First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL)
| Assets | $7.24B |
| Expense Ratio | 0.43% |
| PE Ratio | 14.43 |
| Shares Out | 140.55M |
| Dividend (ttm) | $1.79 |
| Dividend Yield | 3.50% |
| Ex-Dividend Date | Dec 12, 2025 |
| Payout Ratio | 50.44% |
| 1-Year Return | +18.19% |
| Volume | 988,592 |
| Open | 50.96 |
| Previous Close | 50.84 |
| Day's Range | 50.72 - 51.29 |
| 52-Week Low | 37.29 |
| 52-Week High | 51.41 |
| Beta | 0.68 |
| Holdings | 87 |
| Inception Date | Mar 9, 2006 |
About FDL
Fund Home PageThe First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Morningstar Dividend Leaders index. The fund tracks a dividend-weighted index of US companies with consistent and sustained dividend payments. The fund holds roughly 100 securities and excludes REITs. FDL was launched on Mar 9, 2006 and is issued by First Trust.
Top 10 Holdings
59.21% of assets| Name | Symbol | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Exxon Mobil Corporation | XOM | 11.14% |
| Chevron Corporation | CVX | 9.00% |
| Verizon Communications Inc. | VZ | 7.84% |
| Pfizer Inc. | PFE | 5.84% |
| Merck & Co., Inc. | MRK | 5.52% |
| PepsiCo, Inc. | PEP | 5.10% |
| Altria Group, Inc. | MO | 4.85% |
| Bristol-Myers Squibb Company | BMY | 3.40% |
| United Parcel Service, Inc. | UPS | 3.37% |
| Comcast Corporation | CMCSA | 3.16% |
Dividends
| Ex-Dividend | Amount | Pay Date |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 12, 2025 | $0.5499 | Dec 31, 2025 |
| Sep 25, 2025 | $0.424 | Sep 30, 2025 |
| Jun 26, 2025 | $0.4584 | Jun 30, 2025 |
| Mar 27, 2025 | $0.3573 | Mar 31, 2025 |
| Dec 13, 2024 | $0.4898 | Dec 31, 2024 |
| Sep 26, 2024 | $0.3881 | Sep 30, 2024 |
News
Dividend Stocks Keep Crushing The Market As AI Concerns Mount
Dividend ETFs like SCHD, FDL, and HDV are outperforming AI and SaaS stocks as investors favor moderate-yielding dividend payers over high-growth tech names.
Undisruptable: How Dividend Stocks Became Market Leaders - And Why That Scares Me
Dividend stocks and defensive sectors have dramatically outperformed as investors flee AI-vulnerable and AI-spending industries, but valuations now appear stretched. Consumer staples and energy sector...
Revenge Of The Dividend Stocks
Dividend stocks have sharply outperformed AI-related tech stocks since November 2025, reversing a multi-year trend. I see the rally in dividend ETFs like SCHD as overextended, prompting a pause in new...
FDL: Gets The Job Done, But Underwhelming Against Peer Dividend ETFs (Downgrade)
First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund ETF is downgraded to hold due to persistent underperformance versus peers. FDL offers a 4% starting yield and solid dividend growth, but its lack of...
FDL: A 4% Yield, Low P/E, And Broadening Market Tailwinds
First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index ETF (FDL) earns a buy rating, offering a compelling blend of value and yield for dividend-focused investors. FDL trades at a low 11.53x P/E with a 4.00% ...
Diversifying Dividends: Sketching Out My Battle Plan For 2026
I plan to diversify my REIT-heavy portfolio by systematically allocating to four dividend-focused ETFs in 2026. US economic growth remains steady but subdued, while equity valuations are elevated, sug...
Dividend Aristocrats Vs. High Yielders: Which Are Better For Long-Term Investors?
High-yielding stocks get a lot of attention. But a lot of them have underperformed over the long run. Which are better? High yielders or dividend growth stocks?
FDL: Dividend Income And Capital Preservation When It Counts
First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund offers high yield and capital preservation for income-focused investors seeking risk diversification. FDL's defensive, value-oriented portfolio prov...
FDL: The Portfolio Rebalance Is Hurting Performance; Consider Alternatives
I downgrade FDL to hold due to its heavy energy and health care exposure, which are underperforming and dragging on returns. The recent portfolio rebalance increased FDL's risk and volatility, with 55...
FDL: A Deep Dive Into Yield, Safety, And Timing
FDL offers a rules-based, high-yield, value-tilted ETF focused on consistent dividend payers, favoring defensive sectors for income-oriented investors. Performance analysis shows FDL excels during pul...
Seeking Yield In Equity Funds With Lower Valuations And Risk
I track about a thousand funds using Mutual Fund Observer and have developed a ranking system to group equity funds into four categories based on risk, valuation, and/or yield. Tier One contains the L...
FDL: A Solid Dividend-Focused ETF To Beat The Uncertainty In 2025
First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund ETF is recommended for its high-quality dividend-paying companies, strong fundamentals, and sector concentration in healthcare, consumer staples, an...
FDL: Makes Building A Dividend Portfolio Easy, But Has Weaknesses
First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund offers instant exposure to reputable dividend-paying companies, simplifying portfolio building with a 4% yield and 0.45% expense ratio. The ETF main...
FDL: Dividend Growth ETF With Lackluster Return And Quality
First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL) is invested in 100 stocks featuring high yields and dividend growth. FDL is well diversified across sectors, but quite concentrated in its top...
FDL: Dividend Aristocrats Are A Tired, Old Strategy
First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund ETF is well-constructed, but passive dividend stock indexing has issues. FDL prioritizes dividend stability and growth, but market volatility and cy...
FDL: Yield And Valuation Are Attractive, But Not Quality
First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund ETF holds 90 stocks of companies with higher yields and 5-year dividend growth. The FDL ETF is well diversified across sectors, but quite concentrat...
DGI ETF Investors: Don't Make These Common Mistakes When Screening
DGI investors buy companies with long histories of increasing dividend payments. The strategy works because it shifts investors' attention to regular income payments, meaning they'll stay invested for...
FDL: A Hard-To-Find, Respectable High Dividend ETF
S&P 500 dividend yield is at historical lows, as investors' focus has shifted toward growth stocks progressively over the past decade.
FDL Vs. SCHD: Which Is The Best Dividend ETF?
First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund ETF holds 100 stocks with 5-year dividend growth and sustainable payout ratio. The fund is concentrated in financials and top holdings. Valuation lo...
FDL: By Investing In Core Sectors, It Generates Steady Yields And Impressive Returns
First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL) is an ETF that invests in dividend-paying stocks of large-cap companies. FDL focuses on core sectors like financial, energy, and utilities, wi...
FDL: The Time May Be Here For Dividend Outperformance
Dividend stocks are currently outperforming and offer potential for momentum on a relative basis. The First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund is worth considering for income-seeking invest...
FDL: Underperforming In 2023
First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund ETF invests in 100 U.S. companies with sustainable dividends. The FDL ETF is diversified across sectors, but quite concentrated in the top holdings....
FDL: The Dividend Leaders In The ETF Might Not Meet Expectations
FDL: The Dividend Leaders In The ETF Might Not Meet Expectations.
Dividend Investing: Broader Is Better For Multi-Asset Strategies
Investing in dividend-paying stocks has proved to be a helpful strategy, outperforming global markets over the long term. Dividend income strategies play an important role for multi-asset income portf...