FIRST TRUST
ENHANCED EQUITY INCOME FUND (FFA)
SEMI-ANNUALREPORT
FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED
JUNE 30, 2023
Table of Contents
First Trust Enhanced Equity Income Fund (FFA) | |
Semi-Annual Report | |
June 30, 2023 | |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 | |
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Portfolio Commentary | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 |
Portfolio of Investments | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 |
Statement of Assets and Liabilities | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 |
Statement of Operations | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 |
Statements of Changes in Net Assets. . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 |
Financial Highlights | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 |
Notes to Financial Statements | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 |
Additional Information | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 |
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This report contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding the goals, beliefs, plans or current expectations of First Trust Advisors L.P. ("First Trust" or the "Advisor") and/or Chartwell Investment Partners, LLC ("Chartwell" or the "Sub-Advisor") and their respective representatives, taking into account the information currently available to them. Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate solely to current or historical fact. For example, forward-looking statements include the use of words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "expect," "believe," "plan," "may," "should," "would" or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes.
Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of First Trust Enhanced Equity Income Fund (the "Fund") to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. When evaluating the information included in this report, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect the judgment of the Advisor and/or Sub-Advisor and their respective representatives only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly revise or update these forward-looking statements to reflect events and circumstances that arise after the date hereof.
Managed Distribution Policy
The Board of Trustees of the Fund has approved a managed distribution policy for the Fund (the "Plan") in reliance on exemptive relief received from the Securities and Exchange Commission which permits the Fund to make periodic distributions of long-term capital gains more frequently than otherwise permitted with respect to its common shares subject to certain conditions. Under the Plan, the Fund currently intends to pay a quarterly distribution in the amount of $0.315 per share. A portion of this quarterly distribution may include realized capital gains. This may result in a reduction of the long-term capital gain distribution necessary at year end by distributing realized capital gains throughout the year. The annual distribution rate is independent of the Fund's performance during any particular period but is expected to correlate with the Fund's performance over time. Accordingly, you should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of any distribution or from the terms of the Plan. The Board of Trustees may amend or terminate the Plan at any time without prior notice to shareholders.
Performance and Risk Disclosure
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. The Fund is subject to market risk, which is the possibility that the market values of securities owned by the Fund will decline and that the value of the Fund's shares may therefore be less than what you paid for them. Accordingly, you can lose money by investing in the Fund. See "Principal Risks" in the Additional Information section of this report for a discussion of certain other risks of investing in the Fund.
Performance data quoted represents past performance, which is no guarantee of future results, and current performance may be lower or higher than the figures shown. For the most recent month-end performance figures, please visit www.ftportfolios.comor speak with your financial advisor. Investment returns, net asset value and common share price will fluctuate and Fund shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
The Advisor may also periodically provide additional information on Fund performance on the Fund's web page at www.ftportfolios.com.
How to Read This Report
This report contains information that may help you evaluate your investment in the Fund. It includes details about the Fund and presents data and analysis that provide insight into the Fund's performance and investment approach.
By reading the portfolio commentary by the portfolio management team of the Fund, you may obtain an understanding of how the market environment affected the Fund's performance. The statistical information that follows may help you understand the Fund's performance compared to that of relevant market benchmarks.
It is important to keep in mind that the opinions expressed by personnel of First Trust and Chartwell are just that: informed opinions. They should not be considered to be promises or advice. The opinions, like the statistics, cover the period through the date on the cover of this report. The material risks of investing in the Fund are spelled out in the prospectus, the statement of additional information, this report and other Fund regulatory filings.
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Shareholder Letter
First Trust Enhanced Equity Income Fund (FFA)
Semi-Annual Letter from the Chairman and CEO
June 30, 2023
Dear Shareholders,
First Trust is pleased to provide you with the semi-annual report for the First Trust Enhanced Equity Income Fund (the "Fund"), which contains detailed information about the Fund for the six months ended June 30, 2023.
One economic topic that continues to dominate headlines is whether the Federal Reserve (the "Fed") will be able to pull off a "soft landing" for the U.S. economy, raising interest rates just high enough to curb inflation, but not so high that they stunt economic growth and cause a recession. Historically, soft landings are exceedingly rare. Over the past 60 years, the Fed has only been able to orchestrate this phenomenon once. This occurred between February 1994 and February 1995 when the Fed doubled the Federal Funds target rate (upper bound), raising it from 3.0% to 6.0%. For comparative purposes, the Federal Funds target rate (upper bound) stood at 5.25% on June 30, 2023, a full 500 basis points above its most recent low of 0.25% on March 15, 2022. Inflation, as measured by the rate of change in the Consumer Price Index ("CPI"), appears to be declining. The CPI stood at 3.0% on June 30, 2023, substantially lower than its most recent peak of 9.1% on June 30, 2022. Despite the Fed's tighter monetary policy, the U.S. economy continues to show resilience, with gross domestic product ("GDP") growing in each of the past three quarters.
I am continually amazed by the efficiencies that technological advances can have on production. Take, for example, the recent interest in artificial intelligence ("AI"). The U.S. Census Bureau reported that construction spending by manufacturers in the U.S. has more than doubled in the past year, reaching an annual rate of nearly $190 billion in April 2023, according to Bloomberg. Manufacturing now accounts for close to 13% of all non-government construction, its highest share on record. A portion of the growth in U.S. manufacturing is due to the CHIPS and Science Act, which provided nearly $280 billion in funding to boost domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors in the U.S. We have also seen the excitement regarding developments in AI drive the S&P 500® Index (the "Index") higher this year. Year-to-date through June 30, 2023, the Index posted a total return of 16.89%. When the stock market increases by 20% or more from its most recent low, it is often referred to as a "bull market." On June 8, 2023, the Index closed at 4,293.93, 20.04% above its most recent low of 3,577.03 (which occurred on October 12, 2022).
