FGB First Trust Specialty Finance and Financial Opportunities Fund

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 5, 2025

 

______________________________

 

First Trust Specialty Finance and Financial Opportunities Fund

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Massachusetts	811-22039	06-1810845
(State or other jurisdiction	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer
of incorporation)		Identification No.)

 

120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400 Wheaton, Illinois (Address of principal executive offices)

60187 (zip code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (630) 765-8000

 

_______________________________________________________

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

☐    Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐    Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of class	Trading Symbol	Name of Exchange on which registered
Common stock, $0.01 par value per share	FGB	New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐ 

 

Item 7.01

Regulation FD Disclosure.

First Trust Specialty Finance and Financial Opportunities Fund (“FGB”) is filing herewith a press release issued on March 5, 2025, as Exhibit 99.1. The press release was issued by First Trust Advisors L.P. (“FTA”) announced today that proxy materials for the proposed reorganization of First Trust Specialty Finance and Financial Opportunities Fund (NYSE: FGB), a closed-end fund managed by FTA, with and into FT Confluence BDC & Specialty Finance Income ETF (the “ETF”), a newly formed series of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII (the “Reorganization”) have been mailed to shareholders. Shareholders of record of FGB as of the close of business on January 10, 2025 are entitled to vote on the Reorganization at the special meeting of shareholders to be held at 12:00 p.m. Central time on April 21, 2025 (the “Meeting”).

Item 9.01

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)

Exhibits.

 

Exhibit
Number		Description
99.1		Press Release, dated March 5, 2025.

 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

Dated: March 5, 2025		FIRST TRUST SPECIALTY FINANCE AND FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND
	By:	/s/ W. Scott Jardine
	Name	W. Scott Jardine
	Title:	Secretary

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit
Number		Description
99.1		Press Release, dated March 5, 2025.

PRESS RELEASE

SOURCE: First Trust Advisors L.P.

First Trust Specialty Finance and Financial Opportunities Fund Announces Mailing of Proxy Materials for Special Meeting of Shareholders

WHEATON, IL – (BUSINESS WIRE) – March 5, 2025 – First Trust Advisors L.P. (“FTA”) announced today that proxy materials for the proposed reorganization of First Trust Specialty Finance and Financial Opportunities Fund (NYSE: FGB), a closed-end fund managed by FTA, with and into FT Confluence BDC & Specialty Finance Income ETF (the “ETF”), a newly formed series of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII (the “Reorganization”) have been mailed to shareholders. Shareholders of record of FGB as of the close of business on January 10, 2025 are entitled to vote on the Reorganization at the special meeting of shareholders to be held at 12:00 p.m. Central time on April 21, 2025 (the “Meeting”).

 

Whether or not shareholders plan to attend the Meeting, it is important that their shares be represented and voted at the Meeting. Shareholders may vote their shares by one of the methods described in the proxy materials, which includes the combined proxy statement and prospectus that contains important information regarding the Reorganization. The proxy statement and prospectus is also available at https://www.ftportfolios.com/Common/ContentFileLoader.aspx?ContentGUID=3cff1a3e-7461-4dcf-82c7-34ff1ec7d5df. If shareholders have any questions regarding the proposal, or need assistance voting, they may call EQ Fund Solutions, LLC at (866) 796-7172.

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 $266 billion as of January 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.

Confluence Investment Management LLC (“Confluence”), an SEC registered investment advisor, serves as the investment sub-advisor to FGB and the new ETF. The Confluence team has more than 600 years of combined financial experience and 400 years of portfolio management/research experience, maintaining a track record that dates back to 1994. As of December 31, 2024, Confluence had $12.7 billion in assets under management and advisement (assets under management = $7.3 billion; assets under advisement = $5.4 billion).

Additional Information / Forward-Looking Statements

 

This press release is not intended to, and shall not, constitute an offer to purchase or sell shares of the FGB or the new ETF; nor is this press release intended to solicit a proxy from any shareholder of FGB. FGB and its trustees and officers, FTA, and certain of their respective officers and employees, and other persons may be deemed under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from shareholders in connection with the matters described above. Information about FGB’s trustees and officers, FTA and its officers and employees, and other persons may be found in the proxy statement.

Certain statements made in this news release that are not historical facts are referred to as “forward-looking statements” under the U.S. federal securities laws. Actual future results or occurrences may differ significantly from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Generally, the words “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “project,” “will” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from the historical experience of FTA and the funds managed by FTA and its present expectations or projections. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. FTA and FGB undertake no responsibility to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements.

 

 

_______________________________________

CONTACT: Jeff Margolin – (630) 517-7643

___________________________________

CONTACT: Jim Dykas – (630) 517-7665

___________________________________

SOURCE: First Trust Advisors L.P.

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Cover	Mar. 05, 2025
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	8-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Mar. 05, 2025
Entity File Number	811-22039
Entity Registrant Name	First Trust Specialty Finance and Financial Opportunities Fund
Entity Central Index Key	0001392994
Entity Tax Identification Number	06-1810845
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	MA
Entity Address, Address Line One	120 East Liberty Drive
Entity Address, Address Line Two	Suite 400
Entity Address, City or Town	Wheaton
Entity Address, State or Province	IL
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	60187
City Area Code	630
Local Phone Number	765-8000
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Title of 12(b) Security	Common stock, $0.01 par value per share
Trading Symbol	FGB
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false

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