497K 1 prme_497k.htm SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

Rule 497(k)

File No. 333-174332

First Trust
Exchange-Traded Fund IV
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
First Trust Heitman Global Prime Real Estate ETF
Ticker Symbol: PRME
Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s statutory prospectus and other information about the Fund, including the statement of additional information and most recent reports to shareholders, online at www.ftportfolios.com/retail/ETF/ETFfundnews.aspx?Ticker=PRME.  You can also get this information at no cost by calling (800) 621-1675 or by sending an e-mail request to info@ftportfolios.com.  The Fund’s  prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated March 1, 2019, as supplemented on March 13, 2019, are all incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.
The Board of Trustees of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund IV (the “Trust”) has approved a transaction to combine the Fund with First Trust FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Markets Real Estate Index Fund (“FFR”), an exchange-traded index fund that seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield (before fees and expenses) of an equity index called the FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Index. Pursuant to this transaction, Fund shareholders will become shareholders of FFR.
In order for the transaction to occur, the shareholders of the Fund must approve the transaction. If approved, shares of the Fund would be exchanged, on a tax-free basis for federal income tax purposes, for shares of FFR with an equal aggregate net asset value, and Fund shareholders will become shareholders of FFR.
A special meeting of shareholders of the Fund for the purpose of voting on the transaction will be held. If the required approval is obtained, it is anticipated that the transaction will be consummated shortly after the special shareholder meeting.
The Fund will continue sales and redemptions of shares as described in the Fund’s prospectus. Holders of shares of the Fund purchased after the record date set for the special meeting of shareholders will not be entitled to vote those shares at the special meeting.
March 13, 2019
Investment Objectives
The First Trust Heitman Global Prime Real Estate ETF's (the "Fund") investment objective is to provide long-term total return.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. Investors purchasing and selling shares may be subject to costs (including customary brokerage commissions) charged by their broker, which are not reflected in the table below.
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) None
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees 0.95%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees 0.00%
Other Expenses 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.95%
Example
The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. This example does not take into account customary brokerage commissions that you pay when purchasing or selling shares of the Fund in the secondary market.
The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain at current levels. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
$97 $303 $525 $1,166
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 85% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund will seek to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets (including investment borrowings) in U.S. and non-U.S. exchange-traded real estate securities, which includes real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), real estate operating companies (“REOCs”) and common stocks or depositary receipts of companies primarily engaged in the real estate industry (collectively, “Real Estate Securities”). Accordingly, the Fund is concentrated in REITs and/or real estate management and development companies (including REOCs), sub-industries of the real estate industry group. Real estate management and development companies generally derive at least 50% of their revenue from, or have at least 50% of their assets invested in, real estate, including the ownership, construction, management, or sale of real estate. The Fund will not invest directly in real estate.
The Fund seeks to provide investors access to a real estate securities portfolio consisting of shares of public companies with professional management teams that own top-tier, prime properties in the world’s dominant cities. “Prime” markets and cities are some of the world’s top cities which are recognized as “global gateway” markets that benefit from global physical and/or financial trade, have high barriers to entry, dominate their regions or countries, or provide high value niche goods and services. The key factors are location, physical specification, sustainability, tenant quality, and income stability. In practice, prime assets are also ones that are competitively sought after and command high values in both absolute and relative terms, resulting in relatively low cap rates.
The Fund’s portfolio managers will select Real Estate Securities by implementing an investment process that is outlined below:
As a first screen, all securities in the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®) real estate industry are filtered for size and liquidity, based upon free float market capitalization for size and a threshold daily trading volumes for liquidity. The purpose of these quantitative screens is to ensure that the investment strategy can be executed in a buy and hold manner without undue stress.
In the second stage, screening is conducted using a combination of qualitative and quantitative tools. From a qualitative perspective, portfolio analysts maintain a close coverage universe and are in regular contact with the management of potential Real Estate Securities issuers, regularly visiting properties and markets to see as many of the properties in person as is reasonably possible. In addition to their own research, the analysts have access to other property experts and sell-side professionals within their organizations who also evaluate their companies. The task of the analysts is to identify those companies that meet the test of two quantitative filters. The issuers in which the Fund invests must generally have (1) more than 75% of their gross asset value in prime markets and (2) more than 50% of their assets under management in prime assets.
Executing the quantitative and qualitative screens produces a universe of companies that meet the size, liquidity, and concentration in prime markets and assets tests. From this universe of prime assets and markets, the portfolio managers’ regional teams construct a high conviction portfolio that, in the opinion of the portfolio managers, offers the best expected risk/return profile of the names within the prime universe. Consideration for inclusion in the portfolio includes the issuer’s balance sheet, assessment of management’s acumen and the projected long-term growth profile of the company.
