FPXI First Trust International Equity Opportunities

First Trust Advisors L.P. The First Trust International Equity Opportunities ETF (Nasdaq: FPXI) is celebrating crossing $100 million in total net assets. FPXI seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield (before the fund’s fees and expenses) of the IPOX® International Index (the “index”). The index measures the performance of the 50 largest and most liquid companies domiciled outside the U.S. within the IPOX® Global Composite Index (the “composite index”). The composite index is constructed and managed to provide a broad and objective view of global aftermarket performance of recent IPOs and spin-offs in both emerging and developed countries during their first 1000 trading days. “We believe this strategy provides a compelling way for investors to gain exposure to some of the most innovative, non-U.S. stocks in the world, many of which are also underrepresented in investors’ portfolios, in our opinion,” said Ryan Issakainen, CFA, Senior Vice President, ETF Strategist at First Trust.

Since its inception on November 4, 2014, FPXI has achieved an average annual total return of 9.20% based on net asset value (NAV) as of May 29, 2020, outperforming the international equity market as measured by the MSCI World ex USA Index (the “MSCI Index”) with a total return of 1.73% over the same period. Additionally, FPXI has outperformed the MSCI Index over the 1, 3, and 5-year periods ending May 29, 2020.

“Exposure to the IPOX® International Index provides investors with a one stop solution to access the performance of the new generation of international stocks, often a unique proxy for growth and innovation,” said Dr. Josef Schuster, CEO of IPOX Schuster LLC, the developer and sponsor of the index. “We are confident that the unique investment approach we have pioneered may benefit investors seeking equity exposure outside the traditional benchmarks,” said Schuster.

FPXI has an overall Morningstar Rating of 5 stars as of 5/31/2020 among 419 funds in the Foreign Large Growth category. This fund was rated 5 stars/419 funds (3 years), 5 stars/343 funds (5 years) based on risk adjusted returns.^

FPXI Performance (%)*

As of 5/29/20

As of 3/31/20

YTD

1 Year

5 Year

Since Fund Inception

1 Year

5 Year

Since Fund Inception

 

Net Asset Value (NAV)

14.54

35.28

9.40

9.20

6.33

5.96

5.10

Market Price

14.05

35.21

9.37

9.18

6.34

5.91

5.06

 

IPOX® International Index

14.94

36.73

10.32

10.04

7.61

6.87

5.98

MSCI World ex USA Index

-14.42

-3.12

0.74

1.73

-14.89

-0.76

-0.25

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results and current performance may be higher or lower than performance quoted. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate and shares when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. You can obtain performance information which is current through the most recent month-end by visiting www.ftportfolios.com.

*NAV returns are based on the fund’s net asset value which represents the fund’s net assets (assets less liabilities) divided by the fund’s outstanding shares. Market Price returns are based on the midpoint of the bid/ask spread on the stock exchange on which shares of the fund are listed for trading as of the time that the fund’s NAV is calculated. Returns are average annualized total returns, except for periods of less than one year, which are cumulative.

**Performance information for the IPOX® International Index is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent actual fund performance. Indexes do not charge management fees or brokerage expenses, and no such fees or expenses were deducted from the performance shown. Indexes are unmanaged and an investor cannot invest directly in an index.

The MSCI World ex USA Index includes developed markets and is designed to provide a broad measure of stock performance throughout the world, with the exception of U.S.-based companies.

FPXI expense ratio: 0.70%

For more information about First Trust, please contact Ryan Issakainen at (630) 765-8689 or RIssakainen@FTAdvisors.com.

About First Trust

First Trust is a federally registered investment advisor and serves as the funds’ investment advisor. First Trust 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. First Trust has collective assets under management or supervision of approximately $135 billion as of May 29, 2020 through unit investment trusts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, mutual funds and separate managed accounts. First Trust 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. First Trust and FTP are based in Wheaton, Illinois. For more information, visit www.ftportfolios.com.

You should consider the fund’s investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses carefully before investing. Contact First Trust Portfolios L.P. at 1-800-621-1675 to obtain a prospectus or summary prospectus which contains this and other information about the fund. The prospectus or summary prospectus should be read carefully before investing.

