485APOS 1 oneascent485a.htm 485APOS

Securities Act File No. 333-100654

Investment Company Act File No. 811-21237

 

UNITED STATES

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. 540 x

and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 x

Amendment No. 541 x

 

 

Unified Series Trust

 

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified In Charter)

 

 

225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450

Cincinnati, OH 45246

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

 

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (513) 587-3400

 

Elisabeth Dahl

Secretary

225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450

Cincinnati, Ohio 45246

 

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

Copies to:

Cassandra W. Borchers, Esq.

Thompson Hine LLP

312 Walnut Street, 20th Floor

Cincinnati, OH 45202

(513) 352-6632

 

It is proposed that this filing will become effective:

immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
on ______ pursuant to paragraph (b)
60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
on _______ pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
x75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
on _______ pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of rule 485

 

If appropriate check this box:

this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment

 

 
 

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 Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Prospectus is not an offer to sell securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Preliminary Prospectus Dated June 2, 2022

Subject to Completion

 

 

 

OneAscent International Equity ETF

[XXXX]

OneAscent Emerging Markets ETF

[XXXX]

Primary Listing Exchange for the Fund: NYSE Arca, Inc.

 

Prospectus

[August 16], 2022

OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC

23 Inverness Center Parkway

Birmingham, Alabama 35242

 

 

investments.oneascent.com 1-800-222-8274

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 
 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

SUMMARY SECTION-ONEASCENT INTERNATIONAL EQUITY ETF 1
Investment Objective 1
Fees and Expenses of the Fund 1
Principal Investment Strategies 2
Principal Risks 3
Performance 7
Important Information 7
SUMMARY SECTION-ONEASCENT EMERGING MARKETS ETF 8
Investment Objective 8
Fees and Expenses of the Fund 8
Principal Investment Strategies 9
Principal Risks 10
Performance 14
Important Information 14
ADDITIONAL SUMMARY INFORMATION 15
Portfolio Management 15
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares 15
Tax Information 15
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries 15
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL EQUITY FUND’S PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS 16
Investment Objective 16
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund 16
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE EMERGING MARKETS FUND’S PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS 17
Investment Objective 17
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund 17
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR EACH FUND 19
Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds 19
Changes in Investment Objective or Policies 24
Temporary Defensive Positions 24
Portfolio Holdings 25
Cybersecurity 25
ACCOUNT INFORMATION 26
How to Buy and Sell Shares 26
Determination of Net Asset Value 27
Premium/Discount Information 28
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes 28
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS 30
Adviser 30
Portfolio Manager 31
DISCLAIMERS 31

FOR MORE INFORMATION Back Cover

 

 
 

SUMMARY SECTION-ONEASCENT INTERNATIONAL EQUITY ETF

Investment Objective

The OneAscent International Equity ETF (the “Fund” or the “International Equity Fund”) seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and examples below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management Fees 0.74%
Other Expenses1 [0.XX]%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses [X.XX]%
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2 (X.XX)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement) [0.95]%

 

1-Other Expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

2-The Fund’s adviser contractually has agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse expenses so that total annual Fund operating expenses, excluding portfolio transaction and other investment-related costs (including brokerage fees and commissions); taxes; borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short); acquired fund fees and expenses; fees and expenses associated with investments in other collective investment vehicles or derivative instruments (including for example option and swap fees and expenses); any administrative and/or shareholder servicing fees payable pursuant to a plan adopted by the Board of Trustees; expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization; extraordinary expenses (such as litigation expenses, indemnification of Trust officers and Trustees and contractual indemnification of Fund service providers); and other expenses that the Trustees agree have not been incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business, do not exceed 0.95% through December 31, 2023. This expense cap may not be terminated prior to this date except by the Board of Trustees. Each waiver/expense payment by the adviser is subject to recoupment by the adviser from the Fund in the three years following the date the particular waiver/expense payment occurred, but only if such recoupment can be achieved without exceeding the annual expense limitation in effect at the time of the waiver/expense payment and any expense limitation in effect at the time of the recoupment.

 

Expense 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 redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same, and the expense reduction/reimbursement described above remains in place for the contractual period only. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 year   3 years
$ [XXX]   $ [XXX]

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

1 
 

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 operating expenses or in the Example above, affect the Fund’s performance. The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate will be available after the Fund completes its first fiscal year.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity securities issued by non-U.S. companies, which may include companies in emerging market countries. The Fund is not required to allocate its investments in set percentages in particular countries; however, the Fund expects to be invested in companies from at least three different countries at any given time. The Fund typically invests in medium-to-large companies based on standards of the applicable market. As of the date of this prospectus, the Adviser considers medium-to-large companies to be those with market capitalizations greater than $3 billion at the time of the initial purchase. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of non-U.S. companies, including common stocks, depositary receipts evidencing ownership of common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into common stocks, and securities that carry the right to buy common stocks (e.g., rights and warrants). The Fund may enter into currency forward contracts, currency swaps, or currency futures contracts to hedge direct and/or indirect foreign currency exposure. The Fund may use equity options or total return swaps referencing single stocks or stock indices to create or hedge equity exposure, approximately equal to some or all of its non-equity assets, or to hedge against a general downturn in the equity markets.

 

Values-Based Screening. The Adviser, which actively manages the Fund, seeks to identify investments that it believes will make a positive impact on the world according to its values driven investment philosophy. The Adviser, through a combination of proprietary and third-party research and screening data, first eliminates from the investable universe companies that demonstrably and consistently harm their stakeholders. This means avoiding companies whose principal business activities and practices include:

 

  • Involvement in abortion, including producing or distributing abortifacients, medical facilities that perform abortions, or consistently and proactively promoting abortion through philanthropy.
  • Production or significant distribution of addictive products, including adult entertainment, pornography, gambling, and tobacco. Distribution is deemed significant if it amounts to greater than 5% of a company’s total revenue.
  • Predatory lending practices.
  • Human rights violations.
  • Patterns of severe ethics controversies.

 

The Adviser then seeks to elevate companies that it believes promote flourishing for their stakeholders. This means identifying companies, through proprietary research, that the Adviser believes exhibit qualities and characteristics such as:

 

  • Addressing unmet and underserved needs in the marketplace.
  • Providing purposeful vocations and add meaning to work.
  • Fostering vibrant communities.
  • Embracing a partnership and a spirit of collaboration.
  • Cultivating our natural resources.
  • Enhancing our well-being and corporate human experience.

 

2 
 

The Adviser also considers the economic and political stability of the country where the issuer is located and the protections provided to shareholders.

 

All equity securities must meet, at the time of investment, both elements of the Adviser’s values-based screening requirements (i.e., all companies must both qualify to be in the Fund’s investable universe and exhibit qualities that the Adviser believes promote flourishing for their stakeholders). If an investment no longer meets the Adviser’s screening requirements, the Adviser intends, but is not required, to sell such investment.

 

As part of the investment philosophy, the Adviser believes that companies go through a natural corporate life-cycle and that understanding where each company lies along the life-cycle spectrum is important to understanding its fundamental attributes. The Adviser then uses a combination of quantitative analysis and fundamental, “bottom-up” research to identify companies that the Adviser believes have the ability to generate sustainable returns on investment. The Adviser’s investment team actively invests across all parts of the life-cycle spectrum, building a diversified portfolio of high-growth, high-return, income-oriented and distressed investments.

 

For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may also invest all or substantially all of its assets in cash and cash equivalents, including money market funds and other short-term fixed income investments, in seeking to protect principal, or when, in the Adviser’s opinion, there are not sufficient companies appropriate for investment. As an alternative to holding cash or cash equivalents, the Adviser may invest the Fund’s assets in shares of other investment companies, including open-end and closed-end funds and exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) (collectively, “Underlying Funds”) in order for the Fund to be more fully invested.

 

Principal Risks

All investments involve risks, and the Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by any government agency. The Fund’s returns and share price will fluctuate, and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. Therefore, you should consider carefully the following risks before investing in the Fund.

 

·Market and Geopolitical Risk. Market risk includes the possibility that the Fund’s investments will decline in value because of a downturn in the stock market, reducing the value of individual companies’ stocks regardless of the success or failure of an individual company’s operations. The value of your investment in the Fund is based on the market prices of the securities the Fund holds. These prices change daily due to economic and other events that affect markets generally, as well as those that affect particular regions, countries, industries, companies or governments. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform due to inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters, climate change and climate related events, pandemics, epidemics, terrorism, regulatory events and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years, such as terrorist attacks around the world, natural disasters, social and political discord or debt crises and downgrades, among others, may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on both the U.S. and global financial markets. There is a risk that you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
·COVID-19 Risk. An outbreak of infectious respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 was first detected in China in December 2019 before spreading worldwide and being declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. COVID-19 has resulted in travel restrictions, closed international borders, enhanced health screenings, disruption and delays in healthcare services, prolonged quarantines, cancellations, temporary store closures, social distancing, government
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ordered curfews and business closures, disruptions to supply chains and consumer activity, shortages, highly volatile financial markets, and general concern and uncertainty that may continue as restrictions are lifted or reinstated.

·         Foreign Company Risk. Investing in foreign issuers may involve risks not associated with U.S. investments, including currency fluctuation, local withholding and other taxes, different financial reporting practices and regulatory standards, high costs of trading, changes in political conditions, expropriation, investment and repatriation restrictions, and settlement and custody risks. These risks are typically greater for investments in emerging markets.

  • Currency Risk. Foreign investments also may be riskier than U.S. investments because of fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Exchange rate fluctuations may reduce or eliminate gains or create losses. While the Adviser may attempt to hedge against currency exchange rate movements, there is no assurance that any hedging will be successful. In addition, if the Adviser attempts to profit on anticipated currency movements, there is a risk of losses to the extent the Adviser does not correctly anticipate such movements.
  • Depositary Receipt Risk. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) are receipts, issued by depository banks in the United States or elsewhere, for shares of a foreign-based corporation that entitle the holder to dividends and capital gains on the underlying security. ADRs and GDRs may be sponsored or unsponsored. In addition to the risks of investing in foreign securities, there is no guarantee that an ADR or GDR issuer will continue to offer a particular ADR or GDR. As a result, the Fund may have difficulty selling the ADRs or GDRs, or selling them quickly and efficiently at the prices at which they have been valued. The issuers of unsponsored ADRs or GDRs are not obligated to disclose information that is considered material in the U.S. and voting rights with respect to the deposited securities are not passed through. ADRs or GDRs may not track the prices of the underlying foreign securities on which they are based, and their values may change materially at times when U.S. markets are not open for trading. Certain ADRs or GDRs are not listed on an exchange and therefore may be less liquid than exchange traded securities.
·Emerging Markets Risk.  Emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments, weaker economies and less developed legal systems with fewer securities holder rights.  Emerging market economies may be based on only a few industries and security issuers may be more susceptible to economic weakness and more likely to default.  Emerging market securities also tend to be less liquid.
·Large Cap Company Risk. Larger, more established companies may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful, smaller companies during periods of economic expansion.
·Medium Cap Company Risk. Securities of companies with medium market capitalizations are often more volatile and less liquid than investments in larger companies. Medium sized companies may face a greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility of the Fund’s portfolio.
·Derivatives Risks. A small investment in derivatives could have a potentially large impact on the Fund’s performance; certain gains or losses could be amplified, increasing movements in the share price of the Fund. The use of derivatives involves the risk that changes in the value of a derivative held by the Fund may not correlate with the Fund’s other investments. The low margin or premiums normally required in derivative transactions may provide a large amount of leverage, and a relatively small change in the price of a security or contract can produce a disproportionately larger profit or loss.
  • Swap Risk. Swap agreements involve greater risks than if the Fund had invested in the reference obligation directly since, in addition to general market risks, swaps are subject to illiquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit risk. The Fund could also suffer losses with respect to a swap agreement if the Fund is unable to terminate the agreement or reduce its exposure through offsetting transactions. The Fund may also invest in swaptions, which are options to enter into swaps. Such investments would also be subject to options risks, as discussed below.
4 
 
  • Options Risk. The seller (writer) of a call option which is covered (that is, the writer holds the underlying security) assumes the risk of a decline in the market price of the underlying security below the purchase price of the underlying security less the premium received, and gives up the opportunity for gain on the underlying security above the exercise price of the option. The seller of an uncovered call option (that is, where the seller does not own the underlying security) assumes the risk of a theoretically unlimited increase in the market price of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option. The buyer of a call option assumes the risk of losing its entire premium invested in the call option. The seller (writer) of a put option assumes the risk of a decline in the market price of the underlying security below the exercise price of the option. The buyer of a put option assumes the risk of losing his entire premium invested in the put option. The Fund may also invest in swaptions, which are options to enter into swaps. Such investments would also be subject to swap risks, as discussed above.
  • Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts Risk. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for futures contracts (or related options) purchased or sold, and the Fund may be required to maintain a position until exercise or expiration, which could result in losses. Futures positions may be illiquid, which could prevent the Fund from liquidating positions at desirable prices and cause it to be subject to substantial losses. Trading in commodity futures contracts and related options are highly specialized activities that may entail greater than ordinary investment or trading risks.
  • Hedging Risk. Hedging strategies can reduce the opportunity for gain by offsetting the positive effect of favorable price movements in the hedged investments. Also, to the extent the profit or loss from the derivative and from the corresponding long position do not correlate, there is the risk that the Fund will realize a net loss.
  • Counterparty Risk. Participants in “over-the-counter” or “interdealer” markets are typically not subject to credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as are members of “exchange based” markets. When the Fund invests in over-the-counter transactions (including options), it is assuming a credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and also bears the risk of settlement default. This is the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with its terms and conditions because of a dispute over the terms of the contract (whether or not bona fide) or because of a credit or liquidity problem, thus causing the Fund to suffer a loss. Counterparty risk is accentuated in the case of contracts with longer maturities where events may intervene to prevent settlement, or where the Fund has concentrated its transactions with a single or small group of counterparties.
  • Credit Risk. The Fund could lose its entire investment if it engages in a swap or other over-the-counter transaction with a counterparty that declares bankruptcy. Wider credit spreads and decreasing market values represent a deterioration of a counterparty’s credit soundness and a greater likelihood or risk of default occurring.
  • Currency Futures Trading Risk. Currency futures trading involves additional risks. To the extent the Adviser’s view as to certain market movements or currency fluctuations is incorrect, the use of currency futures could result in losses greater than if they had not been used. In addition, currency futures trading has market risk, interest rate risk and country risk. Market risk results from the price movement of foreign currency values in response to shifting market supply and demand. Since exchange rate changes can readily move in one direction, a currency position carried overnight or over a number of days may involve greater risk than one carried a few minutes or hours. Country risk arises because virtually every country has interfered with international transactions in its currency. Interference has taken the form of regulation of the local exchange market, restrictions on foreign investment by residents or limits on inflows of investment funds from abroad. Restrictions on the exchange market or on international transactions are intended to affect the level or movement of the exchange rate.
  • Short Sale Risk. Positions in shorted securities are speculative and more risky than long positions (purchases) in securities because there is no maximum attainable price of the shorted security. Therefore,
5 
 

in theory, securities sold short have unlimited risk. Short selling will also result in higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes.