The Fund invests in REITs and REOCs, companies that own and often manage income-generating real estate. REITs distribute most of their income to investors and therefore receive special tax considerations and are typically a highly liquid method of investing in real estate. REOCs, on the other hand, reinvest most income into their operations and therefore do not get the same benefits of lower corporate taxation that are a common characteristic of REITs.
The Fund typically invests in 25 to 100 Real Estate Securities issued by small, mid and large capitalization companies. The Fund invests in securities of issuers domiciled or operating in Asia and Europe, as well as other non-U.S. issuers, including those in emerging market countries. The Fund intends to invest at least 40% of its net assets in securities of non-U.S. issuers and in issuers domiciled or operating in at least three different countries.
The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and as a result may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers. The Fund is only limited as to the percentage of its assets which may be invested in the securities of any one issuer by diversification requirements imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. As of January 31, 2019, the Fund had significant investments in real estate companies.
Principal Risks
You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT CONCENTRATION RISK. Only an authorized participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. A limited number of institutions act as authorized participants for the Fund. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders and no other authorized participant steps forward to create or redeem, the Fund’s shares may trade at a premium or discount to the Fund’s net asset value and possibly face delisting.
CONCENTRATION RISK. To the extent that the Fund invests a large percentage of its assets in a single asset class or the securities of issuers within the same country, state, region, industry or sector, an adverse economic, business or political development may affect the value of the Fund’s investments more than if the Fund were more broadly diversified. A concentration makes the Fund more susceptible to any single occurrence and may subject the Fund to greater market risk than a fund that is not so concentrated.
CURRENCY RISK. Changes in currency exchange rates affect the value of investments denominated in a foreign currency, and therefore the value of such investments in the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund’s net asset value could decline if a currency to which the Fund has exposure depreciates against the U.S. dollar or if there are delays or limits on repatriation of such currency. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning.
CYBER SECURITY RISK. The Fund is susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity. Such events could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. Cyber security breaches may involve unauthorized access to the Fund’s digital information systems through “hacking” or malicious software coding but may also result from outside attacks such as denial-of-service attacks through efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users. In addition, cyber security breaches of the securities issuers or the Fund’s third-party service providers, such as its administrator, transfer agent, custodian, or sub-advisor, as applicable, or issuers in which the Fund invests, can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. Although the Fund has established risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially because the Fund does not directly control the cyber security systems of issuers or third-party service providers.
DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS RISK. Depositary receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. Any distributions paid to the holders of depositary receipts are usually subject to a fee charged by the depositary. Holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, and investment restrictions in certain countries may adversely impact the value of depositary receipts because such restrictions may limit the ability to convert the equity shares into depositary receipts and vice versa. Such restrictions may cause the equity shares of the underlying issuer to trade at a discount or premium to the market price of the depositary receipts.
EMERGING MARKETS RISK. Investments in securities issued by companies operating in emerging market countries involve additional risks relating to political, economic, or regulatory conditions not associated with investments in securities and instruments issued by U.S. companies or by companies operating in other developed market countries. Investments in emerging markets securities are generally considered speculative in nature and are subject to the following heightened risks: smaller market capitalization of securities markets which may suffer periods of relative illiquidity; significant price volatility; restrictions on foreign investment; possible repatriation of investment income and capital; rapid inflation; and currency convertibility issues. Emerging market countries also often have less uniformity in accounting and reporting requirements, unsettled securities laws, unreliable securities valuation and greater risk associated with custody of securities. Furthermore, investors may be required to register the proceeds of sales and future economic or political crises could lead to price controls, forced mergers, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, seizure, nationalization or creation of government monopolies.
EQUITY SECURITIES RISK. The value of the Fund’s shares will fluctuate with changes in the value of the equity securities in which it invests. Equity securities prices fluctuate for several reasons, including changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant equity market, such as market volatility, or when political or economic events affecting an issuer occur. Common stock prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase. Equity securities may decline significantly in price over short or extended periods of time, and such declines may occur in the equity market as a whole, or they may occur in only a particular country, company, industry or sector of the market.
