0001752724-24-056578.txt : 20240315 0001752724-24-056578.hdr.sgml : 20240315 20240315153754 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001752724-24-056578 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: N-CEN PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 2 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20231231 FILED AS OF DATE: 20240315 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20240315 EFFECTIVENESS DATE: 20240315 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: FIRST TRUST EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND VII CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001561785 ORGANIZATION NAME: IRS NUMBER: 000000000 STATE OF INCORPORATION: MA FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: N-CEN SEC ACT: 1940 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 811-22767 FILM NUMBER: 24754357 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 120 EAST LIBERTY DRIVE, SUITE 400 CITY: WHEATON STATE: IL ZIP: 60187 BUSINESS PHONE: 630-765-8000 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 120 EAST LIBERTY DRIVE, SUITE 400 CITY: WHEATON STATE: IL ZIP: 60187 0001561785 S000039654 First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund C000122820 First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund FTGC 0001561785 S000053488 First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF C000168150 First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF FAAR N-CEN 1 primary_doc.xml X0404 N-CEN LIVE 0001561785 XXXXXXXX 811-22767 false false false N-1A S000039654 C000122820 S000053488 C000168150 FIRST TRUST EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND VII 811-22767 0001561785 549300ESI5HR7KPXFL47 120 East Liberty Drive Suite 400 Wheaton 60187 US-IL US 630-765-8000 The Bank of New York Mellon 240 Greenwich Street New York 10286 212-495-1784 Fund Accounting, Custody and Transfer agent records and certain Administration records. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 50 Post Office Square Boston 02110 617-772-1818 Fund Accounting, Custody and Transfer agent records and certain Administration records. First Trust Advisors L.P. 120 East Liberty Drive Suite 400 Wheaton 60187 630-765-8000 Records related to the registrant and investment advisor. N N N-1A 2 Y Robert F. Keith N/A N Niel B. Nielson N/A N Richard E. Erickson N/A N Denise M. Keefe N/A N Thomas R. Kadlec 001721772 N James A. Bowen 001123316 Y Bronwyn Wright N/A N Kristi A. Maher N/A 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400 Wheaton 60187 XXXXXX N N N N N N N First Trust Portfolios L.P. 008-43843 000028519 54930062T84Z5CXY1C58 Y N Deloitte & Touche LLP 34 549300FJV7IV1ZHGAV28 N N N N N N N First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund S000039654 5493002FOWY57JQHE251 N 0 0 0 Exchange-Traded Fund N Y N Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 5493006KMX1VFTPYPW14 N N N/A N/A N/A Rule 32a-4 (17 CFR 270.32a-4) Rule 18f-4 (17 CFR 270.18f-4) Rule 12d1-1 (17 CFR 270.12d1-1) Rule 6c-11 (17 CFR 270.6c-11) Rule 12d1-4 (17 CFR 270.12d1-4) N N N N First Trust Advisors L.P. 801-39950 000107027 549300381GGS7S5JQ115 N Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 084-06072 5493006KMX1VFTPYPW14 N N The Bank of New York Mellon 085-05006 HPFHU0OQ28E4N0NFVK49 N N Y Bloomberg L.P. 549300B56MD0ZC402L06 N LSEG Pricing Service 213800QAUUUP6I445N30 GB N ICE Data Pricing & Reference Data, LLC 5493000NQ9LYLDBCTL34 N N The Bank of New York Mellon HPFHU0OQ28E4N0NFVK49 N N Bank - section 17(f)(1) (15 U.S.C. 80a-17(f)(1)) Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 5493006KMX1VFTPYPW14 N N Bank - section 17(f)(1) (15 U.S.C. 80a-17(f)(1)) Y Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 5493006KMX1VFTPYPW14 N N The Bank of New York Mellon HPFHU0OQ28E4N0NFVK49 N N Y The Bank of New York Mellon HPFHU0OQ28E4N0NFVK49 N N Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 5493006KMX1VFTPYPW14 N N Y First Trust Portfolios L.P. 008-43843 000028519 54930062T84Z5CXY1C58 0.00000000 0.00000000 WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC 008-65876 000126292 VYVVCKR63DVZZN70PB21 343620394.37000000 BARCLAYS CAPITAL, INC. 008-41342 000019714 AC28XWWI3WIBK2824319 647701655.56000000 MORGAN STANLEY & CO. 