  • Risk of Potential Government Regulation of Derivatives. The regulation of certain derivatives, including futures, swaps and options transactions, in the United States is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. The effect of any future regulatory change on the Fund is impossible to predict but could be substantial and adverse. Future regulation of various types of derivatives, including futures, swaps and options transactions, could limit or prevent the Fund from using these instruments as part of its investment strategy, which could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.
·Equity Securities Risk. The net asset value of the Fund will fluctuate based on changes in the value of the U.S. equity securities held by the Fund. Equity prices can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.
·Convertible Securities Risk. A convertible security is a security that may be converted at a stated price within a specified period of time into a certain quantity of the common stock of the same or a different issuer. Convertible securities may take the form of convertible preferred stock, convertible bonds or debentures, or stock purchase rights or warrants, among other forms. Convertible securities are senior to common stock in an issuer’s capital structure but are usually subordinated to similar non-convertible securities. While providing a fixed income stream (generally higher in yield than the income derivable from common stock but lower than that afforded by a similar non-convertible security), a convertible security also gives an investor the opportunity, through its conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation of the issuing company depending upon a market price advance in the convertible security’s underlying common stock.
·Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively-managed and is thus subject to management risk. The Adviser will apply its investment techniques and strategies in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its techniques will produce the intended results.
·Company Risk. The value of the Fund may decrease in response to the activities and financial prospects of an individual company in the Fund’s portfolio. The value of an individual company can be more volatile than the market as a whole.

·         Underlying Funds Risk. When the Fund invests in an Underlying Fund, the Fund indirectly will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses payable directly by the Underlying Fund. Therefore, the Fund will incur higher expenses, many of which may be duplicative. In addition, the Fund may be affected by losses of the Underlying Funds and the level of risk arising from the investment practices of the Underlying Funds (such as the use of leverage). ETFs and closed-end funds are subject to additional risks, such as the fact that their shares may trade at a market price above or below their net asset value or that an active market may not develop.

·         Money Market Fund Risk. When the Fund invests in an Underlying Fund, including a money market fund, the Fund indirectly will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses payable directly by the Underlying Fund. Therefore, the Fund will incur higher expenses, many of which may be duplicative. Although each underlying money market fund in which the Fund may invest seeks to maintain the value of the investments at $1.00 per share, there is no assurance that the Underlying Fund will be able to do so.

·Inflation Risk. At any time, the Fund may have significant investments in cash or cash equivalents. When a substantial portion of a portfolio is held in cash or cash equivalents, there is the risk that the value of the cash account, including interest, will not keep pace with inflation, thus reducing purchasing power over time.
6 
 
·Investment Style Risk. The Adviser’s judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular asset class or individual security in which the Fund invests may prove to be incorrect and there is no guarantee that the Adviser’s judgment will produce the desired results.
·Values-Based Investment Risk. The Adviser invests in equity securities only if they meet both the Fund’s investment and values-based screening requirements, and as such, the return may be lower than if the Adviser made decisions based solely on investment considerations. To meet the Adviser’s values-based screening requirements, a company must both qualify to be in the Fund’s investable universe and exhibit qualities that the Adviser believes promote flourishing for their stakeholders at the time of the investment.
·Limited History of Operations Risk. The Fund is a new fund and has a limited history of operations for investors to evaluate.
·New Adviser Risk. The Adviser has only recently commenced managing an ETF. As a result, investors do not have a long-term track record of managing an ETF from which to judge the Adviser and the Adviser may not achieve the intended result in managing the Fund. ETFs and their advisers are subject to restrictions and limitations imposed by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the Internal Revenue Code, that do not apply to the Adviser’s management of other types of individual and institutional accounts.
·Issuer Cybersecurity Risk.  Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, counterparties with which the Fund engages in transactions, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions may experience cybersecurity breaches. These breaches may result in harmful disruptions to operations and may negatively impact the financial condition of an issuer or market participant. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result. 

·         Operational Risk. The Fund is exposed to operational risks arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund and its agents seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every possible risk and may be inadequate to address significant operational risks.

 

Performance

Performance information will be available after the Fund completes a full calendar year of operations.

 

Important Information

For important information about buying and selling Fund shares, tax information and payments to broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries, please see “Additional Summary Information” on page X.

 

7 
 

 

SUMMARY SECTION-ONEASCENT EMERGING MARKETS ETF

Investment Objective

The OneAscent Emerging Markets ETF (the “Fund” or the “Emerging Markets Fund”) seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and examples below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
Management Fees 0.74%
Other Expenses1 [X.XX]%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses [X.XX]%
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2 (X.XX)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement) [1.25]%

 

1-Other Expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

2-The Fund’s adviser contractually has agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse expenses so that total annual Fund operating expenses, excluding portfolio transaction and other investment-related costs (including brokerage fees and commissions); taxes; borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short); acquired fund fees and expenses; fees and expenses associated with investments in other collective investment vehicles or derivative instruments (including for example option and swap fees and expenses); any administrative and/or shareholder servicing fees payable pursuant to a plan adopted by the Board of Trustees; expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization; extraordinary expenses (such as litigation expenses, indemnification of Trust officers and Trustees and contractual indemnification of Fund service providers); and other expenses that the Trustees agree have not been incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business, do not exceed 1.25% through December 31, 2023. This expense cap may not be terminated prior to this date except by the Board of Trustees. Each waiver/expense payment by the adviser is subject to recoupment by the adviser from the Fund in the three years following the date the particular waiver/expense payment occurred, but only if such recoupment can be achieved without exceeding the annual expense limitation in effect at the time of the waiver/expense payment and any expense limitation in effect at the time of the recoupment.

 

Expense 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 redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same, and the expense reduction/reimbursement described above remains in place for the contractual period only. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 year   3 years
$ [XXX]   $ [XXX]

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

8 
 

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 operating expenses or in the Example above, affect the Fund’s performance. The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate will be available after the Fund completes its first fiscal year.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity securities issued by non-U.S. companies in emerging market countries. The Fund is not required to allocate its investments in set percentages in particular countries; however, the Fund expects to be invested in companies from at least three different emerging market countries at any given time. The Fund typically invests in companies with market capitalizations greater than $1 billion at the time of the initial purchase. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of non-U.S. companies in emerging market countries, including common stocks, depositary receipts evidencing ownership of common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into common stocks, and securities that carry the right to buy common stocks (e.g., rights and warrants). The Fund may enter into currency forward contracts, currency swaps, or currency futures contracts to hedge direct and/or indirect foreign currency exposure. The Fund may use equity options or total return swaps referencing single stocks or stock indices to create or hedge equity exposure. The Fund may also use futures referencing stock indices to equitize, or create equity market exposure, approximately equal to some or all of its non-equity assets, or to hedge against a general downturn in the equity markets.

 

Values-Based Screening. The Adviser, which actively manages the Fund, seeks to identify investments that it believes will make a positive impact on the world according to its values driven investment philosophy. The Adviser, through a combination of proprietary and third-party research and screening data, first eliminates from the investable universe companies that demonstrably and consistently harm their stakeholders. This means avoiding companies whose principal business activities and practices include:

 

  • Involvement in abortion, including producing or distributing abortifacients, medical facilities that perform abortions, or consistently and proactively promoting abortion through philanthropy.
  • Production or significant distribution of addictive products, including adult entertainment, pornography, gambling, and tobacco. Distribution is deemed significant if it amounts to greater than 5% of a company’s total revenue.
  • Predatory lending practices.
  • Human rights violations.
  • Patterns of severe ethics controversies.

 

The Adviser then seeks to elevate companies that it believes promote flourishing for their stakeholders. This means identifying companies, through proprietary research, that the Adviser believes exhibit qualities and characteristics such as:

 

  • Addressing unmet and underserved needs in the marketplace.
  • Providing purposeful vocations and add meaning to work.
  • Fostering vibrant communities.
  • Embracing a partnership and a spirit of collaboration.
  • Cultivating our natural resources.
  • Enhancing our well-being and corporate human experience.

 

The Adviser also considers the economic and political stability of the country where the issuer is located and the protections provided to shareholders.

9 
 

 

All equity securities must meet, at the time of investment, both elements of the Adviser’s values-based screening requirements (i.e., all companies must both qualify to be in the Fund’s investable universe and exhibit qualities that the Adviser believes promote flourishing for their stakeholders). If an investment no longer meets the Adviser’s screening requirements, the Adviser intends, but is not required, to sell such investment.

 

As part of the investment philosophy, the Adviser believes that companies go through a natural corporate life-cycle and that understanding where each company lies along the life-cycle spectrum is important to understanding its fundamental attributes. The Adviser utilizes a combination of quantitative analysis and fundamental, “bottom-up” research to identify companies that the Adviser believes have the ability to generate sustainable returns on investment. The Adviser’s investment team actively invests across all parts of the life-cycle spectrum, building a diversified portfolio of high-growth, high-return, income-oriented and distressed investments.

 

For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may also invest all or substantially all of its assets in cash and cash equivalents, including money market funds and other short-term fixed income investments, in seeking to protect principal, or when, in the Adviser’s opinion, there are not sufficient companies appropriate for investment. As an alternative to holding cash or cash equivalents, the Adviser may invest the Fund’s assets in shares of other investment companies, including open-end and closed-end funds and exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) (collectively, “Underlying Funds”) in order for the Fund to be more fully invested.

 

Principal Risks

All investments involve risks, and the Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by any government agency. The Fund’s returns and share price will fluctuate, and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. Therefore, you should consider carefully the following risks before investing in the Fund.

 

·Market and Geopolitical Risk. Market risk includes the possibility that the Fund’s investments will decline in value because of a downturn in the stock market, reducing the value of individual companies’ stocks regardless of the success or failure of an individual company’s operations. The value of your investment in the Fund is based on the market prices of the securities the Fund holds. These prices change daily due to economic and other events that affect markets generally, as well as those that affect particular regions, countries, industries, companies or governments. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform due to inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters, climate change and climate related events, pandemics, epidemics, terrorism, regulatory events and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years, such as terrorist attacks around the world, natural disasters, social and political discord or debt crises and downgrades, among others, may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on both the U.S. and global financial markets. There is a risk that you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
·COVID-19 Risk. An outbreak of infectious respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 was first detected in China in December 2019 before spreading worldwide and being declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. COVID-19 has resulted in travel restrictions, closed international borders, enhanced health screenings, disruption and delays in healthcare services, prolonged quarantines, cancellations, temporary store closures, social distancing, government ordered curfews and business closures, disruptions to supply chains and consumer activity, shortages, highly
10 
 

volatile financial markets, and general concern and uncertainty that may continue as restrictions are lifted or reinstated.

·Foreign Company Risk. Investing in foreign issuers may involve risks not associated with U.S. investments, including currency fluctuation, local withholding and other taxes, different financial reporting practices and regulatory standards, high costs of trading, changes in political conditions, expropriation, investment and repatriation restrictions, and settlement and custody risks. These risks are typically greater for investments in emerging markets.
  • Currency Risk. Foreign investments also may be riskier than U.S. investments because of fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Exchange rate fluctuations may reduce or eliminate gains or create losses. While the Adviser may attempt to hedge against currency exchange rate movements, there is no assurance that any hedging will be successful. In addition, if the Adviser attempts to profit on anticipated currency movements, there is a risk of losses to the extent the Adviser does not correctly anticipate such movements.
  • Depositary Receipt Risk. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) are receipts, issued by depository banks in the United States or elsewhere, for shares of a foreign-based corporation that entitle the holder to dividends and capital gains on the underlying security. ADRs and GDRs may be sponsored or unsponsored. In addition to the risks of investing in foreign securities, there is no guarantee that an ADR or GDR issuer will continue to offer a particular ADR or GDR. As a result, the Fund may have difficulty selling the ADRs or GDRs, or selling them quickly and efficiently at the prices at which they have been valued. The issuers of unsponsored ADRs or GDRs are not obligated to disclose information that is considered material in the U.S. and voting rights with respect to the deposited securities are not passed through. ADRs or GDRs may not track the prices of the underlying foreign securities on which they are based, and their values may change materially at times when U.S. markets are not open for trading. Certain ADRs or GDRs are not listed on an exchange and therefore may be less liquid than exchange traded securities.
·Emerging Markets Risk.  Emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments, weaker economies and less developed legal systems with fewer securities holder rights.  Emerging market economies may be based on only a few industries and security issuers may be more susceptible to economic weakness and more likely to default.  Emerging market securities also tend to be less liquid.
·Large Cap Company Risk. Larger, more established companies may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful, smaller companies during periods of economic expansion.
·Medium Cap Company Risk. Securities of companies with medium market capitalizations are often more volatile and less liquid than investments in larger companies. Medium sized companies may face a greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility of the Fund’s portfolio.
·Small Cap Company Risk. Securities issued by small capitalization companies involve greater risk of loss and price fluctuation than larger companies. Their securities may be less liquid and more volatile. Securities of small sized companies may trade in the over-the-counter market or on a regional exchange or may otherwise have limited liquidity. As a result, a Fund could have greater difficulty buying or selling a security of a small sized issuer at an acceptable price, especially in periods of market volatility.
·Derivatives Risks. A small investment in derivatives could have a potentially large impact on the Fund’s performance; certain gains or losses could be amplified, increasing movements in the share price of the Fund. The use of derivatives involves the risk that changes in the value of a derivative held by the Fund may not correlate with the Fund’s other investments. The low margin or premiums normally required in derivative transactions may provide a large amount of leverage, and a relatively small change in the price of a security or contract can produce a disproportionately larger profit or loss.
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  • Swap Risk. Swap agreements involve greater risks than if the Fund had invested in the reference obligation directly since, in addition to general market risks, swaps are subject to illiquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit risk. The Fund could also suffer losses with respect to a swap agreement if the Fund is unable to terminate the agreement or reduce its exposure through offsetting transactions. The Fund may also invest in swaptions, which are options to enter into swaps. Such investments would also be subject to options risks, as discussed below.
  • Options Risk. The seller (writer) of a call option which is covered (that is, the writer holds the underlying security) assumes the risk of a decline in the market price of the underlying security below the purchase price of the underlying security less the premium received, and gives up the opportunity for gain on the underlying security above the exercise price of the option. The seller of an uncovered call option (that is, where the seller does not own the underlying security) assumes the risk of a theoretically unlimited increase in the market price of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option. The buyer of a call option assumes the risk of losing its entire premium invested in the call option. The seller (writer) of a put option assumes the risk of a decline in the market price of the underlying security below the exercise price of the option. The buyer of a put option assumes the risk of losing his entire premium invested in the put option. The Fund may also invest in swaptions, which are options to enter into swaps. Such investments would also be subject to swap risks, as discussed above.
  • Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts Risk. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for futures contracts (or related options) purchased or sold, and the Fund may be required to maintain a position until exercise or expiration, which could result in losses. Futures positions may be illiquid, which could prevent the Fund from liquidating positions at desirable prices and cause it to be subject to substantial losses. Trading in commodity futures contracts and related options are highly specialized activities that may entail greater than ordinary investment or trading risks.
  • Hedging Risk. Hedging strategies can reduce the opportunity for gain by offsetting the positive effect of favorable price movements in the hedged investments. Also, to the extent the profit or loss from the derivative and from the corresponding long position do not correlate, there is the risk that the Fund will realize a net loss.
  • Counterparty Risk. Participants in “over-the-counter” or “interdealer” markets are typically not subject to credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as are members of “exchange based” markets. When the Fund invests in over-the-counter transactions (including options), it is assuming a credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and also bears the risk of settlement default. This is the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with its terms and conditions because of a dispute over the terms of the contract (whether or not bona fide) or because of a credit or liquidity problem, thus causing the Fund to suffer a loss. Counterparty risk is accentuated in the case of contracts with longer maturities where events may intervene to prevent settlement, or where the Fund has concentrated its transactions with a single or small group of counterparties.
  • Credit Risk. The Fund could lose its entire investment if it engages in a swap or other over-the-counter transaction with a counterparty that declares bankruptcy. Wider credit spreads and decreasing market values represent a deterioration of a counterparty’s credit soundness and a greater likelihood or risk of default occurring.
  • Currency Futures Trading Risk. Currency futures trading involves additional risks. To the extent the Adviser’s view as to certain market movements or currency fluctuations is incorrect, the use of currency futures could result in losses greater than if they had not been used. In addition, currency futures trading has market risk, interest rate risk and country risk. Market risk results from the price movement of foreign currency values in response to shifting market supply and demand. Since exchange rate changes can readily move in one direction, a currency position carried overnight or over a number of days may involve greater risk than one carried a few minutes or hours. Country risk arises because virtually every country has interfered with international transactions in its currency. Interference has taken the form of
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regulation of the local exchange market, restrictions on foreign investment by residents or limits on inflows of investment funds from abroad. Restrictions on the exchange market or on international transactions are intended to affect the level or movement of the exchange rate.

