485BPOS 1 inetfs20171212_485bpos.htm FORM 485BPOS inetfs20171205_485bpos.htm

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 13, 2017.

 

No. 333-146827

No. 811-22135



 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

_____________________________

 

FORM N-1A

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 [ ]
Pre-Effective Amendment No.

[ ]

Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 [x]
  and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 [ ]
Amendment No. 74   [x]

  

Innovator ETFs Trust

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

120 North Hale Street, Suite 200
Wheaton, Illinois 60187

 

(Address of Principal Executive Office)

 

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (800) 621-1675

 

 

Corporation Service Company

2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400
Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware 19808

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

Copy to:

 

Morrison C. Warren, Esq.

Chapman and Cutler LLP

111 West Monroe Street

Chicago, Illinois 60603

 

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):

 

[X]     Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485.

[   ]     (date) pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485.

[   ]     60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485.

[   ]     On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a) of Rule 485.

[   ]     75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.

[   ]     On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a) of Rule 485.

 

If appropriate, check the following box:

 

[   ]     This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.



 

 

 

 

Contents of Post-Effective Amendment No. 73

 

 

This Registration Statement comprises the following papers and contents:

 

The Facing Sheet

 

Part A - Prospectus for Innovator IBD® ETF Leaders ETF

 

Part B - Statement of Additional Information for Innovator IBD® ETF Leaders ETF

 

Part C - Other Information

 

Signatures

 

 

 

0

  

Prospectus

 

Innovator IBD® ETF Leaders ETF

 

(NYSE Arca — LDRS)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 13, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

Innovator IBD® ETF Leaders ETF (the “Fund”) is a series of Innovator ETFs Trust (the “Trust”) and an exchange-traded index fund. The Fund lists and principally trades its shares on NYSE Arca, Inc. (NYSE Arca or the “Exchange”).

 

NOT FDIC INSURED. MAY LOSE VALUE. NO BANK GUARANTEE.

 

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

 

 

Innovator IBD® ETF Leaders ETF

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks to track, before fees and expenses, the performance of the IBD® ETF Leaders Index (the “Index”).

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund (Shares”). Investors may pay brokerage commissions on their purchases and sales of Shares, which are not reflected in the table or the example below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

Management Fees(1)

0.60%

Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees

0.00%

Other Expenses(2)

0.00%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(2)

0.56%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

1.16%

(1)

The Fund’s investment adviser pays substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other service and license fees. However, the investment adviser is not responsible for distribution and service fees payable pursuant to a Rule 12b-1 plan, if any, brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions, taxes, interest and extraordinary expenses.

(2)

Other Expenses and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are estimates based on the expenses the Fund expects to incur for the current fiscal year.

 

Example

 

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.

 

This example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain at current levels. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay to buy and sell Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, your costs, based on these assumptions, would be:

 

1 Year

3 Years

$118

$223

 

2

 

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it purchases and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover will cause the Fund to incur additional transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the example, may affect the Fund’s performance. Because the Fund has not yet commenced investment operations, no portfolio turnover information is available at this time.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets (including investment borrowings) in the exchange-traded investment companies (Underlying Funds”) that comprise the Index. The Fund generally invests in all of the securities comprising the Index in proportion to the weightings of the securities in the Index. The Fund, using an indexing investment approach, attempts to replicate, before fees and expenses, the performance of the Index. Penserra Capital Management LLC, the Fund’s investment sub-adviser, seeks a correlation of 0.95 or better (before fees and expenses) between the Fund’s performance and the performance of the Index; a figure of 1.00 would represent perfect correlation.

 

The Index is a rules-based index owned and developed by Investor’s Business Daily® (“IBD” or the “Index Provider”) designed to attempt to outperform the broader equity and fixed income markets. IBD uses proprietary relative strength analysis to select Underlying Funds across various asset classes that are showing market-leading relative strength. The Index may be composed of Underlying Funds that invest in any asset class, including foreign and domestic equity and fixed income securities, and, from time to time, other alternative asset classes. Underlying Funds may invest in securities issued by small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies located in either developed or emerging markets and in securities of any credit quality, including “junk” securities. The Underlying Funds comprising the Index may be passively or actively managed.

 

The initial universe for the Index is composed of all U.S.-listed exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The universe does not include exchange-traded notes, inverse ETFs (ETFs that seek to provide a return that is the exact opposite of an index) with the exception of the ProShares Short S&P 500 ETF, leveraged ETFs (ETFs that seek to amplify the return of an index) and commodity ETFs. The selection universe is then narrowed by excluding Underlying Funds with the following characteristics:

 

 

1.

Underlying Funds with an average daily trading volume of less than 100,000 over the previous 50 days;

 

 

2.

Underlying Funds not trading above their average 6-month price; and

 

 

3.

Underlying Funds with returns less than those of the S&P 500 Index over the course of the previous three months.

 

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The remaining Underlying Funds are then ranked according to IBD’s relative price strength rating methodology. “Relative strength” is an investing technique that seeks to determine the strongest performing securities by measuring certain factors, such as a security’s relative performance against the overall market or a security’s relative strength value, which is derived by comparing the rate of increase of the security’s price as compared to that of a benchmark index. IBD utilizes relative strength to compare an Underlying Fund’s stock price performance over the last twelve months (with performance over the three most recent months more heavily emphasized) against the over 8,000 foreign and domestic equity securities that comprise IBD’s internal database. Each Underlying Fund is ranked according to its relative price performance and assigned a proprietary rating score from 1 (lowest) to 99 (highest). All Underlying Funds with a qualifying rating are included and equally weighted within the Index, subject to the limitations of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act (for additional information on the limitations of Section 12(d)(1), see “Fund Investments–Exchange-Traded Funds”). If less than three Underlying Funds have a qualifying rating, the Index will be composed of Underlying Funds that invest principally in cash or cash equivalents to bring the number of components to three until the next Index reconstitution and rebalance date.

 

The Index has also been designed to account for the tendency of Underlying Funds to exhibit mean reversion after periods of outsized price appreciation. Mean reversion is the assumption that an Underlying Fund’s price will tend to move to the average price over time. IBD’s proprietary methodology has indicated a level of price growth at which mean reversion is more likely. If the Index exhibits price appreciation up to this level, the Index will be composed of Underlying Funds that principally invest in cash or cash equivalents until the next Index reconstitution and rebalance date. For more information, please see “Index Information.”

 

Under normal conditions, the Index will be reconstituted and rebalanced on the last trading day of each month. However, if the S&P 500 Index experiences gains of greater than 3% in a given week, the Index will be reconstituted and rebalanced on the final trading day of that week. As of November 30, 2017, the Index was composed of 26 Underlying Funds. However, given that the Index is generally reconstituted and rebalanced monthly, this may not be a current reflection of the Index’s holdings.

 

The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act. To the extent the Index concentrates (i.e., holds 25% or more of its total assets) in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent.

 

Principal Risks

 

You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s investment objectives will be achieved.

 

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Authorized Participation Concentration Risk. Only an authorized participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as authorized participants on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that authorized participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other authorized participant is able to step forward to create or redeem “Creation Units” (as defined in “Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares,”) Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to net asset value (“NAV”) and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

 

Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Index concentrates in the securities of issuers in a particular industry or sector, the Fund will also concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent. The Fund may be susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences to the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in a particular issuer or issuers, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.

 

Cyber Security Risk. As the use of Internet technology has become more prevalent in the course of business, the investment industry has become more susceptible to potential operational risks through breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity. Such events could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss.

 

Exchange-Traded Fund Risk. An ETF trades like common stock and represents a portfolio of securities. The risks of owning an exchange-traded fund generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities, although lack of liquidity in an exchange-traded fund could result in it being more volatile and ETFs have management fees that increase their costs.

 

Fluctuation of Net Asset Value Risk. Shares trade on the Exchange at their market price rather than their NAV. The market price may be at, above or below the Fund’s NAV. Differences in market price and NAV may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the holdings of the Fund trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. These differences can be especially pronounced during times of market volatility or stress. During these periods, the demand for Shares may decrease considerably and cause the market price of Shares may deviate significantly from NAV.

 

Fund of Funds Risk. Because the Fund is a fund of funds, its investment performance largely depends on the investment performance of the Underlying Funds in which it invests. An investment in the Fund is subject to the risks associated with the Underlying Funds that comprise the Index. The Fund will pay indirectly a proportional share of the fees and expenses of the Underlying Funds in which it invests, including their investment advisory and administration fees, while continuing to pay its own unitary management fee. As a result, shareholders will absorb duplicate levels of fees with respect to investments in the Underlying Funds.

 

Index Provider Risk. The Fund seeks to achieve returns that generally correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of their Index, as published by their Index Provider. There is no assurance that the Index Provider will compile its Index accurately, or that the Index will be determined, composed or calculated accurately. While the Index Provider gives descriptions of what the Index is designed to achieve, the Index Provider does not provide any warranty or accept any liability in relation to the quality, accuracy or completeness of data in its indices, and it does not guarantee that its Index will be in line with its methodology.

 

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Limitations of Intraday Indicative Value Risk. The Exchange intends to disseminate the approximate per share value of the Fund’s published basket of portfolio securities every 15 seconds (the ‘‘intraday indicative value’’ or ‘‘IIV’’). The IIV should not be viewed as a ‘‘real-time’’ update of the NAV per Share because (i) the IIV may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day, generally at the end of the business day, (ii) the calculation of NAV may be subject to fair valuation at different prices than those used in the calculations of the IIV, (iii) unlike the calculation of NAV, the IIV does not take into account Fund expenses, and (iv) the IIV is based on the published basket of portfolio securities and not on the Fund’s actual holdings. The IIV calculations are based on local market prices and may not reflect events that occur subsequent to the local market’s close, which could affect premiums and discounts between the IIV and the market price of the Shares. The Fund, Adviser and Sub-Adviser are not involved in, or responsible for, any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the IIV and do not make any warranty as to the accuracy of these calculations.

 

Market Maker Risk. If the Fund has lower average daily trading volumes, it may rely on a small number of third-party market makers to provide a market for the purchase and sale of Shares. Any trading halt or other problem relating to the trading activity of these market makers could result in a dramatic change in the spread between the Fund’s net asset value and the price at which the Shares are trading on the Exchange, which could result in a decrease in value of the Shares. In addition, decisions by market makers or authorized participants to reduce their role or step away from these activities in times of market stress could inhibit the effectiveness of the arbitrage process in maintaining the relationship between the underlying values of the Fund’s portfolio securities and the Fund’s market price. This reduced effectiveness could result in Shares trading at a discount to net asset value and also in greater than normal intra-day bid-ask spreads for Shares.

 

Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security owned by the Fund or Fund Shares in general may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares could decline in value or underperform other investments.

 

New Fund Risk. The Fund currently has fewer assets than larger funds, and like other relatively new funds, large inflows and outflows may impact the Fund’s market exposure for limited periods of time.

 

Non-Correlation Risk. The Fund’s return may not match the return of the Index for a number of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the Index. In addition, the performance of the Fund and the Index may vary due to asset valuation differences and differences between the Fund’s portfolio and the Index resulting from legal restrictions, cost or liquidity constraints.

 

6

 

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act. As a result, the Fund is only limited as to the percentage of its assets which may be invested in the securities of any one issuer by the diversification requirements imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The Fund may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence affecting one or more of these issuers, experience increased volatility and be highly invested in certain issuers.

 

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund invests in the securities included in the Index regardless of their investment merit. The Fund does not attempt to outperform the Index or take defensive positions in declining markets, except in connection with the Index’s risk reduction mechanism. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected by a general decline in the market segments relating to the Index.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk. High portfolio turnover (higher than 100%) may result in increased transaction costs to the Fund, including brokerage commissions, dealer markups and other transaction costs on the sale of the securities and on reinvestment in other securities, as well as possible increased taxable distributions.

 

Security Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause a security held by the Fund to be more volatile than the market generally. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole.

 

Trading Issues Risk. Although the Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange “circuit breaker” rules. Market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Shares, and authorized participants are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged. Initially, due to the small asset size of the Fund, it may have difficulty maintaining its listings on the Exchange.

 

Underlying Funds Risk. An investment in the Fund is subject to the risks associated with the Underlying Funds that compose the Index. As such, the Fund may be subject to the following risks as a result of its investments in the the Underlying Funds:

 

American Depositary Receipts Risk. ADRs are subject to fluctuations in foreign currencies and foreign investment risks, such as political and financial instability, less liquidity and greater volatility, lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and increased price volatility. In addition, ADRs may not track the price of the underlying foreign securities, and their value may change materially at times when U.S. markets are not open for trading.

 

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Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a security will be unable or unwilling to make dividend, interest and/or principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of such security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability to make such payments.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. Emerging markets may be more likely to experience inflation risk, political turmoil and rapid changes in economic conditions than more developed markets. Emerging markets often have less uniformity in accounting and reporting requirements, unreliable securities valuation and greater risk with custody of securities.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities may decline in value because of declines in the price of a particular holding or the broad stock market. Such declines may relate directly to the issuer of a security or broader economic or market events, including changes in interest rates.

 

Fixed Income Securities Risk. Holders of fixed income securities will be affected by changes in interest rates, the creditworthiness of the issuer and other factors. An increase in prevailing interest rates typically causes the value of existing debt securities to fall and often has a greater impact on longer-duration debt securities and higher quality debt securities. Falling interest rates will cause the holder of fixed income securities to reinvest the proceeds of securities that have been repaid by the issuer at lower interest rates.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in securities of foreign companies (particularly in emerging markets) can be more volatile than investments in U.S. companies. Diplomatic, political, or economic developments, including nationalization or appropriation, could affect investments in foreign companies. Foreign securities markets generally have less trading volume and less liquidity than U.S. markets. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies, and of dividends from such securities, can change significantly when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. dollar.

 

High Yield Securities Risk. High yield securities, or “junk” bonds, are subject to greater market fluctuations and risk of loss than securities with higher ratings, and therefore, may be highly speculative. These securities are issued by companies that may have limited operating history, narrowly focused operations, and/or other impediments to the timely payment of periodic interest and principal at maturity. If the economy slows down or dips into recession, the issuers of high yield securities may not have sufficient resources to continue making timely payment of periodic interest and principal at maturity. The market for high yield securities is generally smaller and less liquid than that for investment grade securities. High yield securities are generally not listed on a national securities exchange but trade in the over-the-counter markets. Due to the smaller, less liquid market for high yield securities, the bid-offer spread on such securities is generally greater than it is for investment grade securities and the purchase or sale of such securities may take longer to complete. In general, high yield securities may have a greater risk of default than other types of securities.

 

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Income Risk. The income of the Underlying Funds could decline due to falling market interest rates. This is because, in a falling interest rate environment, the Underlying Funds generally will have to invest the proceeds from sales of their shares, as well as the proceeds from maturing portfolio securities, or portfolio securities that have been called, in lower-yielding securities.

 

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the debt securities will decline because of rising market interest rates. Interest rate risk is generally lower for shorter term debt securities and higher for longer term debt securities.

 

Preferred Securities Risk. Preferred securities are typically subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a company’s capital structure, in terms of priority to corporate income, and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments. Preferred securities are also subject to credit risk, interest rate risk and income risk.

 

Small- and Mid- Capitalization Company Risk. Generally, small- or mid- capitalization companies, which are often less seasoned, have more potential for rapid growth. However, they often involve greater risk than large cap companies and these risks are passed on to funds that invest in them. These companies may not have the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies.

 

The Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

 

Performance

 

As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund has not commenced operations and therefore does not have a performance history. Once available, the Fund’s performance information will be accessible on the Fund’s website at www.innovatoretfs.com and will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund.

 

Management

 

Investment Adviser

 

Innovator Capital Management, LLC (Innovator or the “Adviser”)

 

Investment Sub-Adviser

 

Penserra Capital Management LLC (“Penserra” or the Sub-Adviser”)

 

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Portfolio Managers

 

The following persons serve as the portfolio managers of the Fund.

 

 

Dustin Lewellyn

 

 

Ernesto Tong

 

 

Anand Desai

 

The portfolio managers are primarily and jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund and have served in such capacity since December 2017.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund will issue and redeem Shares at NAV only with authorized participants (“APs”) that have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor and only in Creation Units (large blocks of 50,000 Shares) or multiples thereof (“Creation Unit Aggregations”), in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a basket of securities in which the Fund invests. The Fund may issue and redeem Shares in exchange for cash at a later date but has no current intention of doing so. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.

 

Individual Shares may be purchased and sold only on a national securities exchange through brokers. Shares are expected to be listed for trading on the Exchange and because the Shares will trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at prices greater than NAV (at a premium), at NAV, or less than NAV (at a discount).

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund’s distributions will generally be taxable as ordinary income, returns of capital or capital gains. A sale of Shares may result in capital gain or loss.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), Innovator and Foreside Fund Services, LLC, the Fund’s distributor, may pay the intermediary for the sale of Shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

10

 

 

Additional Information About the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders. Additionally, the Fund may liquidate and terminate at any time without shareholder approval.

 

The Fund uses an “indexing” investment approach to attempt to replicate, before fees and expenses, the performance of the Index. The Adviser seeks correlation over time of 0.95 or better between the Fund’s performance and the performance of the Index; a figure of 1.00 would represent perfect correlation. Another means of evaluating the relationship between the returns of the Fund and its Index is to assess the “tracking error” between the two. Tracking error means the variation between the Fund’s annual return and the return of the Index, expressed in terms of standard deviation. The Fund seeks to have a tracking error of less than 5%, measured on a monthly basis over a one-year period by taking the standard deviation of the difference in the Fund’s returns versus the Index’s returns. There is no guarantee that the tracking error will not exceed 5%. The Fund generally invests in all of the securities comprising the Index in proportion to the weightings of the securities in the Index.

 

Investor’s Business Daily® is the index provider to the Fund. The “IBD®” mark has been licensed to the Adviser by IBD for use in connection with the Fund under certain circumstances. The Adviser, in turn, has sublicensed to the Fund its rights to use the mark pursuant to a Sublicense Agreement. The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed or sold by IBD. IBD makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the Fund. Additional information about the construction and calculation of the Index is set forth below in the section entitled “Index Provider.”

 

Fund Investments

 

Principal Investments

 

Exchange-Traded Funds

 

ETFs are registered investment companies that trade on a securities exchange. The shares of ETFs may, at times, trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value. In addition, the Fund will incur brokerage costs when purchasing and selling shares of ETFs. As a shareholder in an ETF, the Fund will bear its ratable share of the ETF’s expenses, and would remain subject to payment of the ETF’s advisory and administrative fees with respect to assets so invested. Shareholders would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses. Securities of ETFs may be leveraged, in which case the value and/or yield of such securities will tend to be more volatile than securities of unleveraged securities.

 

Generally, investments in ETFs are subject to statutory limitations prescribed by the 1940 Act. These limitations include a prohibition on the Fund acquiring more than 3% of the voting shares of any other investment company, a prohibition on investing more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets in the securities of any one investment company or more than 10% of its total assets, in the aggregate, in investment company securities. Many ETFs, however, have obtained exemptive relief from the SEC to permit unaffiliated funds to invest in the ETFs’ shares beyond these statutory limitations, subject to certain conditions and pursuant to a contractual arrangement between the ETFs and the investing fund. The Fund may rely on these exemptive orders in order to invest in unaffiliated ETFs, if necessary, beyond the foregoing statutory limitations.

 

11

 

 

Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments

 

The Fund may invest in securities with maturities of less than one year or cash equivalents, or it may hold cash. The percentage of the Fund invested in such holdings varies and depends on several factors, including market conditions. During the initial invest-up period and during periods of high cash inflows or outflows, if market conditions are not favorable, the Fund may depart from its principal investment strategies and invest part or all of its assets in these securities or it may hold cash. During such periods, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objectives. For more information on eligible short-term investments, see the statement of additional information.

 

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

 

A description of the Trust’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s SAI, which is available at www.innovatoretfs.com.

 

Additional Risks of Investing in the Fund

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. Investing in the Fund involves risk, including the risk that you may lose all or part of your investment. There can be no assurance that the Fund will meet its stated objective. Before you invest, you should consider the following supplemental disclosure pertaining to the Principal Risks set forth above as well as additional Non-Principal Risks set forth below in this prospectus.

 

Principal Risks

 

Authorized Participation Concentration Risk. Only an authorized participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as authorized participants on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that authorized participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other authorized participant is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

 

Concentration Risk. In following its methodology, the Index from time to time may be concentrated to a significant degree in securities of issuers located in a single industry or a sector. To the extent that the Index concentrates in the securities of issuers in a particular industry or sector, the Fund will also concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent. By concentrating its investments in an industry or sector, the Fund faces more risks than if it were diversified broadly over numerous industries or sectors. Such industry-based risks, any of which may adversely affect the companies in which the Fund invests, may include, but are not limited to, the following: general economic conditions or cyclical market patterns that could negatively affect supply and demand in a particular industry; competition for resources, adverse labor relations, political or world events; obsolescence of technologies; and increased competition or new product introductions that may affect the profitability or viability of companies in an industry. In addition, at times, such industry or sector may be out of favor and underperform other industries or the market as a whole. Information about the Fund’s exposure to a particular industry is available in the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders, as well as on its Forms N-Q as filed with the SEC.

 

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Cyber Security Risk. As the use of Internet technology has become more prevalent in the course of business, the investment industry has become more susceptible to potential operational risks through breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity. Such events could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. Cyber security breaches may involve unauthorized access to the Fund’s digital information systems through “hacking” or malicious software coding, but may also result from outside attacks such as denial-of-service attacks through efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users. In addition, cyber security breaches of the Fund’s third-party service providers, such as its administrator, transfer agent, custodian, or issuers in which the Fund invests, can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. The Fund has established risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security. However, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially because the Fund does not directly control the cyber security systems of issuers or third-party service providers.

 

Exchange-Traded Fund Risk. In addition to the risks associated with the underlying assets held by an ETF, investments in ETFs are subject to the following additional risks: (1) an ETF’s shares may trade above or below its net asset value; (2) an active trading market for the ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; (3) trading an ETF’s shares may be halted by the listing exchange; (4) a passively managed ETF may not track the performance of the reference asset; and (5) a passively managed ETF may hold troubled securities. Investment in ETFs may involve duplication of management fees and certain other expenses, as the Fund indirectly bears its proportionate share of any expenses paid by the exchange-traded funds in which it invests. Further, certain exchange-traded funds in which the Fund may invest are leveraged, which may result in economic leverage, permitting the Fund to gain exposure that is greater than would be the case in an unlevered instrument and potentially resulting in greater volatility.

 

Fluctuation of Net Asset Value Risk. The NAV of Shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of Shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of and demand for Shares on the Exchange. The Fund’s investment adviser cannot predict whether Shares will trade below, at or above their NAV because the Shares trade on the Exchange at market prices and not at NAV. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the holdings of the Fund trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. However, given that Shares can only be purchased and redeemed either in-kind or for cash in Creation Units, and only to and from broker-dealers and large institutional investors that have entered into participation agreements (unlike shares of closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their NAV), the investment adviser believes that large discounts or premiums to the NAV of Shares should not be sustained.

 

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Fund of Funds Risk. Because the Fund is a fund of funds, its investment performance largely depends on the investment performance of the Underlying Funds in which it invests. An investment in the Fund is subject to the risks associated with the Underlying Funds that comprise the Index. The Fund will pay indirectly a proportional share of the fees and expenses of the Underlying Funds in which it invests, including their investment advisory and administration fees, while continuing to pay its own unitary management fee. As a result, shareholders will absorb duplicate levels of fees with respect to investments in the Underlying Funds. In addition, at times certain segments of the market represented by constituent Underlying Funds in the Index may be out of favor and underperform other segments.

 

Index Provider Risk. The Fund seeks to achieve returns that generally correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of their Index, as published by their Index Provider. There is no assurance that the Index Provider will compile its Index accurately, or that the Index will be determined, composed or calculated accurately. While the Index Provider gives descriptions of what the Index is designed to achieve, the Index Provider does not provide any warranty or accept any liability in relation to the quality, accuracy or completeness of data in its indices, and it does not guarantee that its Index will be in line with its methodology. Errors made by the Index Provider with respect to the quality, accuracy and completeness of the data within the Index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index Provider for a period of time, if at all. Therefore, gains, losses or costs associated with Index Provider errors will generally be borne by the Fund and its shareholders.

 

Limitations of Intraday Indicative Value Risk. The Exchange intends to disseminate the approximate per share value of the Fund’s published basket of portfolio securities every 15 seconds. The IIV should not be viewed as a ‘‘real-time’’ update of the NAV per Share because (i) the IIV may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day, generally at the end of the business day, (ii) the calculation of NAV may be subject to fair valuation at different prices than those used in the calculations of the IIV, (iii) unlike the calculation of NAV, the IIV does not take into account Fund expenses, and (iv) the IIV is based on the published basket of portfolio securities and not on the Fund’s actual holdings. The IIV calculations are based on local market prices and may not reflect events that occur subsequent to the local market’s close, which could affect premiums and discounts between the IIV and the market price of the Shares. The Fund, Adviser and Sub-Adviser are not involved in, or responsible for, any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the IIV and do not make any warranty as to the accuracy of these calculations.

 

Market Maker Risk. If the Fund has lower average daily trading volumes, it may rely on a small number of third-party market makers to provide a market for the purchase and sale of Shares. Any trading halt or other problem relating to the trading activity of these market makers could result in a dramatic change in the spread between the Fund’s net asset value and the price at which the Shares are trading on the Exchange, which could result in a decrease in value of the Shares. In addition, decisions by market makers or authorized participants to reduce their role or step away from these activities in times of market stress could inhibit the effectiveness of the arbitrage process in maintaining the relationship between the underlying values of the Fund’s portfolio securities and the Fund’s market price. This reduced effectiveness could result in Shares trading at a discount to net asset value and also in greater than normal intra-day bid-ask spreads for Shares.

 

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Market Risk. The securities in the Index are subject to market fluctuations, and the Fund could lose money due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during market downturns. You should anticipate that the value of the Shares will decline, more or less, in correlation with any decline in value of the securities in the Index. The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions, economic trends or events that are not specifically related to the issuer of the security or due to factors that affect a particular industry or group of industries. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected.

