First Trust Senior Loan Fund (FTSL) Fund Overview
Educational signal · not a buy or sell recommendation · How to read this
Beta 0.06: the stock has moved about 94% less than the S&P 500.
For informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Machine-generated analysis by Stock Expert AI — model gemini-2.0-flash, generated Mar 17, 2026. Editorial oversight is systemic, not page-by-page. Editorially accountable: Sedat ANAK, Founder and Editor-in-Chief. Data sources: Financial Modeling Prep, Yahoo Finance, SEC EDGAR
Quick AnswerFirst Trust Senior Loan Fund (FTSL) trades at $44.57. First Trust Senior Loan Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund focused on providing high current income. Sector: Financials.
Price as of · Last analyzed: Mar 17, 2026Analyst Coverage for FTSL: FTSL does not currently have published analyst price targets in our coverage universe. This is common for smaller-cap names with limited Wall Street coverage.
First Trust Senior Loan Fund (FTSL) Financial Services Profile
First Trust Senior Loan Fund (FTSL) is an actively managed ETF specializing in senior floating-rate bank loans, primarily in North America. With a focus on high current income and capital preservation, FTSL offers exposure to the leveraged loan market, distinguishing itself through active management and diversification within this asset class.
What Is the Investment Thesis for FTSL?
First Trust Senior Loan Fund presents a notable research candidate for income-seeking investors. The fund's primary focus on first lien senior floating-rate bank loans offers a potentially attractive yield in a rising interest rate environment. With a market capitalization of $2.22 billion and a beta of 0.06, FTSL exhibits relatively low volatility compared to the broader market. The fund's active management approach allows for strategic allocation within the senior loan market, potentially enhancing returns and mitigating risks. The ability to invest up to 20% of its assets in other debt and equity securities provides additional flexibility to capitalize on market opportunities. Key growth catalysts include increased demand for floating-rate investments and the fund's ability to generate consistent income. However, potential risks include credit risk associated with the underlying loans and the impact of economic downturns on borrower performance.
Based on FMP financials and quantitative analysis
FTSL Key Highlights
Market capitalization of $2.22 billion, indicating substantial scale and liquidity.
- Beta of 0.06, suggesting low volatility compared to the broader market.
- Actively managed portfolio, allowing for strategic allocation and risk management.
- Focus on first lien senior floating-rate bank loans, offering potential for high current income.
- Investment mandate to allocate at least 80% of net assets to Senior Loans in North America.
Who Are FTSL's Competitors?
FTSL is benchmarked below against 8 industry peers on price, market cap, and our AI MoonshotScore.
| Company | Price | Change | Market Cap | MoonshotScore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASHR Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF | $32.51 | -0.73% | $1.48B | — |
| FALIX Fidelity Advisor Large Cap Fund Class I | $58.05 | +0.90% | $2.23B | — |
| FELV FIDELITY ENHANCED LARGE CAP VALUE ETF | $41.60 | +0.39% | $3.17B | — |
| FLIN Franklin FTSE India ETF | $33.46 | +0.54% | $2.55B | — |
| FLJP Franklin FTSE Japan ETF | $42.00 | +1.62% | $3.20B | — |
| BLK BlackRock, Inc. | $1059.63 | -0.44% | $164B | 51 5-pillar |
| BX Blackstone Inc. | $111.74 | -0.45% | $135B | 68 5-pillar |
| APOS Apollo Global Management, Inc. | $25.59 | -0.23% | $74.8B | 56 5-pillar |
AI Score by Stock Expert AI · Price data: FMP / Yahoo Finance
What Are FTSL's Key Strengths?
High current income potential.
- Active management expertise.
- Diversified portfolio of senior loans.
- Low volatility compared to the broader market.
What Are FTSL's Weaknesses?
Credit risk associated with underlying loans.
- Exposure to economic downturns.
- Potential for interest rate risk.
- Reliance on active management performance.
What Are the Key Risks for FTSL?
Credit risk associated with underlying loans.
- Economic downturns impacting borrower performance.
- Increased competition from other asset managers.
- Changes in interest rates affecting loan values.
What Are FTSL's Competitive Advantages?
- Active management expertise in the senior loan market.
- Established track record of generating high current income.
- Diversified portfolio of senior loans.
- Focus on North American businesses.
What Does FTSL Do?
