UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-Q
QUARTERLY SCHEDULE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY
Investment Company Act file number 811-22039
First Trust Specialty Finance and Financial
Opportunities Fund
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400
Wheaton, IL 60187
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)
W. Scott Jardine, Esq.
First Trust Portfolios L.P.
120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400
Wheaton, IL 60187
(Name and address of agent for service)
Registrant's telephone number, including area
code: 630-765-8000
Date of fiscal year end: November 30
Date of reporting period: February 28, 2019
Form N-Q is to be used by management investment
companies, other than small business investment companies registered on Form N-5 (§§ 239.24 and 274.5 of this chapter),
to file reports with the Commission, not later than 60 days after the close of the first and third fiscal quarters, pursuant to
rule 30b1-5 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (17 CFR 270.30b1-5). The Commission may use the information provided on Form
N-Q in its regulatory, disclosure review, inspection, and policymaking roles.
A registrant is required to disclose the information
specified by Form N-Q, and the Commission will make this information public. A registrant is not required to respond to the collection
of information contained in Form N-Q unless the Form displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget ("OMB")
control number. Please direct comments concerning the accuracy of the information collection burden estimate and any suggestions
for reducing the burden to the Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. The OMB has
reviewed this collection of information under the clearance requirements of 44 U.S.C. § 3507.
Item 1. Schedule of Investments.
The Schedule(s) of Investments is attached herewith.
First Trust Specialty Finance and
Financial Opportunities Fund (FGB)
Portfolio of Investments
February 28, 2019
(Unaudited)
| Shares
|
| Description
|
| Value
|
COMMON STOCKS – BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
COMPANIES - 112.8%
|
|
|
| Capital Markets – 112.8%
|
|
|
| 172,787
|
| Alcentra Capital Corp. (a)
|
| $1,237,155
|
| 283,700
|
| Apollo Investment Corp.
|
| 4,346,284
|
| 722,412
|
| Ares Capital Corp. (a)
|
| 12,512,176
|
| 677,594
|
| Barings BDC, Inc. (a)
|
| 6,511,678
|
| 900
|
| BlackRock Capital Investment Corp. (a)
|
| 5,616
|
| 531,863
|
| BlackRock TCP Capital Corp. (a)
|
| 7,685,420
|
| 20,238
|
| Capital Southwest Corp.
|
| 438,962
|
| 130,340
|
| CM Finance, Inc.
|
| 1,036,203
|
| 108,063
|
| Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc. (a)
|
| 2,252,033
|
| 429,730
|
| Golub Capital BDC, Inc. (a)
|
| 7,928,519
|
| 585,598
|
| Hercules Capital, Inc. (a)
|
| 8,198,372
|
| 340,472
|
| KCAP Financial, Inc. (a)
|
| 1,195,057
|
| 49,107
|
| Main Street Capital Corp. (a)
|
| 1,916,155
|
| 466,714
|
| Medley Capital Corp. (a)
|
| 1,614,831
|
| 577,564
|
| New Mountain Finance Corp. (a)
|
| 7,999,262
|
| 212,084
|
| OFS Capital Corp. (a)
|
| 2,542,887
|
| 755,081
|
| PennantPark Investment Corp. (a)
|
| 5,383,728
|
| 295,709
|
| Solar Capital Ltd.
|
| 6,351,829
|
| 320,126
|
| Stellus Capital Investment Corp. (a)
|
| 4,510,575
|
| 130,329
|
| THL Credit, Inc. (a)
|
| 904,483
|
| 206,751
|
| TPG Specialty Lending, Inc.
|
| 4,163,965
|
| 483,845
|
| TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp. (a)
|
| 6,154,508
|
|
|
| Total Common Stocks - Business Development Companies
|
| 94,889,698
|
|
|
| (Cost $102,700,329)
|
|
|
| REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS – 14.1%
|
|
|
| Mortgage Real Estate
Investment Trusts – 14.1%
|
|
|
| 481,782
|
| Annaly Capital Management, Inc.
