Alternative credit fund has more than $600 million in assets under management

First Eagle Investments (“First Eagle”) today announced that the First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund (I-Share Class: FECRX) has achieved a three-year track record.

The fund seeks to provide current income with a focus on delivering attractive risk-adjusted returns over the long term through a multisector portfolio of primarily directly originated and broadly syndicated loans. Since its inception on September 15, 2020, the Credit Opportunities Fund (institutional class) has posted an annualized return of 6.28%, and its distribution yield was 10.6% as of August 31, 2023.*

Alternative credit has seen strong demand over the last several years as investors continue to seek investment solutions that can provide income while also seeking to diversify their portfolios from traditional stock and bond allocations through exposure to non-public markets.

“We are excited for Credit Opportunities to hit this important three-year milestone and even more pleased that the fund has continued to provide a competitive distribution yield,” said Jack Snyder, Jr., National Sales Manager, Wirehouse and RIA Channel, and Head of US Wealth Solutions Alternative Sales. “As alternative credit products become more accessible to financial professionals, First Eagle seeks to provide value beyond investment performance by delivering the education and distribution support.”

The First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund is structured as an interval fund offering investors quarterly liquidity⁴, a structure that allows the fund’s portfolio managers to invest in income-generating alternative assets like private credit and broadly syndicated loans that historically have provided higher yields relative to traditional fixed income securities. The Fund is offered for sale continuously at NAV, like an open-end mutual fund, and is available to a broad audience with no requirement that investors be accredited or qualified.

* The Fund intends to declare income dividends daily and distribute them monthly at rates intended to maintain a more stable level of distributions than would result from paying out amounts solely based on current net investment income by paying out less than all of its net investment income or paying out undistributed income from prior months (with any potential remaining deficiencies characterized as a return of capital at year end). To date, the distribution yield has only been derived from the Fund’s net investment income and has not included borrowed funds or a return of capital. The distributions might not be made in equal amounts, and one month’s distribution may be larger than another. Distribution yield presented excludes any special dividends and is based on the fund-level composite of all the share classes. Distribution yield indicates the annual yield received if the most recent composite Fund monthly distribution paid was the same for an entire year. The yield represents a distribution and does not represent the total return of the Fund. Because the distribution yield is annualized from a single month’s distribution, no investor actually received the yield in a given year. The yield is calculated by annualizing the most recent composite monthly distribution paid by the Fund and dividing it by the Fund’s average month-to-date NAV from the as-of date.

Average Annual Returns

Data as of 30-Jun-2023

The performance data quoted herein represents past performance and does not guarantee future results. Market volatility can dramatically impact the fund’s short-term performance. Current performance may be lower or higher than figures shown. The investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Past performance data through the most recent month end is available at www.firsteagle.com or by calling 800-334-2143. “With load” performance for Class A Shares and Class A-2 gives effect to the deduction of the maximum sales charge of 2.50%. The minimum initial investment for Class A Shares and Class A-2 is $2,500 per account. The minimum subsequent investment amount for Class A Shares and Class A-2 Shares is $100. The minimum initial investment for Class I Shares is $1 million per account. There is no minimum subsequent investment amount for Class I Shares.

1. The annual expense ratio is based on expenses incurred by the fund, as stated in the most recent prospectus. FEIM has contractually undertaken to waive and/or reimburse certain fees and expenses of the Fund so that the total annual operating expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, dividend and interest expenses relating to short sales, and extraordinary expenses, if any) (‘‘annual operating expenses’’) of the Class A, Class A-2 and Class I shareholders are limited to 2.25%, 2.75% and 2.00%, respectively, of average net assets. This under­taking lasts until April 30, 2024 and may not be terminated during its term without the consent of the Board of Trustees. The Fund has agreed to repay the Adviser for fees and expenses waived or reimbursed for the class provided that repayment does not cause annual operating expenses (after the repayment is taken into account) to exceed 2.25%, 2.75% and 2.00% of the class’s average net assets, or such other lower amount as may be in place at the time of repayment. Any such repayment must be made within three years after the date in which the Fund incurred the fee and/or expense.

2. The Gross Expense Ratio includes an estimate of interest payments the Fund expects to incur in connection with its use of leverage of 1.78% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (‘‘AFFE’’), which are fees and expenses incurred by the Fund in connection with its investments in other investment companies, which are excluded from the expense waiver.

3. The Adjusted Expense Ratio of 2.00% for Class I, 2.25% for Class A and 2.75% for Class A-2 excludes certain investment expenses, such as interest expense from borrowings and repurchase agreements and dividend expense from invest­ments on short sales, incurred directly by the Fund or indirectly through the Fund’s investments in underlying First Eagle Funds (if applicable), none of which are paid to First Eagle.

