First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund (FDL) Dividend Yield Analysis 2026 | History & Dates

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How This Company Makes Money

First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund, a constituent of the ETF, is listed on the NYSE ARCA. Its market capitalization stands at 8 104 270 841 USD. Over the past year, it has generated a yield of +17.97 %. The fund's net expense ratio, a critical measure of operational efficiency, is recorded at 0.45 %. A significant allocation in cash assets underscores its liquidity position and risk management strategy. Turning to technical indicators, they offer a granular perspective on the fund's market behavior, historical trends, and potential forward momentum. For further metrics, refer to www.ftportfolios.com. For an in-depth analysis get premium access.

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Max Ratio

–

5Y Dividend Growth

35.00 %

Consecutive Years

4 years

Dividend History FDL

1 year

3 years

5 years

10 years

15 years

11/21/2021 - 11/28/2021

Current price

52.05 USD -0.24 USD (-0.46%)

Company www.ftportfolios.com

ISIN US3369171091

Category Large Value

Exchange NYSE ARCA

Capitalization 8 104 270 841 USD

Yield for 12 month +17.97 %

1Y

3Y

5Y

10Y

15Y

FDL

11/21/2021 - 11/28/2021

Advanced Highlights

Total Assets

8 104 270 841 USD

Net Expense Ratio

0.45 %

Annual Holdings Turnover

46.00 %

Long 0.05%

Short -

Net Assets 0.05%

Long 98.46%

Short -

Net Assets 98.46%

Long 1.49%

Short -

Net Assets 1.49%

Long -

Short -

Net Assets -

Long -

Short -

Net Assets -

1y Volatility 12.24%

Returns YTD 21.46%

3y Volatility 13.03%

Returns 1Y 24.65%

3y ExpReturn 0.00%

Returns 3Y 19.66%

3y SharpRatio 1.12%

Returns 5Y 13.76%

Returns 10Y 11.11%

40.86 USD 53.76 USD

50 Day MA 51.57 USD

200 Day MA 49.15 USD

How the Dividend Calendar Works

The Dividend Calendar is a simple, powerful tool that helps you track what’s happening with your dividend income—either across your whole portfolio or within a specific strategy.

You can quickly see what dividends have already hit your account, when they were paid, and what payouts are coming up next—organized month by month. It gives you a clear picture of your expected income and lets you review what you’ve earned in the past.

By default, the calendar shows dividends before taxes. Since each country and region has its own tax rules for dividends, tax settings are handled separately.

How to Read the Calendar

Here’s what the colors mean:

Dark green: Dividends that have already been paid
Dark blue: Dividends that have been declared and will be paid soon
Light green: Estimated dividends—future payouts based on the company’s regular history

Quick note: There are two kinds of dividends—regular and irregular. Regular dividends come on a set schedule (like quarterly or annually). Irregular ones are occasional—think special or bonus dividends that companies pay out when they have extra cash or hit certain milestones.

You’ll also see a lightning bolt icon ⚡ next to those bonus/special dividends. These don’t show up in future projections since they’re unpredictable.

How the Numbers Are Calculated

Dividends inside the calendar are shown in the currency they’re paid in. To the left of the company name, you’ll see the total paid during the selected time period.

By default, the calendar shows the current year, but you can choose any period you want—either manually or using the quick year tags.

Every time you select a date range, the app automatically recalculates your dividends for that period—paid, confirmed, and projected. It adds everything up, including both regular and special dividends, so you get the full picture of your income for the timeframe you’re looking at.

Example

Let’s say you picked the 2025 tab. The calendar will update to show cells from January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025. Inside those calendar cells, you’ll see dividend payouts loaded in — paid, confirmed, and projected ones. Special dividends are also included.

All of these dividends are totaled up, and the full amount is displayed next to the company ticker, over in the first column on the left.

When you look at future periods, the app uses past dividend patterns to estimate what’s coming. It looks at frequency, timing, and consistency of previous payouts to forecast what to expect going forward.

What Is the Business Quality Score?

The Business Quality Score is a rating system that evaluates a company`s fundamental strength. It ranges from 20 to 99, with higher scores indicating stronger, more reliable companies. Stocks with a score of 80+ are considered high-quality investments, while those rated 50 or below are seen as weaker choices. This score allows you to efficiently filter thousands of stocks and build investment strategies that maximize returns.

