485APOS 1 fp0007004_485apos.htm fp0007004_485apos.htm
 
AS FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON APRIL 16, 2013

File No.  333-156529
File No.  811-22263
 


U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933(X)

PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. __ (  )

POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO.   55    (X)

and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 (X)

AMENDMENT NO.   58    (X)

EXCHANGE TRADED CONCEPTS TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

2545 South Kelly Avenue
Suite C
Edmond, Oklahoma 73013
(Address of Principal Executive Offices, Zip Code)

(405) 778-8377
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code )

J. Garrett Stevens
Exchange Traded Concepts Trust
2545 South Kelly Avenue
Suite C
Edmond, Oklahoma 73013
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Copy to:
W. John McGuire
Bingham McCutchen LLP
2020 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20006

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
 
 
[   ]
Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485
 
[   ]
On (date) pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485
 
[X]
60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485
 
[   ]
On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485
 
[   ]
75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485
 
[   ]
On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) 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.

 
 

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION

THE INFORMATION IN THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

Exchange Traded Concepts Trust

Prospectus

[], 2013

YieldShares High Income ETF
(formerly, Sustainable North American Oil Sands ETF)

Principal Listing Exchange for the Fund: NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”)
Ticker Symbol: YYY

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus.  Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
 
 
 

 
 
About This Prospectus

This Prospectus has been arranged into different sections so that you can easily review this important information.  For detailed information about the Fund, please see:
Page
Fund Summary
1
Index/Trademark License/Disclaimers
11
Additional Risk Information
11
Additional Investment Strategies
24
Additional Risks
25
Information Regarding the Index
26
Portfolio Holdings
27
Fund Management
27
Portfolio Manager
29
Buying and Selling the Fund
29
Other Considerations
30
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes
31
Additional Information
34
How to Obtain More Information About the Fund
38

 
 

 

Fund Summary     

                                                                                                                                     
Investment Objective

The YieldShares High Income ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the ISE High IncomeTM Index (the “Index”).

Fees and Expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Fund shares.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fee
0.50%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees
0.00%
Other Expenses
0.00%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses1
1.15%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses1
1.65%
1
Effective June __, 2013, the Fund changed its Index and investment objective. As a result of these changes, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses ("AFFE") and Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses have been restated to reflect an estimate of the amount of AFFE expected to be incurred in 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.

The 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 the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your cost would be:

1 Year
3 Years
$168
$520

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance.

 
1

 

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its total assets in securities of the Index.  Because the Index is comprised of securities issued by other investment companies (as opposed to operating companies), the Fund operates in a manner that is commonly referred to as a “fund of funds,” meaning that it invests its assets in shares of funds included in the Index.  The Index seeks to measure the performance of the top 30 U.S. exchange-listed closed-end funds (the “Underlying Funds”), as selected and ranked according to factors employed by the Index methodology that are designed to result in a portfolio that produces high current income (the “Methodology”).

The universe of Underlying Funds eligible for inclusion on the Index is not restricted by the types of securities or other instruments in which they may invest or the types of investment strategies they may employ.  Thus, the Underlying Funds may invest in a variety of securities including, but not limited to, equity securities (both dividend and non-dividend paying), taxable investment grade fixed income securities, taxable high yield fixed income securities, investment grade municipal securities, high yield municipal securities, preferred securities, convertible securities, commodities, real-estate related securities, including real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), and derivatives.  The Underlying Funds may employ different investment strategies including, but not limited to, dividend strategies, global and international strategies, covered call option strategies, balanced strategies, limited duration strategies, tax and risk-managed strategies, sector strategies, real estate, energy, utility, commodity, natural resources and other equity or income-oriented strategies.

Constituent securities of the Index are selected from the total universe of closed-end funds that are organized in the United States and whose shares are listed and trade on a U.S. securities exchange.  The only type of security issued by an Underlying Fund that will be considered for inclusion in the Index is common stock (or its equivalent).  Eligible constituents must have a market capitalization of at least $500 million and a six month daily average value traded of at least $1 million to be included in the Index.  Each eligible Index constituent is then ranked and ordered according to the following factors: in descending order by fund yield; in ascending order by fund share price premium/discount to net asset value (“NAV”) on the Index rebalancing date; and in descending order by fund average daily value of shares traded over the six month period prior to the Index rebalancing date.  An overall rank for each eligible Index constituent is then calculated in accordance with the Methodology and the constituents are ranked in ascending order.  The top 30 ranked Underlying Funds are then included in the Index.  Index constituents are weighted according to a “modified” linear weighted methodology, meaning that the top-ranked Index constituent will receive the greatest weighting and will be equal to the multiple of the smallest weighting (i.e., in an index with 30 constituents, the top weighted constituent’s weighting will be 30 times that of the weighting of the lowest weighted constituent).  Constituent weightings are “modified” in that each constituent weighting is capped at 4.25% of the Index at rebalancing, regardless of this linear scheme.  In addition, constituents are subject to liquidity screenings before the weightings are finalized.  The Index is rebalanced annually, but may be adjusted more frequently for specific corporate events, as detailed in the Methodology.  The Index is unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly.
 
 
2

 

The Fund employs a “passive management” investment strategy in seeking to achieve its investment objective.  The Fund generally will use a replication methodology, meaning it will invest in all of the Underlying Funds comprising the Index in proportion to the weightings in the Index.  However, the Fund may utilize a sampling methodology under various circumstances where it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the Underlying Funds in the Index.  Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Adviser”) expects that over time, if the Fund has sufficient assets, the correlation between the Fund’s performance, before fees and expenses, and that of the Index will be 95% or better.  A figure of 100% would indicate perfect correlation.

The Fund will concentrate its investments (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the Index concentrates in an industry or group of industries.

The Index was created in partnership with YieldShares LLC (the “Sponsor”) and is provided by International Securities Exchange, LLC (the “Index Provider”).  The Sponsor and the Index Provider are not affiliated with the Fund, the Adviser or Index Management Solutions, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”).  The Index is calculated by Structured Solutions AG (“Structured Solutions”), which is not affiliated with the Fund, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser.
 
Principal Risks

As with all funds, a shareholder is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money.  The principal risks affecting shareholders’ investments in the Fund are set forth below.  An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any government agency.

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 in addition to its own fees and expenses.  In addition, at times certain segments of the market represented by constituent Underlying Funds may be out of favor and underperform other segments.

Risks of Investing in Closed-End Funds: The Fund may be subject to the following risks as a result of its investment in the Underlying Funds:
 
 
3

 

Anti-Takeover Provision Risk:  The organizational documents of certain of the Underlying Funds include provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Underlying Fund or to change the composition of its board, which could limit the ability of shareholders to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging a third party from seeking to obtain control of the Underlying Fund.

Leverage Risk:  The Underlying Funds in which the Fund may invest may be leveraged.  As a result, the Fund may be exposed indirectly to leverage through investment in the Underlying Funds.  An investment in securities of Underlying Funds that use leverage may expose the Fund to higher volatility in the market value of such securities and the possibility that the Fund’s long-term returns on such securities (and, indirectly, the long-term returns of the shares) will be diminished.

Risk of Market Price Discount from/Premium to Net Asset Value:  The shares of the Underlying Funds may trade at a discount or premium to their NAV.  This characteristic is a risk separate and distinct from the risk that an Underlying Fund's NAV could decrease as a result of investment activities. Whether investors, such as the Fund, will realize gains or losses upon the sale of shares will depend not on the Underlying Funds’ NAVs, but entirely upon whether the market price of the Underlying Funds’ shares at the time of sale is above or below an investor's purchase price for shares.

Risks of Investments and Strategies of the Underlying Funds:  The Fund may be subject to the following risks as a result of investments and strategies pursued by the Underlying Funds:

Convertible Securities Risk:  Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred securities or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value), either at a stated price or stated rate.  Convertible securities have characteristics similar to both fixed income and equity securities. Convertible securities generally are subordinated to other similar but non-convertible securities of the same issuer, although convertible bonds, as corporate debt obligations, enjoy seniority in right of payment to all equity securities, and convertible preferred stock is senior to common
stock, of the same issuer. Because of the subordination feature, however, convertible securities typically are considered to be lower quality than similar non-convertible securities.

Covered Call Writing Risk:  The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds that engage in a strategy known as "covered call option writing," which is designed to produce income from option premiums and offset a portion of a market decline in the underlying security. The writer (seller) of a covered call option forgoes, during the option's life, the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the security covering the call option above the sum of the premium and the strike price of the call, but has retained the risk of loss should the price of the underlying security decline. The writer of an option has no control over the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation as a writer of the option. Once an option writer has received an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate its obligation under the option and must deliver the underlying security at the exercise price.
 
 
4

 

Counterparty Risk:  To the extent that an Underlying Fund engages in derivative transactions, it will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties. The Underlying Fund may obtain only a limited or no recovery or may experience significant delays in obtaining recovery under derivative contracts if a counterparty experiences financial difficulties and becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations under a derivative contract.

Credit Risk:  Credit risk is the risk that issuers or guarantors of debt instruments or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, repurchase agreement or loan of portfolio securities is unable or unwilling to make timely interest and/or principal payments or to otherwise honor its obligations. Debt instruments are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, which may be reflected in credit ratings. There is the chance that any of an Underlying Fund's portfolio holdings will have its credit ratings downgraded or will default (fail to make scheduled interest or principal payments), potentially reducing the Underlying Fund’s income level and share price.

Currency Risk:  An Underlying Fund may invest in non-U.S. dollar denominated securities of foreign issuers. Because an Underlying Fund's NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the Underlying Fund's NAV could decline if the currency of the non-U.S. market in which an Underlying Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar, even if the value of the Underlying Fund's holdings, measured in the foreign currency, increases.

Deflation Risk:  Prices throughout the economy may decline over time, which may have an adverse effect on the market valuation of companies, their assets and revenues.  In addition, deflation may have an adverse effect on the creditworthiness of issuers and may make issuer default more likely, which may result in a decline in the value of an Underlying Fund’s portfolio.

Derivatives Risk:  A derivative instrument often has risks similar to its underlying instrument and may have additional risks, including imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying instrument, risks of default by the counterparty to certain derivative transactions, magnification of losses incurred due to changes in the market value of the securities, instruments, indices or interest rates to which the derivative relates, and risks that the derivative instruments may not be liquid.

Dividend Risk:  Dividend payment risk is the risk that an issuer of a security is unwilling or unable to pay income on a security.  Common stocks do not assure dividend payments. Common stockholders have a right to receive dividends only after the company has provided for payment of its creditors, bondholders and preferred stockholders. Dividends are paid only when declared by an issuer’s board of directors, and the amount of any
dividend may vary over time.
 
 
5

 
 
Equity Securities Risk:  Common stock holds the lowest priority in the capital structure of a company, and therefore takes the largest share of the company’s risk and its accompanying volatility. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock. Also, prices of common stocks are sensitive to general market movements.

Foreign and Emerging Markets Securities Risk:  Fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the values of other currencies may adversely affect investments in foreign and emerging market securities. Foreign and emerging market securities may have relatively low market liquidity, decreased publicly available information about issuers, and inconsistent and potentially less stringent accounting, auditing and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice comparable to those applicable to domestic issuers. Foreign and emerging market securities are subject to the risks of expropriation, nationalization or other adverse political or economic developments and the difficulty of enforcing obligations in other countries. Investments in foreign and emerging market securities also may be subject to dividend withholding or confiscatory taxes, currency blockage and/or transfer restrictions. Emerging markets are subject to greater market volatility, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, uncertainty regarding the existence of trading markets and more governmental limitations on foreign investment than more developed markets. In addition, securities in emerging markets may be subject to greater price fluctuations than securities in more developed markets.

High Yield or Non-Investment Grade Securities Risk:  High yield, also known as, non-investment grade securities and unrated securities of comparable credit quality are subject to the increased risk of an issuer's inability to meet principal and interest payment obligations. These securities may be subject to greater price volatility due to such factors as specific corporate developments, interest rate sensitivity, negative perceptions of the non-investment grade securities markets generally, real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions and less secondary market liquidity. If the issuer of non-investment grade securities defaults, an Underlying Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery.

Illiquid Securities Risk:  Closed-end funds are not limited in their ability to invest in illiquid securities. Securities with reduced liquidity involve greater risk than securities with more liquid markets. Market quotations for securities not traded on national exchanges may vary over time, and if the credit quality of a fixed-income security unexpectedly declines, secondary trading of that security may decline for a period of time. In the event that an Underlying Fund voluntarily or involuntarily liquidates portfolio assets during periods of infrequent trading, it may not receive full value for those assets.

Industry and Sector Concentration Risk:  An Underlying Fund from time to time may be concentrated to a significant degree in a single industry, group of  industries, or a sector.  To the extent that the Underlying Funds concentrate in the securities of issuers in a particular industry or sector, such as real estate, energy, utilities, natural resources or basic materials, the Fund may face more risks than if it were diversified more broadly over numerous industries or sectors.  Such industry-based risks, any of which may adversely affect the Underlying Funds 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, an industry or sector may be out of favor and underperform other industries or the market as a whole.  The Underlying Funds’ sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Index, and should not be viewed as limited to the aforementioned industries and sectors.
 
 
6

 
 
Inflation Risk:  The value of assets or income from an investment will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money.

Interest Rate Risk:  Fixed-income securities' prices generally fall as interest rates rise; conversely, fixed-income securities' prices generally rise as interest rates fall.

Large-Capitalization Risk: Returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of smaller and mid-sized companies.

Leverage Risk:  Leverage may result from ordinary borrowings, or may be inherent in the structure of certain Underlying Fund investments such as derivatives. If the prices of those investments decrease, or if the cost of borrowing exceeds any increase in the prices of those investments, the net asset value of the Underlying Fund's Shares will decrease faster than if the Underlying Fund had not used leverage. To repay borrowings, an Underlying Fund may have to sell investments at a time and at a price that is unfavorable to the Underlying Fund. Interest on borrowings is an expense the Underlying Fund would not otherwise incur. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and the risk of loss. If an Underlying Fund uses leverage, there can be no assurance that the Underlying Fund's leverage strategy will be successful.

Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities Risk:  Investments in mortgage- and asset-backed securities are subject to prepayment or call risk, which is the risk that payments from the borrower may be received earlier than expected due to changes in the rate at which the underlying loans are prepaid. Securities may be prepaid at a price less than the original purchase value.

Municipal Securities Risk:  Municipal securities are debt obligations issued by states or by political subdivisions or authorities of states.  Municipal securities are typically designated as general obligation bonds, which are general obligations of a governmental entity that are backed by the taxing power of such entity, or revenue bonds, which are payable from the income of a specific project or authority and are not supported by the issuer’s power to levy taxes.  Lower-quality revenue bonds and other credit-sensitive municipal securities carry higher risks of default than general obligation bonds.  Litigation, legislation or other political events, local business or economic conditions or the bankruptcy of the issuer could have a significant effect on the ability of an issuer of municipal securities to make payments of principal and/or interest.  Political changes and uncertainties in the municipal market related to taxation, legislative changes or the rights of municipal security holders can significantly affect municipal securities.  Because many municipal securities are issued to finance similar projects, especially those related to education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market.  In addition, changes in the financial condition of an individual municipal issuer can affect the overall municipal market.  If the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) determines that an issuer of a municipal security has not complied with applicable tax requirements, interest from the security could become taxable and the security could significantly decline in value.
 
 
7

 

Preferred Securities Risk:  Preferred securities are subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a company’s capital structure and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments. In addition, preferred securities are subject to other risks, such as having no or limited voting rights, being subject to special redemption rights, having distributions deferred or skipped, having limited liquidity, changing tax treatments and possibly being in heavily regulated industries.

REIT Risk: Adverse economic, business or political developments affecting real estate could have a major effect on the value of an Underlying Fund’s investments in REITs. Investing in REITs may subject an Underlying Fund to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate, such as decreases in real estate values, overbuilding, increased competition and other risks related to local or general economic conditions, increases in operating costs and property taxes, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, possible environmental liabilities, regulatory limitations on rent and fluctuations in rental income. In addition, REITs are subject to the possibility of failing to qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment generally available to them under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and failing to maintain exemption from the registration requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

Senior Loans Risk:  Investments in senior loans typically are below investment grade and are considered speculative because of the credit risk of their issuers. Such companies are more likely to default on their payments of interest and principal owed, and such defaults could reduce an Underlying Fund's NAV and income distributions. In addition, an Underlying Fund may have to sell securities at lower prices than it otherwise would to meet cash needs or it may have to maintain a greater portion of its assets in cash equivalents than it otherwise would because of impairments and limited liquidity of the collateral supporting a senior loan, which could negatively affect the Underlying Fund's performance.

Small- and Mid-Capitalization Risk:  The small- and mid-capitalization companies in which Underlying Funds may invest may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies, and may underperform other segments of the market or the equity market as a whole.
 
 
8

 

Concentration Risk:   Because the Fund’s assets will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or group of industries.

Index Tracking Risk: The Fund’s return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Index.  To the extent the Fund utilizes a sampling approach, it may experience tracking error to a greater extent than if the Fund sought to replicate the Index.

Issuer-Specific Risk:  The value of an Underlying Fund may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole.

Management Risk: Because the Fund may not fully replicate its Index and may hold fewer than the total number of securities in its Index and may hold securities not included in its Index, the Fund is subject to management risk. This is the risk that the Sub-Adviser’s security selection process, which is subject to a number of constraints, may not produce the intended results.

Market Risk: The values of equity securities in the Index could decline generally or could underperform other investments.

Passive Investment Risk: The Fund is not actively managed and therefore the Fund would not sell shares of an equity security due to current or projected underperformance of a security, industry or sector, unless that security is removed from the Index or the selling of shares is otherwise required upon a rebalancing of the Index.

Performance Information

The Fund commenced operations on June 11, 2012, and therefore does not have performance history for a full calendar year.  Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by comparing the Fund’s return to a broad measure of market performance.

Investment Advisers

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.  Index Management Solutions, LLC serves as the sub-adviser to the Fund.

Portfolio Manager

Denise M. Krisko, CFA, Chief Investment Officer of the Sub-Adviser, has primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Fund.  Ms. Krisko has managed the Fund since its inception.
 
 
9

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Individual shares may only be purchased and sold on a national securities exchange through a broker-dealer.  You can purchase and sell individual shares of the Fund throughout the trading day like any publicly traded security.  The Fund’s shares are listed on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”).  The price of the Fund’s shares is based on market price, and because exchange-traded fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).  The Fund issues and redeems shares on a continuous basis, at NAV, only in blocks of at least 50,000 shares (“Creation Units”), principally in-kind for securities included in the Index.  Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Fund’s shares are not redeemable securities.

Tax Information

The distributions made by the Fund are generally taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund 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 web site for more information.
 
 
10

 
 
Index/Trademark License/Disclaimers

The Index Provider is International Securities Exchange, LLC (“ISE”).  ISE is not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Fund’s administrator, custodian, transfer agent or distributor, or any of their respective affiliates.

[ISE Index disclaimer language to be provided by amendment]

The Index is calculated by Structured Solutions. Structured Solutions is not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Fund’s administrator, custodian, transfer agent or distributor, or any of their respective affiliates.
 
Additional Risk Information

The following section provides additional information regarding certain of the principal risks identified under “Principal Risks” in the “Fund Summary” section along with additional risk information.

Principal Risks

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 in addition to its own fees and expenses.  In addition, at times certain segments of the market represented by constituent Underlying Funds may be out of favor and underperform other segments.

Risks of Investing in Closed-End Funds: The Fund may be subject to the following risks as a result of its investment in the Underlying Funds:

Anti-Takeover Provision Risk:  The organizational documents of certain of the Underlying Funds include provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Underlying Fund or to change the composition of its board, which could limit the ability of shareholders to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging a third party from seeking to obtain control of the Underlying Fund.

Leverage Risk:  The Underlying Funds in which the Fund may invest may be leveraged.  As a result, the Fund may be exposed indirectly to leverage through investment in the Underlying Funds.  An investment in securities of Underlying Funds that use leverage may expose the Fund to higher volatility in the market value of such securities and the possibility that the Fund’s long-term returns on such securities (and, indirectly, the long-term returns of the shares) will be diminished.  The Underlying Funds may employ the use of leverage in their portfolios through the issuance of preferred shares, borrowing from banks or other methods. While this leverage often serves to increase yield, it also subjects an Underlying Fund to increased risks. These risks may include the likelihood of increased volatility and the possibility than an Underlying Fund’s common stock income will fall if the dividend rate on the preferred shares or the interest rate on any borrowings rises. The use of leverage is premised upon the expectation that the cost of leverage will be lower than the return on the investments made with the proceeds. However, if the income or capital appreciation from the securities purchased with such proceeds is not sufficient to cover the cost of leverage or if the Underlying Fund incurs capital losses, the return to common stockholders, such as the Fund, will be less than if leverage had not been used. There can be no assurance that a leveraging strategy will be successful during any period in which it is employed.
 
 
11

 
 
Risk of Market Price Discount from/Premium to Net Asset Value:  The shares of the Underlying Funds may trade at a discount or premium to their NAV.  This characteristic is a risk separate and distinct from the risk that an Underlying Fund's NAV could decrease as a result of investment activities. Whether investors, such as the Fund, will realize gains or losses upon the sale of shares will depend not on the Underlying Funds’ NAVs, but entirely upon whether the market price of the Underlying Funds’ shares at the time of sale is above or below an investor's purchase price for shares.

Risks of Investments and Strategies of the Underlying Funds:  The Fund may be subject to the following risks as a result of investments and strategies pursued by the Underlying Funds:

Convertible Securities Risk:  Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred securities or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value), either at a stated price or stated rate.  Convertible securities have characteristics similar to both fixed income and equity securities. Convertible securities generally are subordinated to other similar but non-convertible securities of the same issuer, although convertible bonds, as corporate debt obligations, enjoy seniority in right of payment to all equity securities, and convertible preferred stock is senior to common stock, of the same issuer. Because of the subordination feature, however, convertible securities typically are considered to be lower quality than similar non-convertible securities.

The market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, tends to increase as interest rates decline. In addition, because of the conversion feature, the market value of convertible securities tends to vary with fluctuations in the market value of the underlying common stock. A unique feature of convertible securities is that as the market price of the underlying common stock declines, convertible securities tend to trade increasingly on a yield basis, and so may not experience market value declines to the same extent as the underlying common stock. When the market price of the underlying common stock increases, the prices of the convertible securities tend to rise as a reflection of the value of the underlying common stock.
 
 
12

 

Convertible securities provide for a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than common stocks, but there can be no assurance of current income, because the issuers of the convertible securities may default on their obligations. A convertible security, in addition to providing fixed income, offers the potential for capital appreciation through the conversion feature, which enables the holder to benefit from increases in the market price of the underlying common stock. There can be no assurance of capital appreciation, however, because securities prices fluctuate. Convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality because of the potential for capital appreciation.

Covered Call and Options Writing Risk:  The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds that engage in a strategy known as "covered call option writing," which is designed to produce income from option premiums and offset a portion of a market decline in the underlying security. The writer (seller) of a covered call option forgoes, during the option's life, the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the security covering the call option above the sum of the premium and the strike price of the call, but has retained the risk of loss should the price of the underlying security decline. The writer of an option has no control over the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation as a writer of the option. Once an option writer has received an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate its obligation under the option and must deliver the underlying security at the exercise price.

To the extent an Underlying Fund writes covered put options, it bears the risk of loss if the value of the underlying stock declines below the exercise price minus the put premium. If the option is exercised, the Underlying Fund could incur a loss if it is required to purchase the stock underlying the put option at a price greater than the market price of the stock at the time of exercise plus the put premium the Underlying Fund received when it wrote the option. While the Underlying Fund's potential gain in writing a covered put option is limited to distributions earned on the liquid assets securing the put option plus the premium received from the purchaser of the put option, the Underlying Fund risks a loss equal to the entire exercise price of the option minus the put premium.

The hours of trading for options on an exchange may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the options markets close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets. Call options are marked-to-market daily and their value will be affected by changes in the value and dividend rates of the underlying common stocks, an increase in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the stock market and the underlying common stocks and the remaining time to the options' expiration. Additionally, the exercise price of an option may be adjusted downward before the option's expiration as a result of the occurrence of certain corporate events affecting the underlying equity security, such as extraordinary dividends, stock splits, mergers or other extraordinary distributions or events. A reduction in the exercise price of an option would reduce the Underlying Fund's capital appreciation potential on the underlying security.
 
 
13

 

OTC options differ from exchange-listed options in that they are two-party contracts, with exercise price, premium and other terms negotiated between buyer and seller, and generally do not have as much market liquidity as exchange-listed options. The OTC options written by an Underlying Fund will not be issued, guaranteed or cleared by the Options Clearing Corporation. In addition, the Underlying Fund's ability to terminate the OTC options may be more limited than with exchange-traded options. Banks, broker-dealers or other financial institutions participating in such transaction may fail to settle a transaction in accordance with the terms of the option as written. In the event of default or insolvency of the counterparty, the Underlying Fund may be unable to liquidate an OTC option position.

The purchaser of an index put option has the right to any depreciation in the value of the index below the exercise price of the option on or before the expiration date. The purchaser of an index call option has the right to any appreciation in the value of the index over the exercise price of the option on or before the expiration date. Because the exercise of an index option is settled in cash, sellers of index call options cannot provide in advance for their potential settlement obligations by acquiring and holding the underlying securities. An Underlying Fund will lose money if it is required to pay the purchaser of an index option the difference between the cash value of the index on which the option was written and the exercise price and such difference is greater than the premium received by the Underlying Fund for writing the option. The value of index options written by an Underlying Fund, which will be priced daily, will be affected by changes in the value and dividend rates of the underlying common stocks in the respective index, changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the stock market and the remaining time to the options' expiration. The value of the index options also may be adversely affected if the market for the index options becomes less liquid or smaller. Distributions paid by an Underlying Fund on its common shares may be derived in part from the net index option premiums it receives from selling index put and call options, less the cost of paying settlement amounts to purchasers of the options that exercise their options. Net index option premiums can vary widely over the short term and long term.

There are significant differences between the securities and options markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between these markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objectives.

Counterparty Risk:  To the extent that an Underlying Fund engages in derivative transactions, it will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties. The Underlying Fund may obtain only a limited or no recovery or may experience significant delays in obtaining recovery under derivative contracts if a counterparty experiences financial difficulties and becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations under a derivative contract.

Credit Risk:  Credit risk is the risk that issuers or guarantors of debt instruments or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, repurchase agreement or loan of portfolio securities is unable or unwilling to make timely interest and/or principal payments or to otherwise honor its obligations. Debt instruments are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, which may be reflected in credit ratings. There is the chance that any of an Underlying Fund's portfolio holdings will have its credit ratings downgraded or will default (fail to make scheduled interest or principal payments), potentially reducing the fund's income level and share price.
 
