Franklin Senior Loan ETF

FLBL

Market cap $854M

Senior loan ETFs have outperformed these past few years, including FLBL. Recent Fed cuts have led to dividend cuts for these ETFs, resulting in lower returns. High-yield bonds look more compelling than FLBL right now, and should outperform unless conditions radically change in the coming months.

FLBL's active management, led by experienced managers, has generated alpha and offers a 6.31% SEC yield, primarily from B-rated securities. Lower expense ratio, better performance, contained volatility, active management, but low turnover (tax efficiency). 5Y performance better than even fixed income assets like HYG, despite lower volatility.

Wall Street experienced a bloodbath on March 10, 2025 as the selling pressures that weighed on U.S. stocks last week continued. The Nasdaq slumped 4% on the day, marking its biggest one-day loss since September 2022.

Franklin Senior Loan ETF FLBL is an actively managed, highly diversified fund with $742M in AUM that invests in senior-secured floating rate loans. FLBL seeks a high level of current income with a secondary goal of capital preservation. FLBL has a strong risk adjusted performance compared to peers over the past five years. The expense ratio is 0.45 and the 30-Day SEC Yield is 7.23%.

Franklin Senior Loan ETF is the most affordable senior loan ETF with a 0.45% expense ratio. It sports an above-average 8.3% dividend yield and could benefit from a higher for the longer situation. FLBL is a solid, albeit somewhat risky, investment opportunity.

The Franklin Senior Loan ETF has generated a total return of almost 7% since our 'Buy' rating, with a low drawdown, mainly driven by its dividend yield. Despite the high rates environment, the lack of significant defaults has contributed to the smooth performance of the ETF. While historically low, default rates have begun to climb in 2024. This could negatively impact the value of the fund's holdings.

Franklin Senior Loan ETF offers access to floating rate exposure and has an impressive 30-day SEC yield exceeding 8.9%. FLBL has a conservative composition with a focus on the healthcare sector and offers protection against credit risk. FLBL faces competition from other leveraged funds, but its low interest rate risk and below-average expense ratio make it an attractive choice.