What this ETF is trying to do

The First Trust Intermediate Duration Investment Grade Corporate ETF (FIIG) is an exchange-traded fund. It focuses on investment-grade corporate bonds with intermediate durations. In simple terms, it invests in loans made to companies that are generally considered to have a good ability to pay back their debts.

What the numbers show

As of October 9, 2026, the share price of FIIG was $19.74.

To understand how the price has changed, we look at "price return" and "total return." Price return only tracks the change in the share price. Total return includes both the share price change and the cash distributions paid to investors.

• Year-to-Date (YTD): The price return is -6.89%, while the total return is -3.53%.

• One Year: The price return is -7.15%, while the total return is -2.43%.

• Three Year: The price return is 1.60%, while the total return is 17.02%.

For a simple example, if you had invested $10,000 in this ETF roughly one year ago at the estimated price of $21.26, the price-only decline of -7.15% would mean your shares are now worth approximately $9,285 (before considering any cash distributions).

Income and distribution explanation

FIIG pays out cash to investors, usually on a monthly basis. Over the last 12 months, it has made 12 payouts totaling $1.03 per share. This results in a distribution yield of approximately 5.22%.

It is important for beginners to know that a high distribution yield alone can be misleading. A fund can pay out a high yield even if the share price is falling.

NAV erosion explanation

"NAV erosion" happens when the underlying value of a fund's assets declines over time. StockValueFinder uses an erosion-risk score to measure this. FIIG has an erosion score of 75, which is labeled as "mild price erosion." This is a measurement of risk rather than a guarantee that the fund's value has collapsed.

Pros

• Consistent Payouts: The fund has a history of monthly distributions.

• Long-term Total Return: Over a three-year period, the total return was positive at 17.02%.

Cons

• Recent Price Decline: Both the year-to-date and one-year price returns are negative.

• Erosion Risk: The fund has a "mild" erosion-risk label.

Beginner takeaway

FIIG provides regular income through monthly distributions. However, the share price has declined over the past year. Income investors generally care about "principal stability," which means they want their original investment to stay steady while they collect checks. In this case, the total return is higher than the price return because the cash distributions helped offset some of the share-price decline.