First Trust Advisors L.P. Announces Distributions for Exchange-Traded Funds

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:

FTA is a federally registered investment advisor and serves as the Fund's 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 $210 billion as of December 31, 2023 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 https://www.ftportfolios.com. A prospectus should be read carefully before investing.

Principal Risk Factors: Risks are inherent in all investing. Certain risks that may be applicable to a fund are identified below but not all of the material risks relevant to each fund are included below and not all of the risks below apply to each fund. The material risks of investing in each fund are spelled out in its prospectus, statement of additional information and other regulatory filings. The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance of any particular risk factor.

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.

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.

Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or shares of a fund in general may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors 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. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious disease or other public health issues, recessions, natural disasters or other events could have significant negative impact on a fund.

Current market conditions risk is the risk that a particular investment, or shares of the fund in general, may fall in value due to current market conditions. As a means to fight inflation, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks have raised interest rates and expect to continue to do so, and the Federal Reserve has announced that it intends to reverse previously implemented quantitative easing. Recent and potential future bank failures could result in disruption to the broader banking industry or markets generally and reduce confidence in financial institutions and the economy as a whole, which may also heighten market volatility and reduce liquidity. Ongoing armed conflicts between Russia and Ukraine in Europe and among Israel, Hamas and other militant groups in the Middle East, have caused and could continue to cause significant market disruptions and volatility within the markets in Russia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The hostilities and sanctions resulting from those hostilities have and could continue to have a significant impact on certain fund investments as well as fund performance and liquidity. The COVID-19 global pandemic, or any future public health crisis, and the ensuing policies enacted by governments and central banks have caused and may continue to cause significant volatility and uncertainty in global financial markets, negatively impacting global growth prospects.

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.

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.

The London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") has ceased to be made available as a reference rate. Any potential effects of the transition away from LIBOR on the fund or on certain instruments in which the fund invests is difficult to predict and could result in losses to the fund. The unavailability or replacement of LIBOR may affect the value, liquidity or return on certain fund investments and may result in costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering into new trades.

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.

Each fund is subject to risks arising from various operational factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of a fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. Although the funds and the Advisor seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures, there is no way to completely protect against such risks.

Nasdaq and Nasdaq U.S. Multi-Asset Diversified Income^TM Index 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.

S&P is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC ("S&P"), a division of S&P Global; Cboe is a registered trademark of Cboe. The Cboe S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Target Income Index Monthly Series, S&P, and Cboe trademarks have been licensed for use by the Sub-Advisor, and in turn, sub-licensed by the Advisor, including for use by the Fund. The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by Cboe and/or its affiliates (the "Cboe Group"), or S&P and/or its affiliates (together, the "S&P Group"). Neither the Cboe Group nor the S&P Group make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the Fund and shall have no liability whatsoever in connection with the Fund.

Cboe is a registered trademark of Cboe Exchange, Inc., which has been licensed for use in the name of the fund. The fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or marketed by Cboe Exchange, Inc. or any of its affiliates ("Cboe") or their respective third-party providers, and Cboe and its third-party providers make no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the fund and shall have no liability whatsoever in connection with the fund.

The "Dow Jones Industrial Average" (the "index") is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC ("SPDJI"), and has been licensed for use by First Trust Advisors L.P. S&P is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC ("S&P"); "Dow Jones" and "DJIA" are trademarks of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC ("Dow Jones"); and these trademarks have been licensed for use by SPDJI and sublicensed for certain purposes by First Trust Advisors L.P. The fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, their respective affiliates, and none of such parties make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in such product(s) nor do they have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of the Index.

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.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240122689474/en/