Macquarie/First Trust Global Infrastructure/Utilities Dividend
& Income Fund (NYSE: MFD) First Trust Senior Floating Rate
Income Fund II (NYSE: FCT) First Trust Energy Income and Growth
Fund (NYSE American: FEN) First Trust Enhanced Equity Income Fund
(NYSE: FFA) First Trust/Aberdeen Global Opportunity Income Fund
(NYSE: FAM) First Trust Mortgage Income Fund (NYSE: FMY) First
Trust/Aberdeen Emerging Opportunity Fund (NYSE: FEO) First Trust
Specialty Finance and Financial Opportunities Fund (NYSE: FGB)
First Trust High Income Long/Short Fund (NYSE: FSD) First Trust
Energy Infrastructure Fund (NYSE: FIF) First Trust MLP and Energy
Income Fund (NYSE: FEI) First Trust Intermediate Duration Preferred
& Income Fund (NYSE: FPF) First Trust New Opportunities MLP
& Energy Fund (NYSE: FPL) First Trust Dynamic Europe Equity
Income Fund (NYSE: FDEU) First Trust Senior Floating Rate 2022
Target Term Fund (NYSE: FIV) First Trust High Yield Opportunities
2027 Term Fund (NYSE: FTHY) (each a “Fund” and collectively, the
“Funds”)
After a thorough review, and consistent with the interests of
each Fund, the Board of Trustees of each Fund has adopted Amended
and Restated By-Laws (the “By-Laws”) for the Funds.
Among other changes, the By-Laws contain new timelines for
advance notice of shareholder proposals or nominations to be
brought before a meeting of shareholders. Accordingly, the advance
notice deadlines for certain of the Fund’s 2021 annual meetings of
shareholders will differ from the deadlines previously described in
such Funds’ proxy statements for the 2020 annual meetings of
shareholders. For such Funds, notice of any proposal made outside
of Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
“Exchange Act”) or shareholder nominee for Trustee must be received
by the Fund at such Fund’s principal executive offices not earlier
than, nor later than, the corresponding dates set forth in the
table below. If a shareholder proposal made outside of Rule 14a-8
or shareholder nominee for trustee is submitted after the period
listed for the particular Fund, it would not be considered “timely”
within the meaning of Rule 14a-4(c) under the Exchange Act, and the
persons named as proxies in the proxies solicited by the Board of
Trustees for the 2021 annual meeting of shareholders may exercise
their discretionary voting power with respect to any such
proposal.
Fund
14a-8 Deadline
Non-14a-8 Deadline
Earliest Date
Latest Date
First Trust/Aberdeen Global Opportunity
Income Fund
October 22, 2020
November 21, 2020
December 6, 2020
Macquarie/First Trust Global
Infrastructure/Utilities Dividend & Income Fund
November 20, 2020
November 20, 2020
December 5, 2020
First Trust Energy Income and Growth
Fund
November 20, 2020
November 20, 2020
December 5, 2020
First Trust Enhanced Equity Income
Fund
November 20, 2020
November 20, 2020
December 5, 2020
First Trust Mortgage Income Fund
November 20, 2020
November 20, 2020
December 5, 2020
First Trust/Aberdeen Emerging Opportunity
Fund
November 20, 2020
November 20, 2020
December 5, 2020
First Trust Specialty Finance and
Financial Opportunities Fund
November 20, 2020
November 20, 2020
December 5, 2020
First Trust Energy Infrastructure Fund
November 20, 2020
November 20, 2020
December 5, 2020
First Trust Dynamic Europe Equity Income
Fund
November 20, 2020
November 20, 2020
December 5, 2020
First Trust New Opportunities MLP &
Energy Fund
November 20, 2020
November 20, 2020
December 5, 2020
First Trust Intermediate Duration
Preferred & Income Fund
November 20, 2020
November 20, 2020
December 5, 2020
First Trust MLP and Energy Income Fund
November 20, 2020
November 20, 2020
December 5, 2020
First Trust Senior Floating Rate 2022
Target Term Fund
April 19, 2021
April 16, 2021
May 1, 2021
First Trust Senior Floating Rate Income
Fund II
April 19, 2021
April 16, 2021
May 1, 2021
With respect to First Trust High Income Long/Short Fund, the
deadline for the advance notice of shareholder proposals or
nominations to be brought before the Fund’s 2021 annual meeting of
shareholders is as described in the proxy statement for the Fund’s
2020 annual meeting of shareholders.
