FTSL First Trust Senior Loan Fund

First Trust Advisors L.P. ("FTA") announces the declaration of the monthly distributions for certain exchange-traded funds advised by FTA.

The following dates apply to today's distribution declarations:

Expected Ex-Dividend Date:

November 24, 2020

Record Date:

November 25, 2020

Payable Date:

November 30, 2020

Ticker

 

Exchange

 

Fund Name

 

Frequency

 

Ordinary Income Per Share Amount

ACTIVELY MANAGED EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS

First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund III

FCAL

 

Nasdaq

 

First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.0950

FEMB

 

Nasdaq

 

First Trust Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.1700

FMB

 

Nasdaq

 

First Trust Managed Municipal ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.1025

FMHI

 

Nasdaq

 

First Trust Municipal High Income ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.1400

FPE

 

NYSE Arca

 

First Trust Preferred Securities and Income ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.0893

FPEI

 

NYSE Arca

 

First Trust Institutional Preferred Securities and Income ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.0844

FSMB

 

NYSE Arca

 

First Trust Short Duration Managed Municipal ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.0275

FUMB

 

NYSE Arca

 

First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.0130

First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund IV

FCVT

 

Nasdaq

 

First Trust SSI Strategic Convertible Securities ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.0400

FDIV

 

Nasdaq

 

First Trust Strategic Income ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.1540

FTSL

 

Nasdaq

 

First Trust Senior Loan Fund

 

Monthly

 

$0.1310

HYLS

 

Nasdaq

 

First Trust Tactical High Yield ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.2200

LGOV

 

NYSE Arca

 

First Trust Long Duration Opportunities ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.0440

LMBS

 

Nasdaq

 

First Trust Low Duration Opportunities ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.0900

First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VI

FTHI

 

Nasdaq

 

First Trust BuyWrite Income ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.0800

FTLB

 

Nasdaq

 

First Trust Hedged BuyWrite Income ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.0550

First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII

DEED

 

NYSE Arca

 

First Trust TCW Securitized Plus ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.0280

FIXD

 

Nasdaq

 

First Trust TCW Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.1200

LDSF

 

Nasdaq

 

First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.0410

UCON

 

NYSE Arca

 

First Trust TCW Unconstrained Plus Bond ETF

 

Monthly

 

$0.0485

INDEX EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS

First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VI

MDIV

 

Nasdaq

 

Multi-Asset Diversified Income Index Fund

 

Monthly

 

$0.0744

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FTA is a federally registered investment advisor and serves as the Funds' investment advisor. FTA and its affiliate First Trust Portfolios L.P. ("FTP"), a FINRA registered broker-dealer, are privately-held companies that provide a variety of investment services. FTA has collective assets under management or supervision of approximately $147 billion as of October 31, 2020 through unit investment trusts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, mutual funds and separate managed accounts. FTA is the supervisor of the First Trust unit investment trusts, while FTP is the sponsor. FTP is also a distributor of mutual fund shares and exchange-traded fund creation units. FTA and FTP are based in Wheaton, Illinois.

You should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of a Fund before investing. Prospectuses for the Funds contain this and other important information and are available free of charge by calling toll-free at 1-800-621-1675 or visiting www.ftportfolios.com. A prospectus should be read carefully before investing.

Past performance is no assurance of future results. Investment return and market value of an investment in a Fund will fluctuate. Shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost.

Principal Risk Factors: A Fund's shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in a Fund. An investment in a Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. There can be no assurance that a Fund's investment objectives will be achieved. An investment in a Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any portfolio of equity securities traded on exchanges. The risks of investing in each Fund are spelled out in its prospectus, shareholder report, and other regulatory filings.

Securities held by a fund, as well as shares of a fund itself, are subject to market fluctuations caused by factors such as general economic conditions, political events, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of a fund could decline in value or underperform other investments as a result of the risk of loss associated with these market fluctuations. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on a fund and its investments. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. The outbreak of the respiratory disease designated as COVID-19 in December 2019 has caused significant volatility and declines in global financial markets, which have caused losses for investors. The impact of this COVID-19 pandemic may last for an extended period of time and will continue to impact the economy for the foreseeable future.

An Index ETF seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield of an index. You should anticipate that the value of an Index Fund's shares will decline, more or less, in correlation with any decline in the value of the index. An Index Fund's return may not match the return of the index. Unlike a Fund, the indices do not actually hold a portfolio of securities and therefore do not incur the expenses incurred by a Fund.

