First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund (FEN)

First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund (FEN) Financial Services Profile

First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund (FEN) is a closed-ended equity mutual fund specializing in U.S. energy sector public equities, including master limited partnerships and related entities. Established in 2004, it employs fundamental and quantitative analysis to target companies involved in energy transportation, processing, and production, seeking both income and capital appreciation for investors.

What Is the Investment Thesis for FEN?

First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund (FEN) presents an investment vehicle focused on the U.S. energy sector, particularly master limited partnerships (MLPs) and energy infrastructure. With a market capitalization of $311.42M and a compelling dividend yield of 7.50%, the fund targets income-seeking investors while also pursuing capital appreciation. Its P/E ratio of 12.0 and a robust profit margin of 95.4% indicate efficient operations relative to its underlying asset base. The fund's strategy of diversifying across various energy sub-sectors, from transportation to exploration, aims to mitigate specific commodity price risks and capture growth across the energy value chain. Key value drivers include the ongoing demand for energy infrastructure, potential recovery in MLP valuations, and the fund's active management approach in identifying companies with strong financial health and distribution growth. However, its exposure to MLPs introduces specific regulatory and tax risks, alongside sensitivity to energy commodity prices and broader economic conditions. Investors should monitor these factors, as well as the fund's ability to maintain its high distribution yield amidst market fluctuations.

Based on FMP financials and quantitative analysis

FEN Key Highlights

• Market Capitalization: FEN holds a market capitalization of $311.42M, indicating its size within the closed-end fund landscape.
• Price-to-Earnings Ratio: The fund's P/E ratio stands at 12.0, reflecting the market's valuation of its earnings.
• Profit Margin: FEN exhibits a high profit margin of 95.4%, suggesting strong profitability from its investment activities.
• Gross Margin: A gross margin of 84.9% demonstrates the fund's efficiency in managing its investment portfolio before operating expenses.
• Dividend Yield: With a dividend yield of 7.50%, FEN offers a significant income component to its investors, aligning with its objective of current income.

Who Are FEN's Competitors?

FEN is benchmarked below against 8 industry peers on price, market cap, and our AI MoonshotScore.

AI Score by Stock Expert AI · Price data: FMP / Yahoo Finance

What Are FEN's Key Strengths?

• Diversified portfolio across various energy sub-sectors, including transportation, processing, and production.
• High profit margin of 95.4% and gross margin of 84.9% indicate efficient operations and strong profitability.
• Significant dividend yield of 7.50% appeals to income-focused investors.
• Co-management structure with specialized energy sector expertise from Energy Income Partners, LLC.

What Are FEN's Weaknesses?

• Exposure to specific regulatory and tax risks associated with Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs).
• Fund performance is sensitive to volatility in energy commodity prices.
• Reliance on the U.S. energy sector limits geographic and broader industry diversification.
• Beta of 1.09 suggests slightly higher volatility than the broader market.

What Could Drive FEN Stock Higher?

• Favorable regulatory developments for Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) could enhance their operational stability and investor appeal, potentially boosting FEN's portfolio valuations and distribution capabilities.
• Sustained or increasing demand for U.S. energy infrastructure, driven by domestic production and export needs, could lead to stable cash flows and growth opportunities for FEN's underlying investments.
• Continued strong performance and distribution growth from key Master Limited Partnerships within FEN's portfolio could directly contribute to the fund's income generation and net asset value.
• A period of reduced volatility or upward trend in energy commodity prices, such as natural gas and crude oil, could positively impact the profitability and market sentiment for the energy companies FEN invests in.

What Are the Key Risks for FEN?

• Exposure to regulatory and tax risks specific to Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) could lead to changes in their operational environment or investor appeal, potentially impacting FEN's portfolio performance.
• Sensitivity to fluctuations in energy commodity prices, including natural gas, crude oil, and refined products, directly affects the profitability and valuations of the energy companies within FEN's portfolio.
• Adverse changes in interest rates could impact the cost of capital for energy infrastructure companies and potentially alter the attractiveness of FEN's dividend yield relative to other income investments.
• The fund's concentrated investment in the U.S. energy sector exposes it to sector-specific downturns, geopolitical events, or technological disruptions that might disproportionately affect energy companies.

What Are the Growth Opportunities for FEN?

