WHEATON, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--First Trust Advisors L.P. (“FTA”) and WCM Investment Management, LLC (“WCM”) jointly announced today that the reorganizations of WCM Focused Global Growth Fund, WCM Developing World Equity Fund and WCM International Equity Fund (the “Acquired Funds” and each, an “Acquired Fund”), into a corresponding newly-created series of a First Trust trust (each, as noted in the table below, an “Acquiring Fund” and collectively, the “Acquiring Funds”) were completed prior to the open of the New York Stock Exchange on October 7, 2024.
Acquired Funds |
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Acquiring Funds |
WCM Focused Global Growth Fund |
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First Trust WCM Focused Global Growth Fund (a series of First Trust Series Fund) |
WCM Developing World Equity Fund |
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First Trust WCM Developing World Equity ETF (a series of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund) |
WCM International Equity Fund |
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First Trust WCM International Equity ETF (a series of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund) |
In the reorganizations, the assets of each Acquired Fund were transferred to, and the liabilities of each Acquired Fund were assumed by, the respective Acquiring Fund. The shareholders of each Acquired Fund received shares of the respective Acquiring Fund with a value equal to the aggregate net asset value of the shares of the Acquired Fund held by them.
FTA is a federally registered investment advisor and serves as the investment advisor of the Acquiring Funds. 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 $241 billion as of August 31, 2024, 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.
WCM is an independent investment advisory firm, registered with the SEC that specializes in providing innovative, equity investment advisory services. Founded in 1976 and based in Laguna Beach, California, WCM has assets under management of approximately $90.7 billion as of June 30, 2024.
Additional Information/Forward Looking Statements
This press release is not intended to, and shall not, constitute an offer to purchase or sell shares of any Acquiring Fund. An investor should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of an Acquiring Fund before investing.
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, the Fund and the Acquiring Funds undertake no responsibility to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements.
