cibr stock: First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF Guide

First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF (CIBR)

cibr stock is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) listed on the NASDAQ and issued by First Trust that provides targeted exposure to publicly traded companies in the cybersecurity industry by tracking the Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity Index. This guide explains what cibr stock aims to do, how it is constructed and traded, key risks and benefits, and practical steps for investors to evaluate or trade the fund. Readers will learn where cibr stock fits in a portfolio, what drives its performance, and which sources to check for live data.

Overview

The First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF is a thematic ETF designed to deliver exposure to companies primarily involved in cybersecurity hardware, software, services, and related technologies. The fund is issued by First Trust and trades under the ticker CIBR on the NASDAQ. Investors commonly use cibr stock for targeted thematic exposure to the cybersecurity industry—either as a complement to broader technology allocations or as a way to express a view on rising cybersecurity spending.

As of January 26, 2026, according to First Trust's fund summary, cibr stock had assets under management in the low‑to‑mid billions of U.S. dollars; the fund’s inception date was July 2015. (Readers should consult the fund’s official fact sheet for the latest AUM.)

Investment objective and strategy

CIBR’s stated objective is to track the Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity Index. To implement this objective, the fund generally holds the common stocks and depositary receipts of companies classified as cybersecurity firms. The ETF typically invests at least 90% of its net assets in securities that comprise the index or in depositary receipts representing those securities.

Selection and weighting in the index follow a methodology driven by company classification as cybersecurity, liquidity screens, and market-cap or liquidity weighting. In practice, the ETF holds securities that meet the index eligibility rules and weights constituents according to the index’s weighting scheme—often blending liquidity and market-cap considerations rather than using a pure equal-weight or pure market-cap approach. The index and fund are rebalanced periodically (commonly quarterly) to reflect changes in company eligibility, weighting, and to maintain investability.

Index tracked: Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity Index

The Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity Index defines the eligible universe for cibr stock. That index measures the performance of companies identified as primarily engaged in cybersecurity-related activities, including but not limited to cybersecurity software, hardware, services, consulting, and threat intelligence. Key index rules include:

• Classification criteria: constituent companies are identified using sector and industry classification systems combined with proprietary screening to determine whether cybersecurity is a primary business line.
• Liquidity and market-cap screens: companies must meet minimum liquidity thresholds and market-cap requirements to ensure tradability and to limit extreme concentration in very small-cap names.
• Geographic and instrument eligibility: the index allows domestic and international issuers, typically including ordinary shares and depositary receipts that represent non‑U.S. listings.

These rules serve to keep the index investable while targeting companies that derive a meaningful portion of revenue or operations from cybersecurity.

Fund structure and mechanics

CIBR is an ETF organized as an open‑end registered investment company. Like most U.S. ETFs, it uses a creation and redemption process facilitated by authorized participants (APs) and market-makers. Large institutional participants can create or redeem baskets of fund shares in-kind, exchanging a portfolio of underlying securities for ETF shares (and vice versa). This mechanism helps align the ETF’s market price with its net asset value (NAV).

In normal market conditions:

• Market-makers and APs provide liquidity by posting bid/ask quotations on the exchange; retail investors trade those quoted shares on secondary markets.
• Market price can deviate from NAV intraday, but arbitrage by APs tends to keep the premium/discount small for liquid ETFs.

Implications for investors include generally lower transaction costs compared with mutual funds for intraday trading, transparent holdings, and potentially tighter cost for large transactions due to the creation/redemption mechanism. However, small-cap or less-liquid underlying securities can widen spreads and introduce tracking variability.

Inception and issuer

CIBR launched in July 2015 and is issued by First Trust, a U.S.-based issuer known for a family of rule-based and thematic ETF offerings. As part of the First Trust ETF lineup, cibr stock sits alongside other targeted strategies designed for thematic exposure.

Fees and expenses

CIBR charges an expense ratio that covers management, administration, and operational costs. Investors should consult the current prospectus or fund summary for the precise expense ratio (expense ratios can change over time). In addition to the expense ratio, investors trading cibr stock pay brokerage commissions (where applicable), bid/ask spreads, and may face tracking error—the difference between fund performance and the index it seeks to replicate.

Tracking error can stem from cash holdings, sampling (if the fund does not hold every index constituent), taxes, transaction costs, and dividends treatment. When evaluating cibr stock, compare its expense ratio and historical tracking error with peer cybersecurity ETFs to gauge cost efficiency.

