0001145549-19-001294.txt : 20190111 0001145549-19-001294.hdr.sgml : 20190111 20190111171902 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001145549-19-001294 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: N-CEN PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 2 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20181031 FILED AS OF DATE: 20190111 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20190111 EFFECTIVENESS DATE: 20190111 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund III CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001424212 IRS NUMBER: 000000000 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: N-CEN SEC ACT: 1940 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 811-22245 FILM NUMBER: 19522995 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 120 EAST LIBERTY DRIVE STREET 2: SUITE 400 CITY: WHEATON STATE: IL ZIP: 60187 BUSINESS PHONE: 630-765-8000 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 120 EAST LIBERTY DRIVE STREET 2: SUITE 400 CITY: WHEATON STATE: IL ZIP: 60187 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: First Trust Exchange Traded Fund III DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 20080116 0001424212 S000034980 First Trust Preferred Securities and Income ETF 0001424212 S000044373 First Trust Managed Municipal ETF 0001424212 S000045700 First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF 0001424212 S000046751 First Trust Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF 0001424212 S000052735 First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Asia Pacific ETF 0001424212 S000052736 First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Developed International ETF 0001424212 S000052737 First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Emerging Markets ETF 0001424212 S000052738 First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Europe ETF 0001424212 S000058182 First Trust Institutional Preferred Securities and Income ETF N-CEN 1 primary_doc.xml X0101 N-CEN LIVE 0001424212 XXXXXXXX false false false N-1A S000046751 true S000034980 true S000044373 true S000045700 true S000052735 true S000052736 true S000052738 true S000052737 true S000058182 true First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund III 811-22245 0001424212 5493003Z20QMESC6XS29 120 E. Liberty Drive, Suite 400 Wheaton 60187 US-IL US 6307658000 First Trust Advisors L.P. 120 E. Liberty Drive, Suite 400 Wheaton 60187 6307658000 Fund Accounting, Custody and Transfer Agent records and certain Administration records Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 50 Post Office Square Boston 02110 2124831818 Fund Accounting, Custody and Transfer Agent records and certain Administration records First Trust Global Portfolios Ltd. 8 Angel Court London GB EC2R7HJ 442031957121 Records related to the registrant and investment sub-adviser. RiverFront Investment Group, LLC 1214 E Cary Street Richmond 23219 8045494800 Records related to the registrant and investment sub-adviser. Stonebridge Advisors, LLC 10 Westport Rd Wilton 06897 2037620004 Records related to the registrant and investment sub-adviser. N N N-1A 13 Y Richard E. Erickson N/A N Thomas R. Kadlec 001721772 N Robert F. Keith N/A N Niel B. Nielson N/A N James A. Bowen 001123316 Y Kristi A. Maher N/A 120 E. 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MBNUM2BPBDO7JBLYG310 RU N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Euroclear Bank SA 549300OZ46BRLZ8Y6F65 BE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) BNP PARIBAS CARDIF PORTUGAL, A.C.E. 213800AWZNPVFOGG3207 PT N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (Hong Kong) 2HI3YI5320L3RW6NJ957 HK N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) N Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 5493006KMX1VFTPYPW14 N N N Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 5493006KMX1VFTPYPW14 N N N FIRST TRUST PORTFOLIOS L.P. 8-43843 000028519 54930062T84Z5CXY1C58 0.0 CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) 008-00422 000000816 1V8Y6QCX6YMJ2OELII46 100490.760000000000 SUSQUEHANNA FINANCIAL GROUP, LLLP 008-44325 000035865 549300E8QX0ZMRDC2M81 1877.910000000000 DEUTSCHE-BANK SECURITIES INC. 008-17822 000002525 9J6MBOOO7BECTDTUZW19 48231.920000000000 GOLDMAN SACHS AND CO. 008-00129 000000361 FOR8UP27PHTHYVLBNG30 102291.040000000000 MERRILL LYNCH 008-07221 000007691 8NAV47T0Y26Q87Y0QP81 43855.150000000000 BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION N/A N/A 9DJT3UXIJIZJI4WXO774 6532.580000000000 BRASIL PLURAL CORRETORA DE CAM 008-68982 000159384 254900V729L8EIB4A492 10472.400000000000 CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC 008-08177 000007059 MBNUM2BPBDO7JBLYG310 89.520000000000 IM Trust S.A. Corredora de Bolsa N/A N/A N/A CL 4695.620000000000 LARRAIN VIAL 008-68452 000152424 5493005CIOQIR3NFP130 1906.510000000000 320443.410000000000 CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) 008-00422 000000816 1V8Y6QCX6YMJ2OELII46 107205893.500000000000 MERRILL LYNCH 008-07221 000007691 8NAV47T0Y26Q87Y0QP81 7086258.500000000000 114292152.000000000000 N 117038535.180000000000 N First Trust Institutional Preferred Securities and Income ETF S000058182 549300D7ZFDT8O4VUH39 Y 0 0 0 Exchange-Traded Fund Y N Y N Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 5493006KMX1VFTPYPW14 N N N/A N/A N/A Rule 32a-4 (17 CFR 270.32a-4) N N N N FIRST TRUST ADVISORS L.P. 801-39950 000107027 549300381GGS7S5JQ115 N Stonebridge Advisors LLC 801-63899 000134017 254900FNIG91P6HRKG39 Y N Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 84-06072 5493006KMX1VFTPYPW14 N N N ICE Data Pricing & Reference Data, LLC 5493000NQ9LYLDBCTL34 N Thomson Reuters Corporation 549300561UZND4C7B569 CA N Bloomberg L.P. 549300B56MD0ZC402L06 N N Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 5493006KMX1VFTPYPW14 N N Bank - section 17(f)(1) (15 U.S.C. 80a-17(f)(1)) Euroclear Bank SA 549300OZ46BRLZ8Y6F65 BE N Y Foreign custodian - rule 17f-5 (17 CFR 270.17f-5) N Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 5493006KMX1VFTPYPW14 N N N Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 5493006KMX1VFTPYPW14 N N N FIRST TRUST PORTFOLIOS L.P. 8-43843 000028519 54930062T84Z5CXY1C58 0.0 0.000000000000 MERRILL LYNCH 008-07221 000007691 8NAV47T0Y26Q87Y0QP81 65756203.500000000000 JP MORGAN SECURITIES 008-35008 000000079 ZBUT11V806EZRVTWT807 8912284.000000000000 DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES 008-17822 000002525 9J6MBOOO7BECTDTUZW19 5041842.500000000000 GOLDMAN SACHS AND CO. 008-00129 000000361 FOR8UP27PHTHYVLBNG30 3863284.000000000000 CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) 008-00422 000000816 1V8Y6QCX6YMJ2OELII46 3015898.500000000000 86589512.500000000000 N 70834638.710000000000 N First Trust Preferred Securities and Income ETF S000034980 N 50000.000000000000 81.324423030804 9.387022082810 18.675576969196 9.387022082810 73.266765110185 1.442796673793 26.733234889816 1.442796673793 N/A 500.000000000000 0.040000000000 N/A N/A 0.080000000000 N/A 500.000000000000 0.040000000000 N/A N/A 0.080000000000 First Trust Managed Municipal ETF S000044373 N 50000.000000000000 100.000000000000 0.000000000000 0.000000000000 0.000000000000 100.000000000000 0.000000000000 0.000000000000 0.000000000000 N/A 500.000000000000 0.050000000000 N/A N/A 0.050000000000 N/A 500.000000000000 0.050000000000 N/A N/A 0.050000000000 First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF S000045700 N 50000.000000000000 0.404953351137 0.639765409936 99.595046648863 0.639765409936 2.019183919732 2.604526786576 97.980816080268 2.604526786576 N/A 500.000000000000 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 500.000000000000 N/A N/A N/A N/A First Trust Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF S000046751 N 50000.000000000000 100.000000000000 0.000000000000 0.000000000000 0.000000000000 100.000000000000 0.000000000000 0.000000000000 0.000000000000 N/A 500.000000000000 0.160000000000 N/A N/A 0.160000000000 N/A 500.000000000000 0.160000000000 N/A N/A 0.160000000000 First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Asia Pacific ETF S000052735 Y 50000.000000000000 20.449076321537 26.553560289118 79.550923678464 26.553560289118 4.181497736774 4.156520803429 95.818502263226 4.156520803429 N/A 1516.670000000000 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 1170.000000000000 N/A N/A N/A N/A First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Developed International ETF S000052736 Y 50000.000000000000 3.809302105571 6.345961377594 96.190697894429 6.345961377594 1.441402728562 0.487744181258 98.558597271438 0.487744181258 N/A 3656.000000000000 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 3942.860000000000 N/A N/A N/A N/A First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Europe ETF S000052738 Y 50000.000000000000 17.046521697652 37.098355079632 82.953478302348 37.098355079632 0.604979055759 0.236023366083 99.395020944241 0.236023366083 N/A 1866.670000000000 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 2311.110000000000 N/A N/A N/A N/A First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Emerging Markets ETF S000052737 Y 50000.000000000000 65.650139178868 8.881199895912 34.349860821133 8.881199895912 40.930851745409 1.920125082793 59.069148254591 1.920125082793 N/A 4250.000000000000 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 4400.000000000000 N/A N/A N/A N/A First Trust Institutional Preferred Securities and Income ETF S000058182 N 50000.000000000000 100.000000000000 0.000000000000 0.000000000000 0.000000000000 100.000000000000 0.000000000000 0.000000000000 0.000000000000 N/A 500.000000000000 0.080000000000 N/A N/A 0.080000000000 N/A 500.000000000000 0.080000000000 N/A N/A 0.080000000000 true INTERNAL CONTROL RPT 2 etfiii_intctrl103118.htm Form 8-K

