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Upturn AI SWOT - About
First Trust Senior Loan Fund (FTSL)
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Upturn Advisory Summary
07/09/2025: FTSL (2-star) has a low Upturn Star Rating. Not recommended to BUY.
Upturn Star Rating
Below Average Performance
These Stocks/ETFs, based on Upturn Advisory, often underperform the market, warranting careful consideration before investing.
Analysis of Past Performance
Type ETF | Historic Profit 18.37% | Avg. Invested days 242 | Today’s Advisory Consider higher Upturn Star rating |
Upturn Star Rating | Upturn Advisory Performance  5.0 | ETF Returns Performance  3.0 |
| Profits based on simulation | Last Close 07/09/2025 |
Key Highlights
Volume (30-day avg) - | Beta 0.24 | 52 Weeks Range 42.39 - 45.92 | Updated Date 06/29/2025 |
52 Weeks Range 42.39 - 45.92 | Updated Date 06/29/2025 |
Upturn AI SWOT
First Trust Senior Loan Fund
ETF Overview
Overview
The First Trust Senior Loan Fund is an exchange-traded fund that seeks current income by investing primarily in senior, secured floating rate loans. It offers exposure to the senior loan market, providing a hedge against rising interest rates due to the floating rate nature of the underlying loans.
Reputation and Reliability
First Trust is a well-established and reputable ETF provider known for offering a variety of innovative investment strategies.
Management Expertise
First Trust has a dedicated team of investment professionals with experience in managing fixed income and alternative investment strategies.
Investment Objective
Goal
Seeks current income.
Investment Approach and Strategy
Strategy: Actively managed, investing primarily in senior, secured floating rate loans.
Composition Primarily invests in senior loans.
Market Position
Market Share: Data unavailable to accurately assess the current market share.
Total Net Assets (AUM): 483600000
Competitors
Key Competitors
- BKLN
- SRLN
- EVLN
Competitive Landscape
The senior loan ETF market is competitive, with several established players. FTSL competes on factors such as expense ratio, yield, and credit quality of the underlying loans. Competitors such as BKLN and SRLN have significantly higher AUM.
Financial Performance
Historical Performance: Historical performance data unavailable.
Benchmark Comparison: Benchmark comparison unavailable without specific performance data.
Expense Ratio: 0.85
Liquidity
Average Trading Volume
The ETF's average trading volume provides sufficient liquidity for most investors, but could be subject to change based on investor sentiment.
Bid-Ask Spread
The bid-ask spread helps determine the cost of trading FTSL; typically, a narrower spread indicates higher liquidity, though market fluctuations may affect this.
Market Dynamics
Market Environment Factors
Economic growth, interest rate policies, and credit market conditions influence the performance of senior loans. Rising interest rates generally benefit senior loan ETFs due to their floating rate nature.
Growth Trajectory
Growth is dependent on investor demand for floating rate income and the overall health of the leveraged loan market. Changes in strategy and holdings are not known without access to recent fund reports.
Moat and Competitive Advantages
Competitive Edge
FTSL's competitive edge lies in its active management style, which allows the fund managers to select senior loans that they believe offer the best risk-adjusted returns. This active approach can potentially outperform passively managed senior loan ETFs in certain market environments. However, active management also comes with higher expense ratios. First Trust's established reputation as an ETF issuer may also give it a slight advantage.
Risk Analysis
Volatility
Volatility is tied to the credit quality of the underlying loans and overall market sentiment. Senior loans, while secured, are still subject to credit risk.
Market Risk
The ETF is subject to interest rate risk (although mitigated by the floating rate nature), credit risk (default risk of the borrowers), and liquidity risk (difficulty in selling loans quickly).
Investor Profile
Ideal Investor Profile
Investors seeking current income and a hedge against rising interest rates, who understand the risks associated with leveraged loans.
Market Risk
Suitable for long-term investors or active traders seeking income and potential capital appreciation. Not best suited for passive index followers.
Summary
The First Trust Senior Loan Fund offers exposure to the senior loan market, providing a potential hedge against rising interest rates. Its active management approach aims to outperform passive strategies by selecting high-quality loans. However, investors should be aware of credit risk and the relatively higher expense ratio associated with active management. Ultimately, FTSL may be suitable for investors seeking income and a degree of protection against rising rates.
Peer Comparison
Sources and Disclaimers
Data Sources:
- First Trust Website
- ETF.com
- Morningstar
Disclaimers:
The data provided is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Investment decisions should be based on individual circumstances and consultation with a financial advisor.
AI Summarization is directionally correct and might not be accurate.
Summarized information shown could be a few years old and not current.
Fundamental Rating based on AI could be based on old data.
AI-generated summaries may have inaccuracies (hallucinations). Please verify the information before taking action.
About First Trust Senior Loan Fund
Exchange NASDAQ | Headquaters - | ||
IPO Launch date - | CEO - | ||
Sector - | Industry - | Full time employees - | Website |
Full time employees - | Website | ||
Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including investment borrowings) in first lien senior floating rate bank loans ("Senior Loans"). The fund invests in Senior Loans made predominantly to businesses operating in North America, but may also invest in Senior Loans made to businesses operating outside of North America.
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