- Business
- First Trust Alerian U.S. NextGen Infrastructure ETF (NYSE Arca: RBLD, formerly FLM) is an exchange-traded fund that seeks to provide investment results corresponding generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Alerian U.S. NextGen Infrastructure Index. The fund normally invests at least 90% of its net assets in common stocks and real estate investment trusts that comprise the index, which includes U.S.-domiciled and incorporated companies engaged in the construction, development, operation, and maintenance of infrastructure assets across segments such as electric utilities, multi-utilities, construction and engineering, metals and mining, specialized REITs, and producer durables; top holdings include Talen Energy Corporation, Comfort Systems USA, Inc., GE Vernova Inc., Quanta Services, Inc., Eaton Corporation Plc, and Digital Realty Trust, Inc., among others comprising growth and value stocks of mid- and large-cap issuers. Launched on October 13, 2008, and managed by First Trust Advisors L.P., headquartered at 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, Illinois, the ETF operates in the industrials and infrastructure sectors, targeting investors seeking exposure to U.S. next-generation infrastructure opportunities.
In August 2022, the fund underwent a significant reorganization, changing its name from First Trust Global Engineering and Construction ETF (FLM) to First Trust Alerian U.S. NextGen Infrastructure ETF (RBLD), adopting the Alerian U.S. NextGen Infrastructure Index in place of the prior ISE Global Engineering and Construction Index to better focus on U.S. infrastructure builders, operators, and owners. First Trust Advisors L.P., founded in 1991, continues to serve as the investment adviser, with no specific recent acquisitions, partnerships, or funding rounds directly tied to this ETF, though the firm expanded its actively managed ETF suite to 187 funds in November 2025 and terminated a separate $8 billion ETF partnership with TCW Group earlier in the year in favor of new management by Smith Capital Investors. The ETF maintains an equal-weight methodology in its underlying index for diversified exposure across U.S. infrastructure business segments, with assets under management around $14.85 million and a net expense ratio of 0.65% as of recent data.