4. The Credit Opportunities Fund is an Interval Fund, a type of fund that, in order to provide liquidity to shareholders, has adopted a fundamental investment policy to make quarterly offers to repurchase between 5% and 25% of its outstanding Common Shares at net asset value (“NAV”). Subject to applicable law and approval of the Board of Trustees for each quarterly repurchase offer, the Fund currently expects to offer to repurchase 5% of the Fund’s outstanding Common Shares at NAV on a quarterly basis.

The Credit Opportunities Fund’s Common Shares are not listed for trading on any national securities exchange, have no trading market and no market is expected to develop.

An investment in the Fund is not suitable for investors who need certainty about their ability to access all of the money they invest in the short term.

Investors should consider Common Shares of the Fund to be an illiquid investment. There is no guarantee that investors will be able to sell the Common Shares at any given time or in the quantity the investor desires. The Fund’s Common Shares are not listed for trading on any national securities exchange, have no trading market and no market is expected to develop.

About First Eagle Investments

First Eagle Investments is an independent, privately owned investment management firm headquartered in New York with approximately $131 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2023.** Dedicated to providing prudent stewardship of client assets, the firm focuses on active, fundamental and benchmark-agnostic investing, with a strong emphasis on downside mitigation of risk. With a heritage dating back to 1864, First Eagle strives to help clients avoid permanent impairment of capital and earn attractive returns through widely varied economic cycles. The firm’s investment capabilities include equity, fixed income, alternative credit and multi-asset class strategies. For more information, please visit www.firsteagle.com.

** The total AUM represents the combined AUM of (i) First Eagle Investment Management, LLC, (ii) its subsidiary investment advisers, First Eagle Separate Account Management, LLC, First Eagle Alternative Credit (“FEAC”) and Napier Park Global Capital (“Napier Park”), and (iii) Regatta Loan Management LLC, an advisory affiliate of Napier Park. The total AUM includes $0.6 billion of committed and other non-fee-paying capital from FEAC and $1.2 billion of committed and other non-fee-paying capital from Napier Park.

Risk Disclosures

An investment in the First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund (the “Fund”) involves a number of significant risks. Before you invest, you should be aware of various risks, including those described below. For a more complete discussion of the risks of investing in the Fund, see the Fund’s prospectus under the heading, “Principal Risks of the Fund.” All investments involve the risk of loss of principal. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce distribution levels if the income and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

Investment in private and middle market companies is highly speculative and involves a high degree of risk of credit loss, and therefore the Fund’s securities may not be suitable for someone with a low tolerance for risk. The Fund is required to rely on the ability of the First Eagle Alternative Credit’s investment professionals to obtain adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies.

Below investment grade securities or comparable unrated instruments may be subject to greater risks than securities or instruments that have higher credit ratings, including a higher risk of default, and the Fund might have difficulty selling them promptly at an acceptable price.

Investments in loans potentially expose the Fund to the credit risk of the underlying borrower, and in certain cases, of the financial institution. The Fund’s ability to receive payments in connection with the loan depends primarily on the financial condition of the borrower. Even investments in secured loans present risk, as there is no assurance that the collateral securing the loan will be sufficient to satisfy the loan obligation. The market for certain loans is expected to be illiquid and the Fund may have difficulty selling them. In addition, loans often have contractual restrictions on resale, which can delay the sale and adversely impact the sale price.

Investments in debt securities and other obligations of companies that are experiencing significant financial or business distress involve a substantial degree of risk, including a material risk that the issuer will default on the obligations or enter bankruptcy. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful investment in distressed assets is unusually high. There is no assurance that First Eagle Alternative Credit will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing the Fund’s investments or the prospects for a successful reorganization or similar action in respect of any company.

FEF Distributors, LLC (“FEFD”) (SIPC), a limited purpose broker-dealer, distributes certain First Eagle products. FEFD does not provide services to any investor, but rather provides services to its First Eagle affiliates. As such, when FEFD presents a fund, strategy or other product to a prospective investor, FEFD and its representatives do not determine whether an investment in the fund, strategy or other product is in the best interests of, or is otherwise beneficial or suitable for, the investor. No statement by FEFD should be construed as a recommendation. Investors should exercise their own judgment and/or consult with a financial professional to determine whether it is advisable for the investor to invest in any First Eagle fund, strategy, or product.

Investors should consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. The prospectus and summary prospectus contain this and other information about the Funds and may be obtained by visiting our website at www.firsteagle.com or calling us at 800-334-2143. Please read our prospectus carefully before investing. Investments are not FDIC insured or bank guaranteed, and may lose value.

First Eagle Investments is the brand name for First Eagle Investment Management, LLC and its subsidiary investment advisers. First Eagle Alternative Credit is the brand name for one of the subsidiary investment advisers engaged in the alternative credit business.

First Eagle Credit Opportunities Fund is offered by FEF Distributors, LLC, a subsidiary of First Eagle Investment Management, LLC, which provides advisory services.

© 2023 First Eagle Investment Management, LLC. All rights reserved.

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