in assets, Invesco S&P International Developed Quality ETF has $1.18 billion. PIZ has an expense ratio of 0.80% and IDHQ changes 0.29%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Foreign Large Growth ETF
Bottom Line
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.