• Growth Opportunity 1: Increasing Demand for Energy Infrastructure. The global demand for energy, particularly natural gas and crude oil, continues to necessitate robust infrastructure for transportation, processing, and storage. As existing infrastructure ages and new energy sources or routes emerge, significant capital investment is required. FEN's focus on companies involved in these critical infrastructure assets positions it to benefit from the sustained need for reliable energy delivery systems, which often operate under long-term contracts, providing stable cash flows to the underlying MLPs and related entities in its portfolio. This trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, driving potential appreciation in the fund's holdings.
• Growth Opportunity 2: Potential for MLP Market Recovery and Stability. Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) have experienced periods of volatility due to commodity price fluctuations and regulatory uncertainties. However, a sustained period of stability in energy prices, coupled with clearer regulatory frameworks, could lead to a recovery in investor sentiment and valuations for MLPs. FEN, with its significant allocation to MLPs, is positioned to capitalize on such a recovery. Improved market conditions could translate into higher unit prices and potentially increased distributions from its underlying investments, directly benefiting the fund's net asset value and its ability to provide income to its shareholders.
• Growth Opportunity 3: Sustained Investor Demand for Income. In the current economic environment (2026-06-15), investors continue to seek attractive income-generating assets. FEN's substantial dividend yield of 7.50% makes it a compelling option for those prioritizing current income. This sustained demand for high-yield investments, particularly from retail and institutional investors looking to supplement portfolio returns or generate cash flow, could drive inflows into the fund. The fund's consistent focus on companies with a history of distribution and dividend increases further reinforces its appeal to this investor segment, supporting its asset base and market valuation over time.
• Growth Opportunity 4: Active Management in a Specialized Sector. The energy sector, especially the MLP sub-segment, is complex and often subject to specific market dynamics and regulatory nuances. FEN's strategy, employing a blend of fundamental and quantitative analysis with an emphasis on metrics like debt-to-cash flow, coverage ratios, and management expertise, represents an active management approach. This specialized expertise, provided by First Trust Advisors L.P. and co-manager Energy Income Partners, LLC, has the potential to identify undervalued opportunities and navigate market inefficiencies more effectively than passive strategies, potentially leading to alpha generation and superior risk-adjusted returns for the fund's investors.
• Growth Opportunity 5: Diversification Across Energy Sub-sectors. FEN's investment mandate allows it to invest across a broad range of energy sub-sectors, including transportation, processing, storage, distribution, marketing, exploration, development, and services. This diversified approach within the energy value chain helps to mitigate concentration risk associated with investing solely in one commodity or a narrow segment. By spreading its investments, the fund can capture growth from different parts of the energy market, potentially offsetting weaknesses in one area with strengths in another. This strategic diversification enhances the fund's resilience and its ability to deliver consistent performance across varying market conditions.

What Opportunities Does FEN Have?

• Potential for recovery and increased stability in the Master Limited Partnership (MLP) market.
• Growing global demand for energy infrastructure requiring significant capital investment.
• Continued investor demand for high-yielding income-generating assets.
• Ability of active management to identify undervalued opportunities in a complex energy sector.

What Threats Does FEN Face?

• Adverse regulatory or tax changes impacting MLPs could negatively affect portfolio valuations and distributions.
• Significant downturns in energy commodity prices (e.g., natural gas, crude oil) could impair underlying asset performance.
• Increased competition from other energy-focused funds, ETFs, and income-oriented investment vehicles.
• Economic recessions or slowdowns could reduce energy demand and impact the profitability of portfolio companies.

What Are FEN's Competitive Advantages?

• Specialized Co-Management Expertise: Leverages the combined expertise of First Trust Advisors L.P. and Energy Income Partners, LLC in the energy and MLP space.
• Diversified Energy Sector Focus: Invests across a broad range of energy sub-sectors, potentially reducing single-point risk compared to more concentrated funds.
• Rigorous Investment Analysis: Employs a blend of fundamental and quantitative analysis, focusing on key financial metrics and management quality to identify robust investments.
• Closed-End Fund Structure: Provides a fixed pool of capital, which can allow for long-term investment strategies without constant inflow/outflow pressures seen in open-end funds.

What Does FEN Do?

