ETF Evaluator:
FT Vest Gold Strategy Trgt Inc ETF ()
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(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Commodities Focused Over the Last Year
| 2251.5% | Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF (BWET) |
| 81.8% | United States Gasoline (UGA) |
| 64.2% | Commodities Focused () |
| 63.3% | Invesco DB Energy (DBE) |
| 61.8% | United States Oil (USO) |
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ETF Details
FT Vest Gold Strategy Trgt Inc ETF Overview
FT Vest Gold Strategy Trgt Inc ETF (IGLD) is an actively managed Commodities Commodities Focused exchange-traded fund (ETF). First Trust launched the ETF in 2021.
The investment seeks to deliver participation in the price returns of the SPDR Gold Trust (the "underlying ETF") while providing a consistent level of income.
The fund invests in a portfolio substantially composed of short-term U.S. Treasury securities, cash and cash equivalents, and in the shares of a wholly-owned subsidiary (the “Subsidiary”) that holds FLexible Exchange Options (“FLEX Options”) that reference the price performance of the underlying ETF. It is non-diversified.
About FT Vest Gold Strategy Trgt Inc ETF (IGLD)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 3.49 years: Karan Sood (2021) and Trevor Lack (2025). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: S&P 500 (TR) (1970) index with a weighting of 100% and LBMA Gold Price AM USD index with a weighting of 100%. FT Vest Gold Strategy Trgt Inc ETF has 4 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 99.5% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a nondiversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
FT Vest Gold Strategy Trgt Inc ETF is part of the Real Assets global asset class and is within the Commodities ETF group. FT Vest Gold Strategy Trgt Inc ETF has 0.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0% There is 0.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 80.8% (80.8% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). FT Vest Gold Strategy Trgt Inc ETF has 0.5% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $514 million in total assets, which is below the $4 billion average for the Commodities Focused category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
IGLD Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The FT Vest Gold Strategy Trgt Inc ETF expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Commodities Focused category. FT Vest Gold Strategy Trgt Inc ETF has an expense ratio of 0.85%, which is 11% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a C. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. FT Vest Gold Strategy Trgt Inc ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 0%, which indicates that it holds its assets around /years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 15% for the Commodities Focused category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, FT Vest Gold Strategy Trgt Inc ETF returned 1.2%, which earned it a grade of C, as the Commodities Focused category had an average return of 5.1%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
FT Vest Gold Strategy Trgt Inc ETF has a trailing yield of 21.43%, which is above the 7.11% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income monthly.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
FT Vest Gold Strategy Trgt Inc ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned -6.5%, 37.9 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of C. The fund has returned 15.3% over the past year (grade of D), 19.3% over the past three years (grade of B) and 12.0% per year over the past five years (grade of C).
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IGLD Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| IGLD Return (NAV) | 1.2% | -11.0% | 15.3% | 19.3% | 12.0% | na |
| IGLD Return (Price) | 1.1% | -10.9% | 15.5% | 19.3% | 12.1% | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 0.097% | -0.103% | -0.218% | -0.079% | -0.067% | na |
| Commodities Focused Avg | 5.1% | -6.8% | 64.2% | 14.3% | 9.6% | 6.0% |
| IGLD Grade (NAV) | C | C | D | B | C | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -3.9% | -4.2% | -48.9% | 4.9% | 2.5% | na |
| IGLD Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 7.0% | 5.4% | 3.7% | na |
IGLD Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| IGLD Return (NAV) | -6.5% | 47.4% | 18.1% | 11.5% | -3.3% | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| IGLD Return (Price) | -6.5% | 47.5% | 19.4% | 9.2% | -2.4% | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.006% | 0.003% | 0.070% | -0.201% | -0.274% | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Commodities Focused Avg | 31.4% | 35.6% | 6.2% | -1.1% | 9.2% | 27.8% | 1.5% | 14.9% | -9.5% | 3.1% | 10.0% |
| IGLD Grade (NAV) | C | C | B | B | F | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | -37.9% | 11.8% | 11.9% | 12.6% | -12.4% | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.21 |
| R-Squared: | 4% |
| Standard Deviation: | 14.7% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.58 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Low |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.20 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 21.4% |
| Total Assets: | $ 514 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 514 Mil |
| Turnover: | 0.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.85% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | S&P 500 (TR) (1970) |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Monthly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 5.4 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 3.5 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Sood Karan (2021), Lack Trevor (2025) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 4 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 99.5% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 0.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 80.8% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 18.7% |
| Cash: | 0.5% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | First Trust |
| Phone Number: | 800-621-1675 |
| Website: | www.ftportfolios.com |
| Inception Date: | March 2, 2021 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.85% (Rating: High) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.76% |