Holdings and allocation

CIBR’s portfolio is constructed to reflect the Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity Index. That means the fund typically holds a mix of U.S. large-cap cybersecurity leaders and smaller, specialized firms, as well as depositary receipts for foreign companies that meet index criteria.

Because the cybersecurity industry includes both pure-play security vendors and larger diversified technology firms with cybersecurity divisions, cibr stock tends to display concentration in a relatively small number of higher-weighted names while also including a mid‑to‑long tail of smaller specialists. Typical behavior includes 40–60 holdings, with the top 10 holdings often representing a significant share of the fund’s weight.

Top holdings

Top holdings in cibr stock often include leading cybersecurity and related technology companies. Examples of names that historically appear among the fund’s largest weights include Palo Alto Networks, CrowdStrike, Cisco Systems, Broadcom, and Infosys (as depositary receipts). Holdings change over time with rebalancing and market moves; consult the fund’s current holdings to see the exact top 10 by weight.

Sector and regional allocation

CIBR is heavily weighted toward technology-related sectors because cybersecurity vendors are typically classified within information technology, communications equipment, or software/services categories. The fund historically shows a strong tilt to large-cap U.S. technology companies, with meaningful representation of specialized security software firms.

International exposure is possible through depositary receipts and non‑U.S. firms that meet index rules—so regional allocation often includes a dominant U.S. weighting with select international exposure to established cybersecurity companies headquartered outside the U.S.

Performance

This section outlines how to think about cibr stock performance and what typically drives returns.

• Historical returns: Investors examine YTD, 1‑year, 5‑year, and since-inception returns to understand both short-term volatility and long-term trend. For the latest numeric returns, consult the fund fact sheet or major ETF data providers.
• Total return vs price return: Total return reflects price changes plus dividends and distributions reinvested; price return excludes distributions. Use total return for apples-to-apples comparisons across funds.
• Performance drivers: Major drivers for cibr stock include cybersecurity spending trends across enterprises and governments, the performance of large-cap index constituents, adoption cycles for cloud-native security, mergers and acquisitions (which can remove or re-weight constituents), and investor appetite for thematic/tech risk. Large-cap concentration means performance can be materially influenced by the handful of big-weight names.

Risk and volatility metrics

Key risk metrics to evaluate for cibr stock include:

• Beta: correlation and relative volatility versus a broad market benchmark (e.g., S&P 500). Thematic funds like cibr stock often have beta above 1 due to sector concentration.
• Standard deviation: measures total return volatility; thematic and sector ETFs typically show higher standard deviation than broad-market ETFs.
• Maximum drawdown: the largest peak-to-trough decline over a given period—important for gauging downside risk.
• Concentration risk: a top-heavy portfolio can amplify single-stock or subsector moves.

Investors should review the fund’s historical risk metrics available in the fact sheet and third-party analytics platforms. Past volatility reflects exposure to sector cycles, regulatory news affecting cybersecurity spending, and large‑cap stock moves.

Dividends and distributions

CIBR typically distributes income and any realized capital gains to shareholders on a regular schedule—usually quarterly. The fund’s yield is determined by dividends paid by underlying holdings; thematic tech and cybersecurity firms often pay modest or no dividends, so yields tend to be low relative to income-focused funds.

For the most recent distribution amounts and yield, check the fund’s distribution history and fact sheet. Reinvesting distributions increases long-term total return, while withdrawing distributions affects current income for investors.

Trading information

• Ticker: CIBR
• Exchange: NASDAQ
• Average daily volume and market liquidity: cibr stock is generally traded on the NASDAQ with reasonable liquidity for most retail and institutional investors; average daily volume can vary over time—consult exchange data or ETF data providers for the latest figures.
• Bid/ask spread: spreads are typically competitive for widely held thematic ETFs but may widen in periods of market stress or when underlying constituents are less liquid.
• NAV vs. market price behavior: market price typically tracks NAV closely but can deviate during extreme market moves or when AP activity is constrained.
• Options availability: some ETFs have listed options; check the options chain on your brokerage or data provider to confirm if options exist for CIBR.

When placing trades in cibr stock, consider order type (market vs limit), trade timing (to avoid periods of low liquidity), and the capacity of market makers to support tight spreads. For custody and trading, Bitget is recommended for users seeking an integrated platform where they can trade ETFs and manage crypto and Web3 assets; for on‑chain custody or wallet needs, Bitget Wallet is suggested.

