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FYC

First Trust Small Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (FYC)

Rating:61Neutral
Price Target:$120.00â–²(5.24% Upside)

FYC, the First Trust Small Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund, has a solid but not top-tier rating, reflecting a mix of promising growth stories and meaningful financial risks among its holdings. Strong contributors like FIGS and Slide Insurance support the fund’s quality through robust revenue growth, operational efficiency, and favorable profitability and valuation. However, weaker holdings such as HeartFlow and Netskope, which face financial instability, ongoing losses, and bearish or mixed technical trends, highlight the main risk: exposure to smaller, less profitable companies that can be more volatile and financially fragile.

Positive Factors
Strong Year-to-Date PerformanceThe ETF has delivered solid gains so far this year, showing that its strategy has recently worked well for investors.
Many Top Holdings Are Performing WellMost of the largest positions, including several technology and health care names, have shown strong price gains this year, helping support the fund’s overall results.
Broad Sector Diversification Within Small CapsThe fund spreads its investments across many sectors, with meaningful exposure to health care, technology, financials, and industrials, which helps reduce reliance on any single industry.
Negative Factors
High Expense RatioThe fund’s fee is relatively high for an ETF, which can eat into long-term returns compared with lower-cost alternatives.
Recent Short-Term WeaknessThe ETF has slipped over the past one and three months, showing that it can be volatile and may struggle during certain market periods.
Heavy U.S. and Small-Cap FocusWith almost all assets in U.S. small-cap stocks, the fund offers little geographic diversification and can be more sensitive to swings in the U.S. economy and small-company sentiment.

FYC vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

AUM
1.38B
Region
North America
Expense Ratio
0.70%
Beta
1.11
Issuer
First Trust
Inception Date
Apr 19, 2011
Dividend Yield
0.18%
Asset Class
Equity
Index Tracked
NASDAQ AlphaDEX Small Cap Growth Index

FYC Summary

The First Trust Small Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (FYC) is an ETF that follows the NASDAQ AlphaDEX Small Cap Growth Index, focusing on smaller U.S. companies expected to grow quickly. It spreads investments across areas like health care, technology, and financials, with holdings such as Appian and Asana. Someone might consider FYC to seek higher long-term growth and to diversify beyond large, well-known companies. However, small-cap stocks can be very volatile, so the fund’s value can rise and fall more sharply than the overall market.

How much will it cost me?

This ETF has an expense ratio of 0.70%, which means you’ll pay about $7 per year for every $1,000 invested. That’s higher than the average ETF because it uses an actively managed, rules-based AlphaDEX strategy rather than a simple passive index.

What would affect this ETF?

FYC could benefit if the U.S. economy stays healthy, interest rates eventually ease, and innovation in sectors like health care and technology drives strong growth for small companies such as Appian and Amplitude. On the downside, higher-for-longer interest rates, economic slowdowns that hit small businesses harder, or tighter regulations in areas like health care, insurance, and real estate could weigh on the fund’s performance.

FYC Top 10 Holdings

FYC is leaning hard into U.S. small-cap growth, with a noticeable tilt toward health care and tech names that can move quickly in either direction. Rising software players like Appian and Amplitude, along with data-focused Netskope, are helping power the fund, while FIGS has been a bright spot with steady momentum. On the flip side, medically oriented names such as HeartFlow and Agilon Health are more of a headache than a help, as their lagging performance and financial growing pains weigh on returns. Overall, it’s a high-octane, domestically focused growth mix.

FYC top ten holdings
NameCompany NameWeight %Market ValueMarket CapYearly GainOverall Rating
APPNAPPNAppian0.89%$12.01M$3.52B64.71%58Neutral
FIGSFIGSFIGS0.79%$10.61M$3.54B173.56%74Outperform
AMPLAMPLAmplitude0.79%$10.64M$2.13B75.18%52Neutral
SLDESLDESlide Insurance Holdings, Inc.0.80%$10.72M$3.25B75.17%73Outperform
STGWSTGWStagwell0.82%$11.10M$2.60B124.20%65Neutral
HTFLHTFLHeartFlow, Inc.0.76%$10.24M$5.13B61.47%40Neutral
NTSKNTSKNetskope, Inc.0.71%$9.62M$9.93B6.02%47Neutral
LINDLINDLindblad Expeditions Holdings0.76%$10.25M$2.45B221.98%53Neutral
FAFAFirst Advantage0.78%$10.46M$3.71B66.59%51Neutral
FTREFTREFortrea Holdings Inc.0.68%$9.21M$2.05B112.26%56Neutral

FYC Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis SentimentNegative
Last Price114.03

Price Trends

50DMA116.54Negative
100DMA118.91Negative
200DMA111.82Positive

Market Momentum

MACD-0.41Negative
RSI47.12Neutral
STOCH77.44Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in ETF analysis to make informed investment decisions. For FYC, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 114.03 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 114.11, below the 50-day MA of 116.54, and above the 200-day MA of 111.82, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.41 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 47.12 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 77.44 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for FYC.

FYC Peer Comparison

Comparison Results

FYC against its peer funds
NamePricePrice TargetAUMExpense RatioOverall Rating
FYCFYC$114.03$120.00(5.24% Upside)$1.38B0.70%61Neutral
FNDAFNDA$35.98$43.35(20.49% Upside)$9.03B0.25%68Neutral
IJTIJT$164.34$205.69(25.16% Upside)$7.58B0.18%68Neutral
SLYGSLYG$109.76$137.85(25.59% Upside)$4.77B0.15%68Neutral
VTWGVTWG$256.79$375.20(46.11% Upside)$1.44B0.06%61Neutral
VIOGVIOG$141.44$177.51(25.50% Upside)$1.06B0.10%68Neutral

Performance Comparison

0%10%20%30%FYCFNDAIJTSLYGVTWGVIOGDec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26
FYC and its peers over the selected period
Show on chartTickerCompany NamePriceChange% Change
FYCFirst Trust Small Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund114.0319.7921.00%
FNDASchwab Fundamental US Small Co. Index ETF35.985.6818.73%
IJTiShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth ETF164.3425.5418.40%
SLYGSPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Growth ETF109.7617.2618.65%
VTWGVanguard Russell 2000 Growth ETF256.7918.737.87%
VIOGVanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth ETF141.4422.2618.67%
Glossary
BuyAn ETF rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the ETF is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other ETFs in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldAn ETF rated as a "Hold" s expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the ETF is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellAn ETF rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the ETF may deliver lower returns compared to other ETFs in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer

This AI Analyst ETF Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in ETFs carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.