EUROPE RISK. The Fund is subject to certain risks specifically associated with investments in the securities of European issuers. Political or economic disruptions in European countries, even in countries in which the Fund is not invested, may adversely affect security values and thus the Fund’s holdings. A significant number of countries in Europe are member states in the European Union (the “EU”), and the member states no longer control their own monetary policies by directing independent interest rates for their currencies. In these member states, the authority to direct monetary policies, including money supply and official interest rates for the Euro, is exercised by the European Central Bank. The United Kingdom’s referendum on June 23, 2016 to leave the EU (known as “Brexit”) sparked depreciation in the value of the British pound, short-term declines in the stock markets and heightened risk of continued economic volatility worldwide. Although the long-term effects of Brexit are difficult to gauge and cannot be fully known, they could have wide ranging implications for the United Kingdom’s economy, including: possible inflation or recession, continued depreciation of the pound, or disruption to Britain’s trading arrangements with the rest of Europe. The United Kingdom is one of the EU’s largest economies. Its departure may negatively impact the EU and Europe as a whole by causing volatility within the EU, triggering prolonged economic downturns in certain European countries or sparking additional member states to contemplate departing the EU (thereby perpetuating political instability in the region).
INFLATION RISK. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions may decline.
MANAGEMENT RISK. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.
MARKET MAKER RISK. The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for Fund shares due to a limited number of market markers. Decisions by market makers or authorized participants to reduce their role or step away from these activities in times of market stress could inhibit the effectiveness of the arbitrage process in maintaining the relationship between the underlying values of the Fund’s portfolio securities and the Fund’s market price. The Fund may rely on a small number of third-party market makers to provide a market for the purchase and sale of shares. Any trading halt or other problem relating to the trading activity of these market makers could result in a dramatic change in the spread between the Fund’s net asset value and the price at which the Fund’s shares are trading on the Exchange, which could result in a decrease in value of the Fund’s shares. This reduced effectiveness could result in Fund shares trading at a discount to net asset value and also in greater than normal intraday bid-ask spreads for Fund shares.
MARKET RISK. Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or shares of the Fund in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of the Fund could decline in value or underperform other investments.
NON-DIVERSIFICATION RISK. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act. As a result, the Fund is only limited as to the percentage of its assets which may be invested in the securities of any one issuer by the diversification requirements imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The Fund may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number
of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence affecting one or more of these issuers, experience increased volatility and be highly invested in certain issuers.
NON-U.S. SECURITIES RISK. Non-U.S. securities are subject to higher volatility than securities of domestic issuers due to possible adverse political, social or economic developments, restrictions on foreign investment or exchange of securities, lack of liquidity, currency exchange rates, excessive taxation, government seizure of assets, different legal or accounting standards, and less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges in foreign countries.
PREMIUM/DISCOUNT RISK. The market price of the Fund’s shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Fund’s net asset value as well as the relative supply of and demand for shares on the Exchange. The Fund’s investment advisor cannot predict whether shares will trade below, at or above their net asset value because the shares trade on the Exchange at market prices and not at net asset value. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for shares will be closely related, but not identical, to the same forces influencing the prices of the holdings of the Fund trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. However, given that shares can only be purchased and redeemed in Creation Units, and only to and from broker-dealers and large institutional investors that have entered into participation agreements (unlike shares of closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their net asset value), the Fund’s investment advisor believes that large discounts or premiums to the net asset value of shares should not be sustained.
REAL ESTATE COMPANIES RISK. Real estate companies include REITs and other companies involved in the operation and development of commercial, residential and industrial real estate. An investment in a real estate company may be subject to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including the possibility of declines in the value of real estate, losses from casualty or condemnation, and changes in local and general economic conditions, supply and demand, interest rates, environmental liability, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property taxes, and operating expenses. Some real estate companies have limited diversification because they invest in a limited number of properties, a narrow geographic area, or a single type of property. The price of a real estate company’s securities may also drop because of dividend reductions, lowered credit ratings, poor management, or other factors that affect companies in general.
REIT RISK. REITs typically own and operate income-producing real estate, such as residential or commercial buildings, or real-estate related assets, including mortgages. As a result, investments in REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in real estate, which may include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in the value of underlying properties; defaults by borrowers or tenants; market saturation; changes in general and local operating expenses; and other economic, political or regulatory occurrences affecting companies in the real estate sector. REITs are also subject to the risk that the real estate market may experience an economic downturn generally, which may have a material effect on the real estate in which the REITs invest and their underlying portfolio securities. REITs may have also a relatively small market capitalization which may result in their shares experiencing less market liquidity and greater price volatility than larger companies. Increases in interest rates typically lower the present value of a REIT's future earnings stream, and may make financing property purchases and improvements more costly. Because the market price of REIT stocks may change based upon investors' collective perceptions of future earnings, the value of the Fund will generally decline when investors anticipate or experience rising interest rates.