 

New Fund Risk. The Fund currently has fewer assets than larger funds, and like other relatively new funds, large inflows and outflows may impact the Fund’s market exposure for limited periods of time. This impact may be positive or negative, depending on the direction of market movement during the period affected. Also, during the initial invest-up period, the Fund may depart from its principal investment strategies and invest a larger amount or all of its assets in cash equivalents or it may hold cash.

 

Non-Correlation Risk. As with all index funds, the performance of the Fund and the Index may vary somewhat for a variety of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses and portfolio transaction costs, while also managing cash flows and potential operational inefficiencies, not incurred by the Index. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested in the securities of the Index at all times or may hold securities not included in the Index or may be subject to pricing differences, differences in the timing of dividend accruals, operational inefficiencies and the need to meet various new or existing regulatory requirements. For example, it may take several business days for additions and deletions to the Index to be reflected in the portfolio composition of the Fund. The use of sampling techniques may affect the Fund’s ability to achieve close correlation with the Index. The Fund using a representative sampling strategy generally can be expected to have a greater non-correlation risk and this risk may be heightened during times of market volatility or other unusual market conditions.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act. As a result, the Fund is only limited as to the percentage of its assets which may be invested in the securities of any one issuer by the diversification requirements imposed by the Code. The Fund may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence affecting one or more of these issuers, experience increased volatility and be highly invested in certain issuers.

 

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed. The Fund invests in securities included in its Index regardless of their investment merit. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not utilize an investing strategy that seeks returns in excess of the Index. Therefore, it would not necessarily buy or sell a security unless that security is added or removed, respectively, from the Index, even if that security generally is underperforming.

 

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Portfolio Turnover Risk. High portfolio turnover (higher than 100%) may result in increased transaction costs to the Fund, including brokerage commissions, dealer markups and other transaction costs on the sale of the securities and on reinvestment in other securities, as well as possible increased taxable distributions.

 

Security Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause a security held by the Fund to be more volatile than the market generally. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole.

 

Trading Issues Risk. Although the Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange “circuit breaker” rules. Market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Shares, and authorized participants are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged. Initially, due to the small asset size of the Fund, it may have difficulty maintaining its listings on the Exchange.

 

Underlying Funds Risk. An investment in the Fund is subject to the risks associated with the Underlying Funds that comprise the Index. As such, the Fund may be subject to the following risks as a result of its investments in the the Underlying Funds:

 

American Depositary Receipts Risk. ADRs are subject to fluctuations in foreign currencies and foreign investment risks, such as political and financial instability, less liquidity and greater volatility, lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and increased price volatility. In addition, ADRs may not track the price of the underlying foreign securities, and their value may change materially at times when U.S. markets are not open for trading. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs associated with establishing the unsponsored depositary receipts. In addition, the issuers of the securities underlying unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the depositary receipts.

 

Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a security will be unable or unwilling to make dividend, interest and/or principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of such security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability to make such payments.

 

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Emerging Markets Risk. Investments in emerging markets or developing countries are subject to all of the risks of international investing generally, and have additional heightened risks due to a lack of established legal, political, business and social frameworks to support securities markets, including: more restrictive national policies on foreign investment, including restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; less familiarity with a capital market structure or market-oriented economy and more widespread corruption and fraud; higher rates of inflation and more rapid and extreme fluctuations in inflation rates; greater sensitivity to interest rate changes; increased volatility in currency exchange rates and potential for currency devaluations and/or currency controls; greater debt burdens relative to the size of the economy; and more delays in settling portfolio transactions and heightened risk of loss from share registration and custody practices. There is also a higher possibility of the devaluation of a country’s currency, a downgrade in the credit ratings of issuers in such country, or a decline in the value and liquidity of securities of issuers in that country if the U.S., other nations or other governmental entities (including supranational entities) impose sanctions on issuers that limit or restrict foreign investment, the movement of assets or other economic activity in the country due to political, military or regional conflicts or due to terrorism or war. Security prices in emerging markets can also be significantly more volatile than those in more developed markets, reflecting the greater uncertainties of investing in less established markets and economies. These risks are inherently passed on to the company’s shareholders, including the Fund, and in turn, to the Fund’s shareholders.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Investments in equity securities are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The value of your investment in the Fund is based on the market prices of the securities to which the Fund has exposure. These prices change daily due to economic and other events that affect particular companies and other issuers or the market as a whole. Historically, the equity markets have moved in cycles so that the value of the Fund’s equity securities may fluctuate from day-to-day. Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and developments and the prices of their securities may suffer a decline in response. These factors contribute to price volatility which is the principal risk of investing in the Fund.

 

Fixed Income Securities Risk. Holders of fixed income securities will be affected by changes in interest rates, the creditworthiness of the issuer and other factors. An increase in prevailing interest rates typically causes the value of existing debt securities to fall and often has a greater impact on longer-duration debt securities and higher quality debt securities. Falling interest rates will cause the holder of fixed income securities to reinvest the proceeds of securities that have been repaid by the issuer at lower interest rates. Falling interest rates may also reduce the holder’s distributable income because interest payments on floating rate debt instruments held by the holder will decline. The holder could lose money on investments in fixed income securities if the issuer or borrower fails to meet its obligations to make interest payments and/or to repay principal in a timely manner. Changes in an issuer’s financial strength, the market’s perception of such strength or in the credit rating of the issuer or the security may affect the value of debt securities. A credit analysis may fail to anticipate such changes, which could result in buying a fixed income security at an inopportune time.

 

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Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in securities of foreign companies (particularly in emerging markets) can be more volatile than investments in U.S. companies. Diplomatic, political, or economic developments, including nationalization or appropriation, could affect investments in foreign companies. Foreign securities markets generally have less trading volume and less liquidity than U.S. markets. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies, and of dividends from such securities, can change significantly when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. dollar. Foreign companies or governments generally are not subject to uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards comparable to those applicable to domestic U.S. companies or governments. Transaction costs are generally higher than those in the U.S. and expenses for custodial arrangements of foreign securities may be somewhat greater than typical expenses for custodial arrangements of similar U.S. securities.

 

High Yield Securities Risk. High yield securities, or “junk” bonds, are subject to greater market fluctuations and risk of loss than securities with higher ratings, and therefore, may be highly speculative. These securities are issued by companies that may have limited operating history, narrowly focused operations, and/or other impediments to the timely payment of periodic interest and principal at maturity. If the economy slows down or dips into recession, the issuers of high yield securities may not have sufficient resources to continue making timely payment of periodic interest and principal at maturity. The market for high yield securities is generally smaller and less liquid than that for investment grade securities. High yield securities are generally not listed on a national securities exchange but trade in the over-the-counter markets. Due to the smaller, less liquid market for high yield securities, the bid-offer spread on such securities is generally greater than it is for investment grade securities and the purchase or sale of such securities may take longer to complete. In general, high yield securities may have a greater risk of default than other types of securities.

 

Income Risk. The income of the Underlying Funds could decline due to falling market interest rates. This is because, in a falling interest rate environment, the Underlying Funds generally will have to invest the proceeds from sales of their shares, as well as the proceeds from maturing portfolio securities, or portfolio securities that have been called, in lower-yielding securities.

 

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of fixed income securities will decline because of rising market interest rates. Interest rate risk is generally lower for shorter term debt securities and higher for longer term debt securities. Duration is a measure of the expected price volatility of a debt security as a result of changes in market rates of interest, based on, among other factors, the weighted average timing of the debt security’s expected principal and interest payments. In general, duration represents the expected percentage change in the value of a security for an immediate 1% change in interest rates. Therefore, prices of fixed income securities with shorter durations tend to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than debt securities with longer durations. As the value of a fixed income security changes over time, so will its duration.

 

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Preferred Securities Risk. An investment in preferred securities involves the further risks not associated with an investment in common stocks set forth below.

 

 

Limited Voting Rights. Generally, holders of preferred securities have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company unless preferred dividends have been in arrears for a specified number of periods, at which time the preferred security holders may elect a number of directors to the issuer’s board. Generally, once the issuer pays all the arrearages, the preferred security holders no longer have voting rights.

 

 

Special Redemptions Rights. In certain circumstances, an issuer of preferred securities may redeem the securities prior to a specified date. For instance, for certain types of preferred securities, a redemption may be triggered by a change in federal income tax or securities laws. As with call provisions, a special redemption by the issuer may negatively impact the return of the security.

 

 

Deferral. Preferred securities may include provisions that permit the issuer, at its discretion, to defer distributions for a stated period without any adverse consequences to the issuer. For instance, if the Fund owns a preferred security that is deferring its distributions, the Fund may be required to report income for federal income tax purposes although it has not yet received such income in cash.

 

 

Subordination. Preferred securities are subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a company’s capital structure in terms of priority to corporate income and liquidation payments and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments.

 

 

Liquidity. Preferred securities may be substantially less liquid than many other securities, such as common stocks or U.S. government securities.

 

Small- and Mid- Capitalization Company Risk. Generally, small- or mid- capitalization companies, which are often less seasoned, have more potential for rapid growth. However, they often involve greater risk than large cap companies and these risks are passed on to funds that invest in them. These companies may not have the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Therefore, the securities of small-cap and mid-cap companies are generally more volatile than the securities of larger, more established companies.

 

Non-Principal Risks

 

Cash Management and Defensive Investing Risk. The value of the investments held by the Fund for cash management or defensive investing purposes can fluctuate. Like other fixed income securities, they are subject to risk, including market, interest rate and credit risk. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depository institution holding the cash. If the Fund holds cash uninvested, the Fund will not earn income on the cash.

 

Inflation Risk. Inflation may reduce the intrinsic value of increases in the value of the Fund. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the value of the Fund’s assets can decline as can the value of the Fund’s distributions.

 

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Legislation and Litigation Risk. Legislation or litigation that affects the value of securities held by the Fund may reduce the value of the Fund. From time to time, various legislative initiatives are proposed that may have a negative impact on certain securities in which the Fund invests. In addition, litigation regarding any of the securities owned by the Fund may negatively impact the value of the Shares. Such legislation or litigation may cause the Fund to lose value or may result in higher portfolio turnover if the Adviser determines to sell such a holding.

 

Management of the Fund

 

The Fund is a series of Innovator ETFs Trust, an investment company registered under the 1940 Act. The Fund is treated as a separate fund with its own investment objectives and policies. The Trust is organized as a Delaware statutory trust. The Board is responsible for the overall management and direction of the Trust. The Board elects the Trust’s officers and approves all significant agreements, including those with the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, custodian and fund administrative and accounting agent.

 

Investment Adviser

 

Innovator Capital Management, LLC, 120 North Hale Street, Suite 200, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, serves as the Fund’s investment adviser. As of December 1, 2017, Innovator served as the investment adviser to two registered investment companies, with assets under management of greater than $250 million. In its capacity as Adviser to the Fund, Innovator has overall responsibility for selecting and monitoring the Fund’s investments and managing the Fund’s business affairs.

 

Investment Sub-Adviser

 

Penserra Capital Management LLC, 140 Broadway, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10005, serves as the Fund’s investment sub-adviser. Penserra has responsibility for managing the Fund’s investment program in pursuit of its investment objective.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Dustin Lewellyn, CFA. Mr. Lewellyn has been Chief Investment Officer with Penserra since 2012. He was President and Founder of Golden Gate Investment Consulting LLC from 2011 through 2015. Prior to that, Mr. Lewellyn was a managing director at Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (“CSIM”), which he joined in 2009, and head of portfolio management for Schwab ETFs. Prior to joining CSIM, he worked for two years as director of ETF product management and development at a major financial institution focused on asset and wealth management. Prior to that, he was a portfolio manager for institutional clients at a financial services firm for three years. In addition, he held roles in portfolio operations and product management at a large asset management firm for more than 6 years.

 

Ernesto Tong, CFA. Mr. Tong has been a Managing Director with Penserra since 2015. Prior to that, Mr. Tong spent seven years a vice president at Blackrock, where he was a portfolio manager for a number of the iShares ETFs, and prior to that, he spent two years in the firm’s index research group.

 

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Anand Desai. Mr. Desai has been an Associate with Penserra since 2015. Prior to that, Mr. Desai was a portfolio fund accountant at State Street for five years.

 

For additional information concerning Innovator and Penserra, including a description of the services provided to the Fund, please see the Fund’s statement of additional information. Additional information regarding the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of Shares may also be found in the statement of additional information.

 

Management Fee

 

Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between Innovator and the Trust (the “Investment Management Agreement”), the Fund has agreed to pay an annual unitary management fee to Innovator in an amount equal to 0.60% of its average daily net assets. This unitary management fee is designed to pay the Fund’s expenses and to compensate Innovator for the services it provides to the Fund.

 

Out of this unitary management fee, Innovator pays substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other service and license fees. However, the Adviser is not responsible for distribution and service fees payable pursuant to a Rule 12b-1 plan, if any, brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions, taxes, interest, and extraordinary expenses. The Adviser’s management fee is designed to pay the Fund’s expenses and to compensate the Adviser for providing services to the Fund.

 

Pursuant to an investment sub-advisory agreement between Innovator, Penserra and the Trust (the “Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement”), Penserra receives an annual fee equal to the greater of $20,000 or 0.05% of the average daily net assets of the Fund until the Fund reaches $500 million in assets. The Adviser is responsible for paying the entire amount of the Sub-Adviser’s fee for the Fund. The Fund does not directly pay the Sub-Adviser. The Adviser is responsible for paying the entire amount of the Sub-Adviser’s fee for the Fund. The Fund does not directly pay the Sub-Adviser.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Trust’s Board of Director’s approval of the Investment Management Agreement and Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement on behalf of the Fund will be available in the Fund’s Semi-Annual Report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended April 30, 2018.

 

Manager of Managers Structure. The Fund and the Adviser have received an exemptive order from the SEC to operate under a manager of managers structure that permits the Adviser, with the approval of the Board, to appoint and replace sub-advisers, enter into sub-advisory agreements, and materially amend and terminate sub-advisory agreements on behalf of the Fund without shareholder approval (“Manager of Managers Structure”). Under the Manager of Managers Structure, the Adviser has ultimate responsibility, subject to oversight by the Board, for overseeing the Fund’s sub-advisers and recommending to the Board their hiring, termination, or replacement. The SEC order does not apply to any sub-adviser that is affiliated with the Fund or the Adviser.

 

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The Manager of Managers Structure enables the Fund to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approvals for matters relating to sub-advisers or sub-advisory agreements. The Manager of Managers Structure does not permit an increase in the advisory fees payable by the Fund without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified of any changes made to the sub-advisers or sub-advisory agreements within 90 days of the changes.

 

How to Buy and Sell Shares

 

The Fund issues or redeems its Shares at NAV per Share only in Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares will be listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded shares. Share prices are reported in dollars and cents per Share. There is no minimum investment. When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. Because Shares trade at market price rather than NAV, an investor may pay more than NAV when purchasing Shares and receive less than NAV when selling Shares.

 

APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV per Share only in Creation Units or Creation Unit Aggregations, and in accordance with the procedures described in the SAI.

 

The Shares trade under the symbol LDRS.

 

Book Entry

 

Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares and is recognized as the owner of all Shares for all purposes.

 

Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. Participants in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other stocks that you hold in book entry or “street name” form.

 

Fund Share Trading Prices

 

The trading prices of Shares on the Exchange may differ from the Fund’s daily NAV. Market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors may affect the trading prices of Shares.

 

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The approximate value of Shares, an amount representing on a per Share basis the sum of the current market price of the securities accepted by the Fund in exchange for Shares and an estimated cash component, will be disseminated every 15 seconds throughout the trading day through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association. This approximate value should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV per Share of the Fund because the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day, generally at the end of the business day. The Fund is not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the approximate value and the Fund does not make any warranty as to its accuracy.

 

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares

 

Shares may be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund only in Creation Units by APs that have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor. The vast majority of trading in Shares occurs on the secondary market and does not involve the Fund directly. In-kind purchases and redemptions of Creation Units by APs and cash trades on the secondary market are unlikely to cause many of the harmful effects of frequent purchases and/or redemptions of Shares. Cash purchases and/or redemptions of Creation Units, however, can result in increased tracking error, disruption of portfolio management, dilution to the Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objectives, and may lead to the realization of capital gains. These consequences may increase as the frequency of cash purchases and redemptions of Creation Units by APs increases. However, direct trading by APs is critical to ensuring that Shares trade at or close to NAV.

 

To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares, the Fund imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs the Fund incurs in effecting trades. In addition, the Fund reserves the right to not accept orders from APs that Innovator has determined may be disruptive to the management of the Fund or otherwise are not in the best interests of the Fund. For these reasons, the Board has not adopted policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares.

 

Dividends, Distributions and Taxes

 

The Fund expects to declare and distribute all of its net investment income and its net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually. The Fund may distribute such income dividends and capital gains more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund. The amount of any distribution will vary, and there is no guarantee the Fund will pay either an income dividend or a capital gains distribution. Distributions may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available.

 

Taxes

 

The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated investment company” under the federal tax laws. If the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company and distributes its income as required by the tax law, the Fund generally will not pay federal income taxes.

 

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As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares will be taxed. The tax information in this prospectus is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares.

 

Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an IRA plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when:

 

 

Your Fund makes distributions,

 

 

You sell your Shares listed on the Exchange, and

 

 

You purchase or redeem Creation Units.

 

Taxes on Distributions

 

The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable. After the end of each year, you will receive a tax statement that separates the distributions of the Fund into two categories, ordinary income distributions and capital gains dividends. Ordinary income distributions are generally taxed at your ordinary tax rate; however, as further discussed below, certain ordinary income distributions received from the Fund may be taxed at the capital gains tax rates. Generally, you will treat all capital gain dividends as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your Shares. To determine your actual tax liability for your capital gains dividends, you must calculate your total net capital gain or loss for the tax year after considering all of your other taxable transactions, as described below. In addition, the Fund may make distributions that represent a return of capital for tax purposes and thus will generally not be taxable to you; however, such distributions may reduce your tax basis, which could result in you having to pay higher taxes in the future when Shares are sold, even if you sell the Shares at a loss from your original investment. The tax status of your distributions from the Fund is not affected by whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Shares or receive them in cash. The income from the Fund that you must take into account for federal income tax purposes is not reduced by amounts used to pay a deferred sales fee, if any. The tax laws may require you to treat distributions made to you in January as if you had received them on December 31 of the previous year.

 

Income from the Fund may also be subject to a 3.8% “Medicare tax.” This tax generally applies to your net investment income if your adjusted gross income exceeds certain threshold amounts, which are $250,000 in the case of married couples filing joint returns and $200,000 in the case of single individuals.

 

A corporation that owns Shares generally will not be entitled to the dividends received deduction with respect to many dividends received from the Fund because the dividends received deduction is generally not available for distributions from regulated investment companies. However, certain ordinary income dividends on Shares that are attributable to qualifying dividends received by the Fund from certain corporations may be reported by the Fund as being eligible for the dividends received deduction.

 

24

 

 

If you are an individual, the maximum marginal stated federal tax rate for net capital gain is generally 20% for taxpayers in the 39.6% tax bracket, 15% for taxpayers in the 25%, 28%, 33% and 35% tax brackets and 0% for taxpayers in the 10% and 15% tax brackets. Some capital gains dividends may be taxed at a higher maximum stated tax rate. Capital gains may also be subject to the Medicare tax described above.

 

Net capital gain equals net long-term capital gain minus net short-term capital loss for the taxable year. Capital gain or loss is long-term if the holding period for the asset is more than one year and is short-term if the holding period for the asset is one year or less. You must exclude the date you purchase your Shares to determine your holding period. However, if you receive a capital gain dividend from the Fund and sell your Shares at a loss after holding it for six months or less, the loss will be recharacterized as long-term capital loss to the extent of the capital gain dividend received. The tax rates for capital gains realized from assets held for one year or less are generally the same as for ordinary income. The Code treats certain capital gains as ordinary income in special situations.

 

Ordinary income dividends received by an individual shareholder from a regulated investment company such as the Fund are generally taxed at the same rates that apply to net capital gain (as discussed above), provided certain holding period requirements are satisfied and provided the dividends are attributable to qualifying dividends received by the Fund itself. The Fund will provide notice to its shareholders of the amount of any distribution which may be taken into account as a dividend which is eligible for the capital gains tax rates.

 

Taxes on Exchange Listed Shares

 

If you sell or redeem your Shares, you will generally recognize a taxable gain or loss. To determine the amount of this gain or loss, you must subtract your tax basis in your Shares from the amount you receive in the transaction. Your tax basis in your Shares is generally equal to the cost of your Shares, generally including sales charges. In some cases, however, you may have to adjust your tax basis after you purchase your Shares.

 

Investments in Certain Non-U.S. Corporations

 

If the Fund holds an equity interest in any PFICs, which are generally certain non-U.S. corporations that receive at least 75% of their annual gross income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties or capital gains) or that hold at least 50% of their assets in investments producing such passive income, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax and additional interest charges on gains and certain distributions with respect to those equity interests, even if all the income or gain is timely distributed to its shareholders. The Fund will not be able to pass through to its shareholders any credit or deduction for such taxes. The Fund may be able to make an election that could ameliorate these adverse tax consequences. In this case, the Fund would recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value of such PFIC shares, and as ordinary loss any decrease in such value to the extent it did not exceed prior increases included in income. Under this election, the Fund might be required to recognize in a year income in excess of its distributions from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock during that year, and such income would nevertheless be subject to the distribution requirement and would be taken into account for purposes of the 4% excise tax. Dividends paid by PFICs are not treated as qualified dividend income.

 

25

 

 

Taxes and Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units

 

If you exchange securities for Creation Units you will generally recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and your aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and the cash component paid. If you exchange Creation Units for securities, you will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between your basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate market value of the securities received and any cash redemption amount. The Internal Revenue Service, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units or Creation Units for securities cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

 

Under current federal tax laws, any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units generally is treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for one year or less. If you purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many Shares you purchased or sold and at what price.

 

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of Shares.

 

Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. See “Taxes” in the statement of additional information for more information.

 

Distribution Plan

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as the distributor of Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in the Shares.

 

The Board of Trustees has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Distribution Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with its Rule 12b-1 plan, the Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year to finance any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of the Fund or the provision of investor services, including but not limited to: (i) marketing and promotional services, including advertising; (ii) facilitating communications with beneficial owners of Shares; (iii) wholesaling services; and (iv) such other services and obligations as may be set forth in the Distribution Agreement with the Distributor, or a dealer agreement with a broker-dealer.

 

The Fund does not currently pay 12b-1 fees and there is no plan to impose such fees. However, in the event 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.

 

26

 

 

Net Asset Value

 

The Fund’s net asset value is determined as of the close of trading (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. Net asset value is calculated for the Fund by taking the market price of the Fund’s total assets, including interest or dividends accrued but not yet collected, less all liabilities, and dividing such amount by the total number of Shares outstanding. The result, rounded to the nearest cent, is the net asset value per Share. All valuations are subject to review by the Trust’s Board of Trustees or its delegate.

 

The Fund’s investments are valued daily in accordance with valuation procedures adopted by the Board, and in accordance with provisions of the 1940 Act. Certain securities in which the Fund may invest are not listed on any securities exchange or board of trade. Such securities are typically bought and sold by institutional investors in individually negotiated private transactions that function in many respects like an over the counter secondary market, although typically no formal market makers exist. Certain securities, particularly debt securities, have few or no trades, or trade infrequently, and information regarding a specific security may not be widely available or may be incomplete. Accordingly, determinations of the fair value of debt securities may be based on infrequent and dated information. Because there is less reliable, objective data available, elements of judgment may play a greater role in valuation of debt securities than for other types of securities. Typically, debt securities are valued using information provided by a third-party pricing service. The third-party pricing service primarily uses broker quotes to value the securities.

 

The Fund’s investments will be valued daily at market value or, in the absence of market value with respect to any investment, at fair value in accordance with valuation procedures adopted by the Board and in accordance with the 1940 Act. Market value prices represent last sale or official closing prices from a national or foreign exchange (i.e., a regulated market) and are primarily obtained from third-party pricing services.

 

Certain securities may not be able to be priced by pre-established pricing methods. Such securities may be valued by the Board of Trustees or its delegate at fair value. The use of fair value pricing by the Fund is governed by valuation procedures adopted by the Board and in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act. These securities generally include, but are not limited to, certain restricted securities (securities which may not be publicly sold without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”)) for which a pricing service is unable to provide a market price; securities whose trading has been formally suspended; a security whose market price is not available from a pre-established pricing source; a security with respect to which an event has occurred that is likely to materially affect the value of the security after the market has closed but before the calculation of the Fund’s net asset value or make it difficult or impossible to obtain a reliable market quotation; and a security whose price, as provided by the pricing service, does not reflect the security’s “fair value.” As a general principle, the current “fair value” of a security would appear to be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive for the security upon its current sale. The use of fair value prices by the Fund generally results in the prices used by the Fund that may differ from current market quotations or official closing prices on the applicable exchange. A variety of factors may be considered in determining the fair value of such securities. Valuing the Fund’s securities using fair value pricing will result in using prices for those securities that may differ from current market valuations. See the Fund’s statement of additional information for details.

 

27

 

 

Even when market quotations are available for portfolio securities, they may be stale or unreliable because the security is not traded frequently, trading on the security ceased before the close of the trading market or issuer-specific events occurred after the security ceased trading or because of the passage of time between the close of the market on which the security trades and the close of the Exchange and when the Fund calculates its NAV. Events that may cause the last market quotation to be unreliable include a merger or insolvency, events which affect a geographical area or an industry segment, such as political events or natural disasters, or market events, such as a significant movement in the U.S. market. Where market quotations are not readily available, including where Innovator determines that the closing price of the security is unreliable, Innovator will value the security at fair value in good faith using procedures approved by the Board. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security.

 

Index Information

 

The Index is owned and operated by Investor’s Business Daily®. IBD is not affiliated with the Fund, Innovator or the Distributor. The Fund is entitled to use the Index pursuant to a sublicensing arrangement with Innovator, which in turn has a licensing agreement with the Index Provider. Thomson Reuters serves as calculation agent for the Index (the “Index Calculation Agent”). The Index Calculation Agent is responsible for the management of the day-to-day operations of the Index, including calculating the value of the Index every 15 seconds, widely disseminating the Index values every 15 seconds and tracking corporate actions, some of which result in Index adjustments.