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Morgan Securities LLC 008-35008 000000079 ZBUT11V806EZRVTWT807 1400565165.25000000 BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN INVESTMENTS, LLC 008-69731 000282732 N/A 5107500000.00000000 CitiGroup Global Markets Inc. 008-08177 000007059 MBNUM2BPBDO7JBLYG310 1652185790.47000000 NOMURA SECURITIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. 008-15255 000004297 OXTKY6Q8X53C9ILVV871 199287322.24000000 RBC CAPITAL MARKETS LLC 008-45411 000031194 549300LCO2FLSSVFFR64 1774520183.12000000 BMO CAPITAL MARKETS CORP. 008-34344 000016686 RUC0QBLBRPRCU4W1NE59 174595771.88000000 12551490478.46000000 N 2851184457.98000000 0.00000000 N N N First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF S000053488 549300WHPXXR83TGJA80 N 0 0 0 Exchange-Traded Fund N N N Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 5493006KMX1VFTPYPW14 N N N/A N/A N/A Rule 6c-11 (17 CFR 270.6c-11) Rule 18f-4 (17 CFR 270.18f-4) Rule 32a-4 (17 CFR 270.32a-4) Rule 12d1-1 (17 CFR 270.12d1-1) N N N N First Trust Advisors L.P. 801-39950 000107027 549300381GGS7S5JQ115 N Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 084-06072 5493006KMX1VFTPYPW14 N N The Bank of New York Mellon 085-05006 HPFHU0OQ28E4N0NFVK49 N N Y LSEG Pricing Service 213800QAUUUP6I445N30 GB N Bloomberg L.P. 549300B56MD0ZC402L06 N ICE Data Pricing & Reference Data, LLC 5493000NQ9LYLDBCTL34 N N The Bank of New York Mellon HPFHU0OQ28E4N0NFVK49 N N Bank - section 17(f)(1) (15 U.S.C. 80a-17(f)(1)) Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 5493006KMX1VFTPYPW14 N N Bank - section 17(f)(1) (15 U.S.C. 80a-17(f)(1)) Y Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 5493006KMX1VFTPYPW14 N N The Bank of New York Mellon HPFHU0OQ28E4N0NFVK49 N N Y The Bank of New York Mellon HPFHU0OQ28E4N0NFVK49 N N Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 5493006KMX1VFTPYPW14 N N Y First Trust Portfolios L.P. 008-43843 000028519 54930062T84Z5CXY1C58 0.00000000 0.00000000 BMO CAPITAL MARKETS CORP. 008-34344 000016686 RUC0QBLBRPRCU4W1NE59 11972281.50000000 J.P. Morgan Securities LLC 008-35008 000000079 ZBUT11V806EZRVTWT807 84477276.09000000 WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC 008-65876 000126292 VYVVCKR63DVZZN70PB21 26493756.10000000 CitiGroup Global Markets Inc. 008-08177 000007059 MBNUM2BPBDO7JBLYG310 101711599.97000000 MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC 008-15869 000008209 9R7GPTSO7KV3UQJZQ078 48724733.83000000 NOMURA SECURITIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. 008-15255 000004297 OXTKY6Q8X53C9ILVV871 11957239.33000000 BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN INVESTMENTS, LLC 008-69731 000282732 N/A 289000000.00000000 RBC CAPITAL MARKETS LLC 008-45411 000031194 549300LCO2FLSSVFFR64 114312637.40000000 BARCLAYS CAPITAL, INC. 008-41342 000019714 AC28XWWI3WIBK2824319 38859275.88000000 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO. LLC 008-00129 000000361 FOR8UP27PHTHYVLBNG30 41856197.25000000 780412537.55000000 N 182563737.71000000 0.00000000 N N N First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund S000039654 N 50000.00000000 100.00000000 0.00000000 0.00000000 0.00000000 100.00000000 0.00000000 0.00000000 0.00000000 0.00000000 250.00000000 0.03000000 0.00000000 250.00000000 0.00000000 0.00000000 250.00000000 0.03000000 0.00000000 250.00000000 0.00000000 N First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF S000053488 N 50000.00000000 100.00000000 0.00000000 0.00000000 0.00000000 100.00000000 0.00000000 0.00000000 0.00000000 0.00000000 250.00000000 0.00000000 0.00000000 250.00000000 0.00000000 0.00000000 250.00000000 0.00000000 0.00000000 250.00000000 0.00000000 N false false true false false false INTERNAL CONTROL RPT 2 G.1.a.iii_ETF_VII.htm

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 

  

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

  

In planning and performing our audits of the financial statements of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VII (the “Trust”), including the First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF and First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund, as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023, 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 December 31, 2023. 

  

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 

February 23, 2024