497K 1 fpeax_497k.htm SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

Rule 497(k)

File No. 333-168727

 
First Trust Series Fund
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS 
FIRST TRUST PREFERRED SECURITIES
AND INCOME FUND
TICKER SYMBOL
CLASS A
FPEAX
CLASS C
FPECX
CLASS F
FPEFX
CLASS I
FPEIX
CLASS R3
FPERX
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s statutory prospectus and other information about the Fund, including the statement of additional information and most recent reports to shareholders, online at www.ftportfolios.com/Retail/MF/MFFundNews.aspx?Ticker=FPEAX .   You can also get this information at no cost by calling (800) 621-1675 or by sending an e-mail request to info@ftportfolios.com If you purchase shares through a financial intermediary (such as a broker/dealer or bank), you can obtain the Fund’s prospectus and other information from that financial intermediary. The Fund’s prospectus, dated March 1, 2021, as supplemented on July 6, 2021, and statement of additional information, dated March 1, 2021, are all incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.
July 6, 2021
Investment Objective
The First Trust Preferred Securities and Income Fund (the "Fund") seeks to provide current income and total return.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. Investors purchasing Class I shares as “clean shares” may be subject to costs (including customary brokerage commissions) charged by their broker, which are not reflected in the table below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other First Trust Advisors L.P. mutual funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in “Share Classes” on page 25 of the Fund’s prospectus, “Investment in Fund Shares” on page 32 of the Fund’s prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page 33 of the Fund’s statement of additional information (“SAI”).
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment) 
 
Class A
Class C
Class F
Class I
Class R3
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a
percentage of offering price)
4.50%
None
None
None
None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the
lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)(1)
None
1.00%
None
None
None
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested
Dividends
None
None
None
None
None
Exchange Fee
None
None
None
None
None
 
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 
 
Class A
Class C
Class F
Class I
Class R3
Management Fees
0.80%
0.80%
0.80%
0.80%
0.80%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees
0.25%
1.00%
0.15%
N/A
0.50%
Other Expenses
0.31%
0.27%
1.41%
0.25%
2.90%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
1.36%
2.07%
2.36%
1.05%
4.20%
Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement
0.00%
0.00%
1.06%
0.00%
2.55%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and
Expense Reimbursements(2)
1.36%
2.07%
1.30%
1.05%
1.65%
(1)
For Class A shares purchased at net asset value without a sales charge because the purchase amount exceeded $1 million, a contingent deferred sales charge of 1% may be imposed on any redemption within 12 months of purchase. The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.
(2)
The Fund’s investment advisor and sub-advisor have agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses through February 28, 2022 so that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding 12b-1 distribution and service fees, interest expenses, taxes, fees incurred in acquiring and disposing of portfolio securities, and extraordinary expenses) do not exceed 1.15% of the average daily net assets of any class of Fund shares. Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding 12b-1 distribution and service fees, interest expenses, taxes, fees incurred in acquiring and disposing of portfolio securities, and extraordinary expenses) will not exceed 1.50% from March 1, 2022 through February 28, 2031. Fees waived or expenses borne by the Fund’s investment advisor and sub-advisor are subject to reimbursement by the Fund for up to three years from the date the fee was waived or expense was incurred, but no reimbursement payment will be made by the Fund at any time if it would result in the Fund’s expenses exceeding (i) the applicable expense limitation in place for the most recent fiscal year for which such expense limitation was in place, (ii) the applicable expense limitation in place at the time the fees were waived, or (iii) the current expense limitation. Expense limitations may be terminated or modified prior to their expiration only with the approval of the Board of Trustees of the First Trust Series Fund.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s annual operating expenses (excluding 12b-1 distribution and service fees, interest expense, taxes, fees incurred in acquiring and disposing of portfolio securities, and extraordinary expenses) remain at current levels until February 28, 2022 and then will not exceed 1.50% from March 1, 2022 until February 28, 2031. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Redemption 
Share Class
A
C
F
I
R3
1 Year
$582
$310
$132
$107
$168
3 Years
861
649
486
334
594
5 Years
1,161
1,114
864
579
1,045
10 Years
2,011
2,400
1,925
1,283
2,299
No Redemption 
Share Class
A
C
F
I
R3
1 Year
$582
$210
$132
$107
$168
3 Years
861
649
486
334
594
5 Years
1,161
1,114
864
579
1,045
10 Years
2,011
2,400
1,925
1,283
2,299
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 46% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (including investment borrowings) in preferred securities and other securities with similar economic characteristics. Securities that have economic characteristics that are similar to preferred securities include certain debt instruments. Such debt instruments are typically issued by corporations, generally in the form of interest bearing notes, or by an affiliated business trust of a corporation, generally in the form of (i) beneficial interests in subordinated debentures or similarly structured securities or (ii) more senior debt securities that pay income and trade in a manner similar to preferred securities. The Fund may also invest in more traditional corporate debt securities and U.S. government securities.