The U.S. economy has been resilient, posting positive changes to GDP even as monetary policy tightened significantly. That said, there are also economic indicators that point to the potential for weakness over the coming quarters. The Conference Board, a non-profit business membership and research group organization, reported that its Leading Economic Index, which is composed of 10 economic indicators whose changes tend to precede changes in the overall economy, fell by 0.7% to a reading of 106.1 in June 2023, according to Reuters. The result represents the fifteenth consecutive monthly decline in the index, the longest streak of month-over-month decreases since just before the financial crisis in 2007. From our perspective, even if the Fed can pull off a soft landing, it is likely to be a very bumpy ride.
Thank you for giving First Trust the opportunity to play a role in your financial future. We value our relationship with you and will report on the Fund again in six months.
Sincerely,
James A. Bowen
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Chief Executive Officer of First Trust Advisors L.P.
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First Trust Enhanced Equity Income Fund (FFA)
"AT A GLANCE"
As of June 30, 2023 (Unaudited)
Fund Statistics
Symbol on New York Stock Exchange | FFA |
Common Share Price | $17.53 |
Common Share Net Asset Value ("NAV") | $18.18 |
Premium (Discount) to NAV | (3.58)% |
Net Assets Applicable to Common Shares | $363,448,907 |
Current Quarterly Distribution per Common Share(1) | $0.3150 |
Current Annualized Distribution per Common Share | $1.2600 |
Current Distribution Rate on Common Share Price(2) | 7.19% |
Current Distribution Rate on NAV(2) | 6.93% |
Common Share Price & NAV (weekly closing price)
Common Share Price | NAV | |||||||||||||
$19.00 | ||||||||||||||
$18.00 | ||||||||||||||
$17.00 | ||||||||||||||
$16.00 | ||||||||||||||
$15.00 | ||||||||||||||
$14.00 | ||||||||||||||
2 | 22 | 2 | /22 | 2 | 1/22 | 12/22 | 3 | /23 | 3 | 4/23 | 3 | 3 | ||
/2 | /2 | 2 | /2 | /2 | 2 | /2 | ||||||||
6 | 7/ | 8 | 9 | 10/ | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5/ | 6 | |||||
1 |
Performance
Average Annual Total Returns | ||||||||||||||
Inception | ||||||||||||||
6 Months Ended | 1 Year Ended | 5 Years Ended | 10 Years Ended | (8/26/04) | ||||||||||
6/30/23 | 6/30/23 | 6/30/23 | 6/30/23 | to 6/30/23 | ||||||||||
Fund Performance(3) | ||||||||||||||
NAV | 12.96% | 16.65% | 10.44% | 10.23% | 8.00% | |||||||||
Market Value | 15.34% | 15.85% | 9.84% | 10.97% | 7.53% | |||||||||
Index Performance | ||||||||||||||
S&P 500® Index | 16.89% | 19.59% | 12.31% | 12.86% | 9.84% | |||||||||
CBOE S&P 500 BuyWrite Monthly Index | 10.47% | 9.02% | 4.42% | 6.26% | 5.38% | |||||||||
% of Total | % of Total | |||||||||||||
Top Ten Holdings | Investments | Sector Allocation | Investments | |||||||||||
Apple, Inc. | 11.3% | Information Technology | 29.4% | |||||||||||
Health Care | 14.6 | |||||||||||||
Microsoft Corp. | 10.2 | |||||||||||||
Financials | 12.6 | |||||||||||||
UnitedHealth Group, Inc. | 3.6 | |||||||||||||
Consumer Discretionary | 8.1 | |||||||||||||
Alphabet, Inc., Class C | 3.4 | |||||||||||||
Communication Services | 8.1 | |||||||||||||
JPMorgan Chase & Co. | 3.1 | |||||||||||||
Consumer Staples | 7.5 | |||||||||||||
Merck & Co., Inc. | 2.5 | |||||||||||||
Industrials | 6.0 | |||||||||||||
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | 2.2 | |||||||||||||
Energy | 4.2 | |||||||||||||
Coca-Cola (The) Co. | 2.1 | |||||||||||||
Materials | 3.1 | |||||||||||||
Danaher Corp. | 2.0 | |||||||||||||
Real Estate | 2.5 | |||||||||||||
AbbVie, Inc. | 1.9 | |||||||||||||
Utilities | 2.3 | |||||||||||||
Total | 42.3% | |||||||||||||
Other | 1.6 | |||||||||||||
Total | 100.0% | |||||||||||||
Fund Allocation | % of Net Assets | |||||||||||||
Common Stocks | 92.9% | |||||||||||||
Real Estate Investment Trusts | 2.5 | |||||||||||||
Exchange - Traded Funds | 1.6 | |||||||||||||
Common Stocks - Business Development Companies | 1.1 | |||||||||||||
Call Options Written | (0.3) | |||||||||||||
Net Other Assets and Liabilities | 2.2 | |||||||||||||
Total | 100.0% | |||||||||||||
- Most recent distribution paid through June 30, 2023. Subject to change in the future.
- Distribution rates are calculated by annualizing the most recent distribution paid through the report date and then dividing by Common Share Price or NAV, as applicable, as of June 30, 2023. Subject to change in the future.
- Total return is based on the combination of reinvested dividend, capital gain, and return of capital distributions, if any, at prices obtained by the Dividend Reinvestment Plan and changes in NAV per share for NAV returns and changes in Common Share Price for market value returns. Total returns do not reflect sales load and are not annualized for periods of less than one year. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
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Disclaimer
First Trust Enhanced Equity Income Fund published this content on 24 August 2023 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 30 August 2023 13:33:04 UTC.