  • Short Sale Risk. Positions in shorted securities are speculative and more risky than long positions (purchases) in securities because there is no maximum attainable price of the shorted security. Therefore, in theory, securities sold short have unlimited risk. Short selling will also result in higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes.
  • Risk of Potential Government Regulation of Derivatives. The regulation of certain derivatives, including futures, swaps and options transactions, in the United States is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. The effect of any future regulatory change on the Fund is impossible to predict but could be substantial and adverse. Future regulation of various types of derivatives, including futures, swaps and options transactions, could limit or prevent the Fund from using these instruments as part of its investment strategy, which could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.

·         Equity Securities Risk. The net asset value of the Fund will fluctuate based on changes in the value of the U.S. equity securities held by the Fund. Equity prices can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.

·Convertible Securities Risk. A convertible security is a security that may be converted at a stated price within a specified period of time into a certain quantity of the common stock of the same or a different issuer. Convertible securities may take the form of convertible preferred stock, convertible bonds or debentures, or stock purchase rights or warrants, among other forms. Convertible securities are senior to common stock in an issuer’s capital structure but are usually subordinated to similar non-convertible securities. While providing a fixed income stream (generally higher in yield than the income derivable from common stock but lower than that afforded by a similar non-convertible security), a convertible security also gives an investor the opportunity, through its conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation of the issuing company depending upon a market price advance in the convertible security’s underlying common stock.
·Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively-managed and is thus subject to management risk. The Adviser will apply its investment techniques and strategies in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its techniques will produce the intended results.
·Company Risk. The value of the Fund may decrease in response to the activities and financial prospects of an individual company in the Fund’s portfolio. The value of an individual company can be more volatile than the market as a whole.
·Underlying Funds Risk. When the Fund invests in an Underlying Fund, the Fund indirectly will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses payable directly by the Underlying Fund. Therefore, the Fund will incur higher expenses, many of which may be duplicative. In addition, the Fund may be affected by losses of the Underlying Funds and the level of risk arising from the investment practices of the Underlying Funds (such as the use of leverage). ETFs and closed-end funds are subject to additional risks, such as the fact that their shares may trade at a market price above or below their net asset value or that an active market may not develop.

·         Money Market Fund Risk. When the Fund invests in an Underlying Fund, including a money market fund, the Fund indirectly will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses payable directly by the Underlying Fund. Therefore, the Fund will incur higher expenses, many of which may be duplicative. Although each underlying money market fund in which the Fund may invest seeks to maintain the value of the investments at $1.00 per share, there is no assurance that the Underlying Fund will be able to do so.

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·Inflation Risk. At any time, the Fund may have significant investments in cash or cash equivalents. When a substantial portion of a portfolio is held in cash or cash equivalents, there is the risk that the value of the cash account, including interest, will not keep pace with inflation, thus reducing purchasing power over time.

·         Investment Style Risk. The Adviser’s judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular asset class or individual security in which the Fund invests may prove to be incorrect and there is no guarantee that the Adviser’s judgment will produce the desired results.

·         Values-Based Investment Risk. The Adviser invests in equity securities only if they meet both the Fund’s investment and values-based screening requirements, and as such, the return may be lower than if the Adviser made decisions based solely on investment considerations. To meet the Adviser’s values-based screening requirements, a company must both qualify to be in the Fund’s investable universe and exhibit qualities that the Adviser believes promote flourishing for their stakeholders at the time of the investment.

·Limited History of Operations Risk. The Fund is a new fund and has a limited history of operations for investors to evaluate.
·New Adviser Risk. The Adviser has only recently commenced managing an ETF. As a result, investors do not have a long-term track record of managing an ETF from which to judge the Adviser and the Adviser may not achieve the intended result in managing the Fund. ETFs and their advisers are subject to restrictions and limitations imposed by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the Internal Revenue Code, that do not apply to the Adviser’s management of other types of individual and institutional accounts.
·Issuer Cybersecurity Risk.  Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, counterparties with which the Fund engages in transactions, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions may experience cybersecurity breaches. These breaches may result in harmful disruptions to operations and may negatively impact the financial condition of an issuer or market participant. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result. 

·         Operational Risk. The Fund is exposed to operational risks arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund and its agents seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every possible risk and may be inadequate to address significant operational risks.

 

Performance

Performance information will be available after the Fund completes a full calendar year of operations.

 

Important Information

For important information about buying and selling Fund shares, tax information and payments to broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries, please see “Additional Summary Information” on page X.

 

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ADDITIONAL SUMMARY INFORMATION

Portfolio Management

Investment Adviser – OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

 

Andrew Manton, Chief Equity Strategist and Senior Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has been the portfolio manager of the Funds since their inception in August 2022.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Funds will issue and redeem shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares (each block of shares is called a “Creation Unit”) and only to Authorized Participants that have entered into agreements with the Funds’ distributor (the “Distributor”). Creation Units are issued and redeemed for cash and/or in-kind for securities. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the shares are not redeemable securities of a Fund.

 

Shares of the Funds are listed for trading on [•] (“[•]” or the “Exchange”) and trade at market prices rather than NAV. Shares of a Fund may trade at a price that is greater than, at, or less than NAV. Individual shares may only be purchased and sold in secondary market transactions through brokers.

 

 

Tax Information

The Funds’ distributions are taxable and will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred account, such as a 401(k) plan, individual retirement account (IRA) or 529 college savings plan. Tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those accounts.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase Fund shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or trust company), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create conflicts of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL EQUITY FUND’S PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.

 

Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund

The Fund invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity securities issued by non-U.S. companies, which may include companies in emerging market countries. The Fund is not required to allocate its investments in set percentages in particular countries; however, the Fund expects to be invested in companies from at least three different countries at any given time. The Fund typically invests in medium-to-large companies based on standards of the applicable market. As of the date of this prospectus, the Adviser considers medium-to-large companies to be those with market capitalizations greater than $3 billion at the time of the initial purchase. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of non-U.S. companies, including common stocks, depositary receipts evidencing ownership of common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into common stocks, and securities that carry the right to buy common stocks (e.g., rights and warrants). The Fund may enter into currency forward contracts, currency swaps, or currency futures contracts to hedge direct and/or indirect foreign currency exposure. The Fund may use equity options or total return swaps referencing single stocks or stock indices to create or hedge equity exposure, approximately equal to some or all of its non-equity assets, or to hedge against a general downturn in the equity markets.

 

Values-Based Screening. The Adviser, which actively manages the Fund, seeks to identify investments that it believes will make a positive impact on the world according to its values driven investment philosophy. The Adviser, through a combination of proprietary and third-party research and screening data, first eliminates from the investable universe companies that demonstrably and consistently harm their stakeholders. This means avoiding companies whose principal business activities and practices include:

 

  • Involvement in abortion, including producing or distributing abortifacients, medical facilities that perform abortions, or consistently and proactively promoting abortion through philanthropy.
  • Production or significant distribution of addictive products, including adult entertainment, pornography, gambling, and tobacco. Distribution is deemed significant if it amounts to greater than 5% of a company’s total revenue.
  • Predatory lending practices.
  • Human rights violations.
  • Patterns of severe ethics controversies.

 

The Adviser then seeks to elevate companies that it believes promote flourishing for their stakeholders. This means identifying companies, through proprietary research, that the Adviser believes exhibit qualities and characteristics such as:

 

  • Addressing unmet and underserved needs in the marketplace.
  • Providing purposeful vocations and add meaning to work.
  • Fostering vibrant communities.
  • Embracing a partnership and a spirit of collaboration.
  • Cultivating our natural resources.
  • Enhancing our well-being and corporate human experience.

 

16 
 

The Adviser also considers the economic and political stability of the country where the issuer is located and the protections provided to shareholders.

 

All equity securities must meet, at the time of investment, both elements of the Adviser’s values-based screening requirements (i.e., all companies must both qualify to be in the Fund’s investable universe and exhibit qualities that the Adviser believes promote flourishing for their stakeholders). If an investment no longer meets the Adviser’s screening requirements, the Adviser intends, but is not required, to sell such investment.

 

As part of the investment philosophy, the Adviser believes that companies go through a natural corporate life-cycle and that understanding where each company lies along the life-cycle spectrum is important to understanding its fundamental attributes. The Adviser then uses a combination of quantitative analysis and fundamental, “bottom-up” research to identify companies that the Adviser believes have the ability to generate sustainable returns on investment. The Adviser’s investment team actively invests across all parts of the life-cycle spectrum, building a diversified portfolio of high-growth, high-return, income-oriented and distressed investments.

 

For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may also invest all or substantially all of its assets in cash and cash equivalents, including money market funds and other short-term fixed income investments, in seeking to protect principal, or when, in the Adviser’s opinion, there are not sufficient companies appropriate for investment. As an alternative to holding cash or cash equivalents, the Adviser may invest the Fund’s assets in shares of other investment companies, including open-end and closed-end funds and exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) (collectively, “Underlying Funds”) in order for the Fund to be more fully invested.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE EMERGING MARKETS FUND’S PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.

 

Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund

The Fund invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity securities issued by non-U.S. companies in emerging market countries. The Fund is not required to allocate its investments in set percentages in particular countries; however, the Fund expects to be invested in companies from at least three different emerging market countries at any given time. The Fund typically invests in companies with market capitalizations greater than $1 billion at the time of the initial purchase. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of non-U.S. companies in emerging market countries, including common stocks, depositary receipts evidencing ownership of common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into common stocks, and securities that carry the right to buy common stocks (e.g., rights and warrants). The Fund may enter into currency forward contracts, currency swaps, or currency futures contracts to hedge direct and/or indirect foreign currency exposure. The Fund may use equity options or total return swaps referencing single stocks or stock indices to create or hedge equity exposure. The Fund may also use futures referencing stock indices to equitize, or create equity market exposure, approximately equal to some or all of its non-equity assets, or to hedge against a general downturn in the equity markets.

 

Values-Based Screening. The Adviser, which actively manages the Fund, seeks to identify investments that it believes will make a positive impact on the world according to its values driven investment philosophy. The Adviser, through a combination of proprietary and third-party research and screening data, first eliminates from the investable universe companies that demonstrably and consistently harm their stakeholders. This means avoiding companies whose principal business activities and practices include:

17 
 

 

  • Involvement in abortion, including producing or distributing abortifacients, medical facilities that perform abortions, or consistently and proactively promoting abortion through philanthropy.
  • Production or significant distribution of addictive products, including adult entertainment, pornography, gambling, and tobacco. Distribution is deemed significant if it amounts to greater than 5% of a company’s total revenue.
  • Predatory lending practices.
  • Human rights violations.
  • Patterns of severe ethics controversies.

 

The Adviser then seeks to elevate companies that it believes promote flourishing for their stakeholders. This means identifying companies, through proprietary research, that the Adviser believes exhibit qualities and characteristics such as:

 

  • Addressing unmet and underserved needs in the marketplace.
  • Providing purposeful vocations and add meaning to work.
  • Fostering vibrant communities.
  • Embracing a partnership and a spirit of collaboration.
  • Cultivating our natural resources.
  • Enhancing our well-being and corporate human experience.

 

The Adviser also considers the economic and political stability of the country where the issuer is located and the protections provided to shareholders.

 

All equity securities must meet, at the time of investment, both elements of the Adviser’s values-based screening requirements (i.e., all companies must both qualify to be in the Fund’s investable universe and exhibit qualities that the Adviser believes promote flourishing for their stakeholders). If an investment no longer meets the Adviser’s screening requirements, the Adviser intends, but is not required, to sell such investment.

 

As part of the investment philosophy, the Adviser believes that companies go through a natural corporate life-cycle and that understanding where each company lies along the life-cycle spectrum is important to understanding its fundamental attributes. The Adviser utilizes a combination of quantitative analysis and fundamental, “bottom-up” research to identify companies that the Adviser believes have the ability to generate sustainable returns on investment. The Adviser’s investment team actively invests across all parts of the life-cycle spectrum, building a diversified portfolio of high-growth, high-return, income-oriented and distressed investments.

 

For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may also invest all or substantially all of its assets in cash and cash equivalents, including money market funds and other short-term fixed income investments, in seeking to protect principal, or when, in the Adviser’s opinion, there are not sufficient companies appropriate for investment. As an alternative to holding cash or cash equivalents, the Adviser may invest the Fund’s assets in shares of other investment companies, including open-end and closed-end funds and exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) (collectively, “Underlying Funds”) in order for the Fund to be more fully invested.

 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR EACH FUND

Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds

All investments involve risks, and a Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective. An investment in a Fund is not insured or guaranteed by any government agency. A Fund’s returns and share price will fluctuate, and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. Therefore, you should consider carefully the following risks before investing in a Fund.

 

·Market and Geopolitical Risk. The prices of securities held by a Fund may decline in response to certain events taking place around the world, including those directly involving the companies whose securities are owned by the Fund; conditions affecting the general economy; overall market changes; local, regional or global political, social or economic instability; and currency, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations. The securities purchased by a Fund may involve large price swings and potential for loss. Investors in the Funds should have a long- term perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. The market’s daily movements, sometimes called volatility, may be greater or less depending on the types of securities the Fund owns and the markets in which the securities trade. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Securities in a Fund’s portfolio may underperform due to inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters, climate change and climate related events, pandemics, epidemics, terrorism, regulatory events and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years, such as terrorist attacks around the world, natural disasters, social and political discord or debt crises and downgrades, among others, may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on both the U.S. and global financial markets. The value and growth-oriented equity securities purchased by the Funds may experience large price swings and potential for loss.
·COVID-19 Risk. An outbreak of infectious respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 was first detected in China in December 2019 before spreading worldwide and being declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. COVID-19 resulted in travel restrictions, closed international borders, enhanced health screenings, disruption and delays in healthcare services, prolonged quarantines, cancellations, temporary store closures, social distancing, government ordered curfews and business closures, disruptions to supply chains and consumer activity, shortages, highly volatile financial markets, and general concern and uncertainty. The impact of COVID-19, and other infectious illness outbreaks that may arise in the future, could adversely affect the economies and capital markets of many nations or the entire global economy, as well as individual companies, entire sectors, and securities and commodities markets (including liquidity), in ways that may not necessarily be foreseen at the present time. COVID-19 and other health crises in the future may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks, and its impact in developing or emerging market countries may be greater due to less established health care systems. The duration and ultimate impact of the current outbreak is still not known. There is a risk that you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
·Foreign Company Risk. Investing in foreign issuers, either directly or through underlying ETFs, may involve risks not associated with U.S. investments, including settlement risks, currency fluctuation, local withholding and other taxes, different financial reporting practices and regulatory standards, high costs of trading, changes in political conditions, expropriation, investment and repatriation restrictions and settlement and custody risks.
  • Currency Risk. Foreign investments also may be riskier than U.S. investments because of fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Exchange rate fluctuations may reduce or eliminate gains or create losses. While the Adviser may attempt to hedge against currency exchange rate movements, there is no
19 
 

assurance that any hedging will be successful. In addition, if the Adviser attempts to profit on anticipated currency movements, there is a risk of losses to the extent the Adviser does not correctly anticipate such movements.