The First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund (FEN) is a U.S.-domiciled closed-ended equity mutual fund, formally established on March 25, 2004. Initially known as Energy Income & Growth Fund, its operations are overseen by First Trust Advisors L.P., with Energy Income Partners, LLC serving as co-manager, bringing specialized expertise to its investment strategy. The fund's core mandate is to invest in the public equity markets across the United States, with a specific and concentrated focus on the energy sector. This encompasses a broad spectrum of businesses integral to the energy value chain, including those involved in the transportation, processing, storage, distribution, or marketing of essential commodities such as natural gas, natural gas liquids (including propane), crude oil, refined petroleum products, coal, or electricity. Furthermore, the fund actively seeks out firms engaged in the exploration, development, management, or production of these vital energy resources, as well as companies that supply related energy products and services. The portfolio construction primarily features growth-oriented stocks, master limited partnerships (MLPs) within the energy sector, and other entities affiliated with MLPs. Investment decisions are underpinned by a rigorous blend of fundamental and quantitative analysis, with a keen emphasis on critical financial metrics such as debt-to-cash flow ratios, coverage ratios, and the evaluation of incentive frameworks. The fund also prioritizes management expertise and a demonstrated history of distribution and dividend increases, reflecting its dual objective of current income and capital appreciation. For performance benchmarking, FEN utilizes a comprehensive set of indices, including the S&P 500 Index, the Barclays Capital U.S. Credit Index of Corporate Bonds, the Alerian MLP Total Return Index, the Wells Fargo Midstream MLP Total Return Index, and a composite index comprising 50% Alerian MLP Total Return Index and 50% Wells Fargo Midstream MLP Total Return Index, providing a multi-faceted view of its relative performance.

What Products and Services Does FEN Offer?

• Invests in public equity markets across the United States.
• Focuses specifically on companies within the energy sector.
• Targets businesses involved in energy transportation, processing, storage, distribution, or marketing.
• Seeks out firms that explore, develop, manage, or produce energy resources.
• Invests in companies supplying related energy products and services.
• Primarily holds growth-oriented stocks, Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs), and MLP-affiliated entities.
• Employs a blend of fundamental and quantitative analysis for investment decisions.
• Aims to provide a high level of current income and capital appreciation.

How Does FEN Make Money?

• Generates returns for investors through capital appreciation of its underlying energy sector investments.
• Provides current income to shareholders via distributions and dividends from its portfolio holdings, particularly MLPs.
• Utilizes active management by First Trust Advisors L.P. and co-manager Energy Income Partners, LLC to select securities.
• Charges management fees to cover operational costs and compensate its advisors for their investment expertise.

What Industry Does FEN Operate In?

First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund operates within the Asset Management - Income industry, specifically targeting the energy sector through a closed-ended fund structure. This segment of the financial services industry is characterized by funds that pool capital from investors to invest in a portfolio of securities, aiming to generate income and capital growth. The broader energy sector, which FEN invests in, is subject to cyclical trends influenced by global supply and demand dynamics, geopolitical events, and regulatory changes. Within this context, MLPs and energy infrastructure companies, which form a significant part of FEN's portfolio, are critical for the transportation and processing of energy commodities. The competitive landscape includes other closed-end funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and actively managed mutual funds with mandates focused on energy, MLPs, or income generation. FEN differentiates itself through its co-management structure and a specific blend of fundamental and quantitative analysis applied to its specialized energy MLP focus.

Who Are FEN's Key Customers?

• Institutional investors seeking exposure to the U.S. energy sector.
• Individual investors looking for income-generating opportunities.
• Investors interested in a diversified portfolio of energy MLPs and related entities.
• Those seeking active management in a specialized and potentially complex market segment.

F-Score 5/9Financial Health

First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund's Piotroski F-Score is 5/9, a 9-point checklist of profitability, leverage and efficiency — a middling fundamental profile. Its Altman Z-Score of 2.79 places it in the grey zone, a middle ground that warrants monitoring.

ROE 8%Key Financial Metrics

Return on equity for First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund stands at 8.3%, a gauge of how efficiently it converts shareholder capital into profit. Return on assets is 6.1%, showing how much profit it generates from its asset base. FEN trades at a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 11.98, below the Financial Services sector average of ~18x. Its free cash flow yield is 4.1%, a gauge of the cash the business throws off relative to its market value. A current ratio of 0.20 means current liabilities exceed short-term assets, a liquidity point worth watching. Its earnings yield is 8.3%, the inverse of the P/E and a quick read on earnings relative to price.

First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund (FEN) Valuation Context

Valued at $311.42M, FEN is classified as a small-cap stock. Relative to its peer group, FEN's quantitative score of 45/100 is below the peer average of 63/100.

FEN Financials

FEN Latest News

FEN Analyst Consensus

FEN MoonshotScore

First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund Financial Services Stock: Key Questions Answered

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research and consult a financial advisor.

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