First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF (FPX) Exceeds $1 Billion in Net Assets

WHEATON, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--First Trust Advisors L.P. (“First Trust”), a leading exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) provider and asset manager, announced that net assets for the First Trust US Equity Opportunities ETF (NYSE Arca: FPX) (formerly First Trust US IPO Index Fund) now exceed $1 billion. FPX is an ETF with an investment objective to seek investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield (before the fund’s fees and expenses) of the IPOX^®-100 U.S. Index (the “index”). The index measures the performance of the top U.S. companies ranked quarterly by market cap in the IPOX^® Global Composite Index (the “composite index”). The index includes the 100 largest IPOs in the composite index. The index tilts toward mid- and large-cap stocks and has historically captured approximately 85% of total market capitalization created through U.S. IPO activity, according to IPOX Schuster, LLC.

“Over the years, FPX has benefitted from its exposure to the innovation and growth of many recently issued stocks, long before they were added to traditional index funds. We believe this unique strategy’s focus on recent IPOs and spin-offs is an important key to its success,” said Ryan Issakainen, CFA, Senior Vice President, ETF Strategist at First Trust.

Since its inception on April 12, 2006, FPX has achieved an average annual total return of 11.96% based on net asset value (NAV) as of December 29, 2017, outperforming the overall U.S. equity market as measured by the S&P 500 Index and the Russell 3000^® Index with a total return of 8.71% and 8.69%, respectively, over the same period. In addition, the fund has received an Overall Morningstar Rating^TM of four stars, as of December 31, 2017, among 1,216 funds in the Large Growth category. The fund was rated 3 stars/1,216 funds (3 years), 4 stars/1,109 funds (5 years) and 5 stars/787 funds (10 years).¹

“Exposure to the IPOX 100 U.S. Index provides investors with a diversified, one stop solution to access the performance of the largest and typically best performing U.S. IPOs and spin-offs, an economically significant group of companies which often serve as a proxy for economic 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 will continue to benefit investors seeking equity exposure outside the traditional benchmarks,” said Schuster.

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 those for periods of less than one year, which are cumulative. The fund’s performance reflects fee waivers and expense reimbursements, absent which performance would have been lower.

**Performance information for the IPOX®-100 U.S. 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.

S&P 500 Index - The Index is an unmanaged index of 500 stocks used to measure large-cap U.S. stock market performance.

Russell 3000® Index - The Index is comprised of the 3000 largest and most liquid stocks based and traded in the U.S.

FPX expense ratio: 0.60% (gross); 0.60% (net). Expenses are capped contractually at 0.60% per year, at least until April 30, 2018.

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

About First Trust

First Trust Advisors L.P., along with its affiliate First Trust Portfolios L.P., are privately held companies which provide a variety of investment services, including asset management and financial advisory services, with collective assets under management or supervision of approximately $118 billion as of December 29, 2017 through unit investment trusts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, mutual funds and separate managed accounts. First Trust is based in Wheaton, Illinois. For more information, visit http://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 NYSE Arca, Inc. There can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained.

The fund’s return may not match the return of the IPOX®-100 U.S. Index. Securities held by the fund will generally not be bought or sold in response to market fluctuations.

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. Market risk is the risk that a particular stock owned by the fund, fund shares or stocks in general may fall in value. There can be no assurance that the fund’s investment objective will be achieved.

The fund may invest in securities issued by companies concentrated in a particular sector or industry which involves additional risks including limited diversification. The fund may invest in small capitalization and mid capitalization companies. Such companies may experience greater price volatility than larger, more established companies.

Information technology companies are generally subject to the following risks: rapidly changing technologies; short product life cycles; fierce competition; aggressive pricing and reduced profit margins; the loss of patent, copyright and trademark protections; cyclical market patterns; evolving industry standards; and frequent new product introductions. Information technology companies may be smaller and less experienced companies, with limited product lines, markets or financial resources and fewer experienced management or marketing personnel.

Health care companies are subject to extensive competition, generic drug sales or the loss of patent protection, product liability litigation and increased government regulation.

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.

As the use of Internet technology has become more prevalent in the course of business, the fund has become more susceptible to potential operational risks through breaches in cyber security.

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.

If the fund has lower average daily trading volumes, it may rely on a small number of third-party market makers to provide a market for the purchase and sale of shares.

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 and the Internal Revenue Code. First Trust has no knowledge of and has not been provided any information regarding any investor. Financial advisors must determine whether particular investments are appropriate for their clients. First Trust believes the financial advisor is a fiduciary, is capable of evaluating investment risks independently and is responsible for exercising independent judgment with respect to its retirement plan clients.

A patent with respect to the IPOX® index methodology has been issued (U.S. Pat. No. 7,698,197). IPOX® is a registered international trademark of IPOX® Schuster LLC (www.ipoxschuster.com).

¹ The Morningstar Rating™ 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 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. ©2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Morningstar Rating™ 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.

² Fund inception date: 4/12/06