First Trust Merger Arbitrage ETF

Frequently Asked Questions About MARB

What does MARB invest in?

Under normal market conditions, the fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by establishing long and short positions in the equity securities of companies that are involved in a publicly-announced significant corporate event, such as a merger or acquisition. It's portfolio may include equity securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. companies, including American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"). The fund may invest in securities issued by small, mid and large capitalization issuers. It is non-diversified.

What is the expense ratio of MARB?

First Trust Merger Arbitrage ETF (MARB) charges an expense ratio of 1.69%. This is the annual fee deducted from fund assets to cover management and operations.

How big is MARB?

First Trust Merger Arbitrage ETF (MARB) manages $19.9M in total assets. AUM determines bid-ask liquidity and the fund's vulnerability to closure. Funds below ~$50M are at higher risk of liquidation.

Is MARB actively managed or an index fund?

MARB is actively managed: the manager selects holdings rather than tracking an index. Active funds typically charge higher expense ratios than index funds (MARB's is 1.69%) in exchange for the discretion to over- or under-weight positions.

When was MARB launched?

First Trust Merger Arbitrage ETF (MARB) launched in February 2020 and is managed by First Trust.

How has MARB performed?

MARB's total return (price change plus reinvested distributions) is charted at the top of this page. Switch the price chart to Total Return and pick a 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, or 10-year window to read the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over each horizon.