Filed By First Trust Strategic High Income Fund II
Pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933,
Subject Company: First Trust Strategic High Income Fund
Commission File No.: 811-21756
Subject Company: First Trust Strategic High Income Fund III
Commission File No.: 811-21994
PRESS RELEASE SOURCE: First Trust Advisors L.P.
FIRST TRUST CLOSED-END FUNDS' SHAREHOLDERS APPROVE
REORGANIZATION OF THREE FUNDS
WHEATON, IL - (BUSINESS WIRE) - August 9, 2011 - First Trust Advisors L.P.
("FTA") announced today that, at joint special meetings held yesterday,
shareholders of First Trust Strategic High Income Fund (NYSE: FHI) and First
Trust Strategic High Income Fund III (NYSE: FHO) approved the reorganizations of
each of FHI and FHO into First Trust Strategic High Income Fund II (NYSE: FHY)
and shareholders of FHY approved the issuance of additional common shares of FHY
in connection with the reorganizations. FHI, FHO and FHY are closed-end funds
managed by FTA (the "Funds").
In connection with the reorganizations, FHY will acquire all of the assets
and liabilities of FHI and FHO in separate tax-free transactions for common
shares of FHY. Each reorganization, if completed, will occur based on the
relative net asset values of FHY, FHI and FHO. It is currently expected that the
reorganizations will be concluded in the third quarter of 2011, subject to all
regulatory requirements and customary closing conditions being satisfied. The
Funds will issue a press release announcing the closing date of the
reorganizations and the final distributions for FHI and FHO shareholders.
This press release is not intended to, and shall not, constitute an offer
to purchase or sell shares of any of the Funds, including FHY, the surviving
fund in the reorganizations. Investors should consider the investment
objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Funds carefully and consider in
its entirety the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus relating to the
reorganizations which contains important information regarding the investment
objectives and policies, risks, charges, expenses and other important
information about FHY.
FHY is a diversified, closed-end management investment company that seeks
to provide a high level of current income. As a secondary objective, FHY seeks
to provide capital growth. FHY pursues these investment objectives by investing
up to 100% of its managed assets in a diversified portfolio of high income
producing securities that the investment sub-advisor believes offer attractive
yield and capital appreciation potential.
FTA, the investment advisor for each Fund, along with its affiliate, First
Trust Portfolios L.P., are privately-held companies which provide a variety of
investment services, including asset management, financial advisory services,
and municipal and corporate investment banking, with collective assets under
management or supervision of approximately $51 billion as of June 30, 2011
through closed-end funds, unit investment trusts, mutual funds, separate managed
accounts and exchange-traded funds.
Brookfield Investment Management Inc., the investment sub-advisor for each
Fund, is a global investment advisor focused on specialized equity and fixed
income securities investments. The firm is a subsidiary of Brookfield Asset
Management Inc., a leading global asset manager with over $150 billion in assets
under management as of June 30, 2011 and over 100 years of experience in the
property, power and infrastructure industries. Brookfield Investment Management
Inc. is an SEC registered investment advisor, and with its affiliates had
approximately $24 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2011.
Headquartered in New York, the firm maintains offices and investment teams in
Chicago, Boston, London, Hong Kong, Sydney and Toronto.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements made in this news release that are not historical facts
are referred to as "forward-looking statements" under the U.S. federal
securities laws. Actual future results or occurrences may differ significantly
from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements due to numerous
factors. Generally, the words "believe," "expect," "intend," "estimate,"
"anticipate," "project," "will" and similar expressions identify forward-looking
statements, which generally are not historical in nature. Forward-looking
statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ from the historical experience of FTA and the
closed-end funds managed by FTA and its present expectations or projections. You
should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only
as of the date they are made. FTA and the closed-end funds managed by FTA
undertake no responsibility to update publicly or revise any forward-looking
statements.
The Annual and Semi-Annual Reports and other regulatory filings of the
Funds with the SEC are accessible on the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov. In
addition, the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus relating to the reorganizations
contains important information and shareholders are urged to read it. Free
copies of the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus are available by calling FTA
toll-free at (800) 621-1675 or on the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov.
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CONTACT: Jeff Margolin - (630) 915-6784
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CONTACT: Jim Dykas - (630) 517-7665
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SOURCE: First Trust Advisors L.P.