 
14

 

Currency Risk:  An Underlying Fund may invest in non-U.S. dollar denominated securities of foreign issuers. Because an Underlying Fund's NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the Underlying Fund's NAV could decline if the currency of the non-U.S. market in which an Underlying Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar, even if the value of the Underlying Fund's holdings, measured in the foreign currency, increases.

Deflation Risk:  Prices throughout the economy may decline over time, which may have an adverse effect on the market valuation of companies, their assets and revenues.  In addition, deflation may have an adverse effect on the creditworthiness of issuers and may make issuer default more likely, which may result in a decline in the value of an Underlying Fund’s portfolio.

Derivatives Risk:  A derivative instrument often has risks similar to its underlying instrument and may have additional risks, including imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying instrument, risks of default by the counterparty to certain derivative transactions, magnification of losses incurred due to changes in the market value of the securities, instruments, indices or interest rates to which the derivative relates, and risks that the derivative instruments may not be liquid.
 
The Underlying Funds may invest in, or enter into, derivatives such as forward contacts, options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts and swap agreements.  The Underlying Funds may engage in such derivatives transactions to gain exposure to, for example, certain securities, markets or asset classes, to hedge the Underlying Fund’s positions in or exposure to securities, currencies or other instruments, to equitize cash positions in the Underlying Fund’s portfolio, or to enhance the Underlying Fund’s return.  Derivatives may be purchased on established exchanges or through privately negotiated transactions referred to as over-the-counter ("OTC") derivatives. Exchange-traded derivatives generally are guaranteed by the clearing agency which is the issuer or counterparty to such derivatives. Each party to an OTC derivative bears the risk that the counterparty will default. OTC derivatives are less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives since the other party to the transaction may be the only investor with sufficient understanding of the derivative to be interested in bidding for it.
 
Derivatives can be volatile and involve various types and degrees of risk, depending upon the characteristics of the particular derivative. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest, meaning that a small investment in derivatives could have a large potential impact on an Underlying Fund’s performance. The market for many derivatives is, or suddenly can become, illiquid. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid and unpredictable changes in the prices for derivatives. Successful use of derivatives also is subject to the ability of the Underlying Fund's manager to predict correctly movements in the direction of the relevant market and, to the extent the transaction is entered into for hedging purposes, to ascertain the appropriate correlation between the transaction being hedged and the price movements of the derivatives.
 
 
15

 
 
Dividend Risk:  Dividend payment risk is the risk that an issuer of a security is unwilling or unable to pay income on a security.  Common stocks do not assure dividend payments. Common stockholders have a right to receive dividends only after the company has provided for payment of its creditors, bondholders and preferred stockholders. Dividends are paid only when declared by an issuer’s board of directors, and the amount of any
dividend may vary over time.

Equity Securities Risk:  Common stock holds the lowest priority in the capital structure of a company, and therefore takes the largest share of the company’s risk and its accompanying volatility. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock. Also, prices of common stocks are sensitive to general market movements.

Foreign and Emerging Markets Securities Risk:  Fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the values of other currencies may adversely affect investments in foreign and emerging market securities. Foreign and emerging market securities may have relatively low market liquidity, decreased publicly available information about issuers, and inconsistent and potentially less stringent accounting, auditing and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice comparable to those applicable to domestic issuers. Foreign and emerging market securities are subject to the risks of expropriation, nationalization or other adverse political or economic developments and the difficulty of enforcing obligations in other countries. Investments in foreign and emerging market securities also may be subject to dividend withholding or confiscatory taxes, currency blockage and/or transfer restrictions. Emerging markets are subject to greater market volatility, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, uncertainty regarding the existence of trading markets and more governmental limitations on foreign investment than more developed markets. In addition, securities in emerging markets may be subject to greater price fluctuations than securities in more developed markets.  Investments in debt securities of foreign governments present special risks, including the fact that issuers may be unable or unwilling to repay principal and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such debt, or may be unable to make such repayments when due in the currency required under the terms of the debt. Political, economic and social events also may have a greater impact on the price of debt securities issued by foreign governments than on the price of U.S. securities. In addition, brokerage and other transaction costs on foreign securities exchanges are often higher than in the United States and there is generally less government supervision and regulation of exchanges, brokers and issuers in foreign countries.

High Yield or Non-Investment Grade Securities Risk:  High yield, also known as, non-investment grade securities and unrated securities of comparable credit quality are subject to the increased risk of an issuer's inability to meet principal and interest payment obligations. These securities may be subject to greater price volatility due to such factors as specific corporate developments, interest rate sensitivity, negative perceptions of the non-investment grade securities markets generally, real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions and less secondary market liquidity. If the issuer of non-investment grade securities defaults, an Underlying Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery.
 
 
16

 

Illiquid Securities Risk:  No one can guarantee that a liquid trading market will exist for any security. The Underlying Funds may invest in restricted securities and other investments that may be illiquid. Illiquid securities are securities that are not readily marketable and may include some restricted securities, which are securities that may be unregistered or may be sold only in a privately negotiated transaction or pursuant to an exemption from registration. Illiquid investments involve the risk that the securities will not be able to be sold at the time desired by an Underlying Fund or at prices approximating the value at which the Underlying Fund is carrying the securities on its books.

Closed-end funds are not limited in their ability to invest in illiquid securities. Securities with reduced liquidity involve greater risk than securities with more liquid markets. Market quotations for securities not traded on national exchanges may vary over time, and if the credit quality of a fixed-income security unexpectedly declines, secondary trading of that security may decline for a period of time. In the event that an Underlying Fund voluntarily or involuntarily liquidates portfolio assets during periods of infrequent trading, it may not receive full value for those assets.

There may be limited trading in the shares of closed-end funds. This may make it more difficult to purchase or sell a large number of an Underlying Fund's shares at any one time.

Industry and Sector Concentration Risk:  An Underlying Fund from time to time may be concentrated to a significant degree in a single industry, group of  industries, or a sector.  To the extent that the Underlying Funds concentrate in the securities of issuers in a particular industry or sector, such as real estate, energy, utilities, natural resources or basic materials, the Fund may face more risks than if it were diversified more broadly over numerous industries or sectors.  Such industry-based risks, any of which may adversely affect the Underlying Funds 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, an industry or sector may be out of favor and underperform other industries or the market as a whole.  While the Underlying Funds’ sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Index, the Fund anticipates that it may be subject to some or all of the risks described below.  The list below is not a comprehensive list of the sectors and industries the Underlying Funds and the Fund may have exposure to over time and should not be relied on as such.
 
 
17

 

 
·
Real Estate:  Real property investments, including investments in real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), are subject to varying degrees of risk. Property values may fall due to increasing vacancies or declining rents resulting from economic, legal, cultural or technological developments. The price of real estate company shares also may drop because of the failure of borrowers to pay their loans and poor management. Many real estate companies utilize leverage, which increases investment risk and could adversely affect a company's operations and market value in periods of rising interest rates, as well as risks normally associated with debt financing. The yields available from investments in real estate depend on the amount of income and capital appreciation generated by the related properties. Income and real estate values also may be adversely affected by such factors as applicable laws, interest rate levels and the availability of financing. If the properties do not generate sufficient income to meet operating expenses, including, where applicable, debt service, ground lease payments, tenant improvements, third-party leasing commissions and other capital expenditures, the income and ability of the real estate company to make payments of any interest and principal on its debt securities will be adversely affected. In addition, real property may be subject to the quality of credit extended to and defaults by borrowers and tenants.

 
·
Energy:  The energy industry can be significantly affected by the supply of and demand for specific products and services, the supply and demand for oil and gas, the price of oil and gas, exploration and production spending, government regulation, world events and economic conditions. The natural resources industry can be significantly affected by events relating to international political developments, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, commodity prices, and tax and government regulations. Other risks inherent in investing in the energy and natural resources industry include those associated with the volatility of commodity prices; a decrease in the production of natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, coal or other energy commodities or a decrease in the volume of such commodities available for transportation, mining, processing, storage or distribution; or a decline in demand for such commodities.

 
·
Utilities:  Issuers in the utility industry are subject to a variety of factors that may adversely affect their business or operations, including: high interest costs in connection with capital construction and improvement programs; difficulty in raising capital in adequate amounts on reasonable terms in periods of high inflation and unsettled capital markets; governmental regulation of rates charged to customers; costs associated with compliance with and changes in environmental and other regulations; effects of economic slowdowns and surplus capacity; increased competition from other providers of utility services; inexperience with and potential losses resulting from a developing deregulatory environment; and costs associated with the reduced availability of certain types of fuel, occasionally reduced availability and high costs of natural gas for resale, and the effects of energy conservation policies.
 
 
18

 

Other risks inherent in energy, natural resources and basic materials industries and sectors include:

 
·
Supply and Demand Risk:   decrease in the production of a physical commodity or a decrease in the volume of such commodity available for transportation, mining, processing, storage or distribution may adversely impact the financial performance of an energy, natural resources, basic materials or an associated company that devotes a portion of its business to that commodity. Production declines and volume decreases could be caused by various factors, including catastrophic events affecting production, depletion of resources, labor difficulties, environmental proceedings, increased regulations, equipment failures and unexpected maintenance problems, import supply disruption, governmental expropriation, political upheaval or conflicts or increased competition from alternative energy sources or commodity prices. Alternatively, a sustained decline in demand for such commodities could also adversely affect the financial performance of energy, natural resources, basic materials or associated companies. Factors that could lead to a decline in demand include economic recession or other adverse economic conditions, higher taxes on commodities or increased governmental regulations, increases in fuel economy, consumer shifts to the use of alternative commodities or fuel sources, changes in commodity prices, or weather.

 
·
Depletion and Exploration Risk:  Many energy, natural resources, basic materials and associated companies are engaged in the production of one or more physical commodities or are engaged in transporting, storing, distributing and processing these items on behalf of shippers. To maintain or grow their revenues, these companies or their customers need to maintain or expand their reserves through exploration of new sources of supply, through the development of existing sources, through acquisitions or through long-term contracts to acquire reserves. The financial performance of energy, natural resources, basic materials and associated companies may be adversely affected if they, or the companies to whom they provide the service, are unable to cost-effectively acquire additional reserves sufficient to replace the natural decline.

 
·
Operational and Geological Risk:  Energy, natural resources, basic materials companies and associated companies are subject to specific operational and geological risks in addition to normal business and management risks. Some examples of operational risks include mine rock falls, underground explosions and pit wall failures. Geological risk would include faulting of the ore body and misinterpretation of geotechnical data.

 
·
Regulatory Risk:  Energy, natural resources, basic materials and associated companies are subject to significant federal, state and local government regulation in virtually every aspect of their operations, including how facilities are constructed, maintained and operated, environmental and safety controls, and the prices they may charge for the products and services they provide. Various governmental authorities have the power to enforce compliance with these regulations and the permits issued under them, and violators are subject to administrative, civil and criminal penalties, including civil fines, injunctions or both. Stricter laws, regulations or enforcement policies could be enacted in the future which would likely increase compliance costs and may adversely affect the operations and financial performance of energy, natural resources and basic materials companies.
 
 
19

 

 
·
Commodity Pricing Risk:  The operations and financial performance of energy, natural resources and basic materials companies may be directly affected by commodity prices, especially those energy, natural resources, basic materials and associated companies that own the underlying commodity. Commodity prices fluctuate for several reasons, including changes in market and economic conditions, the impact of weather on demand, levels of domestic production and imported commodities, energy conservation, domestic and foreign governmental regulation and taxation, the availability of local, intrastate and interstate transportation systems, governmental expropriation and political upheaval and conflicts. Volatility of commodity prices, which may lead to a reduction in production or supply, may also negatively impact the performance of energy, natural resources, basic materials and associated companies that are solely involved in the transportation, processing, storing, distribution or marketing of commodities. Volatility of commodity prices may also make it more difficult for energy, natural resources, basic materials and associated companies to raise capital to the extent the market perceives that their performance may be directly or indirectly tied to commodity prices.

Inflation Risk:  The value of assets or income from an investment will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money.

Interest Rate Risk:  Fixed-income securities' prices generally fall as interest rates rise; conversely, fixed-income securities' prices generally rise as interest rates fall.

Large-Capitalization Risk: Returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of smaller and mid-sized companies.

Leverage Risk:  Leverage may result from ordinary borrowings, or may be inherent in the structure of certain Underlying Fund investments such as derivatives. If the prices of those investments decrease, or if the cost of borrowing exceeds any increase in the prices of those investments, the net asset value of the Underlying Fund's Shares will decrease faster than if the Underlying Fund had not used leverage. To repay borrowings, an Underlying Fund may have to sell investments at a time and at a price that is unfavorable to the Underlying Fund. Interest on borrowings is an expense the Underlying Fund would not otherwise incur. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and the risk of loss. If an Underlying Fund uses leverage, there can be no assurance that the Underlying Fund's leverage strategy will be successful.
 
 
20

 

Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities Risk:  Investments in mortgage- and asset-backed securities are subject to prepayment or call risk, which is the risk that payments from the borrower may be received earlier than expected due to changes in the rate at which the underlying loans are prepaid. Securities may be prepaid at a price less than the original purchase value.

Mortgage-backed securities represent a participation interest in a pool of mortgage loans originated by governmental or private lenders such as banks. They differ from conventional debt securities, which provide for periodic payment of interest in fixed amounts and principal payments at maturity or on specified call dates. Mortgage pass-through securities provide for monthly payments that are a "pass-through" of the monthly interest and principal payments made by the individual borrowers on the pooled mortgage loans. Mortgage pass-through securities may be collateralized by mortgages with fixed rates of interest or adjustable rates.  Mortgage-backed securities have different risk characteristics than traditional debt securities. Although generally the value of fixed-income securities increases during periods of falling interest rates and decreases during periods of rising rates, this is not always the case with mortgage-backed securities. This is due to the fact that principal on underlying mortgages may be prepaid at any time as well as other factors. Generally, prepayments will increase during a period of falling interest rates and decrease during a period of rising interest rates. The rate of prepayments also may be influenced by economic and other factors. Prepayment risk includes the possibility that, as interest rates fall, securities with stated interest rates may have the principal prepaid earlier than expected, requiring an Underlying Fund to invest the proceeds at generally lower interest rates. Certain mortgage-backed securities may be more volatile, less liquid and more difficult to value than other traditional types of debt securities.

Asset-backed securities have risk characteristics similar to mortgage-backed securities. Like mortgage-backed securities, they generally decrease in value as a result of interest rate increases, but may benefit less than other fixed-income securities from declining interest rates, principally because of prepayments. Also, as in the case of mortgage-backed securities, prepayments generally increase during a period of declining interest rates although other factors, such as changes in credit use and payment patterns, also may influence prepayment rates. Asset-backed securities also involve the risk that various federal and state consumer laws and other legal, regulatory and economic factors may result in the collateral backing the securities being insufficient to support payment on the securities. Certain asset-backed securities may be more volatile, less liquid and more difficult to value than other traditional types of debt securities.

Municipal Securities Risk:  The Underlying Funds may invest in municipal securities. Municipal securities are subject to the risk that litigation, legislation or other political events, local business or economic conditions or the bankruptcy of the issuer could have a significant effect on an issuer's ability to make payments of principal and/or interest. In addition, there is a risk that, as a result of the recent economic crisis, the ability of any issuer to pay, when due, the principal or interest on its municipal bonds may be materially affected.
 
 
21

 

Political changes and uncertainties in the municipal market related to taxation, legislative changes or the rights of municipal security holders can significantly affect municipal securities. Because many securities are issued to finance similar projects, especially those relating to education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. In addition, changes in the financial condition of an individual municipal issuer can affect the overall municipal market.

Municipal securities backed by current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets can be negatively affected by the discontinuance of the taxation supporting the project or assets or the inability to collect revenues for the project or from the assets. If the IRS determines that an issuer of a municipal security has not complied with applicable tax requirements, interest from the security could become taxable and the security could decline significantly in value.

The market for municipal bonds may be less liquid than for taxable bonds. There also may be less information available on the financial condition of issuers of municipal securities than for public corporations. This means that it may be harder to buy and sell municipal securities, especially on short notice, and municipal securities may be more difficult for the Underlying Funds to value accurately than securities of public corporations. Since certain Underlying Funds may invest a significant portion of their portfolios in municipal securities, each such Underlying Fund’s portfolio may have greater exposure to liquidity risk than funds that invest in non-municipal securities.

Preferred Securities Risk:  Preferred securities are subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a company’s capital structure and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments. In addition, preferred securities are subject to other risks, such as having no or limited voting rights, being subject to special redemption rights, having distributions deferred or skipped, having limited liquidity, changing tax treatments and possibly being in heavily regulated industries.   If the Fund owns a security that is deferring or omitting its distributions, the Fund may be required to report the distribution on its tax returns, even though it may not have received this income. Further, preferred securities may lose substantial value due to the omission or deferment of dividend payments.  Preferred securities may be less liquid than many other securities, such as common stocks, and generally offer no voting rights with respect to the issuer. Preferred securities also may be subordinated to bonds or other debt instruments in an issuer's capital structure, subjecting them to a greater risk of non-payment than more senior securities. In addition, in certain circumstances, an issuer of preferred securities may redeem the securities prior to a specified date, which may negatively impact the return of the security.

REIT Risk:  Adverse economic, business or political developments affecting real estate could have a major effect on the value of the Fund’s investments in REITs. Investing in REITs may subject the Fund to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate, such as decreases in real estate values, overbuilding, increased competition and other risks related to local or general economic conditions, increases in operating costs and property taxes, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, possible environmental liabilities, regulatory limitations on rent and fluctuations in rental income. Changes in interest rates may also affect the value of a Fund’s investment in REITs. Certain REITs have a relatively small market capitalization, which may tend to increase the volatility of the market price of these securities. REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency and defaults by borrowers. In addition, REITs are subject to the possibility of failing to qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment generally available to them under the Code and failing to maintain exemption from the registration requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
 
 
22

 

Senior Loans Risk:  Investments in senior loans typically are below investment grade and are considered speculative because of the credit risk of their issuers. Such companies are more likely to default on their payments of interest and principal owed, and such defaults could reduce an Underlying Fund's NAV and income distributions. In addition, an Underlying Fund may have to sell securities at lower prices than it otherwise would to meet cash needs or it may have to maintain a greater portion of its assets in cash equivalents than it otherwise would because of impairments and limited liquidity of the collateral supporting a senior loan, which could negatively affect the Underlying Fund's performance.

Small- and Mid-Capitalization Risk:  The small- and mid-capitalization companies in which Underlying Funds may invest may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies, and may underperform other segments of the market or the equity market as a whole.

Concentration Risk:   Because the Fund’s assets will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or group of industries.

Index Tracking Risk: The Fund’s return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Index.  To the extent the Fund utilizes a sampling approach, it may experience tracking error to a greater extent than if the Fund sought to replicate the Index.  Tracking error refers to the risk that the Adviser may not be able to cause the Fund's performance to match or correlate to that of the Index, either on a daily or aggregate basis. There are a number of factors that may contribute to the Fund's tracking error, such as Fund expenses, imperfect correlation between the Fund's investments and those of the Index, rounding of share prices, the timing or magnitude of changes to the composition of the Index, regulatory policies, and high portfolio turnover rate. The Fund incurs operating expenses not applicable to the Index and incurs costs associated with buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the Index.  In addition, mathematical compounding may prevent the Fund from correlating with the monthly, quarterly, annual or other period performance of its index.  Tracking error may cause the Fund's performance to be less than expected.
 
 
23

 

Issuer-Specific Risk:  The value of an Underlying Fund may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole.

Management Risk: Because the Fund may not fully replicate its Index and may hold fewer than the total number of securities in its Index and may hold securities not included in its Index, the Fund is subject to management risk. This is the risk that the Sub-Adviser’s security selection process, which is subject to a number of constraints, may not produce the intended results.

Market Risk:  An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund of equity securities, such as market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. The values of equity securities could decline generally or could underperform other investments. Different types of equity securities tend to go through cycles of out-performance and under-performance in comparison to the general securities markets. In addition, securities may decline in value due to factors affecting a specific issuer, market or securities markets generally.

Passive Investment Risk:  The Fund is not actively managed. Therefore, unless a specific security is removed from the Index, or the selling of shares of that security is otherwise required upon a rebalancing of the Index as addressed in the Index methodology, the Fund generally would not sell a security because the security's issuer was in financial trouble. If a specific security is removed from the Index, the Fund may be forced to sell such security at an inopportune time or for a price other than the security's current market value. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any equity securities traded on an exchange, such as market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in security prices. It is anticipated that the value of Fund shares will decline, more or less, in correspondence with any decline in value of the Index. The Index may not contain the appropriate mix of securities for any particular point in the business cycle of the overall economy, particular economic sectors, or narrow industries within which the commercial activities of the companies comprising the portfolio securities holdings of the Fund are conducted, and the timing of movements from one type of security to another in seeking to replicate the Index could have a negative effect on the Fund. Unlike with an actively managed fund, the Adviser does not use techniques or defensive strategies designed to lessen the effects of market volatility or to reduce the impact of periods of market decline. This means that, based on market and economic conditions, the Fund's performance could be lower than other types of mutual funds that may actively shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or to lessen the impact of a market decline.

Additional Investment Strategies

The Fund, using an “indexing” investment approach, seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Index.  A number of factors may affect the Fund’s ability to achieve a high correlation with the Index, including the degree to which the Fund utilizes a sampling methodology. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation.
 
 
24

 

The Fund may sell securities that are represented in the Index or purchase securities not yet represented in the Index, in anticipation of their removal from or addition to the Index.  There may also be instances in which the Sub-Adviser may choose to overweight securities in the Index, thus causing the Sub-Adviser to purchase or sell securities not in the Index which the Sub-Adviser believes are appropriate to substitute for certain securities in the Index or utilize various combinations of other available investment techniques in seeking to track the Index.  The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in cash and cash equivalents, such as money market instruments, or in other types of investments not included in the Index, including in certain derivatives, specifically stock index futures, to equitize cash and help the Fund more closely track the Index.  The Fund will not take defensive positions.

The Fund may change its investment objective and underlying index without shareholder approval.

Additional Risks

Trading Issues. Although Fund shares are listed for trading on the NYSE Arca, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Fund shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the NYSE Arca, make trading in shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in shares is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to NYSE Arca “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the NYSE Arca necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged or that the shares will trade with any volume, or at all.

Fluctuation of NAV. The NAV of the Fund shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s securities holdings. The market prices of shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Fund’s NAV and supply and demand of shares on the NYSE Arca. It cannot be predicted whether Fund shares will trade below, at or above their 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 securities of the Index trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. The market prices of Fund shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of the shares during periods of market volatility.  While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that Fund shares normally will trade close to the Fund’s NAV, disruptions to creations and redemptions may result in trading prices that differ significantly from the Fund’s NAV. If an investor purchases Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the shares, then the investor may sustain losses.

Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Investors buying or selling Fund shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid/ask spread.” The bid/ask spread varies over time for shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Fund’s shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Fund’s shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, increased market volatility may cause increased bid/ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares, including bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
 
 
25

 
 
Information Regarding the Index

The Index seeks to measure the performance of the top 30 U.S. exchange-listed closed-end funds, as selected and ranked according to factors employed by the Methodology that are designed to result in a portfolio that produces high current income.  The universe of Underlying Funds eligible for inclusion on the Index is not restricted by the types of securities or other instruments in which they may invest or the types of investment strategies they may employ.  Thus, the Underlying Funds may invest in a variety of securities including, but not limited to, equity securities (both dividend and non-dividend paying), taxable investment grade fixed income securities, taxable high yield fixed income securities, investment grade municipal securities, high yield municipal securities, preferred securities, convertible securities, commodities, real-estate related securities, including REITs, and derivatives.  The Underlying Funds may employ different investment strategies including, but not limited to, dividend strategies, global and international strategies, covered call option strategies, balanced strategies, limited duration strategies, tax and risk-managed strategies, sector strategies, real estate, energy, utility, commodity, natural resources and other equity or income-oriented strategies.

Constituent securities of the Index are selected from the total universe of closed-end funds that are organized in the United States and whose shares are listed and trade on a U.S. securities exchange.  The only type of security issued by an Underlying Fund that will be considered for inclusion in the Index is common stock (or its equivalent).  Eligible constituents must have a market capitalization of at least $500 million and a six month daily average value traded of at least $1 million to be included in the Index.  Each eligible Index constituent is then ranked and ordered according to the following factors: in descending order by fund yield; in ascending order by fund share price premium/discount to NAV on the Index rebalancing date; and in descending order by fund average daily value of shares traded over the six month period prior to the Index rebalancing date.  An overall rank for each eligible Index constituent is then calculated in accordance with the Methodology and the constituents are ranked in ascending order.  The top 30 ranked Underlying Funds are then included in the Index.  The Index may include a maximum of 30 constituents but, at times, may include less than 30 constituents, depending on the universe of eligible securities.  ISE will, in most cases, utilize the quantitative ranking and screening system described in the Methodology; however, ISE reserves the right to use subjective screening based on fundamental analysis or other factors when determining the eligibility, rank or weighting of a potential constituent, if in the opinion of ISE certain components should be included or excluded from the Index.
 
 
26

 
 
Index constituents are weighted according to a “modified” linear weighted methodology, meaning that the top-ranked Index constituent will receive the greatest weighting and will be equal to the multiple of the smallest weighting (i.e., in an index with 30 constituents, the top weighted constituent’s weighting will be 30 times that of the weighting of the lowest weighted constituent).  Constituent weightings are “modified” in that each constituent weighting is capped at 4.25% of the Index at rebalancing, regardless of this linear scheme.  In addition, constituents are subject to liquidity screenings before the weightings are finalized.  No single constituent stock will represent more than 24% of the Index during the time between rebalancings.

Index constituents are reviewed for eligibility and the Index is reconstituted and rebalanced on an annual basis.  The review is conducted in December of each year and constituent changes are made after the close of the last trading day in December and effective at the opening of the next trading day.  Index constituents may be adjusted on an other than annual basis due to corporate actions causing an existing constituent to be ineligible.  These include spinoffs, mergers or acquisitions, and fund closures or delistings.  Constituents that become ineligible will be removed from the Index on an other than annual basis and replaced with an eligible security, weighted according to its rank and liquidity, provided that eligible securities are available. Adjustments to the weightings of index constituents may be made on an other than annual basis when a constituent’s weighting exceeds 24% of the Index.  Such constituent will be adjusted such that its weight is no more than 20%, until rebalancing occurs.