 

Index Composition

 

Eligible Universe. The initial universe for the Index is composed of all U.S.-listed ETFs registered under the 1940 Act. Exchange-trades notes are not eligible for inclusion in the Index. All ETFs that utilize financial instruments to provide leveraged exposure to an index with the intent of seeking a multiple (positive or negative) on the returns of that index are removed from the selection universe. With the exception of the ProShares Short S&P 500 ETF, all ETFs that utilize financial instruments to seek a return that is the inverse of an index are removed from the selection universe as well. Additionally, commodity ETFs, ETFs structured as grantor trusts or partnerships and ETFs that invest principally in other ETFs are ineligible to be included in the Index.

 

28

 

 

Selection Universe. Securities are further narrowed into a “Selection Universe” by excluding those not meeting the following criteria:

 

 

1.

Underlying Funds with an average daily trading volume of less than 100,000 over the previous 50 days;

 

 

2.

Underlying Funds not trading above their average 6-month price; and

 

 

3.

Underlying Funds with returns less than those of the S&P 500 Index over the course of the previous three months

 

The remaining ETFs are then ranked according IBD’s relative price strength rating methodology. This methodology measures the relative strength in price appreciation over the previous 12 months for the over 8,000 foreign and domestic equity securities that comprise IBD’s internal database. Each Underlying Fund is ranked according to its relative price performance and assigned a proprietary rating score from 1 (lowest) to 99 (highest). All Underlying Funds with a qualifying rating are included and equally weighted within the Index subject to the limitations of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act (for additional information on the limitations of Section 12(d)(1), see “Fund Investments–Exchange-Traded Funds”). If less than three Underlying Funds have a qualifying rating, the Index will be composed of Underlying Funds that invest principally in cash or cash equivalents to bring the number of components to three until the next Index reconstitution and rebalance date. The Index will not have exposure to an Underlying Fund in an amount greater than 25% of that Underlying Fund’s total shares outstanding.

 

The Index has also been designed to account for the tendency of Underlying Funds to exhibit mean reversion after periods of outsized price appreciation. Mean reversion is the assumption that an Underlying Fund’s price will tend to move to the average price over time. Therefore, if the Index exhibits price appreciation exceeding an index level, determined by the Index Provider, above its average price over the previous 39 weeks, the Index will be composed of Underlying Funds that principally invest in cash or cash equivalents until the next Index reconstitution and rebalance date.

 

Under normal conditions, the Index will be reconstituted and rebalanced on the last trading day of each month. However, if the S&P 500 Index experiences gains of greater than 3% in a given week, the Index will be reconstituted and rebalanced on the final trading day of the week.

 

Disclaimers

 

The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by IBD (“Licensor”). Licensor makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of trading in the Fund. Licensor’s only relationship to Innovator is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of Licensor and of the IBD® ETF Leaders Index which is determined, composed and calculated by Licensor without regard to Innovator or the Fund, Licensor has no obligation to take the needs of Innovator or the owners of the Fund into consideration in determining, composing or calculating IBD® ETF Leaders Index. Licensor is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Fund to be listed or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Fund are to be converted into cash. Licensor has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund.

 

29

 

 

LICENSOR DOES NOT GUARANTEE OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY AS TO THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE IBD® 50 INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND LICENSOR SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. THE INDEX, ANY DATA CONTAINED THEREIN AND ANY OTHER DATA OR INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY LICENSOR IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” BASIS. LICENSOR MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY INNOVATOR, OWNERS OF THE FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE IBD® ETF LEADERS INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. LICENSOR MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE IBD® ETF LEADERS INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN, OR ANY WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE TIMELINESS, SEQUENCE, ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, CURRENTNESS, OR QUALITY OF THE INDEX, ANY DATA CONTAINED THEREIN OR ANY DATA OR INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY LICENSOR. LICENSOR SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY MISDELIVERY OF ANY DATA RELATED TO OR ASSOCIATED WITH THE INDEX OR ANY DATA CONTAINED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL LICENSOR HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. LICENSOR AND ITS RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES AND EACH OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS AND SOURCES (THE “LICENSOR PARTIES”) SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO INNOVATOR OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE, DIRECT, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL, ARISING FROM (A) ANY INACCURACY OR INCOMPLETENESS IN, OR DELAYS, INTERRUPTIONS, ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE DELIVERY OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA CONTAINED THEREIN, OR (B) ANY DECISION MADE OR ACTION TAKEN BY INNOVATOR OR ANY THIRD PARTY IN RELIANCE UPON THE PRODUCTS, INDEX OR ANY DATA CONTAINED THEREIN. THERE ARE NO THIRD-PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN LICENSOR AND INNOVATOR.

 

Fund Service Providers

 

US Bancorp Fund Services LLC is the administrator and transfer agent for the Trust. U.S. Bank, N.A. serves as the custodian for the Trust.

 

Chapman and Cutler LLP, 111 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.

 

Cohen & Company, Ltd. serves as the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm and is responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Trust

 

30

 

 

Financial Highlights

 

The Fund is new and has no performance history as of the date of this prospectus. Financial information therefore is not available.

 

Premium/Discount Information

 

The market prices of the Shares generally will fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV, as well as the relative supply of and demand for Shares on the Exchange. Innovator cannot predict whether the Shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. The approximate value of the Shares, which is an amount representing on a per share basis the sum of the current market price of the securities (and an estimated cash component) accepted by the Fund in exchange for Shares, will be disseminated every 15 seconds throughout the trading day through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association. This approximate value should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV per Share of the Fund because the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day, generally at the end of the business day. The Fund is not involved with, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the approximate value, and the Fund does not make any warranty as to its accuracy.

 

Information regarding how often the Shares traded on the Exchange at a price above (at a premium) or below (at a discount) the NAV of the Fund during the past four calendar quarters, when available, will be found at www.innovatoretfs.com.

 

Investments by Other Investment Companies

 

Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including Shares. Although the Securities and Exchange Commission has granted an exemptive order to the Trust permitting registered investment companies that enter into a participation agreement with the Trust (“Investing Funds”) to invest in Innovator Funds beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act subject to certain terms and conditions, the exemptive order is not applicable to investments in the Fund. Accordingly, Investing Funds must adhere to the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act when investing in the Fund.

 

31

 

 

Table of Contents

 

Summary Information

2

Additional Information About the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies

11

Fund Investments

11

Additional Risks of Investing in the Fund

12

Management of the Fund

21

How to Buy and Sell Shares

23

Dividends, Distributions and Taxes

24

Distribution Plan

27

Net Asset Value

28

Disclaimers

30

Fund Service Providers

31

Financial Highlights

32

Premium/Discount Information

32

Investments by Other Investment Companies

32

 

 

 

 

 

 

Innovator IBD® ETF Leaders ETF

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more detailed information on the Fund, several additional sources of information are available to you. The Statement of Additional Information, incorporated by reference into this Prospectus, contains detailed information on the Fund’s policies and operation. Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the Fund’s annual reports, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly impacted the Fund’s performance during the last fiscal year. The Fund’s most recent Statement of Additional Information, annual or semi-annual reports and certain other information are available free of charge by calling the Fund at (800) 208-5212, on the Fund’s website at www.innovatoretfs.com or through your financial advisor. Shareholders may call the toll-free number above with any inquiries.

 

You may obtain this and other information regarding the Fund, including the Statement of Additional Information and Codes of Ethics adopted by the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, Distributor and the Trust, directly from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Information on the SEC’s website is free of charge. Visit the SEC’s on-line EDGAR database at http://www.sec.gov or in person at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C., or call the SEC at (202) 551-8090 for information on the Public Reference Room. You may also request information regarding the Fund by sending a request (along with a duplication fee) to the SEC’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-1520 or by sending an electronic request to publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

 

 

 

 

Innovator Capital Management, LLC
120 North Hale Street, Suite 200
Wheaton, Illinois  60187

(800) 208-5212
www.innovatoretfs.com

SEC File #: 333‑146827
811-22135

 

 

 

 

 

INNOVATOR ETFs TRUST

 

Innovator IBD® ETF Leaders ETF

 

Ticker symbol: LDRS

 

Statement of Additional Information
December 13, 2017

 

120 North Hale Street
Suite 200
Wheaton, Illinois 60187
www.innovatoretfs.com

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) describes shares of the Innovator IBD® ETF Leaders ETF (the “Fund”) which is a series of Innovator ETFs Trust (the “Trust”). The Fund’s investment adviser is Innovator Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”) and investment sub-adviser is Penserra Capital Management LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”). The Fund’s distributor is Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”).

 

This SAI supplements the information contained in the Fund’s Prospectus, dated December, 2017, as they may be amended from time to time. This SAI should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus. This SAI is not itself a prospectus but is, in its entirety, incorporated by reference into the Prospectus. A copy of the Fund’s most recent annual report, semi-annual report or the Prospectus for the Fund may be obtained, without charge, by writing the Adviser at the address listed above or by calling (800) 208-5212.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Page

 

Page

General Information

2

Portfolio Managers

31

Exchange Listing and Trading

3

Trading and Brokerage

32

Investment Restrictions and Policies

3

Capital Structure

33

Investment Strategies and Risks

6

Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations

35

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings Information

19

Determining Offering Price and Net Asset Value

43

Management of the Trust

21

Distributions and Taxes

43

Investment Adviser and Other Service Providers

27

Performance Information

61

 

 

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

 

The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust organized on October 17, 2007. On August 11, 2017, the Trust changed its name from Academy Funds Trust to Innovator ETFs Trust. The Trust is an open-end management investment company, registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Trust currently offers shares of three separate series, representing separate portfolios of investments. This SAI relates solely to the Innovator IBD® ETF Leaders ETF (the “Fund”), which is non-diversified.

 

The Fund offers and issues shares (“Shares”) at net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each a “Creation Unit” or a “Creation Unit Aggregation”), generally in exchange for (1) a portfolio of equity securities representing stocks included in the Fund’s portfolio (“Deposit Securities”) and (2) a small cash payment referred to as the “Cash Component.”

 

The Fund’s Shares are listed on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and trade at market prices. The market price for the Fund’s Shares may be different from its NAV. Shares are redeemable only in Creation Unit Aggregations, generally in exchange for portfolio securities and, in certain circumstances, for a specified cash payment. Creation Units are aggregations of 50,000 Shares or more. In the event of the liquidation of the Fund, the Trust may lower the number of Shares in a Creation Unit.

 

The Trust reserves the right to offer a “cash” option for creations and redemptions of Fund Shares, although it has no current intention of doing so. Fund Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to 105% of the market value of the missing Deposit Securities. See the “Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations” section of this SAI. In each instance of such full cash creations or redemptions, the transaction fees imposed will be $250 times the transaction fees associated with in-kind creations or redemptions. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities.

 

The Fund is a separate mutual fund, and each Share represents an equal proportionate interest in the Fund. All consideration received by the Trust for Shares and all assets of the Fund belong solely to the Fund and would be subject to liabilities related thereto. The Trust pays its (i) operating expenses, including fees of its service providers, expenses of preparing prospectuses for existing shareholders, proxy solicitation materials and reports to shareholders, costs of custodial services charges, taxes and organization expenses and (ii) other expenses, including audit and legal expenses. Expenses attributable to a specific series of the Trust shall be payable solely out of the assets of that series. Expenses not attributable to a specific series are allocated across all of the series on the basis of relative net assets.

 

2

 

 

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

 

There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares of the Fund will continue to be met. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the Shares of the Fund from listing if (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial holders of the Shares for 30 or more consecutive trading days, (ii) the “approximate value” of the Fund, as described in “Fund Share Trading Prices” of the Prospectus, is no longer calculated or available, or (iii) any other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.

 

As in the case of other stocks traded on the Exchange, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels. Negotiated commission rates only apply to investors who will buy and sell Shares of the Fund in secondary market transactions through brokers on the Exchange and does not apply to investors such as market makers, large investors and institutions who wish to deal in Creation Units directly with the Fund.

 

The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of the Shares in the future to help maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund.

 

Continuous Offering

 

Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner that could render them statutory underwriters and subject to these requirements. For more detailed information see “Continuous Offering” in the Prospectus. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to Shares are reminded that, under Rule 153 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the 1933 Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on the Exchange is satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available at the Exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.

 

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS AND POLICIES

 

Investment Objective

 

There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its objective. The Fund’s investment objective and policies, and its associated risks, are discussed below and in the Fund’s Prospectus, which should be read carefully before an investment is made. All investment objectives and investment policies not specifically designated as fundamental may be changed without shareholder approval. Additional information about the Fund and its policies is provided below.

 

3

 

 

Fundamental Investment Restrictions

 

The investment restrictions set forth below have been adopted by the Trust as fundamental policies that cannot be changed without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. All other investment policies or practices of the Fund are considered by the Trust to be non-fundamental and, accordingly, may be changed without shareholder approval. For purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” means the lesser of the vote of: (i) 67% or more of the Shares of the Fund present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding Shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the Shares of the Fund.

 

The Fund shall not:

 

(1)

Borrow money, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder that may be adopted, granted or issued by the SEC.

 

(2)

Act as an underwriter, except to the extent the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter when disposing of securities it owns or when selling its own shares.

 

(3)

Make loans if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other persons, including other investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder which may be adopted, granted or issued by the SEC.

 

(4)

Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments and provided that this restriction does not prevent the Fund from (i) purchasing or selling securities or instruments secured by real estate or interests therein, securities or instruments representing interests in real estate or securities or instruments of issuers that invest, deal or otherwise engage in transactions in real estate or interests therein and (ii) making, purchasing or selling real estate mortgage loans.

 

(5)

Purchase or sell commodities except to the extent permitted by applicable law.

 

(6)

Issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder that may be adopted, granted or issued by the SEC.

 

(7)

Invest 25% or more of the Fund’s net assets in securities of issuers in any one industry or group of industries (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies), except that the Fund will invest 25% or more of its net assets in securities of underlying exchange-traded investment companies (“Underlying Funds”) in the same industry to approximately the same extent that the IBD® ETF Leaders Index concentrates in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries. Accordingly, if the IBD® ETF Leaders Index stops concentrating in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will also discontinue concentrating in such securities.

 

4

 

 

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions

 

In addition to the fundamental policies and investment restrictions described above, and the various general investment policies described in the Prospectus, the Fund will be subject to the following investment restrictions, which are considered non-fundamental and may be changed by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) without shareholder approval.

 

 

(1)

The Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in securities that it cannot sell or dispose of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the value at which the Fund has valued the investment.

 

 

(2)

The Fund is permitted to invest in other investment companies, including open-end, closed-end or unregistered investment companies, either within the percentage limits set forth in the 1940 Act, any rule or order thereunder, or SEC staff interpretation thereof, or without regard to percentage limits in connection with a merger, reorganization, consolidation or other similar transaction.

 

*     *     *

 

Except for the Fund’s policy with respect to borrowing, any investment restriction or limitation that involves a maximum percentage of securities or assets shall not be considered violated unless an excess over the percentage occurs immediately after an acquisition of securities or a utilization of assets and such excess results therefrom.

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund may have a portfolio turnover rate in excess of 100%. Portfolio trading will be undertaken principally to accomplish the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund is free to dispose of portfolio securities at any time, subject to complying with the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”) and the 1940 Act, when changes in circumstances or conditions make such a move desirable in light of the Fund’s investment objective. Therefore, the Fund will not attempt to achieve or be limited to a predetermined rate of portfolio turnover.

 

The portfolio turnover rate tells you the amount of trading activity in the Fund’s portfolio. A turnover rate of 100% would occur, for example, if all of the Fund’s investments held at the beginning of a year were replaced by the end of the year, or if a single investment was frequently traded. The turnover rate also may be affected by cash requirements from purchases and redemptions of Shares. A high rate of portfolio turnover in any year may increase brokerage commissions paid and could generate taxes for shareholders on realized investment gains.

 

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INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

 

The following information relates to and supplements the description of the Fund’s investment strategies and risks that are contained in the Prospectus and includes descriptions of permitted investments and investment practices as well as associated risk factors.

 

American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”). ADRs as well as other “hybrid” forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. Depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer’s home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.

 

Investments in the securities of foreign issuers may subject an Underlying Fund to investment risks that differ in some respects from those related to investments in securities of U.S. issuers. Such risks include future adverse political and economic developments, possible imposition of withholding taxes on income, possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of foreign deposits, possible establishment of exchange controls or taxation at the source or greater fluctuation in value due to changes in exchange rates. Foreign issuers of securities often engage in business practices different from those of domestic issuers of similar securities, and there may be less information publicly available about foreign issuers. In addition, foreign issuers are, generally speaking, subject to less government supervision and regulation and different accounting treatment than are those in the United States.

 

Although the two types of depositary receipt facilities (unsponsored or sponsored) are similar, there are differences regarding a holder's rights and obligations and the practices of market participants. A depository may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or acquiescence of) the underlying issuer; typically, however, the depository requests a letter of non-objection from the underlying issuer prior to establishing the facility. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of the facility. The depository usually charges fees upon the deposit and withdrawal of the underlying securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars or other currency, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of other services. The depository of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the underlying issuer or to pass through voting rights to depositary receipt holders with respect to the underlying securities.

 

Sponsored depositary receipt facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depository and the underlying issuer through a deposit agreement. The deposit agreement sets out the rights and responsibilities of the underlying issuer, the depository, and the depositary receipt holders. With sponsored facilities, the underlying issuer typically bears some of the costs of the depositary receipts (such as dividend payment fees of the depository), although most sponsored depositary receipts holders may bear costs such as deposit and withdrawal fees. Depositories of most sponsored depositary receipts agree to distribute notices of shareholder meetings, voting instructions, and other shareholder communications and information to the depositary receipt holders at the underlying issuer's request.

 

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Borrowing and Leverage. If the Fund borrows money, it must pay interest and other fees, which will reduce the Fund’s returns if such costs exceed the returns on the portfolio securities purchased or retained with such borrowings. Any such borrowings are intended to be temporary. However, under certain market conditions, including periods of low demand or decreased liquidity, such borrowings might be outstanding for longer periods of time. As prescribed by the 1940 Act, the Fund will be required to maintain specified asset coverage of at least 300% with respect to any bank borrowing immediately following such borrowing. The Fund may be required to dispose of assets on unfavorable terms if market fluctuations or other factors reduce the Fund’s asset coverage to less than the prescribed amount.

 

Cyber security Risk. Since the use of technology has become more prevalent in the course of business, the Fund may be more susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. A cyber security incident may refer to either intentional or unintentional events that allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or a service provider to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. A cyber security incident could, among other things, result in the loss or theft of customer data or funds, customers or employees being unable to access electronic systems (“denial of services”), loss or theft of proprietary information or corporate data, physical damage to a computer or network system, or remediation costs associated with system repairs. Any of these results could have a substantial impact on the Fund. For example, if a cyber security incident results in a denial of service, Fund shareholders could lose access to their electronic accounts for an unknown period of time, and employees could be unable to access electronic systems to perform critical duties for the Fund, such as trading, NAV calculation, shareholder accounting or fulfillment of Share purchases and redemptions. Cyber security incidents could cause the Fund, Adviser, Sub-Adviser or Distributor to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures, or financial loss of a significant magnitude. They may also cause the Fund to violate applicable privacy and other laws. The Fund’s service providers have established risk management systems that seek to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, and business continuity plans in the event there is a cyber security breach. However, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially since the Fund does not directly control the cyber security systems of the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests or the Fund’s third-party service providers (including the Fund’s transfer agent and custodian).

 

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Developing Markets or Emerging Markets. Investments in companies domiciled or with significant operations in developing market or emerging market countries may be subject to potentially higher risks than investments in developed countries. These risks include, among others (i) less social, political, and economic stability; (ii) smaller securities markets with low or nonexistent trading volume, which result in greater illiquidity and greater price volatility; (iii) certain national policies which may restrict an Underlying Fund’s investment opportunities, including restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; (iv) foreign taxation, including less transparent and established taxation policies; (v) less developed regulatory or legal structures governing private or foreign investment or allowing for judicial redress for injury to private property; (vi) the absence, until recently in many developing market countries, of a capital market structure or market-oriented economy; (vii) more widespread corruption and fraud; (viii) the financial institutions with which the Underlying Fund may trade may not possess the same degree of financial sophistication, creditworthiness, or resources as those in developed markets; and (ix) the possibility that recent favorable economic developments in some developing market countries may be slowed or reversed by unanticipated economic, political, or social events in such countries.

 

In addition, many developing market countries have experienced substantial, and during some periods, extremely high rates of inflation, for many years. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had, and may continue to have, negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain countries. Moreover, the economies of some developing market countries may differ unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, currency depreciation, debt burden, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, and balance of payments position. The economies of some developing market countries may be based on only a few industries, and may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions.

 

Settlement systems in developing market countries may be less organized than in developed countries. Supervisory authorities may also be unable to apply standards which are comparable with those in more developed countries. There may be risks that settlement may be delayed and that cash or securities belonging to an Underlying Fund may be in jeopardy because of failures of or defects in the settlement systems. Market practice may require that payment be made prior to receipt of the security which is being purchased or that delivery of a security must be made before payment is received. In such cases, default by a broker or bank (the “counterparty”) through whom the relevant transaction is effected might result in a loss being suffered by the Underlying Fund. The Underlying Funds seek, where possible, to use counterparties whose financial status reduces this risk. However, there can be no certainty that an Underlying Fund will be successful in eliminating or reducing this risk, particularly as counterparties operating in developing market countries frequently lack the substance, capitalization, and/or financial resources of those in developed countries. Uncertainties in the operation of settlement systems in individual markets may increase the risk of competing claims to securities held by or to be transferred to an Underlying Fund. Legal compensation schemes may be non-existent, limited or inadequate to meet an Underlying Fund’s claims in any of these events.

 

Securities trading in developing markets presents additional credit and financial risks. An Underlying Fund may have limited access to, or there may be a limited number of, potential counterparties that trade in the securities of developing market issuers. Governmental regulations may restrict potential counterparties to certain financial institutions located or operating in the particular developing market. Potential counterparties may not possess, adopt or implement creditworthiness standards, financial reporting standards, or legal and contractual protections similar to those in developed markets. Currency and other hedging techniques may not be available or may be limited.

 

8

 

 

The local taxation of income and capital gains accruing to non-residents varies among developing market countries and may be comparatively high. Developing market countries typically have less well-defined tax laws and procedures and such laws may permit retroactive taxation so that an Underlying Fund could in the future become subject to local tax liabilities that had not been anticipated in conducting its investment activities or valuing its assets.

 

Many developing market countries suffer from uncertainty and corruption in their legal frameworks. Legislation may be difficult to interpret and laws may be too new to provide any precedential value. Laws regarding foreign investment and private property may be weak or non-existent. Investments in developing market countries may involve risks of nationalization, expropriation, and confiscatory taxation. For example, the Communist governments of a number of Eastern European countries expropriated large amounts of private property in the past, in many cases without adequate compensation, and there can be no assurance that similar expropriation will not occur in the future. In the event of expropriation, an Underlying Fund could lose all or a substantial portion of any investments it has made in the affected countries. Accounting, auditing and reporting standards in certain countries in which an Underlying Fund may invest may not provide the same degree of investor protection or information to investors as would generally apply in major securities markets. In addition, it is possible that purported securities in which the Fund invested may subsequently be found to be fraudulent and as a consequence an Underlying Fund could suffer losses.

 

Finally, currencies of developing market countries are subject to significantly greater risks than currencies of developed countries. Some developing market currencies may not be internationally traded or may be subject to strict controls by local governments, resulting in undervalued or overvalued currencies and associated difficulties with the valuation of assets, including an Underlying Fund’s securities, denominated in that currency. Some developing market countries have experienced balance of payment deficits and shortages in foreign exchange reserves. Governments have responded by restricting currency conversions. Future restrictive exchange controls could prevent or restrict a company’s ability to make dividend or interest payments in the original currency of the obligation (usually U.S. dollars). In addition, even though the currencies of some developing market countries, such as certain Eastern European countries, may be convertible into U.S. dollars, the conversion rates may be artificial to the actual market values and may be adverse to an Underlying Fund’s shareholders, including the Fund.

 

Equity Securities. Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company and consist of common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, and securities convertible into common stock. Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which an Underlying Fund invests will cause the NAV of the Underlying Fund, and the NAV of the Fund, to fluctuate. Underlying Funds may purchase equity securities traded in the United States on registered exchanges or the over-the-counter market. Equity securities are described in more detail below:

 

 

Common Stock. Common stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.

 

9

 

 

 

Preferred Stock. Preferred stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock.

 

 

Warrants. Warrants are instruments that entitle the holder to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time. Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss. Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.

 

 

Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by an Underlying Fund is called for redemption or conversion, the Underlying Fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party. Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable nonconvertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at a price above their “conversion value,” which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stocks and interest rates. When the underlying common stocks decline in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stocks rise in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stocks. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.

 

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Micro, Small and Mid Cap Issuers. The Fund may hold Underlying Funds that invest in micro, small and mid cap issuers. Investing in equity securities of micro, small and mid cap companies often involves greater risk than is customarily associated with investments in companies with larger capitalizations. This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of smaller size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of depth of management. The securities of smaller companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market and even if listed on a national securities exchange the trading market (i.e., the volume of trades on any given day) for such securities may be less active than larger companies listed on that exchange. Consequently, the securities of these companies may be less liquid, may have limited market stability, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than securities of larger, more established growth companies or the market averages in general. As a result, the prices of the smaller companies owned by Underlying Funds may be volatile, and the price movements of the Underlying Fund’s shares will reflect that volatility.

 

Fixed Income Investments. Fixed income securities consist of bonds, notes debentures and other interest-bearing securities that represent indebtedness. The market value of the fixed income investments in which an Underlying Fund invests will change in response to interest rate changes and other factors. During periods of falling interest rates, the values of outstanding fixed income securities generally rise. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the values of such securities generally decline. Moreover, while securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, the prices of longer maturity securities are also generally subject to greater market fluctuations as a result of changes in interest rates. Changes by recognized agencies in the rating of any fixed income security and in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal also affect the value of these investments. Changes in the value of these securities will not necessarily affect cash income derived from these securities but will affect an Underlying Fund’s NAV.