Global vs. Local Scores

The Business Quality Score consists of two components: Global and Local. The Global Score measures a company`s strength on a worldwide scale, while the Local Score evaluates its performance within its home country. Both scores use the same metrics but are ranked separately, helping you identify market leaders at both global and local levels.

Coverage and Methodology

Our team analyzes over 20,000 companies worldwide, covering:

North America: USA, Canada
Europe: UK, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Ireland
Asia & Oceania: Japan, Australia, China, India
We collect financial data daily and review 25 years of historical reports to ensure thorough and accurate evaluations. This long-term perspective allows us to assess a company’s resilience during economic downturns.

The Business Quality Score Consists of 3 Key Components

1. Growth Evaluation

We analyze key financial metrics, including sales, operating profit, Net Income, earnings per share, return on equity, and their trends over time. Understanding whether a company is growing and evolving—or stagnating and incurring losses—is essential for making informed investment decisions.

2. Dividend Policy Evaluation

A company’s approach to dividends reflects its transparency and management strength. At MaxDividends, we assess:

Whether the company pays dividends
Dividend trends and payment frequency
Whether dividends come from current income rather than past profits or debt
Dividend per share and the percentage of profit allocated to payouts

A well-structured dividend policy—whether through consistent payments, regular increases, or reinvesting all funds into growth—indicates strong, strategic business management.

We also consider share buyback programs. When a company repurchases its own shares, it signals management’s confidence that the stock is undervalued.

3. Stability Evaluation

This section measures the company’s overall financial health, including:

The ratio of total assets to total liabilities
The ratio of current assets to current liabilities
Debt-to-equity ratio
Growth sustainability

A financially stable company maintains a strong cushion to navigate market downturns and continue operating effectively during economic crises.

Scoring System: Growth – Dividend – Stability

Each section—Growth, Dividend, and Stability—has a maximum score of 5 points. If a company meets all top-tier business criteria, it earns a total of 15 points. The system then ranks companies and converts this evaluation into the Business Quality Score:

The Global Business Quality Score ranks companies worldwide.
The Local Business Quality Score ranks companies within a specific country.

Why This Matters

Buy Strong Businesses, Sell Weak Ones

Historically, companies with a Business Quality Score of 90+ have significantly outperformed those with lower ratings. See how high-rated stocks (90+) compare to lower-rated stocks (60 and below) in terms of performance.

⭐️ MaxDividends Five-Step Secret Formula

Here's the five-step formula we use to identify businesses built to last forever. Each step ensures that the company is financially strong, capable of generating growing passive income, and positioned for long-term success.

1️⃣ Sales Growth – The Foundation of a Strong Business

Consistent revenue growth over the past 10-15 years is a key sign of a thriving company. It shows that demand for its products and services is increasing, allowing it to expand operations, gain market share, and invest in future growth. Businesses that can consistently grow sales tend to have strong competitive advantages, making them resilient in any market condition.

A Key Indicator of Business Strength

We prioritize companies with long-term positive sales trends, as consistent revenue growth is a strong signal of a thriving business.

Sales trends are crucial—if sales are stagnant or declining, the business is in trouble. Sustainable growth starts with increasing sales, as it fuels profitability and long-term success. A company with strong sales momentum can overcome other challenges.

That's why the MaxDividends screener focuses on identifying businesses with a history of steady sales growth, ensuring they are on an upward trajectory and built for the future.

2️⃣ Profit Growth – The Fuel for Dividend Growth

Revenue alone isn't enough—what truly matters is how efficiently a company turns that revenue into consistent, growing profits. Profitability is the foundation of sustainable dividend growth and long-term financial strength.

Why Profit Growth Matters

Stronger Dividend Growth – Companies with rising profits have the ability to increase dividend payouts consistently without jeopardizing their financial health. When profits grow, dividends naturally follow.
Reinvestment & Expansion – A profitable company can reinvest in innovation, acquisitions, and market expansion, securing its future growth and competitive edge.
Resilience During Downturns – Companies with healthy and growing profits have better cash reserves and financial flexibility to weather economic downturns, inflation, and market volatility. This ensures stability in dividend payments even in tough times.
Efficiency & Strong Management – Consistently rising profits indicate a well-run business with disciplined cost management and the ability to maintain or expand profit margins over time.

At MaxDividends, we focus on companies with a proven track record of profit growth—not just those increasing revenue, but those consistently improving their bottom line.

These are the companies that not only reward shareholders today but also secure a future of rising passive income.

