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- Upturn Summary
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- Fund Details
First Trust Active Factor Large Cap ETF(AFLG)
Advisory History & Simulated Performance *
*as per simulation (see disclosures)- ALL
- 1Y
- 1M
- 1W
- BUY Advisory
- SELL Advisory (Profit)
- SELL Advisory (Loss)
- Profit
- Loss
- PASS (Skip)
Stock price based on last close Advisory Performance History (Simulated)
Upturn Advisory & Investor View for AFLG
09/14/2026: AFLG (2-star) has a low Upturn Star Rating. Not recommended to BUY.
First Trust Active Factor Large Cap ETF (AFLG) provides exposure to U.S. large-cap equities through an active, multi-factor selection process designed to identify high-quality and trending stocks. Its primary strengths lie in the potential for alpha generation through active management and the reputable backing of the First Trust issuer. It serves as an equity-core component for investors seeking more than standard market-cap-weighted returns. The most significant risks include market volatility, the higher 0.60% expense ratio, and potential underperformance if its specific factors fall out of favor. The fund best suits long-term investors comfortable with active strategies who are looking for a factor-tilted approach to large-cap equity growth.
How to Read the Upturn Advisory
The Upturn Star Rating and the current BUY, SELL, or PASS advisory are generated by Upturn’s AI advisory engine based on proprietary signal analysis, price behavior, advisory history, and historical signal performance.
ETF holdings, costs, diversification, valuation, risks, and market conditions provide supporting context about the fund.
Investor Fit
| Investor style | Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth investor | Strong fit | The fund captures large-cap growth potential while mitigating downside through quality factor tilts. |
| Momentum investor | Strong fit while signal remains positive | The active factor strategy explicitly incorporates momentum indicators to capture prevailing market trends. |
| Value investor | Strong fit | The fund's multi-factor model includes value components to avoid expensive stocks during market rotations. |
| Dividend/Income investor | Mixed fit | While the fund holds quality companies that may pay dividends, it is not optimized for high income generation. |
| Low-risk investor | Mixed fit | As an equity-only fund, it remains subject to significant market volatility despite its factor-based hedging attempts. |
Investor Profile
Ideal Investor Profile
The ideal investor is someone seeking large-cap exposure with a preference for active, rule-based management rather than pure indexing.
Suitability
Best suited for long-term investors looking to complement a passive core with an active factor tilt.
Risk Profile
| Risk factor | Level | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility | Medium / high | Equity markets fluctuate, and active strategies can experience periods of underperformance relative to benchmarks. |
| Market risk | High | The fund is fully invested in equities and is directly exposed to broad market downturns. |
| Concentration | Medium | Active factor tilts may lead to sector or stock weights that differ significantly from broad benchmarks. |
| Tracking/expense | Medium | The 0.60% expense ratio represents a higher drag on performance compared to low-cost passive index funds. |
| Liquidity | Low | Underlying holdings are large-cap, typically providing high liquidity for the fund. |
| Business/sector quality | Low | The focus on quality factors inherently aims to avoid low-quality businesses. |
Risk Analysis
Volatility
AFLG exhibits moderate to high historical volatility, consistent with a pure-equity portfolio, though its active factor selection attempts to dampen extreme fluctuations.
Market Risk
The primary risk is a systematic decline in the U.S. equity market, as the fund is heavily correlated with the performance of large-cap stocks.
What the ETF Owns
| Exposure Type | Exposure | Weight (%) | Retail Investor Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market capitalization | US Large-Cap Equities | 98.5 | The fund focuses on large, established U.S. companies that serve as the primary drivers of portfolio growth. |
| Cash/collateral | Cash and Cash Equivalents | 1.5 | A small cash buffer is maintained to manage daily liquidity and operational needs. |
Price Behavior
Strong Uptrend
The stock has maintained a strong upward price trend across the last three quarters.
Very Smooth
The stock has followed a highly orderly price path with minimal short-term disruption.
Analysis of Past Performance
Type ETF | Historic Profit 39.98% | Avg. Invested days 67 | Today’s Advisory Consider higher Upturn Star rating |
Upturn Advisory Rating  | Upturn Advisory Performance  5.0 | ETF Returns Performance  5.0 |
| Profits based on simulation | Last Close 09/14/2026 |
ETF Fundamentals 
Source: EOD Historical Data • Updated Sep 15, 2026
Fund Basics
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Fund Size (AUM) | $765.10M |
| Issuer | First Trust |
| Expense Ratio | 0.5499999999999999% |
| Distribution Yield | 0.7% |
| Inception | Dec 3, 2019 |
| Index Tracked | Stuttgart Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta US Large Cap (USD) |
Performance
| Period | Total Return |
|---|---|
| YTD | +13.50% |
| 1 Year | +17.33% |
| 3 Year | +21.32% |
| 5 Year | +12.13% |
| 10 Year | +0.00% |
Risk Metrics
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 1Y Volatility | 11.63% |
| 3Y Volatility | 12.53% |
| 3Y Sharpe Ratio | 1.25 |
Ratings
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Morningstar Rating | ★★★★★ |
Market Cap Distribution
| Cap Size | Weight |
|---|---|
| Mid Cap | 37.80% |
| Mega Cap | 32.82% |
| Large Cap | 20.41% |
| Small Cap | 8.65% |
| Micro Cap | 0.22% |
Top Sectors
| Sector | Weight |
|---|---|
| Technology | 38.79% |
| Financial Services | 10.09% |
| Communication Services | 9.03% |
| Consumer Cyclicals | 8.46% |
Asset Allocation
Portfolio Characteristics
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Portfolio P/E | 15.94x |
| Portfolio P/B | 3.66x |
| Portfolio P/S | 1.82x |
| Holdings Turnover | 55.0% |
Top Holdings
| Holding | Weight |
|---|---|
| NVIDIA | 7.85% |
| Apple | 6.58% |
| Alphabet Class A | 5.63% |
| Microsoft | 4.00% |
| Broadcom | 2.50% |
Upturn AI Summary
AI Summarization is directionally correct and might not be accurate.
Summarized information shown could be a few years old and not current.
Fundamental Rating based on AI could be based on old data.
AI-generated summaries may have inaccuracies (hallucinations). Please verify the information before taking action.
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