Preferred securities generally pay fixed or adjustable-rate distributions to investors and have preference over common stock in the payment of distributions and the liquidation of a company’s assets, but are generally junior to all forms of the company’s debt, including both senior and subordinated debt; therefore, the risks and potential rewards of investing in the Fund may at times be similar to the risks and potential rewards of investing in both equity funds and bond funds. Because the issuers of preferred securities are often financial companies, the Fund intends to concentrate (invest at least 25% of its net assets) in the industry or group of industries that comprise the financial sector, which may include banks, thrifts, brokerage firms, broker-dealers, investment banks, finance companies, real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and companies involved in the insurance industry. As of January 31, 2021, the Fund had significant investments in financial companies and European issuers, although this may change from time to time. To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in a given jurisdiction or investment sector, the Fund may be exposed to the risks associated with that jurisdiction or investment sector.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 60% of its net assets in securities rated investment grade (BBB–/Baa3 or higher) at the time of purchase by at least one independent rating agency, such as Standard & Poor’s Ratings Service, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., or another nationally recognized statistical rating organization, and unrated securities judged to be of comparable quality by the Fund’s sub-advisor. The Fund may invest up to 40% of its net assets in securities rated below investment grade (BB+/Ba1 or lower) at the time of purchase, which are commonly referred to as “high yield” securities or “junk bonds.” For securities with a split rating, the highest available rating will be used. In addition, at the time of purchase, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets are issued by issuers that have long-term issuer credit ratings of investment grade by at least one independent rating agency or judged to be of comparable quality by the Fund’s sub-advisor, if any issuer is unrated. The Fund may invest in securities of any duration or maturity.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in cash and/or cash equivalents. The Fund may invest in securities issued by companies domiciled in the United States, U.S. dollar-denominated depositary receipts, U.S. dollar-denominated foreign securities and non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities. The Fund may invest in Rule 144A Securities, which are generally subject to resale restrictions and may be illiquid.
Principal Risks
You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the 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 the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved. The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance of any particular risk factor.
BANKS RISK. Banks are especially subject to the adverse effects of economic recession, currency exchange rates, government regulation, decreases in the availability of capital, volatile interest rates, portfolio concentrations in geographic markets and in commercial and residential real estate loans, and competition from new entrants in their fields of business. In addition, banks are subject to extensive regulation at both the federal and state level, which may affect permissible activities, profitability and the amount of capital that they must maintain.
CALL RISK. Some debt securities may be redeemed, or “called,” at the option of the issuer before their stated maturity date. In general, an issuer will call its debt securities if they can be refinanced by issuing new debt securities which bear a lower interest rate. The Fund is subject to the possibility that during periods of falling interest rates an issuer will call its high yielding debt securities. The Fund would then be forced to invest the proceeds at lower interest rates, likely resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.