Investors buying or selling Fund shares on the secondary market may incur customary brokerage commissions. Investors who sell Fund shares may receive less than the share's net asset value. Shares may be sold throughout the day on the exchange through any brokerage account. However, unlike mutual funds, shares may only be redeemed directly from the Fund by authorized participants, in very large creation/redemption units. If the Fund's authorized participants are unable to proceed with creation/redemption orders and no other authorized participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, Fund shares may trade at a discount to the Fund's net asset value and possibly face delisting.

One of the principal risks of investing in a Fund is market risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security owned by a Fund, Fund shares or securities in general may fall in value.

An actively managed ETF is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing such a Fund's investment portfolio, the portfolio managers, management teams, advisor or sub-advisor, will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not have the desired result.

A Fund that is concentrated in securities of companies in a certain sector or industry involves additional risks, including limited diversification. An investment in a Fund concentrated in a single country or region may be subject to greater risks of adverse events and may experience greater volatility than a Fund that is more broadly diversified geographically.

Certain Funds may invest in small capitalization and mid-capitalization companies. Such companies may experience greater price volatility than larger, more established companies.

An investment in a Fund containing securities of non-U.S. issuers is subject to additional risks, including currency fluctuations, political risks, withholding, the lack of adequate financial information, and exchange control restrictions impacting non-U.S. issuers. These risks may be heightened for securities of companies located in, or with significant operations in, emerging market countries. A Fund may invest in depositary receipts which may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market.

Investments in securities of issuers located in emerging market countries are considered speculative and there is a heightened risk of investing in emerging markets securities. Financial and other reporting by companies and government entities also may be less reliable in emerging market countries. Shareholder claims that are available in the U.S., as well as regulatory oversight and authority that is common in the U.S., including for claims based on fraud, may be difficult or impossible for shareholders of securities in emerging market countries or for U.S. authorities to pursue.

Investments in sovereign bonds involve special risks because the governmental authority that controls the repayment of the debt may be unwilling or unable to repay the principal and/or interest when due. In times of economic uncertainty, the prices of these securities may be more volatile than those of corporate debt obligations or of other government debt obligations.

Preferred securities, high-yield securities, corporate bonds, government bonds, municipal bonds and senior loans are subject to credit risk, call risk, income risk, interest rate risk, inflation risk and prepayment risk. Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a security will be unable or unwilling to make dividend, interest and/or principal payments when due and that the value of a security may decline as a result. Credit risk is heightened for floating-rate loans and high-yield securities. Call risk is the risk that if an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by a Fund, performance could be adversely impacted. Income risk is the risk that income from a Fund's fixed-income investments could decline during periods of falling interest rates. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the fixed-income securities in a Fund will decline because of rising market interest rates. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. Prepayment risk is the risk that during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer may exercise its right to pay principal on an obligation earlier than expected. This may result in a decline in a Fund's income.

Many financial instruments use or may use a floating rate based upon the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), which is being phased out by the end of 2021. There remains some uncertainty regarding the future utilization of LIBOR and the nature of any replacement rate.

Senior floating-rate loans are usually rated below investment grade but may also be unrated. As a result, the risks associated with these loans are similar to the risks of high-yield fixed income instruments. High-yield securities, or "junk" bonds, are subject to greater market fluctuations and risk of loss than securities with higher ratings, and therefore, may be highly speculative. These securities are issued by companies that may have limited operating history, narrowly focused operations, and/or other impediments to the timely payment of periodic interest and principal at maturity. The market for high yield securities is smaller and less liquid than that for investment grade securities.

The senior loan market has seen an increase in loans with weaker lender protections which may impact recovery values and/or trading levels in the future. The absence of financial maintenance covenants in a loan agreement generally means that the lender may not be able to declare a default if financial performance deteriorates. This may hinder the Fund’s ability to reprice credit risk associated with a particular borrower and reduce the Fund’s ability to restructure a problematic loan and mitigate potential loss. As a result, the Fund’s exposure to losses on investments in senior loans may be increased, especially during a downturn in the credit cycle or changes in market or economic conditions.

In the event a borrower fails to pay scheduled interest or principal payments on a senior loan held by the Fund, the Fund will experience a reduction in its income and a decline in the value of the senior loan, which will likely reduce dividends and lead to a decline in the net asset value of the Fund’s common shares. If the Fund acquires a senior loan from another lender, for example, by acquiring a participation, the Fund may also be subject to credit risks with respect to that lender. Although senior loans may be secured by specific collateral, the value of the collateral may not equal the Fund’s investment when the senior loan is acquired or may decline below the principal amount of the senior loan subsequent to the Fund’s investment. Also, to the extent that collateral consists of stock of the borrower or its subsidiaries or affiliates, the Fund bears the risk that the stock may decline in value, be relatively illiquid, and/or may lose all or substantially all of its value, causing the senior loan to be under collateralized. Therefore, the liquidation of the collateral underlying a senior loan may not satisfy the issuer’s obligation to the Fund in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal, and the collateral may not be readily liquidated.