SMALL FUND RISK. The Fund currently has fewer assets than larger funds, and like other smaller funds, large inflows and outflows may impact the Fund’s market exposure for limited periods of time. This impact may be positive or negative, depending on the direction of market movement during the period affected. If the Fund fails to attract a large amount of assets, shareholders of the Fund may incur higher expenses as the Fund’s fixed costs would be allocated over a smaller number of shareholders.
SMALLER COMPANIES RISK. Small and/or mid capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse general market or economic developments, and their securities may be less liquid and may experience greater price volatility than larger, more established companies as a result of several factors, including limited trading volumes, fewer products or financial resources, management inexperience and less publicly available information. Accordingly, such companies are generally subject to greater market risk than larger, more established companies.
TRADING ISSUES RISK. Although the shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules. Market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Fund’s shares, and authorized participants are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. In the event market makers cease making a market in the Fund's shares or authorized participants stop submitting purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units, Fund shares may trade at a larger premium or discount to their net asset value. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged. The Fund may have difficulty maintaining its listing on the Exchange in the event the Fund’s assets are small or the Fund does not have enough shareholders.
Annual Total Return
The bar chart and table below illustrate the annual calendar year returns of the Fund based on net asset value as well as the average annual Fund returns. The bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual total returns based on net asset value compared to those of a market index. See “Total Return Information” for additional performance information regarding the Fund. The Fund’s performance information is accessible on the Fund’s website at www.ftportfolios.com.
First Trust Heitman Global Prime Real Estate ETF
Calendar Year Total Returns as of 12/31
During the periods shown in the chart above:
Best Quarter Worst Quarter
4.15% June 30, 2017 -7.68% December 31, 2018
The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Returns before taxes do not reflect the effects of any income or capital gains taxes. All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of any state or local tax. Returns after taxes on distributions reflect the taxed return on the payment of dividends and capital gains. Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of shares assume you sold your shares at period end, and, therefore, are also adjusted for any capital gains or losses incurred. Returns for the market indices do not include expenses, which are deducted from Fund returns, or taxes.
Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as individual retirement accounts (IRAs) or employee-sponsored retirement plans.
Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2018
  1 Year Since
Inception 		Inception
Date
Return Before Taxes -6.88% 1.16% 11/11/2015
Return After Taxes on Distributions -8.04% -0.77%  
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares -4.04% 0.06%  
FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) -4.74% 4.30%  
Management
Investment Advisor
First Trust Advisors L.P. (“First Trust” or the “Advisor”)
Investment Sub-Advisor
Heitman Real Estate Securities LLC (“HRES LLC” or the “Sub-Advisor”)
Investment Sub-Sub-Advisors
Heitman International Real Estate Securities HK Limited (“Heitman HK Limited” or a “Sub-Sub-Advisor”)
Heitman International Real Estate Securities GmbH (“Heitman GmbH” or a “Sub-Sub-Advisor”)
Portfolio Managers
The following persons serve as the portfolio managers of the Fund.
• Jerry Ehlinger, CFA, Managing Director of HRES LLC and Lead Portfolio Manager in the North American Public Real Estate Securities group;
• John White, Managing Director of Heitman HK Limited and Lead Portfolio Manager in the Asia-Pacific Public Real Estate Securities group;
• Jacques Perdrix, Senior Vice President of HRES LLC’s European Public Real Estate Securities group; and
• Andreas Welter, Senior Vice President of HRES LLC’s European Public Real Estate Securities group.
The portfolio managers are primarily and jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each portfolio manager has served as part of the portfolio management team of the Fund since 2015, except for Jacques Perdrix and Andreas Welter, who have served as part of the portfolio management team of the Fund since 2017.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund issues and redeems shares on a continuous basis, at net asset value, only in Creation Units consisting of 50,000 shares. The Fund’s Creation Units are generally issued and redeemed in-kind for securities in which the Fund invests and, in certain circumstances, for cash, and only to and from broker-dealers and large institutional investors that have entered into participation agreements. Individual shares may only be purchased and sold on NYSE Arca and other eligible securities exchanges through a broker-dealer. Shares of the Fund will trade on NYSE Arca at market prices rather than net asset value, which may cause the shares to trade at a price greater than net asset value (premium) or less than net asset value (discount).
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions are taxable and will generally be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains. Distributions on shares held in a tax deferred account, while not immediately taxable, will be subject to tax when the shares are no longer held in a tax deferred account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), First Trust and First Trust Portfolios L.P., the Fund’s distributor, may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
You can find the Fund’s statutory prospectus and other information about the Fund, including the statement of additional information and most recent reports to shareholders, online at www.ftportfolios.com/retail/ETF/ETFfundnews.aspx?Ticker=PRME.
PRMESP031319