  • Depositary Receipt Risk. ADRs and GDRs are receipts, issued by depository banks in the United States or elsewhere, for shares of a foreign-based corporation that entitle the holder to dividends and capital gains on the underlying security. ADRs and GDRs may be sponsored or unsponsored. In addition to the risks of investing in foreign securities, there is no guarantee that an ADR or GDR issuer will continue to offer a particular ADR or GDR. As a result, the Fund may have difficulty selling the ADRs or GDRs, or selling them quickly and efficiently at the prices at which they have been valued. The issuers of unsponsored ADRs or GDRs are not obligated to disclose information that is considered material in the U.S. and voting rights with respect to the deposited securities are not passed through. ADRs or GDRs may not track the prices of the underlying foreign securities on which they are based, and their values may change materially at times when U.S. markets are not open for trading. Certain ADRs or GDRs are not listed on an exchange and therefore may be less liquid than exchange traded securities.
·Emerging Markets Risk. Emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments, weaker economies, and less-developed legal systems than more developed foreign markets.  Emerging market economies may be based on only a few industries and security issuers may be more susceptible to economic weakness and more likely to default.  Emerging market securities also tend to be less liquid.    Investments in emerging markets countries may be affected by government policies that restrict foreign investment in certain issues or industries.  Investments in emerging market securities may be more volatile than investments in developed countries, and such securities may be subject to abrupt and severe price declines.  In addition to withholding taxes on investment income, some countries with emerging markets may impose different capital gains taxes on foreign investors.
Large Cap Company Risk. Larger, more established companies may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful, smaller companies during periods of economic expansion.
·Medium Cap Company Risk. Securities of companies with medium market capitalizations are often more volatile and less liquid than investments in larger companies. Medium sized companies may face a greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility of the Fund’s portfolio.
Small Cap Company Risk (With respect to the Emerging Markets Fund). Securities issued by small capitalization companies involve greater risk of loss and price fluctuation than larger companies. Their securities may be less liquid and more volatile. Securities of small sized companies may trade in the over-the-counter market or on a regional exchange or may otherwise have limited liquidity. As a result, a Fund could have greater difficulty buying or selling a security of a small sized issuer at an acceptable price, especially in periods of market volatility.

 

Derivatives Risks. A small investment in derivatives could have a potentially large impact on the Fund’s performance; certain gains or losses could be amplified, increasing movements in the share price of the Fund. The use of derivatives involves risks that may be different from the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying securities, including the risk that changes in the value of a derivative held by the Fund may not correlate with the Fund’s other investments. The low margin or premiums normally required in derivative transactions may provide a large amount of leverage, and a relatively small change in the price of a security or contract can produce a disproportionately larger profit or loss.
Swap Risk. Swap agreements involve greater risks than if the Fund had invested in the reference obligation directly since, in addition to general market risks, swaps may be subject to illiquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit risk. The Fund could also suffer losses with respect to a swap agreement if the Fund is unable to terminate the agreement or reduce its exposure through offsetting transactions. The Fund may also invest in swaptions, which are options to enter into swaps. Such investments would also be subject to options risks, as discussed below.
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Options Risk. The Fund may use options as part of its investment program. There are risks associated with the sale and purchase of call and put options. The seller (writer) of a call option which is covered (that is, the writer holds the underlying security) assumes the risk of a decline in the market price of the underlying security below the purchase price of the underlying security less the premium received, and gives up the opportunity for gain on the underlying security above the exercise price of the option. The seller of an uncovered call option (that is, where the seller does not own the underlying security) assumes the risk of a theoretically unlimited increase in the market price of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option. In such event, the securities necessary to satisfy the exercise of the call option may be unavailable for purchase except at much higher prices. To the extent the premium received does not cover the difference in the market price and the exercise price, the seller will incur a loss when it is obligated to purchase the underlying securities at the higher market price, and sell such securities to the option holder at the lower option price. Purchasing securities to satisfy the exercise of the call option can itself cause the price of the securities to rise further, sometimes by a significant amount, thereby exacerbating the loss. The seller (writer) of a put option assumes the risk of a decline in the market price of the underlying security below the exercise price of the option. In such case, the seller will be obligated to purchase the securities at a higher price from the option holder than the prevailing market price of the securities. The seller will suffer a loss to the extent the premium received is less than the difference between the option price and the market price of the securities. The buyer of a call or put option assumes the risk of losing its entire premium invested in the option. The Fund may also invest in swaptions, which are options to enter into swaps. Such investments would also be subject to swap risks, as discussed above.
Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts Risk. The Fund may trade in futures contracts (and related options) on securities indices, U.S. government securities, currencies, and other financial instruments or commodities, a practice which may involve substantial risks. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for futures contracts (or related options) purchased or sold, and the Fund may be required to maintain a position until exercise or expiration, which could result in losses. Futures positions may be illiquid because, for example, most U.S. commodity exchanges limit fluctuations in certain futures contract prices during a single day by regulations referred to as “daily price fluctuation limits” or “daily limits.” Once the price of a contract for a particular future has increased or decreased by an amount equal to the daily limit, positions in the future can neither be taken nor liquidated unless traders are willing to effect trades at or within the limit. Futures contract prices on various commodities or financial instruments occasionally have moved to the daily limit for several consecutive days with little or no trading. Similar occurrences could prevent the Fund from liquidating positions at desirable prices and cause it to be subject to substantial losses. In addition, the Fund may not be able to execute futures contract trades at favorable prices if trading volume in such contracts is low. It is also possible that an exchange or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) may suspend trading in a particular contract, order immediate liquidation and settlement of a particular contract or order that trading in a particular contract be conducted for liquidation only. In addition, the CFTC and various exchanges impose speculative position limits on the number of positions that may be held in particular commodities. Trading in commodity futures contracts and related options are highly specialized activities that may entail greater than ordinary investment or trading risks.
Hedging Risk. Hedging strategies can reduce the opportunity for gain by offsetting the positive effect of favorable price movements in the hedged investments. To the extent that a hedge matures prior to or after the disposition of the investment subject to the hedge, any gain or loss on the hedge will be realized earlier or later than any offsetting gain or loss on the hedged investment. When the Adviser uses options and futures contracts for hedging purposes, the profit or loss associated with the options or futures contracts is intended to offset any profit or loss associated with corresponding long positions in other securities, and thus hedging strategies will reduce the opportunity for gain by offsetting the positive effect of favorable price movements in the long positions. Also, to the extent the profit or loss from the derivative and from the corresponding long position do not correlate, there is the risk that the Fund will realize a net loss.
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Counterparty Risk. Many of the markets in which the Fund effects its derivative transactions are “over-the-counter” or “interdealer” markets. The participants in these markets are typically not subject to credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as are members of “exchange based” markets. When the Fund invests in over-the-counter transactions (including options), it is assuming a credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and also bears the risk of settlement default. These risks may differ materially from those associated with transactions effected on an exchange, which generally are backed by clearing organization guarantees, daily marking-to-market and settlement, and segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Transactions entered into directly between two counterparties generally do not benefit from such protections. This exposes the Fund to the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with its terms and conditions because of a dispute over the terms of the contract (whether or not bona fide) or because of a credit or liquidity problem, thus causing the Fund to suffer a loss. Counterparty risk is accentuated in the case of contracts with longer maturities where events may intervene to prevent settlement, or where the Fund has concentrated its transactions with a single or small group of counterparties. The Fund is not restricted from dealing with any particular counterparty or from concentrating any or all of its transactions with one counterparty, subject to any limitations imposed by the 1940 Act. The ability of the Fund to transact business with any one or number of counterparties, the lack of any independent evaluation of such counterparties’ financial capabilities and the absence of a regulated market to facilitate settlement may increase the potential for losses by the Fund.
Credit Risk. The Fund could lose its entire investment if it engages in an over-the-counter transaction with a counterparty that declares bankruptcy or fails to fulfill its obligation to the fund.
Currency Futures Trading Risk. Currency futures trading involves additional risks. To the extent the Adviser’s view as to certain market movements or currency fluctuations is incorrect, the use of currency futures could result in losses greater than if they had not been used. In addition, currency futures trading has market risk, interest rate risk and country risk. Market risk results from the price movement of foreign currency values in response to shifting market supply and demand. Since exchange rate changes can readily move in one direction, a currency position carried overnight or over a number of days may involve greater risk than one carried a few minutes or hours. Country risk arises because virtually every country has interfered with international transactions in its currency. Interference has taken the form of regulation of the local exchange market, restrictions on foreign investment by residents or limits on inflows of investment funds from abroad.
Short Sale Risk. Positions in shorted securities are speculative and more risky than long positions (purchases) in securities because the maximum sustainable loss on a short position may be theoretically unlimited (unlike a long position, where the risk of loss may be limited to the amount invested). Short selling will also result in higher transaction costs (such as interest and dividends), and may result in higher taxes, which reduce the Fund’s return.
Risk of Potential Government Regulation of Derivatives. The regulation of certain derivatives, including futures, swaps and options transactions, in the United States is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. The effect of any future regulatory change on the Fund is impossible to predict, but could be substantial and adverse. Future regulation of various types of derivatives, including futures, swaps and options transactions, could limit or prevent the Fund from using these instruments as part of its investment strategy, which could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.

Congress, various exchanges and regulatory and self-regulatory authorities have undertaken reviews of options, swaps and futures transactions in light of market volatility. Among the actions that have been taken or proposed to be taken are new limits and reporting requirements for speculative positions, particularly in the energy markets, new or more stringent daily price fluctuation limits for futures and options transactions, and increased margin requirements for various types of futures transactions.

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Additional measures are under active consideration and as a result there may be further actions that adversely affect the regulation of the instruments in which the Fund invests.

·Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value. The equity securities held by the Fund may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors affecting securities markets generally, the equity securities of a particular sector, or a particular company.
·Convertible Securities Risk. A convertible security is a security that may be converted at a stated price within a specified period of time into a certain quantity of the common stock of the same or a different issuer. Convertible securities may take the form of convertible preferred stock, convertible bonds or debentures, or stock purchase rights or warrants, among other forms. Convertible securities are senior to common stock in an issuer’s capital structure but are usually subordinated to similar non-convertible securities. While providing a fixed income stream (generally higher in yield than the income derivable from common stock but lower than that afforded by a similar non-convertible security), a convertible security also gives an investor the opportunity, through its conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation of the issuing company depending upon a market price advance in the convertible security’s underlying common stock.
·Active Management Risk. The Adviser’s skill in choosing appropriate investments will play a large part in determining whether the Fund is able to achieve its investment objective. If the Adviser’s assessment of the prospects for individual securities is incorrect, it could result in significant losses to the Fund and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
·Company Risk. The value of a Fund may decrease in response to the activities and financial prospects of an individual company in the Fund’s portfolio. The value of an individual company can be more volatile than the market as a whole.
·Underlying Funds Risk. When a Fund invests in an Underlying Fund, the Fund indirectly will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses payable directly by the Underlying Fund. Therefore, the Fund will incur higher expenses, many of which may be duplicative. In addition, a Fund may be affected by losses of the Underlying Funds and the level of risk arising from the investment practices of the Underlying Funds (such as the use of leverage). ETFs and closed-end funds are subject to additional risks, such as the fact that their shares may trade at a market price above or below their net asset value or that an active market may not develop.
·Money Market Fund Risk. When a Fund invests in an Underlying Fund, including a money market fund, the Fund indirectly will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses payable directly by the Underlying Fund. Therefore, the Fund will incur higher expenses, many of which may be duplicative. Although each underlying money market fund in which a Fund may invest seeks to maintain the value of the investments at $1.00 per share, there is no assurance that the Underlying Fund will be able to do so.
·Inflation Risk. At any time, a Fund may have significant investments in cash or cash equivalents. When a substantial portion of a portfolio is held in cash or cash equivalents, there is the risk that the value of the cash account, including interest, will not keep pace with inflation, thus reducing purchasing power over time.
·Investment Style Risk. The Adviser’s judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular asset class or individual security in which a Fund invests may prove to be incorrect and there is no guarantee that the Adviser’s judgment will produce the desired results.
·Values-Based Investment Risk. The Adviser invests in equity securities only if they meet both the Fund’s investment and values-based screening requirements, and as such, the return may be lower than if the Adviser made decisions based solely on investment considerations. To meet the Adviser’s values-based
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screening requirements, a company must both qualify to be in the Fund’s investable universe and exhibit qualities that the Adviser believes promote flourishing for their stakeholders at the time of the investment.

·Limited History of Operations Risk. The Funds have a limited history of operations for investors to evaluate. Investors in a Fund bear the risk that the Fund may not be successful in implementing its investment strategies, may be unable to implement certain of its investment strategies or may fail to attract sufficient assets, any of which could result in the Fund being liquidated and terminated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders. Such a liquidation could have negative tax consequences for shareholders and will cause shareholders to incur expenses of liquidation.
·New Adviser Risk. The Adviser has only recently commenced managing an ETF. As a result, investors do not have a long-term track record of managing an ETF from which to judge the Adviser and the Adviser may not achieve the intended result in managing the Funds. ETFs and their Advisers are subject to restrictions and limitations imposed by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the Internal Revenue Code, that do not apply to the adviser’s management of other types of individual and institutional accounts.
·Issuer Cybersecurity Risk.  Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, counterparties with which the Fund engages in transactions, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions may experience cybersecurity breaches. Cybersecurity breaches can include unauthorized access to systems, networks, or devices; infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; ransomware; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality. These breaches may result in harmful disruptions to their operations and may negatively impact the financial condition for the municipal issuer, counterparty or other market participant. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

·         Operational Risk. The Funds are exposed to operational risks arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Funds’ service providers, counterparties or other third parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Funds and their agents seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every possible risk and may be inadequate to address significant operational risks.

 

Changes in Investment Objective or Policies

The Funds’ Board of Trustees (the “Board”) may change a Fund’s investment objective and/or its 80% policy without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders. The Funds’ other non-fundamental investment policies and strategies may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval, unless otherwise provided in this prospectus or in the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Temporary Defensive Positions

In response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Funds may take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the respective Fund’s principal investment strategies, such as investing some or all of the Fund’s assets in cash or cash equivalents. The Funds may also choose not to use these temporary defensive strategies for a variety of reasons, even in volatile market conditions. Engaging in these temporary defensive measures may cause a Fund to miss out on investment opportunities and may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective. While temporary defensive positions are designed to limit losses, these strategies may not work as intended.

 

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Portfolio Holdings

A description of the policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio securities is available in the Funds’ Statement of Additional Information.