The First Trust Senior Loan Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (ETF) designed to provide investors with high current income while prioritizing capital preservation. The fund achieves this by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of first lien senior floating-rate bank loans, commonly referred to as Senior Loans. These loans are predominantly issued to businesses operating in North America. The fund's investment strategy mandates that under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets are allocated to Senior Loans. This concentration ensures that the fund remains focused on its core objective of generating income from this specific asset class. However, the fund also maintains the flexibility to invest up to 20% of its net assets in other types of securities, including non-Senior Loan debt securities, warrants, equity securities, and securities of other investment companies. This allocation provides the fund with the opportunity to enhance returns and manage risk by diversifying into related asset classes. First Trust Senior Loan Fund's approach to active management involves a team of experienced investment professionals who continuously monitor market conditions and adjust the portfolio to optimize performance. This active management style allows the fund to adapt to changing interest rate environments and credit market dynamics, potentially enhancing returns and mitigating risks compared to passively managed funds. The fund's focus on Senior Loans provides investors with exposure to the leveraged loan market, which can offer attractive yields and potential for capital appreciation.
What Products and Services Does FTSL Offer?
- Invests primarily in first lien senior floating-rate bank loans.
- Focuses on providing high current income to investors.
- Prioritizes the preservation of capital.
- Actively manages its portfolio to optimize performance.
- Allocates at least 80% of its net assets to Senior Loans.
- Invests predominantly in businesses operating in North America.
- May invest up to 20% of its net assets in other types of securities.
How Does FTSL Make Money?
- Generates income from interest payments on senior loans.
- Earns fees for actively managing the fund's portfolio.
- Distributes income to shareholders on a regular basis.
What Industry Does FTSL Operate In?
The asset management industry is characterized by intense competition and evolving investor preferences. ETFs like First Trust Senior Loan Fund operate within a landscape of diverse investment strategies and asset classes. The senior loan market, in particular, is influenced by interest rate trends, credit spreads, and economic growth. As of 2026, demand for floating-rate investments is increasing due to expectations of rising interest rates. Competitors such as ASHR, FALIX, FELV, FLIN, and FLJP offer alternative strategies within the broader fixed income market, each with its own risk and return profile.
Who Are FTSL's Key Customers?
- Individual investors seeking high current income.
- Institutional investors looking for exposure to the senior loan market.
- Financial advisors seeking to diversify client portfolios.
Research confidence
Thin evidence — scoring coverage unknown. Treat this as a starting point, not a conclusion.
- ● Scoring coverage unknown
- ● Price is current
- ● No filing on record
- ● No analyst coverage
- ● This is an etf, not an operating company
MoonshotScore History
Recorded daily since 2026-08-23 · 41 snapshots
| 2026-08-23 | 44 |
| 2026-08-31 | 44 |
| 2026-09-08 | 44 |
| 2026-09-16 | 44 |
| 2026-09-24 | 44 |
| 2026-10-04 | 44 |
What changed?
The score has stayed at 44.
Over the same 30 days the stock moved -0.7%.
FTSL Financials
Bull Case vs Bear Case
Bull Case
- High current income potential.
- Active management expertise.
- Diversified portfolio of senior loans.
- Low volatility compared to the broader market.
Bear Case
- Credit risk associated with underlying loans.
- Exposure to economic downturns.
- Potential for interest rate risk.
- Reliance on active management performance.
AI-generated arguments based on insider flow, news sentiment and technicals — not financial advice · March 2026
FTSL Latest News
No recent news available for FTSL.
FTSL Analyst Consensus
Consensus Rating
Aggregated Buy/Hold/Sell recommendations collected by Financial Modeling Prep for FTSL.
Price Targets
Wall Street price target analysis for FTSL.
FTSL MoonshotScore
MoonshotScore is Stock Expert AI's proprietary 0-100 research rating, not a buy or sell recommendation. No MoonshotScore is published for FTSL; grades run from A+ (80-100) to F (below 30).
ETFs that hold FTSL
Funds in our ETF coverage that list FTSL among the top 10 holdings on their fund page, largest weight first. Each weight is the fund's reported holding weight as of the date in its row.
| ETF | Weight | Holdings as of |
|---|---|---|
| Bluemonte Diversified Income ETF (BLUI) | 9.47% |
First Trust Senior Loan Fund Financials Stock: Key Questions Answered
What are the main risks for FTSL?
The main risks for First Trust Senior Loan Fund include credit risk, interest rate risk, and liquidity risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that borrowers may default on their loan payments, leading to losses for the fund.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research and consult a financial advisor.
Official Resources
MoonshotScore is not published for this security.
Data provided for informational purposes only.
- Information is based on available data and may be subject to change.