CONTINGENT CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES RISK. CoCos are hybrid securities most commonly issued by banking institutions that present risks similar to debt securities and convertible securities. CoCos are distinct in that they are intended to either convert into equity or have their principal written down upon the occurrence of certain “triggers.” When an issuer’s capital ratio falls below a specified trigger level, or in a regulator’s discretion depending on the regulator’s judgment about the issuer’s solvency prospects, a CoCo may be written down, written off or converted into an equity security. Due to the contingent write-down, write-off and conversion feature, CoCos may have substantially greater risk than other securities in times of financial stress. If the trigger level is breached, the issuer's decision to write down, write off or convert a CoCo may be outside its control, and the Fund may suffer a complete loss on an investment in CoCos with no chance of recovery even if the issuer remains in existence. The value of CoCos is unpredictable and may be influenced by many factors including, without limitation: the creditworthiness of the issuer and/or fluctuations in such issuer's applicable capital ratios; supply and demand for CoCos; general market conditions and available liquidity; and economic, financial and political events that affect the issuer, its particular market or the financial markets in general.
CREDIT RISK. An issuer or other obligated party of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make dividend, interest and/or principal payments when due. In addition, the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or unwillingness to make such payments.
CREDIT SPREAD RISK. From time to time, spreads (i.e., the difference in yield between debt securities that have different credit qualities or other differences) may increase, which may reduce the market value of some of the Fund’s debt securities. While the Fund may employ strategies to mitigate credit spread risk, these strategies may not be successful.
CYBER SECURITY RISK. The Fund is susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity. Such events could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. Cyber security breaches may involve unauthorized access to the Fund’s digital information systems through “hacking” or malicious software coding but may also result from outside attacks such as denial-of-service attacks through efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users. In addition, cyber security breaches of the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests or the Fund’s third-party service providers, such as its administrator, transfer agent, custodian, or sub-advisor, as applicable, can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. Although the Fund has established risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially because the Fund does not directly control the cyber security systems of issuers or third-party service providers.
EUROPE RISK. The Fund is subject to certain risks specifically associated with investments in the securities of European issuers. Political or economic disruptions in European countries, even in countries in which the Fund is not invested, may adversely affect security values and thus the Fund’s holdings. A significant number of countries in Europe are member states in the European Union (the “EU”), and the member states no longer control their own monetary policies by directing independent interest rates for their currencies. In these member states, the authority to direct monetary policies, including money supply and official interest rates for the Euro, is exercised by the European Central Bank. In a 2016 referendum, the United Kingdom elected to withdraw from the EU (“Brexit”). After years of negotiations between the United Kingdom and the EU, a withdrawal agreement was reached whereby the United Kingdom formally left the EU. As the second largest economy among EU members, the implications of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal are difficult to gauge and cannot be fully known. Its departure may negatively impact the EU and Europe as a whole by causing volatility within the EU, triggering prolonged economic downturns in certain European countries or sparking additional member states to contemplate departing the EU (thereby perpetuating political instability in the region).
EXTENSION RISK. Extension risk is the risk that, when interest rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the issuer (or other obligated party) more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of these debt securities to fall. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of debt securities, making their market value more sensitive to changes in interest rates. The value of longer-term debt securities generally changes more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term debt securities. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, securities may exhibit additional volatility and may lose value.
FINANCIAL COMPANIES RISK. Financial companies, such as retail and commercial banks, insurance companies and financial services companies, are especially subject to the adverse effects of economic recession, currency exchange rates, extensive government regulation, decreases in the availability of capital, volatile interest rates, portfolio concentrations in geographic markets, industries or products (such as commercial and residential real estate loans), competition from new entrants and blurred distinctions in their fields of business.
FIXED-TO-FLOATING RATE SECURITIES RISK. Fixed-to-floating rate securities are securities that have a fixed dividend rate for an initial term that converts to a floating dividend rate upon the expiration of the initial term. Securities with a floating or variable interest rate component can be less sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with fixed interest rates but may decline in value if their
interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. While fixed-to-floating rate securities can be less sensitive to interest rate risk than fixed-rate securities they generally carry lower yields than similar fixed-rate securities.
FLOATING RATE SECURITIES RISK. Floating rate securities are structured so that the security’s coupon rate fluctuates based upon the level of a reference rate. As a result, the coupon on floating rate securities will generally decline in a falling interest rate environment, causing the Fund to experience a reduction in the income it receives from the security. A floating rate security’s coupon rate resets periodically according to the terms of the security. Consequently, in a rising interest rate environment, floating rate securities with coupon rates that reset infrequently may lag behind the changes in market interest rates. Floating rate securities may also contain terms that impose a maximum coupon rate the issuer will pay, regardless of the level of the reference rate which would decrease the value of the security.
