485BPOS 2012-04-20 0001432353 2012-04-20 Global X Funds false 2012-04-20 2012-04-20 The Fund may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund's performance may depend on the performance of a small number of issuers. <tt>The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells <br />securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate <br />may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when <br />Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected <br />in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund's<br />performance. The Fund had not yet commenced investment operations as of the <br />most recent fiscal year end. Thus, no portfolio turnover rate is provided for <br />the Fund.</tt> <div style="display:none">~ http://www.globalxfunds.com/role/ExpenseExample_S000037606Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact * column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact * row primary compact * ~</div> <tt>The Global X Risk Parity ETF ("Fund") seeks to provide investment results that<br />correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and<br />expenses, of the FXcube Risk Parity Index ("Underlying Index").</tt> <tt>The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing <br />in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. This example does not <br />take into account customary brokerage commissions that you pay when purchasing <br />or selling Shares of the Fund in the secondary market. The example assumes that <br />you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all <br />of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your <br />investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses <br />remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on <br />these assumptions, your costs would be:</tt> <tt>The Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in the securities of the<br />Underlying Index and in ADRs and GDRs based on the securities in the Underlying<br />Index. The Fund also may invest up to 20% of its total assets in derivatives<br />such as futures contracts, options on future contracts, options and swaps, as<br />well as cash, cash equivalents, other investment companies, and securities not<br />included in the Underlying Index but which the Adviser believes will assist the<br />Fund in tracking the performance of its Underlying Index. The Fund's 80% investment <br />policy is non-fundamental and requires 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders <br />before it can be changed.<br /> <br />The Underlying Index seeks to preserve and increase its value, over the long<br />term, through risk balancing across asset classes. The Underlying Index consists<br />of multiple asset classes which may include bonds, equities, commodities,<br />currencies and real estate. Exposure may include global developed and emerging<br />markets.<br /> <br />In allocating assets among asset classes, the Underlying Index follows a "risk<br />parity" approach. The "risk parity" approach to asset allocation seeks to balance <br />the allocation of risk across asset classes (as measured by volatility) when <br />building the Underlying Index. This means that lower risk asset classes (such as <br />global fixed income and inflation-linked government bonds) will generally have <br />higher notional allocations than higher risk asset classes (such as global <br />developed and emerging market equities). The Underlying Index rebalances [ ] <br />as it aims to keep the risk contribution of each asset in the portfolio equal.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />The Fund may gain exposure to different asset classes by investing in many<br />different types of instruments including, but not limited to, equity securities,<br />equity futures, currency forwards, commodity futures, swaps on commodity futures, <br />bond futures, swaps on bond futures, cash corporate and government bonds, including <br />inflation protected government bonds, cash and cash equivalents. The Fund may also <br />invest in U.S. and foreign exchange traded vehicles, including exchange traded <br />funds ("ETFs"), exchange traded commodities ("ETCs") or exchange traded notes <br />("ETNs") through which the Fund can participate in the performance of one or <br />more asset classes.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />The Underlying Index and the Fund may have leveraged exposure to one or more<br />asset classes. The 1940 Act and the rules and interpretations thereunder impose<br />certain limitations on the Fund's ability to use leverage. While the Fund<br />normally does not engage in borrowing, leverage may be created when the Fund<br />engages in futures contracts, forward contracts, swaps and certain other<br />derivative instruments. Leveraging tends to magnify, sometimes significantly,<br />the effect of any increase or decrease in the Fund's exposure to an asset class<br />and may cause the Fund's NAV to be volatile.<br /><br />The Underlying Index is sponsored by an organization ("Index Provider") that is<br />independent of the Fund and Global X Management Company LLC, the investment<br />adviser for the Fund ("Adviser"). The Fund's Index Provider is FXcube Strategies, <br />LLC. The Underlying Index is calculated and maintained by Structured Solutions AG.