Le Lézard
Subjects: Dividend, Closed End Fund

First Trust Senior Floating Rate 2022 Target Term Fund Decreases its Monthly Common Share Distribution to $0.0278 Per Share for November


First Trust Senior Floating Rate 2022 Target Term Fund (the "Fund") (NYSE: FIV) has decreased its regularly scheduled monthly common share distribution to $0.0278 per share from $0.0303 per share. The distribution will be payable on November 15, 2019, to shareholders of record as of November 4, 2019. The ex-dividend date is expected to be November 1, 2019. The monthly distribution information for the Fund appears below.

First Trust Senior Floating Rate 2022 Target Term Fund (FIV):

Distribution per share:

$0.0278

Distribution Rate based on the October 18, 2019 NAV of $9.44:

3.53%

Distribution Rate based on the October 18, 2019 closing market price of $8.82:

3.78%

Decrease from previous distribution of $0.0303:

-8.25%

The majority, and possibly all, of this distribution will be paid out of net investment income earned by the Fund. A portion of this distribution may come from net short-term realized capital gains or return of capital. The final determination of the source and tax status of all distributions paid in 2019 will be made after the end of 2019 and will be provided on Form 1099-DIV.

The Fund is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund's investment objectives are to seek a high level of current income and to return $9.85 per common share of beneficial interest ("Common Share") of the Fund (the original net asset value ("Original NAV") per Common Share before deducting offering costs of $0.02 per Common Share) to the holders of Common Shares on or about February 1, 2022 (the "Termination Date"). The Fund will attempt to strike a balance between the two objectives, seeking to provide as high a level of current income as is consistent with the Fund's overall credit performance, on the one hand, and its objective of returning the Original NAV on or about the Termination Date on the other. However, as the Fund approaches the Termination Date, its monthly distributions are likely to decline, and there can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve either of its investment objectives or that the Fund's investment strategies will be successful. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will seek to achieve its investment objectives by investing at least 80% of its Managed Assets in senior, secured floating-rate loans ("Senior Loans") of any maturity. Senior Loans are made to U.S. and non-U.S. corporations, partnerships and other business entities which operate in various industries and geographical regions. Senior Loans are typically rated below investment grade. As it nears the Termination Date, the Fund may invest in higher credit quality instruments with maturities extending beyond the Termination Date to seek to improve the liquidity of its portfolio and reduce investment risk. Investing in higher credit quality instruments may reduce the amount available for distribution to Common Shareholders.

To seek to achieve the Fund's investment objective to return Original NAV to investors on or about the Termination Date, the monthly distribution has been reduced. While the current income remains stable, the difference between the amount the Fund earns and the amount that is distributed is intended to benefit the NAV. Moreover, the portfolio management team anticipates actively reducing the Fund's leverage and shifting the portfolio composition to shorter dated higher quality holdings over the next three years as the Termination Date approaches. As a result of these actions, investors should anticipate periodic reductions in the Fund's distribution per share going forward.

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 $134 billion as of September 30, 2019 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.

Past performance is no assurance of future results. Investment return and market value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate. Shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. There can be no assurance that the Fund's investment objectives will be achieved. The Fund may not be appropriate for all investors.

Principal Risk Factors: The Fund will typically invest in senior loans rated below investment grade, which are commonly referred to as "junk" or "high-yield" securities and considered speculative because of the credit risk of their issuers. Such issuers are more likely than investment grade issuers to default on their payments of interest and principal owed to the Fund, and such defaults could reduce the Fund's NAV and income distributions. An economic downturn would generally lead to a higher non-payment rate, and a senior loan may lose significant market value before a default occurs. Moreover, any specific collateral used to secure a senior loan may decline in value or become illiquid, which would adversely affect the senior loan's value.

The senior loan market has seen an increase in loans with weaker lender protections which may impact recovery values and/or trading levels in the future.

Senior Loans are structured as floating rate instruments in which the interest rate payable on the obligation fluctuates with interest rate changes. As a result, the yield on Senior Loans will generally decline in a falling interest rate environment, causing the Fund to experience a reduction in the income it receives from a Senior Loan. In addition, the market value of Senior Loans may fall in a declining interest rate environment and may also fall in a rising interest rate environment if there is a lag between the rise in interest rates and the reset. Many Senior Loans have a minimum base rate, or floor (typically, a "LIBOR floor"), which will be used if the actual base rate is below the minimum base rate. To the extent the Fund invests in such Senior Loans, the Fund may not benefit from higher coupon payments during periods of increasing interest rates as it otherwise would from investments in Senior Loans without any floors until rates rise to levels above the LIBOR floors. As a result, the Fund may lose some of the benefits of incurring leverage. Specifically, if the Fund's Borrowings have floating dividend or interest rates, its costs of leverage will increase as rates increase. In this situation, the Fund will experience increased financing costs without the benefit of receiving higher income. This in turn may result in the potential for a decrease in the level of income available for dividends or distributions to be made by the Fund.

The Fund's limited term may cause it to invest in lower-yielding securities or hold the proceeds of securities sold near the end of its term in cash or cash equivalents, which may adversely affect the performance of the Fund or the Fund's ability to maintain its dividend.

A second lien loan may have a claim on the same collateral pool as the first lien or it may be secured by a separate set of assets. Second lien loans are typically secured by a second priority security interest or lien on specified collateral securing the Borrower's obligation under the interest. Because second lien loans are second to first lien loans, they present a greater degree of investment risk. Specifically, these loans are subject to the additional risk that the cash flow of the Borrower and property securing the loan may be insufficient to meet scheduled payments after giving effect to those loans with a higher priority. In addition, loans that have a lower than first lien priority on collateral of the Borrower generally have greater price volatility than those loans with a higher priority and may be less liquid. However, second lien loans often pay interest at higher rates than first lien loans reflecting such additional risks.

Because the assets of the Fund will be liquidated in connection with its termination, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities when it otherwise would not, including at times when market conditions are not favorable, or at a time when a particular security is in default or bankruptcy, or otherwise in severe distress, which may cause the Fund to lose money. Although the Fund has an investment objective of returning Original NAV to Common Shareholders on or about the Termination Date, the Fund may not be successful in achieving this objective. The return of Original NAV is not an express or implied guarantee obligation of the Fund. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to return Original NAV to Common Shareholders, and such return is not backed or otherwise guaranteed by the Advisor or any other entity.

The risks of investing in the Fund are spelled out in the shareholder reports and other regulatory filings.

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.

The Fund's daily closing New York Stock Exchange 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.



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