HIGH YIELD SECURITIES RISK. High yield securities, or “junk” bonds, are subject to greater market fluctuations, are less liquid and provide a greater risk of loss than investment grade securities, and therefore, are considered to be highly speculative. In general, high yield securities may have a greater risk of default than other types of securities and could cause income and principal losses for the Fund.
HYBRID CAPITAL SECURITIES RISK. Hybrid capital securities are subject to the risks of equity securities and debt securities. The claims of holders of hybrid capital securities of an issuer are generally subordinated to those of holders of traditional debt securities in bankruptcy, and thus hybrid capital securities may be more volatile and subject to greater risk than traditional debt securities, and may in certain circumstances be even more volatile than traditional equity securities. At the same time, hybrid capital securities may not fully participate in gains of their issuer and thus potential returns of such securities are generally more limited than traditional equity securities, which would participate in such gains. The terms of hybrid capital securities may vary substantially and the risks of a particular hybrid capital security will depend upon the terms of the instrument, but may include the credit risk of the issuer, as well as liquidity risk, since they often are customized to meet the needs of an issuer or a particular investor, and therefore the number of investors that buy such instruments in the secondary market may be small.
INCOME RISK. The Fund’s income may decline when interest rates fall or if there are defaults in its portfolio. This decline can occur because the Fund may subsequently invest in lower-yielding securities as debt securities in its portfolio mature, are near maturity or are called, or the Fund otherwise needs to purchase additional debt securities.
INFLATION RISK. 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. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions may decline.
INTEREST RATE RISK. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the debt securities in the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising market interest rates. Interest rate risk is generally lower for shorter term debt securities and higher for longer-term debt securities. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. Duration is a reasonably accurate measure of a debt security’s price sensitivity to changes in interest rates and a common measure of interest rate risk. Duration measures a debt security’s expected life on a present value basis, taking into account the debt security’s yield, interest payments and final maturity. In general, duration represents the expected percentage change in the value of a security for an immediate 1% change in interest rates. For example, the price of a debt security with a three-year duration would be expected to drop by approximately 3% in response to a 1% increase in interest rates. Therefore, prices of debt securities with shorter durations tend to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than debt securities with longer durations. As the value of a debt security changes over time, so will its duration.
LIQUIDITY RISK. The Fund may hold certain investments that may be subject to restrictions on resale, trade over-the-counter or in limited volume, or lack an active trading market. Accordingly, the Fund may not be able to sell or close out of such investments at favorable times or prices (or at all), or at the prices approximating those at which the Fund currently values them. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value.
MANAGEMENT RISK. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.
MARKET RISK. Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or shares of the Fund in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of the Fund could decline in value or underperform other investments. 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 the Fund and its investments. For example, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe impacts, on markets worldwide. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused prolonged disruptions to the normal business operations of companies around the world and the impact of such disruptions is hard to predict. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect
the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets. Any of such circumstances could have a materially negative impact on the value of the Fund’s shares and result in increased market volatility. During any such events, the Fund’s shares may trade at increased premiums or discounts to their net asset value.
NON-U.S. SECURITIES RISK. Non-U.S. securities are subject to higher volatility than securities of domestic issuers due to possible adverse political, social or economic developments, restrictions on foreign investment or exchange of securities, capital controls, lack of liquidity, currency exchange rates, excessive taxation, government seizure of assets, the imposition of sanctions by foreign governments, different legal or accounting standards, and less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges in foreign countries.
OPERATIONAL RISK. The Fund is subject to risks arising from various operational factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. Although the Fund and the Advisor seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures, there is no way to completely protect against such risks.
PREFERRED SECURITIES RISK. Preferred securities combine some of the characteristics of both common stocks and bonds. Preferred securities are typically subordinated to bonds and other debt securities in a company’s capital structure in terms of priority to corporate income, subjecting them to greater credit risk than those debt securities. Generally, holders of preferred securities have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company unless preferred dividends have been in arrears for a specified number of periods, at which time the preferred security holders may obtain limited rights. In certain circumstances, an issuer of preferred securities may defer payment on the securities and, in some cases, redeem the securities prior to a specified date. Preferred securities may also be substantially less liquid than other securities, including common stock.