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund III:

In planning and performing our audits of the financial statements of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund III (the “Trust’), including the First Trust Preferred Securities and Income ETF, First Trust Managed Municipal ETF, First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF, First Trust Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF, First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Asia Pacific ETF, First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Developed International ETF, First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Europe ETF, First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Emerging Markets ETF, and First Trust Institutional Preferred Securities and Income ETF, as of and for the year ended October 31, 2018, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), we considered the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting, including controls over safeguarding securities, as a basis for designing our auditing procedures for the purpose of expressing our opinion on the financial statements and to comply with the requirements of Form N-CEN, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

The management of the Trust is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting. In fulfilling this responsibility, estimates and judgments by management are required to assess the expected benefits and related costs of controls. A fund’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A fund’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the fund; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the fund are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the fund; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of a fund’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

A deficiency in internal control over financial reporting exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the fund’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

Our consideration of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting was for the limited purpose described in the first paragraph and would not necessarily disclose all deficiencies in internal control that might be material weaknesses under standards established by the PCAOB. However, we noted no deficiencies in the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting and its operation, including controls for safeguarding securities that we consider to be a material weakness, as defined above, as of October 31, 2018.


This report is intended solely for the information and use of management and the Board of Trustees of the Trust and the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties.

/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Chicago, Illinois

December 21, 2018