 

Cybersecurity

The computer systems, networks and devices used by the Fund and its service providers to carry out routine business operations employ a variety of protections designed to prevent damage or interruption from computer viruses, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and security breaches.  Despite the various protections utilized by the Fund and its service providers, systems, networks, or devices potentially can be breached.  The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result of a cybersecurity breach.  Cybersecurity breaches can include unauthorized access to systems, networks, or devices; infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality.  Cybersecurity breaches may cause disruptions and impact the Fund’s business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses; interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its net asset value; impediments to trading; the inability of the Fund, the Adviser, and other service providers to transact business; violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines; penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs; as well as the inadvertent release of confidential information.

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ACCOUNT INFORMATION

How to Buy and Sell Shares

Only certain financial institutions such as registered broker-dealers and banks that have entered into agreements with the Funds’ Distributor (“Authorized Participants” or “APs”) may acquire shares directly from a Fund and tender their shares for redemption directly to the Fund. Such purchases and redemptions are made at NAV per share and only in large blocks, or Creation Units, of shares. Purchases and redemptions directly with a Fund must follow the Fund’s procedures, which are described in the SAI.

 

A creation transaction, which is subject to acceptance by a Fund’s Distributor and the Fund, generally takes place when an AP deposits into the Fund a designated portfolio of securities (“Deposit Securities”) (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) and a specified amount of cash approximating the holdings of the Fund in exchange for a specified number of Creation Units. The composition of such portfolio generally corresponds pro rata to the holdings of the Fund. However, the Fund may, in certain circumstances, offer Creation Units partially or solely for cash. Similarly, shares can be redeemed only in Creation Units, generally for a designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) held by the Fund and a specified amount of cash. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares are not redeemable. The prices at which creations and redemptions occur are based on the next calculation of NAV after a creation or redemption order is received in an acceptable form under the AP agreement.

 

Each Fund charges APs standard creation and redemption transaction fees to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units. The standard creation and redemption transaction fees are set forth in the table below. The standard creation transaction fee is charged to the AP on the day such AP creates a Creation Unit and is the same regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by the AP on the applicable business day. Similarly, the standard redemption transaction fee is charged to the AP on the day such AP redeems a Creation Unit and is the same regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed by the AP on the applicable business day. Creations and redemptions for cash (when cash creations and redemptions (in whole or in part) are available or specified) are also subject to an additional charge (up to the maximum amounts shown in the table below). This charge is intended to compensate for brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, price movement and other costs and expenses related to cash transactions (which may, in certain instances, be based on a good faith estimate of transaction costs).

 

The Transaction Fees for each Fund are listed in the table below.

 

Fee for In-Kind and Cash Purchases Maximum Additional Variable Charge for Cash Purchases*
$[250] [200 basis points (2.00%)]

*As a percentage of the amount invested.

 

Each Fund reserves the right to make redemptions of shares for cash.

 

Shares of the Funds will be listed for trading on NYSE Arca. The trading symbols for the Funds are shown on the cover page of this prospectus. Share prices are reported in dollars and cents per share. Shares can be bought and sold on the secondary market throughout the trading day like other publicly traded shares and shares typically trade in blocks of less than a Creation Unit. Shares may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market when the Exchange is open for trading. The Exchange is open for trading Monday through Friday and is closed on weekends and the following holidays, as observed: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’

26 
 

Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

When buying or selling shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction.

 

A Fund may liquidate and terminate at any time without shareholder approval.

 

Book Entry

 

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

 

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

 

Frequent Purchases And Redemptions Of Fund Shares

 

A Fund’s shares can only be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund in Creation Units by APs, and the vast majority of trading in the Fund’s shares occurs on the secondary market. Because the secondary market trades do not directly involve the Fund, it is unlikely those trades would cause the harmful effects of market timing, including dilution, disruption of portfolio management, increases in the Fund’s trading costs and the realization of capital gains. With regard to the purchase or redemption of Creation Units directly with a Fund, to the extent effected in-kind (i.e., for securities), those trades do not cause the harmful effects that may result from frequent cash trades. To the extent trades are effected in whole or in part in cash, those trades could result in dilution to the Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. However, direct trading by APs is critical to ensuring that the Fund’s shares trade at or close to NAV. Each Fund also employs fair valuation pricing to minimize potential dilution from market timing. In addition, each Fund imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Fund shares to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effecting trades. These fees increase if an investor substitutes cash in part or in whole for securities, reflecting the fact that the Fund’s trading costs increase in those circumstances. Given this structure, the Trust has determined that it is not necessary to adopt policies and procedures to detect and deter market timing of the Funds’ shares.

 

Determination of Net Asset Value

The NAV of the shares of a Fund is calculated at the close of trading (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. The NAV is calculated by dividing the value of its total assets (including interest and dividends accrued but not received) minus liabilities (including accrued expenses) by the total number of shares outstanding. Requests to purchase and sell shares are processed at the applicable NAV next calculated after a Fund receives your order in proper form.

 

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A Fund’s assets generally are valued at their market value. Securities that are traded on any exchange or on the NASDAQ over-the-counter market are valued at the closing price reported by the exchange on which the securities are traded. If market quotations are not available or do not reflect a fair value, or if an event occurs after the close of the trading market but before the calculation of the NAV that materially affects the value, then the assets may be valued by the Adviser at a fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser pursuant to guidelines established by the Board. When pricing securities using the fair value guidelines established by the Board, the Adviser seeks to assign a value that represents the amount that the applicable Fund might reasonably expect to receive upon a current sale of the securities.

 

Without fair value pricing, short-term traders could take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity and dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Fair valuation of a Fund’s portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders. However, there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of a Fund’s NAV by short-term traders, or that a Fund will realize fair valuation upon the sale of a security. A Fund may invest in portfolio securities that are listed on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when a Fund does not price its shares and, as a result, the NAV of a Fund’s shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem the Fund’s shares.

 

Given the subjectivity inherent in fair valuation and the fact that events could occur after NAV calculation, the actual market prices for a security may differ from the fair value of that security as determined by the Adviser at the time of NAV calculation. Thus, discrepancies between fair values and actual market prices may occur on a regular and recurring basis. These discrepancies do not necessarily indicate that the Adviser’s fair value methodology is inappropriate. A Fund’s Adviser will adjust the fair values assigned to securities in the Fund’s portfolio, to the extent necessary, as soon as market prices become available.

 

Premium/Discount Information

Most investors will buy and sell shares of a Fund in secondary market transactions through brokers at market prices and the Fund’s shares will trade at market prices. The market price of shares of a Fund may be greater than, equal to, or less than NAV. Market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors may affect the trading prices of shares of the Fund.

 

Information regarding how often the shares of a Fund traded at a price above (at a premium to) or below (at a discount to) the NAV of the Fund during the past four calendar quarters, when available, can be found at www.nightshares.com.

 

Dividends, Distributions and Taxes

Ordinarily, dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid annually by each Fund. Each Fund distributes its net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders annually.

 

Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole shares only if the broker through whom you purchased shares makes such option available.

 

Taxes

 

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

 

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

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· a Fund makes distributions,

· you sell your shares listed on the Exchange, and

· you purchase or redeem Creation Units.

 

Taxes on Distributions

 

As stated above, dividends from net investment income, if any, ordinarily are declared and paid annually by each Fund. A Fund may also pay a special distribution at the end of a calendar year to comply with federal tax requirements. Distributions from each Fund’s net investment income, including net short-term capital gains, if any, are taxable to you as ordinary income, except that each Fund’s dividends attributable to its “qualified dividend income” (i.e., dividends received on stock of most domestic and certain foreign corporations with respect to which the Fund satisfies certain holding period and other restrictions), if any, generally are subject to federal income tax for non-corporate shareholders who satisfy those restrictions with respect to their Fund shares at the rate for net capital gain. A part of each Fund’s dividends also may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations -- the eligible portion may not exceed the aggregate dividends each Fund receives from domestic corporations subject to federal income tax (excluding REITs) and excludes dividends from foreign corporations -- subject to similar restrictions. However, dividends a corporate shareholder deducts pursuant to that deduction are subject indirectly to the federal alternative minimum tax.

 

In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax when they are paid, whether you take them in cash or reinvest them in the Fund (if that option is available). Distributions reinvested in additional shares of the Fund through the means of a dividend reinvestment service, if available, will be taxable to shareholders acquiring the additional shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash. Distributions of net long-term capital gains, if any, in excess of net short-term capital losses are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long you have held the shares.

 

Distributions in excess of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits are treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of your basis in the shares and as capital gain thereafter. A distribution will reduce a Fund’s NAV per share and may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gain (as described above) even though, from an investment standpoint, the distribution may constitute a return of capital.

 

By law, each Fund is required to withhold 28% of your distributions and redemption proceeds if you have not provided the Fund with a correct social security number or other taxpayer identification number and in certain other situations.

 

Taxes on Exchange-Listed Share Sales

 

Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of shares is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for one year or less. The ability to deduct capital losses from sales of shares may be limited.

 

Taxes on Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units

 

An AP who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus any Cash Component it pays. An AP 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 sum of the aggregate market value of the securities received plus any cash equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares being redeemed and the value of the

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securities. The Internal Revenue Service (“Service”), 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 for other reasons. Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

 

Any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for one year or less.

 

If you purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many shares you purchased or sold and at what price. See “Tax Status” in the SAI for a description of the newly effective requirement regarding basis determination methods applicable to Share redemptions and each Fund’s obligation to report basis information to the Service.

 

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in the shares under all applicable tax laws. See “Tax Status” in the SAI for more information.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS

Adviser

OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC (the “Adviser”), located at 23 Inverness Center Parkway, Birmingham, Alabama 35242, serves as the investment adviser to the Funds. The Adviser is a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and provides investment advisory services to the Funds. As of April 30, 2022, the Adviser had approximately $813 million in assets under management.

 

For its investment advisory services, the Adviser is paid a fee at the annual rate of 0.74% of the average daily net assets of the International Equity Fund and 0.74% of the average daily net assets of the Emerging Markets Fund. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or to reimburse certain operating expenses of each Fund, but only to the extent necessary so that the Funds’ total annual operating expenses, excluding portfolio transaction and other investment-related costs (including brokerage fees and commissions); taxes; borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short); acquired fund fees and expenses; fees and expenses associated with investments in other collective investment vehicles or derivative instruments (including for example option and swap fees and expenses); any administrative and/or shareholder servicing fees payable pursuant to a plan adopted by the Board; expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization; extraordinary expenses (such as litigation expenses, indemnification of Trust officers and Trustees and contractual indemnification of Fund service providers); and other expenses that the Trustees agree have not been incurred in the ordinary course of the Funds’ business, do not exceed 0.95% of the International Equity Fund, and 1.25% of the Emerging Markets Fund. The contractual agreement is in place through December 31, 2023. Each waiver/expense payment by the Adviser is subject to recoupment by the Adviser from the Fund in the three years following the date the particular waiver/expense payment occurred, but only if such recoupment can be achieved without exceeding the annual expense limitation in effect at the time of the waiver/expense payment and any expense limitation in effect at the time of the recoupment.

 

A discussion of the factors that the Board considered in approving the management agreements for the Funds will be included in the Funds’ first report to shareholders.

 

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Portfolio Manager

The investment decisions for the Funds are made by Mr. Andrew Manton. Andrew Manton has served as Portfolio Manager of the Funds since the Funds’ inception. Mr. Manton joined the Adviser in 2021 after serving as a Portfolio Manager at Shelton Capital Management (“SCM”) since July 2016. Prior to his affiliation with SCM, Mr. Manton served as a Senior Portfolio Manager at WHV. Prior to his affiliation with WHV, Mr. Manton was a Senior Research Analyst and a member of the Large Cap Global Equities team at Victory Capital Management, and an analyst in both the fundamental Active Equities and Quantitative Strategies groups at Deutsche Asset Management. He has a BS in Finance from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MBA with a concentration in Quantitative Finance and Accounting from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University.

 

The Funds’ Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about the Funds’ Portfolio Manager, including his compensation, other accounts that he manages, and ownership of Fund shares.

 

DISCLAIMERS

Shares of the Trust are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the NYSE Arca, Inc. The NYSE Arca, Inc. makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of the Funds. The NYSE Arca, Inc. is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of the shares of the Funds to be issued, or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the shares are redeemable. The NYSE Arca, Inc. has no obligation or liability to owners of the shares of the Funds in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the shares of the Funds. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the NYSE Arca, Inc. have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.

 

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

 

You can find additional information about the Fund in the following documents:

 

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports: While the prospectus describes each Fund’s potential investments, the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports detail each Fund’s actual investments as of their report dates. The Funds’ Annual Report includes a discussion by Fund management of market conditions, economic trends, and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund’s performance during the reporting period.

 

Statement of Additional Information (SAI): The SAI supplements the prospectus and contains additional information about the Funds and their investment restrictions, risks, policies and operations, including the Funds’ policies and procedures relating to the disclosure of portfolio holdings by the Funds’ affiliates. A current SAI for the Funds is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is incorporated into this prospectus by reference, which means it is considered part of this prospectus.

 

How to Obtain Copies of Other Fund Documents

You can obtain free copies of the Funds’ current SAI and Annual and Semi-Annual Reports, and request other information about the Funds or make shareholder inquiries, in any of the following ways:

 

On the Internet: Download these documents from the Fund’s website at investments.oneascent.com.

 

By Telephone: Call the Adviser at 1-800-222-8274.

 

By Mail: Send a written request to:

 

OneAscent ETFs

OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC

23 Inverness Center Parkway

Birmingham, AL 35242

 

Information about the Funds (including the SAI and other reports) is available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

Investment Company Act #811-21237

 
 

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 Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Statement of Additional Information is not an offer to sell securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Preliminary Statement of Additional Information Dated June 2, 2022

Subject to Completion

 

 

 

OneAscent International Equity ETF

[XXXX]

OneAscent Emerging Markets ETF

[XXXX]

Investor Class (OAESX)

 

Each a Series of Unified Series Trust

Listed and traded on:

the NYSE Arca, Inc.

 

 

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

[August 16], 2022

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) provides general information about the OneAscent International Equity ETF (the “International Equity Fund”) and the OneAscent Emerging Markets ETF (the “Emerging Markets Fund”) (each a “Fund” and together, the “Funds”). This SAI is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Funds’ current prospectus dated [August 16], 2022 (the “Prospectus”). To obtain a copy of the Prospectus, free of charge, please write to OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC (the “Adviser”) at 23 Inverness Center Parkway, Birmingham, AL 35242, call the Adviser at 1-800-222-8274, or visit the Funds’ website at investments.oneascent.com.

 
 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND FUND 1
HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES 2
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT FUND INVESTMENTS AND RISK CONSIDERATIONS 9
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS 17
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT 19
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS 20
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES 26
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER 26
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE 26
CODE OF ETHICS 27
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS 27
PROXY VOTING POLICY 28
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE 29
STATUS AND TAXATION OF THE FUNDS 30
CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT 31
OTHER FUND SERVICES 32
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 32
DISTRIBUTOR 32
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 32
DISCLAIMERS 32
APPENDIX A 33

 

 

 
 

 

DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND FUNDS

The Funds were organized as diversified series of Unified Series Trust (the “Trust”) on May 20, 2022. The Trust is an open-end investment company established under the laws of Ohio by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated October 14, 2002 (the “Trust Agreement”). The Trust Agreement permits the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of separate series without par value. The Funds are two of a series of funds currently authorized by the Board. The investment adviser to the Funds is OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC (the “Adviser”).

