Water Utility & Infrastructure Select Portfolio, Series 74

The water industry is comprised of many companies that provide products and services geared toward the collection, conveyance, treatment and monitoring/analysis of water and wastewater for multiple purposes. Water is by far the most stable of all commodities due to the constant demand and uninterrupted supply. However, the ever-increasing population and demands from industrial output continue to strain the aging water infrastructure. This has placed pressure on governments to rehabilitate their water infrastructure systems and raise the standards for quality and enforcement.

Signed in November 2021, the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivers more than $50 billion in funding to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This funding will be used to strengthen the nation’s drinking water and wastewater systems and is the single largest investment in water that the federal government has ever made.¹ The passing of this law could benefit companies that provide water utility and infrastructure services. This portfolio invests in common stocks of companies that provide products and services related to the water industry.

Consider The Following

• The United Nations reported that 2.2 billion people around the world lacked access to safely managed drinking water in 2022. An estimated $1.37 trillion of additional water infrastructure investments are required to provide clean water to the people currently in need of it by 2030.


• Approximately 10 million American households are without safe drinking water, and around six billion gallons of treated drinking water is lost on a daily basis by U.S. water systems.²


• A portion of the $50 billion investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be used to remove lead pipes, address contaminants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and make much needed water infrastructure improvements.³


• By 2025, about 1.8 billion people will be living in regions or countries with absolute water scarcity, according to The World Bank.


• The global market size for water infrastructure repair technologies is anticipated to grow from $69.37 billion in 2022 to $75.31 billion in 2023. By 2027, it is expected to reach $102.82 billion at a compound annual interest rate (CAGR) of 8.1%.⁴

¹ EPA.gov
^2,3 McKinsey & Company
⁴ The Business Research Company

Portfolio Objective

This unit investment trust seeks above-average capital appreciation; however, there is no assurance the objective will be met.

You should consider the portfolio's investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses carefully before investing. Contact your financial professional or call First Trust Portfolios L.P. at 1.800.621.1675 to request a prospectus, which contains this and other information about the portfolio. Read it carefully before you invest.

Risk Considerations
An investment in this unmanaged unit investment trust should be made with an understanding of the risks involved with owning common stocks, such as an economic recession and the possible deterioration of either the financial condition of the issuers of the equity securities or the general condition of the stock market.

You should be aware that the portfolio is concentrated in stocks in the industrials sector which involves additional risks, including limited diversification. The companies engaged in the industrials sector are subject to certain risks, including a deterioration in the general state of the economy, intense competition, domestic and international politics, excess capacity and changing spending trends.

An investment in a portfolio containing water utilities & infrastructure companies involves additional risks, including the imposition of rate caps, increased competition due to deregulation, the difficulty in obtaining an adequate return on invested capital or in financing large construction programs, the limitations on operations and increased costs and delays attributable to environmental considerations, and an increased focus on water conservation.

Securities of non-U.S. issuers are subject to additional risks, including currency fluctuations, political risks, withholding, the lack of adequate financial information, and exchange control restrictions impacting non-U.S. issuers.

An investment in a portfolio containing small-cap and mid-cap companies is subject to additional risks, as the share prices of small-cap companies and certain mid-cap companies are often more volatile than those of larger companies due to several factors, including limited trading volumes, products, financial resources, management inexperience and less publicly available information.

Large capitalization companies may grow at a slower rate than the overall market.

As the use of Internet technology has become more prevalent in the course of business, the trust has become more susceptible to potential operational risks through breaches in cybersecurity.

Ongoing armed conflicts between Russia and Ukraine in Europe and among Israel, Hamas and other militant groups in the Middle East, have caused and could continue to cause significant market disruptions and volatility within the markets in Russia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The hostilities and sanctions resulting from those hostilities could have a significant impact on certain investments as well as performance.

The ongoing effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic, or the potential impacts of any future public health crisis, may cause significant volatility and uncertainty in global financial markets. While vaccines have been developed, there is no guarantee that vaccines will be effective against future variants of the disease.

The value of the securities held by the trust may be subject to steep declines or increased volatility due to changes in performance or perception of the issuers.

This UIT is a buy and hold strategy and investors should consider their ability to hold the trust until maturity. There may be tax consequences unless units are purchased in an IRA or other qualified plan.