Latest news with #FTP
Business Wire
7 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
First Trust Announces Elections/Re-Elections of Trustees for ETFs and Other Open-End Funds
WHEATON, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At special meetings of shareholders held on August 12, 2025 (collectively, the 'Meetings'), shareholders of the open-end management investment companies (collectively, the 'OEFs/ETFs') consisting of the exchange-traded funds, mutual funds and variable insurance funds advised by First Trust Advisors L.P. ('FTA') approved proposals to elect or re-elect, as applicable, eight nominees to the Boards of Trustees (collectively, the 'Boards') of the OEFs/ETFs. The OEFs/ETFs include the following: First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund; First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund II; First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund III; First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund IV; First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund V; First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VI; First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VII; First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII; First Trust Exchange-Traded AlphaDEX ® Fund; First Trust Exchange-Traded AlphaDEX ® Fund II; First Trust Series Fund; and First Trust Variable Insurance Trust. At each Meeting, each of the following individuals was elected or re-elected to the Board of the applicable OEF/ETF: James A. Bowen; Thomas J. Driscoll; Richard E. Erickson; Thomas R. Kadlec; Denise M. Keefe; Robert F. Keith; Niel B. Nielson; and Bronwyn Wright. Mr. Bowen is referred to as the 'Interested Trustee' of each OEF/ETF due to his position as Chief Executive Officer of FTA, and each of the other Trustees is referred to as an 'Independent Trustee.' FTA is a federally registered investment advisor and serves as the investment advisor to the series of the OEFs/ETFs. 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 $278 billion as of June 30, 2025 through unit investment trusts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, mutual funds, variable insurance funds and separately 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.
Globe and Mail
11-08-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
First Trust Advisors L.P. Announces Distribution for First Trust Income Opportunities ETF
First Trust Advisors L.P. ("FTA") announces the declaration of the Monthly distribution for First Trust Income Opportunities ETF, a series of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII. The following dates apply to today's distribution declaration: First Trust Advisors L.P. ("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 $278 billion as of June 30, 2025 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 the Fund before investing. The prospectus for the Fund contains this and other important information and is available free of charge by calling toll-free at 1-800-621-1675 or visiting The prospectus should be read carefully before investing. Principal Risk Factors: 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. There can be no assurance that a fund's objective(s) will be achieved. Investors buying or selling shares on the secondary market may incur customary brokerage commissions. Please refer to each fund's prospectus and Statement of Additional Information for additional details on a fund's risks. 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. ETF shares may only be redeemed directly from a fund by authorized participants in very large creation/redemption units. ETF shares may trade at a discount to net asset value and possibly face delisting. All or a portion of a fund's otherwise tax exempt interest dividends may be taxable to those shareholders subject to the federal and state alternative minimum tax. Securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies may experience greater price volatility and be less liquid than larger, more established companies whereas large capitalization companies may grow at a slower rate than the overall market. A fund that effects all or a portion of its creations and redemptions for cash rather than in-kind may be less tax efficient. 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. For example, changes in governmental fiscal and regulatory policies, disruptions to banking and real estate markets, actual and threatened international armed conflicts and hostilities, and public health crises, among other significant events, could have a material impact on the value of the fund's investments. A fund normally distributes income it earns, so a fund may be required to reduce its distributions if it has insufficient income. Distributions in excess of a Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital. There may be other circumstances when all or a portion of a Fund's distribution is treated as a return of capital, for example, there are times when Fund securities are sold to cover a derivative position that generated all or a portion of the distribution that could lead to a return of capital. A fund is susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. Such events could cause a fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. In managing a fund's investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not have the desired result. 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. A fund with significant exposure to a single asset class, country, region, industry, or sector may be more affected by an adverse economic or political development than a broadly diversified fund. Commodity prices can have a significant volatility and exposure to commodities can cause the value of a fund's shares to decline or fluctuate in a rapid and unpredictable manner. Certain securities are subject to call, credit, extension, income, inflation, interest rate, prepayment and zero coupon risks. These risks could result in a decline in a security's value and/or income, increased volatility as interest rates rise or fall and have an adverse impact on a fund's performance. The use of listed and OTC derivatives, including futures, options, swap agreements and forward contracts, 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. Securities of non-U.S. issuers are 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 the shares of other funds, 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 performance and risks of the underlying funds. First Trust Advisors L.P. (FTA) is the adviser to the First Trust fund(s). FTA is an affiliate of First Trust Portfolios L.P., the distributor of the fund(s). 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.