 

The Funds issue and redeem shares solely to certain financial institutions such as registered broker-dealers and banks that have entered into agreements with the Funds’ distributor (“Authorized Participants” or “APs”) on a continuous basis at net asset value per share (“NAV”) in aggregations of a specified number of shares called “Creation Units.” Creation Units generally are issued in exchange for a basket of securities (“Deposit Securities”), together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Balancing Amount”). Shares are not individually redeemable, but are redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, and generally in exchange for portfolio securities and a specified cash payment. A Creation Unit of a Fund consists of a block of shares.

 

Shares are listed and traded on NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca” or the “Exchange”). Shares trade in the secondary market at market prices that may differ from the shares’ NAV. Other than Authorized Participants, investors will not be able to purchase or redeem shares directly with or from the Funds. Instead, most investors will buy and sell shares in the secondary market through a broker.

 

Each share of a series represents an equal proportionate interest in the assets and liabilities belonging to that series with each other share of that series and is entitled to such dividends and distributions out of income belonging to the series as are declared by the Board. Each share has the same voting and other rights and preferences as any other shares of any series of the Trust with respect to matters that affect the Trust as a whole. The shares do not have cumulative voting rights or any preemptive or conversion rights, and the Board has the authority from time to time to divide or combine the shares of any open-end series into a greater or lesser number of shares of that series so long as the proportionate beneficial interest in the assets belonging to that series and the rights of shares of any other series are in no way affected. In case of any liquidation of a series, the holders of shares of the series being liquidated will be entitled to receive as a class a distribution out of the assets, net of the liabilities, belonging to that series. Expenses attributable to any series are borne by that series. Any general expenses of the Trust not readily identifiable as belonging to a particular series are allocated by or under the direction of the Board in such manner as the Board determines to be fair and equitable. No shareholder is liable to further calls or to assessment by the Trust without his or her express consent.

 

Under the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, each Trustee will continue in office until the termination of the Trust or his/her earlier death, incapacity, resignation or removal. Shareholders can remove a Trustee to the extent provided by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Vacancies may be filled by a majority of the remaining Trustees, except insofar as the 1940 Act may require the election by shareholders. As a result, normally no annual or regular meetings of shareholders will be held unless matters arise requiring a vote of shareholders under the Trust Agreement or the 1940 Act. Any Trustee of the Trust may be removed by vote of the shareholders holding not less than two-thirds of the outstanding shares of the Trust. When matters are submitted to shareholders for a vote, each shareholder is entitled to one vote for each whole share he or she owns and fractional votes for fractional shares he or she owns. All shares of each Fund have equal voting rights and liquidation rights. The Trust Agreement can be amended by the Board, except that certain amendments that could adversely affect the rights of shareholders must be approved by the shareholders affected. All shares of the Funds are subject to involuntary redemption if the Board determines to liquidate a Fund. A Fund will provide notice to the shareholders if the Board determines, in its sole judgment, to liquidate the Fund, but the Fund

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will not be required to obtain shareholder approval prior to such liquidation. An involuntary redemption will create a capital gain or a capital loss, which may have tax consequences about which you should consult your tax adviser.

 

For information concerning the purchase and sale of shares of the Funds, see “How to Buy and Sell Shares” in the Funds’ Prospectus and in this SAI. For a description of the methods used to determine the share price and value of a Fund’s assets, see “Determination of Net Asset Value” in the Funds’ Prospectus and in this SAI.

 

The performance of a Fund may be compared in publications to the performance of various indices and investments for which reliable performance data is available. The performance of a Fund may be compared in publications to averages, performance rankings, or other information prepared by recognized investment company statistical services. The Funds’ annual report contains additional performance information and will be made available to investors upon request and without charge.

 

HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES

Creation Units

Each Fund will issue and redeem shares at NAV only in aggregations of large blocks of shares or Creation Units and only to Authorized Participants. In order to be an Authorized Participant the firm must be either a broker-dealer or other participant (“Participating Party”) in the Continuous Settlement System (“Clearing Process”) of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) or a participant in DTC with access to the DTC system (“DTC Participant”), and the firm must execute an agreement (“Participant Agreement”) with Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, the Funds’ distributor (the “Distributor”) that governs transactions in the Fund’s Creation Units.

 

Each Fund sells and redeems Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at the NAV next determined after receipt of an order in proper form on any day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. The New York Stock Exchange is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 

Each Fund will issue and redeem Creation Units principally in exchange for an in-kind deposit of a basket of designated securities (the "Deposit Securities"), together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (the "Cash Component"), plus a transaction fee.  Each Fund is expected to be approved for listing, subject to notice of issuance, on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the "Exchange").  Shares will trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at, or above NAV.  In the event of the liquidation of a Fund, a share split, reverse split or the like, the Trust may revise the number of shares in a Creation Unit.

 

Each Fund reserves the right to offer creations and redemptions of shares for cash.

 

Exchange Listing and Trading

Shares of each Fund are available to the public on the NYSE Arca and trade at market prices rather than NAV. Shares of a Fund may trade at a price that is greater than, at, or less than NAV. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the NYSE Arca necessary to maintain the listing of shares of a Fund will continue to be met. The NYSE Arca may, but is not required to, remove the shares of a Fund from listing if, among other things: (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading of Fund shares, there are fewer than 50 record and/or beneficial owners of shares of the Fund for 30 or more consecutive trading days, or (ii) any other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the NYSE Arca, makes further dealings on the NYSE Arca inadvisable. The NYSE Arca will also remove shares of a Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.

 

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As in the case of other publicly-traded securities, when you buy or sell shares of a Fund through a broker, you may incur a brokerage commission determined by that broker, as well as other charges.

 

Transaction Fees

A fixed fee payable to the Custodian is imposed on each creation and redemption transaction regardless of the number of Creation Units involved in the transaction (“Fixed Fee”). Purchases and redemptions of Creation Units for cash or involving cash-in-lieu (as defined below) incur an additional variable charge to compensate a Fund and its ongoing shareholders for brokerage and market impact expenses relating to Creation Unit transactions (“Variable Charge,” and together with the Fixed Fee, the “Transaction Fees”). With the approval of the Board, the Adviser may waive or adjust the Transaction Fees, including the Fixed Fee and/or Variable Charge (shown in the table below), from time to time. In such cases, the Authorized Participant will reimburse the Fund for, among other things, any difference between the market value at which the securities and/or financial instruments were purchased by the Fund and the cash-in-lieu amount, applicable registration fees, brokerage commissions and certain taxes. In addition, purchasers of Creation Units are responsible for the costs of transferring the Deposit Securities to the account of the Fund.

 

Investors who use the services of a broker, or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. The Transaction Fees for each Fund are listed in the table below.

 

Fee for In-Kind and Cash Purchases Maximum Additional Variable Charge for Cash Purchases*
$[250] [200 basis points (2.00%)]

* As a percentage of the amount invested.

The Clearing Process

Transactions by an Authorized Participant that is a Participating Party using the NSCC system are referred to as transactions “through the Clearing Process.” Transactions by an Authorized Participant that is a DTC Participant using the DTC system are referred to as transactions “outside the Clearing Process.” The Clearing Process is an enhanced clearing process that is available only for certain securities and only to DTC participants that are also participants in the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC. In-kind (portions of) purchase orders not subject to the Clearing Process will go through a manual clearing process run by DTC. Portfolio Deposits that include government securities must be delivered through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system (“Federal Reserve System”). Fund Deposits that include cash may be delivered through the Clearing Process or the Federal Reserve System. In-kind deposits of securities for orders outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through the Federal Reserve System (for government securities) or through DTC (for corporate securities).

 

Purchasing Creation Units

Portfolio Deposit

 

The consideration for a Creation Unit generally consists of the Deposit Securities and a Cash Component. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the “Portfolio Deposit.” The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the net asset value per Creation Unit and the Deposit Securities. Thus, the Cash Component is equal to the difference between (x) the net asset value per Creation Unit of the Fund and (y) the market value of the Deposit Securities. If (x) is more than (y), the Authorized Participant will pay the Cash Component to the Fund. If (x) is less than (y), the Authorized Participant will receive the Cash Component from the Fund.

 

On each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the NYSE Arca (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time), the Adviser through the Custodian makes available through NSCC the name and amount of each Deposit Security in the

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current Portfolio Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for each Fund and the (estimated) Cash Component, effective through and including the previous Business Day, per Creation Unit. The Deposit Securities announced are applicable to purchases of Creation Units until the next announcement of Deposit Securities.

 

Payment of any stamp duty or the like shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant purchasing a Creation Unit. The Authorized Participant must ensure that all Deposit Securities properly denote change in beneficial ownership.

 

Custom Orders and Cash-in-lieu

 

Each Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (“cash-in-lieu”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. A Fund may permit or require cash-in-lieu when, for example, a Deposit Security may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC or the Clearing Process. Similarly, a Fund may permit or require cash in lieu of Deposit Securities when, for example, the Authorized Participant or its underlying investor is restricted under U.S. or local securities laws or policies from transacting in one or more Deposit Securities. Each Fund will comply with the federal securities laws in accepting Deposit Securities including that the Deposit Securities are sold in transactions that would be exempt from registration under the Securities Act. All orders involving cash-in-lieu are considered to be “Custom Orders.”

 

Purchase Orders

 

An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable purchase order in proper form to the Distributor or its agent no later than the earlier of (i) 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or (ii) the closing time of the bond markets and/or the trading session on the Exchange, on any Business Day in order to receive that Business Day’s NAV (“Cut-off Time”). The Cut-off Time for Custom Orders is generally two hours earlier. The Business Day the order is deemed received by the Distributor is referred to as the “Transmittal Date.” An order to create Creation Units is deemed received on a Business Day if (i) such order is received by the Distributor by the Cut-off Time on such day and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. Persons placing or effectuating custom orders and/or orders involving cash should be mindful of time deadlines imposed by intermediaries, such as DTC and/or the Federal Reserve Bank wire system, which may impact the successful processing of such orders to ensure that cash and securities are transferred by the “Settlement Date,” which is generally the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date (“T+1”) for cash and the third Business Day following the Transmittal Date for securities (“T+3”).

 

Orders Using the Clearing Process

 

If available, (portions of) orders may be settled through the Clearing Process. In connection with such orders, the Distributor transmits, on behalf of the Authorized Participant, such trade instructions as are necessary to effect the creation order. Pursuant to such trade instructions, the Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the requisite Portfolio Deposit to the Fund, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor. Cash Components will be delivered using either the Clearing Process or the Federal Reserve System.

 

Orders Outside the Clearing Process

 

If the Clearing Process is not available for (portions of) an order, Portfolio Deposits will be made outside the Clearing Process. Orders outside the Clearing Process must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that the creation of Creation Units will be effected through DTC. The Portfolio Deposit transfer must be ordered by the DTC Participant on the Transmittal Date in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of Deposit Securities (whether standard or custom) through DTC to the Fund account by 11:00 a.m., Eastern time, on T+1. The Cash Component, along with any cash-in-lieu and Transaction Fee, must be transferred directly to the Custodian through

4 
 

the Federal Reserve System in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on T+1. If the Custodian does not receive both the Deposit Securities and the cash by the appointed time, the order may be canceled. A canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day but must conform to that Business Day’s Portfolio Deposit. Authorized Participants that submit a canceled order will be liable to the Fund for any losses incurred by the Fund in connection therewith.

 

Orders involving foreign Deposit Securities are expected to be settled outside the Clearing Process. Thus, upon receipt of an irrevocable purchase order, the Distributor will notify the Adviser and the Custodian of such order. The Custodian, who will have caused the appropriate local sub-custodian(s) of the applicable Fund to maintain an account into which an Authorized Participant may deliver Deposit Securities (or cash -in-lieu), with adjustments determined by the Fund, will then provide information of the order to such local sub-custodian(s). The ordering Authorized Participant will then deliver the Deposit Securities (and any cash-in-lieu) to the applicable Fund’s account at the applicable local sub-custodian. The Authorized Participant must also make available on or before the contractual settlement date, by means satisfactory to the applicable Fund, immediately available or same day funds in U.S. dollars estimated by the Fund to be sufficient to pay the Cash Component and Transaction Fee. When a relevant local market is closed due to local market holidays, the local market settlement process will not commence until the end of the local holiday period. Settlement must occur by 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the contractual settlement date.

 

Acceptance of Purchase Order

 

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 applicable Fund. A Fund’s determination shall be final and binding.

 

Each Fund reserves the absolute right to reject or revoke acceptance of a purchase order transmitted to it by the Distributor if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (c) the Deposit Securities delivered do not conform to the Deposit Securities for the applicable date; (d) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (e) the acceptance of the Portfolio Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (f) the acceptance of the Portfolio Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust, Fund or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust, Fund or the rights of beneficial owners; or (g) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Distributor and the Adviser make it for all practical purposes impossible to process purchase orders. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God; public service or utility problems resulting in telephone, telecopy or computer failures; fires, floods or extreme weather conditions; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other informational systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC, the Adviser, the Fund’s Custodian, a sub-custodian or any other participant in the creation process; and similar extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify an Authorized Participant of its rejection of the order. The Fund, 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 Portfolio Deposits, and they shall not incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.

 

Issuance of a Creation Unit

 

Once a Fund has accepted an order, upon next determination of the Fund’s NAV, the Fund will confirm the issuance of a Creation Unit, against receipt of payment, at such NAV. The Distributor will transmit a confirmation of acceptance to the Authorized Participant that placed the order.

 

Except as provided below, a Creation Unit will not be issued until the Fund obtains good title to the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component, along with any cash-in-lieu and Transaction Fee. Except as otherwise provided, the delivery of Creation Units will generally occur no later than T+2.

 

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In certain cases, Authorized Participants will create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date. In these instances, the Trust reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis.

 

A Fund may issue a Creation Unit prior to receiving good title to the Deposit Securities, under the following circumstances. Pursuant to the applicable Participant Agreement, a Fund may issue a Creation Unit notwithstanding that (certain) Deposit Securities have not been delivered, in reliance on an undertaking by the relevant Authorized Participant to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible, which undertaking is secured by such Authorized Participant’s delivery to and maintenance with the Custodian of collateral having a value equal to at least 115% of the value of the missing Deposit Securities (“Collateral”), as adjusted by time to time by the Adviser. Such Collateral will have a value greater than the NAV of the Creation Unit on the date the order is placed. Such collateral must be delivered no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on T+1. The only Collateral that is acceptable to the Funds is cash in U.S. Dollars.

 

While (certain) Deposit Securities remain undelivered, the Collateral shall at all times have a value equal to at least 115% (as adjusted by the Adviser) of the daily marked-to-market value of the missing Deposit Securities. At any time, a Fund may use the Collateral to purchase the missing securities, and the Authorized Participant will be liable to the Fund for any costs incurred thereby or losses resulting therefrom, whether or not they exceed the amount of the Collateral, including any Transaction Fee, any amount by which the purchase price of the missing Deposit Securities exceeds the market value of such securities on the Transmittal Date, brokerage and other transaction costs. The Trust will return any unused Collateral once all of the missing securities have been received by the Fund. More information regarding the Funds’ current procedures for collateralization is available from the Distributor.

 

Cash Purchase Method

 

When cash purchases of Creation Units are available or specified for a Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases In the case of a cash purchase, the investor must pay the cash equivalent of the Portfolio Deposit. In addition, cash purchases will be subject to Transaction Fees, as described above.

 

Redeeming a Creation Unit

Redemption Basket

 

The consideration received in connection with the redemption of a Creation Unit generally consists of an in-kind basket of designated securities (“Redemption Securities”) and a Cash Component. Together, the Redemption Securities and the Cash Component constitute the “Redemption Basket.”