|
| 4,880,452
|
| 108,500
|
| Capstead Mortgage Corp. (a)
|
| 900,550
|
| 434,949
|
| Two Harbors Investment Corp. (a)
|
| 6,032,742
|
|
|
| Total Real Estate Investment Trusts
|
| 11,813,744
|
|
|
| (Cost $13,248,197)
|
|
|
|
|
| Total Investments – 126.9%
|
| 106,703,442
|
|
|
| (Cost $115,948,526) (b)
|
|
|
|
|
| Outstanding Loan – (29.7)%
|
| (25,000,000)
|
|
|
| Net Other Assets and Liabilities – 2.8%
|
| 2,403,009
|
|
|
| Net Assets – 100.0%
|
| $84,106,451
|
|
| (a)
| All or a portion of this security serves as collateral on the outstanding loan.
|
| (b)
| Aggregate cost for financial reporting purposes approximates the aggregate cost for federal income tax purposes. As of February 28, 2019, the aggregate gross
unrealized appreciation for all investments in which there was an excess of value over tax cost was $9,556,643 and the aggregate gross unrealized depreciation for all investments in which there was an excess of tax
cost over value was $18,801,727. The net unrealized depreciation was $9,245,084.
|
Valuation Inputs
A summary of the inputs
used to value the Fund’s investments as of February 28, 2019 is as follows (see Note 2A - Portfolio Valuation in the Notes to Portfolio of Investments):
|
| Total
Value at
2/28/2019
| Level 1
Quoted
Prices
| Level 2
Significant
Observable
Inputs
| Level 3
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
|
| Common Stocks - Business Development Companies*
| $ 94,889,698
| $ 94,889,698
| $ —
| $ —
|
| Real Estate Investment Trusts*
| 11,813,744
| 11,813,744
| —
| —
|
| Total Investments
| $ 106,703,442
| $ 106,703,442
| $—
| $—
|
| *
| See Portfolio of Investments for industry breakout.
|
See Notes
to Portfolio of Investments
Notes to Portfolio of Investments
First Trust Specialty
Finance and Financial Opportunities Fund (FGB)
February 28, 2019
(Unaudited)
1. Organization
First Trust Specialty
Finance and Financial Opportunities Fund (the “Fund”) is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust on March 20, 2007, and is registered with
the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Fund trades under the ticker symbol FGB on the New York Stock Exchange
(“NYSE”).
The Fund is considered an
investment company and follows accounting and reporting guidance under Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, “Financial Services-Investment Companies.”
2. Valuation and
Investment Practices
A. Portfolio
Valuation
The net asset value
(“NAV”) of the Common Shares of the Fund is determined daily as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading. If the NYSE closes
early on a valuation day, the NAV is determined as of that time. Foreign securities are priced using data reflecting the earlier closing of the principal markets for those securities. The Fund’s NAV per Common
Share is calculated by dividing the value of all assets of the Fund (including accrued interest and dividends), less all liabilities (including accrued expenses, dividends declared but unpaid and any borrowings of the
Fund), by the total number of Common Shares outstanding.
The Fund’s
investments are valued daily at market value or, in the absence of market value with respect to any portfolio securities, at fair value. Market value prices represent last sale or official closing prices from a
national or foreign exchange (i.e., a regulated market) and are primarily obtained from third-party pricing services. Fair value prices represent any prices not considered market value prices and are either obtained
from a third-party pricing service or are determined by the Pricing Committee of the Fund’s investment advisor, First Trust Advisors L.P. (“First Trust” or the “Advisor”), in accordance
with valuation procedures adopted by the Fund’s Board of Trustees, and in accordance with provisions of the 1940 Act. Investments valued by the Advisor’s Pricing Committee, if any, are footnoted as such in
the footnotes to the Portfolio of Investments. The Fund’s investments are valued as follows:
Common
stocks, real estate investment trusts, and other equity securities listed on any national or foreign exchange (excluding The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) and the London Stock Exchange Alternative
Investment Market (“AIM”)) are valued at the last sale price on the exchange on which they are principally traded or, for Nasdaq and AIM securities, the official closing price. Securities traded on more
than one securities exchange are valued at the last sale price or official closing price, as applicable, at the close of the securities exchange representing the principal market for such securities.
Securities traded in an over-the-counter market are fair valued at the mean of their most recent bid and asked price, if available, and otherwise at their closing bid price.