ETF Characteristics

The fund lists and principally trades its shares on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC.

The fund’s return may not match the return of the IPOX® International Index. Securities held by the fund will generally not be bought or sold in response to market fluctuations.

There is no assurance that the index provider, or any agents that act on its behalf, will compile the index accurately, or that the index will be determined, maintained, constructed, reconstituted, rebalanced, composed, calculated or disseminated accurately.

Investors buying or selling fund shares on the secondary market may incur customary brokerage commissions. Market prices may differ to some degree from the net asset value of the shares. 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.

Risk Considerations

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

The fund may invest in securities issued by companies concentrated in a particular industry or country. The fund 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. 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. For funds that track an index, the index may not weight the securities in emerging market countries on the basis of investor protection limitations, financial reporting quality or available oversight mechanisms. The fund may invest in depositary receipts which may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market.

The economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. The central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership. Actions of the Chinese central and local government authorities continue to have a substantial effect on economic conditions in China. Furthermore, China's economy is dependent on the economies of other Asian countries and can be significantly affected by currency fluctuations and increasing competition from Asia's other emerging economies.

The fund is subject to certain risks associated specifically with Hong Kong, including Hong Kong's political and economic environment and the volatility of and the concentration of real estate companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Because of Hong Kong's reversion to China, any increase in uncertainty as to the economic and political status of Hong Kong or a deterioration of the relationship between China and the U.S. could have negative implications on stocks listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Securities prices on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange can be highly volatile and are sensitive to developments in Hong Kong and China, as well as other world markets.

The stocks of companies that have recently conducted an initial public offering are often subject to price volatility and speculative trading. These stocks may have exhibited above-average price appreciation in connection with the initial public offering prior to inclusion in the fund. The price of stocks included in the fund may not continue to appreciate and their performance may not replicate the performance exhibited in the past.

Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-US currencies may affect the value of a fund's investments and the value of a fund's shares. The fund currently has fewer assets than larger funds, and like other relatively new funds, large inflows and outflows may impact the fund's market exposure for limited periods of time.

The fund is 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.

The Fund is not actively managed. The Fund invests in securities included in or representative of the Index regardless of investment merit. The Fund generally will not attempt to take defensive positions in declining markets. In the event that the Index is no longer calculated, the Index license is terminated or the identity or character of the Index is materially changed, the Fund will seek to engage a replacement index.

First Trust Advisors L.P. is the adviser to the fund. First Trust Advisors L.P. is an affiliate of First Trust Portfolios L.P., the fund’s distributor.

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 advisors are responsible for evaluating investment risks independently and for exercising independent judgment in determining whether investments are appropriate for their clients.

IPOX® and IPOX® International Index are registered international trademarks and service marks of IPOX® Schuster LLC (“IPOX”) and have been licensed for use by First Trust. The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by IPOX, and IPOX makes no representation regarding the advisability of trading in such Fund.

^The Morningstar RatingTM for funds, or "star rating", is calculated for managed products (including mutual funds, variable annuity and variable life subaccounts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and separate accounts) with at least a three-year history. Exchange-traded funds and open-ended mutual funds are considered a single population for comparative purposes. It is calculated based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure that accounts for variation in a managed product's monthly excess performance, placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The Morningstar Rating does not include any adjustment for sales loads. The top 10% of products in each product category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars, and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. The Overall Morningstar Rating for a managed product is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five-, and 10-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. The weights are: 100% three-year rating for 36-59 months of total returns, 60% five-year rating/40% three-year rating for 60-119 months of total returns, and 50% 10-year rating/30% five-year rating/20% three-year rating for 120 or more months of total returns. While the 10-year overall star rating formula seems to give the most weight to the 10-year period, the most recent three-year period actually has the greatest impact because it is included in all three rating periods. ©2020 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Morningstar RatingTM information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Ryan Issakainen First Trust (630) 765-8689 RIssakainen@FTAdvisors.com