Mint
09-08-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Will Joe Root overtake Sachin Tendulkar's Test runs tally?
Joe Root couldn't take England to victory in a mammoth fourth-innings chase in the fifth Test vs India, but he did hit a magnificent century, which pushed his Test runs tally higher up. It stands at 13,543 runs now in 158 Test matches. The only man ahead of him is Sachin Tendulkar. The magic number after the India-England series is 2378 - that's how many runs Root trail's Tendulkar's 15921 tally by. So can Root overtake Tendulkar's tally? If yes, when should we expect him to do it? He ended the five Tests against India with 537 runs from nine innings, averaging 67.1. He was England's highest run-getter, and only Shubman Gill's extraordinary run-glut prevented Root from topping the charts. This series came on the back of some stellar years for Root. Since England's away series against Sri Lanka at the start of 2021, Root has been tearing it up across the world. He was good until that point too - after all, he was spoken of alongside Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson as the 'Fab Four' - but since 2021, he has hit a different level. Matches Inns Runs Avg 100s 50s Inns/100 Inns/50+ Till Dec 2020 97 177 7823 48.0 17 49 10.4 2.7 From Jan 2021 61 111 5720 56.6 22 17 5.1 2.8 As can be seen, Root's curve has gone sharply upwards from 2021. The key difference is in how well he has been converting his starts into big scores. He reaches 50 at almost the same rate (in fact, it's slightly lower 2021 onwards), but he's scoring hundreds twice as often as he used to. In real terms, he's gone from scoring 80 runs per match to scoring 94 runs per match. Obviously, what Root is doing right now is at his peak. He will turn 35 in December though, and to beat Tendulkar's mark, he'll have to play for a few more years still. What Root has in his favour is that England play more Test cricket than anyone else. So he'll get enough opportunity to go past Tendulkar. This is what England's Test schedule is according to the FTP, as it stands: 5 Ashes Tests, in starting November 2025 3 Tests v New Zealand at home, starting June 2026 3 Tests v Pakistan at home, starting August 2026 3 Tests v South Africa away, starting December 2026 2 Tests v Bangladesh away, starting February 2027 That's already 16 Tests in a year and a half. At his current rate, Root is scoring 94 runs per game. His past rate was 80 runs per game. Taking a conservative estimate of 65 runs per game for the rest of his career, to cover for decline and loss of form, Root should score at least more than 1000 runs within this period. Remember, he doesn't miss Test matches for England and has had no major injury scares. At the end of this FTP cycle then, Root might be within 1000 to 1500 runs away from Tendulkar. He'll also be 37 years old by then. Tendulkar, of course, played till he was 40. There is no reason Root shouldn't be able to do the same. He doesn't have a heavy T20 workload, and can always cut down on ODIs, especially after the 2027 World Cup. How many Tests will Root need to play to overtake Tendulkar? By a generously conservative estimate, he might need 35 to 40 Tests. If he continues scoring at his current rate, he might do it in 25 Tests too. Taking a safe mid-point between them puts the figure at around 30 Tests. Which, give or take a few, is three years. Will Root play on for another three years? There is no reason why he shouldn't. Unless motivation becomes a problem or he his form falls off a cliff all of a sudden. That is a million-dollar question, which has no answer. Or rather, it has every answer imaginable, because it is completely subjective. You can cut and parse numbers in very refined ways with modern analytics. But it might ultimately come down to intangibles for every individual. Root might never be Tendulkar's equal overall, because their ODI records have a huge gulf, but he will definitely be spoken of in the same breath as Tendulkar in Test cricket. And that is mind-boggling in itself, because when Tendulkar set his mark, it was thought to be impossible for anyone to reach it.