Certain securities may
not be able to be priced by pre-established pricing methods. Such securities may be valued by the Fund’s Board of Trustees or its delegate, the Advisor’s Pricing Committee, at fair value. These securities
generally include, but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities which may not be publicly sold without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) for which a third-party pricing service is
unable to provide a market price; securities whose trading has been formally suspended; a security whose market or fair value price is not available from a pre-established pricing source; a security with respect to
which an event has occurred that is likely to materially affect the value of the security after the market has closed but before the calculation of the Fund’s NAV or make it difficult or impossible to obtain a
reliable market quotation; and a security whose price, as provided by the third-party pricing service, does not reflect the security’s fair value. As a general principle, the current fair value of a security
would appear to be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive for the security upon its current sale. When fair value prices are used, generally they will differ from market quotations or official
closing prices on the applicable exchanges. A variety of factors may be considered in determining the fair value of such securities, including, but not limited to, the following:
| 1)
| the type of security;
|
| 2)
| the size of the holding;
|
| 3)
| the initial cost of the security;
|
| 4)
| transactions in comparable securities;
|
| 5)
| price quotes from dealers and/or third-party pricing services;
|
| 6)
| relationships among various securities;
|
| 7)
| information obtained by contacting the issuer, analysts, or the appropriate stock exchange;
|
| 8)
| an analysis of the issuer’s financial statements; and
|
| 9)
| the existence of merger proposals or tender offers that might affect the value of the security.
|
Notes to Portfolio of Investments (Continued)
First Trust Specialty
Finance and Financial Opportunities Fund (FGB)
February 28, 2019
(Unaudited)
The Fund is subject to
fair value accounting standards that define fair value, establish the framework for measuring fair value and provide a three-level hierarchy for fair valuation based upon the inputs to the valuation as of the
measurement date. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:
| •
| Level 1 – Level 1 inputs are quoted prices in active markets for identical investments. An active market is a market in which transactions for the investment occur with sufficient frequency and
volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis.
|
| •
| Level 2 – Level 2 inputs are observable inputs, either directly or indirectly, and include the following:
|
| o
| Quoted prices for similar investments in active markets.
|
| o
| Quoted prices for identical or similar investments in markets that are non-active. A non-active market is a market where there are few transactions for the investment, the prices are not current, or
price quotations vary substantially either over time or among market makers, or in which little information is released publicly.
|
| o
| Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the investment (for example, interest rates and yield curves observable at commonly quoted intervals, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss
severities, credit risks, and default rates).
|
| o
| Inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means.
|
| •
| Level 3 – Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs. Unobservable inputs may reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing
the investment.
|
The inputs or
methodologies used for valuing investments are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those investments. A summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of
February 28, 2019, is included with the Fund’s Portfolio of Investments.
B. Securities
Transactions
Securities transactions
are recorded as of the trade date. Realized gains and losses from securities transactions are recorded on the identified cost basis.
Item 2. Controls and Procedures.
| (a) | The registrant’s principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing
similar functions, have concluded that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) (17 CFR 270.30a-3(c))) are effective, as of a date
within 90 days of the filing date of the report that includes the disclosure required by this paragraph, based on their evaluation
of these controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the 1940 Act (17 CFR 270.30a-3(b)) and Rules 13a-15(b) or 15d-15(b)
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (17 CFR 240.13a-15(b) or 240.15d-15(b)). |
| (b) | There were no changes in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined
in Rule 30a-3(d) under the 1940 Act (17 CFR 270.30a-3(d)) that occurred during the registrant’s last fiscal quarter that
have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial
reporting. |
Item 3. Exhibits.
Certifications pursuant to Rule 30a-2(a) under the 1940 Act and
Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 are attached hereto.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| (Registrant) | | First Trust Specialty Finance and
Financial Opportunities Fund
|
|
|
| By (Signature and Title)* | | /s/
James M. Dykas |
|
|
| | | James M. Dykas, President and Chief Executive Officer
(principal executive officer) |
|
|
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940,
this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| By (Signature and Title)* | | /s/
James M. Dykas |
|
|
| | | James M. Dykas, President and Chief Executive Officer
(principal executive officer) |
|
|
| By (Signature and Title)* | | /s/
Donald P. Swade |
|
|
| | | Donald P. Swade, Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer
and Chief Accounting Officer
(principal financial officer) |
|
|
* Print the name and title of each signing officer under his or
her signature.