 

Foreign Securities. There are substantial risks associated with investing in the securities of governments and companies located in, or having substantial operations in, foreign countries, which are in addition to the usual risks inherent in domestic investments. The value of foreign securities (like U.S. securities) is affected by general economic conditions and individual issuer and industry earnings prospects. Investments in depositary receipts also involve some or all of the risks described below.

 

There is the possibility of cessation of trading on foreign exchanges, expropriation, nationalization of assets, confiscatory or punitive taxation, withholding and other foreign taxes on income or other amounts, foreign exchange controls (which may include suspension of the ability to transfer currency from a given country), restrictions on removal of assets, political or social instability, military action or unrest, or diplomatic developments that could affect investments in securities of issuers in foreign nations. There is no assurance that the investment manager will be able to anticipate these potential events. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies and of dividends and interest paid with respect to such securities will fluctuate based on the relative strength of the U.S. dollar.

 

11

 

 

There may be less publicly available information about foreign issuers comparable to the reports and ratings published about issuers in the U.S. Foreign issuers generally are not subject to uniform accounting or financial reporting standards. Auditing practices and requirements may not be comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers. Certain countries’ legal institutions, financial markets and services are less developed than those in the U.S. or other major economies. An Underlying Fund may have greater difficulty voting proxies, exercising shareholder rights, securing dividends and obtaining information regarding corporate actions on a timely basis, pursuing legal remedies, and obtaining judgments with respect to foreign investments in foreign courts than with respect to domestic issuers in U.S. courts. The costs associated with foreign investments, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial costs, are generally higher than with U.S. investments.

 

Certain countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons, or limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular company. Some countries limit the investment of foreign persons to only a specific class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous terms than securities of the issuer available for purchase by nationals. Although securities subject to such restrictions may be marketable abroad, they may be less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions. In some countries the repatriation of investment income, capital and proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval. An Underlying Fund could be adversely affected by delays in or a refusal to grant any required governmental registration or approval for repatriation.

 

From time to time, trading in a foreign market may be interrupted. Foreign markets also have substantially less volume than the U.S. markets and securities of some foreign issuers are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. An Underlying Fund, therefore, may encounter difficulty in obtaining market quotations for purposes of valuing its portfolio and calculating its NAV.

 

In many foreign countries, there is less government supervision and regulation of stock exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the U.S., which may result in greater potential for fraud or market manipulation. Foreign over-the-counter markets tend to be less regulated than foreign stock exchange markets and, in certain countries, may be totally unregulated. Brokerage commission rates in foreign countries, which generally are fixed rather than subject to negotiation as in the U.S., are likely to be higher. Foreign security trading, settlement and custodial practices (including those involving securities settlement where assets may be released prior to receipt of payment) are often less developed than those in U.S. markets, may be cumbersome, and may result in increased risk or substantial delays. This could occur in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of, or breach of duty by, a foreign broker/dealer, securities depository, or foreign sub-custodian.

 

12

 

 

The holding of foreign securities may be limited by an Underlying Fund to avoid investment in certain Passive Foreign Investment Companies (“PFICs”) and the imposition of a PFIC tax on the Fund resulting from such investments.

 

Illiquid Securities. The Fund may invest in illiquid securities (i.e., securities that cannot be sold within seven days in the ordinary course of business at approximately the amount at which the Fund values the securities for purposes of determining the Fund’s NAV). For purposes of this restriction, illiquid securities include, but are not limited to, certain restricted securities (securities the disposition of which is restricted under the federal securities laws), securities that may only be resold pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act but that are deemed to be illiquid; and repurchase agreements with maturities in excess of seven days. However, the Fund will not acquire illiquid securities if, as a result, such securities would comprise more than 15% of the value of the Fund’s net assets. The Board or its delegate has the ultimate authority to determine, to the extent permissible under the federal securities laws, which securities are liquid or illiquid for purposes of this 15% limitation. The Board has delegated to the Adviser the day-to-day determination of the illiquidity of any equity or fixed-income security, although it has retained oversight for such determinations. With respect to Rule 144A securities, Innovator Capital considers factors such as (i) the nature of the market for a security (including the institutional private resale market, the frequency of trades and quotes for the security, the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security, the amount of time normally needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer); (ii) the terms of certain securities or other instruments allowing for the disposition to a third party or the issuer thereof (e.g., certain repurchase obligations and demand instruments); and (iii) other permissible relevant factors.

 

Restricted securities may be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or in a public offering with respect to which a registration statement is in effect under the 1933 Act. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than that which prevailed when it decided to sell. Illiquid securities will be priced at fair value as determined in good faith under procedures adopted by the Board. If, through the appreciation of illiquid securities or the depreciation of liquid securities, the Fund should be in a position where more than 15% of the value of its net assets are invested in illiquid securities, including restricted securities which are not readily marketable, the Fund will take such steps as is deemed advisable, if any, to protect liquidity.

 

Investments in Underlying Funds. Each Underlying Fund is a type of investment company referred to as an exchange-traded fund (“ETF”). Shares of the Underlying Funds are listed for trading on national securities exchanges and trade throughout the day on those exchanges and other secondary markets. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the national securities exchanges necessary to maintain the listing of shares of the Underlying Funds will continue to be met. A national securities exchange may, but is not required to, remove the shares of the Underlying Funds from listing if, among other things: (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading of an Underlying Fund, there are fewer than 50 record and/or beneficial holders of the shares for 30 or more consecutive trading days, (ii) the value of the Underlying Fund’s underlying index is no longer calculated or available, or (iii) any other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of the national securities exchange, makes further dealings on the national securities exchange inadvisable. A national securities exchange will remove the shares of an Underlying Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Underlying Fund.

 

13

 

 

Shares of each Underlying Fund trade on exchanges at prices at, above or below their most recent NAV. The per share NAV of each Underlying Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of such Underlying Fund’s holdings since the most recent calculation. The trading prices of an Underlying Fund’s shares fluctuate continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply and demand rather than NAV. The trading prices of an Underlying Fund’s shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. Any of these factors may lead to an Underlying Fund’s shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV. Exchange prices are not expected to correlate exactly with an Underlying Fund’s NAV due to timing reasons as well as market supply and demand factors. In addition, disruptions to an Underlying Fund’s creations and redemptions or the existence of extreme market volatility may result in trading prices of Underlying Fund shares that differ significantly from NAV. If the Fund purchases shares of Underlying Funds at a time when the market price of an Underlying Fund’s shares are at a premium to the NAV or sells at a time when the market price of an Underlying Fund is at a discount to the NAV, then the Fund may sustain losses. As in the case of other publicly-traded securities, brokers’ commissions on buying or selling shares of Underlying Funds will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

 

An investment in an exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) generally present the same primary risks as an investment in an open-end investment company that is not exchange-traded and that has the same investment objectives, strategies, and policies. However, ETFs are subject to the following risks that do not apply to an open-end investment company that is not exchange-traded: (i) the market price of the ETF’s shares may trade at a discount to their NAV; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; or (iii) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted if the listing exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are delisted from the exchange, or the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally.

 

Money Market Securities. The Fund may invest in money market securities (the types of which are discussed below) for liquidity and cash management purposes or if the Sub-Adviser determines that securities meeting the Fund’s investment objective and policies are not otherwise readily available for purchase. For temporary defensive purposes during periods when the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser determines that conditions warrant, the Fund may increase this percentage up to 100%. For purposes of these policies, money market securities include (i) short-term U.S. government securities, including custodial receipts evidencing separately traded interest and principal components of securities issued by the U.S. Treasury; (ii) commercial paper rated in the highest short-term rating category by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization (“NRSRO”), such as Standard & Poor’s or Moody’s, or determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality at the time of purchase; (iii) short-term bank obligations (certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers’ acceptances) of U.S. domestic banks, foreign banks and foreign branches of domestic banks, and commercial banks with assets of at least $1 billion as of the end of their most recent fiscal year; and (iv) repurchase agreements involving such securities. Each of these types of money market securities is discussed in more detail below.

 

 

U.S. Government Securities. Examples of types of U.S. government obligations in which the Fund may invest include U.S. Treasury obligations and the obligations of U.S. government agencies such as Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Farm Credit Banks, Federal Land Banks, the Federal Housing Administration, Farmers Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Small Business Administration, Fannie Mae, Government National Mortgage Association, General Services Administration, Student Loan Marketing Association, Central Bank for Cooperatives, Freddie Mac, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Maritime Administration, and other similar agencies. Whether backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury or not, U.S. government securities are not guaranteed against price movements due to fluctuating interest rates.

 

 

o

U.S. Treasury Obligations. U.S. Treasury obligations consist of bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury and separately traded interest and principal component parts of such obligations that are transferable through the federal book-entry system known as Separately Traded Registered Interest and Principal Securities (“STRIPS”) and Treasury Receipts (“TRs”).

 

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o

Receipts. Interests in separately traded interest and principal component parts of U.S. government obligations that are issued by banks or brokerage firms and are created by depositing U.S. government obligations into a special account at a custodian bank. The custodian holds the interest and principal payments for the benefit of the registered owners of the certificates or receipts. The custodian arranges for the issuance of the certificates or receipts evidencing ownership and maintains the register. TRs and STRIPS are interests in accounts sponsored by the U.S. Treasury. Receipts are sold as zero coupon securities.

 

 

o

U.S. Government Zero Coupon Securities. STRIPS and receipts are sold as zero coupon securities, that is, fixed income securities that have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons. Zero coupon securities are sold at a (usually substantial) discount and redeemed at face value at their maturity date without interim cash payments of interest or principal. The amount of this discount is accreted over the life of the security, and the accretion constitutes the income earned on the security for both accounting and tax purposes. Because of these features, the market prices of zero coupon securities are generally more volatile than the market prices of securities that have similar maturity but that pay interest periodically. Zero coupon securities are likely to respond to a greater degree to interest rate changes than are non-zero coupon securities with similar maturity and credit qualities.

 

 

o

U.S. Government Agencies. Some obligations issued or guaranteed by agencies of the U.S. government are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury, while still others are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. Guarantees of principal by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government may be a guarantee of payment at the maturity of the obligation so that in the event of a default prior to maturity there might not be a market and thus no means of realizing on the obligation prior to maturity. Guarantees as to the timely payment of principal and interest do not extend to the value or yield of these securities or to the value of Shares.

 

15

 

 

 

Commercial Paper. Commercial paper is the term used to designate unsecured short-term promissory notes issued by corporations and other entities. Maturities on these issues vary from a few to 270 days.

 

 

Obligations of Domestic Banks, Foreign Banks and Foreign Branches of U.S. Banks. The Fund may invest in obligations issued by banks and other savings institutions. Investments in bank obligations include obligations of domestic branches of foreign banks and foreign branches of domestic banks. Such investments in domestic branches of foreign banks and foreign branches of domestic banks may involve risks that are different from investments in securities of domestic branches of U.S. banks. These risks may include future unfavorable political and economic developments, possible withholding taxes on interest income, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations, or other governmental restrictions which might affect the payment of principal or interest on the securities held by the Fund. Additionally, these institutions may be subject to less stringent reserve requirements and to different accounting, auditing, reporting and recordkeeping requirements than those applicable to domestic branches of U.S. banks. Bank obligations include the following:

 

 

o

Bankers’ Acceptances. Bankers’ acceptances are bills of exchange or time drafts drawn on and accepted by a commercial bank. Corporations use bankers’ acceptances to finance the shipment and storage of goods and to furnish dollar exchange. Maturities are generally six months or less.

 

 

o

Certificates of Deposit. Certificates of deposit are interest-bearing instruments with a specific maturity. They are issued by banks and savings and loan institutions in exchange for the deposit of funds and normally can be traded in the secondary market prior to maturity. Unless it can be traded on a secondary market, certificates of deposit with penalties for early withdrawal will be considered illiquid.

 

 

o

Time Deposits. Time deposits are non-negotiable receipts issued by a bank in exchange for the deposit of funds. Like a certificate of deposit, it earns a specified rate of interest over a definite period of time; however, it cannot be traded in the secondary market. Time deposits with a withdrawal penalty or that mature in more than seven days are considered to be illiquid securities.

 

16

 

 

 

Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with financial institutions. The Fund follows certain procedures designed to minimize the risks inherent in such agreements. These procedures include effecting repurchase transactions only with large, well-capitalized and well-established financial institutions whose condition will be continually monitored by the Adviser. The repurchase agreements entered into by the Fund will provide that the underlying collateral at all times shall have a value at least equal to 102% of the resale price stated in the agreement (the Adviser monitors compliance with this requirement). Under all repurchase agreements entered into by the Fund, the custodian or its agent must take possession of the underlying collateral. In the event of a default or bankruptcy by a selling financial institution, the Fund will seek to liquidate such collateral. However, the exercising of the Fund’s right to liquidate such collateral could involve certain costs or delays and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale upon a default of the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price, the Fund could suffer a loss. It is the current policy of each Fund, not to invest in repurchase agreements that do not mature within seven days if any such investment, together with any other illiquid assets held by the Fund, amounts to more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets. The investments of the Fund in repurchase agreements, at times, may be substantial when, in the view of the Adviser, liquidity or other considerations so warrant.

 

“Pass Through” Securities. An Underlying Fund may invest in “pass through” securities (that is, securities that are structured to pass a majority of income as distributions to shareholders) such as master limited partnerships, real estate investment trusts and royalty trusts.

 

 

Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs). Most MLPs operate in oil & gas related businesses including energy processing and distribution. The remaining MLP operate in a variety of businesses including coal, timber, other minerals, real estate, and some miscellaneous businesses. MLPs are pass-through entities or businesses that are taxed at the unitholder level and generally are not subject to federal or state income tax at the partnership level. Annual income, gains, losses, deductions or credits of the MLP pass through directly to its unitholders. Unitholders report their allocated shares of these amounts on their individual tax returns, as though the unitholder had incurred these items directly. MLPs will furnish investors with a schedule K-1 to provide the information required for income tax reporting purposes. The distributions of MLPs generally are not eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income. Income realized by an Underlying Fund from an MLP that fails to qualify in any year as a qualified publicly traded partnership (“QPTP”) may not be qualifying income for purposes of the Income Requirement (described below).

 

17

 

 

 

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). An Underlying Fund may invest in shares of REITs which are pooled investment vehicles that invest in real estate or real estate loans or interests. Investing in REITs involves risks similar to those associated with investing in equity securities of small cap companies. Furthermore, REITs are dependent on specialized management skills. Some REITs may have limited diversification and may be subject to risks inherent in financing a limited number of properties. REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareholders or unitholders, and may be subject to defaults by borrowers and to self-liquidations. In addition, a REIT may be affected by its failure to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code or its failure to maintain exemption from registration under the 1940 Act. Generally, REITs can be classified as Equity REITs, Mortgage REITs and Hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive their income primarily from rents and capital gains from appreciation realized through property sales. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive their income primarily from interest payments. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of both Equity and Mortgage REITs. By investing in REITs indirectly through an Underlying Fund, shareholders will bear not only the proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund and the Underlying Fund, but also, indirectly, similar expenses of underlying REITs. An Underlying Fund may be subject to certain risks associated with the direct investments of the REITs. REITs may be affected by changes in the value of their underlying properties and by defaults by borrowers or tenants. Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of the credit extended.

 

Securities Lending. Although the Fund has no current intention to engage in securities lending, the Fund reserves the right to lend its portfolio securities. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial organizations that meet capital and other credit requirements or other criteria established by the Board. These loans, if and when made, may not exceed 33 1/3% of the total asset value of the Fund (including the loan collateral). The Fund will not lend portfolio securities to its investment adviser or its affiliates unless it has applied for and received specific authority to do so from the SEC. Loans of portfolio securities will be fully collateralized by cash, letters of credit or U.S. government securities, and the collateral will be maintained in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the loaned securities by marking to market daily. Any gain or loss in the market price of the securities loaned that might occur during the term of the loan would be for the account of the Fund. The Fund may pay a part of the interest earned from the investment of collateral, or other fee, to an unaffiliated third party for acting as the Fund’s securities lending agent.

 

By lending its securities, the Fund may increase its income by receiving payments from the borrower that reflect the amount of any interest or any dividends payable on the loaned securities as well as by either investing cash collateral received from the borrower in short-term instruments or obtaining a fee from the borrower when U.S. government securities or letters of credit are used as collateral. The Fund will adhere to the following conditions whenever its portfolio securities are loaned: (i) the Fund must receive at least 100% cash collateral or equivalent securities of the type discussed in the preceding paragraph from the borrower; (ii) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (iii) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan on demand; (iv) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities and any increase in market value; (v) the Fund may pay only reasonable fees in connection with the loan (which fees may include fees payable to the lending agent, the borrower, the Fund’s administrator and the custodian); and (vi) voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, provided, however, that if a material event adversely affecting the investment occurs, the Fund must terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the securities. Any securities lending activity in which the Fund may engage will be undertaken pursuant to Board approved procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the foregoing criteria will be met. Loan agreements involve certain risks in the event of default or insolvency of the borrower, including possible delays or restrictions upon the Fund’s ability to recover the loaned securities or dispose of the collateral for the loan, which could give rise to loss because of adverse market action, expenses and/or delays in connection with the disposition of the underlying securities.

 

18

 

 

Securities of Investment Companies. Each Underlying Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies (including money market funds) to the extent permitted by law, regulation, exemptive order or SEC staff guidance. Under the 1940 Act, a fund’s investment in investment companies is limited to, subject to certain exceptions, (i) 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any one investment company, (ii) 5% of the fund’s total assets with respect to any one investment company, and (iii) 10% of the fund’s total assets with respect to investment companies in the aggregate. Other investment companies in which an Underlying Fund invests can be expected to incur fees and expenses for operations, such as investment advisory and administration fees, which would be in addition to those incurred by an Underlying Fund.

 

Tracking and Correlation. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the Index, although several factors may affect their ability to achieve this correlation, including, but not limited to: (1) the Fund’s expenses, including brokerage (which may be increased by high portfolio turnover) and the cost of the investment techniques employed by the Fund; (2) the Fund’s holding of less than all of the securities in the Index, including as part of a “representative sampling” strategy, and holding securities not included in the Index; (3) an imperfect correlation between the performance of the Fund’s investments and those of the Index; (4) bid-ask spreads (the effect of which may be increased by portfolio turnover); (5) holding instruments traded in a market that has become illiquid or disrupted; (6) Share prices being rounded to the nearest cent; (7) changes to the Index that are not disseminated in advance; (8) the need to conform the Fund’s portfolio holdings to comply with investment restrictions or policies, or regulatory or tax law requirements; (9) early and unanticipated closings of the markets on which the holdings of the Fund trades, resulting in the inability of the Fund to execute intended portfolio transactions; and (10) the Fund’s holdings of cash or cash equivalents, or otherwise not being fully invested in securities of the Index. While close tracking of the Fund to the Index may be achieved on any single trading day, over time the cumulative percentage increase or decrease in the NAV of Shares may diverge significantly from the cumulative percentage decrease or increase in the benchmark due to a compounding effect.

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

 

The Board has approved portfolio holdings disclosure policies that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure to shareholders and third parties of information regarding the portfolio investments held by the Fund. These policies and procedures, as described below, are designed to ensure that disclosure of portfolio holdings is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, and address conflicts of interest between the interests of Fund shareholders and those of the Fund’s Adviser, Sub-Adviser, Distributor, or any affiliated person of the Fund, Adviser, Sub-Adviser or Distributor.

 

19

 

 

Each Business Day, Fund portfolio holdings information will be provided to the Distributor or other agent for dissemination through the facilities of the NSCC and/or other fee-based subscription services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to those other fee-based subscription services, including Authorized Participants, and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading Shares of the Fund in the secondary market. This information typically reflects the Fund’s anticipated holdings on the following Business Day. Daily access to information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings also is permitted (i) to certain personnel of those service providers that are involved in portfolio management and providing administrative, operational, risk management, or other support to portfolio management, including affiliated broker-dealers and/or Authorized Participants and (ii) to other personnel of the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, and other service providers, such as the Administrator, and fund accountant, who deal directly with, or assist in, functions related to investment management, administration, custody and fund accounting, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with agreements with the Fund and/or the terms of the Fund’s current registration statement.

 

From time to time, information concerning Fund portfolio holdings, other than portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation/redemption process, as discussed above, may also be provided to other entities that provide additional services to the Fund, including, among others, rating or ranking organizations, in the ordinary course of business, no earlier than one Business Day following the date of the information. Portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation/redemption process may be provided to other entities that provide additional services to the Fund in the ordinary course of business after it has been disseminated to the NSCC.

 

The Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer may also grant exceptions to permit additional disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings information at differing times and with different lag times (the period from the date of the information to the date the information is made available), if any, in instances where the Fund has legitimate business purposes for doing so, it is in the best interests of shareholders, and the recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the nonpublic information and are required to execute an agreement to that effect. The Board will be informed of any such disclosures at its next regularly scheduled meeting or as soon as is reasonably practicable thereafter. In no event shall the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or any other party receive any direct or indirect compensation in connection with the disclosure of information about Fund portfolio holdings.

 

The Board exercises continuing oversight of the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings by overseeing the implementation and enforcement of portfolio holdings disclosure policies and procedures and considering reports and recommendations by the Chief Compliance Officer concerning any material compliance matters that may arise in connection with any portfolio holdings governing policies. The Board and the Fund reserve the right to amend the policies and procedures at any time and from time to time without prior notice in their sole discretion. For purposes of the policies and procedures, the term “portfolio holdings” means the equity and debt securities (e.g., stocks and bonds) held by the Fund and does not mean the cash investments, derivatives, and other investment positions (collectively, other investment positions) held by the Fund, which are not disclosed.

 

20

 

 

In addition to the permitted disclosures described above, the Fund must disclose its complete holdings quarterly within 60 days of the end of each fiscal quarter in the Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report to Fund shareholders and in the quarterly holdings report on Form N-Q. These reports are available, free of charge, on the EDGAR database on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST

 

Trustees and Officers

 

The business and affairs of the Trust are managed under the direction of its Board. The Trust’s Trustees and principal officers are noted in the tables below along with their ages and their business experience for the past five years. The Trustees serve for indefinite terms until their resignation, death or removal. The Fund’s officers are elected annually by the Board and serve at the Board’s pleasure.

 

 

Name, Address and Year
of Birth

Position(s) Held

with the Trust

Length of

Time Served

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

Number of

Portfolios in

Fund Complex

Overseen by

Trustee or

Officer

 

Other Directorships Held

by Trustee or Officer in the

Past Five Years

Independent Trustees

Mark Berg

120 N. Hale Street, Suite 200, Wheaton, IL 60187

 

Year of Birth: 1971

Trustee

Since 2017

President and Founding Principal, Timothy Financial Counsel Inc. (2001-present)

3

None

Joe Stowell

120 N. Hale Street, Suite 200, Wheaton, IL 60187

 

Year of Birth: 1968

Trustee

Since 2017

Chief Operating Officer, Woodman Valley Chapel (2015-present); Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, English Language Institute/China (2007-2015)

3

Board of Advisors, Westmont College

Brian J. Wildman

120 N. Hale Street, Suite 200, Wheaton, IL 60187

 

Year of Birth: 1963

Trustee

Since 2017

Executive Vice President, Consumer Banking (2016-present), Chief Risk Officer (2013-2016), Head of Wealth Management (2003-2013),

Head of Commercial Services (2010-2013), MB Financial Bank

3

MB Financial Bank (2003 – present); Missionary Furlough Homes, Inc. (2008 – present)

 

21

 

 

 

Name, Address and Year
of Birth

Position(s) Held

with the Trust

Length of

Time

Served

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

Number of

Portfolios in

Fund Complex

Overseen by

Trustee or

Officer

 

Other Directorships Held
by Trustee or Officer in the

Past Five Years

Interested Trustee1 and Officers

H. Bruce Bond

120 N. Hale Street, Suite 200, Wheaton, IL 60187

 

Year of Birth: 1963

Interested Trustee, President and Principal Executive Officer

Since May 2017

Chief Executive Officer of Innovator Capital Management, LLC (May 2017 to present); formerly Chairman (2010-2013) and President and CEO (2006-2010), Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC; formerly Co-Founder, President and CEO, PowerShares Capital Management (2002 to 2006); formerly Chairman; PowerShares Fund Board (2002 to 2013)

3

None

John W. Southard, Jr.

120 N. Hale Street, Suite 200, Wheaton, IL 60187

 

Year of Birth: 1969

Vice President, Treasurer and Principal Financial Accounting Officer

Since May 2017

Chief Investment Officer, Innovator Capital Management, LLC (May 2017 to present); Director and Co-Founder, T2 Capital Management, LLC (2010 to present); formerly Co-Founder and Head of Research and Trading, PowerShares Capital Management (2002 to 2009)

N/A

N/A

Michael D. Gries

325 Chestnut Street, Suite 512, Philadelphia, PA 19106

 

Year of Birth: 1974

Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary

Vice President since 2007; Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary since 2009

Chief Compliance Officer of Innovator Capital Management, LLC (2017 to present); Chief Compliance Officer of Academy Asset Management LLC (2009-2017); Chief Compliance Officer of Innovator Management LLC (2011-2017); Operations Manager, Academy Asset Management LLC (2007-2017)

N/A

N/A

1 

H. Bruce Bond is deemed to be an interested person of the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act) because of his affiliation with the Adviser.

 

Board Leadership

 

The Board has overall responsibility for the oversight and management of the Fund. The Chairman of the Board is an Independent Trustee; that is, the Chairman is not an “interested person” (as defined by the 1940 Act) of the Trust or the Adviser. The Board has two standing committees (as described further below): an Audit Committee and a Nominating Committee. The Chairman of each Board committee is an Independent Trustee.

 

22

 

 

In order to streamline communication between the Adviser and the Independent Trustees and create certain efficiencies, the Board has a Lead Independent Trustee who is responsible for: (i) coordinating activities of the Independent Trustees; (ii) working with the Adviser, Fund counsel and the independent legal counsel to the Independent Trustees to determine the agenda for Board meetings; (iii) serving as the principal contact for and facilitating communication between the Independent Trustees and the Fund's service providers, particularly the Adviser; and (iv) any other duties that the Independent Trustees may delegate to the Lead Independent Trustee. The Lead Independent Trustee is selected by the Independent Trustees and serves until his or her successor is selected. Mr. Berg serves as the Lead Independent Trustee.