 

There can be no assurance that there will be sufficient liquidity in Shares in the secondary market to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. In addition, investors may incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a Creation Unit.

 

The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the net asset value per Creation Unit and the Redemption Securities. Thus, the Cash Component is equal to the difference between (x) the net asset value per Creation Unit of the applicable Fund and (y) the market value of the Redemption Securities. If (x) is more than (y), the Authorized Participant will receive the Cash Component from the Fund. If (x) is less than (y), the Authorized Participant will pay the Cash Component to the applicable Fund.

 

If the Redemption Securities on a Business Day are different from the Deposit Securities, prior to the opening of business on the NYSE Arca (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time), the Adviser through the Custodian makes available through NSCC the name and amount of each Redemption Security in the current Redemption Basket (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the applicable Fund and the (estimated) Cash Component, effective through and including the previous Business Day, per Creation Unit. If the Redemption Securities on a

6 
 

Business Day are different from the Deposit Securities, all redemption requests that day will be processed outside the Clearing Process.

 

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed: (i) for any period during which the NYSE Arca is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) for any period during which trading on the NYSE Arca is suspended or restricted; (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares or determination of the applicable Fund’s NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in such other circumstances as permitted by the SEC, including as described below.

 

Custom Redemptions and Cash-in-lieu

 

Each Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit or require the substitution of cash-in-lieu to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Redemption Security. A Fund may permit or require cash-in-lieu when, for example, a Redemption Security may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC or the Clearing Process. Similarly, a Fund may permit or require cash-in-lieu of Redemption Securities when, for example, the Authorized Participant or its underlying investor is restricted under U.S. or local securities law or policies from transacting in one or more Redemption Securities. Each Fund will comply with the federal securities laws in satisfying redemptions with Redemption Securities, including that the Redemption Securities are sold in transactions that would be exempt from registration under the Securities Act. All redemption requests involving cash-in-lieu are considered to be “Custom Redemptions.”

 

Redemption Requests

 

To redeem a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable redemption request to the Distributor.

 

An Authorized Participant submitting a redemption request is deemed to represent to a Fund that it has ascertained or has reasonable grounds to believe that as of the time of the contractual settlement date, that (i) it or its customer, as the case may be, owns, will own or have the authority and right to tender for redemption the Creation Unit to be redeemed and can receive the entire proceeds of the redemption, and (ii) all of the Shares that are in the Creation Unit to be redeemed have not been loaned or pledged to another party nor are they the subject of a repurchase agreement, securities lending agreement or such other arrangement that would preclude the delivery of such Shares to the Fund on the contractual settlement date. Each Fund reserves the absolute right, in its sole discretion, to verify these representations, but will typically require verification in connection with higher levels of redemption activity and/or short interest in the Fund. If the Authorized Participant, upon receipt of a verification request, does not provide sufficient verification of the requested representations, the redemption request will not be considered to be in proper form and may be rejected by the Fund.

 

Timing of Submission of Redemption Requests

 

An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable redemption order no later than the Cut-off Time. The Cut-off Time for Custom Orders is generally two hours earlier. The Business Day the order is deemed received by the Distributor is referred to as the “Transmittal Date.” A redemption request is deemed received if (i) such order is received by the Distributor by the Cut-off Time on such day and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. Persons placing or effectuating Custom Redemptions and/or orders involving cash should be mindful of time deadlines imposed by intermediaries, such as DTC and/or the Federal Reserve System, which may impact the successful processing of such orders to ensure that cash and securities are transferred by the Settlement Date, as defined above.

 

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Requests Using the Clearing Process

 

If available, (portions of) redemption requests may be settled through the Clearing Process. In connection with such orders, the Distributor transmits on behalf of the Authorized Participant, such trade instructions as are necessary to effect the redemption. Pursuant to such trade instructions, the Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the requisite Creation Unit(s) to the applicable Fund, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor. Cash Components will be delivered using either the Clearing Process or the Federal Reserve System, as described above.

 

Requests Outside the Clearing Process

 

If the Clearing Process is not available for (portions of) an order, Redemption Baskets will be delivered outside the Clearing Process. Orders outside the Clearing Process must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that the redemption will be effected through DTC. The Authorized Participant must transfer or cause to be transferred the Creation Unit(s) of shares being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be delivered through DTC to the Custodian by 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on received T+1. In addition, the Cash Component must be received by the Custodian by 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on T+1. If the Custodian does not receive the Creation Unit(s) and Cash Component by the appointed times on T+1, the redemption will be rejected, except in the circumstances described below. A rejected redemption request may be resubmitted the following Business Day.

 

Orders involving foreign Redemption Securities are expected to be settled outside the Clearing Process. Thus, upon receipt of an irrevocable redemption request, the Distributor will notify the Adviser and the Custodian. The Custodian will then provide information of the redemption to the Fund’s local sub-custodian(s). The redeeming Authorized Participant, or the investor on whose behalf is acting, will have established appropriate arrangements with a broker-dealer, bank or other custody provider in each jurisdiction in which the Redemption Securities are customarily traded and to which such Redemption Securities (and any cash-in-lieu) can be delivered from the applicable Fund’s accounts at the applicable local sub-custodian(s).

 

Acceptance of Redemption Requests

 

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. The Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.

 

Delivery of Redemption Basket

 

Once a Fund has accepted a redemption request, upon next determination of the Fund’s NAV, the Fund will confirm the issuance of a Redemption Basket, against receipt of the Creation Unit(s) at such NAV, any cash-in-lieu and Transaction Fee. A Creation Unit tendered for redemption and the payment of the Cash Component, any cash-in-lieu and Transaction Fee will be effected through DTC. The Authorized Participant, or the investor on whose behalf it is acting, will be recorded on the book-entry system of DTC.

 

The Redemption Basket will generally be delivered to the redeeming Authorized Participant within T+3. Except under the circumstances described below, however, a Redemption Basket generally will not be issued until the Creation Unit(s) are delivered to the applicable Fund, along with the Cash Component, any cash-in-lieu and Transaction Fee.

 

In certain cases, Authorized Participants will create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date. In these instances, the Trust reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis.

 

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Cash Redemption Method

 

When cash redemptions of Creation Units are available or specified for a Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions. In the case of a cash redemption, the investor will receive the cash equivalent of the Redemption Basket minus any Transaction Fees, as described above.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT FUND INVESTMENTS AND RISK CONSIDERATIONS

This section contains additional information regarding some of the investments the Funds may make and some of the associated risks.

 

A.                  Foreign Securities. The Funds may invest directly in foreign companies, including securities listed on U.S. exchanges. Investing in securities of foreign companies and countries involves certain considerations and risks that are not typically associated with investing in U.S. government securities and securities of domestic companies. There may be less publicly available information about a foreign issuer than a domestic one, and foreign companies are not generally subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial standards and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies. There may also be less government supervision and regulation of foreign companies, brokers and listed companies than exists in the United States. Interest and dividends paid by foreign issuers may be subject to withholding and other foreign taxes, which may decrease the net return on such investments as compared to dividends and interest paid to a Fund by domestic companies or the U.S. government. There may be the possibility of expropriations, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or diplomatic developments that could affect assets of a Fund held in foreign countries. The establishment of exchange controls or other foreign governmental laws or restrictions could adversely affect the payment of obligations. In addition, investing in foreign securities may require paying higher commissions than investing in similar domestic securities.

 

Decreases in the value of currencies of the foreign countries in which a Fund will invest relative to the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding decrease in the U.S. dollar value of the any assets denominated in those currencies (and possibly a corresponding increase in the amount of securities required to be liquidated to meet distribution requirements). Conversely, increases in the value of currencies of the foreign countries in which the Fund invests relative to the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding increase in the U.S. dollar value of such assets (and possibly a corresponding decrease in the amount of securities to be liquidated).

 

Currency Risk and Exchange Risk. Foreign securities also include securities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and may temporarily hold funds in bank deposits or other money market investments denominated in foreign currencies. Therefore, a Fund may be affected favorably or unfavorably by exchange control regulations or changes in the exchange rate between such currencies and the U.S. dollar. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates influence values within the Fund from the perspective of U.S. investors. The rate of exchange between the U.S. dollar and other currencies is determined by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets. These forces are affected by the international balance of payments and other economic and financial conditions, government intervention, speculation and other factors.

 

Risks of Investing in Asia-Pacific Countries. In addition to the risks of foreign investing and the risks of investing in developing markets, the developing market Asia-Pacific countries in which the Fund may invest are subject to certain additional or specific risks.

 

Many of the developing market Asia-Pacific countries may be subject to a greater degree of economic, political and social instability than is the case in the United States and Western European countries. Such instability may result from, among other things: (i) authoritarian governments or military involvement in political and economic decision-

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making, including changes in government through extra-constitutional means; (ii) popular unrest associated with demands for improved political, economic and social conditions; (iii) internal insurgencies; (iv) hostile relations with neighboring countries; and (v) ethnic, religious and racial disaffection. In addition, the governments of many of such countries, such as Indonesia, have a substantial role in regulating and supervising the economy. Another risk common to most such countries is that the economy is heavily export oriented and, accordingly, is dependent upon international trade. The existence of overburdened infrastructure and obsolete financial systems also presents risks in certain countries, as do environmental problems. Certain economies also depend to a significant degree upon exports of primary commodities and, therefore, are vulnerable to changes in commodity prices that, in turn, may be affected by a variety of factors.

 

The rights of investors in developing market Asia-Pacific companies may be more limited than those of shareholders of U.S. corporations. It may be difficult or impossible to obtain and/or enforce a judgment in a developing market Asia-Pacific country.

 

Governments of many developing market Asia-Pacific countries have exercised and continue to exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector. In certain cases, the government owns or controls many companies. Accordingly, government actions in the future could have a significant effect on economic conditions in developing market Asia-Pacific countries, which could affect private sector companies and a Fund itself, as well as the value of securities in the Fund’s portfolio.

 

There is a relative lack of publicly available information about developing market Asia-Pacific issuers and such issuers may not be subject to the same accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards as U.S. companies.

 

Some developing Asia-Pacific countries prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on investments in their capital markets, particularly their equity markets, by foreign entities such as the Fund. Certain countries may require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular company or limit the investment by foreign persons to only a specific class of securities of a company which may have less advantageous terms (including price and shareholder rights) than securities of the company available for purchase by nationals. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to obtain required governmental approvals in a timely manner. In addition, changes to restrictions on foreign ownership of securities subsequent to the Fund’s purchase of such securities may have an adverse effect on the value of such shares.

 

Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk. The stocks of small and medium capitalization companies involve substantial risk. The earnings and prospects of small and medium sized companies are more volatile than larger companies and may experience higher failure rates than larger companies. Small and medium sized companies normally have a lower trading volume than larger companies, which may tend to make their market price fall more disproportionately than larger companies in response to selling pressures and may have limited markets, product lines, or financial resources and lack management experience. Further, these companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, and they may be dependent on a limited management group. Stocks of these companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than those of larger, more established companies or the market averages in general.

 

B.                  Depositary Receipts. The Funds may invest in foreign securities by purchasing depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) and European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), or other securities convertible into securities or issuers based in foreign countries.  ADRs include American Depository shares.  These securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted.  Generally, ADRs in registered form are denominated in U.S. dollars and are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, while GDRs and EDRs, in bearer form, may be denominated in other currencies and are designed for use in non-U.S. securities markets.  ADRs are receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company evidencing ownership of the underlying securities.  GDRs and EDRs are receipts with a non-U.S. bank evidencing a similar arrangement.  For purposes of a Fund’s investment policies, ADRs, GDRs and EDRs

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are deemed to have the same classification as the underlying securities they represent.  Thus, an ADR, GDR or EDR representing ownership of common stock will be treated as common stock.

 

ADR facilities may be established as either “unsponsored” or “sponsored.”  While ADRs issued under these two types of facilities are in some respects similar, there are distinctions between them relating to the rights and obligations of ADR holders and the practices of market participants.  A depositary may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or even necessarily the acquiescence of) the issuer of the deposited securities, although typically the depositary requests a letter of non-objection from such issuer prior to the establishment of the facility.  Holders of unsponsored ADRs generally bear all the costs of such facilities.  The depositary usually charges fees upon the deposit and withdrawal of the deposited securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of other services.  The depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited securities or to pass through voting rights to ADR holders in respect of the deposited securities.  Sponsored ADR facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that the issuer of the deposited securities enters into a deposit agreement with the depositary.  The deposit agreement sets out the rights and responsibilities of the issuer, the depositary and the ADR holders.  With sponsored facilities, the issuer of the deposited securities generally will bear some of the costs relating to the facility (such as dividend payment fees of the depositary), although ADR holders continue to bear certain other costs (such as deposit and withdrawal fees).  Under the terms of most sponsored arrangements, depositaries agree to distribute notices of shareholder meetings and voting instructions, and to provide shareholder communications and other information to the ADR holders at the request of the issuer of the deposited securities.

 

C.                 Developed Countries. A Fund's investment in developed country issuers may subject the Fund to regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic growth than some less developed countries. Certain developed countries have experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving a country's or region's security may cause uncertainty in its markets and may adversely affect its economy and the Fund's investments. In addition, developed countries may be adversely impacted by changes to the economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.

 

D.                 Emerging Market Obligations and Securities. Investing in emerging market securities imposes risks different from, or greater than, risks of investing in foreign developed countries. These risks include: smaller market capitalization of securities markets, which may suffer periods of relative illiquidity; significant price volatility; restrictions on foreign investment; and possible repatriation risk. In addition, foreign investors may be required to register the proceeds of sales; future economic or political crises could lead to price controls, forced mergers, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, seizure, nationalization, or creation of government monopolies. The currencies of emerging market countries may experience significant declines against the U.S. dollar, and devaluation may occur subsequent to investments in these currencies by a Fund. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had, and may continue to have, negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain emerging market countries.

 

Additional risks of emerging market securities may include: greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability; more substantial governmental involvement in the economy; less governmental supervision and regulation; unavailability of currency hedging techniques; companies that are newly organized and small; differences in auditing and financial reporting standards, which may result in unavailability of material information about issuers; and less developed legal systems. In addition, emerging securities markets may have different clearance and settlement procedures, which may be unable to keep pace with the volume of securities

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transactions or otherwise make it difficult to engage in such transactions. Settlement problems may cause a Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities, hold a portion of its assets in cash pending investment, or be delayed in disposing of a portfolio security. Such a delay could result in possible liability to a purchaser of the security.

 

E.                  Common Stocks and Equivalents. Each Fund will invest in common stock and common stock equivalents (such as rights and warrants, and convertible securities). Warrants are options to purchase equity securities at a specified price valid for a specific period. Rights are similar to warrants, but normally have a short duration and are distributed by the issuer to its shareholders. Warrants are instruments that entitle the holder to buy underlying equity securities at a specific price for a specific period of time. A warrant tends to be more volatile than its underlying securities and ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. In addition, changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying securities.