Forbes
29-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Cricket's Olympic Sheen Might Spark Once Mighty West Indies
West Indies have found things difficult in recent decades after dominating cricket (Photo by RANDY ... More BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images) Shortly after West Indies plummeted to a measly 27 - the second lowest score in 148 years of Test cricket - in their humiliating home defeat to Australia, Chris Dehring copped a barrage at the airport as he departed his native Jamaica to attend the International Cricket Council meetings in Singapore. 'What are you going to do about it? It's a disgrace! Someone needs to get fired,' were just some of the barbs hurled at Dehring, the new Cricket West Indies chief executive having been the managing director of the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean. From the airline counter to immigration officials, everyone had their two cents worth at a beleaguered Dehring who could see the silver lining. 'It was a tough, tough walk through the airport,' Dehring told me recently in Singapore. 'But it could be worse, they could be saying nothing. If I would walk through the airport and nobody said a word, I'd be terrified. We know the passion is there and people do care about West Indies cricket.' Even though West Indies' pace bowlers were highly dangerous, evoking the lore of their predecessors, a lack of batting depth - which could have been propped up by several players opting to play in America's lucrative Major League Cricket - was exposed by Australia in three fairly one-sided Tests. Australia thrashed West Indies in the recent Test series (Photo by RANDY BROOKS/AFP via Getty ... More Images) None of the Tests reached the fifth and final day, while only the second Test made it to the fourth. Crowds were generally modest, with Australian tourists inflating the numbers. 'It was loss making. There is no money to be made from an Australian tour,' Dehring said. There was an air of melancholy from Australians in the Caribbean, with a feeling that this might be Australia's last Test tour of the West Indies. It was once a marquee contest that was played over 5 Tests just 22 years ago, but this series represented Australia's first Test visit there in a decade. Dehring does not believe this marks the end of the rivalry on Caribbean terrain. 'We absolutely want to host Australia in the next FTP (Future Tours Programme) and hopefully for three Tests,' he said. "Even if it's loss making, that's nothing new because it's always been loss making. You can't become the best if you're not willing to play the best.' While West Indies' heyday - when this group of mostly British Commonwealth countries and territories ruled cricket in the 1970s and '80s - conjures much nostalgia, there is a realization that those giddy heights will never be reached again. But as gleaned through so many West Indian players being in hot demand on the T20 franchise circuit, there remains an abundance of talent. Activating the grassroots is key and cricket's newly-minted Olympic status might help ignite this across the Caribbean. Cricket will end an 128-year Olympic absence at Los Angeles 2028. As I reported last week, regional rankings are set to mostly decide which teams make the cut for the men's competition played from July 12-29 in Pomona, 30 miles east of Los Angeles. Cricket will be played at the LA Olympics (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP via Getty Images) With host U.S. set to be given an automatic berth in the men's competition, a regional competition in the Caribbean is expected next year to determine which nation will represent the West Indies at a global qualifier set to feature eight teams battling for the final men's Olympic spot. 'It's a massive opportunity to change the game of cricket the Caribbean,' Dehring said. "When it was finally announced that cricket was back in the Olympics, I knew that this is our moment. "We've seen what the Olympics does for track and field in countries like Jamaica and Saint Lucia and so on. It pulls so many kids into the sport and into that sport's pipeline. 'This is a huge opportunity for corporates and governments to invest in cricket, especially at the school level.' As the only Full Members - granted to 12 top nations who receive more funds, playing opportunities and power - in the Americas, the West Indies have an important role in developing cricket in the U.S, the ICC's No.1 target market. They occasionally host limited-overs series in nearby Florida, while a couple of U.S. teams competed in the West Indies U19 50-over championships recently in St. Kitts & Nevis. The West Indies and U.S. co-hosted last year's T20 World Cup. The emergence of cricket in the U.S - despite the continual tumult of its governing body - has seen infrastructure start getting put in place for MLC, providing left-field options for its high-profile neighbors. 'The U.S. is a very important market because of the diaspora,' Dehring said. 'It's a huge income source for the Caribbean. "We would love to play in New York and it doesn't have to be West Indies. A Jamaica versus Trinidad game in New York would be massive. Some regional games could be played there and be huge." The U.S. may be the focus, but shoring up the entire Americas - where cricket does not have much of a traditional footprint - will be particularly beneficial for West Indies, who have to go deep into the pockets to cover travel costs of playing in far-flung cricket countries. 'The stronger the Americas get, the better it is for us," Dehring said. "Our youth teams just don't play enough because it is too costly going to the other side of the world. 'We have to help develop our own backyard.' West Indies have staged series at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida (Photo by ... More CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images) CWI is advocating for the implementation of a regional body, which could then lead to the creation of annual tournaments across the Americas with powerhouse regional countries Brazil and Argentina starting to emerge from the cricket wilderness. Four teams from the Caribbean will compete in the Bolivarian Games later this year in Peru, while cricket has been included in the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima. 'We want to formally create a wider association to look at creating a calendar of events over many years, just like track and field has done in the Americas,' Dehring said. 'An Americas Cup is the vision and should be coming together in some form down the track."