The Index was created in partnership with the Sponsor and is maintained by ISE.  The Index is calculated by Structured Solutions.  Index prices are delivered to Reuters every 15 seconds and published to wide distribution at that frequency.  Total-return Index values, as well as, when possible, any pending changes or adjustments to the Index, will be published on www.ise.com.

Portfolio Holdings

A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

Fund Management

Adviser.  Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, or the Adviser an Oklahoma limited liability company, is located at 2545 S. Kelly Ave., Suite C, Edmond, Oklahoma 73013.  The Adviser was formed in 2009 and provides investment advisory services to other exchange-traded funds.  The Adviser serves as investment adviser to the Fund and provides investment advice to the Fund and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Fund, subject to the direction and control of the Trust’s Board of Trustees (“Board”) and officers.  The Adviser also arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate. The Adviser administers the Fund’s business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and provides its officers and employees to serve as officers or Trustees of the Trust.  For the services it provides to the Fund, the Fund pays the Adviser a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.50% on the average daily net assets of the Fund, subject to a $25,000 minimum fee.  Under the investment advisory agreement, the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses incurred by the Fund except for the advisory fee, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, extraordinary expenses, and distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (“Excluded Expenses”).
 
 
27

 

Sub-Adviser.  Index Management Solutions, LLC or the Sub-Adviser, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of VTL Associates, LLC and a Pennsylvania limited liability company, located at One Commerce Square, 2005 Market Street, Suite 2020, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103.  The Sub-Adviser provides advisory services to other exchange-traded funds and separate accounts.  The Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions as instructed by the Adviser or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the Index, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board.  Under a sub-advisory agreement, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser a fee calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.045% on the average daily net assets of the Fund, subject to a $10,000 minimum fee.

Fund Sponsor.  The Fund has entered into a Sub-License, Marketing Support and Expense Reimbursement Agreement (the “Agreement”) with YieldShares LLC, or the Sponsor.  Under the Agreement, the Sponsor agrees to sub-license the use of the Index to the Fund and assumes the obligation of the Adviser to pay all expenses of the Fund, except Excluded Expenses.  The Sponsor will also provide marketing support for the Fund including, but not limited to, distributing the Fund’s materials and providing the Fund with access to and the use of the Sponsor’s other marketing capabilities.  For its services the Sponsor is entitled to a fee from the Adviser, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of XX% of the average daily net assets of the Fund.  YieldShares LLC (“YieldShares”) is a privately held business focused on analysis and product design within the income investment segment.  Founded by Chief Executive Officer Christian Magoon, YieldShares’ mission is to expand investor access to income investment strategies.  YieldShares research was used in the creation of the Index, which the Fund tracks.  Christian Magoon is also Chief Executive Officer of Magoon Capital LLC (“Magoon Capital”), a privately held business providing strategic counsel on product development, marketing and distribution to exchange-traded fund companies.  Prior to forming Magoon Capital in 2010, Christian Magoon was President of Claymore Securities (now Guggenheim Investment), where he led the firm’s product development, distribution and marketing efforts.  He is a regular contributor to financial media outlets and industry conferences.

The Sponsor does not make investment decisions, provide investment advice, or otherwise acts in the capacity of an investment adviser to the Fund.  Additionally, the Sponsor is not involved in the maintenance of the Index, or otherwise act in the capacity of an index provider.
 
 
28

 
 
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Adviser and the Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Sub-Adviser will be available in the Fund’s Semi-Annual Report.

Portfolio Manager

The professional primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund is Denise M. Krisko, CFA.  Ms. Krisko has managed the Fund since its inception.

Ms. Krisko is responsible for the investment decisions for the Fund.  Ms. Krisko became the Chief Investment Officer for the Sub-Adviser in 2009 and has over eighteen years of investment experience.  Previously, she was a Managing Director and Co-Head of the Equity Index Management and Head of East Coast Equity Index Strategies for Mellon Capital Management.  She was also a Managing Director of The Bank of New York and Head of Equity Index Strategies for BNY Investment Advisors since August of 2005.  Ms. Krisko attained the Chartered Financial Analyst (“CFA”) designation.  She graduated with a BS from Pennsylvania State University and obtained her MBA from Villanova University.

The SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Manager’s compensation, other accounts managed, and ownership of Fund shares.
 
Buying and Selling Fund Shares

Fund shares are listed for secondary trading on the NYSE Arca.  When you buy or sell the Fund’s shares on the secondary market, you will pay or receive the market price.  You may incur customary brokerage commissions and charges and 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. The shares will trade on the NYSE Arca at prices that may differ to varying degrees from the daily NAV of the shares.  A “Business Day” with respect to the Fund is any day on which the NYSE Arca is open for business.  The NYSE Arca is generally open Monday through Friday and is closed weekends and the following holidays:  New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

NAV per share for the Fund 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 its total number of shares outstanding.  Expenses and fees, including management and distribution fees, if any, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV.  NAV is determined each business day, normally as of the close of regular trading of the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time).

When determining NAV, the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities is based on market prices of the securities, which generally means a valuation obtained from an exchange or other market (or based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of the value supplied by an exchange or other market) or a valuation obtained from an independent pricing service. If a security’s market price is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately reflect the fair value of the security, the security will be valued by another method that the Board believes will better reflect fair value in accordance with the Trust’s valuation policies and procedures. Fair value pricing may be used in a variety of circumstances, including but not limited to, situations when the value of a security in the Fund’s portfolio has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the market on which the security is principally traded but prior to the close of the NYSE Arca (such as in the case of a corporate action or other news that may materially affect the price of a security) or trading in a security has been suspended or halted. Accordingly, the Fund’s NAV may reflect certain portfolio securities’ fair values rather than their market prices.
 
 
29

 

Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security will materially differ from the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security. In addition, fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate the Fund’s NAV and the prices used by the Fund’s index. This may result in a difference between the Fund’s performance and the performance of the Fund’s Index.
 
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares

The Fund does not impose any restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions; however, the Fund reserves the right to reject or limit purchases at any time as described in the SAI. When considering whether a restriction or policy was necessary, the Board evaluated the risks posed by arbitrage and market timing activities, such as whether frequent purchases and redemptions would interfere with the efficient implementation of the Fund’s investment strategy, or whether they would cause the Fund to experience increased transaction costs. The Board considered that, unlike traditional mutual funds, Shares are issued and redeemed only in large quantities of Shares known as Creation Units available only from the Fund directly to a few institutional investors (“Authorized Participants”), and that most trading in the Fund occurs on the listing exchange at prevailing market prices and does not involve the Fund directly.  Given this structure, the Board determined that it is unlikely that trading due to arbitrage opportunities or market timing by shareholders would result in negative impact to the Fund or its shareholders.  In addition, frequent trading of Shares done by Authorized Participants and arbitrageurs is critical to ensuring that the market price remains at or close to NAV.
Other Considerations

Distribution and Service Plan.  The Fund has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act pursuant to which payments of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets may be made for the sale and distribution of its Fund shares. However, the Board has determined that no payments pursuant to the Distribution and Service Plan will be made for at least the next twelve (12) months of operation.  Thereafter, 12b-1 fees may only be imposed after approval by the Board.  Any forgone 12b-1 fees during the next 12 months will not be recoverable during any subsequent period.  Because these fees would be paid out of the Fund’s assets on an on-going basis, if payments are made in the future, these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
 
 
30

 

Dividends, Distributions and Taxes

Fund Distributions

The Fund pays out dividends from its net investment income to investors at least monthly.  The Fund distributes any net capital gains, if any, annually.

Dividend Reinvestment Service

Brokers may make available to their customers who own the Fund’s shares the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and capital gains will automatically be reinvested in additional whole shares of the Fund. Without this service, investors would receive their distributions in cash. In order to achieve the maximum total return on their investments, investors are encouraged to use the dividend reinvestment service. To determine whether the dividend reinvestment service is available and whether there is a commission or other charge for using this service, consult your broker. Brokers may require the Fund’s shareholders to adhere to specific procedures and timetables. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares of the Fund purchased in the secondary market.

Tax Information

The following is a summary of some important tax issues that affect the Fund and its shareholders. The summary is based on current tax laws, which may be changed by legislative, judicial or administrative action. You should not consider this summary to be a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund, or the tax consequences of an investment in the Fund. More information about taxes is located in the SAI. You are urged to consult your tax adviser regarding specific questions as to federal, state and local income taxes.

Tax Status of the Fund

The Fund is treated as a separate entity for federal tax purposes, and intends to qualify for the special tax treatment afforded to regulated investment companies under the Code.  As long as the Fund qualifies for treatment as a regulated investment company, it pays no federal income tax on the earnings it distributes to shareholders.

Tax Status of Distributions

 
·
The Fund will distribute substantially all of its net investment income, monthly, and net capital gains income, annually.

 
·
Dividends and distributions that are subject to tax are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or in additional shares.
 
 
31

 

 
·
The income dividends you receive from the Fund will be taxed as ordinary income,  “qualified dividend income,” or “exempt-interest dividends.”

 
·
If certain holding period requirements are met, dividends that are reported by the Fund as qualified dividend income are generally taxable to noncorporate shareholders at tax rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid to Underlying Funds by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties.  In addition, dividends that an Underlying Fund receives in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market.

 
·
Any distributions reported by the Fund as “exempt-interest dividends” are exempt from regular federal income tax, although they may be subject to state or local income taxes and may be tax preference items for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax (“AMT”).

 
·
Any distributions of the Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of the Fund’s net long-term capital gains over its net short-term capital losses) are taxable as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your shares.  For noncorporate shareholders, long-term capital gains are taxable at tax rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets).

 
·
All other distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income.

 
·
U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends (other than any exempt-interest dividends), and certain capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of shares of the Fund).  This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.

 
·
Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends-received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive from the Fund that are attributable to dividends received by the Underlying Funds from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations.

 
·
Distributions paid in January but declared by the Fund in October, November or December of the previous year payable to shareholders of record in such a month may be taxable to you in the previous year.

 
·
The Fund will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income, exempt-interest dividends, if any, and long-term capital gain distributions shortly after the close of each calendar year.
 
 
32

 

 
·
If you hold your shares in a tax-qualified retirement account, you generally will not be subject to federal taxation on Fund distributions until you begin receiving distributions from your retirement account.  You should consult your tax adviser regarding the tax rules that apply to your retirement account.

Tax Status of Share Transactions.  Each sale of Fund shares or redemption of Creation Units will generally be a taxable event to you. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund shares is generally treated as a long-term gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year.  Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund shares held for one year or less is generally treated as short-term gain or loss, except that any capital loss on the sale of shares held for six months or less will be disallowed to the extent of any exempt-interest dividends paid with respect to such shares, and any portion of such loss that is not disallowed will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent distributions of net capital gain were paid (or treated as paid) with respect to such shares.

A person who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or loss.  The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus any cash paid for the Creation Units.  A person who exchanges Creation Units for 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 and the amount of cash received.
 
Non-U.S. Individual Investors.  If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, the Fund’s ordinary income dividends will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies or unless such income is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. For taxable years of the Fund beginning before January 1, 2014, the Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,”  which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided that the foreign person is a nonresident alien individual who is not present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year and certain other requirements are met.   If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, gains from the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless you are an individual who either (1) meets the Code’s definition of “resident alien” or (2) is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Different tax consequences may result if you are a foreign shareholder engaged in a trade or business within the United States or if you are a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty.

Backup Withholding.  The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold at applicable withholding rates and remit to the United States Treasury the amount withheld on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) has provided the Fund either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (2) is subject to backup withholding by the Internal Revenue Service for failure to properly report payments of interest or dividends, (3) has failed to certify to the Fund that such shareholder is not subject to backup withholding, or (4) has not certified that such shareholder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).
 
 
33

 

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in the Fund under all applicable tax laws.
 
Additional Information

Other Information

For purposes of the 1940 Act, the Fund is treated as a registered investment company. Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including shares of the Fund. The SEC has issued an exemptive order to the Trust permitting registered investment companies to invest in exchange-traded funds offered by the Trust beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions, including that such registered investment companies enter into an agreement with the Trust.

Continuous Offering

The method by which Creation Units are purchased and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), may occur. 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 which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the Prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act.

For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into individual shares, and sells such shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to categorization as an underwriter.

Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available with respect to such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker dealer-firms should note that dealers who are not underwriters but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with shares that are part of an over-allotment within the meaning of Section 4(3)(a) of the Securities Act would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to shares of a Fund are reminded that under Rule 153 of the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on the NYSE Arca is satisfied by the fact that such Fund’s Prospectus is available at the NYSE Arca upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.
 
 
34

 

Premium/Discount Information

Information regarding how often the shares of the Fund traded on the NYSE Arca at a price above (i.e. at a premium) or below (i.e. at a discount) the NAV of the Fund during the past four quarters, as applicable, can be found at XX.
 
 
35

 
 
Financial Highlights

The table that follows presents the financial highlights for the Sustainable North American Oil Sands ETF (the “Oil Sands ETF”).  Effective June __, 2013, the Oil Sands ETF changed its underlying index and investment objective, and its name to the YieldShares High Income ETF.  The financial highlights table below reflects the Oil Sands ETF’s financial performance for the period beginning June 11, 2012 (commencement of operations) through the semi-annual period ended October 31, 2012.  The table is intended to help you understand the Oil Sands ETF’s financial performance since the Fund commenced operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share.  The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost, on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been derived from the financial statements  included in the Oil Sands ETF’s Semi-Annual Report, which is available upon request.
 
 
36

 
 
Sustainable North American Oil Sands ETF
Financial Highlights
 
     For the period June 11, 2012(1) to October 31, 2012
       
Selected Per Share Data & Ratios for a Share Outstanding Throughout the Period
     
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period
  $ XX  
         
Net Investment Income*
  $ XX  
Net Realized and Unrealized Loss on Investments
  $ XX  
Total from Operations
  $ XX  
Dividends from Net Investment Income
  $ XX  
Total Dividends and Distributions
  $ XX  
         
Net Asset Value, End of Period
  $ XX  
         
Total Return(2)
    XX %
         
Net Assets, End of Period (000)
  $ XX  
Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets
    XX %(4)
Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average Net Assets
    XX %(4)
Portfolio Turnover(2)(3)
    XX %

*
Per share data calculated using average shares method.
(1)
Commencement of operations.
(2)
Returns and portfolio turnover rates are for the period indicated and have not been annualized. Returns do not reflect the deduction of taxes the shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or redemption of Fund shares.
(3)
Portfolio turnover rate does not include securities received or delivered from processing creations or redemptions.
(4)
Annualized.
 
 
37

 
 
Exchange Traded Concepts Trust
2545 S. Kelly Avenue, Suite C
Edmond, Oklahoma 73013

ANNUAL/SEMI-ANNUAL REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the Fund’s annual report, when available, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (SAI)

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund. The SAI is incorporated by reference into, and is thus legally a part of, this Prospectus.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

To request a free copy of the latest annual or semi-annual report, the SAI or to request additional information about the Fund or to make other inquiries, please contact us as follows:

Call:
XX
 
Monday through Friday
 
8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Write:
Exchange Traded Concepts Trust
 
2545 S. Kelly Ave., Suite C
 
Edmond, OK 73013

Visit:
XX

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
 
You can review and copy information about the Fund (including the SAI) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about this public service, call the SEC at 1-202-551-8090. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, or you can receive copies of this information, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549-0102.

The Trust’s Investment Company Act file number: 811-22263

 
 

 
 
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION

THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

YieldShares High Income ETF (the “Fund”)
(formerly, Sustainable North American Oil Sands ETF)

Ticker Symbol: YYY

, a series of EXCHANGE TRADED CONCEPTS TRUST (the “Trust”)

___, 2013

Principal Listing Exchange for the Fund: NYSE Arca

Investment Adviser:
Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC

Sub-Adviser:
Index Management Solutions, LLC

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus.  The SAI should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s prospectus, dated ____, 2013 as may be revised from time to time (the “Prospectus”). Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted.  A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge, by writing the Fund’s Distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co. at One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456, by visiting the Trust’s website at XX, or by calling XX.
 
 
i

 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST
1
ADDITIONAL INDEX INFORMATION
1
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND RELATED RISKS
2
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS
3
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND RISKS
23
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
25
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING
27
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST
28
OWNERSHIP OF SHARES
35
CODES OF ETHICS
35
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
36
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
36
THE PORTFOLIO MANAGER
37
THE DISTRIBUTOR
39
THE ADMINISTRATOR
40
THE CUSTODIAN
41
THE TRANSFER AGENT
41
LEGAL COUNSEL
41
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
41
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
41
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
41
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES’ LIABILITY
42
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS
42
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
45
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM
45
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
46
PURCHASE AND ISSUANCE OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS
46
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
53
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
54
FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
55
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
63
EXHIBIT A
A-1

 
ii

 
 
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST

The Trust is an open-end management investment company consisting of multiple investment series.  This SAI relates to one series: the YieldShares High Income ETF (the “Fund”).  The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on July 17, 2009. The Trust is registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”) as an open-end management investment company and the offering of the Fund’s shares (“Shares”) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).  Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.  Index Management Solutions, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as the sub-adviser to the Fund.  The investment objective of the Fund is provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the ISE High IncomeTM Index (the “Index”).
 
The Fund offers and issues Shares at their net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each, a “Creation Unit”).  The Fund generally offers and issues Shares in exchange for a basket of securities included in its Index (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”).  The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security.  The Shares are listed on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca” or the “Exchange”) and trade on the Exchange at market prices. These prices may differ from the Shares’ NAVs. The Shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, and generally in exchange for portfolio securities and a specified cash payment. A Creation Unit of the Fund consists of at least 50,000 Shares.
 
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 a specified percentage of the market value of the missing Deposit Securities as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined below).  The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities.  In addition to the fixed Creation or Redemption Transaction Fee, an additional transaction fee of up to five times the fixed Creation or Redemption Transaction Fee may apply.
 
ADDITIONAL INDEX INFORMATION
 
ISE High Income Index

The Index seeks to measure the performance of the top 30 U.S. exchange-listed closed-end funds (the “Underlying Funds”), as selected and ranked according to factors employed by the Index methodology that are designed to result in a portfolio that produces high current income (the “Methodology”).  The universe of Underlying Funds eligible for inclusion on the Index is not restricted by the types of securities or other instruments in which they may invest or the types of investment strategies they may employ.  Thus, the Underlying Funds may invest in a variety of securities including, but not limited to, equity securities (both dividend and non-dividend paying), taxable investment grade fixed income securities, taxable high yield fixed income securities, investment grade municipal securities, high yield municipal securities, preferred securities, convertible securities, commodities, real-estate related securities, including REITs, and derivatives.  The Underlying Funds may employ different investment strategies including, but not limited to, dividend strategies, global and international strategies, covered call option strategies, balanced strategies, limited duration strategies, tax and risk-managed strategies, sector strategies, real estate, energy, utility, commodity, natural resources and other equity or income-oriented strategies.

Constituent securities of the Index are selected from the total universe of closed-end funds that are organized in the United States and whose shares are listed and trade on a U.S. securities exchange.  The only type of security issued by an Underlying Fund that will be considered for inclusion in the Index is common stock (or its equivalent).  Eligible constituents must have a market capitalization of at least $500 million and a six month daily average value traded of at least $1 million to be included in the Index.  Each eligible Index constituent is then ranked and ordered according to the following factors: in descending order by fund yield; in ascending order by fund share price premium/discount to NAV on the Index rebalancing date; and in descending order by fund average daily value of shares traded over the six month period prior to the Index rebalancing date.  An overall rank for each eligible Index constituent is then calculated in accordance with the Methodology and the constituents are ranked in ascending order.  The top 30 ranked Underlying Funds are then included in the Index.  The Index may include a maximum of 30 constituents but, at times, may include less than 30 constituents, depending on the universe of eligible securities.  International Securities Exchange LLC (“ISE” or the “Index Provider”) will, in most cases, utilize the quantitative ranking and screening system described in the Methodology; however, ISE reserves the right to use subjective screening based on fundamental analysis or other factors when determining the eligibility, rank or weighting of a potential constituent, if in the opinion of ISE certain components should be included or excluded from the Index.
 
 
1

 

Index constituents are weighted according to a “modified” linear weighted methodology, meaning that the top-ranked Index constituent will receive the greatest weighting and will be equal to the multiple of the smallest weighting (i.e., in an index with 30 constituents, the top weighted constituent’s weighting will be 30 times that of the weighting of the lowest weighted constituent).  Constituent weightings are “modified” in that each constituent weighting is capped at 4.25% of the Index at rebalancing, regardless of this linear scheme.  In addition, constituents are subject to liquidity screenings before the weightings are finalized.  No single constituent stock will represent more than 24% of the Index during the time between rebalancings.

Index constituents are reviewed for eligibility and the Index is reconstituted and rebalanced on an annual basis.  The review is conducted in December of each year and constituent changes are made after the close of the last trading day in December and effective at the opening of the next trading day.  Index constituents may be adjusted on an other than annual basis due to corporate actions causing an existing constituent to be ineligible.  These include spinoffs, mergers or acquisitions, and fund closures or delistings.  Constituents that become ineligible will be removed from the Index on an other than annual basis and replaced with an eligible security, weighted according to its rank and liquidity, provided that eligible securities are available. Adjustments to the weightings of index constituents may be made on an other than annual basis when a constituent’s weighting exceeds 24% of the Index.  Such constituent will be adjusted such that its weight is no more than 20%, until rebalancing occurs.

The Index was created in partnership with the Sponsor and is maintained by the Index Provider.  The Index is calculated by Structured Solutions.  Index prices are delivered to Reuters every 15 seconds and published to wide distribution at that frequency.  Total-return Index values, as well as, when possible, any pending changes or adjustments to the Index, will be published on www.ise.com.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND RELATED RISKS

The Fund’s investment objective is to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Index.  Because the Index is comprised of Underlying Funds, the Fund operates in a manner that is commonly referred to as a “fund of funds,” meaning that it invests in shares of the Underlying Funds included in the Index.  The Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus.  For a description of certain permitted investments, see “Description of Permitted Investments” in this SAI.
 
 
2

 
 
CONCENTRATION

The Fund and the Underlying Funds may concentrate their investments in a particular industry or group of industries, as described in the Prospectus. The securities of issuers in particular industries may dominate the Index of the Fund and consequently the Fund’s investment portfolio. This may adversely affect the Fund’s performance or subject its Shares to greater price volatility than that experienced by less concentrated investment companies.
 
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS
 
A discussion of the risks associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Fund’s Prospectus.  The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, these sections.  
 
EQUITY SECURITIES

Certain Underlying Funds in may invest in equity securities.  Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company and include 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 to fluctuate.
 
Types of Equity Securities in which the Underlying Funds may invest:
 
Common Stocks - Common stocks represent units of ownership in a company.  Common stocks usually carry voting rights and earn dividends.  Unlike preferred stocks, which are described below, dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the company’s board of directors.
 
Preferred Stocks - Preferred stocks are also units of ownership in a company. Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of the company.  However, in all other respects, preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer.  Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate matters. Types of preferred stocks include adjustable-rate preferred stock, fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund preferred stock. Generally, the market values of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element varies inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk.
 
Convertible Securities - Convertible securities are securities that may be exchanged for, converted into, or exercised to acquire a predetermined number of shares of the issuer’s common stock at the Fund’s option during a specified time period (such as convertible preferred stocks, convertible debentures and warrants). A convertible security is generally a fixed income security that is senior to common stock in an issuer’s capital structure, but is usually subordinated to similar non-convertible securities. In exchange for the conversion feature, many corporations will pay a lower rate of interest on convertible securities than debt securities of the same corporation. In general, the market value of a convertible security is at least the higher of its “investment value” (i.e., its value as a fixed income security) or its “conversion value” (i.e., its value upon conversion into its underlying common stock).
 
3

 
Convertible securities are subject to the same risks as similar securities without the convertible feature. The price of a convertible security is more volatile during times of steady interest rates than other types of debt securities. The price of a convertible security tends to increase as the market value of the underlying stock rises, whereas it tends to decrease as the market value of the underlying common stock declines.
 
Rights and Warrants - A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued.  Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price.  Warrants are securities that are usually issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price.  Warrants are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges.  Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued.  Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.
 
An investment in warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments.  Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date.  Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.
 
Master Limited Partnerships - MLPs are limited partnerships or limited liability companies, whose partnership units or limited liability interests are listed and traded on a U.S. securities exchange, and are treated as publicly traded partnerships for federal income tax purposes. To qualify to be treated as a partnership for tax purposes, an MLP must receive at least 90% of its income from qualifying sources as set forth in Section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). These qualifying sources include activities such as the exploration, development, mining, production, processing, refining, transportation, storage and marketing of mineral or natural resources. MLPs generally have two classes of owners, the general partner and limited partners. MLPs that are formed as limited liability companies generally have two analogous classes of owners, the managing member and the members. For purposes of this section, references to general partners also apply to managing members and references to limited partners also apply to members. The general partner is typically owned by a major energy company, an investment fund, the direct management of the MLP or is an entity owned by one or more of such parties. The general partner may be structured as a private or publicly traded corporation or other entity. The general partner typically controls the operations and management of the MLP through an equity interest of as much as 2% in the MLP plus, in many cases, ownership of common units and subordinated units. Limited partners own the remainder of the MLP through ownership of common units and have a limited role in the MLP's operations and management.
 
MLPs are typically structured such that common units and general partner interests have first priority to receive quarterly cash distributions up to an established minimum amount ("minimum quarterly distributions" or "MQD"). Common and general partner interests also accrue arrearages in distributions to the extent the MQD is not paid. Once common and general partner interests have been paid, subordinated units receive distributions of up to the MQD; however, subordinated units do not accrue arrearages. Distributable cash in excess of the MQD paid to both common and subordinated units is distributed to both common and subordinated units generally on a pro rata basis. The general partner is also eligible to receive incentive distributions if the general partner operates the business in a manner which results in distributions paid per common unit surpassing specified target levels. As the general partner increases cash distributions to the limited partners, the general partner receives an increasingly higher percentage of the incremental cash distributions. A common arrangement provides that the general partner can reach a tier where it receives 50% of every incremental dollar paid to common and subordinated unit holders. These incentive distributions encourage the general partner to streamline costs, increase capital expenditures and acquire assets in order to increase the partnership's cash flow and raise the quarterly cash distribution in order to reach higher tiers.
 