The By-Laws also require compliance with amended procedural and
informational requirements in connection with any such advance
notice of shareholder proposals or nominations. This information
includes, but is not limited to, information about the proponent
and the nominee or shareholder proposal, if applicable. Any
shareholder considering making a nomination or proposal should
carefully review and comply with the provisions of the By-Laws.
Trustee Qualifications and Requirements
In determining whether a particular nominee is qualified to
serve on the Board of Trustees (each, a “Trustee” and collectively,
the “Board”), the Board has an interest in the nominee’s
background, skills, experience and other attributes in light of the
composition of the Board. The Board seeks to assess whether a
nominee has the ability to critically review, evaluate, question
and discuss information provided to the Board, and to interact
effectively with other Trustees, and management of a Fund, among
other parties. The By-Laws, among other things, require a nominee
for Trustee to sit for an interview with the Board, if requested,
include qualifications and requirements for Trustee eligibility,
and require that a nominee agree to comply with the Board’s
Guidelines and Procedures Regarding Governance.
Additionally, the By-Laws have changed the vote required in the
instance in which the number of persons nominated for election as
Trustee exceeds the number of Trustees to be elected. The By-Laws
provide that in such a “contested” election, the affirmative vote
of a majority of shares outstanding and entitled to vote in such an
election is required to elect a Trustee. In all other elections,
the plurality standard pursuant to which Trustees are elected will
remain.
Control Share Provisions
The By-Laws contain provisions (the “Control Share Provisions”)
which, in summary, provide that a shareholder who obtains
beneficial ownership of a Fund’s shares in a “Control Share
Acquisition” may exercise voting rights with respect to such shares
only to the extent the authorization of such voting rights is
approved by other shareholders of the Fund. The Control Share
Provisions are primarily intended to seek to protect the interests
of a Fund and its long-term shareholders by limiting the risk that
the Fund will become subject to undue influence by activist
investors who pursue short-term agendas adverse to the best
interests of the Fund and its long-term shareholders.
The Control Share Provisions do not eliminate voting rights for
shares acquired in Control Share Acquisitions, but rather entrust a
Fund’s non-interested shareholders with determining whether to
approve the authorization of voting rights of such shares.
Subject to various conditions and exceptions, the By-Laws define
a “Control Share Acquisition” to include an acquisition of Fund
shares that, but for the Control Share Provisions, would give the
beneficial owner upon the acquisition of such shares the ability to
exercise voting power in the election of Fund Trustees in any of
the following ranges:
(i) One-tenth or more, but less than
one-fifth of all voting power;
(ii) One-fifth or more, but less than
one-third of all voting power;
(iii) One-third or more, but less than a
majority of all voting power; or
(iv) A majority or more of all voting
power.
Share acquisitions that pre-date the adoption of the By-Laws are
excluded from the definition of Control Share Acquisition. However,
such shares are included in assessing whether any subsequent share
acquisition exceeds one of the above thresholds. A shareholder who
obtains beneficial ownership of shares in a Control Share
Acquisition must deliver to the Trust a “Control Share Acquisition
Statement” as detailed in the By-Laws. When delivering the Control
Share Acquisition Statement, a shareholder generally may
contemporaneously request a special meeting of Fund shareholders to
approve the voting rights for such shares, subject to certain
requirements set forth in the By-Laws. If a shareholder who obtains
or proposes to obtain beneficial ownership of shares in a Control
Share Acquisition does not request a special meeting of Fund
shareholders, consideration of the authorization of voting rights
of such shares shall be presented at the Fund’s next annual or
special meeting of shareholders.
The foregoing discussion is only a summary of certain aspects of
the By-Laws, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the
By-Laws. Investors should refer to the By-Laws for more
information, which can be found in the Current Report on Form 8-K
filed by each respective Fund with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (available at www.sec.gov). The By-Laws may also be
obtained by writing the Secretary of the Fund at the Fund’s
principal executive office.
This press release is not intended to, and does not, constitute
an offer to purchase or sell shares of any Fund; nor is this press
release intended to solicit a proxy from any shareholder of any
Fund.
Each Fund’s daily closing price and net asset value per share,
as well as other information can be found at www.ftportfolios.com
or by calling 1-800-988-5891.
First Trust Advisors L.P. (“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 $149 billion as of
September 30, 2020 through unit investment trusts, exchange-traded
funds, closed-end funds, mutual 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.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201020005770/en/
Jim Dykas 630-517-7665 Dan Lindquist 630-517-8692
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