Perth Now
28-07-2025
- Perth Now
Pig farm horror ‘on another level'
In a disturbing development to an ongoing story involving the alleged mistreatment of hundreds of pigs at a farm in South Australia, the RSPCA has ordered more than a dozen creatures be euthanised. The Andgar Piggery, located near the small regional town of Dublin, SA, has become the centre of widespread controversy since a dossier of photos, videos and documents revealed the shocking conditions being experienced by pigs at the farm. Pigs were observed in various states of decay when activists broke in and began recording. Supplied Credit: Supplied Released in June by the Farm Transparency Project (FTP), a Melbourne-based activist group, the huge catalogue of photos depicts animals living – and dying – in squalor. Footage shows animals consuming the remains of their dead littermates as other exhausted creatures wade through thick muck, which FTP chief executive Chris Delforce said was 'up to their stomachs, at least, if not higher'. 'Just seeing the pigs wading through their own filth … I've been investigating piggeries for 13 years or so now, and it's always a pretty horrific experience … but this place in particular, I think, was kind of on another level,' he said. RSPCA South Australia released a statement on Tuesday that said its investigation into the Andgar piggery was 'progressing'. 'RSPCA inspectorate officers accompanied by PIRSA veterinary staff have conducted two raids of the piggery and 14 pigs have been euthanised,' a spokesman said. Some of the more distressing pictures featured an animal with a severe, necrotic wound about 10cm wide and deep enough to hold a pile of dirt. Supplied Credit: Supplied 'The RSPCA has issued 21 animal welfare notices instructing the owners and manager to take immediate action regarding conditions and maintenance. They must maintain compliance and the inspectorate is monitoring the operation with spot inspections.' The RSPCA said the farm's owners had been formally interviewed as part of a 'large and highly complex' investigation, and it is 'now preparing a comprehensive brief of evidence with a view to instigate court proceedings'. 'The RSPCA South Australia is empowered to investigate animal cruelty and enforce animal welfare legislation in our state. In addition to issuing animal welfare notices, we can also lay criminal charges,' the spokesman said. 'We acknowledge the distress and concern these images have caused and we want to assure the community that we take any allegation of animal cruelty extremely seriously.' Despite these comments, Mr Delforce claimed the RSPCA was approached by a whistleblower well before the FTP infiltrated the property. Protesters turned up to the piggery on Saturday in their dozens to condemn the conditions and call for change. Supplied Credit: Supplied In screenshots shared to Facebook on Thursday, FTP advertised segments of the anonymous whistleblower's claims that their partner – somebody who regularly attended the pig farm – 'would come home traumatised by some of the cruelty and lack of maintenance and care of animals'. Mr Delforce said the RSPCA was alerted 'a month before' activists arrived at the farm and accused it of allowing 'unchecked, unmonitored, unaddressed' cruelty to proliferate. 'It seems the RSPCA is not adequately resourced or funded or motivated to go and inspect these places on their own,' he said 'They are the authority that has been legally assigned to investigate and prosecute cruelty issues in animal farms, and if they're not doing it, nobody else is doing it.' FTP chief executive Chris Delforce said the Andgar Piggery had already been flagged to the RSPCA by a whistleblower, but he said no action was taken in the first instance. Supplied Credit: Supplied One of Andgar's co-owners spoke to NewsWire earlier this month, saying the piggery was struggling because it 'went from four workers to one' and 'no one wants to work'. 'Of course the piggery's never been like that. For all the years we've run pigs, they've never been like that. It's just all of a sudden, you've got no workers,' he said. Mr Delforce believes the state and federal government have failed to provide 'any support for farmers who want to get out of this industry'. 'I think he should have made the decision to shut down … it's not an excuse to have pigs drowning in their own waste just because you can't get employees, so stop breeding them,' he said. The South Australian government declined to comment on the ongoing RSPCA investigation. In South Australia, those found guilty of animal cruelty offences can be fined up to $250,000 and/or receive a maximum 10 years in jail.