Income from municipal bonds held by a Fund could be declared taxable because of, among other things, unfavorable changes in tax laws, adverse interpretations by the Internal Revenue Service or state tax authorities, or noncompliant conduct of a bond issuer.

Convertible securities have characteristics of both equity and debt securities and, as a result, are exposed to certain additional risks. The values of certain synthetic convertible securities will respond differently to market fluctuations than a traditional convertible security because such synthetic convertibles are composed of two or more separate securities or instruments, each with its own market value. A Fund is subject to the credit risk associated with the counterparty creating the synthetic convertible instrument. Synthetic convertible securities may also be subject to the risks associated with derivatives.

Exchange-traded notes (ETNs) are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy minus applicable fees. The value of an ETN may be influenced by various factors.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate operating companies (REOCs) are subject to certain risks, including changes in the real estate market, vacancy rates and competition, volatile interest rates and economic recession.

Master limited partnerships (MLPs) are subject to certain risks, including price and supply fluctuations caused by international politics, energy conservation, taxes, price controls, and other regulatory policies of various governments. In addition, there is the risk that a MLP could be taxed as a corporation, resulting in decreased returns from such MLP.

The use of futures, options, and other derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the underlying asset, index or rate, which may be magnified by certain features of the derivatives. These risks are heightened when a Fund's portfolio managers use derivatives to enhance a Fund's return or as a substitute for a position or security, rather than solely to hedge (or offset) the risk of a position or security held by a Fund.

A Fund may effect a portion of creations and redemptions for cash, rather than in-kind securities. As a result, an investment in a Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in an exchange-traded fund that effects its creations and redemptions for in-kind securities.

A Fund's investment in repurchase agreements may be subject to market and credit risk with respect to the collateral securing the repurchase agreements.

Alternative investments may employ complex strategies, have unique investment and risk characteristics and may not be appropriate for all investors.

Certain Funds may invest in other investment companies, including closed-end funds (CEFs), ETFs and affiliated ETFs, which involves additional expenses that would not be present in a direct investment in the underlying funds. In addition, a Fund's investment performance and risks may be related to the investment and performance of the underlying funds.

A Fund may invest in U.S. government obligations. U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the "full faith and credit" of the U.S. government. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

Income from the First Trust Managed Municipal ETF (FMB), the First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF (FCAL), the First Trust Municipal High Income ETF (FMHI), the First Trust Short Duration Managed Municipal ETF (FSMB), and the First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF (FUMB) may be subject to the federal alternative minimum income tax. FMB, FCAL, FMHI, FSMB, and FUMB may invest in zero coupon bonds which may be highly volatile as interest rates rise and fall. FCAL invests principally in municipal debt securities from issuers located in California. Such concentration exposes the Fund to political, fiscal, and economic conditions affecting California municipal issuers and may affect the value of the Fund’s investments.

Short selling creates special risks which could result in increased volatility of returns. In times of unusual or adverse market, economic, regulatory or political conditions, a Fund may not be able, fully or partially, to implement its short selling strategy.

Certain Funds may invest in distressed securities and many distressed securities are illiquid or trade in low volumes and thus may be more difficult to value. Illiquid securities involve the risk that the securities will not be able to be sold at the time desired by the Fund or at prices approximately the value at which the Fund is carrying the securities on its books.

Certain Funds are classified as "non-diversified" and may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence affecting one or more of these issuers, experience increased volatility and be highly concentrated in certain issuers.

Nasdaq® and NASDAQ U.S. Multi-Asset Diversified Income IndexSM are registered trademarks and service marks of Nasdaq, Inc. (which with its affiliates is referred to as the "Corporations") and are licensed for use by FTA. The Funds have not been passed on by the Corporations as to its legality or suitability. The Funds are not issued, endorsed, sold, or promoted by the Corporations. THE CORPORATIONS MAKE NO WARRANTIES AND BEAR NO LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE FUNDS.

The information presented is not intended to constitute an investment recommendation for, or advice to, any specific person. By providing this information, First Trust is not undertaking to give advice in any fiduciary capacity within the meaning of ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code or any other regulatory framework. Financial professionals are responsible for evaluating investment risks independently and for exercising independent judgment in determining whether investments are appropriate for their clients.

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