3️⃣ Net Business Income – The True Measure of Financial Strength

Net income is what remains after all expenses, taxes, and costs. This is the company's real earning power. We analyze businesses that generate strong, sustainable net income, ensuring they have enough cash flow to continue paying—and increasing—dividends over time.

Profitability Check: A Decade of Consistent Earnings

We prioritize companies that have maintained profitability for at least 10 years, proving their ability to generate steady earnings through various market cycles and economic conditions.

Why Profitability Matters

Sustained Dividend Payments – Only consistently profitable companies can reliably fund and increase dividends without taking on excessive debt.
Resilience Through Market Cycles – A 10+ year track record of profitability typically covers multiple economic cycles, including recessions, inflationary periods, and market corrections. Companies that remain profitable through these phases have proven their business model's durability.
Financial Strength & Stability – Long-term profitability ensures a company has strong cash flow, manageable debt levels, and the ability to reinvest in growth, innovation, and shareholder returns.

While some companies struggle during downturns, those with a decade of consistent earnings have already weathered major market events and economic disruptions.

These are the businesses we trust for long-term dividend growth and financial security.

4️⃣ Dividend Payout Safety – Protecting Your Passive Income

A high dividend yield is meaningless if the company can't afford to sustain it. We evaluate payout ratios to ensure the company is not overextending itself.

The best companies have a balanced approach—paying generous dividends while still reinvesting in future growth. Dividend safety is crucial for long-term income stability.

Dividend Consistency: 15+ Years of Reliable Payouts

We focus on companies that have paid dividends consistently for at least 15 years, proving their commitment to rewarding shareholders.

Why Dividend Consistency Matters

Reliable Passive Income – A strong dividend history ensures steady and predictable cash flow, essential for long-term investors seeking financial stability.
Proven Business Strength – Companies that maintain and grow dividends for over 15 years have weathered economic downturns, inflation, and market volatility—demonstrating resilience and financial discipline.
Confidence in Future Growth – A long track record of dividend payments and increases gives investors a strong foundation for predicting future income growth and building generational wealth.

At MaxDividends, we focus on businesses that don't just pay dividends—but consistently raise them year after year, ensuring a growing passive income stream you can count on.

Dividend Coverage – Ensuring Dividends Are Paid from Profit with a Sufficient Surplus

Stable dividend payments and long-term growth rely on dividends being funded by current profits rather than past earnings or borrowed money.

MaxDividends ensures that dividends are well-covered by profits, demonstrating strong financial planning and competent management.

5️⃣ Debt Burden – Avoiding Financial Traps

Too much debt can cripple a company, even if its revenues and profits look great. We analyze how well a company manages its liabilities, ensuring that debt levels are under control. Low-debt companies are better equipped to navigate economic downturns and continue paying dividends without disruption.

This is how we build lasting wealth and financial freedom.

💡 One More Secret Ingredient for the MaxDividends Strategy

Meet the Business Quality Score – your ultimate metric for selecting top stocks for your portfolio.

What Is the Business Quality Score?

The Business Quality Score is a rating system that evaluates a company's fundamental strength. It ranges from 20 to 99, with higher scores indicating stronger, more reliable companies.

Stocks with a score of 80+ are considered high-quality investments, while those rated 50 or below are seen as weaker choices. This score allows you to efficiently filter thousands of stocks and build investment strategies that maximize returns.

Global vs. Local Scores

The Business Quality Score consists of two components: Global and Local. The Global Score measures a company's strength on a worldwide scale, while the Local Score evaluates its performance within its home country.

Both scores use the same metrics but are ranked separately, helping you identify market leaders at both global and local levels.

Coverage and Methodology

Our team analyzes over 20,000 companies worldwide, covering:

North America: USA, Canada
Europe: UK, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Ireland
Asia & Oceania: Japan, Australia, China, India

We collect financial data daily and review 25 years of historical reports to ensure thorough and accurate evaluations. This long-term perspective allows us to assess a company’s resilience during economic downturns.

The Business Quality Score Consists of 3 Key Components

1. Growth Evaluation

We analyze key financial metrics, including sales, operating profit, net income, earnings per share, return on equity, and their trends over time.

Understanding whether a company is growing and evolving—or stagnating and incurring losses—is essential for making informed investment decisions.