 

The Chairman of the Board presides at all meetings of the Board, and acts as a liaison with service providers, officers, attorneys, and other Trustees. The Chair of each Board committee performs a similar role with respect to the committee. The Chairman of the Board or the Chair of a Board committee may also perform such other functions as may be delegated by the Board or the committee from time to time. The Independent Trustees meet regularly outside the presence of Trust management, in executive session or with other service providers to the Fund. The Board has regular meetings throughout the year, and may hold special meetings if required before its next regular meeting. Each committee meets regularly to conduct the oversight functions delegated to that committee by the Board and reports its findings to the Board. The Board and each standing committee conduct annual assessments of their oversight function and structure. The Board has determined that the Board’s leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to exercise independent judgment over management and to allocate areas of responsibility among committees and the full Board to enhance effective oversight. Mr. Stowell serves as the Chairman of the Nominating Committee and Mr. Wildman serves as the Chairman of the Audit Committee.

 

Risk Oversight

 

Among the Board’s general oversight and management functions is to oversee the risks of the Fund. The Fund is subject to various risks, including investment, compliance, operational and valuation risks, among others. The Board addresses its risk oversight function through different Board and committee activities. For instance, the Board has delegated the day-to-day risk management and oversight function to the Adviser, or in certain cases (subject to the Adviser’s supervision) and depending on the nature of the risks to other service providers. The Board, or a committee, reviews and evaluates reports from the Adviser or service providers regarding the risks faced by the Fund and regarding the service providers’ oversight and management of those risks. In addition to the delegation of the day-to-day risk management and oversight function, the committees of the Board allow the Trustees to quickly and efficiently consider risk matters and facilitate the oversight by the Trustees of Fund activities and the risks related to those activities. The Board has also appointed a Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) who oversees the implementation and evaluation of the Fund’s compliance program. The CCO periodically reports to the Board regarding compliance matters in connection with the Fund’s activities and the services provided by the Adviser and other service providers.

 

23

 

 

Trustees Qualifications.

 

The Nominating Committee selects and nominates persons for election or appointment by the Board as Independent Trustees. The Board has adopted the Nominating Committee Charter and Procedures, which provides the Nominating Committee with general criteria to guide the Committee’s choice of candidates to nominate to serve on the Board; however, there are no specific qualifications or requirements to serve on the Board. The Board believes that, collectively, the Trustees have balanced and diverse experience, skills, attributes and qualifications, that allow the Board to operate effectively in governing the Trust and protecting the interests of shareholders. Among the attributes common to all Trustees are their ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them; to interact effectively with the Trust’s investment manager, sub-advisers, other service providers, counsel and independent auditors; and to exercise business judgment in the performance of their duties as Trustees. Each Trustee’s ability to perform his duties effectively is evidenced by his educational background or professional training; business, consulting or public service positions; experience from service as a Board member of the Trust, other investment funds, public companies or non-profit entities or other organizations; and ongoing commitment and participation in Board and committee meetings throughout the years.

 

While there are no specific required qualifications for Board membership, the Board believes the specific background of each Trustee is appropriate to his or her serving on the Board. The foregoing discussion and the Trustees and officers chart above are included in this Statement of Additional Information pursuant to requirements of the U.S. SEC, do not constitute holding out the Board or any Trustee as having special expertise or experience and shall not be deemed to impose any greater responsibility or liability on any Trustee by reason thereof.

 

H. Bruce Bond. Mr. Bond is the Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, responsible for the firm’s strategic vision. Mr. Bond began his career in 1986 at Griffin, Kubik, Stephens and Thompson, a small boutique firm specializing in municipal bonds. In 1994 he continued his career at First Trust Portfolios as Vice President responsible for wholesale distribution of financial products across the Midwest and Florida. In 1998 Mr. Bond joined Nuveen Investments as a Managing Director to lead an effort in its Structured Products Group to develop, market and distribute closed-end funds, unit investment trusts and exchange-traded fund products. Mr. Bond became the head of marketing for all Nuveen products before leaving to start PowerShares in early 2003. As Founder and Chief Executive Officer of PowerShares, Mr. Bond pioneered many firsts in the ETF industry. In 2006, PowerShares was acquired by Invesco, a global asset manager. Mr. Bond remained the President and Chief Executive Officer of PowerShares and Chairman of the Board of the PowerShares Funds until September of 2011. During his time at PowerShares, Mr. Bond helped develop, list and distribute over 130 fund products on various exchanges located in the United States and throughout Europe, with assets under management in excess of $80 billion.

 

Mark Berg. As President and Founding Principal of Timothy Financial Counsel Inc., Mr. Berg’s primary role is the leadership and management of Timothy Financial Counsel Inc. He is the primary advisor for select clients, but also oversees the financial planning process for all Timothy Financial clients. Mr. Berg has served in the fee-only financial planning industry since 1995. He holds a BA in Economics from Wheaton College and is a Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner. He is also a NAPFA Registered Financial Advisor where he has served as the Regional President and Chair, as well as on the National Board of Directors. He speaks regularly at conferences on financial planning and practice management. He has been interviewed and/or quoted by a variety of publications, such as Dow Jones Newswire, The Wall Street Journal, Reader's Digest, and Kiplinger's and has been interviewed on NBC television.

 

24

 

 

Joe Stowell. Mr. Stowell is currently the COO of Woodmen Valley Chapel in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He oversees the financial, human resources and congregational management of this multi-campus organization. Prior to joining Woodman in September of 2015, Mr. Stowell served for eight years as the Executive Vice President/COO of the English Language Institute/China (ELIC), a global educational non-profit focused primarily in Asia and the Middle East. Before his work in the non-profit business management sector, Joe traded futures, options and swaps for over a decade, focusing on currencies and bonds both in the US and abroad for McNamara Trading and Chicago Research & Trade. He was on trading floors and desks in Chicago, New York and Tokyo.

 

Brian J. Wildman. Mr. Wildman is Executive Vice President, Consumer Banking of MB Financial Bank (Bank), a position he has held since March 2016. Mr. Wildman is also a director of the Bank. From April 2013 to March 2016, Mr. Wildman was responsible for Risk Management and was the Chief Risk Officer. Prior to April 2013, Mr. Wildman was responsible for the Bank's Wealth Management and Commercial Services groups. Prior to joining the Bank in 2003, he was First Vice President of Bank One and served in various management positions with its predecessor organization, American National Bank and Trust Company of Chicago, since 1988. Mr. Wildman is a member of the Board of Trustees of Missionary Furlough Homes, Inc. Additionally, Mr. Wildman serves as the “audit committee financial expert” for the Board.

 

Share Ownership

 

The following table provides the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the Board members on November 30, 2017.

 

Trustee

Aggregate Dollar Range of

Equity Securities
of the Fund

Aggregate Dollar Range of

Equity Securities in all

Funds Overseen Within

Fund Complex

H. Bruce Bond

None

None

Mark Berg

None

None

Joe Stowell

None

None

Brian J. Wildman

None

None

 

Trustee Compensation

 

Each Independent Trustee is paid a fixed annual retainer of $10,000 per year. The fixed annual retainer is allocated pro rata among each Fund in the Innovator Fund Complex. Trustees are also reimbursed by the investment companies in the Innovator Fund Complex for travel and out of pocket expenses incurred in connection with all meetings.

 

25

 

 

The following table sets forth the estimated compensation (including reimbursement for travel and out-of-pocket expenses) to be paid by the Fund and by the Innovator Fund Complex to the Trustees for their services to the Fund and the Innovator Fund Complex for one fiscal year. Only the Trustees of the Trust who are not “interested persons” of the Trust or the Adviser, as defined by the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), receive compensation from the Fund. The Trust has no retirement or pension plans. The Trust has no employees. Its officers are compensated by Innovator Capital Management, LLC.

 

Trustee

Estimated Compensation

from the Fund

Estimated Total

Compensation from the

Innovator Fund Complex

H. Bruce Bond

None

None

Mark Berg

$3,333

$10,000

Joe Stowell

$3,333

$10,000

Brian J. Wildman

$3,333

$10,000

 

Board Committees

 

The Board has the following committees:

 

Audit Committee: This committee monitors accounting and financial reporting policies and practice, and internal controls for the Trust. It also oversees the quality and objectivity of the Trust’s financial statements and the independent audit thereof, and acts as a liaison between the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm and the full Board. The Trust’s Audit Committee consists of the Independent Trustees.

 

Nominating Committee: This committee recommends Board members, fills vacancies and considers the qualifications of Board members. The committee will consider shareholder recommendations for nomination to the Board only in the event that there is a vacancy on the Board. Shareholders who wish to submit recommendations for nominations to the Board to fill a vacancy must submit their recommendations in writing to the Nominating Committee, c/o Innovator ETFs Trust, 120 North Hale Street, Suite 200, Wheaton, Illinois 60187. Shareholders should include appropriate information on the background and qualifications of any person recommended (e.g., a resume), as well as the candidate’s contact information and a written consent from the candidate to serve if nominated and elected. Shareholder recommendations for nominations to the Board will be accepted on an ongoing basis and such recommendations will be kept on file for consideration when there is a vacancy on the Board. The committee consists of the Independent Trustees.

 

Codes of Ethics

 

The Trust, the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser have adopted a Code of Ethics in compliance with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, which governs personal securities transactions. Under the Code of Ethics, persons subject to the Code of Ethics are permitted to engage in personal securities transactions, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund, subject to the requirements set forth in Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and certain other procedures set forth in the Code of Ethics. The Code of Ethics is on public file with, and is available from, the SEC.

 

26

 

 

Proxy Voting Policies

 

The Board has adopted Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (“Policies”) on behalf of the Trust, which delegates the responsibility for voting proxies to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s continuing oversight. The Policies require that the Adviser vote proxies received in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. The Policies also require the Adviser to present to the Board, at least annually, the Adviser’s proxy voting policies and a record of each proxy voted by the Adviser on behalf of the Fund, including a report on the resolution of all proxies identified by the Adviser as involving a conflict of interest.

 

The Adviser has adopted Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (“Adviser's Proxy Policies”) which require that all proxy voting decisions be made in the best interest of the Fund and that the Adviser acts in a prudent and diligent manner intended to enhance the economic value of the assets of the Fund.

 

Where a proxy proposal raises a material conflict between the Adviser’s interests and the Fund’s interests, the Adviser will resolve the conflict by disclosing the conflict to the Board and by obtaining the Board’s consent to vote.

 

The Trust is required to annually file Form N-PX, which lists the Fund’s complete proxy voting record for the most recent 12-month period ending August 31. Once filed, the Fund’s proxy voting record will be available without charge, upon request, by calling toll-free (800) 208-5212 and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

INVESTMENT ADVISER AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

 

Investment Adviser

 

Innovator Capital Management, LLC, located at 120 North Hale Street, Suite 200, Wheaton, Illinois, 60187, furnishes investment management services to the Fund, subject to the supervision and direction of the Board. Substantially all of the interests of the Adviser are owned by Messrs. H. Bruce Bond, John Wilder Southard, Jr. and Jeffrey Brown. The Adviser is controlled by a Board of Managers which currently consists of Mr. Bond, Mr. Southard and Mr. Brown. Mr. Bond controls the Board of Managers by virtue of his majority ownership of the Adviser. Mr. Southard owns in excess of twenty-five percent of the Adviser and Mr. Brown owns a minority interest in the Adviser. The Adviser compensates all officers (including the chief compliance officer) and employees of the Adviser who are affiliated with both the Adviser and the Trust. The Adviser is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.

 

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Pursuant to an investment management agreement between the Adviser and the Trust (the “Investment Management Agreement”), the Adviser will oversee the investment of the Fund’s assets by the Sub-Adviser and will be responsible for paying all expenses of the Fund, excluding the fee payments under the Investment Management Agreement, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions, distribution and service fees payable pursuant to a Rule 12b-1 plan, if any, and extraordinary expenses. The Fund has agreed to pay the Adviser an annual management fee equal to 0.60% of its average daily net assets.

 

Sub-Adviser

 

Penserra Capital Management LLC, located at 140 Broadway, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10005, is responsible for implementing the Fund’s investment program by, among other things, trading portfolio securities and performing related services, rebalancing the Fund’s portfolio, and providing cash management services in accordance with the investment advice formulated by, and model portfolios delivered by, the Adviser, subject to the ultimate supervision and direction of the Board.

 

The Adviser and the Trust requested and received an exemptive order from the SEC on which exempts the Adviser and the Trust from certain of the shareholder approval requirements of Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act and allowed the Board, subject to certain conditions, to appoint a new, unaffiliated sub-advisor and approve a new investment sub-advisory agreement on behalf of the Trust without shareholder approval.

 

Distributor

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC, located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101, serves as the principal underwriter of the Shares under a Distribution Agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”). The Distributor has entered into an agreement with the Trust pursuant to which it distributes Shares (the “Distribution Agreement”). The Distributor continually distributes Shares on a best effort basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Shares. The Distribution Agreement is renewable annually. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Fund through the Distributor only in Creation Units, as described in the Fund’s Prospectus and this SAI. Shares amounting to less than a Creation Unit are not distributed by the Distributor. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). The Distributor, its affiliates and officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Fund. The Distributor is not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or any stock exchange.

 

The Distribution Agreement for the Fund provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on at least 60 days’ prior written notice to the other party (i) by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees or (ii) by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its “assignment,” as that term is defined in the 1940 Act.

 

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Distribution Plan. The Fund has adopted a distribution plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the “Distribution Plan”). Under the Distribution Plan, the Distributor, or designated service providers, may receive up to 0.25% of the Fund’s assets attributable to Shares as compensation for distribution services. Distribution services may include, but are not limited to: (i) services in connection with distribution assistance or (ii) payments to financial institutions and other financial intermediaries, such as broker-dealers, mutual fund “supermarkets” and the Distributor’s affiliates and subsidiaries, as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance.

 

No distribution fees are currently charged to the Fund; there are no plans to impose distribution fees, and no distribution fees will be charged for at least a year from the date of this SAI. However, in the event that distribution fees are charged in the future, because the Fund will pay these fees out of assets on an ongoing basis, over time distribution fees may cost you more than other types of sales charges and will increase the cost of your investment in the Fund.

 

Fund Administrator

 

General Information. The Administrator and Fund Accountant for the Fund is U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (the “Administrator”), which has its principal office at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 and is primarily in the business of providing administrative, fund accounting and stock transfer services to retail and institutional mutual funds. The Administrator performs these services pursuant to two separate agreements, a Fund Administration Servicing Agreement and a Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement.

 

Administration Agreement. Pursuant to the Fund Administration Servicing Agreement (“Administration Agreement”) with the Fund, the Administrator provides all administrative services necessary for the Fund, other than those provided by the Adviser, subject to the supervision of the Fund’s Board. Employees of the Administrator generally will not be officers of the Fund for which they provide services.

 

The Administration Agreement is terminable by the Board or the Administrator on ninety (90) days’ written notice and may be assigned provided the non-assigning party provides prior written consent. The Administration Agreement shall remain in effect for three years from the date of its initial approval, unless amended, and its renewal is subject to approval of the Board for periods thereafter. The Administration Agreement provides that in the absence of the Administrator’s refusal or willful failure to comply with the Agreement or bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Administrator, the Administrator shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.

 

Under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator provides all administrative services, including, without limitation: (i) providing services of persons competent to perform such administrative and clerical functions as are necessary to provide effective administration of the Fund; (ii) overseeing the performance of administrative and professional services to the Fund by others, including the Fund’s Custodian; (iii) preparing, but not paying for, the periodic updating of the Fund’s Registration Statement, Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information in conjunction with Fund counsel, including the printing of such documents for the purpose of filings with the SEC and state securities administrators, preparing the Fund’s tax returns, and preparing reports to the Fund’s shareholders and the SEC; (iv) calculation of yield and total return for the Fund; (v) monitoring and evaluating daily income and expense accruals, and sales and redemptions of Shares of the Fund; (vi) preparing in conjunction with Fund counsel, but not paying for, all filings under the securities or “Blue Sky” laws of such states or countries as are designated by the Distributor, which may be required to register or qualify, or continue the registration or qualification, of the Fund and/or its Shares under such laws; (vii) preparing notices and agendas for meetings of the Fund’s Board and minutes of such meetings in all matters required by the 1940 Act to be acted upon by the Board; and (viii) monitoring periodic compliance with respect to all requirements and restrictions of the 1940 Act, the Internal Revenue Code and the Prospectus.

 

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For the administrative services rendered to the Fund by the Administrator, the Fund pays the Administrator an asset-based fee plus certain out-of-pocket expenses.

 

Accounting Agreement. The Fund Accountant, pursuant to the Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement (“Accounting Agreement”), provides the Fund with all accounting services, including, without limitation: (i) daily computation of NAV; (ii) maintenance of security ledgers and books and records as required by the 1940 Act; (iii) production of the Fund’s listing of portfolio securities and general ledger reports; (iv) reconciliation of accounting records; and (v) maintaining certain books and records described in Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, and reconciling account information and balances among the Fund’s Custodian and Adviser.

 

For the fund accounting services rendered to the Fund by the Fund Accountant, the Fund pays the Fund Accountant an asset-based fee plus certain out-of-pocket expenses, including pricing expenses.

 

Custodian, Transfer Agent and Dividend Agent

 

U.S. Bank, N.A., Custody Operations, 1555 N. River Center Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, WI 53212, serves as custodian for the Fund’s cash and securities. Pursuant to a Custodian Servicing Agreement with the Fund, it is responsible for maintaining the books and records of the Fund’s portfolio securities and cash. The Custodian receives a minimum annual fee of $4,000 or 0.0040% of the average daily market value of the Fund, whichever is greater. The Custodian is also entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses and portfolio transaction fees. The Custodian does not assist in, and is not responsible for, investment decisions involving assets of the Fund. U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, the Fund’s Administrator, also acts as the Fund’s transfer and dividend agent. U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC has its principal office at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.

 

Legal Counsel

 

Chapman and Cutler LLP, 111 West Monroe Street, Chicago, IL 60603 serves as the Fund’s legal counsel.

 

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Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

Cohen & Company, Ltd., located at 1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 800, Cleveland, OH 44115, has been selected as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Trust. As such, they are responsible for auditing the Trust’s annual financial statements.

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

 

Other Accounts Managed

 

The following chart lists certain information about types of other accounts for which the portfolio managers are primarily responsible as of December 31, 2016. None of the accounts managed by the portfolio managers pay an advisory fee that is based upon the performance of the account.

Name

Registered Investment

Companies

# of Accounts ($ Assets)

Other Pooled

Investment Vehicles

# of Accounts ($ Assets)

Other Accounts

# of Accounts ($ Assets)

Dustin Lewellyn

17 ($990 million)

N/A

N/A

Ernesto Tong

17 ($990 million)

N/A

N/A

Anand Desai

17 ($990 million)

N/A

N/A

 

 

Description of Potential Material Conflicts of Interest

 

The portfolio managers have day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to other investments accounts and, accordingly, may be presented with potential or actual conflicts of interest.

 

The management of other accounts may result in the portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of the Fund and/or other accounts. In approving the Investment Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Board was satisfied that the portfolio managers would be able to devote sufficient attention to the management of the Fund and that the Adviser and Sub-Adviser seek to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of the portfolio managers.

 

With respect to securities transactions for the Fund, the Sub-Adviser determines which broker to use to execute each transaction, consistent with its duty to seek best execution of the transaction. For buy or sell transactions considered simultaneously for the Fund and other accounts, orders are placed at the same time. The Sub-Adviser uses its best efforts to ensure that no client is treated unfairly in relation to any other client over time in the allocation of securities or the order of the execution of transactions. The Sub-Adviser generally allocates trades on the basis of assets under management so that the securities positions represent equal exposure as a percentage of total assets of each client. The Fund and client accounts are not generally invested in thinly traded or illiquid securities; therefore, conflicts in fulfilling investment opportunities are to some extent minimized. If an aggregated trade order is not substantially filled, it will generally be allocated pro rata.

 

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Other than the general potential conflicts noted above, the portfolio managers are not subject to any other specific potential conflicts of interest.

 

Compensation

 

Mr. Lewellyn’s portfolio management compensation includes a salary and discretionary bonus based on the profitability of the Sub-Adviser. No compensation is directly related to the performance of the underlying assets. Mr. Tong receives from Penserra a fixed base salary and discretionary bonus, and he is also eligible to participate in a retirement plan and to receive an equity interest in Penserra. Mr. Tong’s compensation is based on the performance and profitability of Penserra and his individual performance with respect to following a structured investment process. Mr. Desai receives from Penserra a fixed base salary and discretionary bonus, and is also eligible to participate in a retirement plan. Mr. Desai’s compensation is based on the performance and profitability of Penserra and his individual performance with respect to following a structured investment process.

 

Investments in the Fund

 

As of November 30, 2017, none of the portfolio managers beneficially owned any Shares.

 

TRADING AND BROKERAGE

 

The Adviser is responsible for the management of the Fund and has delegated trade execution responsibilities to the Sub-Adviser. The Sub-Adviser is responsible for selecting brokers and dealers to effect purchases or sales of securities for the accounts of the Fund. In selecting such brokers, the Sub-Adviser seeks best execution of orders at the most favorable price in light of the overall quality of brokerage and research services provided, as described in this and the following paragraph. In selecting brokers to effect portfolio transactions, the determination of what is expected to result in best execution at the most favorable price involves a number of largely judgmental considerations. Among these considerations is the Sub-Adviser’s evaluation of a broker’s efficiency in executing and clearing transactions; block trading capability (including a broker’s willingness to position securities); familiarity with the security; and financial strength and stability. The most favorable price to the Fund means the best net price without regard to the mix between purchase or sale price and commission, if any.

 

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The Sub-Adviser may also take into consideration the research, analytical, statistical and other information and services provided by the broker (such as general economic reports and information, reports or analyses of particular companies or industry groups and technical information) and the availability of the brokerage firm’s analysts for consultation in allocating the Fund’s brokerage. While the Sub-Adviser believes these services have substantial value, they are considered supplemental to the Sub-Adviser’s own efforts in the performance of its duties under the Sub-Advisory Agreement and, to the extent these services are used, it will be on a limited basis. As permitted by the Sub-Advisory Agreement and in accordance with Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act, the Sub-Adviser may pay brokers higher brokerage commissions than might be available from other brokers if the Sub-Adviser determines in good faith that such amount paid is reasonable in relation to the value of the overall quality of the brokerage, research and other services provided viewed in terms of either the particular transactions or the Sub-Adviser’s overall responsibilities with respect to the accounts over which it exercises investment discretion. Other clients of the Sub-Adviser may therefore benefit from the availability of these services to the Sub-Adviser, and the Fund may benefit from services available to the Sub-Adviser as a result of similar transactions for the Sub-Adviser’s other clients. The Sub-Adviser does not make any attempt to allocate the specific costs to each account. The Sub-Adviser does receive analyst reports that do come as a benefit of ongoing maintenance of various brokerage relationships. These reports are received in connection with the Sub-Adviser’s soft dollar program.

 

CAPITAL STRUCTURE

 

The Trust currently has authorized and allocated to the Fund an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest with no par value. The Trustees of the Trust may, at any time and from time to time, by resolution, authorize the establishment and division of additional shares of the Trust into an unlimited number of series and the division of any series (including the Fund) into two or more classes. When issued in accordance with the Trust’s registration statement, governing instruments and applicable law (all as may be amended from time to time), all of the Trust’s shares are fully paid and non-assessable. Shares do not have preemptive rights.

 

All Shares of the Fund represent an undivided proportionate interest in the assets of the Fund. Shareholders of the Trust are entitled to one vote for each full share and to a proportionate fractional vote for each fractional Share standing in the shareholder’s name on the books of the Trust. However, matters affecting only one particular fund or class can be voted on only by shareholders in such fund or class. The shares of the Trust are not entitled to cumulative voting, meaning that holders of more than 50% of the Trust’s shares may elect the entire Board. All shareholders are entitled to receive dividend and/or capital gains when and as declared by the Trustees from time to time and as discussed in the Prospectus.

 

Book Entry Only System. The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section of the Prospectus entitled “Book Entry.”

 

DTC Acts as Securities Depository for Fund Shares. Shares of the Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.

 

DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the NYSE, NYSE MKT and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect Participants”).

 

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Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase and sale of Shares. No Beneficial Owner shall have the right to receive a certificate representing such Shares.

 

Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and DTC, DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the Shares of the Fund held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

 

Fund distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Fund Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall immediately credit DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in Shares of the Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

 

The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such Shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants. DTC may decide to discontinue providing its service with respect to Shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost.

 

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CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNIT AGGREGATIONS

 

Creation

 

The Trust issues and sells Shares of the Fund only in Creation Unit Aggregations on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at their NAVs next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined below), of an order in proper form. Orders are placed in “proper form” when the orders comply with the order processing procedures identified in the Authorized Participant Agreement for creation or redemption of Shares of the Fund.

 

A “Business Day” is any day on which the NYSE is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, the NYSE observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

Deposit of Securities and Deposit or Delivery of Cash. The consideration for purchase of Creation Unit Aggregations of the Fund generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of equity securities—the “Deposit Securities”—per each Creation Unit Aggregation constituting a substantial replication, or a representation, of the securities included in the Fund’s portfolio and an amount of cash—the “Cash Component”—computed as described below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit Aggregation of the Fund.

 

The Cash Component is sometimes also referred to as the Balancing Amount. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit Aggregation and the Deposit Amount (as defined below). The Cash Component is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Fund Shares (per Creation Unit Aggregation) and the “Deposit Amount”—an amount equal to the market value of the Deposit Securities. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit Aggregation exceeds the Deposit Amount), the creator will deliver the Cash Component. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit Aggregation is less than the Deposit Amount), the creator will receive the Cash Component.

 

The Custodian, through the NSCC (discussed below), makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. Such Fund Deposit is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, in order to effect creations of Creation Unit Aggregations of the Fund until such time as the next announced composition of the Deposit Securities is made available.

 

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The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities required for a Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Sub-Adviser to the Fund with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. In addition, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash – i.e., a “cash in lieu” amount – to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security which may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or which may not be eligible for transfer through the Clearing Process (discussed below), or which may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting. The Trust also reserves the right to offer an “all cash” option for creations of Creation Units for the Fund.