4

 
General partner interests of MLPs are typically retained by an MLP's original sponsors, such as its founders, corporate partners, entities that sell assets to the MLP and investors such as us. A holder of general partner interests can be liable under certain circumstances for amounts greater than the amount of the holder's investment in the general partner interest. General partner interests often confer direct board participation rights and in many cases, operating control, over the MLP. These interests themselves are not publicly traded, although they may be owned by publicly traded entities. General partner interests receive cash distributions, typically 2% of the MLP's aggregate cash distributions, which are contractually defined in the partnership agreement. In addition, holders of general partner interests typically hold incentive distribution rights ("IDRs"), which provide them with a larger share of the aggregate MLP cash distributions as the distributions to limited partner unit holders are increased to prescribed levels. General partner interests generally cannot be converted into common units. The general partner interest can be redeemed by the MLP if the MLP unitholders choose to remove the general partner, typically with a supermajority vote by limited partner unitholders.
 
Royalty Trusts - A royalty trust generally acquires an interest in natural resource companies or chemical companies and distributes the income it receives to the investors of the royalty trust.  A sustained decline in demand for crude oil, natural gas and refined petroleum products could adversely affect income and royalty trust revenues and cash flows. Factors that could lead to a decrease in market demand include a recession or other adverse economic conditions, an increase in the market price of the underlying commodity, higher taxes or other regulatory actions that increase costs, or a shift in consumer demand for such products. A rising interest rate environment could adversely impact the performance of royalty trusts. Rising interest rates could limit the capital appreciation of royalty trusts because of the increased availability of alternative investments at more competitive yields.
 
Risks of Investing in Equity Securities:
 
General Risks of Investing in Stocks - While investing in stocks allows investors to participate in the benefits of owning a company, such investors must accept the risks of ownership.  Unlike bondholders, who have preference to a company’s earnings and cash flow, preferred stockholders, followed by common stockholders in order of priority, are entitled only to the residual amount after a company meets its other obligations. For this reason, the value of a company’s stock will usually react more strongly to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects than its debt obligations.  Stockholders of a company that fares poorly can lose money.
 
Stock markets tend to move in cycles with short or extended periods of rising and falling stock prices.  The value of a company’s stock may fall because of:
 
5

 
§
Factors that directly relate to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company’s products or services;
 
§
Factors affecting an entire industry, such as increases in production costs; and
 
§
Changes in general financial market conditions that are relatively unrelated to the company or its industry, such as changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates or inflation rates.
 
Because preferred stock is generally junior to debt securities and other obligations of the issuer, deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer will cause greater changes in the value of a preferred stock than in a more senior debt security with similar stated yield characteristics.
 
Small- and Medium-Sized Companies - Investors in small- and medium-sized companies typically take on greater risk and price volatility than they would by investing in larger, more established companies.  This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of their small or medium size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of management depth.  The securities of small- and medium-sized companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market and might not be traded in volumes typical of securities traded on a national securities exchange.  Thus, the securities of small and medium capitalization companies are likely to be less liquid, and subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements, than securities of larger, more established companies.
 
When-Issued Securities – A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which have not been issued.  When the Fund engages in when-issued transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale.  If the other party fails to complete the sale, the Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.
 
When purchasing a security on a when-issued basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the market value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price.  The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself.  Because the Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.
 
Decisions to enter into “when-issued” transactions will be considered on a case-by-case basis when necessary to maintain continuity in a company’s index membership.  The Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to commitments for the when-issued transactions.  The Fund will segregate additional liquid assets daily so that the value of such assets is equal to the amount of the commitments.
 
FIXED INCOMES SECURITIES
 
Bonds.  Certain Underlying Funds may invest in bonds. A bond is an interest-bearing security issued by a company, governmental unit or, in some cases, a non-U.S. entity. The issuer of a bond has a contractual obligation to pay interest at a stated rate on specific dates and to repay principal (the bond's face value) periodically or on a specified maturity date. Bonds generally are used by corporations and governments to borrow money from investors.
 
An issuer may have the right to redeem or "call" a bond before maturity, in which case the investor may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower market rates. Most bonds bear interest income at a "coupon" rate that is fixed for the life of the bond. The value of a fixed-rate bond usually rises when market interest rates fall and falls when market interest rates rise. Accordingly, a fixed-rate bond's yield (income as a percent of the bond's current value) may differ from its coupon rate as its value rises or falls. Other types of bonds bear income at an interest rate that is adjusted periodically. Because of their adjustable interest rates, the value of "floating-rate" or "variable-rate" bonds fluctuates much less in response to market interest rate movements than the value of fixed-rate bonds. Generally, prices of higher quality issues tend to fluctuate less with changes in market interest rates than prices of lower quality issues and prices of longer maturity issues tend to fluctuate more than prices of shorter maturity issues. Bonds may be senior or subordinated obligations. Senior obligations generally have the first claim on a corporation's earnings and assets and, in the event of liquidation, are paid before subordinated obligations. Bonds may be unsecured (backed only by the issuer's general creditworthiness) or secured (backed by specified collateral).
 
6

 
The investment return of corporate bonds reflects interest on the security and changes in the market value of the security. The market value of a corporate bond may be affected by the credit rating of the corporation, the corporation's performance and perceptions of the corporation in the market place. There is a risk that the issuers of the bonds may not be able to meet their obligations on interest or principal payments at the time called for by the bond.
 
High Yield Debt Securities. Certain Underlying Funds may invest in high yield debt securities, which are rated below investment grade and commonly are known as "junk bonds." Investment in high yield debt securities generally provides greater income and increased opportunity for capital appreciation than investments in higher quality securities, but they also typically entail greater price volatility and credit risk. These high yield debt securities are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. Analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of debt securities that are high yield may be more complex than for issuers of higher quality debt securities. In addition, high yield debt securities often are issued by smaller, less creditworthy companies or by highly leveraged (indebted) firms, which generally are less able than more financially stable firms to make scheduled payments of interest and principal. The risks posed by securities issued under such circumstances are substantial.
 
Investing in high yield debt securities involves risks that are greater than the risks of investing in higher quality debt securities. These risks include: (i) changes in credit status, including weaker overall credit conditions of issuers and risks of default; (ii) industry, market and economic risk; and (iii) greater price variability and credit risks of certain high yield debt securities such as zero coupon and payment-in-kind securities. While these risks provide the opportunity for maximizing return over time, they may result in greater volatility of the value of an Underlying Fund than a fund that invests in higher-rated securities.
 
Furthermore, the value of high yield securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic, company or industry conditions than is the case for higher quality securities. The market values of certain of these lower-rated debt securities tend to reflect individual corporate developments to a greater extent than do higher-rated securities, which react primarily to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates, and tend to be more sensitive to economic conditions than are higher-rated securities. Adverse market, credit or economic conditions could make it difficult at certain times to sell certain high yield debt securities held by a Fund.
 
The secondary market on which high yield debt securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for higher grade securities. Less liquidity in the secondary trading market could adversely affect the price at which an Underlying Fund could sell a high yield debt security, and could adversely affect the daily net asset value (“NAV”) per share of the Fund. When secondary markets for high yield debt securities are less liquid than the market for higher grade securities, it may be more difficult to value the securities because there is less reliable, objective data available.
 
The use of credit ratings as a principal method of selecting high yield debt securities can involve certain risks. For example, credit ratings evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments, not the market value risk of high yield debt securities. Also, credit rating agencies may fail to change credit ratings in a timely fashion to reflect events since the security was last rated.
 
7

 
Loans. Certain Underlying Funds may invest in loans. Loans consist generally of obligations of companies and other entities (collectively, "borrowers") incurred for the purpose of reorganizing the assets and liabilities of a borrower; acquiring another company; taking over control of a company (leveraged buyout); temporary refinancing; or financing internal growth or other general business purposes. Loans often are obligations of borrowers who have incurred a significant percentage of debt compared to equity issued and thus are highly leveraged.
 
Loans may be acquired by direct investment as a lender at the inception of the loan or by assignment of a portion of a loan previously made to a different lender or by purchase of a participation interest. If a Fund makes a direct investment in a loan as one of the lenders, it generally acquires the loan at par. This means the Fund receives a return at the full interest rate for the loan. If the Fund acquires its interest in loans in the secondary market or acquires a participation interest, the loans may be purchased or sold above, at, or below par, which can result in a yield that is below, equal to, or above the stated interest rate of the loan.
 
When an Underlying Fund acts as one of a group of lenders originating a senior loan, it may participate in structuring the senior loan and have a direct contractual relationship with the borrower, may enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement and may have rights with respect to any funds acquired by other lenders through set-offs. Lenders also have full voting and consent rights under the applicable loan agreement. Action subject to lender vote or consent generally requires the vote or consent of the holders of some specified percentage of the outstanding principal amount of the senior loan. Certain decisions, such as reducing the amount of interest on or principal of a senior loan, releasing collateral, changing the maturity of a senior loan or a change in control of the borrower, frequently require the unanimous vote or consent of all lenders affected.
 
When an Underlying Fund is a purchaser of an assignment, it succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the loan agreement of the assigning lender and becomes a lender under the loan agreement with the same rights and obligations as the assigning lender. These rights include the ability to vote along with the other lenders on such matters as enforcing the terms of the loan agreement (e.g., declaring defaults, initiating collection action, etc.). Taking such actions typically requires at least a vote of the lenders holding a majority of the investment in the loan and may require a vote by lenders holding two-thirds or more of the investment in the loan. When an Underlying Fund does not hold a majority of the investment in any loan, it will not be able by itself to control decisions that require a vote by the lenders. Assignments may be arranged through private negotiations and the rights and obligations acquired by the purchase of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning lender.
 
A participation interest represents a fractional interest in a loan held by the lender selling the Fund the participation interest. In the case of participations, the Underlying Fund will not have any direct contractual relationship with the borrower, the Underlying Fund's rights to consent to modifications of the loan are limited and it is dependent upon the participating lender to enforce the Fund's rights upon a default. The Underlying Fund will have the right to receive payments of principal, interest, and any fees to which it is entitled only from the lender selling the participation and only upon receipt by the lender of the payments from the borrower.
 
The Underlying Fund may be subject to the credit of both the agent and the lender from whom the Underlying Fund acquires a participation interest. These credit risks may include delay in receiving payments of principal and interest paid by the borrower to the agent or, in the case of a participation, offsets by the lender's regulator against payments received from the borrower. In the event of the borrower's bankruptcy, the borrower's obligation to repay the loan may be subject to defenses that the borrower can assert as a result of improper conduct by the agent.
 
8

 
Historically, the amount of public information available about a specific loan has been less extensive than if the loan were registered or exchange-traded.
 
The loans in which an Underlying Fund may invest in may be secured and senior to other indebtedness of the borrower. Each loan generally will be secured by collateral such as accounts receivable, inventory, equipment, real estate, intangible assets such as trademarks, copyrights and patents, and securities of subsidiaries or affiliates. Collateral also may include guarantees or other credit support by affiliates of the borrower. The value of the collateral generally will be determined by reference to financial statements of the borrower, by an independent appraisal, by obtaining the market value of such collateral, in the case of cash or securities if readily ascertainable, or by other customary valuation techniques considered appropriate by an Underlying Fund’s investment adviser. The value of collateral may decline after the Underlying Fund's investment, and collateral may be difficult to sell in the event of default. Consequently, the Underlying Fund may not receive all the payments to which it is entitled. The loan agreement may or may not require the borrower to pledge additional collateral to secure the senior loan if the value of the initial collateral declines. In certain circumstances, the loan agreement may authorize the agent to liquidate the collateral and to distribute the liquidation proceeds pro rata among the lenders. By virtue of their senior position and collateral, senior loans typically provide lenders with the first right to cash flows or proceeds from the sale of a borrower's collateral if the borrower becomes insolvent (subject to the limitations of bankruptcy law, which may provide higher priority to certain claims such as employee salaries, employee pensions, and taxes). This means senior loans generally are repaid before unsecured bank loans, corporate bonds, subordinated debt, trade creditors, and preferred or common stockholders. To the extent that the Underlying Fund invests in unsecured loans, if the borrower defaults on such loan, there is no specific collateral on which the lender can foreclose. If the borrower defaults on a subordinated loan, the collateral may not be sufficient to cover both the senior and subordinated loans. In addition, if the loan is foreclosed, the Underlying Fund could become part owner of any collateral and could bear the costs and liabilities of owning and disposing of the collateral.
 
An Underlying Fund may purchase and retain in its portfolio senior loans of borrowers that have filed for protection under the federal bankruptcy laws or that have had involuntary bankruptcy petitions filed against them by creditors. Investing in senior loans involves investment risk, and some borrowers default on their senior loan payments.
 
Senior loans typically pay interest at least quarterly at rates which equal a fixed percentage spread over a base rate such as the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"). For example, if LIBOR were 3% and the borrower was paying a fixed spread of 2.50%, the total interest rate paid by the borrower would be 5.50%.
 
Although a base rate such as LIBOR can change every day, loan agreements for senior loans typically allow the borrower the ability to choose how often the base rate for its loan will change. A single loan may have multiple reset periods at the same time, with each reset period applicable to a designated portion of the loan. Such periods can range from one day to one year, with most borrowers choosing monthly or quarterly reset periods. During periods of rising interest rates, borrowers will tend to choose longer reset periods, and during periods of declining interest rates, borrowers will tend to choose shorter reset periods. The fixed spread over the base rate on a senior loan typically does not change.
 
9

 
Senior loans usually have mandatory and optional prepayment provisions. Because of prepayments, the actual remaining maturity of senior loans may be considerably less than their stated maturity.
 
Senior loans generally are arranged through private negotiations between a borrower and several financial institutions represented by an agent who is usually one of the originating lenders. In larger transactions, it is common to have several agents; however, generally only one such agent has primary responsibility for ongoing administration of a senior loan. Agents typically are paid fees by the borrower for their services.
 
The agent is responsible primarily for negotiating the loan agreement which establishes the terms and conditions of the senior loan and the rights of the borrower and the lenders. The agent is paid a fee by the borrower for its services. The agent generally is required to administer and manage the senior loan on behalf of other lenders. The agent also is responsible for monitoring collateral and for exercising remedies available to the lenders such as foreclosure upon collateral. The agent may rely on independent appraisals of specific collateral. The agent need not, however, obtain an independent appraisal of assets pledged as collateral in all cases. The agent generally also is responsible for determining that the lenders have obtained a perfected security interest in the collateral securing a senior loan. An Underlying Fund will normally rely on the agent to collect principal of and interest on a senior loan. The Underlying Fund also relies in part on the agent to monitor compliance by the borrower with the restrictive covenants in the loan agreement and to notify the Underlying Fund (or the lender from whom the Underlying Fund has purchased a participation) of any adverse change in the borrower's financial condition. Insolvency of the agent or other persons positioned between the Underlying Fund and the borrower could result in losses for the Underlying Fund.
 
Loan agreements may provide for the termination of the agent's agency status in the event that it fails to act as required under the relevant loan agreement, becomes insolvent, enters Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") receivership or, if not FDIC insured, enters into bankruptcy. Should such an agent, lender or assignor, with respect to an assignment interpositioned between an Underlying Fund and the borrower, become insolvent or enter FDIC receivership or bankruptcy, any interest in the senior loan of such person and any loan payment held by such person for the benefit of the Underlying Fund should not be included in such person's or entity's bankruptcy estate. If, however, any such amount were included in such person's or entity's bankruptcy estate, the Underlying Fund would incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment or could suffer a loss of principal or interest. In this event, the Underlying Fund could experience a decrease in its NAV.
 
Most borrowers pay their debts from cash flow generated by their businesses. If a borrower's cash flow is insufficient to pay its debts, it may attempt to restructure its debts rather than sell collateral. Borrowers may try to restructure their debts by filing for protection under the federal bankruptcy laws or negotiating a work-out. If a borrower becomes involved in a bankruptcy proceeding, access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy and other laws. If a court decides that access to collateral is limited or void, the Fund may not recover the full amount of principal and interest that is due.
 
A borrower must comply with certain restrictive covenants contained in the loan agreement. In addition to requiring the scheduled payment of principal and interest, these covenants may include restrictions on the payment of dividends and other distributions to the borrower's shareholders, provisions requiring compliance with specific financial ratios, and limits on total indebtedness. The agreement also may require the prepayment of the loans from excess cash flow. A breach of a covenant that is not waived by the agent (or lenders directly) is normally an event of default, which provides the agent and lenders the right to call for repayment of the outstanding loan.
 
10

 
In the process of buying, selling and holding senior loans, an Underlying Fund may receive and/or pay certain fees. These fees are in addition to interest payments received and may include facility fees, commitment fees, commissions and prepayment penalty fees. Facility fees are paid to lenders when a senior loan is originated. Commitment fees are paid to lenders on an ongoing basis based on the unused portion of a senior loan commitment. Lenders may receive prepayment penalties when a borrower prepays a senior loan. Whether the Underlying Fund receives a facility fee in the case of an assignment, or any fees in the case of a participation, depends on negotiations between the Fund and the lender selling such interests. When the Underlying Fund buys an assignment, it may be required to pay a fee to the lender selling the assignment, or to forgo a portion of interest and fees payable to the Underlying Fund. Occasionally, the assignor pays a fee to the assignee. A person selling a participation to the Fund may deduct a portion of the interest and any fees payable to the Underlying Fund as an administrative fee.
 
Notwithstanding its intention in certain situations not to receive material, non-public information with respect to its management of investments in loans, an Underlying Fund’s investment adviser may from time to time come into possession of material, non-public information about the issuers of loans that may be held in the Underlying Fund's portfolio. Possession of such information may in some instances occur despite the investment adviser’s efforts to avoid such possession, but in other instances the investment adviser may choose to receive such information (for example, in connection with participation in a creditors' committee with respect to a financially distressed issuer). The investment adviser’s ability to trade in these loans for the account of the Underlying Fund could potentially be limited by its possession of such information. Such limitations on the investment adviser’s ability to trade could have an adverse effect on the Underlying Fund by, for example, preventing the Underlying Fund from selling a loan that is experiencing a material decline in value. In some instances, these trading restrictions could continue in effect for a substantial period of time.
 
An increase in demand for loans may benefit the Underlying Fund by providing increased liquidity for such loans and higher sales prices, but it also may adversely affect the rate of interest payable on such loans acquired by the Underlying Fund and the rights provided to the Underlying Fund under the terms of the applicable loan agreement, and may increase the price of loans that the Underlying Fund wishes to purchase in the secondary market. A decrease in the demand for loans may adversely affect the price of loans in the Underlying Fund's portfolio, which could cause the Underlying Fund's NAV to decline.
 
An Underlying Fund may sell loans it holds by way of an assignment but may at any time facilitate its ability to fund redemption requests by selling participation interests in such loans. An Underlying Fund may be required to pass along to a person that buys a loan from the Fund by way of assignment or participation interest a portion of any fees to which the Fund is entitled.
 
Ratings. An investment grade rating means the security or issuer is rated investment-grade by Standard & Poor's Ratings Group, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ("S&P"), Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's"), Fitch Ratings, Ltd. ("Fitch") or another nationally recognized statistical rating organization, or is unrated but considered to be of equivalent quality by an Underlying Fund’s investment adviser, as applicable. Bonds rated Baa by Moody's or BBB by S&P or above are considered "investment grade" securities; bonds rated Baa are considered medium grade obligations which lack outstanding investment characteristics and have speculative characteristics; and bonds rated BBB are regarded as having adequate capacity to pay principal and interest.
 
11

 
FOREIGN SECURITIES

Foreign Issuers.  Certain Underlying Funds may invest in issuers located outside the United States directly, or in financial instruments that are indirectly linked to the performance of foreign issuers. Examples of such financial instruments include depositary receipts, which are described further below, “ordinary shares,” and “New York shares” issued and traded in the United States.  Ordinary shares are shares of foreign issuers that are traded abroad and on a United States exchange. New York shares are shares that a foreign issuer has allocated for trading in the United States. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), ordinary shares, and New York shares all may be purchased with and sold for U.S. Dollars, which protects the Fund from the foreign settlement risks described below.

Investing in foreign companies may involve risks not typically associated with investing in United States companies. The U.S. dollar value of securities of foreign issuers and of distributions in foreign currencies from such securities, can change significantly when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. Dollar. Foreign securities markets generally have less trading volume and less liquidity than United States markets, and prices in some foreign markets can be very volatile than those of domestic securities. Therefore, an Underlying Fund’s investment in foreign securities may be less liquid and subject to more rapid and erratic price movements than comparable securities listed for trading on U.S. exchanges. Non-U.S. equity securities may trade at price/earnings multiples higher than comparable U.S. securities and such levels may not be sustainable. There may be less government supervision and regulation of foreign stock exchanges, brokers, banks and listed companies abroad than in the U.S. Moreover, settlement practices for transactions in foreign markets may differ from those in U.S. markets. Such differences may include delays beyond periods customary in the U.S. and practices, such as delivery of securities prior to receipt of payment, which increase the likelihood of a failed settlement, which can result in losses to an Underlying Fund. The value of non-U.S. investments and the investment income derived from them may also be affected unfavorably by changes in currency exchange control regulations. Foreign brokerage commissions, custodial expenses and other fees are also generally higher than for securities traded in the U.S. This may cause the Underlying Fund to incur higher portfolio transaction costs than domestic equity funds. Fluctuations in exchange rates may also affect the earning power and asset value of the foreign entity issuing a security, even one denominated in U.S. dollars. Dividend and interest payments may be repatriated based on the exchange rate at the time of disbursement, and restrictions on capital flows may be imposed. Many foreign countries lack uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards comparable to those that apply to United States companies, and it may be more difficult to obtain reliable information regarding a foreign issuer's financial condition and operations. In addition, the costs of foreign investing, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial fees, generally are higher than for United States investments.

Investing in companies located abroad carries political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the United States. Foreign investment may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of United States investors, including the possibility of expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on United States investment, or on the ability to repatriate assets or to convert currency into U.S. Dollars. There may be a greater possibility of default by foreign governments or foreign-government sponsored enterprises. Losses and other expenses may be incurred in converting between various currencies in connection with purchases and sales of foreign securities.  Investments in foreign countries also involve a risk of local political, economic, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments.

Investing in companies domiciled in emerging market countries may be subject to greater risks than investments in developed countries. These risks include: (i) less social, political, and economic stability; (ii) greater illiquidity and price volatility due to smaller or limited local capital markets for such securities, or low or non-existent trading volumes; (iii) foreign exchanges and broker-dealers may be subject to less scrutiny and regulation by local authorities; (iv) local governments may decide to seize or confiscate securities held by foreign investors and/or local governments may decide to suspend or limit an issuer's ability to make dividend or interest payments; (v) local governments may limit or entirely restrict repatriation of invested capital, profits, and dividends; (vi) capital gains may be subject to local taxation, including on a retroactive basis; (vii) issuers facing restrictions on dollar or euro payments imposed by local governments may attempt to make dividend or interest payments to foreign investors in the local currency; (viii) investors may experience difficulty in enforcing legal claims related to the securities and/or local judges may favor the interests of the issuer over those of foreign investors; (ix) bankruptcy judgments may only be permitted to be paid in the local currency; (x) limited public information regarding the issuer may result in greater difficulty in determining market valuations of the securities, and (xi) lax financial reporting on a regular basis, substandard disclosure, and differences in accounting standards may make it difficult to ascertain the financial health of an issuer.
 
12


Depositary Receipts.  An Underlying Fund’s investment in securities of foreign companies may be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers.  ADRs are dollar-denominated receipts representing interests in the securities of a foreign issuer, which securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by United States banks and trust companies which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in domestic securities markets and are traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States. Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), and International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”) are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer, however, GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the U.S. EDRs, for example, are designed for use in European securities markets while GDRs are designed for use throughout the world.  Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities.

All Depositary Receipts generally must be sponsored. However, an Underlying Fund may invest in unsponsored Depositary Receipts under certain limited circumstances. The issuers of 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. The use of Depositary Receipts may increase tracking error relative to an underlying Index.

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS (“REITS”)
 
Certain Underlying Funds may invest in REITs.  A REIT is a corporation or business trust (that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation) which meets the definitional requirements of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”).  The Code permits a qualifying REIT to deduct from taxable income the dividends paid, thereby effectively eliminating corporate level federal income tax and making the REIT a pass-through vehicle for federal income tax purposes.  To meet the definitional requirements of the Code, a REIT must, among other things: invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including mortgages and other REITs), cash and government securities; derive most of its income from rents from real property or interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property; and, in general, distribute annually 90% or more of its otherwise taxable income to shareholders.
 
13

 
REITs are sometimes informally characterized as Equity REITs and Mortgage REITs.  An Equity REIT invests primarily in the fee ownership or leasehold ownership of land and buildings; a Mortgage REIT invests primarily in mortgages on real property, which may secure construction, development or long-term loans.
 
REITs may be affected by changes in underlying real estate values, which may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that REITs in which the Fund invests may concentrate investments in particular geographic regions or property types.  Additionally, rising interest rates may cause investors in REITs to demand a higher annual yield from future distributions, which may in turn decrease market prices for equity securities issued by REITs.  Rising interest rates also generally increase the costs of obtaining financing, which could cause the value of the Fund’s investments to decline.  During periods of declining interest rates, certain Mortgage REITs may hold mortgages that the mortgagors elect to prepay, which prepayment may diminish the yield on securities issued by such Mortgage REITs.  In addition, Mortgage REITs may be affected by the ability of borrowers to repay when due the debt extended by the REIT and Equity REITs may be affected by the ability of tenants to pay rent.
 
Certain REITs have relatively small market capitalization, which may tend to increase the volatility of the market price of securities issued by such REITs.  Furthermore, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects.  By investing in REITs indirectly through the Fund, a shareholder will bear not only his or her proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also, indirectly, similar expenses of the REITs.  REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareholders.
 
In addition to these risks, Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended.  Further, Equity and Mortgage REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. Equity and Mortgage REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation.  In addition, Equity and Mortgage REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax free pass-through of income under the Code or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.  The above factors may also adversely affect a borrower’s or a lessee’s ability to meet its obligations to the REIT.  In the event of default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments.
 
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS
 
The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements with commercial banks, brokers or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances and to invest securities lending cash collateral. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which the Fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker’s acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next Business Day). A repurchase agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by the Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument.
 
In these repurchase agreement transactions, the securities acquired by the Fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Custodian until repurchased. No more than an aggregate of 15% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in illiquid securities, including repurchase agreements having maturities longer than seven days and securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or for which there are no readily available market quotations.
 
14

 
The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when the value of the security has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by the Fund not within the control of the Fund and, therefore, the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement.
 