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />The Adviser will use a "passive" or indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund's <br />investment objective. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not try to <br />"beat" the Underlying Index and does not seek temporary defensive positions when <br />markets decline or appear overvalued.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Indexing may eliminate the chance that the Fund will substantially outperform<br />the Underlying Index but also may reduce some of the risks of active management,<br />such as poor security selection. Indexing seeks to achieve lower costs and<br />better after-tax performance by keeping portfolio turnover low in comparison to<br />actively managed investment companies.<br /> <br />The Fund uses a representative sampling strategy with respect to the Underlying<br />Index. "Representative sampling" is an indexing strategy that involves investing<br />in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment<br />profile similar to the Underlying Index in terms of key risk factors, performance <br />attributes and other characteristics. The Fund may or may not hold all of the <br />securities in the Underlying Index.<br /> <br />Correlation: Correlation is the extent to which the values of different types of<br />investments move in tandem with one another in response to changing economic and<br />market conditions. An index is a theoretical financial calculation, while the<br />Fund is an actual investment portfolio. The performance of the Fund and the<br />Underlying Index may vary somewhat due to transaction costs, asset valuations,<br />foreign currency valuations, market impact, corporate actions (such as mergers<br />and spin-offs), legal restrictions or limitations, illiquid or unavailable<br />securities, and timing variances.<br /> <br />The Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund's<br />performance and that of the Underlying Index, before fees and expenses, will<br />exceed 95%. A correlation percentage of 100% would indicate perfect correlation.<br />If the Fund uses a replication strategy, it can be expected to have greater<br />correlation to the Underlying Index than if it uses a representative sampling<br />strategy.</tt> Global X Risk Parity ETF Example: "Other Expenses" reflect estimated expenses for the Fund's first fiscal year. The Fund does not have a full calendar year of performance. Thus, no bar chart or Average Annual Total Returns table is included for the Fund. INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund's performance could trail that of other investments. "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" sets forth the Fund's pro rata portion of the cumulative expenses charged by the exchange traded funds ("ETFs") in which the Fund invests. These expenses are estimates for the current fiscal year. The actual Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses will vary with changes in the allocations of the Fund's assets. SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL RISKS PERFORMANCE INFORMATION Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment): Portfolio Turnover: <tt>As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the<br />Fund, and the Fund's performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund<br />is subject to the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect<br />the Fund's net asset value ("NAV"), trading price, yield, total return and ability <br />to meet its investment objective, as well as other risks that are described in <br />greater detail in the Additional Information About the Fund's Strategies and Risks <br />section of the Prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information ("SAI").<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Asset Class Risk: Securities in the Underlying Index or in the Fund's portfolio<br />may underperform in comparison to the general securities markets or other asset<br />classes. Even if the Underlying Index seeks to preserve and increase its value<br />over the long term, it is subject to the risk of suffering substantial<br />short-term declines from time to time, which would also result in substantial<br />losses for the Fund.<br /><br />Commodities Regulatory Risk: In August, 2011, the Internal Revenue Service<br />("IRS") announced that it would stop issuing private letter rulings authorizing<br />favorable tax treatment for funds that invest indirectly in commodities or<br />derivatives based upon commodities. This suspension of guidance by the IRS means<br />that the tax treatment of such investments is now subject to some uncertainty.<br />In addition, the CFTC has proposed regulations which would limit the use of<br />commodity interests by pooled investment vehicles, such as the Fund. Any changes<br />in tax guidance or regulations could affect the Fund's ability to qualify as a<br />RIC or to pursue its investment program as described in this prospectus. If that<br />occurs, the Board will consider an appropriate course of action.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Counterparty Risk: Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a swap<br />contract or other similar investment instrument may default on its payment<br />obligation to the Fund. Such a default may cause the value of an investment in<br />the Fund to decrease.<br /> <br />Credit Risk: Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of the<br />security will not be able to make principal and interest payments when due.