 

In addition to the list of names and numbers of securities constituting the current Deposit Securities of a Fund Deposit, the Administrator, through the NSCC, also makes available on each Business Day, the estimated Cash Component, effective through and including the previous Business Day, per outstanding Creation Unit of the Fund.

 

Procedures for Creation of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to create a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party,” i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “Book Entry Only System”), and, in each case, must have executed an agreement with the Trust, the Distributor and the Administrator with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Units (“Participant Agreement”) (discussed below). A Participating Party and DTC Participant are collectively referred to as an “Authorized Participant.” Investors should contact the Distributor for the names of Authorized Participants that have signed a Participant Agreement with the Fund. All Shares of the Fund, however created, will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of Cede & Co. for the account of a DTC Participant.

 

All orders to create Creation Units must be placed for one or more Creation Unit size aggregations of at least 50,000 Shares. All orders to create Creation Units, whether through the Clearing Process (through a Participating Party) or outside the Clearing Process (through a DTC Participant), must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, an hour earlier than the close of the regular trading session on the Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) (“Closing Time”), in each case on the date such order is placed in order for the creation of Creation Units to be effected based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund as next determined on such date after receipt of the order in proper form. The date on which an order to create Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units as discussed below) is placed is referred to as the “Transmittal Date.” Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, as described below (see “Placement of Creation Orders Using Clearing Process” and “Placement of Creation Orders Outside Clearing Process”). Severe economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.

 

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Orders to create Creation Units of the Fund shall be placed with an Authorized Participant, as applicable, in the form required by such Authorized Participant. In addition, the Authorized Participant may request the investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, i.e., to provide for payments of cash, when required. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and, therefore, orders to create Creation Units of the Fund have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. At any given time there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement. Those placing orders for Creation Units through the Clearing Process should afford sufficient time to permit proper submission of the order to the Distributor prior to 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time on the Transmittal Date.

 

Orders for creation that are effected outside the Clearing Process are likely to require transmittal by the DTC Participant earlier on the Transmittal Date than orders effected using the Clearing Process. Those persons placing orders outside the Clearing Process should ascertain the deadlines applicable to DTC and the Federal Reserve Bank wire system by contacting the operations department of the broker or depository institution effecting such transfer of Deposit Securities and Cash Component.

 

Placement of Creation Orders Using the Clearing Process. The Clearing Process is the process of creating or redeeming Creation Units through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC. Fund Deposits made through the Clearing Process must be delivered through a Participating Party that has executed a Participant Agreement. The Participant Agreement authorizes the Distributor to transmit through the Fund’s transfer agent to NSCC, on behalf of the Participating Party, such trade instructions as are necessary to effect the Participating Party’s creation order. Pursuant to such trade instructions to NSCC, the Participating Party agrees to deliver the requisite Deposit Securities and the Cash Component to the Trust, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor. An order to create Creation Units through the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Distributor on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Distributor not later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time on such Transmittal Date and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed.

 

Placement of Creation Orders Outside the Clearing Process. Fund Deposits made outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through a DTC Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement with the Trust, the Distributor and the Administrator. A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order creating Creation Units to be effected outside the Clearing Process need not be a Participating Party, but such orders must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that the creation of Creation Units will instead be effected through a transfer of securities and cash directly through DTC. A Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the DTC Participant on the Transmittal Date in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities through DTC to the account of the Trust by no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time, of the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities to be delivered, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The cash equal to the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Administrator through the Federal Reserve wire system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Administrator no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the next Business Day immediately following such Transmittal Date. An order to create Creation Units outside the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Distributor on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Distributor not later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time on such Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. However, if the Administrator does not receive both the requisite Deposit Securities and the Cash Component by 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., respectively, on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date, such order will be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such cancelled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using a Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund. The delivery of Creation Units of the Fund so created will occur no later than the second (2nd) Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor.

 

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Creation Units may be created in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) 105% of the market value of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”). The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time on such date and federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Administrator by 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time, the following Business Day. If the order is not placed in proper form by 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 11:00 a.m. the next Business Day, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the investor shall be liable to the Trust for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to 105% of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Securities. To the extent that missing Deposit Securities are not received by 1:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the second Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor or in the event a mark to market payment is not made within one Business Day following notification by the Distributor that such a payment is required, the Trust may use the cash on deposit to purchase the missing Deposit Securities. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the market value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Administrator or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee will be charged in all cases. The delivery of Creation Units of the Fund so created will occur no later than the second Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor.

 

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Acceptance of Orders for Creation Units. The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of the Fund if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Fund; (c) the Deposit Securities delivered are not as disseminated through the facilities of the Exchange for that date by the Administrator, as described above; (d) acceptance of the Deposit Securities or Cash Purchase Amount would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (e) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit or Cash Purchase Amount would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (f) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit or Cash Purchase Amount would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; or (g) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Distributor and the Adviser make it for all practical purposes impossible to process creation orders. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Adviser, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC or any other participant in the creation process, and similar extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Administrator and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits or Cash Purchase Amounts nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.

 

All questions as to the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.

 

Creation Transaction Fee. To compensate the Trust for transfer and other transaction costs involved in creation transactions through the Clearing Process, investors will be required to pay a minimum creation transaction fee, assessed per transaction, as follows:

 

Creation Transaction Fee*

$250

 

*     To the extent a Creation Unit consists of more than 100 securities, an additional Creation Transaction Fee may be charged to Authorized Participants to the next highest $250 increment at the following rates: (i) $5 per book-entry security settled via the NSCC’s CNS; and (ii) $15 per security for “in-kind” settlements settled outside the NSCC, and all physical settlements, including options, futures and other derivatives.

 

The Fund, subject to approval by the Board, may adjust the fee from time to time based upon actual experience. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary in addition to an Authorized Participant to effect a creation of a Creation Unit may be charged a fee for such services.

 

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Redemption

 

Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Administrator and only on a Business Day. The Trust will not redeem Shares in amounts less than Creation Units. Beneficial Owners must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit in order to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.

 

With respect to the Fund, the Administrator, through the NSCC, makes available immediately prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time) on each Business Day, the Fund Securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day. Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities which are applicable to creations of Creation Units.

 

Cash Redemption Amount. Unless cash redemptions are available or specified for the Fund, the redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit generally consist of Fund Securities – as announced by the Administrator on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form – plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares being redeemed, as next determined after receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a redemption transaction fee described below in the section entitled “Redemption Transaction Fee”. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder.

 

Placement of Redemption Orders Using Clearing Process. Orders to redeem Creation Units through the Clearing Process must be delivered through a Participating Party that has executed the Participant Agreement. An order to redeem Creation Units using the Clearing Process is deemed received on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Administrator not later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time on such Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed; such order will be effected based on the NAV of the Fund as next determined. An order to redeem Creation Units using the Clearing Process made in proper form but received by the Fund after 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time will be deemed received on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date and will be effected at the NAV next determined on such Business Day. The requisite Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount will be transferred by the second (2nd) NSCC Business Day following the date on which such request for redemption is deemed received.

 

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Placement of Redemption Orders Outside Clearing Process. Orders to redeem Creation Units outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through a DTC Participant that has executed the Participant Agreement. A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order for redemption of Creation Units to be effected outside the Clearing Process need not be a Participating Party, but such orders must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that redemption of Creation Units will instead be effected through transfer of Shares directly through DTC. An order to redeem Creation Units outside the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Administrator on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Administrator not later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time on such Transmittal Date; (ii) such order is accompanied or proceeded by the requisite number of Shares of the Fund and/or the Cash Redemption Amount specified in such order, which delivery must be made through DTC to the Administrator no later than 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., respectively, Eastern Time, on the next Business Day following such Transmittal Date (the “DTC Cut-Off-Time”); and (iii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed.

 

After the Administrator has deemed an order for redemption outside the Clearing Process received, the Administrator will initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Fund Securities, which are expected to be delivered within three Business Days, and/or the Cash Redemption Amount to the Authorized Participant, on behalf of the redeeming Beneficial Owner, by the second Business Day following the Transmittal Date on which such redemption order is deemed received by the Administrator.

 

The calculation of the value of the Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered upon redemption will be made by the Administrator according to the procedures set forth under “Determination of Net Asset Value” computed on the Business Day on which a redemption order is deemed received by the Administrator. Therefore, if a redemption order in proper form is submitted to the Administrator by a DTC Participant not later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time on the Transmittal Date, and the requisite number of Shares of the Fund are delivered to the custodian prior to the DTC Cut-Off-Time, then the value of the Fund Securities and/or the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered will be determined by the Administrator on such Transmittal Date. If, however, a redemption order is submitted to the Administrator by a DTC Participant not later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time on the Transmittal Date, but either (1) the requisite number of Shares of the Fund are not delivered by the DTC Cut-Off-Time as described above on the next Business Day following the Transmittal Date or (2) the redemption order is not submitted in proper form, then the redemption order will not be deemed received as of the Transmittal Date. In such case, the value of the Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered will be computed on the Business Day that such order is deemed received by the Administrator, i.e., the Business Day on which the Shares of the Fund are delivered through DTC to the Administrator by the DTC Cut-Off-Time on such Business Day pursuant to a properly submitted redemption order.

 

If it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming Beneficial Owner will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash which the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). The Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities which differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.

 

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Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Fund could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular stock included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of a Creation Unit may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming Beneficial Owner of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment, beneficial ownership of Shares or delivery instructions. The Trust also reserves the right to offer an “all cash” option for redemptions of Creation Units for the Fund.

 

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (1) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the NYSE is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Fund or determination of the Shares’ NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.

 

Redemption Transaction Fee. To compensate the Trust for transfer and other transaction costs involved in redemption transactions through the Clearing Process, investors will be required to pay a minimum redemption transaction fee, assessed per transaction as follows:

 

Redemption Transaction Fee*

$250

 

*     To the extent a Creation Unit consists of more than 100 securities, an additional Redemption Transaction Fee may be charged to Authorized Participants to the next highest $250 increment at the following rates: (i) $5 per book-entry security settled via the NSCC’s CNS; and (ii) $15 per security for “in-kind” settlements settled outside the NSCC, and all physical settlements, including options, futures and other derivatives.

 

The Fund, subject to approval by the Board, may adjust the fee from time to time based upon actual experience. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary in addition to an Authorized Participant to effect a redemption of a Creation Unit may be charged a fee for such services.

 

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DETERMINING OFFERING PRICE AND NET ASSET VALUE

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Fund’s Prospectus entitled “Net Asset Value.”

 

The NAV per Share is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of Shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including without limitation, the management, administration and distribution fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV per Share. The NAV per Share is calculated by the Administrator and determined as of the close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on each day that such exchange is open.

 

In computing the Fund’s NAV, the Fund’s securities holdings are valued based on their last readily available market price. Price information on listed securities, including ETFs in which the Fund invests, is taken from the exchange where the security is primarily traded. Other portfolio securities and assets for which market quotations are not readily available or determined to not represent the current fair value are valued based on fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board.

 

DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES

 

The following is a summary of certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning.

 

This “Distributions and Taxes” section is based on the Code and applicable regulations in effect on the date of this Statement of Additional Information. Future legislative, regulatory or administrative changes, including provisions of current law that sunset and thereafter no longer apply, or court decisions may significantly change the tax rules applicable to the Fund and its shareholders. Any of these changes or court decisions may have a retroactive effect.

 

This is for general information only and not tax advice. All investors should consult their own tax advisors as to the federal, state, local and foreign tax provisions applicable to them.

 

Taxation of the Fund

 

The Fund has elected and intends to qualify (or if newly organized, intends to elect and qualify) each year as a regulated investment company (sometimes referred to as a “regulated investment company,” “RIC” or “fund”) under Subchapter M of the Code. If the Fund so qualifies, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its investment company taxable income (that is, generally, taxable interest, dividends, net short-term capital gains, and other taxable ordinary income, net of expenses, without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (that is, the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that it distributes to shareholders.

 

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In order to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, the Fund must satisfy the following requirements:

 

 

Distribution Requirement — the Fund must distribute an amount equal to the sum of at least 90% of its investment company taxable income and 90% of its net tax-exempt income, if any, for the tax year (including, for purposes of satisfying this distribution requirement, certain distributions made by the Fund after the close of its taxable year that are treated as made during such taxable year).

 

 

Income Requirement — the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived from its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from QPTPs.

 

 

Asset Diversification Test — the Fund must satisfy the following asset diversification test at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s tax year: (1) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and securities of other issuers (as to which the Fund has not invested more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets in securities of an issuer and as to which the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer); and (2) no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies) or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or, in the securities of one or more QPTPs.

 

In some circumstances, the character and timing of income realized by the Fund for purposes of the Income Requirement or the identification of the issuer for purposes of the Asset Diversification Test is uncertain under current law with respect to a particular investment, and an adverse determination or future guidance by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) with respect to such type of investment may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to satisfy these requirements. See, “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions” below with respect to the application of these requirements to certain types of investments. In other circumstances, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio holdings in order to meet the Income Requirement, Distribution Requirement, or Asset Diversification Test, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s income and performance.

 

The Fund may use “equalization accounting” (in lieu of making some cash distributions) in determining the portion of its income and gains that has been distributed. If the Fund uses equalization accounting, it will allocate a portion of its undistributed investment company taxable income and net capital gain to redemptions of Fund Shares and will correspondingly reduce the amount of such income and gains that it distributes in cash. If the IRS determines that the Fund’s allocation is improper and that the Fund has under-distributed its income and gain for any taxable year, the Fund may be liable for federal income and/or excise tax. If, as a result of such adjustment, the Fund fails to satisfy the Distribution Requirement, the Fund will not qualify that year as a regulated investment company the effect of which is described in the following paragraph.

 

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If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders, and the dividends would be taxable to the shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would thus have a negative impact on the Fund’s income and performance. Subject to savings provisions for certain failures to satisfy the Income Requirement or Asset Diversification Test, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, it is possible that the Fund will not qualify as a regulated investment company in any given tax year. Even if such savings provisions apply, the Fund may be subject to a monetary sanction of $50,000 or more. Moreover, the Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company if it determines such a course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.

 

Portfolio Turnover. For investors that hold their Fund Shares in a taxable account, a high portfolio turnover rate may result in higher taxes. This is because a fund with a high turnover rate is likely to accelerate the recognition of capital gains and more of such gains are likely to be taxable as short-term rather than long-term capital gains in contrast to a comparable fund with a low turnover rate. Any such higher taxes would reduce the Fund’s after-tax performance. See, “Taxation of Fund Distributions - Distributions of Capital Gains” below. For non-U.S. investors, any such acceleration of the recognition of capital gains that results in more short-term and less long-term capital gains being recognized by the Fund may cause such investors to be subject to increased U.S. withholding taxes. See, “Non-U.S. Investors – Capital Gain Dividends” and “– Interest-Related Dividends and Short-Term Capital Gain Dividends” below.

 

Capital Loss Carryovers. The capital losses of the Fund, if any, do not flow through to shareholders. Rather, the Fund may use its capital losses, subject to applicable limitations, to offset its capital gains without being required to pay taxes on or distribute to shareholders such gains that are offset by the losses. If the Fund has a “net capital loss” (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains), the excess (if any) of the Fund’s net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund’s net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year. Any such net capital losses of the Fund that are not used to offset capital gains may be carried forward indefinitely to reduce any future capital gains realized by the Fund in succeeding taxable years. The amount of capital losses that can be carried forward and used in any single year is subject to an annual limitation if there is a more than 50% “change in ownership” of the Fund. An ownership change generally results when shareholders owning 5% or more of the Fund increase their aggregate holdings by more than 50% over a three-year look-back period. An ownership change could result in capital loss carryovers being used at a slower rate, thereby reducing the Fund’s ability to offset capital gains with those losses. An increase in the amount of taxable gains distributed to the Fund’s shareholders could result from an ownership change. The Fund undertakes no obligation to avoid or prevent an ownership change, which can occur in the normal course of shareholder purchases and redemptions or as a result of engaging in a tax-free reorganization with another fund. Moreover, because of circumstances beyond the Fund’s control, there can be no assurance that the Fund will not experience, or has not already experienced, an ownership change. Additionally, if the Fund engages in a tax-free reorganization with another fund, the effect of these and other rules not discussed herein may be to disallow or postpone the use by the Fund of its capital loss carryovers (including any current year losses and built-in losses when realized) to offset its own gains or those of the other fund, or vice versa, thereby reducing the tax benefits Fund shareholders would otherwise have enjoyed from use of such capital loss carryovers.

 

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Deferral of Late Year Losses. The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year (see, “Taxation of Fund Distributions - Distributions of capital gains” below). A “qualified late year loss” includes:

 

 

(i)

any net capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, or, if there is no such loss, any net long-term capital loss or any net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (“post-October capital losses”), and

 

 

(ii)

the sum of (1) the excess, if any, of (a) specified losses incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, over (b) specified gains incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year and (2) the excess, if any, of (a) ordinary losses incurred after December 31 of the current taxable year, over (b) the ordinary income incurred after December 31 of the current taxable year.

 

The terms “specified losses” and “specified gains” mean ordinary losses and gains from the sale or other disposition of property (including the termination of a position with respect to such property), foreign currency losses and gains, and losses and gains resulting from holding stock in a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) for which a mark-to-market election is in effect. The terms “ordinary losses” and “ordinary income” mean other ordinary losses and income that are not described in the preceding sentence. Special rules apply to a fund with a fiscal year ending in November or December that elects to use its taxable year for determining its capital gain net income for excise tax purposes.

 

Undistributed Capital Gains. The Fund may retain or distribute to shareholders its net capital gain for each taxable year. The Fund currently intends to distribute net capital gains. If the Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, the Fund will be taxed thereon (except to the extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the highest corporate tax rate (currently 35%). If the Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, it is expected that the Fund also will elect to have shareholders treated as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, will receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain, and will increase the tax basis for its Shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.

 

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Federal Excise Tax. To avoid a 4% non-deductible excise tax, the Fund must distribute by December 31 of each year an amount equal to at least: (1) 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of capital gain net income (that is, the excess of the gains from sales of capital assets over the losses from such sales) for the one-year period ended on October 31 of such calendar year (or, at the election of a regulated investment company having a taxable year ending November 30 or December 31, for its taxable year), and (3) any prior year undistributed ordinary income and capital gain net income. The Fund may elect to defer to the following year any net ordinary loss incurred for the portion of the calendar year that is after the beginning of the Fund’s taxable year. Also, the Fund will defer any “specified gain” or “specified loss” which would be properly taken into account for the portion of the calendar year after October 31. Any net ordinary loss, specified gain, or specified loss deferred shall be treated as arising on January 1 of the following calendar year. Generally, the Fund intends to make sufficient distributions prior to the end of each calendar year to avoid any material liability for federal income and excise tax, but can give no assurances that all or a portion of such liability will be avoided. In addition, under certain circumstances, temporary timing or permanent differences in the realization of income and expense for book and tax purposes can result in the Fund having to pay an excise tax.

 

Foreign Income Tax. Investment income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income tax withheld at the source and the amount of tax withheld generally will be treated as an expense of the Fund. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries, which entitle the Fund to a reduced rate of, or exemption from, tax on such income. Some countries require the filing of a tax reclaim or other forms to receive the benefit of the reduced tax rate; whether or when the Fund will receive the tax reclaim is within the control of the individual country. Information required on these forms may not be available such as shareholder information; therefore, the Fund may not receive the reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries have conflicting and changing instructions and restrictive timing requirements which may cause the Fund not to receive the reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries may subject capital gains realized by the Fund on sale or disposition of securities of that country to taxation. It is impossible to determine the effective rate of foreign tax in advance since the amount of the Fund’s assets to be invested in various countries is not known. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may elect to pass-through foreign taxes paid by the Fund to shareholders, although it reserves the right not to do so. If the Fund makes such an election and obtains a refund of foreign taxes paid by the Fund in a prior year, the Fund may be eligible to reduce the amount of foreign taxes reported by the Fund, generally by the amount of the foreign taxes refunded, for the year in which the refund is received.

 

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Purchase of Shares. As a result of tax requirements, the Trust on behalf of the Fund has the right to reject an order to purchase Shares if the purchaser (or group of purchasers acting in concert with each other) would, upon obtaining the Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to Sections 351 and 362 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in the Deposit Securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.

 

Taxation of Fund Distributions

 

The Fund anticipates distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain for each taxable year. Distributions by the Fund will be treated in the manner described below regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or reinvested in additional Shares of the Fund (or of another fund). You will receive information annually as to the federal income tax consequences of distributions made (or deemed made) during the year.

 

Distributions of Net Investment Income. The Fund receives ordinary income generally in the form of dividends and/or interest on its investments. The Fund may also recognize ordinary income from other sources, including, but not limited to, certain gains on foreign currency-related transactions. This income, less expenses incurred in the operation of the Fund, constitutes the Fund’s net investment income from which dividends may be paid to you. If you are a taxable investor, distributions of net investment income generally are taxable as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s earnings and profits. A portion of the income dividends paid to you may be qualified dividends eligible to be taxed at reduced rates. See the discussion below under the headings, “Qualified Dividend Income for Individuals” and “Dividends-Received Deduction for Corporations”.

 

Distributions of Capital Gains. The Fund may derive capital gain and loss in connection with sales or other dispositions of its portfolio securities. Distributions derived from the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss will be taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions paid from the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long you have held your Shares in the Fund. Any net short-term or long-term capital gain realized by the Fund (net of any capital loss carryovers) generally will be distributed once each year and may be distributed more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund.

 

Returns of Capital. Distributions by the Fund that are not paid from earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of (and in reduction of) the shareholder’s tax basis in his Shares; any excess will be treated as gain from the sale of his Shares. Thus, the portion of a distribution that constitutes a return of capital will decrease the shareholder’s tax basis in his Fund Shares (but not below zero), and will result in an increase in the amount of gain (or decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the shareholder for tax purposes on the later sale of such Fund Shares. Return of capital distributions can occur for a number of reasons including, among others, the Fund over-estimates the income to be received from certain investments such as those classified as partnerships or equity real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) (see, “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions — Investments in U.S. REITs” below).

 

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Qualified Dividend Income for Individuals. Ordinary income dividends reported by the Fund as derived from qualified dividend income will be taxed in the hands of individuals and other noncorporate shareholders at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain. “Qualified dividend income” means dividends paid to the Fund (a) by domestic corporations, (b) by foreign corporations that are either (i) incorporated in a possession of the United States, or (ii) are eligible for benefits under certain income tax treaties with the United States that include an exchange of information program, or (c) with respect to stock of a foreign corporation that is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Both the Fund and the investor must meet certain holding period requirements to qualify Fund dividends for this treatment. Specifically, the Fund must hold the stock for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the stock becomes ex-dividend. Similarly, investors must hold their Fund Shares for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the Fund distribution goes ex-dividend. Income derived from investments in derivatives, fixed-income securities, U.S. REITs, PFICs, and income received “in lieu of” dividends in a securities lending transaction generally is not eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income. If the qualifying dividend income received by the Fund is equal to or greater than 95% of the Fund’s gross income (exclusive of net capital gain) in any taxable year, all of the ordinary income dividends paid by the Fund will be qualifying dividend income.

 

Dividends-Received Deduction for Corporations. For corporate shareholders, a portion of the dividends paid by the Fund may qualify for the 70% corporate dividends-received deduction. The portion of dividends paid by the Fund that so qualifies will be reported by the Fund each year and cannot exceed the gross amount of dividends received by the Fund from domestic (U.S.) corporations. The availability of the dividends-received deduction is subject to certain holding period and debt financing restrictions that apply to both the Fund and the investor. Specifically, the amount that the Fund may report as eligible for the dividends-received deduction will be reduced or eliminated if the Shares on which the dividends earned by the Fund were debt-financed or held by the Fund for less than a minimum period of time, generally 46 days during a 91-day period beginning 45 days before the stock becomes ex-dividend. Similarly, if your Fund Shares are debt-financed or held by you for less than a 46-day period then the dividends-received deduction for Fund dividends on your Shares may also be reduced or eliminated. Even if reported as dividends eligible for the dividends-received deduction, all dividends (including any deducted portion) must be included in your alternative minimum taxable income calculation. Income derived by the Fund from investments in derivatives, fixed-income and foreign securities generally is not eligible for this treatment.

 

Impact of Realized but Undistributed Income and Gains, and Net Unrealized Appreciation of Portfolio Securities. At the time of your purchase of Shares, the price of Shares may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation of portfolio securities held by the Fund. A subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable, and would be taxed as ordinary income (some portion of which may be taxed as qualified dividend income), capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. The Fund may be able to reduce the amount of such distributions from capital gains by utilizing its capital loss carryovers, if any.

 

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Tax Credit Bonds. If the Fund holds, directly or indirectly, one or more “tax credit bonds” (including build America bonds, clean renewable energy bonds and qualified tax credit bonds) on one or more applicable dates during a taxable year, the Fund may elect to permit its shareholders to claim a tax credit on their income tax returns equal to each shareholder’s proportionate share of tax credits from the applicable bonds that otherwise would be allowed to the Fund. In such a case, shareholders must include in gross income (as interest) their proportionate share of the income attributable to their proportionate share of those offsetting tax credits. A shareholder’s ability to claim a tax credit associated with one or more tax credit bonds may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code. Even if the Fund is eligible to pass through tax credits, the Fund may choose not to do so.

 

U.S. Government Securities. Income earned on certain U.S. government obligations is exempt from state and local personal income taxes if earned directly by you. States also grant tax-free status to dividends paid to you from interest earned on direct obligations of the U.S. government, subject in some states to minimum investment or reporting requirements that must be met by the Fund. Income on investments by the Fund in certain other obligations, such as repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government obligations, commercial paper and federal agency-backed obligations (e.g., GNMA or FNMA obligations), generally does not qualify for tax-free treatment. The rules on exclusion of this income are different for corporations.

 

Dividends Declared in December and Paid in January. Ordinarily, shareholders are required to take distributions by the Fund into account in the year in which the distributions are made. However, dividends declared in October, November or December of any year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month will be deemed to have been received by the shareholders (and made by the Fund) on December 31 of such calendar year if such dividends are actually paid in January of the following year. Shareholders will be advised annually as to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of distributions made (or deemed made) during the year in accordance with the guidance that has been provided by the IRS.