2. Dividend Policy Evaluation

A company’s approach to dividends reflects its transparency and management strength. At MaxDividends, we assess:

Whether the company pays dividends
Dividend trends and payment frequency
Whether dividends come from current income rather than past profits or debt
Dividend per share and the percentage of profit allocated to payouts

A well-structured dividend policy—whether through consistent payments, regular increases, or reinvesting all funds into growth—indicates strong, strategic business management.

We also consider share buyback programs. When a company repurchases its own shares, it signals management’s confidence that the stock is undervalued.

3. Stability Evaluation

This section measures the company’s overall financial health, including:

The ratio of total assets to total liabilities
The ratio of current assets to current liabilities
Debt-to-equity ratio
Growth sustainability

A financially stable company maintains a strong cushion to navigate market downturns and continue operating effectively during economic crises.

Scoring System: Growth – Dividend – Stability

Each section — Growth, Dividend, and Stability—has a maximum score of 5 points. If a company meets all top-tier business criteria, it earns a total of 15 points.

The system then ranks companies and converts this evaluation into the Business Quality Score:

The Global Business Quality Score ranks companies worldwide.
The Local Business Quality Score ranks companies within a specific country.

Why This Matters

Buy Strong Businesses, Sell Weak Ones

Historically, companies with a Business Quality Score of 90+ have significantly outperformed those with lower ratings. See how high-rated stocks (90+) compare to lower-rated stocks (60 and below) in terms of performance.

Reading the Business, Not Just the Ticker

For us, every ticker on the exchange is more than a symbol. It's a business run by real people, working every day to bring value into the world. Some build simple, everyday essentials.

Others flip entire industries upside down with breakthroughs.

That's why we re-built the Company Analytics Page — so you don't just see numbers, you actually read the business.

Company Analytics Page

👉 At the very top, you'll now find a short, simple description: what the company does, how it makes money, and the value it adds. Because before you invest, you should know what you're partnering with.

See the whole business at a glance — what it does, how it earns, and the value it brings.

The Dividend Code — Right Up Front

Right below that, you'll see the key dividend stats: yield, streak, payout ratio, growth history. In two clicks, you know whether this business fits your long-term plan and deserves a spot in your portfolio.

And let me tell you — behind that simplicity is serious work. Dozens of data providers, layers of filtering, a full moderation team, and the best financial database we could build. No compromises here. This is about your income. MaxDividends runs 24/7 to make sure what you see is accurate, clean, and trustworthy.

Key dividend stats in one place: streak, payout, yield, growth — clean, simple, accurate.

The Secret Formula, Made Simple

We've also rolled out the MaxDividends 5-Step Formula.

Our 5-step test for dividend safety and growth — sales, profits, debt, payouts, history — scored and ranked.

In one quick snapshot, you'll see the five pillars of dividend safety and growth:

Sales Growth

MaxDividends shows sales trends in seconds — so you instantly see if a business is still growing or stalling.

Growth trend, clear in one glance.

Profitability

Clean, simple view of margins — no digging through reports. You know right away if this company makes real money.

See if profits are real — instantly.

Net Income

Bottom line, crystal clear. MaxDividends tracks profit growth for you, saving hours of reading financials.

Bottom line made simple with MaxDividends.

Debt Load

No need to crunch numbers — the app highlights debt levels and tells you if dividends are safe.

Debt risk checked for you, 24/7.

Dividend Payouts and History

With MaxDividends, dividend streaks and raises are front and center — decades of payout history at your fingertips.

Dividend streaks and raises at your fingertips.

All ranked and scored in a way that makes sense at a glance. Think of it as flipping through your favorite book and re-reading the best chapters — only here, it's the core story of the business you're considering.

This makes dividend investing clear, structured, and honestly — fun.

Valuation: Paying the Right Price

Once you've studied the business and its dividend code, the final step is price. And you know me — I love a discount. Why overpay when you can buy cash flow at a bargain?

We added clear valuation checks:

Is this stock fairly priced compared to peers?
Is it above or below its own 10-year average?
Is it even trading below book value?

Check if a stock is fairly priced vs peers, history, and book value — spot bargains before the crowd.

Stack the company against rivals. If it earns more per share, it's undervalued. If less, overpriced.

Compare today's P/E with its own 10-year history. Above average = expensive. Below = bargain.

See if the stock trades below its assets. That's buying the business with built-in margin of safety.

That's how you find hidden gems before the crowd — strong businesses trading at a discount, compounding your income and growth.