First Trust Senior Loan Fund
$44.490.00 (0.00%)
- 0.70%
- $2.49B
- +3.3%
- 6.28%
- 292K sh
- low $44.25high $46.09
The ETF.net FTSL Grade
C
Score 53 out of 100
- 4 of 11
Score 53 of 100 falls in the C band. A is 70 or higher, B 55 to under 70, C 40 to under 55, D 25 to under 40, F under 25.
Cost
The fund’s net expense ratio, ranked against its category.F17 out of 100Rank 9 of 11Mission
Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.B62 out of 100Rank 2 of 8Risk
How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.C52 out of 100Rank 6 of 11Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.A80 out of 100Rank 2 of 11Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.A90 out of 100Rank 2 of 11Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.A85 out of 100Rank 2 of 11
Our read on FTSL
In short
CMost funds in the high-yield aisle own fixed-coupon junk bonds. FTSL owns first-lien senior bank loans whose coupons float with short-term rates, chosen by a live credit team instead of an index rulebook, with income paid monthly.
Stated mandate
The fund seeks high current income and secondarily aims to preserve capital. It normally invests at least 80% of net assets in first-lien senior floating-rate bank loans, primarily to North American businesses.
Why people hold it
Worth knowing
FTSL Performance
Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.
FTSL$10,334
Returns run to the Oct 30, 2026 close, with cash distributions reinvested. Each period starts on the same date that many months or years earlier. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.
| Period | FTSL |
|---|---|
| Year to date | +2.1% |
| 1 month | +0.3% |
| 3 months | +0.8% |
| 1 year | +3.3% |
| 3 years | +6.4% |
| 5 years | +5.1% |
| 10 years | +4.3% |
Calendar-year total return with cash distributions hypothetically reinvested at the ex-dividend date’s closing price. The current year shows year to date.
| Year | Return bar | FTSL |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +2.1% | |
| 2025 | +6.0% | |
| 2024 | +8.3% | |
| 2023 | +11.6% | |
| 2022 | −2.5% | |
| 2021 | +3.9% | |
| 2020 | +3.0% |
FTSL in the news
FTSL Dividends
- 6.28%
- $2.80
- $0.23 per share
- Monthly
FTSL Risk
- 2.0%
How it’s calculated: standard deviation
The sample standard deviation of monthly total returns, multiplied by the square root of 12.
Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Total returns include reinvested distributions.
- 0.88
How it’s calculated: Sharpe ratio
Subtract each month’s Treasury-bill return from the fund’s monthly total return.
Divide the average of those excess returns by their sample standard deviation, then multiply by the square root of 12.
Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Each month uses the Treasury yield quoted at the end of the previous month.
- −7.0%
How it’s calculated: maximum drawdown
The largest percentage decline from an earlier peak, using total returns with reinvested distributions.
Uses up to five years through the last close, with at least 12 months required.
- 0.06
How it’s calculated: beta
The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.
FMP measures it over up to five years of monthly returns.
FTSL Cost
Overpaying vs LVLN, cheapest in Bank Loan
$5,516
On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.
FTSL 0.70%
$13,606
LVLN 0.40% Cheapest
$8,090
Cost over time
Year by year
| Year | FTSL | LVLN | Overpaying |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $1,250 | $723 | $527 |
| 20 | $4,760 | $2,793 | $1,967 |
| 30 | $13,606 | $8,090 | $5,516 |
Other funds in Bank Loan
- BSEIXVirtus Seix Senior Loan ETFExpense ratio 0.57%1 year return +5.0%
- CUSLNiShares Broad USD Floating Rate Loan ETFExpense ratio 0.43%1 year return
- CLONZPIMCO Senior Loan Active Exchange-Traded FundExpense ratio 0.61%1 year return +4.4%
- CFLBLFranklin Senior Loan ETFExpense ratio 0.45%1 year return +3.0%
- CFLRTPacer Aristotle Pacific Floating Rate High Income ETFExpense ratio 0.60%1 year return +4.5%