 

Medicare tax. A 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on net investment income earned by certain individuals, estates and trusts. “Net investment income,” for these purposes, means investment income, including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund Shares, reduced by the deductions properly allocable to such income. In the case of an individual, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (1) the shareholder’s net investment income or (2) the amount by which the shareholder’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds $250,000 (if the shareholder is married and filing jointly or a surviving spouse), $125,000 (if the shareholder is married and filing separately) or $200,000 (in any other case). This Medicare tax, if applicable, is reported by you on, and paid with, your federal income tax return.

 

Sales of Fund Shares

 

Sales of Fund Shares are taxable transactions for federal and state income tax purposes. If you sell your Fund Shares, the IRS requires you to report any gain or loss on your sale. If you held your Shares as a capital asset, the gain or loss that you realize will be a capital gain or loss and will be long-term or short-term, generally depending on how long you have held your Shares. Capital losses in any year are deductible only to the extent of capital gains plus, in the case of a noncorporate taxpayer, $3,000 of ordinary income.

 

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Taxes on Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units. An Authorized Participant who exchanges equity securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of purchase and the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and the Cash Component paid. A person who exchanges Creation Units for equity securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate market value of the securities received and the Cash Redemption Amount. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

 

Under current federal tax laws, any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for one year or less.

 

If the Fund redeems Creation Units in cash, it may recognize more capital gains than it will if it redeems Creation Units in-kind.

 

Tax Basis Information. A shareholders’ cost basis information will be provided upon the sale of any of the shareholder’s Shares, subject to certain exceptions for exempt recipients. Please contact the broker (or other nominee) that holds your Fund Shares with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account.

 

Wash Sales. All or a portion of any loss that you realize on a sale of your Fund Shares will be disallowed to the extent that you buy other Shares in the Fund (through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within 30 days before or after your Share sale. Any loss disallowed under these rules will be added to your tax basis in the new Shares.

 

Sales at a Loss within Six Months of Purchase. Any loss incurred on a sale of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributed to you by the Fund on those Shares.

 

Reportable Transactions. Under Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the Fund’s Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

 

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Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions

 

Set forth below is a general description of the tax treatment of certain types of securities, investment techniques and transactions that may apply to the Fund and, in turn, affect the amount, character and timing of dividends and distributions payable by the Fund to its shareholders. This section should be read in conjunction with the discussion above under “Investment Strategies and Risks” for a detailed description of the various types of securities and investment techniques that apply to the Fund.

 

In General. In general, gain or loss recognized by the Fund on the sale or other disposition of portfolio investments will be a capital gain or loss. Such capital gain and loss may be long-term or short-term depending, in general, upon the length of time a particular investment position is maintained and, in some cases, upon the nature of the transaction. Property held for more than one year generally will be eligible for long-term capital gain or loss treatment. The application of certain rules described below may serve to alter the manner in which the holding period for a security is determined or may otherwise affect the characterization as long-term or short-term, and also the timing of the realization and/or character, of certain gains or losses.

 

Certain Fixed Income Investments. Gain recognized on the disposition of a debt obligation purchased by the Fund at a market discount (generally, at a price less than its principal amount) will be treated as ordinary income to the extent of the portion of the market discount which accrued during the period of time the fund held the debt obligation unless the fund made a current inclusion election to accrue market discount into income as it accrues. If the Fund purchases a debt obligation (such as a zero-coupon security or pay-in-kind security) that was originally issued at a discount, the fund generally is required to include in gross income each year the portion of the original issue discount which accrues during such year. Therefore, a fund’s investment in such securities may cause the Fund to recognize income and make distributions to shareholders before it receives any cash payments on the securities. To generate cash to satisfy those distribution requirements, the Fund may have to sell portfolio securities that it otherwise might have continued to hold or to use cash flows from other sources such as the sale of Fund Shares.

 

Investments in Debt Obligations that are at Risk of or in Default Present Tax Issues for the Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as whether and to what extent the Fund should recognize market discount on a debt obligation, when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent the Fund may take deductions for bad debts or worthless securities and how a fund should allocate payments received on obligations in default between principal and income. These and other related issues will be addressed by the Fund in order to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a regulated investment company.

 

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Options, Futures, Forward Contracts, Swap Agreements and Hedging Transactions. In general, option premiums received by the Fund are not immediately included in the income of the Fund. Instead, the premiums are recognized when the option contract expires, the option is exercised by the holder, or the Fund transfers or otherwise terminates the option (e.g., through a closing transaction). If an option written by the Fund is exercised and the Fund sells or delivers the underlying stock, the fund generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to (a) the sum of the strike price and the option premium received by the fund minus (b) the Fund’s basis in the stock. Such gain or loss generally will be short-term or long-term depending upon the holding period of the underlying stock. If securities are purchased by the Fund pursuant to the exercise of a put option written by it, the Fund generally will subtract the premium received from its cost basis in the securities purchased. The gain or loss with respect to any termination of the Fund’s obligation under an option other than through the exercise of the option and related sale or delivery of the underlying stock generally will be short-term gain or loss depending on whether the premium income received by the fund is greater or less than the amount paid by the Fund (if any) in terminating the transaction. Thus, for example, if an option written by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund generally will recognize short-term gain equal to the premium received.

 

The tax treatment of certain futures contracts entered into by the Fund as well as listed non-equity options written or purchased by the Fund on U.S. exchanges (including options on futures contracts, broad-based equity indices and debt securities) may be governed by section 1256 of the Code (“section 1256 contracts”). Gains or losses on section 1256 contracts generally are considered 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gains or losses (“60/40”), although certain foreign currency gains and losses from such contracts may be treated as ordinary in character. Also, any section 1256 contracts held by the Fund at the end of each taxable year (and, for purposes of the 4% excise tax, on certain other dates as prescribed under the Code) are “marked to market” with the result that unrealized gains or losses are treated as though they were realized and the resulting gain or loss is treated as ordinary or 60/40 gain or loss, as applicable. Section 1256 contracts do not include any interest rate swap, currency swap, basis swap, interest rate cap, interest rate floor, commodity swap, equity swap, equity index swap, credit default swap, or similar agreement.

 

In addition to the special rules described above in respect of options and futures transactions, a fund’s transactions in other derivative instruments (including options, forward contracts and swap agreements) as well as its other hedging, short sale, or similar transactions, may be subject to one or more special tax rules (including the constructive sale, notional principal contract, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules). These rules may affect whether gains and losses recognized by a fund are treated as ordinary or capital or as short-term or long-term, accelerate the recognition of income or gains to the Fund, defer losses to the Fund, and cause adjustments in the holding periods of the Fund’s securities. These rules, therefore, could affect the amount, timing and/or character of distributions to shareholders. Moreover, because the tax rules applicable to derivative financial instruments are in some cases uncertain under current law, an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to these rules (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect whether the Fund has made sufficient distributions, and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements, to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid a Fund-level tax.

 

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Certain investments in derivatives and foreign currency-denominated instruments, and a fund’s transactions in foreign currencies and hedging activities, may produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. If the Fund’s book income is less than the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the Fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regulated investment company. If the Fund’s book income exceeds the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the distribution of any such excess will be treated as (i) a dividend to the extent of the Fund’s remaining earnings and profits (including current earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income, reduced by related deductions), (ii) thereafter, as a return of capital to the extent of the recipient’s basis in the shares, and (iii) thereafter, as gain from the sale of a capital asset.

 

Foreign Currency Transactions. The Fund’s transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt obligations and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned. This treatment could increase or decrease a fund’s ordinary income distributions, and may cause some or all of the Fund’s previously distributed income to be classified as a return of capital. In certain cases, the Fund may make an election to treat such gain or loss as capital.

 

PFIC Investments. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign companies that may be classified under the Code as PFICs. In general, a foreign company is classified as a PFIC if at least one-half of its assets constitute investment-type assets or 75% or more of its gross income is investment-type income. When investing in PFIC securities, the Fund intends to mark-to-market these securities under certain provisions of the Code and recognize any unrealized gains as ordinary income at the end of the Fund’s fiscal and excise tax years. Deductions for losses are allowable only to the extent of any current or previously recognized gains. These gains (reduced by allowable losses) are treated as ordinary income that the Fund is required to distribute, even though it has not sold or received dividends from these securities. You should also be aware that the designation of a foreign security as a PFIC security will cause its income dividends to fall outside of the definition of qualified foreign corporation dividends. These dividends generally will not qualify for the reduced rate of taxation on qualified dividends when distributed to you. Foreign companies are not required to identify themselves as PFICs. Due to various complexities in identifying PFICs, the Fund can give no assurances that it will be able to identify portfolio securities in foreign corporations that are PFICs in time for the Fund to make a mark-to-market election. If the Fund is unable to identify an investment as a PFIC and thus does not make a mark-to-market election, the Fund may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the Fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains.

 

Controlled Foreign Corporations. The Fund may invest in stocks of foreign companies that may be classified under the Code as controlled foreign corporations (“CFC”) with respect to the Fund. As such, the Fund will be required to include in its gross income each year amounts earned by the CFC during that year (subpart F income), whether or not such earnings are distributed by the CFC to the Fund. Subpart F income will be distributed by the Fund each year as ordinary income and will not be qualified dividends eligible for taxation at long-term capital gain rates in the case of noncorporate investors or eligible for the 70% corporate dividends deduction in the case of corporate investors.

 

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Investments in U.S. REITs. A U.S. REIT is not subject to federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to shareholders. Dividends paid by a U.S. REIT, other than capital gain distributions, will be taxable as ordinary income up to the amount of the U.S. REIT’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Capital gain dividends paid by a U.S. REIT to a fund will be treated as long-term capital gains by the fund and, in turn, may be distributed by the fund as a capital gain distribution. Because of certain noncash expenses, such as property depreciation, an equity U.S. REIT’s cash flow may exceed its taxable income. The equity U.S. REIT, and in turn a fund, may distribute this excess cash to shareholders in the form of a return of capital distribution. However, if a U.S. REIT is operated in a manner that fails to qualify as a REIT, an investment in the U.S. REIT would become subject to double taxation, meaning the taxable income of the U.S. REIT would be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders and the dividends would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the U.S. REIT’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Also, see, “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions — Investment in Taxable Mortgage Pools (Excess Inclusion Income)” and “Non-U.S. Investors — Investment in U.S. Real Property” below with respect to certain other tax aspects of investing in U.S. REITs.

 

Investment in Non-U.S. REITs. While non-U.S. REITs often use complex acquisition structures that seek to minimize taxation in the source country, an investment by the Fund in a non-U.S. REIT may subject the Fund, directly or indirectly, to corporate taxes, withholding taxes, transfer taxes and other indirect taxes in the country in which the real estate acquired by the non-U.S. REIT is located. The Fund’s pro rata share of any such taxes will reduce the Fund’s return on its investment. The Fund’s investment in a non-U.S. REIT may be considered an investment in a PFIC, as discussed above in “PFIC Investments.” Additionally, foreign withholding taxes on distributions from the non-U.S. REIT may be reduced or eliminated under certain tax treaties, as discussed above in “Taxation of the Fund — Foreign Income Tax.” Also, the Fund in certain limited circumstances may be required to file an income tax return in the source country and pay tax on any gain realized from its investment in the non-U.S. REIT under rules similar to those in the United States which tax foreign persons on gain realized from dispositions of interests in U.S. real estate.

 

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Investment in Taxable Mortgage Pools (Excess Inclusion Income). Under a Notice issued by the IRS, the Code and Treasury regulations to be issued, a portion of the Fund’s income from a U.S. REIT that is attributable to the REIT’s residual interest in a real estate mortgage investment conduit (“REMIC”) or equity interests in a “taxable mortgage pool” (referred to in the Code as an excess inclusion) will be subject to federal income tax in all events. The excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as the Fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company in proportion to the dividends received by such shareholders, with the same consequences as if the shareholders held the related REMIC residual interest or, if applicable, taxable mortgage pool directly. In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) to entities (including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, 401(k) plans, Keogh plans or other tax-exempt entities) subject to tax on UBTI, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a foreign stockholder, will not qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax. In addition, if at any time during any taxable year a “disqualified organization” (which generally includes certain cooperatives, governmental entities, and tax-exempt organizations not subject to UBTI) is a record holder of a share in a regulated investment company, then the regulated investment company will be subject to a tax equal to that portion of its excess inclusion income for the taxable year that is allocable to the disqualified organization, multiplied by the highest federal income tax rate imposed on corporations. The Notice imposes certain reporting requirements upon regulated investment companies that have excess inclusion income. There can be no assurance that a fund will not allocate to shareholders excess inclusion income.

 

These rules are potentially applicable to a fund with respect to any income it receives from the equity interests of certain mortgage pooling vehicles, either directly or, as is more likely, through an investment in a U.S. REIT. It is unlikely that these rules will apply to a fund that has a non-REIT strategy.

 

Investments in Grantor Trusts, Partnerships and QPTPs. For purposes of the Income Requirement, income derived by a fund from a grantor trust or partnership that is not a QPTP will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the grantor trust or partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by the Fund. While the rules are not entirely clear with respect to a fund investing in a partnership outside a master feeder structure, for purposes of testing whether a fund satisfies the Asset Diversification Test, the fund generally is treated as owning a pro rata share of the underlying assets of a grantor trust or partnership. See, “Taxation of the Fund.” In contrast, different rules apply to a partnership that is a QPTP. A QPTP is a partnership (a) the interests in which are traded on an established securities market, (b) that is treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, and (c) that derives less than 90% of its income from sources that satisfy the Income Requirement (e.g., because it invests in commodities). All of the net income derived by a fund from an interest in a QPTP will be treated as qualifying income but the fund may not invest more than 25% of its total assets in one or more QPTPs. However, there can be no assurance that a partnership classified as a QPTP in one year will qualify as a QPTP in the next year. Any such failure to annually qualify as a QPTP might, in turn, cause a fund to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company. Additionally, any business income or losses from a QPTP would be subject to the passive activity loss rules. These rules may defer losses on a QPTP until the partnership is sold.

 

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To the extent an MLP is a partnership (whether or not a QPTP), some amounts received by a fund with respect to an investment in MLPs will likely be treated as a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes because of accelerated deductions available with respect to the activities of such MLPs. Further, because of these accelerated deductions, on the disposition of interests in such an MLP, the Fund will likely realize taxable income in excess of economic gain with respect to those MLP interests (or if the Fund does not dispose of the MLP, the Fund will likely realize taxable income in excess of cash flow with respect to the MLP in a later period), and the Fund must take such income into account in determining whether the Fund has satisfied its Distribution Requirement. The Fund may have to borrow or liquidate securities to satisfy its Distribution Requirement and to meet its redemption requests, even though investment considerations might otherwise make it undesirable for the fund to sell securities or borrow money at such time. In addition, any gain recognized, either upon the sale of the Fund’s MLP interest or sale by the MLP of property held by it, including in excess of economic gain thereon, treated as so-called “recapture income,” will be treated as ordinary income. Therefore, to the extent the Fund invests in MLPs, fund shareholders might receive greater amounts of distributions from the fund taxable as ordinary income than they otherwise would in the absence of such MLP investments.

 

Although MLPs are generally expected to be treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes, some MLPs may be treated as PFICs, CFCs, or “regular” corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The treatment of particular MLPs for U.S. federal income tax purposes will affect the extent to which the Fund can invest in MLPs. The U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Fund’s investments in PFICs and CFCs are discussed above.

 

Securities Lending. While securities are loaned out by the Fund, the Fund generally will receive from the borrower amounts equal to any dividends or interest paid on the borrowed securities. For federal income tax purposes, payments made “in lieu of” dividends are not considered dividend income. These distributions will neither qualify for the reduced rate of taxation for individuals on qualified dividends nor the 70% dividends-received deduction for corporations. Also, any foreign tax withheld on payments made “in lieu of” dividends or interest will not qualify for the pass-through of foreign tax credits to shareholders.

 

Investments in Convertible Securities. Convertible debt is ordinarily treated as a “single property” consisting of a pure debt interest until conversion, after which the investment becomes an equity interest. If the security is issued at a premium (i.e., for cash in excess of the face amount payable on retirement), the creditor-holder may amortize the premium over the life of the bond. If the security is issued for cash at a price below its face amount, the creditor-holder must accrue original issue discount in income over the life of the debt. The creditor-holder’s exercise of the conversion privilege is treated as a nontaxable event. Mandatorily convertible debt (e.g., an exchange-traded note or ETN issued in the form of an unsecured obligation that pays a return based on the performance of a specified market index, exchange currency, or commodity) is often, but not always, treated as a contract to buy or sell the reference property rather than debt. Similarly, convertible preferred stock with a mandatory conversion feature is ordinarily, but not always, treated as equity rather than debt. Dividends received generally are qualified dividend income and eligible for the corporate dividends-received deduction. In general, conversion of preferred stock for common stock of the same corporation is tax-free. Conversion of preferred stock for cash is a taxable redemption. Any redemption premium for preferred stock that is redeemable by the issuing company might be required to be amortized under original issue discount principles.

 

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Investments in Securities of Uncertain Tax Character. The Fund may invest in securities the U.S. federal income tax treatment of which may not be clear or may be subject to recharacterization by the IRS. To the extent the tax treatment of such securities or the income from such securities differs from the tax treatment expected by the Fund, it could affect the timing or character of income recognized by the Fund, requiring the Fund to purchase or sell securities, or otherwise change its portfolio, in order to comply with the tax rules applicable to regulated investment companies under the Code.

 

Backup Withholding

 

By law, a portion of your taxable dividends and sales proceeds may be withheld unless you:

 

 

provide your correct social security or taxpayer identification number,

 

certify that this number is correct,

 

certify that you are not subject to backup withholding, and

 

certify that you are a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).

 

Withholding is also imposed if the IRS requires it. When withholding is required, the amount will be 28% of any distributions or proceeds paid. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS. Certain payees and payments are exempt from backup withholding and information reporting. The special U.S. tax certification requirements applicable to non-U.S. investors to avoid backup withholding are described under the “Non-U.S. Investors” heading below.

 

Non-U.S. Investors

 

Non-U.S. investors (shareholders who, as to the United States, are nonresident alien individuals, foreign trusts or estates, foreign corporations, or foreign partnerships) may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are subject to special U.S. tax certification requirements. Non-U.S. investors should consult their tax advisors about the applicability of U.S. tax withholding and the use of the appropriate forms to certify their status.

 

In General. The United States imposes a flat 30% withholding tax (or a withholding tax at a lower treaty rate) on U.S. source dividends, including on income dividends, paid to you by the Fund, subject to certain exemptions described below. However, notwithstanding such exemptions from U.S. withholding at the source, any dividends and distributions of income and capital gains, including the proceeds from the sale of your Fund Shares, will be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 28% if you fail to properly certify that you are not a U.S. person.

 

Capital Gain Dividends. In general, capital gain dividends reported by the Fund as paid from its net long-term capital gains, other than long-term capital gains realized on disposition of U.S. real property interests (see the discussion below), are not subject to U.S. withholding tax unless you are a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the calendar year.

 

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Interest-Related Dividends and Short-Term Capital Gain Dividends. Generally, dividends reported by the Fund as interest-related dividends and paid from its qualified net interest income from U.S. sources are not subject to U.S. withholding tax. “Qualified interest income” includes, in general, U.S. source (1) bank deposit interest, (2) short-term original discount, (3) interest (including original issue discount, market discount, or acquisition discount) on an obligation that is in registered form, unless it is earned on an obligation issued by a corporation or partnership in which the Fund is a 10-percent shareholder or is contingent interest, and (4) any interest-related dividend from another regulated investment company. Similarly, short-term capital gain dividends reported by the Fund as paid from its net short-term capital gains, other than short-term capital gains realized on disposition of U.S. real property interests (see the discussion below), are not subject to U.S. withholding tax unless you were a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the calendar year. The Fund reserves the right to not report interest-related dividends or short-term capital gain dividends. Additionally, the Fund’s reporting of interest-related dividends or short-term capital gain dividends may not be passed through to shareholders by intermediaries who have assumed tax reporting responsibilities for this income in managed or omnibus accounts due to systems limitations or operational constraints.

 

Net Investment Income from Dividends on Stock and Foreign Source Interest Income Continue to be Subject to Withholding Tax; Foreign Tax Credits. Ordinary dividends paid by the Fund to non-U.S. investors on the income earned on portfolio investments in (i) the stock of domestic and foreign corporations and (ii) the debt of foreign issuers continue to be subject to U.S. withholding tax. Foreign shareholders may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 30% on the income resulting from an election to pass-through foreign tax credits to shareholders, but may not be able to claim a credit or deduction with respect to the withholding tax for the foreign tax treated as having been paid by them.

 

Income Effectively Connected with a U.S. Trade or Business. If the income from the Fund is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder, then ordinary income dividends, capital gain dividends and any gains realized upon the sale of Shares of the Fund will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the rates applicable to U.S. citizens or domestic corporations and require the filing of a nonresident U.S. income tax return.

 

U.S. Estate Tax. Transfers by gift of Shares of the Fund by a foreign shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual will not be subject to U.S. federal gift tax. An individual who, at the time of death, is a non-U.S. shareholder will nevertheless be subject to U.S. federal estate tax with respect to Fund Shares at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens and residents, unless a treaty exemption applies. If a treaty exemption is available, a decedent’s estate may nonetheless need to file a U.S. estate tax return to claim the exemption in order to obtain a U.S. federal transfer certificate, which permits the decedent’s property to be transferred without federal estate tax liability. The transfer certificate will identify the property (i.e., Fund Shares) as to which the U.S. federal estate tax lien has been released. In the absence of a treaty, there is a $13,000 statutory estate tax credit (equivalent to U.S. situs assets with a value of $60,000). For estates with U.S. situs assets of not more than $60,000, an affidavit from an appropriate individual that states that the decedent’s U.S. situs assets are below this threshold amount may be sufficient to transfer the Fund Shares.

 

59

 

 

U.S. Tax Certification Rules. Special U.S. tax certification requirements may apply to non-U.S. shareholders both to avoid U.S. backup withholding imposed at a rate of 28% and to obtain the benefits of any treaty between the United States and the shareholder’s country of residence. In general, if you are a non-U.S. shareholder, you must provide a Form W-8 BEN (or other applicable Form W-8) to establish that you are not a U.S. person, to claim that you are the beneficial owner of the income and, if applicable, to claim a reduced rate of, or exemption from, withholding as a resident of a country with which the United States has an income tax treaty. A Form W-8 BEN provided without a U.S. taxpayer identification number will remain in effect for a period beginning on the date signed and ending on the last day of the third succeeding calendar year unless an earlier change of circumstances makes the information on the form incorrect. Certain payees and payments are exempt from backup withholding.

 

The tax consequences to a non-U.S. shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may be different from those described herein. Non-U.S. shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund, including the applicability of foreign tax.

 

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). Under FATCA, a 30% withholding tax is imposed on the following payments or distributions made by the Fund to certain foreign entities, referred to as foreign financial institutions (“FFI”) or non-financial foreign entities (“NFFE”): (a) income dividends and (b) after December 31, 2018, certain capital gain distributions, return of capital distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Fund Shares. The FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (a) by an FFI, if it reports certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (b) by an NFFE, if it meets certification requirements described below. The U.S. Treasury has negotiated intergovernmental agreements (“IGA”) with certain countries and is in various stages of negotiations with a number of other foreign countries with respect to one or more alternative approaches to implement FATCA; an entity in one of those countries may be required to comply with the terms of an IGA instead of U.S. Treasury regulations.

 

An FFI can avoid FATCA withholding if it is deemed compliant or by becoming a “participating FFI,” which requires the FFI to enter into a U.S. tax compliance agreement with the IRS under section 1471(b) of the Code (“FFI agreement”) under which it agrees to verify, report and disclose certain of its U.S. accountholders and meet certain other specified requirements. The FFI will either report the specified information about the U.S. accounts to the IRS, or, to the government of the FFI’s country of residence (pursuant to the terms and conditions of applicable law and an applicable IGA entered into between the U.S. and the FFI’s country of residence), which will, in turn, report the specified information to the IRS. An FFI that is resident in a country that has entered into an IGA with the U.S. to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the FFI shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.

 

An NFFE that is the beneficial owner of a payment from the Fund can avoid the FATCA withholding tax generally by certifying that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or by providing the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner. The NFFE will report the information to the applicable withholding agent, which will, in turn, report the information to the IRS.

 

60

 

 

Such foreign shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by U.S. Treasury regulations, IGAs, and other guidance regarding FATCA. An FFI or NFFE that invests in the Fund will need to provide documentation properly certifying the entity’s status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. Non-U.S. investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the impact of these requirements on their investment in the Fund. The requirements imposed by FATCA are different from, and in addition to, the U.S. tax certification rules to avoid backup withholding described above. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of these requirements to their own situation.

 

Effect of Future Legislation; Local Tax Considerations

 

The foregoing general discussion of U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this Statement of Additional Information. Future legislative or administrative changes, including provisions of current law that sunset and thereafter no longer apply, or court decisions may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and any such changes or decisions may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein. Rules of state and local taxation of ordinary income, qualified dividend income and capital gain dividends may differ from the rules for U.S. federal income taxation described above. Distributions may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on each shareholder’s particular situation. Non-U.S. shareholders may be subject to U.S. tax rules that differ significantly from those summarized above. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors as to the consequences of these and other state and local tax rules affecting investment in the Fund.

 

This discussion of Distributions and Taxes is not intended or written to be used as tax advice and does not purport to deal with all federal tax consequences applicable to all categories of investors, some of which may be subject to special rules. You should consult your own tax adviser regarding your particular circumstances before making an investment in the Fund.

 

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

 

To obtain the Fund’s most current performance information, please call (800) 208-5212 or visit the Fund’s website at www.innovatoretfs.com.

 

From time to time, the Fund’s performance information, such as yield or total return, may be quoted in advertisements or in communications to present or prospective shareholders. Performance quotations represent the Fund’s past performance and should not be considered as representative of future results. The Fund will calculate its performance in accordance with the requirements of the rules and regulations under the 1940 Act, as they may be revised from time to time.

 

61

 

 

 

Innovator ETFs Trust

Part C – Other Information

 

Item 28.

Exhibits

 

Exhibit No.

