First Trust Advisors L.P. Announces Distribution for First Trust Income Opportunities ETF

Key Terms

exchange-traded funds financial

An exchange-traded fund is an investment product that bundles many stocks, bonds, or other assets into a single package that trades on a stock exchange like an individual share; think of it as a ready-made basket you can buy or sell throughout the trading day. For investors it matters because ETFs provide easy access to broad exposure, typically lower costs and built-in diversification, and the ability to adjust positions quickly without buying each asset separately.

unit investment trusts financial

A unit investment trust (UIT) is a pooled investment that sells investors fixed “units” representing a pre-selected, unchanging bundle of stocks, bonds or other securities held for a set period. Think of it like buying a pre-packed grocery basket that won’t be rearranged — you know exactly what you own and roughly when it will end. UITs matter to investors because they offer predictable holdings and income patterns, lower active management, and clear tax and fee implications compared with regularly traded funds.

closed-end funds financial

A closed-end fund is an investment pool that raises a fixed amount of money by issuing a set number of shares, which then trade on an exchange like stocks. Unlike bank-style mutual funds that buy or sell shares on demand, its market price can sit above or below the fund’s per-share value of holdings (like a used-car market price versus the sticker price), so investors should watch both the traded price and the underlying asset value for potential bargains or risks.

return of capital financial

Return of capital is when an investor receives money from their investment that is not considered profit or earnings but rather a portion of the original amount they invested. It’s similar to getting back part of your initial savings rather than gains from it. This matters because it can affect how much money an investor still has in the investment and may have tax implications.

derivatives financial

Derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends on the price or performance of another asset, such as a stock, bond, commodity, currency or interest rate. Investors use them to hedge against risk, to speculate on future price moves, or to gain exposure without owning the asset — like buying insurance or placing a leveraged bet — so they can both protect portfolios and magnify gains or losses, affecting risk and market liquidity.

swap agreements financial

A swap agreement is a contract where two parties agree to exchange future cash flows or obligations—such as interest payments, currency amounts, or credit exposure—according to set terms. Investors care because swaps let companies and funds change or hedge financial risks (for example, swapping a variable-rate payment for a fixed one) without selling assets, which can alter future earnings, balance-sheet liabilities and hidden risk exposure much like trading one set of loan payments for another.

forward contracts financial

A forward contract is a private agreement to buy or sell an asset at a specific price on a set future date, like agreeing today to buy a car at a fixed price six months from now. For investors, forwards matter because they let you lock in prices to protect against market swings or to bet on future moves, but they carry extra risk since they are customized deals between parties and can be harder to trade or enforce than standard exchange-traded instruments.

alternative minimum tax regulatory

A parallel tax calculation that sets a minimum amount of tax someone must pay by limiting certain deductions and applying different rules than the regular tax system — like a floor that prevents too many “discounts” from wiping out a bill. It matters to investors because it changes the after‑tax return on income, investments and transactions, so it can affect which securities seem attractive, how investors time sales, and companies’ reported tax expenses.

 

WHEATON, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- First Trust Advisors L.P. ("FTA") announces the declaration of the Monthly distribution for First Trust Income Opportunities ETF, a series of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII.

The following dates apply to today's distribution declaration:
Expected Ex-Dividend Date:	December 11, 2025
Record Date:	December 11, 2025
Payable Date:	December 31, 2025

Ticker	Exchange	Fund Name	Frequency	Long-Term Capital Gain Per Share Amount
ACTIVELY MANAGED EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS
First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII
FCEF	Nasdaq	First Trust Income Opportunities ETF	Monthly	$0.1350

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 $304 billion as of October 31, 2025 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.

You should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The prospectus for the Fund contains this and other important information and is available free of charge by calling toll-free at 1-800-621-1675 or visiting www.ftportfolios.com. The prospectus should be read carefully before investing.

Principal Risk Factors: You could lose money by investing in a fund. An investment in a fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed. There can be no assurance that a fund's objective(s) will be achieved. Investors buying or selling shares on the secondary market may incur customary brokerage commissions. Please refer to each fund's prospectus and Statement of Additional Information for additional details on a fund's risks. The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance of any particular risk factor.

Past performance is no assurance of future results. Investment return and market value of an investment in a Fund will fluctuate. Shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost.

A Fund's shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in a Fund. An investment in a Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. There can be no assurance that a Fund's investment objectives will be achieved. An investment in a Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any portfolio of equity securities traded on exchanges. The risks of investing in each Fund are spelled out in its prospectus, shareholder report, and other regulatory filings.

ETF shares may only be redeemed directly from a fund by authorized participants in very large creation/redemption units. ETF shares may trade at a discount to net asset value and possibly face delisting.

All or a portion of a fund's otherwise tax exempt interest dividends may be taxable to those shareholders subject to the federal and state alternative minimum tax.

Securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies may experience greater price volatility and be less liquid than larger, more established companies whereas large capitalization companies may grow at a slower rate than the overall market.

A fund that effects all or a portion of its creations and redemptions for cash rather than in-kind may be less tax efficient.

Current market conditions risk is the risk that a particular investment, or shares of the fund in general, may fall in value due to current market conditions. For example, changes in governmental fiscal and regulatory policies, disruptions to banking and real estate markets, actual and threatened international armed conflicts and hostilities, and public health crises, among other significant events, could have a material impact on the value of the fund's investments.

A fund normally distributes income it earns, so a fund may be required to reduce its distributions if it has insufficient income. Distributions in excess of a Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital. There may be other circumstances when all or a portion of a Fund’s distribution is treated as a return of capital, for example, there are times when Fund securities are sold to cover a derivative position that generated all or a portion of the distribution that could lead to a return of capital.

A fund is susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. Such events could cause a fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss.

In managing a fund's investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not have the desired result.

Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or shares of a fund in general may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors 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. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious disease or other public health issues, recessions, natural disasters or other events could have significant negative impact on a fund.

A fund with significant exposure to a single asset class, country, region, industry, or sector may be more affected by an adverse economic or political development than a broadly diversified fund.

Commodity prices can have a significant volatility and exposure to commodities can cause the value of a fund's shares to decline or fluctuate in a rapid and unpredictable manner.

Certain securities are subject to call, credit, extension, income, inflation, interest rate, prepayment and zero coupon risks. These risks could result in a decline in a security's value and/or income, increased volatility as interest rates rise or fall and have an adverse impact on a fund's performance.

The use of listed and OTC derivatives, including futures, options, swap agreements and forward contracts, can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the underlying asset, index or rate, which may be magnified by certain features of the derivatives.

Securities of non-U.S. issuers are 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.

A fund may invest in the shares of other funds, which involves additional expenses that would not be present in a direct investment in the underlying funds. In addition, a fund's investment performance and risks may be related to the investment performance and risks of the underlying funds.

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

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

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Source: First Trust Advisors L.P.