MUNICIPAL SECURITIES
 
Municipal Securities.  Certain Underlying Funds may invest in securities issued by states, municipalities and other political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities of states and multi-state agencies or authorities.  Municipal securities share the attributes of debt/fixed-income securities in general, but generally are issued by states, municipalities and other political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities of states and multi-state agencies or authorities. The municipal securities which the Underlying Funds may purchase include general obligation bonds and limited obligation bonds (or revenue bonds), including industrial development bonds issued pursuant to former federal tax law that pay interest monthly or quarterly based on a floating rate that is reset daily or weekly based on an index of short-term municipal rates. General obligation bonds are obligations involving the credit of an issuer possessing taxing power and are payable from such issuer's general revenues and not from any particular source. Limited obligation bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise or other specific revenue source. Industrial development bonds also generally are revenue bonds and thus are not payable from the issuer's general revenues. The credit and quality of industrial development bonds usually are related to the credit of the corporate user of the facilities. Payment of interest on and repayment of principal of such bonds is the responsibility of the corporate user (and/or any guarantor). In addition, certain Underlying Funds may invest in lease obligations. Lease obligations may take the form of a lease or an installment purchase contract issued by public authorities to acquire a wide variety of equipment and facilities.
 
An investment in these Underlying Funds should be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in municipal securities. An issuer may have the right to redeem or "call" a bond before maturity, in which case the investor may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower market rates.  The value of a fixed rate bond usually rises when market interest rates fall and falls when market interest rates rise. Accordingly, a fixed rate bond's yield (income as a percent of the bond's current value) may differ from its coupon rate as its value rises or falls.
 
Generally, prices of higher quality issues tend to fluctuate more with changes in market interest rates than prices of lower quality issues and prices of longer maturity issues tend to fluctuate more than prices of shorter maturity issues. Bonds may be senior or subordinated obligations. Senior obligations generally have the first claim on a corporation's earnings and assets and, in the event of liquidation, are paid before subordinated obligations. Bonds may be unsecured (backed only by the issuer's general creditworthiness) or secured (also backed by specified collateral).
 
The market for municipal bonds may be less liquid than for non-municipal bonds. There also may be less information available on the financial condition of issuers of municipal securities than for public corporations. This means that it may be harder to buy and sell municipal securities, especially on short notice, and municipal securities may be more difficult for the Underlying Funds to value accurately than securities of public corporations. Since certain Underlying Funds may invest a significant portion of their portfolio in municipal securities, each such Underlying Fund's portfolio may have greater exposure to liquidity risk than a fund that invests in non-municipal securities.
 
15

 
Some longer-term municipal securities give the investor the right to "put" or sell the security at par (face value) within a specified number of days following the investor's request—usually one to seven days. This demand feature enhances a security's liquidity by shortening its effective maturity and enables it to trade at a price equal to or very close to par. If a demand feature terminates prior to being exercised, the Funds would hold the longer-term security, which could experience substantially more volatility.
 
Municipal securities are subject to credit and market risk. Generally, prices of higher quality issues tend to fluctuate more with changes in market interest rates than prices of lower quality issues and prices of longer maturity issues tend to fluctuate more than prices of shorter maturity issues.
 
Prices and yields on municipal securities are dependent on a variety of factors, including general money market conditions, the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions of the municipal security market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. A number of these factors, including the ratings of particular issues, are subject to change from time to time.
 
Lease obligations may have risks normally not associated with general obligation or other revenue bonds. Leases and installment purchase or conditional sale contracts (which may provide for title to the leased asset to pass eventually to the issuer) have developed as a means for governmental issuers to acquire property and equipment without the necessity of complying with the constitutional statutory requirements generally applicable for the issuance of debt. Certain lease obligations contain "non-appropriation" clauses that provide that the governmental issuer has no obligation to make future payments under the lease or contract unless money is appropriated for that purpose by the appropriate legislative body on an annual or other periodic basis. Consequently, continued lease payments on those lease obligations containing "non-appropriation" clauses are dependent on future legislative actions. If these legislative actions do not occur, the holders of the lease obligation may experience difficulty in exercising their rights, including disposition of the property.
 
The value of municipal securities may be affected by uncertainties in the municipal market related to legislation or litigation involving the taxation of municipal securities or the rights of municipal securities holders in the event of a bankruptcy. Proposals to restrict or eliminate the federal income tax exemption for interest on municipal securities are introduced before Congress from time to time. Proposals also may be introduced before state legislatures that would affect the state tax treatment of a municipal fund's distributions. If such proposals were enacted, the availability of municipal securities and the value of a municipal fund's holdings would be affected, and the investment objective and policies of certain Underlying Funds might need to be reevaluated. Municipal bankruptcies are relatively rare, and certain provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code governing such bankruptcies are unclear and remain untested. Further, the application of state law to municipal issuers could produce varying results among the states or among municipal securities issuers within a state. These legal uncertainties could affect the municipal securities market generally, certain specific segments of the market, or the relative credit quality of particular securities. There also is the possibility that as a result of litigation or other conditions, the power or ability of issuers to meet their obligations for the payment of interest and principal on their municipal securities may be materially affected or their obligations may be found to be invalid or unenforceable. Such litigation or conditions may, from time to time, have the effect of introducing uncertainties in the market for municipal securities or certain segments thereof, or of materially affecting the credit risk with respect to particular bonds. Adverse economic, business, legal or political developments might affect all or a substantial portion of the Underlying Funds' municipal securities in the same manner. Any of these effects could have a significant impact on the prices of some or all of the municipal securities held by the Underlying Funds.
 
16

 
There is no guarantee that any of the Underlying Funds' income will be exempt from federal or state income taxes. Events occurring after the date of issuance of a municipal bond or after a Fund's acquisition of a municipal bond may result in a determination that interest on that bond is includible in gross income for federal income tax purposes retroactively to its date of issuance. Such a determination may cause a portion of prior distributions by the Underlying Fund to its shareholders to be taxable to those shareholders in the year of receipt. Federal or state changes in income or alternative minimum tax rates or in the tax treatment of municipal bonds may make municipal bonds less attractive as investments and cause them to lose value.
 
Municipal Insurance. A municipal security may be covered by insurance that guarantees the bond's scheduled payment of interest and repayment of principal. This type of insurance may be obtained by either (i) the issuer at the time the bond is issued (primary market insurance), or (ii) another party after the bond has been issued (secondary market insurance).
 
Both primary and secondary market insurance guarantee timely and scheduled repayment of all principal and payment of all interest on a municipal security in the event of default by the issuer and cover a municipal security to its maturity, thereby enhancing its credit quality and value.
 
Municipal security insurance does not insure against market fluctuations or fluctuations in an Underlying Fund's Share price. In addition, a municipal security insurance policy will not cover: (i) repayment of a municipal security before maturity (redemption), (ii) prepayment or payment of an acceleration premium (except for a mandatory sinking fund redemption) or any other provision of a bond indenture that advances the maturity of the bond, or (iii) nonpayment of principal or interest caused by negligence or bankruptcy of the paying agent. A mandatory sinking fund redemption may be a provision of a municipal security issue whereby part of the municipal security issue may be retired before maturity.
 
Because a significant portion of the municipal securities issued and outstanding is insured by a small number of insurance companies, an event involving one or more of these insurance companies could have a significant adverse effect on the value of the securities insured by that insurance company and on the municipal markets as a whole.
 
U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES
 
The Fund and certain Underlying Funds may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years.  Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as Fannie Mae, the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).
 
17


Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.

On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship.  Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality (the “Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement” or “Agreement”).  Under the Agreement, the U.S. Treasury pledged to provide up to $200 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets.  This was intended to ensure that the instrumentalities maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory triggering of receivership.  On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was amending the Agreement to allow the $200 billion cap on the U.S. Treasury’s funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in net worth over the next three years.  As a result of this Agreement, the investments of holders, including the Fund, of mortgage-backed securities and other obligations issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are protected.

 
·
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”).

 
·
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.

 
·
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.

 
·
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 U.S. 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 nor to the value of the Fund’s Shares.
 
18


BORROWING

While the Fund does not anticipate doing so, the Fund may borrow money for investment purposes.  Borrowing for investment purposes is one form of leverage.  Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique that increases investment risk, but also increases investment opportunity.  Because substantially all of the Fund’s assets will fluctuate in value, whereas the interest obligations on borrowings may be fixed, the NAV of the Fund will increase more when the Fund’s portfolio assets increase in value and decrease more when the Fund’s portfolio assets decrease in value than would otherwise be the case.  Moreover, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the returns on the borrowed funds.  Under adverse conditions, the Fund might have to sell portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when investment considerations would not favor such sales.  The Fund intends to use leverage during periods when the Sub-Adviser believes that the Fund’s investment objective would be furthered.

The Fund may also borrow money to facilitate management of the Fund’s portfolio by enabling the Fund to meet redemption requests when the liquidation of portfolio instruments would be inconvenient or disadvantageous.  Such borrowing is not for investment purposes and will be repaid by the borrowing Fund promptly. As required by the 1940 Act, the Fund must maintain continuous asset coverage (total assets, including assets acquired with borrowed funds, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of all amounts borrowed. If, at any time, the value of the Fund’s assets should fail to meet this 300% coverage test, the Fund, within three days (not including Sundays and holidays), will reduce the amount of the Fund’s borrowings to the extent necessary to meet this 300% coverage requirement.  Maintenance of this percentage limitation may result in the sale of portfolio securities at a time when investment considerations otherwise indicate that it would be disadvantageous to do so.

LENDING PORTFOLIO SECURITIES

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain creditworthy borrowers. The borrowers provide collateral that is maintained in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned. The Fund may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the return of the securities loaned. The Fund receives the value of any interest or cash or non-cash distributions paid on the loaned securities.  Distributions received on loaned securities in lieu of dividend payments (i.e., substitute payments) would not be considered qualified dividend income.

With respect to loans that are collateralized by cash, the borrower will be entitled to receive a fee based on the amount of cash collateral.  The Fund is compensated by the difference between the amount earned on the reinvestment of cash collateral and the fee paid to the borrower. In the case of collateral other than cash, the Fund is compensated by a fee paid by the borrower equal to a percentage of the market value of the loaned securities. Any cash collateral may be reinvested in certain short-term instruments either directly on behalf of the lending Fund or through one or more joint accounts or money market funds, which may include those managed by the Sub-Adviser.
 
19


The Fund may pay a portion of the interest or fees earned from securities lending to a borrower as described above, and to one or more securities lending agents approved by the Board who administer the lending program for the Fund in accordance with guidelines approved by the Board. In such capacity, the lending agent causes the delivery of loaned securities from the Fund to borrowers, arranges for the return of loaned securities to the Fund at the termination of a loan, requests deposit of collateral, monitors the daily value of the loaned securities and collateral, requests that borrowers add to the collateral when required by the loan agreements, and provides recordkeeping and accounting services necessary for the operation of the program.
 
Securities lending involves exposure to certain risks, including operational risk (i.e., the risk of losses resulting from problems in the settlement and accounting process), “gap” risk (i.e., the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the fees the Fund has agreed to pay a borrower), and credit, legal, counterparty and market risk. In the event a borrower does not return the Fund’s securities as agreed, the Fund may experience losses if the proceeds received from liquidating the collateral do not at least equal the value of the loaned security at the time the collateral is liquidated plus the transaction costs incurred in purchasing replacement securities.

REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS
 
The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment and have the characteristics of borrowing. The securities purchased with the funds obtained from the agreement and securities collateralizing the agreement will have maturity dates no later than the repayment date. Generally the effect of such transactions is that the Fund can recover all or most of the cash invested in the portfolio securities involved during the term of the reverse repurchase agreement, while in many cases the Fund is able to keep some of the interest income associated with those securities. Such transactions are only advantageous if the Fund has an opportunity to earn a greater rate of interest on the cash derived from these transactions than the interest cost of obtaining the same amount of cash. Opportunities to realize earnings from the use of the proceeds equal to or greater than the interest required to be paid may not always be available and the Fund intends to use the reverse repurchase technique only when the Sub-Adviser believes it will be advantageous to the Fund. The use of reverse repurchase agreements may exaggerate any interim increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s assets. The Fund’s exposure to reverse repurchase agreements will be covered by securities having a value equal to or greater than such commitments. Under the 1940 Act, reverse repurchase agreements are considered borrowings. Although there is no limit on the percentage of total assets the Fund may invest in reverse repurchase agreements, the use of reverse repurchase agreements is not a principal strategy of the Fund.
 
OTHER SHORT-TERM INSTRUMENTS
 
In addition to repurchase agreements, the Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include but are not limited to: (i) shares of money market funds; (ii) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (iii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), bankers’ acceptances, fixed time deposits and other obligations of U.S. and foreign banks (including foreign branches) and similar institutions; (iv) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1” by S&P, or if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Sub-Adviser; (v) non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures) with remaining maturities at the date of purchase of not more than 397 days and that satisfy the rating requirements set forth in Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act; and (vi) short-term U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of the Sub-Adviser, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by the Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or a forward-settled basis. Money market instruments also include shares of money market funds. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.
 
20

 
INVESTMENT COMPANIES
 
The Fund will invest in the securities of other investment companies, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act.  Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), the Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that the Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate:  (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than Treasury stock of the Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund.
 
If the Fund invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Fund’s own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund’s own operations.
 
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in securities of other registered investment companies, including the Fund. The acquisition of the Fund’s Shares by registered investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except as may be permitted by exemptive rules under the 1940 Act or as may at some future time be permitted by an exemptive order that permits registered investment companies to invest in the Fund beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions, including that the registered investment company enter into an agreement with the Fund regarding the terms of the investment.
 
FUTURES CONTRACTS, OPTIONS AND SWAP AGREEMENTS
 
Certain Underlying Funds may utilize futures contracts, options contracts and swap agreements and the Fund may invest in futures contracts.  Futures contracts generally provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified commodity or security at a specified future time and at a specified price. Index futures contracts are settled daily with a payment by one party to the other of a cash amount based on the difference between the level of the index specified in the contract from one day to the next. Futures contracts are standardized as to maturity date and underlying instrument and are traded on futures exchanges.
 
An Underlying Fund is required to make a good faith margin deposit in cash or U.S. government securities with a broker or custodian to initiate and maintain open positions in futures contracts. A margin deposit is intended to assure completion of the contract (delivery or acceptance of the underlying commodity or payment of the cash settlement amount) if it is not terminated prior to the specified delivery date. Brokers may establish deposit requirements which are higher than the exchange minimums. Futures contracts are customarily purchased and sold on margin deposits which may range upward from less than 5% of the value of the contract being traded.
 
After a futures contract position is opened, the value of the contract is marked to market daily. If the futures contract price changes to the extent that the margin on deposit does not satisfy margin requirements, payment of additional “variation” margin will be required. Conversely, change in the contract value may reduce the required margin, resulting in a repayment of excess margin to the contract holder. Variation margin payments are made to and from the futures broker for as long as the contract remains open. In such case, the Underlying Fund would expect to earn interest income on its margin deposits. Closing out an open futures position is done by taking an opposite position (“buying” a contract which has previously been “sold,” or “selling” a contract previously “purchased”) in an identical contract to terminate the position. Brokerage commissions are incurred when a futures contract position is opened or closed.
 
21

 
An Underlying Fund may purchase and sell put and call options.  A call option gives a holder the right to purchase a specific security or an index at a specified price ("exercise price") within a specified period of time. A put option gives a holder the right to sell a specific security or an index at a specified price within a specified period of time. The initial purchaser of a call option pays the "writer," i.e., the party selling the option, a premium which is paid at the time of purchase and is retained by the writer whether or not such option is exercised. The Underlying Funds may purchase put options to hedge their portfolios against the risk of a decline in the market value of securities held and may purchase call options to hedge against an increase in the price of securities it is committed to purchase. The Underlying Funds may write put and call options along with a long position in options to increase their ability to hedge against a change in the market value of the securities they hold or are committed to purchase.

Options may relate to particular securities and may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange and issued by the Options Clearing Corporation.  Options trading is a highly specialized activity that entails greater than ordinary investment risk.  Options on particular securities may be more volatile than the underlying securities, and therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation than an investment in the underlying securities themselves.
 
Restrictions on the Use of Futures and Options.  In February 2012, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") adopted amendments to Rule 4.5 of the Commodity Exchange Act ("CEA") that significantly limit the ability of certain regulated entities, including registered investment companies such as the Trust, to rely on an exclusion that would exempt its investment adviser from having to register with the CFTC as a commodity pool operator ("CPO"). The exclusion from Rule 4.5 previously allowed registered investment companies to engage in unlimited transactions involving futures contracts. However, under amended Rule 4.5, the investment adviser of a registered investment company may claim exclusion from registration as a CPO only if the registered investment company that it advises uses futures contracts solely for "bona fide hedging purposes" or limits its use of futures contracts for non-bona fide hedging purposes such that (i) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish non-bona fide hedging positions with respect to futures contracts do not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the registered investment company's portfolio, or (ii) the aggregate "notional value" of the non-bona fide hedging commodity interests do not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the registered investment company's portfolio (taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). [The Trust has claimed exclusion on behalf of the Fund under the amended Rule 4.5. These rule revisions effectively limit the Fund’s use, and its investment in Underlying Funds that make use, of futures, options on futures, swaps, or other commodity interests. The Fund currently intends to comply with the terms of revised Rule 4.5 so as to avoid regulation as a commodity pool, and as a result, the ability of the Fund to utilize, or invest in Underlying Funds that utilize, futures, options on futures, swaps, or other commodity interests may be limited in accordance with the terms of the rule.
 
Swap Agreements. The Underlying Funds may enter into swap agreements; including interest rate, index, and total return swap agreements.  Swap agreements are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to the other party based on the change in market value or level of a specified rate, index or asset. In return, the other party agrees to make payments to the first party based on the return of a different specified rate, index or asset. Swap agreements will usually be done on a net basis, i.e., where the two parties make net payments with the Underlying Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Underlying Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each swap is accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or equivalents having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess is maintained by the Underlying Fund.
 
22

 
In a total return swap transaction, one party agrees to pay the other party an amount equal to the total return on a defined underlying asset or a non-asset reference during a specified period of time. The underlying asset might be a security or basket of securities, and the non-asset reference could be a securities index. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on the total return from a different underlying asset or non-asset reference. The payments of the two parties could be made on a net basis.
 
SHORT SALES

The Fund may engage in short sales that are either “uncovered” or “against the box.”  A short sale is “against the box” if at all times during which the short position is open, the Fund owns at least an equal amount of the securities or securities convertible into, or exchangeable without further consideration for, securities of the same issue as the securities that are sold short.  A short sale against the box is a taxable transaction to the Fund with respect to the securities that are sold short.

Uncovered short sales are transactions under which the Fund sells a security it does not own.  To complete such a transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer.  The Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security at the market price at the time of the replacement.  The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund.  Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to pay the lender amounts equal to any dividends or interest that accrue during the period of the loan.  To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold.  The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out.

Until the Fund closes its short position or replaces the borrowed security, the Fund may: (a) segregate cash or liquid securities at such a level that the amount segregated plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the security sold short; or (b) otherwise cover the Fund’s short position.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
 
The Fund may take advantage of opportunities in the area of options and futures contracts, options on futures contracts, warrants, swaps and any other investments which are not presently contemplated for use by the Fund or which are not currently available but which may be developed, to the extent such opportunities are both consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and legally permissible for the Fund. Before entering into such transactions or making any such investment, the Fund will provide appropriate disclosure.
 
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND RISKS
 
A discussion of the risks associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Prospectus.  The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus.
 
23

 
GENERAL
 
Investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of the issuers of the portfolio securities, the value of securities generally and other factors.
 
An investment in the Fund should also be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the securities markets may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the portfolio securities and thus in the value of Shares). Securities are susceptible to general market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies, inflation and interest rates, economic expansion or contraction, and global or regional political, economic and banking crises.
 
Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, have generally inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors of, or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks issued by, the issuer. Further, unlike debt securities which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, will be subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.
 
FUTURES AND OPTIONS TRANSACTIONS
 
Positions in futures contracts and options may be closed out only on an exchange which provides a secondary market therefore. However, there can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular futures contract or option at any specific time. Thus, it may not be possible to close a futures or options position. In the event of adverse price movements, an Underlying Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments to maintain its required margin. In such situations, if the Underlying Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities to meet daily margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. In addition, the Underlying Fund may be required to make delivery of the instruments underlying futures contracts it has sold.
 
The Underlying Fund will minimize the risk that it will be unable to close out a futures or options contract by only entering into futures and options for which there appears to be a liquid secondary market.
 
The risk of loss in trading futures contracts or uncovered call options in some strategies (e.g., selling uncovered index futures contracts) is potentially unlimited. The risk of a futures position may still be large as traditionally measured due to the low margin deposits required. In many cases, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor relative to the size of a required margin deposit.
 
Utilization of futures transactions by an Underlying Fund involves the risk of imperfect or even negative correlation to the  Index if the index underlying the futures contracts differs from the Index. There is also the risk of loss by the Underlying Fund of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom the Underlying Fund has an open position in the futures contract or option.
 
Certain financial futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price at the end of a trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of contract, no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movement during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses, because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. Futures contract prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and subjecting some futures traders to substantial losses.
 
24

 
RISKS OF SWAP AGREEMENTS
 
The risk of loss with respect to swaps generally is limited to the net amount of payments that a Fund is contractually obligated to make.  Swap agreements are subject to the risk that the swap counterparty will default on its obligations. If such a default occurs, an Underlying Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction, but such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws which could affect the Underlying Fund’s rights as a creditor (e.g., the Underlying Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that it contractually is entitled to receive).
 
The use of interest-rate and index swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. These transactions generally do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets or principal.
 
Total return swaps could result in losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Total return swaps can have the potential for unlimited losses. The Funds may lose money in a total return swap if the counterparty fails to meet its obligations.
 
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Fund.  These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to the Fund without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For these purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority of outstanding shares” means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.  Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, the Fund may not:
 
1.
Purchase securities of any issuer (except securities of other investment companies, securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities and repurchase agreements involving such securities) if, as a result, (i) more than 5% of the total assets of the Fund would be invested in the securities of such issuer; or (ii) acquire more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer.  This restriction applies to 75% of the Fund’s assets.

2.
Concentrate its investments in an industry or group of industries (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of companies in a particular industry or group of industries), except that the Fund will concentrate to approximately the same extent that its underlying Index concentrates in the securities of companies in such particular industry or group of industries. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities and securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.

3.
Borrow money or issue senior securities (as defined under the 1940 Act), except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
 
25


4.
Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

5.
Purchase or sell commodities or real estate, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

6.
Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

In addition to the investment restrictions adopted as fundamental policies as set forth above, the Fund observes the following restrictions, which may be changed without a shareholder vote.
 
1.
The Fund will not hold illiquid assets in excess of 15% of its net assets. An illiquid asset is any asset which may not be sold or disposed 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 will not invest less than 80% of its total assets in securities that comprise its underlying index.
 
If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitations with respect to the borrowing of money and illiquid securities will be observed continuously.
 
The following descriptions of certain provisions of the 1940 Act may assist investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions:

Concentration. The SEC has defined concentration as investing 25% or more of an investment company's total assets in an industry or group of industries, with certain exceptions.

Diversification. Under the 1940 Act, a diversified investment management company, as to 75% of its total assets, may not purchase securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agents or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the issuer's outstanding voting securities would be held by the fund.

Borrowing. The 1940 Act presently allows a fund to borrow from any bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings not in excess of 5% of its total assets).

Senior Securities. Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by a fund evidencing indebtedness.  The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities, although it does not treat certain transactions as senior securities, such as certain borrowings, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements and standby commitments, with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to cover such obligation.
 
26


Lending. Under the 1940 Act, a fund may only make loans if expressly permitted by its investment policies.  The Fund’s current investment policy on lending is as follows:  the Fund may not make loans if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, except that the Fund may: (i) purchase or hold debt instruments in accordance with its investment objective and policies; (ii) enter into repurchase agreements; and (iii) engage in securities lending as described in its SAI.

Underwriting. Under the 1940 Act, underwriting securities involves a fund purchasing securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing) them or participating in any such activity either directly or indirectly.

Real Estate. The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment company's ability to invest in real estate, but does require that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments.  The Fund will not purchase or sell real estate, except that the Fund may purchase marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in real estate (including REITs).
 
Commodities.  The Fund will not purchase or sell physical commodities or commodities contracts, except that the Fund may purchase: (i) marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in commodities or commodities contracts; and (ii) commodities contracts relating to financial instruments, such as financial futures contracts and options on such contracts.
 
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING
 
A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Prospectus under the “Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares” in the Fund Summary and “Buying and Selling the Fund.”  The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such sections of the Prospectus.
 
The Shares of the Fund are approved for listing and trading on the Exchange, subject to notice of issuance. The Shares trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ to some degree from their NAV. 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: (1) following the initial twelve-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; (2) the value of its underlying Index or portfolio of securities on which the Fund is based is no longer calculated or available; (3) the “indicative optimized portfolio value” (“IOPV”) of the Fund is no longer calculated or available; or (4) such other event shall occur or condition exists that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. In addition, the Exchange will remove the Shares from listing and trading upon termination of the Trust or the Fund.
 
The Exchange (or market data vendors or other information providers) will disseminate, every fifteen seconds during the regular trading day, an IOPV relating to the Fund.  The IOPV calculations are estimates of the value of the Fund’s NAV per Share and are based on the current market value of the securities and/or cash required to be deposited in exchange for a Creation Unit. Premiums and discounts between the IOPV and the market price may occur. This should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV per share of the Fund, which is calculated only once a day. Neither the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or any of their affiliates are involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of such IOPVs and make no warranty as to their accuracy.
 
27

 
The Trust reserves the right to adjust the Share price of the Fund in the future to 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.
 
As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.
 
The base and trading currencies of the Fund is the U.S. dollar. The base currency is the currency in which the Fund’s NAV per share is calculated and the trading currency is the currency in which Shares of the Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange.
 
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Fund Management.”

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST

Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series, including the Fund described in this SAI, are overseen by the Trustees.  The Board elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Fund.   The Board has approved contracts, as described below, under which certain companies provide essential services to the Trust.

Like most mutual funds, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Distributor and Administrator.  The Trustees are responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, have oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers.  Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Fund.  The Fund and its service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify various of those possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur.  Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business (e.g., the Sub-Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Fund’s service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.

The Trustees’ role in risk oversight begins before the inception of the Fund, at which time certain of the Fund’s service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies and risks of the Fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund.  Additionally, the Fund’s Adviser provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices and compliance infrastructure.  Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the Sub-Adviser and other service providers such as the Fund’s independent accountants, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management.  The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the Fund may be exposed.
 
28


The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Fund by the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser and receives information about those services at its regular meetings.  In addition, on an annual basis, in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Advisory Agreements with the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, the Board meets with the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser to review such services.  Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser’s and the Sub-Adviser’s adherence to the Fund’s investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations.  The Board also reviews information about the Fund’s performance and the Fund’s investments, including, for example, portfolio holdings schedules.

