FCAL

First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF

First Trust · $210.4m in assets, October 8, 2026

FCAL, the First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF, is a $210 million ETF whose main story is the income overlay. Over the past year it returned −1.4%, against +16.8% for broad US ETFs. Figures to October 2, 2026; past performance, not a recommendation.

FCAL · the ETFFRI OCT 2Market price total return
+1.9% a yearTotal return since launch, June 2017
−1.4%Last 12 months
−3.3%Year to date
5.2%Volatility since launch

The narrative it carries

This is its only narrative.

The income overlay →

ETFs built to pay income: dividend stocks, municipal bonds, preferred shares and covered calls.

The income overlay · the narrative this week
46.0WARM level, 15 of 22
last four weeks
629ETFs carry it
36.6%held by the top five
VIGlargest holder, 10.5%
$1,095 bncapital, 3rd of 22

The band is where this narrative’s level sits among the 22 this week. QUIET means less talked about, not falling.

Who owns the capital
VIG 10.5%SCHD 9.9%VYM 7.7%MUB 4.3%VTEB 4.2%624 other ETFs 63.4%36.6%top five
#ETFSHAREASSETS1 YEARCOST
1VIG10.5%$114.51bn+10.1%0.04%
2SCHD9.9%$107.89bn+23.9%0.06%
3VYM7.7%$83.99bn+13.8%0.04%
4MUB4.3%$46.62bn−2.0%0.05%
5VTEB4.2%$45.69bn−2.2%0.03%
624 other ETFs63.4%
FCAL: 0.0%

Share is each ETF’s slice of the capital carrying this narrative. 1 year is market price total return; cost is the expense ratio. See all 629 ETFs on the narrative page →

FRI OCT 2MARKET PRICE TOTAL RETURN

1M3MYTD1Y3Y*5Y*
FCAL−3.1%−5.7%−3.3%−1.4%+2.8%−0.3%
The income overlayits narrative−2.7%−0.8%+8.8%+10.8%+14.5%+8.8%
The marketbroad US ETFs+0.8%+2.6%+14.6%+16.8%+22.9%+12.9%

1M, 3M, 1Y, 3Y, 5Y: one month to five years. YTD: year to date. * A year, annualised. A dash means the ETF has not traded for the whole period. Since it started trading on June 27, 2017: +1.9% a year.

$10,000 invested June 30, 2017

FCAL $11,950The income overlay $23,751The market $36,308
$10,000$20,000$30,000$40,000Jun 2017Jun 2019Jun 2021Jun 2023Jun 2025$10,000$20,000$30,000$40,000Jun 2017Jun 2021Jun 2025

Year by year

FCALThe income overlayThe market
-20%0%20%40%FCAL 2019: +9.3%Narrative 2019: +22.3%The market 2019: +31.3%2019FCAL 2020: +3.5%Narrative 2020: +8.3%The market 2020: +21.4%2020FCAL 2021: +3.3%Narrative 2021: +19.7%The market 2021: +27.1%2021FCAL 2022: -9.5%Narrative 2022: -6.4%The market 2022: -19.8%2022FCAL 2023: +6.1%Narrative 2023: +11.0%The market 2023: +27.9%2023FCAL 2024: +1.9%Narrative 2024: +13.3%The market 2024: +23.1%2024FCAL 2025: +3.2%Narrative 2025: +11.2%The market 2025: +16.8%2025FCAL YTD: -3.3%Narrative YTD: +8.8%The market YTD: +14.6%YTD-20%0%20%40%FCAL 2019: +9.3%Narrative 2019: +22.3%The market 2019: +31.3%2019FCAL 2020: +3.5%Narrative 2020: +8.3%The market 2020: +21.4%2020FCAL 2021: +3.3%Narrative 2021: +19.7%The market 2021: +27.1%2021FCAL 2022: -9.5%Narrative 2022: -6.4%The market 2022: -19.8%2022FCAL 2023: +6.1%Narrative 2023: +11.0%The market 2023: +27.9%2023FCAL 2024: +1.9%Narrative 2024: +13.3%The market 2024: +23.1%2024FCAL 2025: +3.2%Narrative 2025: +11.2%The market 2025: +16.8%2025FCAL YTD: -3.3%Narrative YTD: +8.8%The market YTD: +14.6%YTD

Total return in each calendar year; this year is year to date. A year appears only if FCAL traded for all of it.

Total return on the market price, with each distribution reinvested on its ex-date. Not the NAV return the issuer publishes; the two differ when the ETF trades above or below the value of its holdings. The narrative is the asset-weighted return of the unlevered ETFs that carry it. The market is the asset-weighted return of broad US index ETFs. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Common questions

What story is FCAL selling?

FCAL’s main story is the income overlay, which covers ETFs built to pay income: dividend stocks, municipal bonds, preferred shares and covered calls.

Which ETFs compete with FCAL?

The ETFs whose weekly returns move most like FCAL’s over the past 3 years are RJMI (0.97), MUNY (0.96) and BSMZ (0.96).

How has FCAL performed against its story?

Over the past year FCAL returned −1.4%, the ETFs carrying the income overlay +10.8% and broad US ETFs +16.8%, to October 2, 2026. Its weekly returns have a correlation of 0.28 with the story. Past performance only.

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Narrative figures are from the weekly board. Performance is market price total return as of October 2, 2026. Assets are StoryVector’s weekly figure. Classification and measurement. Not investment advice. How the measurement works →