QCLN’s worst drop since 2007 was 76%
First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy ETF (QCLN) fell 76% from Dec 2007 to Nov 2008. It took 12.1 years from that peak to close at a new high, in Feb 2020. Over the same years the S&P 500 fell as much as 55%.
That drop ranks 28th deepest among the 203 ETFs PortfolioAutopsy tracks.
Drawdown from the last high, 2007 to now
How QCLN held up in each crash
| Crash | Years | QCLN | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dot-com bust | 2000–02 | not trading yet | −47.5% |
| Financial crisis | 2007–09 | −76.2% | −55.2% |
| COVID crash | 2020 | −45.0% | −33.7% |
| 2022 rate shock | 2022 | −34.6% | −24.5% |
Each number is the deepest fall from a high inside that window, using daily prices with dividends reinvested.
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What was QCLN’s maximum drawdown?
QCLN’s deepest fall since 2007 was 76.2%, from its high on December 31, 2007 to its low on November 20, 2008. The figure uses daily prices with dividends reinvested.
How long did QCLN take to recover?
12.1 years. QCLN first closed above its Dec 2007 high again on February 19, 2020.
Was QCLN riskier than the S&P 500?
Over the same years, QCLN’s worst drop was 76.2% against 55.2% for the S&P 500 (SPY), and its worst 12 months were −69.0% against −47.4%.
Compare with
Daily adjusted closes from Yahoo Finance, February 15, 2007 through October 13, 2026, dividends reinvested. Historical facts, not a forecast and not investment advice.