Income-based investors often devote a large part of their securities research time looking at bonds.
2025 marks a time of uncertainty for many investors—despite stellar performance in 2024 and a post-election bump that lasted through mid-December, the S&P 500 and the market as a whole face increasing geopolitical turmoil, a potential change to the regulatory environment for many industries alongside a new administration, haziness around the near-term future of interest rates, the ongoing impact of the AI revolution, and more. It's understandable that many investors might take a defensive approach in the new year.
First Trust Preferred Securities and Income ETF is an actively managed fund focusing on preferred stocks, primarily in the U.S. and financial sector. The FPE ETF has outperformed its largest competitors over the past 10 years but has experienced a moderate decline in value and distributions. Despite a low credit risk profile, FPE's bond-like returns with stock-like draw-downs are not compelling for long-term investment.