Description

 

(a)     (1) Agreement and Declaration of Trust of Registrant, dated October 17, 2007 (1)

 

     (2) Certificate of Trust of Registrant, as filed with the State of Delaware on October 17, 2007 (1)

 

     (3) Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Trust of Registrant, as filed with the State Delaware on August 11, 2017 (6)

 

(b)     By-Laws of the Registrant (1)

 

(c)     Not Applicable

 

(d)     (1) Investment Management Agreement by and between the Registrant and Innovator Capital Management, LLC (7)

 

     (2) Sub-Advisory Agreement by and between the Registrant, Innovator Capital Management, LLC and Penserra Capital Management LLC (6)

 

(e)     Form of Distribution Agreement by and between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC (6)

 

(f)     Not Applicable

 

(g)     Custody Agreement by and between the Registrant and U.S. Bank National Association (4)

 

(h)     (1) Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement by and between the Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, dated January 19, 2012 (4)

 

     (2) Fund Administration Servicing Agreement by and between the Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, dated January 19, 2012 (4)

 

     (3) Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement by and between the Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, dated January 19, 2012 (4)

 

     (4) Form of Authorized Participant Agreement (6)

 

 

 

 

     (5) Form of Sub-License Agreement by and between the Registrant and Innovator Capital Management, LLC (6)

 

(i)     Opinion and Consent of Chapman and Cutler LLP (7)

 

(j)     Not Applicable

 

(k)     Not Applicable

 

(l)     Not Applicable

 

(m)     Rule 12b-1 Plan (6)

 

(n)     Not Applicable

 

(o)     Not Applicable

 

(p)     (1) Joint Code of Ethics of the Registrant and Innovator Capital Management, LLC (6)

 

     (2) Code of Ethics of Penserra Capital Management LLC (6)

 

     (3) Code of Ethics of Foreside Fund Services, LLC (6)

 

(q)     Power of Attorneys (5)

__________________

 

(1)

Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-146827) filed on October 19, 2007.

 

(2)

Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-146827) filed on April 30, 2009.

 

(3)

Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-146827) filed on December 9, 2011.

 

(4)

Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-146827) filed on March 30, 2015.

 

(5)

Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-146827) filed on September 8, 2017.

 

(6)

Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 333-146827) filed on November 7, 2017.

 

(7)

Filed herewith.

 

Item 29.

Persons Controlled By or Under Common Control with Registrant

 

Not Applicable

 

 

 

 

Item 30.

Indemnification

 

Under the terms of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (“DSTA”) and the Registrant's Agreement and Declaration of Trust (“Declaration of Trust”), no officer or trustee of the Registrant shall have any liability to the Registrant, its shareholders, or any other party for damages, except to the extent such limitation of liability is precluded by Delaware law, the Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws of the Registrant.

 

Subject to the standards and restrictions set forth in the Declaration of Trust, DSTA, Section 3817, permits a statutory trust to indemnify and hold harmless any trustee, beneficial owner or other person from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever. DSTA, Section 3803 protects trustees, officers, managers and other employees, when acting in such capacity, from liability to any person other than the Registrant or beneficial owner for any act, omission or obligation of the Registrant or any trustee thereof, except as otherwise provided in the Declaration of Trust.

 

Item 31.

Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser

 

Certain information pertaining to the business and other connections of Innovator Capital Management, LLC, the investment adviser to Innovator IBD® ETF Leaders ETF, is hereby incorporated by reference from the Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information contained herein. The information required by this Item with respect to any director, officer or partner of Innovator Capital Management, LLC is incorporated by reference to the Form ADV filed by Innovator Capital Management, LLC with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (File No. 801-110111).

 

Certain information pertaining to the business and other connections of Penserra Capital Management LLC, the investment sub-adviser to Innovator IBD® ETF Leaders ETF, is hereby incorporated by reference from the Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information contained herein. The information required by this Item with respect to any director, officer or partner of Penserra Capital Management LLC is incorporated by reference to the Form ADV filed by Penserra Capital Management LLC with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (File No. 801-80466).

 

Item 32.

Principal Underwriter

 

(a)     Foreside Fund Services, LLC also acts as the distributor for the Registrant and the following investment companies: ABS Long/Short Strategies Fund; Absolute Shares Trust; AdvisorShares Trust; AmericaFirst Quantitative Funds; American Beacon Funds; American Beacon Select Funds; Ark ETF Trust; Avenue Mutual Funds Trust; BP Capital TwinLine Energy Fund, Series of Professionally Managed Portfolios; BP Capital TwinLine MLP Fund, Series of Professionally Managed Portfolios; Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust; Bridgeway Funds, Inc.; Brinker Capital Destinations Trust; Center Coast MLP & Infrastructure Fund; Center Coast MLP Focus Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust; Context Capital Funds; CornerCap Group of Funds; Davis Fundamental ETF Trust; Direxion Shares ETF Trust; Eaton Vance NextShares Trust; Eaton Vance NextShares Trust II; EIP Investment Trust; Evanston Alternative Opportunities Fund; Elkhorn ETF Trust; Exchange Listed Funds Trust (f/k/a Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II); FEG Absolute Access Fund I LLC; Fiera Capital Series Trust; FlexShares Trust; Forefront Income Trust; Forum Funds; Forum Funds II; FQF Trust; Friess Small Cap Growth Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series; GraniteShares ETF Trust; Guinness Atkinson Funds; Horizon Spin-off and Corporate Restructuring Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust (f/k/a Liberty Street Horizon Fund); Horizons ETF Trust; Horizons ETF Trust I (f/k/a Recon Capital Series Trust); Infinity Core Alternative Fund; Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC; Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC; John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust; Manor Investment Funds; Miller/Howard Funds Trust; Miller/Howard High Income Equity Fund; ; Moerus Worldwide Value Fund, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV; OSI ETF Trust; Palmer Square Opportunistic Income Fund; Partners Group Private Income Opportunities, LLC; PENN Capital Funds Trust; Performance Trust Mutual Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers; Pine Grove Alternative Institutional Fund; Plan Investment Fund, Inc.; PMC Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers; Quaker Investment Trust; Ramius Archview Credit and Distressed Fund; Renaissance Capital Greenwich Funds; RMB Investors Trust (f/k/a Burnham Investors Trust); Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust; Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust; Salient MF Trust; SharesPost 100 Fund; Sound Shore Fund, Inc.; Steben Alternative Investment Funds; Steben Select Multi-Strategy Fund; Strategy Shares; The 504 Fund (f/k/a The Pennant 504 Fund); The Community Development Fund; The Relative Value Fund; Third Avenue Trust; Third Avenue Variable Series Trust; TIFF Investment Program; Turner Funds; U.S. Global Investors Funds; VictoryShares Developed Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II; VictoryShares Dividend Accelerator ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II; VictoryShares Emerging Market Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II; VictoryShares International High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II; VictoryShares International Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II; VictoryShares US 500 Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II; VictoryShares US 500 Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II; VictoryShares US Discovery Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II; VictoryShares US EQ Income Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II; VictoryShares US Large Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II; VictoryShares US Small Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II; VictoryShares US Small Cap Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II; Wakefield Managed Futures Strategy Fund, a Series of Wakefield Alternative Series Trust; West Loop Realty Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust (f/k/a Chilton Realty Income & Growth Fund); Wintergreen Fund, Inc. and WisdomTree Trust.

 

 

 

 

(b)     To the best of Registrant’s knowledge, the directors and executive officers of Foreside Fund Services, LLC, are as follows:

 

Name*

Position with Underwriter

Positions with Fund***

Richard J. Berthy

President, Treasurer and Manager

None

Mark A. Fairbanks

Vice President

None

Jennifer K. DiValerio**

Vice President

None

Nanette K. Chern

Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer

None

Jennifer E. Hoopes

Secretary

None

 

________________________

*

Except as otherwise noted, the principal business address for each of the above directors and executive officers is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

**

The principal business address for Ms. DiValerio is 899 Cassatt Road, 400 Berwyn Park, Suite 110, Berwyn, PA 19312.

*** None of the directors or executive officers of Foreside Fund Services, LLC are employed by the Fund.

 

 

(c)     Not Applicable

 

Item 33.

Location of Accounts and Records

 

All accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of 15 U.S.C. 80a-3-(a) and rules under that section, are maintained by U.S. Bank Fund Services, LLC and U.S. Bank, N.A., with the exception of those maintained by the Registrant's investment adviser, Innovator Capital Management, LLC, 120 North Hale Street, Suite 200, Wheaton, Illinois 60187.

 

U.S. Bank Fund Services, LLC and U.S. Bank, N.A. provide general administrative, accounting, portfolio valuation, and custodian services, respectively, to the Registrant, including the coordination and monitoring of any third-party service providers and maintain all such records relating to these services.

 

Item 34.

Management Services

 

Not Applicable

 

Item 35.

Undertakings

 

Not Applicable

 

 

 

 

Signatures

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Wheaton, and State of Illinois, on December 13, 2017.

 

 

INNOVATOR ETFs TRUST
   

By:

/s/ H. Bruce Bond

  H. Bruce Bond
  President

 

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated:

 

Signature

 

Title

 

Date

/s/ H. Bruce Bond

 

Chief Executive Officer, President and Trustee

 

December 13, 2017

H. Bruce Bond

       
         

/s/ John Southard

 

Vice President, Treasurer and Principal Financial Accounting Officer

 

December 13, 2017

John Southard

       

Mark Berg*

 

           )

Trustee     )

   
   

          )

 

By: /s/ H. Bruce Bond

Joe Stowell*

 

          )

Trustee     )

 

H. Bruce Bond
Attorney-In-Fact

   

          )

 

December 13, 2017

         

Brian J. Wildman*

 

          )

Trustee     )

   
   

          )

   

 

 

*

An original power of attorney authorizing H. Bruce Bond and John Southard to execute this Registration Statement, and amendments thereto, for each of the trustees of the Registrant on whose behalf this Registration Statement is filed, were previously executed, filed as an exhibit and are incorporated by reference herein.

 

 

 

 

Index to Exhibits

 

 

(d)(1)

Investment Management Agreement by and between the Registrant and Innovator Capital Management, LLC

 

 

(i)

Opinion and consent of Chapman and Cutler LLP

 

 

 

 

Investment Management Agreement

 

Investment Management Agreement made this 31st day of August, 2017, by and between Innovator ETFs Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the Trust), and Innovator Capital Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the Adviser).

 

Whereas, the Trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (1940 Act), as an open-end management investment company;

 

Whereas, the Trust is authorized to issue shares in separate series, with each such series representing interests in a separate portfolio of securities and other assets;

 

Whereas, the Trust intends to offer shares in series as set forth on Schedule A attached hereto and any other series as to which this Agreement may hereafter be made applicable and set forth on Schedule A, which may be amended from time to time (each such series being herein referred to as a Fund, and collectively as the Funds); and

 

Whereas, the Trust desires to retain the Adviser as investment adviser, to furnish certain investment advisory and portfolio management services to the Trust with respect to the Funds, and the Adviser is willing to furnish such services.

 

W i t n e s s e t h:

 

In consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter contained, it is hereby agreed by and between the parties hereto as follows:

 

1.     The Trust hereby engages the Adviser to act as the investment adviser for, and to manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of, each Fund in accordance with each Fund’s investment objectives and policies and limitations, and to administer each Fund’s affairs to the extent requested by and subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees of the Trust for the period and upon the terms herein set forth. The investment of each Fund’s assets shall be subject to the Fund’s policies, restrictions and limitations with respect to securities investments as set forth in the Fund’s then current registration statement under the 1940 Act, Declaration of Trust, By-laws of the Trust and all applicable laws and the regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the management of registered open-end management investment companies.

 

 

 

 

The Adviser accepts such employment and agrees during such period to render such services, to furnish office facilities and equipment and clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services (other than such services, if any, provided by the Funds’ transfer agent, administrator or other service providers) for the Funds, to permit any of its officers or employees to serve without compensation as trustees or officers of the Trust if elected to such positions, and to assume the obligations herein set forth for the compensation herein provided. The Adviser shall at its own expense furnish all executive and other personnel, office space, and office facilities required to render the investment management and administrative services set forth in this Agreement. In the event that the Adviser pays or assumes any expenses of a Fund not required to be paid or assumed by the Adviser under this Agreement, the Adviser shall not be obligated hereby to pay or assume the same or similar expense in the future; provided, that nothing contained herein shall be deemed to relieve the Adviser of any obligation to a Fund under any separate agreement or arrangement between the parties.

 

2.     The Adviser shall, for all purposes herein provided, be deemed to be an independent contractor and, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized, shall neither have the authority to act for nor represent the Trust in any way, nor otherwise be deemed an agent of the Trust.

 

3.     For the services and facilities described in Section 1, each Fund will pay to the Adviser, at the end of each calendar month, and the Adviser agrees to accept as full compensation therefor, an investment management fee equal to the annual rate of each Fund’s average daily net assets as set forth on Schedule A.

 

For the month and year in which this Agreement becomes effective, or terminates, there shall be an appropriate proration on the basis of the number of days that the Agreement shall have been in effect during the month and year, respectively. The services of the Adviser to the Trust under this Agreement are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Adviser shall be free to render similar services or other services to others so long as its services hereunder are not impaired thereby.

 

4.     During the term of this Agreement, the Adviser shall pay all of the expenses of each Fund of the Trust (including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services and license fees) but excluding the fee payment under this Agreement, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions, distribution and service fees payable pursuant to a Rule 12b-1 plan, if any, and extraordinary expenses.

 

5.     The Adviser shall arrange for suitably qualified officers or employees of the Adviser to serve, without compensation from the Trust, as trustees, officers or agents of the Trust, if duly elected or appointed to such positions, and subject to their individual consent and to any limitations imposed by law.

 

6.     The Adviser is authorized to select the brokers or dealers that will execute the purchases and sales of a Fund’s securities on behalf of the Fund, and is directed to use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain best execution, which includes most favorable net results and execution of the Fund’s orders, taking into account all appropriate factors, including price, dealer spread or commission, size and difficulty of the transaction and research or other services provided. Subject to approval by the Trust’s Board of Trustees and to the extent permitted by and in conformance with applicable law (including Rule 17e-1 of the 1940 Act), the Adviser may select brokers or dealers affiliated with the Adviser. It is understood that the Adviser will not be deemed to have acted unlawfully, or to have breached a fiduciary duty to the Trust, or be in breach of any obligation owing to the Trust under this Agreement, or otherwise, solely by reason of its having caused the Fund to pay a member of a securities exchange, a broker or a dealer a commission for effecting a securities transaction for the Fund in excess of the amount of commission another member of an exchange, broker or dealer would have charged if the Adviser determined in good faith that the commission paid was reasonable in relation to the brokerage or research services provided by such member, broker or dealer, viewed in terms of that particular transaction or the Adviser’s overall responsibilities with respect to its accounts, including the Fund, as to which it exercises investment discretion.

 

 

 

 

In addition, the Adviser may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, aggregate purchase and sale orders of securities with similar orders being made simultaneously for other accounts managed by the Adviser or its affiliates, if in the Adviser’s reasonable judgment such aggregation shall result in an overall economic benefit to a Fund, taking into consideration the selling or purchase price, brokerage commissions and other expenses. In the event that a purchase or sale of an asset of a Fund occurs as part of any aggregate sale or purchase orders, the objective of the Adviser and any of its affiliates involved in such transaction shall be to allocate the securities so purchased or sold, as well as expenses incurred in the transaction, among the Fund and other accounts in an equitable manner. Nevertheless, each Fund acknowledges that under some circumstances, such allocation may adversely affect the Fund with respect to the price or size of the securities positions obtainable or salable. Whenever a Fund and one or more other investment advisory clients of the Adviser have available funds for investment, investments suitable and appropriate for each will be allocated in a manner believed by the Adviser to be equitable to each, although such allocation may result in a delay in one or more client accounts being fully invested that would not occur if such an allocation were not made. Moreover, it is possible that due to differing investment objectives or for other reasons, the Adviser and its affiliates may purchase securities of an issuer for one client and at approximately the same time recommend selling or sell the same or similar types of securities for another client.

 

The Adviser will not arrange purchases or sales of securities between a Fund and other accounts advised by the Adviser or its affiliates unless (a) such purchases or sales are in accordance with applicable law (including Rule 17a-7 of the 1940 Act) and the Trust’s policies and procedures, (b) the Adviser determines the purchase or sale is in the best interests of each Fund, and (c) the Trust’s Board of Trustees have approved these types of transactions.

 

To the extent a Fund seeks to adopt, amend or eliminate any objectives, policies, restrictions or procedures in a manner that modifies or restricts Adviser’s authority regarding the execution of the Fund’s portfolio transactions, the Fund agrees to use reasonable commercial efforts to consult with the Adviser regarding the modifications or restrictions prior to such adoption, amendment or elimination.

 

The Adviser will communicate to the officers and trustees of the Trust such information relating to transactions for the Funds as they may reasonably request. In no instance will portfolio securities be purchased by or sold to the Adviser or any affiliated person of either the Trust or the Adviser, except as may be permitted under the 1940 Act.

 

 

 

 

The Adviser further agrees that it:

 

(a)     will use the same degree of skill and care in providing such services as it uses in providing services to fiduciary accounts for which it has investment responsibilities;

 

(b)     will conform in all material respects to all applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and comply in all material respects with all policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees for the Trust and communicated to the Adviser and, in addition, will conduct its activities under this Agreement in all material respects in accordance with any applicable regulations of any governmental authority pertaining to its investment advisory activities;

 

(c)     will report regularly to the Board of Trustees of the Trust (generally on a quarterly basis) and will make appropriate persons available for the purpose of reviewing with representatives of the Board of Trustees on a regular basis at reasonable times the management of each Fund, including, without limitation, review of the general investment strategies of each Fund, the performance of each Fund’s investment portfolio in relation to relevant standard industry indices and general conditions affecting the marketplace and will provide various other reports from time to time as reasonably requested by the Board of Trustees of the Trust; and

 

(d)     will prepare and maintain such books and records with respect to each Fund’s securities and other transactions as required under applicable law and will prepare and furnish the Trust’s Board of Trustees such periodic and special reports as the Board of Trustees may reasonably request. The Adviser further agrees that all records which it maintains for each Fund are the property of the Fund and the Adviser will surrender promptly to the Fund any such records upon the request of the Fund (provided, however, that Adviser shall be permitted to retain copies thereof); and shall be permitted to retain originals (with copies to the Fund) to the extent required under Rule 204-2 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 or other applicable law.

 

7.     Subject to applicable statutes and regulations, it is understood that officers, trustees, or agents of the Trust are, or may be, interested persons (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act and rules and regulations thereunder) of the Adviser as officers, directors, agents, shareholders or otherwise, and that the officers, directors, shareholders and agents of the Adviser may be interested persons of the Trust otherwise than as trustees, officers or agents.

 

8.     The Adviser shall not be liable for any loss sustained by reason of the purchase, sale or retention of any asset, whether or not such purchase, sale or retention shall have been based upon the investigation and research made by any other individual, firm or corporation, if such recommendation shall have been selected with due care and in good faith, except loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser in the performance of its obligations and duties, or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement.

 

9.     Subject to obtaining the initial and periodic approvals required under Section 15 of the 1940 Act (after taking into effect any exemptive order, no-action assurances or other relief upon which the respective Fund may rely), the Adviser may retain one or more sub-advisers at the Adviser’s own cost and expense for the purpose of furnishing one or more of the services described in Section 1 hereof with respect to a Fund. In addition, the Adviser may adjust from time to time the duties delegated to any sub-adviser, the portion of portfolio assets of the Trust that the sub-adviser shall manage and the fees to be paid to the sub-adviser pursuant to any sub-advisory agreement or other arrangement entered into in accordance with this Agreement, subject to the approvals set forth in Section 15 of the 1940 Act if required including after taking into account any exemptive order, no-action assurances or other relief upon which the respective Fund may rely. Retention of a sub-adviser shall in no way reduce the responsibilities or obligations of the Adviser under this Agreement and the Adviser shall be responsible to a Fund for all acts or omissions of any sub-adviser in connection with the performance of the Adviser’s duties hereunder.

 

 

 

 

10.     The Trust acknowledges that the Adviser intends in the future to act as an investment adviser to other managed accounts and as investment adviser or sub-investment adviser to one or more other investment companies that are not a series of the Trust. In addition, the Trust acknowledges that the persons employed by the Adviser to assist in the Adviser’s duties under this Agreement will not devote their full time to such efforts. It is also agreed that the Adviser may use any supplemental research obtained for the benefit of the Trust in providing investment advice to its other investment advisory accounts and for managing its own accounts.

 

11.     This Agreement, with respect to each Fund, was initially approved, and is effective, provided it was approved by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities held by shareholders of the respective Fund in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act. This Agreement shall continue in effect until the termination date set forth in the attached Schedule A, unless and until terminated by either party as hereinafter provided, and shall continue in force from year to year thereafter, but only as long as such continuance is specifically approved, at least annually, in the manner required by the 1940 Act.

 

This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment, and may be terminated at any time without the payment of any penalty by a Trust or by the Adviser upon sixty (60) days’ written notice to the other party. Each Fund may effect termination by action of the Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, accompanied by appropriate notice. This Agreement may be terminated, at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by the Board of Trustees of the Trust, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust, in the event that it shall have been established by a court of competent jurisdiction that the Adviser, or any officer or director of the Adviser, has taken any action which results in a breach of the material covenants of the Adviser set forth herein. Termination of this Agreement shall not affect the right of the Adviser to receive payments on any unpaid balance of the compensation, described in Section 3, earned prior to such termination and for any additional period during which the Adviser serves as such for the Fund, subject to applicable law. The terms “assignment” and “vote of the majority of outstanding voting securities” shall have the same meanings set forth in the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

12.     This Agreement may be amended or modified only by a written instrument executed by both parties.

 

13.     If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule, or otherwise, the remainder shall not be thereby affected.

 

 

 

 

14.     Any notice under this Agreement shall be in writing, addressed and delivered or mailed, postage prepaid, to the other party at such address as such other party may designate for receipt of such notice.

 

15.     All parties hereto are expressly put on notice of the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust and all amendments thereto, a copy of which is on file with the Secretary of the State of Delaware and the limitation of shareholder and trustee liability contained therein. This Agreement is executed on behalf of the Trust by the Trust’s officers as officers and not individually and the obligations imposed upon the Trust by this Agreement are not binding upon any of the Trust’s Trustees, officers or shareholders individually but are binding only upon the assets and property of the Trust, and persons dealing with the Trust must look solely to the assets of the Trust and those assets belonging to the subject Trust, for the enforcement of any claims.

 

16.     This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with applicable federal law and (except as to Section 15 hereof which shall be construed in accordance with the laws of Delaware) the laws of the State of Illinois.

 

 

 

 

 

In Witness Whereof, the Trust and the Adviser have caused this Agreement to be

executed on the day and year above written.

 

Innovator ETFs Trust

 

By:   /s/ H. Bruce Bond                                        

Name: H. Bruce Bond                                   

Title: Chairman                                              

 

Attest:   /s/ John Southard                    

              Name: John Southard              

              Title: Chief Investment Officer

 

Innovator Capital Management, LLC

 

By:   /s/ H. Bruce Bond                                

Name: H. Bruce Bond                                 

Title: President                                              

 

Attest:   /s/ John Southard                    

             Name: John Southard              

             Title: Chief Investment Officer

 

 

 

 

Schedule A

 

(As of August 31, 2017)

 

Funds

Series

 

Annual Rate
of Average
Daily Net
Assets

 

 

Initial Board

Approval Date

 

 

 

Shareholder
Approval Date

 

Initial

Effective

Date

 

 

 

Termination

Date

Innovator S&P 500 -5% to -35% Shield Strategy ETF Series

 

0.79%

 

8/31/2017

 

__/___/2017

 

__/___/2017

 

__/___/2017

Innovator S&P 500 15% Shield Strategy ETF Series

 

0.79%

 

8/31/2017

 

__/___/2017

 

__/___/2017

 

__/___/2017

Innovator S&P 500 Enhance and 10% Shield Strategy ETF Series

 

0.79%

 

8/31/2017

 

__/___/2017

 

__/___/2017

 

__/___/2017

Innovator S&P 500 Ultra ETF Series

 

0.79%

 

8/31/2017

 

__/___/2017

 

__/___/2017

 

__/___/2017

Innovator IBD® ETF Leaders ETF

 

0.60%

 

8/31/2017

 

__/___/2017

 

__/___/2017

 

__/___/2017

Innovator McKinley Global Income Leaders ETF

 

0.75%

 

8/31/2017

 

__/___/2017

 

__/___/2017

 

__/___/2017

 

 

 

 

[On Chapman and Cutler LLP letterhead]

 

December 13, 2017

 

Innovator ETFs Trust

120 North Hale Street, Suite 200

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

 

 

Re:  Innovator ETFs Trust  

   

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel to the Innovator ETFs Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), with respect to the filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission of Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 (the “Amendment”) to the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Trust filed the Amendment on or about December 13, 2017 in order to register shares (the “Shares”) of beneficial interest of the Innovator IBD® ETF Leaders ETF (the “Fund”). The Amendment seeks to register an unlimited number of Shares.

 

We have examined the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration of Trust”); its By-Laws (“By-laws”); resolutions of the Trust’s Board of Trustees adopted on August 31, 2017; and such other legal and factual matters as we have considered necessary.

 

This opinion is based exclusively on the Delaware Statutory Trust Act and the federal securities laws of the United States of America governing the issuance of shares of the Fund and does not extend to the securities or “blue sky” laws of the State of Delaware or other States or to other Federal securities or other laws.

 

We have assumed the following for purposes of this opinion:

 

 

1.

The Fund’s Shares will be issued in accordance with the Trust’s Declaration of Trust and By-laws and resolutions of the Trust’s Board of Trustees relating to the creation, authorization and issuance of Shares.

 

 

2.

The Fund’s Shares will be issued against consideration therefor as described in the Trust’s prospectus relating thereto.

 

 

 

 

December 13, 2017

Page 2

 

This opinion relates solely to the registration of Shares of the Fund and not to the registration of any other series or classes of the Trust that have previously been registered.

 

Based upon the foregoing, it is our opinion that, upon the effectiveness of the Amendment, the Shares of beneficial interest of the Fund, when issued upon the terms and for the consideration described in the Amendment, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 73.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

   /s/ Chapman and Cutler LLP           

Chapman and Cutler LLP