<br />Changes in an issuer's credit rating or the market's perception of an issuer's<br />creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund's investment in that<br />issuer. Securities rated in the four highest categories by the rating agencies<br />are considered investment grade but they may also have some speculative<br />characteristics. Investment grade ratings do not guarantee that bonds will <br />not lose value.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Currency Risk: The Fund may invest in foreign currencies and securities<br />denominated in foreign currencies. Because the Fund's NAV is determined in U.S.<br />dollars, the Fund's NAV could decline if a foreign currency depreciates against<br />the U.S. dollar.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Derivatives Risk: The Fund may invest in certain types of derivatives contracts<br />to help the Fund track its Underlying Index. Derivatives can be more sensitive<br />to changes in interest rates or to sudden fluctuations in market prices than<br />conventional securities, which can result in greater losses for the Fund.<br /> <br />Foreign Security Risk: Investments in the securities of foreign issuers<br />(including investments in ADRs and GDRs) are subject to the risks associated<br />with investing in those foreign markets, such as heightened risks of inflation<br />or nationalization. In addition, securities of foreign issuers may lose value<br />due to political, economic and geographic events affecting a foreign issuer or<br />market. During periods of social, political or economic instability in a country<br />or region, the value of a foreign security traded on United States' exchanges,<br />nonetheless, could be affected by, among other things, increasing price<br />volatility, illiquidity, or the closure of the primary market on which the<br />security underlying the ADR or GDR is traded. You may lose money due to<br />political, economic and geographic events affecting a foreign issuer or <br />market.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Forward and Futures Contract Risk: The primary risks associated with the use of<br />forward and futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the<br />change in market value of the instruments held by the Fund and the price of the<br />forward or futures contract; (b) the possible lack of a liquid secondary market<br />for a forward or futures contract and the resulting inability to close a forward<br />or futures contract when desired; (c) the possibility that the counterparty will<br />default in the performance of its obligations; and (d) the possibility that, if<br />the Fund has insufficient cash, the Fund may have to sell securities from its<br />portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Fund may have to<br />sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.<br /><br />Interest Rate Risk: Interest rate risk is the risk that prices of fixed income<br />securities generally increase when interest rates decline and decrease when<br />interest rates increase. The Fund may lose money if short term or long term<br />interest rates rise sharply.<br /> <br />Leverage Risk: While the Fund normally does not engage in borrowing, leverage<br />may be created when the Fund engages in futures contracts, forward contracts,<br />swaps and certain other derivative instruments. As a result, the Fund may be<br />exposed to the risks of leverage, which may be considered a speculative<br />investment technique. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and loss on<br />amounts invested and therefore increase the risks associated with investing <br />in our Fund. If the value of the Fund's assets increases, then leveraging <br />would cause the Fund's NAV to increase more sharply than it would have had <br />the Fund not leveraged. Conversely, if the value of the Fund's assets decreases,<br />leveraging would cause the Fund's NAV to decline more sharply than it otherwise<br />would have had the Fund not leveraged. In addition, the costs associated with<br />the Fund's borrowings, including any increase in the management fee payable to<br />the Adviser will be borne by Fund shareholders.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Market Trading Risk: The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the<br />potential lack of an active market for Shares, losses from trading in secondary<br />markets, and disruption in the creation/redemption process of the Fund. Any of<br />these factors may lead to the Shares trading at a premium or discount to the<br />Fund's NAV.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Non-Diversification Risk: The Fund may invest a large percentage of its assets<br />in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result,<br />the Fund's performance may depend on the performance of a small number of<br />issuers.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Passive Investment Risk: The Fund is not actively managed and the Adviser does<br />not attempt to take defensive positions in declining markets.