ILDR ETF: What Is It? A Complete Guide to Returns, Expense Ratio, Holdings and Alternative ETFs
The First Trust Innovation Leaders ETF (ILDR) is a growth-oriented active ETF that selectively invests in innovative companies across industries. Its concentrated technology exposure, expense ratio, dividends and outlook are the key criteria when comparing it with ARKK and QQQ.
SubscribeWhat Is the First Trust Innovation Leaders ETF?
This is an active ETF in which the management team selects and holds companies that are driving innovation across all industries or are expected to benefit from it. Rather than mechanically tracking a specific index, it concentrates on innovative companies with significant growth potential.
It suits investors who want active exposure to innovation and growth themes and are willing to tolerate the volatility that comes with them.
It is an actively managed ETF run by First Trust.
How Does the First Trust Innovation Leaders ETF Invest?
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Tracking Index | None (active management) |
| Management Style | Active (selected by the management team) |
| Rebalancing Frequency | At the discretion of the management team |
| Dividend Frequency | Annual |
| Issuer | First Trust |
| Total Expense Ratio | 0.75% |
The management team qualitatively selects companies that are leading innovation across industries or are expected to benefit from it. Because the fund does not mechanically follow an index, its holdings and weightings are adjusted at the team's discretion, and it tends to carry a high allocation to technology-related companies.
- Active selection approach that does not track an index
- Focus on cross-industry innovation themes
First Trust Innovation Leaders ETF Size and Costs (AUM and Management Fee)
Assets under management (AUM) stand at $337.3M, and the total expense ratio is 0.75% per year.
Because of its active management, the fee tends to be higher than that of passive core ETFs, so investors should weigh the potential for outperformance from the team's selection against tracking differences.
First Trust Innovation Leaders ETF Performance and Trends
1-Year Price Performance
Dividend & Yield
52-Week Price RangeInnovation and growth theme ETFs tend to show large swings depending on the market's appetite for risk. They are relatively resilient in bull markets, but they can react sharply to changes in interest rates and the earnings environment.
Fund flows tend to depend on market interest in growth themes. Inflows can appear when risk appetite is strong, and outflows when volatility rises, so the flows themselves are relatively volatile.
First Trust Innovation Leaders ETF Pros and Cons
Its strengths are active exposure to innovation themes and selection by the management team, while its weaknesses are a higher fee and volatility from concentration.
💪 Key Strengths
⚠️ Points to Watch
First Trust Innovation Leaders ETF Alternative ETFs and Related Products
FWD, INFL, FEOE and the others shown in the table are active ETFs with different themes and issuers. They differ from ILDR in expense ratio, asset size and strategy, which makes them worth comparing. In addition, ARKK, a leading active ETF in the disruptive innovation theme, QQQ, which offers broad exposure to Nasdaq 100 growth stocks, and XLK, a core technology sector fund, can also be considered as alternatives for comparing innovation and growth exposure.
Peer Comparison ETFs| Ticker | Name | Price | Change | AUM | Total Expense Ratio | Dividend Yield | 1Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 FWD | AB Disruptors ETF | $120.93 | +0.3% | $3.2B | 0.65% | 0.09% | +15.2% |
 FEOE | First Eagle Overseas Equity ETF | $55.37 | -0.2% | $2.1B | 0.50% | 1.33% | +18.0% |
 INFL | Horizon Kinetics Inflation Beneficiaries ETF | $50.89 | +0.1% | $1.5B | 0.85% | 0.79% | +16.5% |
 MGNR | American Beacon GLG Natural Resources ETF | $47.11 | +0.4% | $1.2B | 0.75% | 0.84% | +16.1% |
 CCNR | ALPS/CoreCommodity Natural Resources ETF | $37.85 | +0.5% | $474.9M | 0.39% | 3.02% | +19.7% |
Top Holdings| Ticker | Name | Weight | Price | Change | Market Cap | P/E | Dividend Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVDA | NVIDIA Corp | 0.24% | $210.96 | -0.6% | $5.08T | 26.7 | 0.37% |
| AMZN | Amazon.com Inc | 0.17% | $248.00 | -0.9% | $2.68T | 19.9 | - |
| GOOGL | Alphabet Inc | 0.05% | $320.21 | -1.2% | $3.90T | 16.1 | 0.25% |
| GOOG | Alphabet Inc | 0.10% | $317.28 | -1.1% | $3.90T | 15.9 | 0.26% |
| AVGO | Broadcom Inc | 0.05% | $321.68 | -0.5% | $1.54T | 41.1 | 0.81% |
First Trust Innovation Leaders ETF Investor Checkpoints
These are the points to review before investing in ILDR. As an active innovation theme ETF, it is wise to confirm in advance, before buying, that its fee, theme concentration, volatility and currency exposure suit your investment style and holding period.
| Checkpoint | What to Check | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| 💵 Expense Ratio | Check the fee level resulting from active management | Somewhat high |
| 📊 Theme Concentration | Review the trend in technology and growth weighting | High concentration |
| 🌊 Volatility | Check volatility across different risk appetite phases | High volatility |
| 💱 Exchange Rate | Overseas exposure and the effect of conversion into won | No currency hedge |
With a high weighting in technology and growth, the fund is sensitive to market volatility, and because it is actively managed, the team's stock selection results determine the outcome. Drawdowns can be larger when risk appetite weakens.
This is an active ETF suited to investors who want active exposure to innovation and growth themes. If you can tolerate the fee and volatility, it can be considered as a satellite holding in a portfolio.
SubscribeDisclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. All investment responsibility lies with the investor.
This article reflects information as of June 11, 2026.
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