ETF Evaluator:
FT Nasdaq Artfcl Intllgnc and Rbtc ETF ()
Follow This ETF
(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Technology Over the Last Year
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ETF Details
FT Nasdaq Artfcl Intllgnc and Rbtc ETF Overview
FT Nasdaq Artfcl Intllgnc and Rbtc ETF (ROBT) is a passively managed Sector Equity Technology exchange-traded fund (ETF). First Trust launched the ETF in 2018.
The investment seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield (before the fund's fees and expenses) of an index called the Nasdaq CTA Artificial Intelligence and Robotics IndexSM (the "index").
The fund will normally invest at least 90% of its net assets (including investment borrowings) in the securities that comprise the index. The index is designed to track the performance of companies engaged in the artificial intelligence ("AI") and robotics segments of the technology, industrial and other economic sectors.
About FT Nasdaq Artfcl Intllgnc and Rbtc ETF (ROBT)
There are 7 members of the management team with an average tenure of 8.02 years: Daniel Lindquist (2018), Jon Erickson (2018), David McGarel (2018), Stan Ueland (2018), Chris Peterson (2018), Erik Russo (2021) and Roger Testin (2018). 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 Nasdaq CTA AI & Robotics TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. FT Nasdaq Artfcl Intllgnc and Rbtc ETF has 122 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 17.8% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
FT Nasdaq Artfcl Intllgnc and Rbtc ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the Sector Equity ETF group. FT Nasdaq Artfcl Intllgnc and Rbtc ETF has 34.9% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 64.7% There is 34.9% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). FT Nasdaq Artfcl Intllgnc and Rbtc ETF has 0.4% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $724 million in total assets, which is below the $3 billion average for the Technology 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.
ROBT 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 Nasdaq Artfcl Intllgnc and Rbtc ETF expense ratio is above average compared to funds in the Technology category. FT Nasdaq Artfcl Intllgnc and Rbtc ETF has an expense ratio of 0.65%, which is 21% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a D. 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 Nasdaq Artfcl Intllgnc and Rbtc ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 52%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 39% for the Technology category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, FT Nasdaq Artfcl Intllgnc and Rbtc ETF returned -1.5%, which earned it a grade of A, as the Technology category had an average return of -9.8%. 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 Nasdaq Artfcl Intllgnc and Rbtc ETF has a trailing yield of 0.02%, which is below the 0.45% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income quarterly and its capital gains annually.
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 Nasdaq Artfcl Intllgnc and Rbtc ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 6.8%, 14.5 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of D. The fund has returned 10.9% over the past year (grade of F), 6.2% over the past three years (grade of F) and 0.8% per year over the past five years (grade of F).
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ROBT 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 |
|
| ROBT Return (NAV) | -1.5% | 7.3% | 10.9% | 6.2% | 0.8% | na |
| ROBT Return (Price) | -2.2% | 6.7% | 10.1% | 5.9% | 0.7% | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 0.738% | 0.574% | 0.738% | 0.253% | 0.149% | na |
| Technology Avg | -9.8% | 7.3% | 33.6% | 22.3% | 10.5% | 19.0% |
| ROBT Grade (NAV) | A | C | F | F | F | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 8.4% | -0.0% | -22.7% | -16.2% | -9.7% | na |
| ROBT Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | na |
ROBT Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| ROBT Return (NAV) | 6.8% | 15.2% | -0.4% | 27.1% | -34.6% | 9.9% | 46.1% | 33.8% | na | na | na |
| ROBT Return (Price) | 6.1% | 15.2% | -0.4% | 27.8% | -34.9% | 9.9% | 46.2% | 34.3% | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.104% | -0.000% | -0.052% | 0.025% | 0.011% | -0.003% | 0.002% | 1.5% | na | na | na |
| Technology Avg | 21.3% | 23.2% | 19.9% | 43.8% | -35.8% | 16.7% | 53.3% | 37.8% | -3.2% | 33.7% | 15.0% |
| ROBT Grade (NAV) | D | D | F | F | C | D | C | D | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | -14.5% | -8.1% | -20.3% | -16.6% | 1.2% | -6.8% | -7.2% | -4.0% | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 1.56 |
| R-Squared: | 81% |
| Standard Deviation: | 21.9% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.82 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Below Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.78 |
| Total Risk Rating: | High |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 0.0% |
| Total Assets: | $ 725 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 725 Mil |
| Turnover: | 52.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.65% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | S&P 500 (TR) (1970) |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Quarterly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 7 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 8.4 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 8.0 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Lindquist Daniel (2018), Erickson Jon (2018), McGarel David (2018), Ueland Stan (2018), Peterson Chris (2018), Testin Roger (2018), Russo Erik (2021) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 122 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 17.8% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 34.9% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 64.7% |
| Foreign Stock: | 34.9% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.4% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | First Trust |
| Phone Number: | 800-621-1675 |
| Website: | http://www.ftportfolios.com |
| Inception Date: | February 21, 2018 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.65% (Rating: Above Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.54% |