Tax considerations

CIBR is structured as a U.S. equity ETF. Typical U.S. ETF tax considerations include:

• Dividend and distribution taxation: dividends are usually taxed as ordinary income or qualified dividends depending on underlying security and holding periods; capital gains distributions are taxed as capital gains.
• In‑kind creations/redemptions can reduce capital gains distributions compared with mutual funds, often improving tax efficiency.

Tax rules are complex and can change; investors should consult a tax advisor for personalized guidance on how ETF distributions affect their tax situation.

Comparisons and alternatives

Investors evaluating cibr stock often compare it to other cybersecurity- or security-themed ETFs. Comparable funds include (by strategy) ETFs that target cybersecurity, information security, or more broadly defined security technology themes. Differences to note when comparing:

• Index methodology: some ETFs use proprietary classifications or equal-weight schemes, while cibr stock tracks the Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity Index with its specific eligibility and weighting rules.
• Concentration: some funds are more concentrated in a handful of market leaders; others aim for broader diversification.
• International exposure: the balance between U.S. and non-U.S. holdings varies by fund.
• Fees: expense ratios can differ materially and should be compared alongside tracking error and liquidity.

Choosing among these alternatives requires weighing methodology, fees, holdings overlap, and personal objectives.

Potential benefits and risks

Potential benefits of investing in cibr stock:

• Thematic exposure: offers targeted access to an industry benefiting from growing cybersecurity budgets across enterprises and governments.
• Diversification within a theme: holds a basket of cybersecurity-related companies rather than single-stock exposure.
• Liquidity and tradability: as a NASDAQ‑listed ETF, it provides intraday liquidity and transparent pricing.

Key risks to consider:

• Industry concentration: heavy exposure to a single industry increases sensitivity to sector-specific headwinds.
• Large-cap concentration: a few large holdings can disproportionately impact performance.
• Valuation risk: thematic popularity can drive valuation premiums, raising downside risk if sentiment shifts.
• Tracking error: differences between fund returns and index returns due to fees, sampling, and trading costs.

This is a factual overview and not investment advice. Investors should perform their own due diligence.

History and notable events

• Launch: CIBR launched in July 2015, capitalizing on investor interest in cybersecurity as a distinct investment theme.
• Growth and flows: since launch, the fund has attracted attention in periods of heightened cyber‑security focus, with assets under management responding to market and flows dynamics.
• Index or methodology changes: from time to time, index providers refine classification rules and eligibility criteria; such changes may alter fund composition after rebalances.

As of January 26, 2026, First Trust’s public materials and ETF data providers document the fund’s evolution; check the issuer’s announcements for any material changes.

How to invest

• Brokerage access: purchase and sell cibr stock (ticker CIBR) through your brokerage account during market hours. Use limit orders to manage execution price and avoid unexpected slippage.
• Long‑term vs trading: long-term investors may focus on the fund’s role for thematic allocation and rebalance periodically, while traders should monitor liquidity, spreads, and intraday NAV behavior.
• Due diligence: read the prospectus, fund fact sheet, holdings, historical performance, expense ratio, and index methodology before investing.
• Custody and tools: for users managing broader crypto and Web3 exposures alongside ETFs, Bitget provides a trading venue and Bitget Wallet offers custody services for Web3 assets—consider consolidating workflows there if it matches your needs.

References

• First Trust fund prospectus and fact sheet (issuer materials).
• Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity Index methodology (index provider materials).
• Major ETF data providers and research platforms (for performance, AUM, holdings).
• Reputable financial news and analysis covering thematic ETFs and cybersecurity industry developments.

As of January 26, 2026, according to First Trust’s fund summary and ETF data providers, readers should verify the latest AUM, holdings, and distribution figures directly with the issuer.

External links

Please refer to the official First Trust fund page for CIBR, the Nasdaq ETF listing for CIBR, and major ETF research pages (such as Morningstar, ETF database pages, and financial quote services) for live quotes and holdings. For trading and custody options, consider Bitget and the Bitget Wallet for integrated services.

See also

• Thematic ETFs
• Cybersecurity industry overview
• Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity Index
• Comparable cybersecurity ETFs and strategies

Notes on sources and currency of data

Holdings, assets under management (AUM), NAV, expense ratio, and performance figures change over time. This article references issuer materials and major ETF data providers; always consult the fund’s latest prospectus and official fact sheet for up‑to‑date, verified figures.

Explore live fund data and up-to-date holdings on the issuer’s pages, and consider using Bitget for trading and Bitget Wallet for Web3 custody if you want integrated tools across asset types.