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Passive Foreign Investment Company Risk: Some Fund holdings may be characterized<br />as "passive foreign investment companies" (PFICs) for U.S. tax purposes. Because<br />the application of the PFIC rules may affect, among other things, the character<br />of gains and the amount of gain or loss and the timing of the recognition of<br />income with respect to PFIC shares, and may subject the Fund itself to tax on<br />certain income from PFIC shares, the amount that must be distributed to<br />shareholders and will be taxed to shareholders as ordinary income or long-term<br />capital gain may be increased or decreased substantially as compared to a fund<br />that did not invest in PFIC shares.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Risk Related to Investing in Equity Securities: Equity securities are subject to<br />changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes.<br />Prices of the securities held by the Fund could fluctuate sometimes rapidly and<br />unexpectedly. These fluctuations may cause the price of a security to decline<br />for short- or long-term periods and cause the security to be worth less than it<br />was worth when purchased by the Fund. These fluctuations may be due to general<br />market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which<br />the companies issuing the securities participate or the issuing company's<br />particular circumstances. Equity securities in the Underlying Index or the<br />Fund's portfolio may underperform in comparison to the general U.S. equity<br />securities market.<br /><br />Risk Related to Investing in Foreign Currency: The Fund may invest in foreign<br />currencies, which are subject to risks, which include changes in the debt level<br />and trade deficit of the country issuing the foreign currency; inflation rates<br />of the United States and the country issuing the foreign currency; investors'<br />expectations concerning inflation rates; interest rates of the United States <br />and the country issuing the foreign currency; investors' expectations concerning<br />interest rates; investment and trading activities of mutual funds, hedge funds<br />and currency funds; and global or regional political, economic or financial<br />events and situations.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Risk Related to Investing in International Stocks: The Fund's investments in<br />foreign stocks can be riskier than U.S. stock investments. The prices of foreign<br />stocks and the prices of U.S. stocks have, at times, moved in opposite<br />directions. In addition, world events--such as political upheaval, financial<br />troubles, or natural disasters--could adversely affect the value of securities<br />issued by companies in foreign countries or regions. Stocks of companies located<br />in emerging markets will be substantially more volatile, and substantially less<br />liquid, than the stocks of companies located in more developed foreign markets.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Risk Related to Investing in Real Estate Stocks: Real estate stocks and Real<br />Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are particularly vulnerable to decline in the<br />event of deflationary economic conditions, and are subject to interest rate<br />risk, leverage risk, property risk and management risk. REITs tend to be small-<br />or mid-capitalization stocks and there is the possibility that returns from<br />REITs may trail returns from the overall stock market.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Risk Related to Investing in Bonds: Investments in debt securities are generally<br />affected by changes in prevailing interest rates and the creditworthiness of the<br />issuer. Prices of debt securities fall when prevailing interest rates rise. The<br />Fund's yield on investments in debt securities will fluctuate as the securities<br />in the Fund are rebalanced and reinvested in securities with different interest<br />rates. Investments in bonds are also subject to credit risk. Credit risk is the<br />risk that an issuer of debt securities will be unable to pay principal and<br />interest when due, or that the value of the security will suffer because<br />investors believe the issuer is less able to make required principal and<br />interest payments. This is broadly gauged by the credit ratings of the debt<br />securities in which the Fund invests. However, credit ratings are only the<br />opinions of the rating agencies issuing them, do not purport to reflect the <br />risk of fluctuations in market value and are not absolute guarantees as to <br />the payment of interest and the repayment of principal.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Risk Related to Investing in Inflation-Linked Bonds: The Fund may invest in<br />inflation-linked bonds, which are income-generating instruments whose interest<br />and principal payments are adjusted for inflation - a sustained increase in<br />prices that erodes the purchasing power of money. The inflation adjustment,<br />which is typically applied monthly to the principal of the bond, follows a<br />designated inflation index, such as the consumer price index. Because of this<br />inflation adjustment feature, inflation-protected bonds typically have lower<br />yields than conventional fixed-rate bonds.<br /> <br />Risk Related to Investing in Gold: The Fund may invest in gold ETFs and/or ETCs.<br />Gold generates no interest or dividends, and the return from investments in gold<br />will be derived solely from the price gains or losses from the commodity. Gold<br />may also be significantly affected by developments in the gold mining industry<br />and prices of gold may fluctuate sharply over short periods of time.