Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
FTGS vs IMCG: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, FTGS returned +5.6% to IMCG's +15.4%; 11% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $1.3bn for First Trust Growth Strength ETF and $4.1bn for iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Growth ETF.
Pair scorecard
IMCG costs 0.54 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 9.8 points; IMCG is 3.2 times larger.
| Measure | FTGS | IMCG |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +5.6% | +15.4% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.1%, high on Aug 13, 2026 | 5.2%, high on Aug 13, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Growth Strength Index | Morningstar US Mid Cap Broad Growth Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.60% | 0.06% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $1.3bn | $4.1bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 11% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 21.4% | 13.0% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Nov 4, 2022 to Oct 23, 2026 · 207 weekly returnsFTGS returned slightly more: +90.1% to +83.6%. FTGS swung slightly less: 16.0% to 16.9%. FTGS fell slightly less at its worst: −18.7% to −20.1%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | FTGS | IMCG | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +90.1% | +83.6% | FTGS (slight) | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +17.5% | +16.5% | FTGS (slight) | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +87.3% | +77.6% | FTGS | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 16.0% | 16.9% | FTGS (slight) | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 10.2% | 11.0% | FTGS (slight) | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −18.7% | −20.1% | FTGS (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.80 | 0.72 | FTGS | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 1.26 | 1.10 | FTGS | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.94 | 0.82 | FTGS | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 207 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, FTGS and IMCG hold 11% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
11% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
FTGS and IMCG on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
FTGS and IMCG are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- What each follows. FTGS follows Growth Strength Index and IMCG follows Morningstar US Mid Cap Broad Growth Index.
- Holdings in common. 11% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 FTGS returned +5.6% and IMCG +15.4% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 9.8 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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FTGS
FTGS tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +5.6% with distributions reinvested, against +13.7% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.60% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 94% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 50 positions, with the top ten at 21.4%. It sat 4.1% below its high of Aug 13, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
IMCG
IMCG tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +15.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 80% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 260 positions, with the top ten at 13.0%. It sat 5.2% below its high of Aug 13, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, FTGS or IMCG?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FTGS returned +5.6% and IMCG +15.4%.
- Which is cheaper, FTGS or IMCG?
- IMCG is cheaper, by 0.54 percentage points a year. That is about $54 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, FTGS against IMCG, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ftgs-vs-imcg
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). FTGS against IMCG. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ftgs-vs-imcg
[FTGS against IMCG (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ftgs-vs-imcg)
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