The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and Fund and Adviser risk assessments.  At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser.  The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.

The Board receives reports from the Fund’s service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities.  The Board has also established a Fair Value Committee that is responsible for implementing the Trust’s Fair Value Procedures and providing reports to the Board concerning investments for which market quotations are not readily available.  Annually, the independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Fund’s internal controls.  Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods.  The Board also oversees the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust's financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust's financial statements.

From their review of these reports and discussions with the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the Fund, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness.  Moreover, reports received by the Trustees as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information.  Most of the Fund’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Fund’s Adviser and other service providers each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Fund’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls.  As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.
 
29


Members of the Board.  There are five members of the Board of Trustees, four of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (“independent Trustees”).   J. Garrett Stevens, the sole interested Trustee, serves as Chairman of the Board.  The Trust does not have a lead independent trustee.  The Board of Trustees is comprised of a super-majority (67 percent) of independent Trustees.  The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust.  The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the independent Trustees of the Fund constitute a super-majority of the Board, the number of independent Trustees that constitute the Board, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds overseen by the Board.  The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the independent Trustees from Fund management.
 
The Board of Trustees has two standing committees: the Audit Committee and the Nominating Committee (as defined below).  The Audit Committee and Nominating Committee are chaired by an independent Trustee and composed of independent Trustees.

Set forth below are the names, dates of birth, position with the Trust, length of term of office, and the principal occupations and other directorships held during at least the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as a Trustee of the Trust.

Name, Address,
and Age
Position(s)
Held with the
Trust
Term of
Office and
 Length of
Time Served
Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past 5
Years
Number of Portfolios in
Fund Complex Overseen
By Trustee
Other
Directorships
held by Trustee
Interested Trustee
J. Garrett Stevens
c/o Exchange Traded Concepts Trust
2545 S. Kelly Ave., Suite C, Edmond, OK 73013
(33 years old)
Trustee and President
Trustee
(Since 2009); President
(Since 2011)
T.S. Phillips Investments, Inc. 2000 to present — Investment Advisor/Vice President; Exchange Traded Concepts Trust 2009 to 2011 — Chief Executive Officer and Secretary, 2011 to present — President; Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC 2009 to Present — Chief Executive Officer; Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II 2012 to Present — President
5
ETF Series Solutions (1) — Trustee

 
30

 
 
Name, Address,
and Age
Position(s)
Held with the
Trust
Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served
Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past 5
Years
Number of Portfolios in
 Fund Complex Overseen
By Trustee
Other
Directorships
held by Trustee
Independent Trustees
Gary L. French
c/o Exchange Traded Concepts Trust
2545 S. Kelly Ave., Suite C, Edmond, OK 73013
(61 years old)
Trustee
Since 2011
State Street Bank, US Investor Services — Fund Administration 2002 to 2010 — Senior Vice President
4
Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II — Trustee
David M. Mahle
c/o Exchange Traded Concepts Trust 2545 S. Kelly Ave., Suite C, Edmond, OK 73013
(69 years old)
Trustee
Since 2011
Jones Day 2012 to Present — Consultant; Jones Day 2008 to 2011 — Of Counsel; Jones Day 1988-2008 — Partner
4
Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II — Trustee
Kurt Wolfgruber
c/o Exchange Traded Concepts Trust 2545 S. Kelly Ave., Suite C, Edmond, OK 73013
(62 years old)
Trustee
Since 2012
Oppenheimer Funds, Inc. 2007-2009 — President
4
New Mountain Finance Corp. —  Director; Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II — Trustee
Mark Zurack
c/o Exchange Traded Concepts Trust 2545 S. Kelly Ave., Suite C, Edmond, OK 73013
(55 years old)
Trustee
Since 2011
Columbia Business School 2002 to present — Professor
4
None

 
31

 
 
Individual Trustee Qualifications. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information about the Fund provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Fund, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders.  The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on their own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Stevens should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained in his roles with registered broker-dealer and investment management firms, as Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained as serving as trustee of the Trust since 2009.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. French should serve as a Trustee because of the experience he gained in various leadership roles with companies, including large financial institutions, that operated and administered to investment companies, his knowledge of such industries, as well as his significant financial and accounting experience.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Mahle should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained as an attorney in the investment management industry of a major law firm, representing exchange-traded funds and other investment companies as well as their sponsors and advisers and his knowledge and experience in investment management law and the financial services industry.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Wolfgruber should serves as a Trustee because of his experience as President and Chief Investment Officer of Oppenheimer Funds, Inc. Mr. Wolfgruber was responsible for the investment process of $65 billion in assets in the Oppenheimer domestic equity portfolio teams and has been involved in investment management for over 30 years.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Zurack should serve as a Trustee because of the experience he has gained serving in various leadership roles in the equity derivatives groups of a large financial institution, his experience in teaching equity derivatives at the graduate level, as well as his knowledge of the financial services industry.

In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the funds.

Set forth below are the names, dates of birth, position with the Trust, length and term of office, and the principal occupations and other directorships held during at least the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as officers of the Trust.

 
32

 
 
OFFICERS
 
Name, Address,
and Age
Position(s)
Held with
the Trust
Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
Other
Directorships
held during the
Past 5 Years
J. Garrett Stevens
3555 Northwest 2545 S. Kelly Ave., Suite C, Edmond, OK 73013
(33 years old)
Trustee and President
Trustee
(Since 2009)
President
(Since 2011)
T.S. Phillips Investments, Inc. 2000 to present — Investment Advisor/Vice President; Exchange Traded Concepts Trust 2009 to 2011 — Chief Executive Officer and Secretary, 2011 to present — President; Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC 2009 to Present — Chief Executive Officer; Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II 2012 to present — President
ETF Series Solutions (1) — Trustee
Richard Hogan
2545 S. Kelly Ave., Suite C, Edmond, OK 73013
(51 years old)
Treasurer and Secretary
Since 2011
Yorkville ETF Advisors 2011 to present — Managing Member; Private Investor — 2002 to 2011
Board Member of Peconic Land Trust of Suffolk County, NY.; Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II — Trustee
Peter Rodriguez
SEI Investments Company, One Freedom Valley Drive Oaks, PA 19456 (50 years old)
Assistant Treasurer
Since 2011
Director, Fund Accounting, SEI Investments Global Funds Services, Company 2011 to present, 1997 to 2005; Director, Mutual Fund Trading, SEI Private Trust Company, 2009 to 2011; Director, Asset Data Services, Global Wealth Services, 2006 to 2009; Director, Portfolio Accounting, SEI Investments Global Fund Services, 2005 to 2006
None
Carolyn Mead
SEI Investments Company, One Freedom Valley Drive Oaks, PA 19456 (55 years old)
Assistant Secretary
 
Since 2009
Counsel, SEI Investments 2007 to present.
None
Eric Kleinschmidt
SEI Investments Company, One Freedom Valley Drive Oaks, PA 19456
(44 years old)
Assitant Treasurer
Since 2013
Director, Fund Accounting, SEI Investments Global Funds Services 2004 to present, Manager, Fund Accounting 1999 to 2004.
None

 
33

 
 
COMPENSATION OF THE TRUSTEES
 
 
·
The following table sets forth the fees paid, as well as the estimated compensation to be paid to the Trustees for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2013.  Trustee compensation does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attendance at meetings.
 
Name
Aggregate Compensation
Pension or
Retirement Benefits
Accrued as Part of
Fund Expenses
Estimated
Annual Benefits
Upon Retirement
Total Compensation from the
Trust and Fund Complex
Interested Trustee
Stevens
$0
n/a
n/a
$0 for service on (1) board
Independent Trustees
French
$X
n/a
n/a
$X for service on (1) board
Wolfgruber
$X
n/a
n/a
$X for service on (1) board
Mahle
$X
n/a
n/a
$X for service on (1) board
Zurack
$X
n/a
n/a
$X for service on (1) board
 
BOARD COMMITTEES
 
The Board has established the following standing committees:
 
Audit Committee. The Board has a standing Audit Committee that is composed of each of the independent Trustees of the Trust.  The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: recommending which firm to engage as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and whether to terminate this relationship; reviewing the independent registered public accounting firm’s compensation, the proposed scope and terms of its engagement, and the firm’s independence; pre-approving audit and non-audit services provided by the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust and certain other affiliated entities; serving as a channel of communication between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trustees; reviewing the results of each external audit, including any qualifications in the independent registered public accounting firm’s opinion, any related management letter, management’s responses to recommendations made by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit, reports submitted to the Committee by the internal auditing department of the Trust’s Administrator that are material to the Trust as a whole, if any, and management’s responses to any such reports; reviewing the Fund’s audited financial statements and considering any significant disputes between the Trust’s management and the independent registered public accounting firm that arose in connection with the preparation of those financial statements; considering, in consultation with the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trust’s senior internal accounting executive, if any, the independent registered public accounting firms’ report on the adequacy of the Trust’s internal financial controls; reviewing, in consultation with the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, major changes regarding auditing and accounting principles and practices to be followed when preparing the Fund’s financial statements; and other audit related matters.  The Audit Committee meets periodically, as necessary, and met two (2) times in the most recently completed Trust fiscal year.

 
34

 
 
Nominating Committee. The Board has a standing Nominating Committee that is composed of each of the independent Trustees of the Trust.  The Nominating Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board.  The principal responsibility of the Nominating Committee is to consider, recommend and nominate candidates to fill vacancies on the Trust’s Board, if any.  The Nominating Committee generally will not consider nominees recommended by shareholders.  The Nominating Committee meets periodically, as necessary, and met two (2) times in the most recently completed fiscal year.
 
Fair Value Committee. The Board also has established a Fair Value Committee that is comprised of representatives from the Adviser, representatives from the Fund’s administrator, counsel to the Fund, and/or members of the Board of Trustees. The Fair Value Committee operates under procedures approved by the Board.  The Fair Value Committee is responsible for the valuation and revaluation of any portfolio investments for which market quotations or prices are not readily available. Mr. Stevens, Mr. French, Mr. Wolfgruber and Mr. Zurack currently serve as the Board’s delegates on the Fair Value Committee.  The Fair Value Committee meets periodically, as necessary, and did not meet during the most recently completed fiscal year.
 
OWNERSHIP OF FUND SHARES
 
The following table shows the dollar amount ranges of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares of the Fund and each other series of the Trust as of the end of the most recently completely calendar year.  Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC.  “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).
 
Name
Dollar Range of Shares1
Aggregate Dollar
Range of Fund Shares
(All Funds in the Complex)2
Interested Trustee
   
J. Garrett Stevens
None
None
Independent Trustees
   
Gary L. French
 
None
Edward A. Kerbs
None
None
David M. Mahle
None
None
Kurt Wolfgruber
None
None
Mark A. Zurack
None
None

1 As of the date of this SAI, none of the Trustees owned Shares of the Fund.
2 Valuation date is December 31, 2012.

CODES OF ETHICS

The Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the “Distributor”) have each adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics are designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and the Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Fund (which may also be held by persons subject to the codes of ethics).

 
35

 

There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics, filed as exhibits to this registration statement, may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
 
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
 
The Board of Trustees has delegated the responsibility to vote proxies for securities held in each Fund’s portfolio to the Adviser.  Proxies for the portfolio securities are voted in accordance with the Adviser’s proxy voting guidelines, which are set forth in Exhibit A to this SAI.  Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to its portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 will be available: (1) without charge by calling 1XX; (2) on the Fund’s website at XX; and (3) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
 
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (“ETC”), an Oklahoma limited liability company located at 2545 S. Kelly Ave., Suite C, Edmond, Oklahoma 73013, serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. The Adviser is majority owned by Yorkville ETF Holdings LLC.
 
The Trust and the Adviser have entered into an investment advisory agreement dated March 2, 2012, as amended from time to time (the “Advisory Agreement”) with respect to the Fund.  Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser provides investment advice to the Fund and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Fund, subject to the direction and control of the Board and the officers of the Trust.  The Adviser, in consultation with sub-advisers, arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate.  The Adviser administers the Fund’s business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and provides its officers and employees to serve as officers or Trustees of the Trust.
 
For the services the Adviser provides, the Fund pays the Adviser a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.50% on the average daily net assets of the Fund, subject to a $25,000 minimum fee. Under the investment advisory agreement, the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses incurred by the Trust except for the advisory fee, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, extraordinary expenses, and distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
 
For the fiscal period June 11, 2012 (commencement of operations) to April 30, 2013, the Fund paid the Adviser $XX in advisory fees.
 
Sub-Adviser.  The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Adviser have retained Index Management Solutions, LLC, One Commerce Square, 2005 Market Street, Suite 2020, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 to act as sub-adviser to the Fund (the “Sub-Adviser”). The Sub-Adviser was established in 2009 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of VTL Associates, LLC. The Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions as instructed by the Adviser or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the Index, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board of Trustees. Under a sub-advisory agreement, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser a fee, calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.045% on the average daily net assets of the Fund, subject to a $10,000 minimum fee.

 
36

 
 
For the fiscal period June 11, 2012 (commencement of operations) to April 30, 2013, the Adviser paid the Sub-Adviser $XX in sub-advisory fees.

After the initial two-year term, the continuance of an advisory or sub-advisory agreement must be specifically approved at least annually: (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund; and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to an advisory or sub-advisory agreement or “interested persons” or of any party thereto, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.  An advisory or sub-advisory agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Trustees of the Trust or, with respect to the Fund, by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, or by the Adviser on not more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ written notice to the Trust.  As used in the advisory and sub-advisory agreements, the terms “majority of the outstanding voting securities,” “interested persons” and “assignment” have the same meaning as such terms in the 1940 Act.

THE PORTFOLIO MANAGER
 
This section includes information about the Fund’s portfolio manager, including information about other accounts she manages, the dollar range of Shares she owns and how she is compensated.
 
Denise M. Krisko, CFA, is the portfolio manager of the Fund.  Ms. Krisko is responsible for the investment decisions for the Fund.  Ms. Krisko became the Chief Investment Officer for the Sub-Adviser in 2009 and has over eighteen years of investment experience.  Previously, she was a Managing Director and Co-Head of Equity Index Management and Head of East Coast Equity Index Strategies for Mellon Capital Management. She was also a Managing Director of The Bank of New York and Head of Equity Index Strategies for BNY Investment Advisors since August of 2005.  Ms. Krisko attained the Chartered Financial Analyst (“CFA”) designation in 2000.  She graduated with a BS from Pennsylvania State University and obtained her MBA from Villanova University.

Compensation
 
Denise M. Krisko, CFA, is the portfolio manager of the Fund.  Ms. Krisko receives a fixed base salary and incentive awards based on profitability, growth in assets, and long-term investment performance.  Key staff members of the Sub-Adviser are eligible to participate in a deferred compensation plan due to their high level of accountability and upon demonstrating a successful long-term performance track record.  The value of the award increases during a vesting period based upon the profitability of the firm. Voluntary contributions may be made to a defined contribution plan.

Shares Owned by Portfolio Manager
 
The Fund is required to show the dollar range of the portfolio manager’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares of the Fund as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year.  Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC.  “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Exchange Act.  As of the date of this SAI, the Portfolio Manager did not beneficially own Shares of the Fund.

Other Accounts Managed by Portfolio Manager. In addition to the Fund, the Portfolio Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below.  The information below is provided as of March 31, 2013.

 
37

 

Name
Registered Investment Companies
Other Pooled Investment Vehicle
Other Accounts
Number of Accounts
Total Assets
($ millions)
Number of Accounts
Total Assets
($ millions)
Number of Accounts
Total Assets
($ millions)
Denise M. Krisko, CFA
11
681.9
0
$0
2
$335.2

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
 
Because the portfolio manager manages multiple portfolios for multiple clients, the potential for conflicts of interest exists. The portfolio manager may manage portfolios that have substantially the same investment style as the Fund. However, the portfolios managed by the portfolio manager may not have portfolio compositions identical to those of the Fund due, for example, to specific investment limitations or guidelines present in some portfolios or accounts, but not others. The portfolio manager may purchase securities for one portfolio and not another portfolio, and the performance of securities purchased for one portfolio may vary from the performance of securities purchased for other portfolios. The portfolio manager may place transactions on behalf of other accounts that are directly or indirectly contrary to investment decisions made on behalf of the Fund, or make investment decisions that are similar to those made for the Fund, both of which have the potential to adversely impact the Fund depending on market conditions. For example, the portfolio manager may purchase a security in one portfolio while appropriately selling that same security in another portfolio. In addition, some of these portfolios have fee structures that are or have the potential to be higher than the advisory fees paid by the Fund, which may cause potential conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities between the Fund and the other accounts. However, the compensation structure for the portfolio manager does not generally provide incentive to favor one account over another because that part of the manager’s bonus based on performance is not based on the performance of one account to the exclusion of others. There are many other factors considered in determining the portfolio manager’s bonus and there is no formula that is applied to weight the factors listed. In addition, current trading practices do not allow the Adviser or Sub-Adviser to intentionally favor one portfolio over another as trades are executed as trade orders are received. Portfolio rebalancing dates also generally vary between fund families. Program trades created from the portfolio rebalance are executed at market on close.
 
FUND SPONSOR
 
The Fund has entered into a Sub-License, Marketing Support and Expense Reimbursement Agreement (the “Agreement”) with YieldShares LLC, or the Sponsor.  Under the Agreement, the Sponsor agrees to sub-license the use of the Index to the Fund and assumes the obligation of the Adviser to pay all expenses of the Fund, except Excluded Expenses.  The Sponsor will also provide marketing support for the Fund including, but not limited to, distributing the Fund’s materials and providing the Fund with access to and the use of the Sponsor’s other marketing capabilities.  For its services the Sponsor is entitled to a fee from the Adviser, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of XX% of the average daily net assets of the Fund.  YieldShares LLC (“YieldShares”) is a privately held business focused on analysis and product design within the income investment segment.  Founded by Chief Executive Officer Christian Magoon, YieldShares’ mission is to expand investor access to income investment strategies.  YieldShares research was used in the creation of the Index, which the Fund tracks.  Christian Magoon is also Chief Executive Officer of Magoon Capital LLC (“Magoon Capital”), a privately held business providing strategic counsel on product development, marketing and distribution to exchange-traded fund companies.  Prior to forming Magoon Capital in 2010, Christian Magoon was President of Claymore Securities (now Guggenheim Investment), where he led the firm’s product development, distribution and marketing efforts.  He is a regular contributor to financial media outlets and industry conferences.

 
38

 
 
The Sponsor does not make investment decisions, provide investment advice, or otherwise acts in the capacity of an investment adviser to the Fund.  Additionally, the Sponsor is not involved in the maintenance of the Index, or otherwise act in the capacity of an index provider.
 
THE DISTRIBUTOR
 
The Trust and the Distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the “Distributor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments Company (“SEI Investments”), and an affiliate of the Administrator, are parties to an amended and restated distribution agreement dated November 10, 2011 (“Distribution Agreement”), whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for the Trust’s shares and distributes the Shares of the Fund.  Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. Each Creation Unit is made up of at least 50,000 Shares. The Distributor will not distribute Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit.  The principal business address of the Distributor is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456.
 
Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent for the Trust, will solicit orders for the purchase of the Shares, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor will deliver Prospectuses and, upon request, Statements of Additional Information to persons purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of orders placed with it. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).
 
The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Creation of Creation Units” below) or DTC participants (as defined below).
 
The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable thereafter.  The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.  The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by majority vote of the Fund’s outstanding voting shares or by a vote of a majority of its Board (including a majority of the Independent Trustees), or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Distribution Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Distributor, or reckless disregard by it of its obligations thereunder, the Distributor shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.
 
The Distributor may also provide trade order processing services pursuant to a services agreement.
 
Distribution Plan.  The Trust has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) in accordance with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates circumstances under which an investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution of its shares.  No payments pursuant to the Plan will be made during the initial twelve (12) months of operation.  Continuance of the Plan must be approved annually by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan (“Qualified Trustees”).  The Plan requires that quarterly written reports of amounts spent under the Plan and the purposes of such expenditures be furnished to and reviewed by the Trustees.  The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount that may be spent thereunder without approval by a majority of the outstanding shares of any class of the Fund that is affected by such increase.  All material amendments of the Plan will require approval by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and of the Qualified Trustees.

 
39

 

The Plan provides that Shares of the Fund pay the Distributor an annual fee of up to a maximum of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Shares. Under the Plan, the Distributor may make payments pursuant to written agreements to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations and insurance companies including, without limit, investment counselors, broker-dealers and the Distributor’s affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively, “Agents”) as compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance.  The Plan is characterized as a compensation plan since the distribution fee will be paid to the Distributor without regard to the distribution expenses incurred by the Distributor or the amount of payments made to other financial institutions and intermediaries.  The Trust intends to operate the Plan in accordance with its terms and with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) rules concerning sales charges.
 
Under the Plan, subject to the limitations of applicable law and regulations, the Fund is authorized to compensate the Distributor up to the maximum amount to finance any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of each Fund or for providing or arranging for others to provide shareholder services and for the maintenance of shareholder accounts. Such activities may include, but are not limited to: (i) delivering copies of the Funds’ then current reports, prospectuses, notices, and similar materials, to prospective purchasers of Creation Units; (ii) marketing and promotional services, including advertising; (iii) paying the costs of and compensating others, including Authorized Participants with whom the Distributor has entered into written Authorized Participant Agreements, for performing shareholder servicing on behalf of the Funds; (iv) compensating certain Authorized Participants for providing assistance in distributing the Creation Units of the Funds, including the travel and communication expenses and salaries and/or commissions of sales personnel in connection with the distribution of the Creation Units of the Funds; (v) payments to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies and investment counselors, broker-dealers, mutual fund supermarkets and the affiliates and subsidiaries of the Trust’s service providers as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance; (vi) facilitating communications with beneficial owners of Shares, including the cost of providing (or paying others to provide) services to beneficial owners of shares, including, but not limited to, assistance in answering inquiries related to Shareholder accounts, and (vi) such other services and obligations as are set forth in the Distribution Agreement.
 
THE ADMINISTRATOR
 
SEI Investments Global Funds Services (the “Administrator”), a Delaware statutory trust, has its principal business offices at One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456.  SEI Investments Management Corporation (“SIMC”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments, is the owner of all beneficial interest in the Administrator.  SEI Investments and its subsidiaries and affiliates, including the Administrator, are leading providers of funds evaluation services, trust accounting systems, and brokerage and information services to financial institutions, institutional investors, and money managers.  The Administrator and its affiliates also serve as administrator or sub-administrator to other exchange-traded funds and mutual funds.
 
The Trust and the Administrator have entered into an amended and restated administration agreement dated November 10, 2011 (the “Administration Agreement”).  Under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator provides the Trust with administrative services, including regulatory reporting and all necessary office space, equipment, personnel and facilities.  Pursuant to a schedule to the Administration Agreement, the Administrator also serves as the shareholder servicing agent for the Fund whereby the Administrator provides certain shareholder services to the Fund.

 
40

 

The Administration Agreement provides that the Administrator shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the matters to which the Administration Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Administrator in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its duties and obligations thereunder.

For its services under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator is entitled to a fee, based on assets under management, subject to a minimum fee.

THE CUSTODIAN

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (the “Custodian”), 40 Water Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, serves as the custodian of the Fund. The Custodian holds cash, securities and other assets of the Fund as required by the 1940 Act.

THE TRANSFER AGENT

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (the “Transfer Agent”), 40 Water Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, serves as the Fund’s transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent under a transfer agency agreement with the Trust.

LEGAL COUNSEL
 
Bingham McCutchen LLP, 2020 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.
 
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
 
[_________] serves as the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the Fund.
 
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
 
The Trust’s Board of Trustees has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Fund’s security holdings. The Fund’s entire portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services including publicly available internet web sites. In addition, the composition of the In-Kind Creation Basket and the In-Kind Redemption Basket, is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the NYSE Arca via the NSCC.
 
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
 
The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and shares of each fund.  Each share of a fund represents an equal proportionate interest in that fund with each other share.  Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the fund.  Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees of the Trust may create additional series or classes of shares.  All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto.  Share certificates representing shares will not be issued.  The Fund’s Shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.

 
41

 
 
Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all funds vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other Funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter.  As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders.  Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of Trustees under certain circumstances.  Upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the Trust's shares, the Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more trustees and other certain matters.  In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.

Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate the Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if the Fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.

LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES’ LIABILITY
 
The Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law.  The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee.  The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the By-Laws.  However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee.  Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee’s individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.
 
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS
 
The policy of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for the Fund is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Fund and the Sub-Adviser from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services.  In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Trading Sub-Adviser will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases, an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of the Fund’s shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.

 
42

 
 
The Sub-Adviser owes a fiduciary duty to its clients to seek to provide best execution on trades effected. In selecting a broker/dealer for each specific transaction, the Sub-Adviser chooses the broker/dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable execution.  Best execution is generally understood to mean the most favorable cost or net proceeds reasonably obtainable under the circumstances.  The full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among multiple broker/dealers. The Sub-Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) when appropriate.
 
The Adviser does not currently use the Fund’s assets for, or participate in, any third party soft dollar arrangements, although it may receive proprietary research from various full service brokers, the cost of which is bundled with the cost of the broker’s execution services.  The Adviser does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research. Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act permits the Trading Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause the Fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer.  The Trading Sub-Adviser may receive a variety of research services and information on many topics, which it can use in connection with its management responsibilities with respect to the various accounts over which it exercises investment discretion or otherwise provides investment advice. The research services may include qualifying order management systems, portfolio attribution and monitoring services and computer software and access charges which are directly related to investment research.  Accordingly, the Fund may pay a broker commission higher than the lowest available in recognition of the broker’s provision of such services to the Trading Sub-Adviser, but only if the Trading Sub-Adviser determines the total commission (including the soft dollar benefit) is comparable to the best commission rate that could be expected to be received from other brokers.. The amount of soft dollar benefits received depends on the amount of brokerage transactions effected with the brokers. A conflict of interest exists because there is an incentive to: 1) cause clients to pay a higher commission than the firm might otherwise be able to negotiate; 2) cause clients to engage in more securities transactions than would otherwise be optimal; and 3) only recommend brokers that provide soft dollar benefits.

The Sub-Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest when it uses client trades to obtain brokerage or research services. This conflict exists because the Sub-Adviser is able to use the brokerage or research services to manage client accounts without paying cash for such services, which reduces the Sub-Adviser’s expenses to the extent that the Sub-Adviser would have purchased such products had they not been provided by brokers. Section 28(e) permits the Sub-Adviser to use brokerage or research services for the benefit of any account it manages. Certain accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser may generate soft dollars used to purchase brokerage or research services that ultimately benefit other accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser, effectively cross subsidizing the other accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser that benefit directly from the product. The Sub-adviser may not necessarily use all of the brokerage or research services in connection with managing the Fund whose trades generated the soft dollars used to purchase such products.

