FT vs EARN Comparison

Franklin Universal Trust is a closed-end management investment company focused on providing high current income while preserving capital. Its secondary objective is to achieve income growth through dividend increases and capital appreciation. The fund invests in two asset classes: high-yield bonds and utility stocks. It applies fundamental research to build a diversified high-yield bond portfolio and targets utility companies with attractive dividend yields and a history of increasing dividends.

Ellington Credit Co is focused on corporate collateralized loan obligations (CLOs). It focuses on acquiring, investing in, and managing secondary CLO mezzanine debt and equity tranches. The company relies on risk management, including disciplined liquidity management and selective use of credit hedges, to preserve book value during times. The company primary investment objectives are to generate attractive current yields and risk-adjusted total returns for shareholders. It invest in multiple parts of the CLO capital structure, principally mezzanine debt and equity tranches. Rather than focusing only on short-term current yield, it select investments that it believe will provide a strong total return to drive a sustainable earnings stream over a long-term horizon.