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Risk Related to Investing in Commodities: The Fund may invest in commodity ETFs<br />and/or ETCs. Exposure to commodities may subject the Fund to greater volatility<br />than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodities may be<br />affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility,<br />changes in interest rates, or sectors affecting a particular industry or<br />commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, embargoes, tariffs and<br />international economic, political and regulatory developments.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Risk Related to Investing in ETFs: The Fund may hold ETFs to gain exposure to<br />certain asset classes. As a result, the Fund may be subject to the same risks <br />as the underlying ETFs. While the risks of owning shares of an underlying ETF<br />generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETF is<br />designed to track, lack of liquidity in an underlying ETF can result in its<br />value being more volatile than the underlying portfolio securities. An ETF may<br />trade at a premium or discount to its net asset value. The Fund will indirectly<br />bear its pro rata share of the fees and expenses incurred by an ETF it invests<br />in, including advisory fees, and will pay brokerage commissions in connection<br />with the purchase and sale of shares of ETFs. ETFs that invest in commodities<br />may be, or may become, subject to regulatory trading limits that could hurt <br />the value of their securities and could affect the Fund's ability to pursue <br />its investment program as described in this prospectus. Additionally, some ETFs <br />are not registered under the Investment Company of 1940 Act and therefore, are <br />not subject to the regulatory scheme and investor protections of the Investment<br />Company Act of 1940.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Risk Related to Investing in ETCs: The Fund may hold ETCs to gain exposure to<br />gold and commodities. As a result, the Fund may be subject to the same risks <br />as the underlying ETCs. While the risks of owning shares of an underlying ETC<br />generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying commodities the ETC is<br />designed to track, lack of liquidity in an underlying ETC can result in its<br />value being more volatile than the underlying portfolio securities. The Fund<br />will pay brokerage commissions in connection with the purchase and sale of<br />shares of ETCs. ETCs that invest in commodities may be, or may become, subject<br />to regulatory trading limits that could hurt the value of their securities and<br />could affect the Fund's ability to pursue its investment program as described <br />in this prospectus. Additionally, ETCs are not registered under the Investment<br />Company of 1940 Act and therefore, are not subject to the regulatory scheme and<br />investor protections of the Investment Company Act of 1940.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Tracking Error Risk: The performance of the Fund may diverge from the<br />performance of the Underlying Index. Because the Fund employs a representative<br />sampling strategy, the Fund may experience tracking error to a greater extent<br />than a fund that seeks to replicate an index.<br />&#xA0;&#xA0;<br />Valuation Risk: The value of the securities in the Fund's portfolio may change<br />on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund's<br />Shares.<br /> <br />Volatility Risk:The Fund may have investments that appreciate or decrease<br />significantly in value over short periods of time. This may cause the Fund's net<br />asset value per share to experience significant appreciations or decreases in<br />value over short periods of time.</tt> FEES AND EXPENSES PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES <tt>The Fund does not have a full calendar year of performance. Thus, no bar chart<br />or Average Annual Total Returns table is included for the Fund.</tt> <tt>This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold<br />shares of the Fund ("Shares"). You will also incur usual and customary brokerage<br />commission when buying and selling Shares.</tt> <div style="display:none">~ http://www.globalxfunds.com/role/OperatingExpensesData_S000037606Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact * column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact * row primary compact * ~</div> You will also incur usual and customary brokerage commission when buying and selling Shares. NA 0.00 0001432353 ck0001432353:SummaryS000037606Memberck0001432353:S000037606Memberck0001432353:C000116040Member 2012-04-20 2012-04-20 0001432353 ck0001432353:SummaryS000037606Memberck0001432353:S000037606Member 2012-04-20 2012-04-20 0001432353 2012-04-20 2012-04-20 iso4217:USD pure "Other Expenses" reflect estimated expenses for the Fund's first fiscal year. "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" sets forth the Fund's pro rata portion of the cumulative expenses charged by the exchange traded funds ("ETFs") in which the Fund invests. These expenses are estimates for the current fiscal year. The actual Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses will vary with changes in the allocations of the Fund's assets.