PREPAYMENT RISK. Prepayment risk is the risk that the issuer of a debt security will repay principal prior to the scheduled maturity date. Debt securities allowing prepayment may offer less potential for gains during a period of declining interest rates, as the Fund may be required to reinvest the proceeds of any prepayment at lower interest rates. These factors may cause the value of an investment in the Fund to change.
REIT RISK. REITs typically own and operate income-producing real estate, such as residential or commercial buildings, or real-estate related assets, including mortgages. As a result, investments in REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in real estate, which may include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in the value of underlying properties; defaults by borrowers or tenants; market saturation; changes in general and local operating expenses; and other economic, political or regulatory occurrences affecting companies in the real estate sector. REITs are also subject to the risk that the real estate market may experience an economic downturn generally, which may have a material effect on the real estate in which the REITs invest and their underlying portfolio securities. REITs may have also a relatively small market capitalization which may result in their shares experiencing less market liquidity and greater price volatility than larger companies. Increases in interest rates typically lower the present value of a REIT's future earnings stream, and may make financing property purchases and improvements more costly. Because the market price of REIT stocks may change based upon investors' collective perceptions of future earnings, the value of the Fund will generally decline when investors anticipate or experience rising interest rates.
RESTRICTED SECURITIES RISK. Restricted securities are securities that cannot be offered for public resale unless registered under the applicable securities laws or that have a contractual restriction that prohibits or limits their resale. The Fund may be unable to sell a restricted security on short notice or may be able to sell them only at a price below current value.
SIGNIFICANT EXPOSURE RISK. To the extent that the Fund invests a large percentage of its assets in a single asset class or the securities of issuers within the same country, state, region, industry or sector, an adverse economic, business or political development may affect the value of the Fund’s investments more than if the Fund were more broadly diversified. A significant exposure makes the Fund more susceptible to any single occurrence and may subject the Fund to greater market risk than a fund that is more broadly diversified.
VALUATION RISK. The Fund may hold securities or other assets that may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur because the asset or security does not trade on a centralized exchange, or in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” assets or securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time. The Fund’s ability to value investments may be impacted by technological issues or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.
Annual Total Return
The bar chart and table below illustrate the calendar year returns of the Fund’s Class A shares based on net asset value as well as the average annual Fund returns. The bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes
in the Fund’s performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Fund’s Class A shares’ average annual total returns compare to those of a blended benchmark index and two market indices. See “Total Return Information” for additional performance information regarding the Fund. The Fund’s performance information is accessible on the Fund’s website at www.ftportfolios.com.
Imposition of the Fund’s sales load is not reflected in the bar chart below. If the sales load was reflected, returns would be less than those shown.
Preferred Securities and Income Fund—Class A Shares
Calendar Year Total Returns as of 12/31
 
During the periods shown in the chart above: 
Best Quarter
 
Worst Quarter
 
13.07%
June 30, 2020
-16.47%
March 31, 2020
The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Returns before taxes do not reflect the effects of any income or capital gains taxes. All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of any state or local tax. Returns after taxes on distributions reflect the taxed return on the payment of dividends and capital gains. Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of shares assume you sold your shares at period end, and, therefore, are also adjusted for any capital gains or losses incurred. Returns for the market indices do not include expenses, which are deducted from Fund returns, or taxes.
Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as individual retirement accounts (IRAs) or employee-sponsored retirement plans.
Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2020 
 
1 Year
5 Years
Since
Inception
Inception
Date
Class A – Return Before Taxes
1.19%
5.76%
6.11%
2/25/2011
Class C – Return Before Taxes
4.22%
6.00%
5.86%
2/25/2011
Class F – Return Before Taxes
6.17%
6.88%
6.77%
3/2/2011
Class I – Return Before Taxes
5.99%
7.02%
6.97%
1/11/2011
Class R3 – Return Before Taxes
5.70%
6.44%
6.28%
3/2/2011
Class A – Return After Taxes on Distributions
-0.85%
3.45%
3.81%
2/25/2011
Class A – Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares
0.60%
3.35%
3.67%
2/25/2011
ICE BofA Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index(1) (reflects no deduction for
fees, expenses or taxes)
6.95%
6.38%
6.79%
1/11/2011
Prior Blended Index(1),(2) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or
taxes)
7.92%
6.88%
7.00%
1/11/2011
ICE BofA US Investment Grade Institutional Capital Securities Index(1)
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
8.22%
7.23%
7.18%
1/11/2011
Blended Index(1),(3),(4),(5) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
7.64%
7.43%
N/A
1/11/2011
(1)
Since Inception Index returns are based on inception date of the Fund.
(2)
The Prior Blended Index consists of a 50/50 blend of the ICE BofA Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index and the ICE BofA U.S. Capital Securities Index. The indices do not charge management fees or brokerage expenses, and no such fees or expenses were deducted from the performance shown. Indices are unmanaged and an investor cannot invest directly in an index. The Prior Blended Index returns are calculated by using the monthly returns of the two indices during each period shown above. At the beginning of each month the two indices are rebalanced to a 50/50 ratio to account for divergence from that ratio that occurred during the course of each month. The monthly returns are then compounded for each period shown above, giving the performance for the Prior Blended Index for each period shown above.
(3)
On July 6, 2021, the Fund’s benchmark changed from the Prior Blended Index to the Blended Index, because the Advisor believes that the Blended Index better reflects the investment strategies of the Fund.
(4)
The Blended Index consists of a 30/30/30/10 blend of the ICE BofA Core Plus Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index, the ICE BofA US Investment Grade Institutional Capital Securities Index, the ICE USD Contingent Capital Index and the ICE BofA US High Yield Institutional Capital Securities Index. The Blended Index is intended to reflect the proportional market cap of each segment of the preferred and hybrid securities market. The indices do not charge management fees or brokerage expenses, and no such fees or expenses were deducted from the performance shown. Indices are unmanaged and an investor cannot invest directly in an index. The Blended Index returns are calculated by using the monthly returns of the four indices during each period shown above. At the beginning of each month the four indices are rebalanced to a 30/30/30/10 ratio to account for divergence from that ratio that occurred during the course of each month. The monthly returns are then compounded for each period shown above, giving the performance for the Blended Index for each period shown above.
(5)
Since the ICE BofA Core Plus Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index had an inception date March 31, 2012, and the ICE USD Contingent Capital Index had an inception date of December 31, 2013, the performance of the Blended Index is not available for all of the periods disclosed.
Management
Investment Advisor
First Trust Advisors L.P. (“First Trust” or the “Advisor”)
Investment Sub-Advisor
Stonebridge Advisors LLC (“Stonebridge” or the “Sub-Advisor”)
Portfolio Managers
The following persons are members of Stonebridge’s investment committee and serve as the portfolio managers of the Fund:
•
Scott T. Fleming, Chief Executive Officer and President, Stonebridge Advisors LLC
•
Robert Wolf, Chief Investment Officer, Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager, Stonebridge Advisors LLC
•
Eric Weaver, Senior Vice President, Chief Strategist and Portfolio Manager, Stonebridge Advisors LLC
The portfolio managers are primarily and jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each portfolio manager has served as a part of the portfolio management team of the Fund since 2011, except for Eric Weaver, who has served as a member of the portfolio management team since 2020.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund through a financial advisor on any day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for business. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into the Fund is $2,500 ($750 for a Traditional/Roth IRA account; $500 for an Education IRA account; and $250 for accounts opened through fee-based programs). The minimum subsequent investment is $50. Class I shares are subject to higher minimums for certain investors and Class R3 shares are not subject to any minimums. There are no minimums for purchases or exchanges into the Fund through employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions will generally be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, in which case, your distribution will be taxed upon withdrawal from the tax-deferred account. Additionally, a sale of Fund shares is generally a taxable event.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), First Trust and related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
You can find the Fund’s statutory prospectus and other information about the Fund, including the statement of additional information and most recent reports to shareholders, online at www.ftportfolios.com/Retail/MF/MFFundNews.aspx?Ticker=FPEAX.
MFPSSP070621