The takeaway
First Trust Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF shows a moderate seasonal pattern over 10 years of data — strongest in December (+1.6%) and softest in February (−1.4%).
Right now
In July, the fund has risen 60% of years, averaging +0.9%, roughly 1.2 pts behind the S&P 500.
The full picture
First Trust Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF's most dependable month has been December, higher in 9 of 10 years; February has been its least reliable, up just 40% of the time.
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Month by month
The fund's clearest edge over the S&P 500 lands in January (+1.6 pts); it has trailed the market most in October (−2.2 pts).
“vs S&P” is First Trust Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating First Trust Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF’s own seasonal edge from broad market drift.
Reality check
Over the last 5 years, December has closed higher 80% of the time versus 90% across the last 10 years — the pattern is holding.
Figures are the typical (median) December return and how often it rose — the last 5 years versus the last 10(the heatmap’s default window). This verdict stays anchored to that 10-year window even if you zoom the chart, so it never disagrees with the badges above.
In plain English
This is a fund you can almost set a calendar by, and December is the anchor — it has closed higher in 9 of 10 Decembers, the steadiest beat on its year.
The strength looks broad-based rather than freakish: its average (+1.6%) and median (+1.5%) sit close together, so no single blow-out year is flattering the figure. Few months are steadier: December's returns vary by just 2.0% year to year. Better still, that strength is the fund's own and not just a buoyant market — December has outpaced the S&P 500 by +0.6 points on average. Few peers keep such company in December — the typical stock clears it just 58% of the time.
December anchors a run, too: the November-through-January window has been the fund's reliable season. At the other end of the calendar, February has been the soft spot — the weakest of 3 months that average a loss (−1.4%), and the edge isn't year-round — the fund has trailed the S&P 500 in October, April, and July. Its roughest month on record was a −14.6% March in 2020 — a reminder of how hard even a seasonal name can fall.
At its steadiest, December strung together 8 straight positive years. Reassuringly, the tendency has held its shape: the recent five years still track the years behind them.
For a fund this dependable in December, the sharper question is the rest of the year — outside its strong stretch, the calendar gives far less to lean on.
Short answers on the fund's best month (December), its worst (February), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Yes, to a moderate degree. Since 2016 its best month (December, +1.6%) has run well ahead of its worst (February, −1.4%) — the heatmap above shows how steady that gap has been year to year.
December has been the strongest, averaging +1.6% and closing higher in 9 of 10 years since 2016.
It's the weakest, averaging −1.4% — historically a soft spot, though it still varies from year to year.
Explore
These names have the strongest July track records on record — a starting point for comparison.
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