IFP Advisors Sells Off 395,000 First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF (FTSM) Shares Worth $23.7 Million

On December 2, 2025, IFP Advisors, Inc disclosed a sale of 395,379 shares of First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF (NASDAQ:FTSM), reducing its position by an estimated $23.66 million, according to a recent SEC filing.

• Sold 395,379 shares, with an estimated $23.66 million net position decrease
• Represents a trade of approximately 0.6116% of fund AUM
• Post-trade stake: 361,611 shares valued at $21.66 million
• Position now 0.56% of fund AUM, which places it outside the fund's top five holdings

What happened

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing dated Dec. 2, 2025, IFP Advisors, Inc. reduced its holdings in First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF by 395,379 shares during the third quarter. The post-sale position stands at 361,611 shares, worth $21.66 million at quarter-end. The transaction reflects normal trading activity, with the stake now accounting for approximately 0.56% of the fund's reported U.S. equity assets.

What else to know

• The fund sold FTSM, reducing its stake to 0.56% of 13F reportable assets under management.
• Top holdings after the filing:
  • NASDAQ:AAPL: $104.18 million (2.7% of AUM)
  • NASDAQ:NVDA: $69.81 million (1.8% of AUM)
  • NYSEMKT:VUG: $60.89 million (1.6% of AUM)
  • NYSEMKT:SPY: $59.17 million (1.5% of AUM)
  • NASDAQ:QQQ: $55.90 million (1.4% of AUM)
• As of December 1, 2025, shares of FTSM were priced at $59.90, down 0.4% from the 52-week high.
• One-year total return was 4.2%, underperforming the S&P 500 by 9.25 percentage points.
• The reported annualized dividend yield was 4.34% as of December 2, 2025.

ETF overview

ETF snapshot

• Investment strategy focuses on maintaining a portfolio of U.S. dollar-denominated fixed- and variable-rate debt securities with an average duration of less than one year and average maturity below three years.
• Fund structure is an ETF that invests in U.S. dollar-denominated fixed- and variable-rate debt securities with an average duration of less than one year and average maturity below three years.
• Targets institutional and individual investors seeking competitive income and low volatility in changing rate environments.

First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF (FTSM) is a short-duration fixed income ETF with a market capitalization of $6.16 billion, designed to offer enhanced yield while minimizing interest rate risk. The fund's active management approach allows for dynamic allocation among high-quality, short-term debt instruments, supporting both liquidity and capital preservation.

Foolish take

The First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF (FTSM) isn't the highest-yielding bond ETF. With a focus on short-term debt, though, it provides a steady yield. Investors who held it over the past year haven't seen much price appreciation. Adding up all the dividends they received produced a 4.58% total return over the past 12 months.

At the end of June, FTSM was the seventh largest holding out of thousands in IFP Advisors' portfolio. A decision to trim about 52% of the FTSM shares it was holding suggests the firm expects the overall market to continue performing. In addition to trimming a defensive FTSM position from its portfolio, the firm raised its position in the Vanguard Growth ETF by 12% during the third quarter. The growth-focused ETF is now IFP's third-largest position.

Despite being focused on short-term debt, U.S. Treasury notes due in 2027 are the largest holding at 1.2% of the portfolio. Fixed-rate corporate bonds make up 46.7% of the overall portfolio.

Glossary

ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund): An investment fund traded on stock exchanges, holding a basket of assets like stocks or bonds.

AUM (Assets Under Management): The total market value of assets that an investment manager or fund controls on behalf of investors.

13F reportable assets: Securities holdings that institutional investment managers must report quarterly to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Form 13F.

Dividend yield: Annual dividends paid by an investment, expressed as a percentage of its current price.

Total return: The investment's price change plus all dividends and distributions, assuming those payouts are reinvested.

Duration: A measure of a bond or portfolio's sensitivity to interest rate changes, expressed in years.

Maturity: The length of time until a debt security, like a bond, repays its principal amount.

Short-duration: Refers to bonds or funds with low average durations, making them less sensitive to interest rate changes.

Fixed- and variable-rate debt securities: Bonds or loans that pay either a set (fixed) or changing (variable) interest rate.

Active management: An investment strategy where managers make ongoing decisions to buy or sell assets, aiming to outperform benchmarks.

Capital preservation: An investment goal focused on preventing losses and maintaining the original investment amount.

Liquidity: How quickly and easily an asset can be converted into cash without significantly affecting its price.

Cory Renauer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Nvidia, and Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Growth ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.