 
43

 

The Sub-Adviser is responsible, subject to oversight by the Adviser and the Board, for placing orders on behalf of the Fund for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities of the Fund and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the Sub-Adviser are considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the several investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to all by the Sub-Adviser. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as the Fund is concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower brokerage commissions will be beneficial to the Fund.  The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price.
 
The Fund may deal with affiliates in principal transactions to the extent permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.
 
For the fiscal period June 11, 2012 (commencement of operations) to April 30, 2013, the Fund paid $XX in aggregate brokerage commissions on portfolio transactions.
 
Directed Brokerage. [For the fiscal period June 11, 2012 (commencement of operations) to April 30, 2013, the Fund did not pay commissions on brokerage transactions directed to brokers pursuant to an agreement or understanding whereby the broker provides research or other brokerage services to the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser.]
 
Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of either the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the 1934 Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Fund for exchange transactions not exceed usual and customary” brokerage commissions.  The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.”  The Trustees, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Fund, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.
 
[For the fiscal period June 11, 2012 (commencement of operations) to April 30, 2013, Fund did not pay brokerage commissions to affiliated brokers.]
 
Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealer.”  The Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year.  “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Trust are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Trust’s portfolio  transactions;  (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Trust; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of the Trust’s shares.

[During the fiscal period June 11, 2012 (commencement of operations) to April 30, 2013, the Fund did not hold securities of its “regular brokers and dealers.”]

 
44

 
 
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses.  The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Sub-Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services.
 
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM
 
DTC acts as securities depositary for the Shares. Shares of the Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in limited circumstances set forth below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.
 
DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that was created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC's 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 and FINRA. 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”).
 
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 of Shares.  The Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all Shares for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of Shares are not entitled to have Shares registered in their names, and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of share certificates. Each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of Shares.
 
Conveyance of all notices, statements, and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. DTC will make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee a listing of Shares held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall obtain from each such DTC Participant 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.
 
Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede &Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants' accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in 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.

 
45

 
 
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 the Fund's 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 determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to the Fund at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Fund and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Fund shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.
 
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
 
[To be provided by amendment]
 
PURCHASE AND ISSUANCE OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS
 
The Trust issues and sells Shares of the Fund only: (i) in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”); or (ii) pursuant to the Dividend Reinvestment Service (defined below). The NAV of the Fund’s Shares is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE Arca, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The Fund will not issue fractional Creation Units. A Business Day is any day on which the NYSE Arca is open for business.
 
FUND DEPOSIT. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit, constituting a substantial replication, or a portfolio sampling representation, of the securities included in the Fund’s Index and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security.  When accepting purchases of Creation Units for all or a portion of Deposit Cash, the Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.

Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares (per Creation Unit) and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable.  If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable.  Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).

 
46

 

The Fund, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, immediately 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 or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, 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 subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.

The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities of the Fund’s Index.

The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (i.e., a “cash in lieu” amount) to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Deposit Cash, if applicable, and the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, “custom orders”). The Trust also reserves the right to include or remove Deposit Securities from the basket in anticipation of index rebalancing changes. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, in the composition of the subject Index being tracked by the Fund or resulting from certain corporate actions.

PROCEDURES FOR PURCHASE OF CREATION UNITS. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to purchase 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”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent and the Trust, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units.  Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the Creation Transaction Fee (defined below) and any other applicable fees and taxes.  The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the Transaction Fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit, which the Transaction Fee is designed to cover.

All orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund must be placed for one or more Creation Units in the manner set forth in the Participant Agreement no later than the time the Fund prices its shares (the “Cut-Off Time”).  The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”

 
47

 

An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.

On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day.  In addition, if a market or markets on which the Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed, the Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day(s).  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 and in accordance with the AP Handbook. With respect to the Fund, the Distributor will notify the Custodian of such order.  The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s).  Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the Cut-Off Time on such Business Day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.

Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a subcustody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the subcustodian of the Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local subcustodian.  The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of the Fund or its agents by no later than the Settlement Date. The “Settlement Date” for the Fund is generally the third Business Day after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled 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 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 the Cut-Off Time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited by 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 2:00 p.m., Eastern time on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom.  A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, AP Handbook and this SAI are properly followed.

 
48

 

ISSUANCE OF A CREATION UNIT. Except as provided herein, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed.  When the subcustodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant subcustodian or subcustodians, the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units.  The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. However, the Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor in order to accommodate foreign market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (that is the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security), and in certain other circumstances.  The Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.

Creation Units may be purchased 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) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the market value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. 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 the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. 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 Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a Transaction Fee as set forth below under “Creation Transaction Fee” will be charged in all cases. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.

ACCEPTANCE OF ORDERS OF CREATION UNITS. The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of the Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Fund; (d) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (e) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (f) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; (g) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (h) circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.

 
49

 

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 Distributor, the Custodian, a sub-custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other 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 Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.  The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.

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. A purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee is imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units, and investors will be required to pay a creation transaction fee regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction.  The Fund may adjust the creation transaction fee from time to time based upon actual experience. An additional charge of up to five (5) times the fixed transaction fee may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases for the Fund.  Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Deposit Securities to the account of the Trust.  The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the Transaction Fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit, which the Transaction Fee is designed to cover.

The standard creation transaction fee for the Fund will be $500.

RISKS OF PURCHASING CREATION UNITS.  There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Fund. Because the Fund’s Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of Shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act of 1933. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from the Fund, breaks them down into the constituent Shares, and sells those shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person's activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.

Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with the Fund’s Shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act.

 
50

 

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 Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF THE FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors 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 Custodian, 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 list of the names and share quantities of the Fund’s portfolio 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”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.

Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust.  With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities -- as announced by the Custodian 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 a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a fixed redemption transaction fee as set forth below.  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.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.

REDEMPTION TRANSACTION FEE. A redemption transaction fee is imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units, and investors will be required to pay a fixed redemption transaction fee regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction, as set forth in the Fund’s Prospectus.  The redemption transaction fee is the same no matter how many Creation Units are being redeemed pursuant to any one redemption request.  The Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time based upon actual experience. An additional charge of up to five (5) times the fixed transaction fee may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are available) for the Fund.  Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.  The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the Transaction Fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the redemption of a Creation Unit, which the Transaction Fee is designed to cover.

The standard redemption transaction fee for the Fund will be $500.

PROCEDURES FOR REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS. The Clearing Process is only available for in-kind redemptions and will not be used for cash redemptions.  To the extent redemptions are effected in-kind, orders to redeem Creation Units through the Clearing Process must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent by the Cut-Off Time. A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the Business Day following the Order Placement Date and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor by the Cut-Off Time. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s Shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth above, the redemption request shall be rejected.

 
51

 

The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth above and by the Cut-Off Time. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed a Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the Shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.

In connection with taking delivery of shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such Shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within three business days of the trade date.

ADDITIONAL REDEMPTION PROCEDURES.  In connection with taking delivery of shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, the Authorized Participant must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within three business days of the trade date. However, due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, the different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than three Business Days after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form.  If neither the redeeming Shareholder nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming Shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Fund Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming Shareholders will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.

If it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or 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 investor will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that 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 that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.

 
52

 
 
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 Trust 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 security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment.  Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status in order to receive Fund Securities.
 
Because the portfolio securities of the Fund may trade on the relevant exchange(s) on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for the Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their Shares of the Fund, or to purchase or sell Shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affecting by events in the relevant foreign markets.

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 Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists, as determined by the SEC, as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Fund or determination of the NAV of the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.

DETERMINATION OF NAV

NAV per Share for the Fund 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 the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated by the Custodian and determined at 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, provided that fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early closing time.

In calculating the Fund’s NAV per Share, the Fund’s investments are generally valued using market valuations. A market valuation generally means a valuation (i) obtained from an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer), (ii) based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer) or (iii) based on amortized cost. In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation means such fund’s published NAV per share.  The Sub-Adviser may use various pricing services, or discontinue the use of any pricing service, as approved by the Board from time to time. A price obtained from a pricing service based on such pricing service’s valuation matrix may be considered a market valuation. Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.

 
53

 

In the event that current market valuations are not readily available or such valuations do not reflect current market value, the Trust’s procedures require the Fair Value Committee to determine a security’s fair value if a market price is not readily available. In determining such value the Fair Value Committee may consider, among other things, (i) price comparisons among multiple sources, (ii) a review of corporate actions and news events, and (iii) a review of relevant financial indicators (e.g., movement in interest rates, market indices, and prices from the Fund’s index provider). In these cases, the Fund’s NAV may reflect certain portfolio securities’ fair values rather than their market prices. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security. In addition, fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate the Fund’s NAV and the prices used by the Fund’s Index.  This may result in a difference between the Fund’s performance and the performance of the Fund’s Index. With respect to securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges, the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you will not be able to purchase or sell your Shares.

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
 
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes.”
 
General Policies. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid monthly by the Fund. Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Trust may make distributions on a more frequent basis for the Fund to improve index tracking or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.
 
Dividends and other distributions on shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.
 
The Trust makes additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the Trust, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of the Trust as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.
 
Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Fund through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables in order to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares issued by the Trust of the same Fund at NAV.  Distributions reinvested in additional shares of the Fund will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.

 
54

 
 
FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
 
The following is a summary of certain additional federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that supplements the discussion in the Prospectus.  No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning.
 
The following general discussion of certain federal income tax consequences is based on provisions of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI.  New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.
 
Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the application of the provisions of tax law described in this SAI in light of the particular tax situations of the shareholders and regarding specific questions as to federal, state, or local taxes.
 
Regulated Investment Company (RIC) Status.  The Fund will seek to qualify for treatment as a RIC under the Code.  Provided that for each tax year the Fund: (i) meets the requirements to be treated as a RIC (as discussed below); and (ii) distributes at least an amount equal to the sum of 90% of the Fund’s net investment income for such year (including, for this purpose, the excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income for such year (the “Distribution Requirement”), the Fund itself generally will not be subject to federal income taxes to the extent the Fund’s income, including the Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of the Fund’s net long-term capital gains over its net long-term capital losses), is distributed to the Fund’s shareholders. One of several requirements for RIC qualification is that the Fund must receive at least 90% of the Fund’s gross income each year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities, foreign currencies and net income from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “90% Test”). A second requirement for qualification as a RIC is that the Fund must diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year: (a) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with these other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets or 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer; and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Asset Test”).
 
If the Fund fails to satisfy the 90% Test or the Asset Test, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the Asset Test where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time.  In order to be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Asset Test, the Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions are not available to the Fund and it fails to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions and any exempt-interest dividends) generally would be taxable as ordinary income dividends to its shareholders, subject to the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders and where applicable to the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income received by noncorporate shareholders. To requalify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Fund would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and to distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. If the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for a period longer than two taxable years, it would generally be required to pay a Fund-level tax on certain net built-in gains recognized with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within ten years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders. If the Fund determines that it will not qualify for treatment as a RIC, the Fund will establish procedures to reflect the anticipated tax liability in the Fund’s NAV.

 
55

 
 
The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and its net capital gains for each taxable year.  If the Fund meets the Distribution Requirement but retains some or all of its income or gains, it will be subject to federal income tax to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Fund may designate certain amounts retained as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount so designated, (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Fund on that undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities and to claim refunds to the extent such credits exceed their liabilities and (iii) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for federal income tax purposes, in their shares in the Fund by an amount equal to the excess of the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits.
 
The Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on certain undistributed income if it does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of such year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior year’s distribution. The Fund intends to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of this 4% excise tax.
 
Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC’s net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, a RIC may carry net capital losses from any taxable year forward to offset capital gains in future years. The Fund is permitted to carry forward a net capital loss indefinitely. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to shareholders.  The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds with capital loss carryforwards.  Underlying Funds with net capital losses from taxable years that began after December 22, 2010 may also carry forward those net capital losses indefinitely.  Underlying Funds with net capital losses from taxable years that began on or before December 22, 2010, however, may only carry forward those losses to offset their capital gains, if any, for eight years following the year of the loss.  An Underlying Fund must fully utilize carryforwards of losses from taxable years that began after December 22, 2010 before it may utilize carryforwards of losses from taxable years that began on or before December 22, 2010. Generally, neither the Fund nor any Underlying Fund may carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. Under certain circumstances, the Fund or an Underlying Fund may elect to treat certain losses as though they were incurred on the first day of the taxable year immediately following the taxable year in which they were actually incurred.
 
The Fund will not be able to offset gains distributed by any Underlying Fund in which it invests against losses incurred by another Underlying Fund in which it invests because the Underlying Funds cannot distribute losses.  The Fund’s sales of shares in an Underlying Fund, including those resulting from changes in the allocation among Underlying Funds, could cause the Fund to recognize taxable gains or losses.  A portion of any such gains may be short-term capital gains that would be distributable as ordinary income to shareholders of the Fund.  Further, a portion of losses on sales of shares in the Underlying Funds may be deferred.  Short-term capital gains earned by an Underlying Fund will be treated as ordinary dividends when distributed to the Fund and therefore may not be offset by any short-term capital losses incurred by the Fund.  Thus, the Fund’s short-term capital losses may instead offset its long-term capital gains, which might otherwise be eligible for the reduced U.S. federal income tax rates for individual and certain other noncorporate shareholders. As a result of these factors, the use of the fund-of-funds structure by the Fund could adversely affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to its shareholders.

 
56

 
 
For purposes of determining the character of income received by the Fund when an Underlying Fund distributes net capital gain, the Fund will treat the distribution as long-term capital gain, even if the Fund has held shares of the Underlying Fund for less than one year.  If not disallowed under the wash sale rules (described below), any loss incurred by the Fund on the sale of such Underlying Fund shares that have a tax holding period of six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of the gain distribution received on the shares disposed of by the Fund.  In certain circumstances, a loss incurred by the Fund on the sale of Underlying Fund shares that have a tax holding period of six months or less may be disallowed to the extent of any exempt-interest dividends received by the Fund with respect to those Underlying Fund shares.
 
Taxation of Shareholders.  The Fund intends to distribute substantially all its net investment income monthly and net realized capital gains to shareholders annually. The distribution of net taxable investment income and net realized capital gains will be taxable to Fund shareholders regardless of whether the shareholder elects to receive these distributions in cash or reinvests them in additional shares.
 
Subject to certain limitations and requirements, dividends reported by the Fund as qualified dividend income will be taxable to noncorporate shareholders at rates of up to 20%.  In general, dividends may be reported by the Fund as qualified dividend income if they are (i) paid from dividends received by the Fund from Underlying Funds that themselves received such income as dividends on common and preferred stock of U.S. companies or on stock of certain eligible foreign corporations, and (ii) reported as such by the Underlying Funds, provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met by both the Fund and the shareholders. If the Fund invests directly in stock of U.S. corporations other than Underlying Funds or in stock of certain eligible foreign corporations, dividends the Fund receives on those investments may also be reported by the Fund as qualified dividend income. Subject to certain limitations, eligible foreign corporations include those incorporated in possessions of the United States or in certain countries with comprehensive tax treaties with the United States, and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Passive foreign investment companies are not qualified foreign corporations for this purpose.  Dividends received by the Fund that are attributable to an Underlying Fund’s investments in REITs generally are not expected to qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income. If 95% or more of the Fund’s gross income (calculated without taking into account net capital gain derived from sales or other dispositions of stock or securities) consists of qualified dividend income, the Fund may report all distributions of such income as qualified dividend income.
 
Certain dividends received by the Fund from an Underlying Fund and attributable to the Underlying Fund’s dividend income from stock of U.S. corporations (generally, dividends received by an Underlying Fund in respect of any share of stock (1) as to which the Underlying Fund has met certain holding period requirements and (2) that is held in an unleveraged position) and distributed and appropriately so reported by the Underlying Fund may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally available to corporate shareholders under the Code, provided such dividends are also appropriately so reported as eligible for the dividends-received deduction by the Fund. Capital gain distributions distributed to the Fund from Underlying Funds and capital gain dividends distributed to an Underlying Fund from other regulated investment companies are not eligible for the dividends-received deduction.  In order to qualify for the dividends-received deduction, corporate shareholders must also meet minimum holding period requirements with respect to their Fund shares, taking into account any holding period reductions from certain hedging or other transactions or positions that diminish their risk of loss with respect to their Fund shares.  The entire dividend, including the otherwise deductible amount, will be included in determining the excess, if any, of a corporation’s adjusted current earnings over its alternative minimum taxable income, which may increase a corporation’s alternative minimum tax liability.  Any corporate shareholder should consult its tax adviser regarding the possibility that its tax basis in its shares may be reduced, for federal income tax purposes, by reason of “extraordinary dividends” received with respect to the shares and, to the extent such basis would be reduced below zero, current recognition of income may be required.

 
57

 
 
Distributions reported by the Fund as “exempt-interest dividends” are exempt from regular federal income tax but may be subject to state or local income taxes and may be tax preference items for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax (“AMT”). Interest on indebtedness incurred or continued by a shareholder to purchase or carry shares of the Fund will not be deductible for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent it is deemed under the Code and applicable regulations to relate to exempt-interest dividends received from the Fund.
 
Distributions reported to Fund shareholders as capital gain dividends will be taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long each shareholder has owned the shares.  Long-term capital gains are taxed to noncorporate shareholders at rates of up to 20%.  Distributions of net short-term capital gains will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.
 
If a shareholder lends Fund shares pursuant to securities lending arrangements, the shareholder may lose the ability to treat Fund dividends (paid while the shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividend income.  Shareholders should consult their financial intermediaries or tax advisors to discuss their particular circumstances.
 
Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by the Fund in October, November or December and payable to shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared.
 
If the Fund’s distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made in the taxable year may be treated as a return of capital to shareholders.  A return of capital distribution generally will not be taxable but will reduce the shareholder’s cost basis and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the shares on which the distribution was received are sold.  After a shareholder’s basis in the shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s shares.
 
The Fund’s shareholders will be notified annually by the Fund as to the federal tax status of all distributions made by the Fund.  Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes.
 
U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on their “net investment income.” This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts. For these purposes, interest, dividends and certain capital gains (among other categories of income) will generally be taken into account in computing a shareholder’s net investment income, but exempt-interest dividends will not be taken into account.

 
58

 
 
A taxable shareholder may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because the distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of the shareholder’s investment.
 
Shareholders who have not held Fund shares for a full year should be aware that the Fund may report and distribute to a shareholder, as ordinary dividends or capital gain dividends, a percentage of income that is not equal to the percentage of the Fund’s ordinary income or net capital gain, respectively, actually earned during the shareholder’s period of investment in the Fund.
 
A sale or exchange of shares in the Fund may give rise to a gain or loss.  In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss realized on the taxable disposition of shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss.  Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be disallowed to the extent of any exempt-interest dividends paid with respect to such shares, and any portion of such loss that is not disallowed will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the shareholder of long-term capital gain with respect to the shares (including any amounts credited to the shareholder as undistributed capital gains).  All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares of the Fund are purchased (through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
 
An Authorized Participant who exchanges 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 and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units and the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service (“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.
 
Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses.  Any loss realized upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less will be disallowed to the extent of any exempt-interest dividends paid with respect to such Creation Units, and any portion of such loss that is not disallowed will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gains with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).
 
The Trust on behalf of the Fund has the right to reject an order for a purchase of shares of the Trust if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in the 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.  If the Fund does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund, the purchaser (or group of purchasers) may not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.

 
59

 
 
Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.
 
Taxation of Fund and Underlying Fund Investments.  Certain of the Fund’s and Underlying Funds’ investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund or Underlying Funds (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund or Underlying Funds and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the Fund or Underlying Funds to mark to market certain types of positions in its portfolios (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund or Underlying Funds to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes.  The Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve its qualification for treatment as a RIC.
 
Because the Fund will invest substantially all of its assets in Underlying Funds that are RICs, the Fund will generally be eligible to distribute “exempt-interest dividends” to its shareholders.  The Fund may distribute exempt-interest dividends to the extent of its exempt interest income, if any, which may include both exempt-interest dividends received from Underlying Funds and interest income received directly by the Fund on any investments in tax-exempt obligations (i.e., obligations that pay interest excluded from gross income under Section 103(a) of the Code), reduced by certain expenses.  An Underlying Fund will generally be eligible to distribute exempt-interest dividends if at least 50% of its total assets at the close of each quarter of its taxable year consist of tax-exempt obligations.
 
If an Underlying Fund acquires any equity interest in certain foreign corporations (i) 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 (ii) where at least 50% of the corporation’s assets (computed based on average fair market value) either produce or are held for the production of passive income (“passive foreign investment companies”), the Underlying Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax and additional interest charges on “excess distributions” received from such companies or on gain from the sale of stock in such companies, even if all income or gain actually received by the Underlying Fund is timely distributed to its shareholders.  An Underlying Fund would not be able to pass through to the Fund any credit or deduction for such a tax.  A “qualifying electing fund” election or a “mark-to-market” election may generally be available that would ameliorate these adverse tax consequences, but such elections could require the Underlying Fund to recognize taxable income or gain (subject to the distribution requirements applicable to RICs, as described above) without the concurrent receipt of cash.  In order to satisfy the distribution requirements and avoid a tax on the Underlying Fund, the Underlying Fund may be required to liquidate portfolio securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold, potentially resulting in additional taxable gain or loss to the Underlying Fund.  Gains from the sale of stock of passive foreign investment companies may also be treated as ordinary income.  In order for an Underlying Fund to make a qualified electing fund election with respect to a passive foreign investment company, the passive foreign investment company would have to agree to provide certain tax information to the Underlying Fund on an annual basis, which it might not agree to do.  An Underlying Fund may limit and/or manage its holdings in passive foreign investment companies to limit its tax liability or maximize its return from these investments.

 
60

 
 
An Underlying Fund may invest in or hold debt obligations of issuers not currently paying interest or that are in default.  Investments in debt obligations that are at risk of or in default present special tax issues for that Underlying Fund.  Federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Underlying Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount, or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and interest and whether certain exchanges of debt obligations in a workout context are taxable.
 
If an Underlying Fund invests in certain pay-in-kind securities, zero coupon securities, deferred interest securities or, in general, any other securities with original issue discount (or with market discount if the Underlying Fund elects to include market discount in income currently), the Underlying Fund generally must accrue income on such investments for each taxable year, which generally will be prior to the receipt of the corresponding cash payments.  However, the Underlying Fund must distribute to its shareholders, at least annually, all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), including such accrued income, to qualify to be treated as a regulated investment company under the Code and avoid U.S. federal income and excise taxes.  Therefore, the Underlying Fund may have to dispose of its portfolio securities, potentially under disadvantageous circumstances, to generate cash, or may have to borrow the cash, to satisfy distribution requirements.  Such a disposition of securities may potentially result in additional taxable gain or loss to the Underlying Fund and may affect the amount and timing of distributions to the Fund.
 
An Underlying Fund may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries, including taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains with respect to any investments in those countries. Any such taxes would, if imposed, reduce the yield on or return from those investments.  Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases. If more than 50 percent of the value of an Underlying Fund’s total assets at the close of any taxable year consist of stock or securities of foreign corporations, then the Underlying Fund may elect to pass through to its shareholders their pro rata shares of qualified foreign taxes paid by the Underlying Fund.  Because the Fund will invest substantially all of its assets in RICs, the Fund may elect to pass through to its shareholders their pro rata shares of the qualified foreign taxes paid by the Fund and any Underlying Funds in which it invests that also make the election.  If the Fund were to so elect, shareholders would be required to include such taxes in their gross incomes (in addition to the dividends and distributions they actually receive), would treat such taxes as foreign taxes paid by them, and as described below may be entitled to a tax deduction for such taxes or a tax credit, subject to a holding period requirement and other limitations under the Code.  The Fund’s effective rate of foreign tax cannot be determined in advance since the amount of assets to be invested in various countries is not known in advance. Qualified foreign taxes generally include taxes that would be treated as income taxes under U.S. tax regulations but do not include most other taxes, such as stamp taxes, securities transaction taxes, and similar taxes.  Shareholders who do not itemize deductions for U.S. federal income tax purposes will not be able to deduct their pro rata portion of such qualified foreign taxes, although such shareholders will be required to include their shares of such taxes in gross income if the applicable fund makes the election described above.  No deduction for such taxes will be permitted to individuals in computing their alternative minimum tax liability.
 
If the Fund makes this election and a shareholder chooses to take a credit for the foreign taxes deemed paid by such shareholder, the amount of the credit that may be claimed in any year may not exceed the same proportion of the U.S. tax against which such credit is taken that the shareholder’s taxable income from foreign sources (but not in excess of the shareholder’s entire taxable income) bears to his entire taxable income.  For this purpose, long-term and short-term capital gains the Fund distributes to shareholders will generally not be treated as income from foreign sources in their hands, nor will distributions of certain foreign currency gains subject to Section 988 of the Code or of any other income that is deemed, under the Code, to be U.S.-source income in the hands of the Fund.  This foreign tax credit limitation may also be applied separately to certain specific categories of foreign-source income and the related foreign taxes.  As a result of these rules, which may have different effects depending upon each shareholder’s particular tax situation, certain shareholders may not be able to claim a credit for the full amount of their proportionate share of the foreign taxes paid by the Fund and the Underlying Funds.  Shareholders who are not liable for U.S. federal income taxes, including tax-exempt shareholders, will ordinarily not benefit from this election.  If the Fund does make the election, it will provide required tax information to shareholders.  The Fund generally may deduct any foreign taxes that are not passed through to its shareholders in computing its income available for distribution to shareholders to satisfy applicable tax distribution requirements.

 
61

 
 
Back-Up Withholding.  The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) at the applicable withholding rate and remit to the U.S. Treasury the withheld amount of dividends (including any exempt-interest dividends) paid to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is not subject to “backup withholding;” or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is 28%.  Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s ultimate U.S. tax liability.
 
Foreign Shareholders.  Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income.  Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. For taxable years of the Fund beginning before January 1, 2014, the Fund may, under certain circumstances, designate all or a portion of a dividend as an "interest related dividend" or "short-term capital gain dividend,” which would be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are satisfied.  Foreign shareholders may, in certain circumstances, unless an effective IRS Form W-8BEN or other authorized withholding certificate is on file, be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from the Fund.  Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph.  Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.
 
Unless certain non-U.S. entities that hold Fund shares comply with IRS requirements that will generally require them to report information regarding U.S. persons investing in, or holding accounts with, such entities, a 30% withholding tax may apply to Fund distributions other than exempt-interest dividends payable to such entities after December 31, 2013 (or, in certain cases, after later dates) and redemptions and certain capital gain dividends payable to such entities after December 31, 2016.  A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.
 
A beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign person may be subject to state and local tax and to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the federal income tax consequences referred to above. If a shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the shareholder in the United States.

 
62

 
 
Certain Potential Tax Reporting Requirements. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss 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. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. A shareholder who fails to make the required disclosure to the IRS may be subject to substantial penalties. 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.
 
Other Issues.  The Fund may be subject to tax or taxes in certain states where the Fund does business.  Furthermore, in those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment of the Fund and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Fund may differ from federal tax treatment.
 
The foregoing discussion is based on federal tax laws and regulations which are in effect on the date of this Statement of Additional Information. Such laws and regulations may be changed by legislative or administrative action. Shareholders are advised to consult their tax advisors concerning their specific situations and the application of state, local and foreign taxes.
 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The unaudited financial statements of the Sustainable North American Oil Sands ETF for the period from June 11, 2012 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2012, including notes thereto, which are included in the Fund’s semi-annual report to shareholders, are incorporated by reference into this SAI.

 
63

 
 
Exhibit A
 
EXCHANGE TRADED CONCEPTS, LLC

PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES

Exchange Traded Concepts (“Exchange Traded Concepts”) recognizes its obligation to vote proxies for investments held by clients over which it exercises discretionary voting authority in the clients’ best interest. Accordingly, Exchange Traded Concepts will vote all proxies and act on all other corporate actions in a timely manner in accordance with these proxy voting policies and procedures (the “Proxy Voting Policies”).

Exchange Traded Concepts acts as fiduciary in relation to the portfolios of Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (each, a “Fund” and together, the “Funds”) and any other clients that it may manage in the future and the assets entrusted by such clients to Exchange Traded Concepts for their management.  Except where the client has expressly, in writing, reserved to itself or another party the duty to vote proxies, or where a sub-adviser votes proxies on behalf of a Fund, it is Exchange Traded Concepts’ duty as a fiduciary to vote all proxies relating to such shares.

In order to carry out its responsibilities in regard to voting proxies, Exchange Traded Concepts must track all shareholder meetings convened by companies whose shares are held in Exchange Traded Concepts’ client accounts, including the Funds, identify all issues presented to shareholders at such meetings, formulate a principled position on each such issue and ensure that proxies pertaining to all shares owned in client accounts are voted in accordance with such determinations.

Pursuant to Rule 206(4)-6 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”), Exchange Traded Concepts: (a) has adopted and implemented these Proxy Voting Policies that are reasonably designed to ensure that Exchange Traded Concepts votes client securities in the best interests of its clients (which includes how Exchange Traded Concepts addresses material conflicts of interests); (b) will disclose to clients how they may obtain information on how Exchange Traded concepts voted their proxies; (c) will describe to clients its Proxy Voting Policies and, upon their request, furnish a copy to its clients; and (d) will maintain certain records relating to the  proxy voting activities when the adviser does have proxy voting authority.

Exchange Traded Concepts shall utilize the formal proxy guidelines (set forth below) to appropriately assess each proxy issue.  Generally, Exchange Traded Concepts seeks to vote proxies in the best interests of its clients, including the Funds.  In the ordinary course, this entails voting proxies in a way which Exchange Traded Concepts believes will maximize the monetary value of each portfolio’s holdings.  Exchange Traded Concepts’ Management Committee, which oversees proxy voting, will address any unusual or undefined voting issues that may arise during the year.

In addition, Exchange Traded Concepts may engage the services of an independent third party (“Proxy Firm”) to cast proxy votes according to Exchange Traded Concepts’ established guidelines.   When Exchange Traded Concepts deems it in the best interest of clients, they may permit a sub-adviser to a Fund the authority to cast proxy votes either in accordance with Exchange Traded Concepts’ established guidelines or in accordance with the proxy voting policies submitted by that firm to and approved by the Board of Trustees of Exchange Traded Concepts Trust. The Proxy Firm or sub-adviser will promptly notify Exchange Traded Concepts of any proxy issues that do not fall under the guidelines set forth below.  Exchange Traded Concepts does not believe that conflicts of interest will generally arise in connection with its proxy voting policies.

 
1

 

Generally, Exchange Traded Concepts views that proxy proposals can be grouped into six broad categories as follows:

I.
Election of Board of Directors
 
 
·
Exchange Traded Concepts will generally vote in support of management’s nominees for the board of directors; however, Exchange Traded Concepts may choose not to support management’s proposed board if circumstances warrant such consideration.

II.
Appointment of Independent Auditors
 
 
·
Exchange Traded Concepts will support the recommendation of the respective corporation’s board of directors.

III.
Issues of Corporate Structure and Shareholder Rights
 
 
·
Proposals may originate from either management or shareholders, and among other things, may request revisions to the corporate bylaws that will affect shareholder ownership rights. Exchange Traded Concepts does not generally support obstacles erected by corporations to prevent mergers or takeovers with the view that such actions may depress the corporation’s marketplace value.

 
·
Exchange Traded Concepts supports the following types of corporate structure and shareholder rights proposals:
 
 
o
Management proposals for approval of stock repurchase programs, stock splits (including reverse splits)
 
o
Authorization to increase shares outstanding
 
o
The ability of shareholders to vote on shareholder rights plans (poison pills)
 
o
Shareholder rights to eliminate or remove supermajority provisions
 
o
Shareholder rights to call special meetings and to act by written consent

 
·
Exchange Traded Concepts votes against management on the following items which have potentially substantial financial or best interest impact:
 
 
o
Capitalization changes that add “blank check” classes of stock or classes that dilute the voting interests of existing shareholders which are contrary to the best interest of existing shareholders, anti-takeover and related provisions that serve to prevent the majority of shareholders from exercising their rights or effectively deter appropriate tender offers and other offers
 
o
Amendments to bylaws which would require super-majority shareholder votes to pass or repeal certain provisions
 
o
Elimination of shareholders’ right to call special meetings
 
o
Establishment of classified boards of directors
 
o
Reincorporation in a state which has more stringent anti-takeover and related provisions
 
o
Shareholder rights plans that allow the board of directors to block appropriate offers to shareholders or which trigger provisions preventing legitimate offers from proceeding
 
o
Excessive compensation

 
2

 
 
 
o
Change-in-control provisions in non-salary compensation plans, employment contracts, and severance agreements which benefit management and would be costly to shareholders if triggered
 
o
Adjournment of meeting to solicit additional votes
 
o
“Other business as properly comes before the meeting” proposals which extend “blank check” powers to those acting as proxy
 
o
Proposals requesting re-election of insiders or affiliated directors who serve on audit, compensation, and nominating committees

IV.
Mergers and Acquisitions

Exchange Traded Concepts evaluates mergers and acquisitions on a case-by-case basis. Exchange Traded Concepts uses its discretion in order to maximize shareholder value. Exchange Traded Concepts generally votes:
 
 
·
Against offers with potentially damaging consequences for minority shareholders because of illiquid stock, especially in some non-US markets
 
 
·
For offers that concur with index calculators’ treatment and the ability to meet the clients’ return objectives for passive funds
 
 
·
For proposals to restructure or liquidate closed end investment funds in which the secondary market price is substantially lower than the net asset value
 
V.
Executive and Director Equity-Based Compensation
 
 
·
Exchange Traded Concepts is generally in favor of properly constructed equity-based compensation arrangements. Exchange Traded Concepts will support proposals that provide management with the ability to implement compensation arrangements that are both fair and competitive.

However, Exchange Traded Concepts may oppose management proposals that could potentially significantly dilute shareholders’ ownership interests in the corporation.

VI.
Corporate Social and Policy Issues
 
 
·
Proposals usually originate from shareholders and may require a revision of certain business practices and policies.

 Exchange Traded Concepts is of the view that typical business matters that directly or indirectly affect corporate profitability are primarily the responsibility of management. Exchange Traded Concepts believes it is inappropriate to use client assets to address socio-political issues. Therefore, social and policy issues reflected in shareholder proposals should be subject to the approval of the corporation’s board of directors.

Conflicts

From time to time, Exchange Traded Concepts will review a proxy which presents a potential material conflict.  As a fiduciary to its clients, Exchange Traded Concepts takes these potential conflicts very seriously.  Exchange Traded Concepts’ duty is to ensure that proxy votes are cast in the clients’, including the Funds,’ best interests and are not affected by Exchange Traded Concepts’ potential conflict. If a potential conflict of interest exists, and the matter falls clearly within one of the proposals enumerated above, Exchange Traded Concepts will vote proxies in accordance with the pre-determined guidelines set forth in these Proxy Voting Policies.

 
3

 

In other cases, where the matter presents a potential material conflict and is not clearly within one of the enumerated proposals, or is of such a nature that Exchange Traded Concepts believes more active involvement is necessary, Exchange Traded Concepts may employ the services of a Proxy Firm, wholly independent of Exchange Traded Concepts, to determine the appropriate vote.

In certain situations, Exchange Traded Concepts’ Management Committee may determine that the employment of a Proxy Firm is unfeasible, impractical or unnecessary. In such situations, the Management Committee shall decide how to vote the proxy. The basis for the voting decision, including the basis for the determination that the decision is in the best interests of Exchange Traded Concepts’ clients, shall be formalized in writing.  Which action is appropriate in any given scenario would be the decision of the Management Committee in carrying out its duty to ensure that the proxies are voted in the clients’ best interests

 
4

 

PART C:  OTHER INFORMATION

Item 28.
Exhibits

(a)(1)
Certificate of Trust dated July 17, 2009 of Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (formerly, FaithShares Trust) (the “Trust” or the “Registrant”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(1) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) via EDGAR Accession No. 0000950123-09-023575 on July 20, 2009.

(a)(2)
Written Instrument, dated July 14, 2011, amending the Certificate of Trust, dated July 17, 2004, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0000950123-11-078120 on August 17, 2011.

(a)(3)
Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated October 13, 2009 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(2) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0000950123-09-068184 on December 4, 2009.

(a)(4)
Registrant’s Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated as of October 3, 2011, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 4 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0000950123-11-100027 on November 22, 2011.

(b)(1)
Registrant’s By-Laws dated October 20, 2009 are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (b) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0000950123-09-023575 on July 20, 2009.

(b)(2)
Registrant’s Amended and Restated By-Laws dated October 3, 2011 are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (b)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 4 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0000950123-11-100027 on November 22, 2011.

(c)
Not applicable.

(d)(1)
Advisory Agreement dated March 2, 2012 between the Registrant and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(l) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-12-014210 on March 12, 2012.

(d)(2)
Revised Schedule A, as last amended December 6, 2012, to the Advisory Agreement dated March 2, 2012 between the Registrant and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 43 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC on January 29, 2013.
 
 
 

 

(d)(3)
Revised Schedule A to the Advisory Agreement dated March 2, 2012 between the Registrant and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, reflecting the addition of the VelocityShares Equal Risk Weighted Large Cap ETF, to be filed by amendment.

(d)(4)
Sub-Advisory Agreement by and between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and Krane Funds Advisors LLC, to be filed by amendment.

(d)(5)
Sub-Advisory Agreement dated March 7, 2012 between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and Yorkville ETF Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-12-014210 on March 12, 2012.

(d)(6)
Revised Schedules A and B, as last amended June 1, 2012, to the Sub-Advisory Agreement dated March 7, 2012 between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and Yorkville ETF Advisors, LLC are incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 43 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC on January 29, 2013.

(d)(7)
Sub-Advisory Agreement dated March 2, 2012 between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and Index Management Solutions, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-12-014210 on March 12, 2012.

(d)(8)
Revised Schedules A and D, as last amended January 15, 2013, to the Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated March 2, 2012 between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and Index Management Solutions, LLC are incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 43 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC on January 29, 2013.

(d)(9)
Revised Schedules A and D, to the Sub-Advisory Agreement dated March 2, 2012 between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, on behalf of the VelocityShares Equal Risk Weighted Large Cap ETF, and Index Management Solutions, LLC, to be filed by amendment.
 
 
(e)(1)
Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement dated November 10, 2011 between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(l) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-12-014210 on March 12, 2012.

(e)(2)
Amendment No. 2 and Revised Schedule A, effective December 6, 2012, to the Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement dated November 10, 2011 between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co. are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 43 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-15629 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC on January 29, 2013.
 
 
2

 

(e)(3)
Revised Schedule A to the Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement dated November 10, 2011 between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., reflecting the addition of the VelocityShares Equal Risk Weighted Large Cap ETF, to be filed by amendment.

(e)(4)
Form of Authorized Participant Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-12-014210 on March 12, 2012.

(f)
Not applicable.

(g)(1)
Custodian Agreement dated March 2, 2012 between the Registrant and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-12-014210 on March 12, 2012.

(g)(2)
Revised Schedule 2 to the Custodian Agreement dated March 2, 2012 between the Registrant and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 43 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC on January 29, 2013.

(g)(3)
Custodian Agreement dated September 28, 2009 between the Registrant and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0000950123-09-059434 on November 6, 2009.

(h)(1)
Amended and Restated Administration Agreement dated November 10, 2011 between the Registrant and SEI Investments Global Fund Services is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(l) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-12-014210 on March 12, 2012.

(h)(2)
Amendment No. 2 and revised Schedule I, effective December 6, 2012, to the Amended and Restated Administration Agreement dated November 10, 2011, between the Registrant and SEI Investments Global Fund Services are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 43 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC on January 29, 2013.

(h)(3)
New Fund Addendum, dated April 19, 2012, to the Amended and Restated Administration Agreement dated November 10, 2011, reflecting the addition of the Sustainable North American Oil Sands ETF (now known as the YieldShares High Income ETF), is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (h)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 43 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC on January 29, 2013.
 
 
3

 

(h)(4)
New Fund Addendum, dated January 15, 2013, to the Amended and Restated Administration Agreement dated November 10, 2011, reflecting the addition of the Forensic Accounting ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 43 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC on January 29, 2013.

(h)(5)
New Fund Addendum to the Amended and Restated Administration Agreement dated November 10, 2011, reflecting the addition of the VelocityShares Equal Risk Weighted Large Cap ETF, to be filed by amendment.

(h)(6)
Transfer Agency Services Agreement dated March 2, 2012 between the Registrant and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-12-014210 on March 12, 2012.

(h)(7)
Revised Exhibit A to the Transfer Agency Services Agreement dated March 2, 2012 between the Registrant and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 43 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC on January 29, 2013.

(h)(8)
Transfer Agency Services Agreement dated September 28, 2009 between the Registrant and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0000950123-09-059434 on November 6, 2009.

(h)(9)
Amendment, dated May 17, 2012, to the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement dated September 28, 2009 between the Registrant and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-12-034055 on June 8, 2012.
 
(h)(10)
Form of Sub-License, Marketing Support and Expense Reimbursement Agreement by and among the Registrant, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and YieldShares, LLC, is filed herewith.
 
(i)(1)
Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Bingham McCutchen LLP, is incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 43 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC on January 28, 2013.

(i)(2)
Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Bingham McCutchen LLP, relating to the VelocityShares Equal Risk Weighted Large Cap ETF, to be filed by amendment.

(j)
Not applicable.
 
 
4

 

(k)
Not applicable.

(l)
Seed Capital Subscription Agreement between the Registrant and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (formerly, FaithShares Advisors, LLC) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (l) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0000950123-09-068184 on December 4, 2009.

(m)(1)
Distribution and Service Plan dated October 20, 2009 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (m)(1) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0000950123-09-059434 on November 6, 2009.

(m)(2)
Amended Exhibit A to the Distribution and Service Plan dated October 20, 2009 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (m)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 43 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC on January 29, 2013.

(m)(3)
Amended Exhibit A to the Distribution and Service Plan dated October 20, 2009, reflecting the addition of the VelocityShares Equal Risk Weighted Large Cap ETF, to be filed by amendment.

(n)
Not applicable.

(o)
Not applicable.

(p)(1)
Code of Ethics of the Registrant is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(l) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-12-014210 on March 12, 2012.

(p)(2)
Code of Ethics of Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-12-014210 on March 12, 2012.

(p)(3)
Code of Ethics of Krane Funds Advisors LLC, to be filed by amendment.

(p)(4)
Code of Ethics of VTL Associates, LLC, including Index Management Solutions, LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 43 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC on January 29, 2013.

(p)(5)
Code of Ethics of Yorkville ETF Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-12-014210 on March 12, 2012.

(q)(1)
Powers of Attorney dated February, 2012 for Messrs. Mark A. Zurack and Richard Hogan are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (q) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-12-014210 on March 12, 2012.
 
 
5

 

(q)(2)
Powers of Attorney, dated February 28, 2013 for Messrs. Kurt A. Wolfgruber, David M. Mahle, and Gary L. French are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (q)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 51 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-13-001498 on March 19, 2013.

Item 29.
Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with the Fund

Not Applicable.

Item 30.
Indemnification

The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrongdoing of any officer, agent, employee, adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee, and, subject to the provisions of the By-Laws, the Trust out of its assets may indemnify and hold harmless each and every Trustee and officer of the Trust from and against any and all claims, demands, costs, losses, expenses, and damages whatsoever arising out of or related to such Trustee’s or officer’s performance of his or her duties as a Trustee or officer of the Trust; provided that nothing herein contained shall indemnify, hold harmless or protect any Trustee or officer from or against any liability to the Trust or any Shareholder to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.

Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and every other act or thing whatsoever issued, executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust or the Trustees or any of them in connection with the Trust shall be conclusively deemed to have been issued, executed or done only in or with respect to their or his or her capacity as Trustees or Trustee, and such Trustees or Trustee shall not be personally liable thereon.

Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) may be permitted to Trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such Trustee, officer, or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

Item 31.
Business and other Connections of the Investment Adviser

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser for each series of the Trust.  The principal address of the Adviser is 2545 S. Kelly Avenue, Suite C, Edmond, Oklahoma 73013. Krane Funds Advisors LLC (“Krane”) and Index Management Solutions, LLC (“IMS”) (each a “Sub-Adviser” and together, the “Sub-Advisers”) serve as Sub-Advisers for the KraneShares Dow Jones Global Luxury Consumer ETF, KraneShares Dow Jones China Alternative Energy ETF, KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF, KraneShares CSI China Consumer Staples ETF, KraneShares CSI China Consumer Discretionary ETF, KraneShares CSI China Five Year Plan ETF, and KraneShares CSI China Urbanization ETF. Yorkville ETF Advisors, LLC (“Yorkville”) and IMS serve as the Sub-Advisers for the Yorkville High Income MLP ETF, Yorkville High Income Composite MLP ETF and Yorkville High Income Composite Infrastructure MLP ETF. IMS serves as the Sub-Adviser for the VelocityShares Equal Risk Weighted Large Cap ETF, and the YieldShares High Income ETF. The principal address of Krane is 152 West 57th Street, 16th Floor, New York, New York 10019.  The principal address of IMS is 2005 Market Street, One Commerce Square, Suite 2020, Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19103. The principal address of Yorkville is 950 Third Avenue, 23rd Floor, New York, New York 10022.  The Adviser and the Sub-Advisers are investment advisers registered with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
 
 
6

 

Any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each director or principal officer of the Adviser and each Sub-Adviser is or has been, at any time during the last two fiscal years, engaged for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee are as follows:

Adviser

Name and Position with Investment Adviser
Name of Other Company
Connection with Other Company
J. Garrett Stevens
Chief Executive Officer
T.S. Phillips Investments, Inc.
Vice President
Phillips Capital Advisors, Inc.
Vice President
 
River Oak ETF Solutions, LLC
Managing Director
Darren R. Schuringa
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
Yorkville Capital Management LLC
Managing Member and Portfolio Manager
Yorkville ETF Advisors, LLC
Director and Portfolio Manager
Yorkville ETF Holdings, LLC
Director
River Oak ETF Solutions, LLC
Director
James J. Baker, Jr.
Managing Partner
Yorkville ETF Advisors, LLC
Managing Partner
Goldman Sachs & Co.
Vice President
 
Krane [To be completed by amendment]

Name and Position with Sub-Adviser
Name of Other Company
Connection with Other Company
 
 
 
     

IMS

Name and Position with Sub-Adviser
Name of Other Company
Connection with Other Company
Michael Gompers
Chief Executive Officer, Chief Compliance Officer
VTL Associates, LLC
Chief Operating Officer
RevenueShares Trust
Treasurer, Principal Financial Officer
 
 
7

 

Yorkville

Name and Position with Sub-Adviser
Name of Other Company
Connection with Other Company
James J. Baker, Jr.
Managing Partner
Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC
Managing Partner
Darren R. Schuringa
Director and Portfolio Manager
Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
Yorkville Capital Management, LLC
Managing Member and Portfolio Manager
River Oak ETF Solutions, LLC
Director
Richard Hogan
Director
Exchange Traded Concepts Trust
Treasurer and Secretary

Additional information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by each such officer and director is included in the Trust’s Statement of Additional Information.

Item 32.
Principal Underwriters

(a)
Furnish the name of each investment company (other than the Registrant) for which each principal underwriter currently distributing the securities of the Registrant also acts as a principal underwriter, distributor or investment adviser.

The Registrant’s distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the “Distributor”), acts as distributor for:
 
SEI Daily Income Trust
July 15, 1982
SEI Liquid Asset Trust
November 29, 1982
SEI Tax Exempt Trust
December 3, 1982
SEI Institutional Managed Trust
January 22, 1987
SEI Institutional International Trust
August 30, 1988
The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund
November 14, 1991
The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II
January 28, 1993
Bishop Street Funds
January 27, 1995
SEI Asset Allocation Trust
April 1, 1996
SEI Institutional Investments Trust
June 14, 1996
CNI Charter Funds
April 1, 1999
Causeway Capital Management Trust
September 20, 2001
ProShares Trust
November 14, 2005
Community Reinvestment Act Qualified Investment Fund
January 8, 2007
SEI Alpha Strategy Portfolios, LP
June 29, 2007
TD Asset Management USA Funds
July 25, 2007
SEI Structured Credit Fund, LP
July 31, 2007
Wilshire Mutual Funds, Inc.
July 12, 2008
Wilshire Variable Insurance Trust
July 12, 2008
Global X Funds
October 24, 2008
ProShares Trust II
November 17, 2008
 
 
8

 
 
Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (f/k/a FaithShares Trust)
August 7, 2009
Schwab Strategic Trust
October 12, 2009
RiverPark Funds
September 8, 2010
Adviser Managed Trust Fund
December 10, 2010
Huntington Strategy Shares
July 26, 2011
New Covenant Funds
March 23, 2012
Cambria ETF Trust
August 30, 2012
Pyxis Funds I
September 25, 2012
KKR Series Trust
October 3, 2012
KKR Alternative Corporate Opportunities Fund
October 3, 2012
KKR Alternative Corporate Opportunities Fund P
October 3, 2012
KraneShares Trust
December 18, 2012

The Distributor provides numerous financial services to investment managers, pension plan sponsors, and bank trust departments.  These services include portfolio evaluation, performance measurement and consulting services (“Funds Evaluation”) and automated execution, clearing and settlement of securities transactions (“MarketLink”).

(b)
Furnish the Information required by the following table with respect to each director, officer or partner of each principal underwriter named in the answer to Item 20 of Part B.  Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each director or officer is Oaks, PA 19456.
 
 
Position and Office
Positions and Offices
Name
with Underwriter
with Registrant
William M. Doran
Director
--
Edward D. Loughlin
Director
--
Wayne M. Withrow
Director
--
Kevin P. Barr
President & Chief Executive Officer
--
Maxine J. Chou
Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operations
 
 
Officer, & Treasurer
--
Karen E. LaTourette
Chief Compliance Officer, Anti-Money
 
 
Laundering Officer & Assistant Secretary
--
John C. Munch
General Counsel & Secretary
--
Mark J. Held
Senior Vice President
--
Lori L. White
Vice President & Assistant Secretary
--
John P. Coary
Vice President & Assistant Secretary
--
John J. Cronin
Vice President
--
Robert M. Silvestri
Vice President
--

Item 33.
Location of Accounts and Records:

State the name and address of each person maintaining principal possession of each account, book or other document required to be maintained by section 31(a) of the 1940 Act Section 15 U.S.C. 80a-30(a) and the rules under that section.

All accounts, books, and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder are maintained at the following offices:
 
 
9

 

(a)
Registrant:
 
c/o Exchange Traded Concepts Trust
 
2545 S. Kelly Avenue, Suite C
 
Edmond, Oklahoma  73013
   
(b)
Adviser:
 
Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC
 
2545 S. Kelly Avenue, Suite C
 
Edmond, Oklahoma  73013
   
(c)
Sub-Advisers:
 
Krane Funds Advisors LLC
 
152 West 57th Street, 16th Floor
 
New York, New York 10019
   
(d)
Index Management Solutions, LLC
 
2005 Market Street
 
One Commerce Square, Suite 2020
 
Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19103
   
(e)
Yorkville ETF Advisors, LLC
 
950 Third Avenue, 23rd Floor
 
New York, New York 10022
   
(f)
Principal Underwriter:
 
SEI Investments Distribution Co.
 
One Freedom Valley Drive
 
Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456
   
(g)
Custodian:
 
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
 
4 New York Plaza
 
New York, New York 10004
   
(h)
Brown Brothers Harriman
 
40 Water Street
 
Boston, Massachusetts 02109

Item 34.
Management Services

Not Applicable.

Item 35.
Undertakings

Not Applicable.
 
 
10

 
 
SIGNATURES
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 55 to Registration Statement No. 333-156529 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the City of Edmond, State of Oklahoma on this 16th day of April, 2013.
 
 
Exchange Traded Concepts Trust
 
     
 
/s/ J. Garrett Stevens
 
 
J. Garrett Stevens
 
 
Trustee and President
 
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 55 has been signed below by the following persons in the capacity and on the date indicated.
 
Signature
 
Title
Date
       
*
 
Trustee
April 16, 2013
Gary L. French
     
       
*
 
Trustee
April 16, 2013
David M. Mahle
     
       
*
 
Trustee
April 16, 2013
Kurt Wolfgruber
     
       
*
 
Trustee
April 16, 2013
Mark A. Zurack
     
       
/s/ J. Garrett Stevens
 
Trustee and President
April 16, 2013
J. Garrett Stevens
     
       
*
 
Treasurer and Secretary
April 16, 2013
Richard Hogan
     
 
*/s/ J. Garrett Stevens
  J. Garrett Stevens
 
* Attorney-in-Fact, pursuant to power of attorney.
 
 
11

 

Exhibit Index

Exhibit Number
Exhibit:
(h)(10)
Form of Sub-License, Marketing Support and Expense Reimbursement Agreement by and among the Registrant, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and YieldShares, LLC