First Trust Water ETF

FIW

Market cap $1.98B

FIW is a well-established thematic water ETF with a 0.51% net expense ratio and $2.01B in assets under management. Established in 2007, it's delivered competitive returns with S&P 500 ETFs. However, except for the first few weeks of 2026, FIW has consistently trailed SPY with greater volatility. Overall, its small/mid-cap tilt has not helped, which is reflected in the fundamentals. With a $21B weighted market cap, FIW doesn't have the same quality features as SPY. However, its 23x forward P/E is elevated, and its portfolio-level earnings growth rates are low.

Designed to provide broad exposure to the Industrials - Water segment of the equity market, the First Trust Water ETF (FIW) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on May 8, 2007.

First Trust Water ETF offers exposure to companies addressing global water scarcity, a critical issue driven by population growth and climate change. FIW stands out among water ETFs for its focus on potable and wastewater engineering, competitive returns, and strong liquidity. Top holdings, like WAT, A, FERG, and XYL, position FIW to benefit from rising demand for water infrastructure and technology solutions.

If you're interested in broad exposure to the Industrials - Water segment of the equity market, look no further than the First Trust Water ETF (FIW), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on May 8, 2007.

FIW is comprised of 36 companies operating in the potable and wastewater industry. Its expense ratio is 0.51%, and the ETF has $1.92B in assets under management. FIW has outperformed the S&P 500 Index over the last decade, but it's struggled recently. My last analysis in November urged caution based on high valuation and weak earnings momentum. This article provides an update to those fundamentals and highlights how FIW's valuation has improved. With growth rates staying stable, FIW's forward P/E dropped by 6%.

The First Trust Water ETF (FIW) was launched on May 8, 2007, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Industrials - Water segment of the equity market.

Designed to provide broad exposure to the Industrials - Water segment of the equity market, the First Trust Water ETF (FIW) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 05/08/2007.

FIW is the top-performing water-themed ETF over the past decade, even rivaling the S&P 500 from the perspective of long-term returns. While water as an ETF theme is imperfect, FIW offers the purest economic exposure to the water sector available to investors. I rate FIW a hold, due to intrinsic challenges in capturing true water exposure, some poorly calibrated holdings, and more attractive long-term opportunities in other market sectors.

If you're interested in broad exposure to the Industrials - Water segment of the equity market, look no further than the First Trust Water ETF (FIW), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 05/08/2007.

Looking for broad exposure to the Industrials - Water segment of the equity market? You should consider the First Trust Water ETF (FIW), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 05/08/2007.