 

F.                   Small and Medium Capitalization Companies. Each Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets in companies with modest capitalization, as well as start-up companies. While the Adviser believes that small- and medium-sized companies as well as start-up companies can at times provide greater growth potential than larger, more mature companies, investing in the securities of these companies also involves greater risk, potential price volatility and cost. These companies often involve higher risks because they lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification, markets, distribution channels and competitive strengths of larger companies. In addition, in many instances, the frequency and volume of their trading are substantially less than are typical of larger companies. Therefore, the securities of small and medium sized companies as well as start-up companies may be subject to wider price fluctuations. The spreads between the bid and asked prices of the securities of these companies in the United States over-the-counter and other markets typically are larger than the spreads for more actively traded securities. As a result, a Fund could incur a loss if it determined to sell such a security shortly after its acquisition. When making large sales, a Fund may have to sell portfolio holdings at discounts from quoted prices or may have to make a series of small sales over an extended period of time due to the trading volume of small and medium sized company securities.

 

Investors should be aware that, based on the foregoing factors, to the extent a Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of small or medium sized companies, an investment in the Fund may be subject to greater price fluctuations than if it invested primarily in larger, more established companies.

 

G.                 Investment Company Securities. Each Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies, such as other exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), mutual funds (open- or closed-end), money market funds, and unit investment trusts. For example, each Fund may invest in ETFs the investments of which are consistent with the Fund’s own investment strategy. In addition, each Fund also may invest in ETFs that do not meet such investment strategy, for defensive and other purposes. Additionally, each Fund may invest in new exchange-traded shares as they become available. Each Fund may invest in ETFs whose portfolios consist primarily of commodities. As a shareholder of an investment company, each Fund will indirectly bear its pro rata portion of service and other fees of such other investment company, which are in addition to the fees the Fund pays its service providers. For example, shareholders may incur expenses associated with capital gains distributions by each Fund as well as the underlying funds in which the Fund invests. Shareholders also may incur increased transaction costs as a result of each Fund’s portfolio turnover rate and/or because of the high portfolio turnover rates in the underlying funds. Each Fund is independent from any of the underlying funds in which it invests and it has no voice in or control over the investment strategies, policies or decisions of the underlying funds. A Fund’s only option is to redeem its investment in an underlying fund in the event of dissatisfaction with the fund.

 

To the extent that a Fund invests in ETFs that invest in commodities, it will be subject to additional risks associated with direct investments in commodities. Commodities are real assets such as oil, agriculture, livestock, industrial metals, and precious metals such as gold or silver. The values of ETFs that invest in commodities are highly dependent on the prices of the related commodities. The demand and supply of these commodities may fluctuate widely based on such factors as interest rates, investors’ expectation with respect to

12 
 

the rate of inflation, currency exchange rates, the production and cost levels of the producers and/or forward selling by such producers, global or regional political, economic or financial events, purchases and sales by central banks, and trading activities by hedge funds and other commodity funds. Commodity ETFs may use derivatives, such as futures, options and swaps, which expose them to further risks, including counterparty risk (i.e., the risk that the institution on the other side of the trade will default).

 

To the extent that a Fund invests in ETFs that invest in foreign securities, it will be subject to additional risks associated with direct investments in foreign securities. Foreign investments can involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments. Securities of foreign companies may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than securities of U.S. companies because a limited number of companies represent a small number of industries. Many foreign countries lack uniform accounting and disclosure standards comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies, and it may be more difficult to obtain reliable information regarding an issuer’s financial condition and operations. When a Fund invests in ADRs or other U.S. dollar-denominated foreign securities, it generally will not be subject to currency risk.

 

Investing abroad also involves different political and economic risks. Foreign investments may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors, including the possibility of expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. investment or on the ability to repatriate assets or convert currency into U.S. dollars, or other government intervention. There may be a greater possibility of default by foreign governments or foreign government-sponsored enterprises. Investments in foreign countries also involve a risk of local political, economic or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments. There is no assurance that the Adviser will be able to anticipate or counter these potential events and their impacts on a Fund’s share price.

 

H.                 U.S. Government Securities. U.S. government securities may be backed by the credit of the government as a whole or only by the issuing agency. U.S. Treasury bonds, notes, and bills and some agency securities, such as those issued by the Federal Housing Administration and the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”), are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government as to payment of principal and interest and are the highest quality government securities. Other securities issued by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities, such as securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Banks and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, are supported only by the credit of the agency that issued them, and not by the U.S. government. Securities issued by the Federal Farm Credit System, the Federal Land Banks, and the Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”) are supported by the agency’s right to borrow money from the U.S. Treasury under certain circumstances, but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

 

Each Fund may also invest in Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (“TIPS”). TIPS are a special type of treasury note or bond that was created in order to offer bond investors protection from inflation. The value of the TIPS is automatically adjusted to the inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”). If the CPI goes up by half a percent the value of the bond would go up by half a percent. If the CPI falls, the value of the bond does not fall because the government guarantees that your original investment will stay the same. TIPS decline in value when real interest rates rise. In certain interest rate environments, such as when real interest rates are rising faster than nominal interest rates, TIPS may experience greater losses than other fixed income securities with similar duration.

 

I.                    Cash Equivalents. Each Fund may invest directly in cash and high-quality short-term fixed-income securities. All money market instruments can change in value when interest rates or an issuer’s creditworthiness change dramatically. Various short-term fixed-income securities that the Funds may invest in for cash management purposes are described below:

 

Bank Obligations. Bank obligations include bankers’ acceptances, negotiable certificates of deposit and non-negotiable time deposits, including U.S. dollar-denominated instruments issued or supported by the credit of U.S.

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or foreign banks or savings institutions. Although the Funds may invest in money market obligations of foreign banks or foreign branches of U.S. banks only where the Adviser determines the instrument to present minimal credit risks, such investments may nevertheless entail risks that are different from those of investments in domestic obligations of U.S. banks due to differences in political, regulatory and economic systems and conditions. All investments in bank obligations are limited to the obligations of financial institutions having more than $1 billion in total assets at the time of purchase, and investments by a Fund in the obligations of foreign banks and foreign branches of U.S. banks will not exceed 10% of the relevant Fund’s total assets at the time of purchase. Each Fund may also make interest-bearing savings deposits in commercial and savings banks in amounts not in excess of 10% of its net assets.

 

Commercial Paper. Investments by a Fund in commercial paper will consist of issues rated at the time of investment as A-1 and/or P-1 by S&P, Moody’s or similar rating by another nationally recognized rating agency. In addition, each Fund may acquire unrated commercial paper and corporate bonds that are determined by the Adviser at the time of purchase to be of comparable quality to rated instruments that may be acquired by the Fund as previously described.

 

Investment Company Securities. (See “F” Above). Each Fund may invest in other investment companies such as money market funds and short-term bond funds.

 

J.                   Securities Lending. Each Fund may, from time to time, lend securities to banks, brokers and dealers and receive as collateral cash, U.S. Government obligations or irrevocable bank letters of credit (or any combination thereof), which collateral will be required to be maintained at all times in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current value of the loaned securities plus accrued interest. Each Fund’s securities lending practices will be limited to no more than 33% of its total assets.

 

To be acceptable as collateral, letters of credit must be issued by a bank that is deemed satisfactory by the Adviser, and must obligate the bank to pay amounts demanded by the relevant Fund if the demand meets the terms of the letter. The Fund receives amounts equal to the dividends or interest on the loaned securities and also receives one or more of (a) negotiated loan fees, (b) interest on securities used as collateral, or (c) interest on short-term debt securities purchased with such collateral; either type of interest may be shared with the borrower. The Fund may also pay fees to placing brokers as well as custodial and administrative fees in connection with its securities loans. However, fees may only be paid to a placing broker if (a) the Adviser determines that such fees paid to the placing broker are reasonable and based solely upon services rendered, and (b) the Board separately considers the propriety of any fee shared by the placing broker with the borrower and determines that the fees paid to the placing broker are not used to compensate the Adviser or any of its affiliated persons.

 

Loans of securities involve risks of delay in receiving additional collateral or in recovering the securities lent or even loss of rights in the collateral in the event of the insolvency of the borrower of the securities. The terms of each Fund’s loans must meet applicable tests under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and must permit the Fund to re-acquire loaned securities on five days’ notice or in time to vote on any important matter. The Funds will have the right to regain record ownership of loaned securities in order to exercise beneficial rights.

 

K.                 Preferred Stock. Preferred stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. Preferred stock normally pays dividends at a specified rate and has precedence over common stock in the event the issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy. However, in the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock. Preferred stock, unlike common stock, often has a stated dividend rate payable from the corporation’s earnings. Preferred stock dividends may be cumulative or non-cumulative, participating, or auction rate. “Cumulative” dividend provisions require all or a portion of prior unpaid dividends to be paid before dividends can be paid to the issuer’s common stock. “Participating” preferred stock may be entitled to a dividend exceeding the stated dividend in

14 
 

certain cases. “Auction Rate” preferred stock is a floating rate preferred stock with the dividend rate reset by Dutch auction, typically every seven, 28, 35 or 49 days. The dividend rate on auction rate preferred stock usually is subject to a maximum rate. If interest rates rise, the fixed dividend on preferred stocks may be less attractive, causing the price of such stocks to decline. Preferred stock may have mandatory sinking fund provisions, as well as provisions allowing the stock to be called or redeemed, which can limit the benefit of a decline in interest rates. Preferred stock is subject to many of the risks to which common stock and debt securities are subject.

 

L.                  Real Estate Investment Trusts. Each Fund may invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). A REIT is a corporation or business trust that invests substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate. Equity REITs are those which purchase or lease land and buildings and generate income primarily from rental income. Equity REITs may also realize capital gains (or losses) when selling property that has appreciated (or depreciated) in value. Mortgage REITs are those which invest in real estate mortgages and generate income primarily from interest payments on mortgage loans. Hybrid REITs generally invest in both real property and mortgages. REITs are generally subject to risks associated with direct ownership of real estate, such as decreases in real estate values or fluctuations in rental income caused by a variety of factors, including increases in interest rates, increases in property taxes and other operating costs, casualty or condemnation losses, possible environmental liabilities and changes in supply and demand for properties. Other risks associated with these investments include the fact that REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills and are not fully diversified. These characteristics subject REITs to the risks associated with financing a limited number of projects. They are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. Additionally, equity REITs may be affected by any changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, and mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended.

 

M.                Derivative Instruments. The Funds may use derivative instruments for any lawful purpose consistent with its investment objectives, such as for hedging, managing risk, or obtaining market exposure. Derivative instruments are commonly defined to include securities or contracts whose values depend on (or “derive” from) the value of one or more other assets, such as securities, currencies, or commodities (commonly referred to as “underlying assets”) or indices. The Funds may invest in derivative instruments directly or through the underlying funds in which a Fund invests.

 

Swap Transactions. The Funds may use another type of derivative transaction, known as a swap transaction, in an effort to hedge risk or to earn additional returns. Although swap transactions may contain financing terms and implied financing rates, they are not treated as borrowing or lending transactions by the Fund to the extent the Fund has collateralized with liquid assets, on a marked-to-market basis, the value of any obligation the Fund owes to the counterparty to the swap transaction. Swaps allow the parties to exchange the dividend income or other components of return on an equity or other investment (e.g., a group of equity securities or an index) for a component of return on another non-equity or equity investment. These components may also include interest rate, credit default, total return, commodities, currencies, and security and currency exchange rates. Swaps are derivatives, and their values can be very volatile. To the extent that the Adviser does not accurately analyze and predict the potential relative fluctuation of the components swapped with another party, a Fund may suffer a loss. The value of some components of a swap (like the dividends on a common stock) may also be sensitive to changes in interest rates. Furthermore, during the period a swap is outstanding, a Fund may suffer a loss if the counterparty defaults. Swaps are not liquid investments, unless they have been determined to be liquid pursuant to the valuation procedures adopted by the Board.

 

Futures Transactions. The Funds may use futures contracts for any lawful purpose consistent with its investment objective such as hedging, managing risk or obtaining market exposure. The Funds may enter into futures contracts, including, but not limited to, commodities futures, currencies futures, and index futures.

 

The purchase of futures contracts can serve as a long hedge, and the sale of futures can serve as a short hedge. A Fund may also purchase and sell interest rate futures contracts on a short-term trading basis as a means of managing the duration of and interest rate exposure of the Fund.

 

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To the extent required by regulatory authorities, a Fund only enters into futures contracts that are traded on national futures exchanges and are standardized as to maturity date and underlying financial instrument. Futures exchanges and trading are regulated under the CEA by the CFTC. Although techniques other than sales and purchases of futures contracts could be used to reduce the Fund’s exposure to market or interest rate fluctuations, the Fund may be able to hedge its exposure more effectively and perhaps at a lower cost through the use of futures contracts.

 

An index futures contract is an agreement pursuant to which the parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to the difference between the value of the index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the index futures contract was originally written. Transaction costs are incurred when a futures contract is bought or sold and margin deposits must be maintained. A futures contract may be satisfied by delivery or purchase, as the case may be, of the instrument or by payment of the change in the cash value of the index. More commonly, futures contracts are closed out prior to delivery by entering into an offsetting transaction in a matching futures contract. Although the value of an index might be a function of the value of certain specified securities, no physical delivery of those securities is made. If the offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, the Fund realizes a gain; if it is more, the Fund realizes a loss. Conversely, if the offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund realizes a gain; if it is less, the Fund realizes a loss. The transaction costs must also be included in these calculations. There can be no assurance, however, that a Fund will be able to enter into an offsetting transaction with respect to a particular futures contract at a particular time. If a Fund is not able to enter into an offsetting transaction, the Fund will continue to be required to maintain the margin deposits on the futures contract.

 

No price is paid by a Fund upon entering into a futures contract. Instead, at the inception of a futures contract, the Fund is required to deposit in a segregated account with its custodian, in the name of the futures broker through whom the transaction was effected, “initial margin” consisting of cash and/or other appropriate liquid assets in an amount generally equal to 10% or less of the contract value. Unlike margin in securities transactions, initial margin on futures contracts does not represent a borrowing, but rather is in the nature of a performance bond or good-faith deposit that is returned to the Fund at the termination of the transaction if all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Under certain circumstances, such as periods of high volatility, a Fund may be required by an exchange to increase the level of its initial margin payment, and initial margin requirements might be increased generally in the future by regulatory action.

 

Subsequent “variation margin” payments are made to and from the futures broker daily as the value of the futures position varies, a process known as “marking to market.” Variation margin does not involve borrowing, but rather represents a daily settlement of the Fund’s obligations to or from a futures broker. When a Fund purchases or sells a futures contract or writes a call or put option thereon, it is subject to daily variation margin calls that could be substantial in the event of adverse price movements. If a Fund has insufficient cash to meet daily variation margin requirements, it might need to sell securities at a time when such sales are disadvantageous. Purchasers and sellers of futures positions can enter into offsetting closing transactions by selling or purchasing, respectively, an instrument identical to the instrument held or written. Positions in futures may be closed only on an exchange or board of trade that provides a secondary market. The Funds intend to enter into futures transactions only on exchanges or boards of trade where there appears to be a liquid secondary market. However, there can be no assurance that such a market will exist for a particular contract at a particular time.

 

Under certain circumstances, futures exchanges may establish daily limits on the amount that the price of a future can vary from the previous day’s settlement price; once that limit is reached, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond the limit. Daily price limits do not limit potential losses because prices could move to the daily limit for several consecutive days with little or no trading, thereby preventing liquidation of unfavorable positions.

 

If a Fund were unable to liquidate a futures position due to the absence of a liquid secondary market or the imposition of price limits, it could incur substantial losses. The Fund would continue to be subject to market risk with respect to the position. In addition, except in the case of purchased options, the Fund would continue to be required to make

16 
 

daily variation margin payments and might be required to maintain the position being hedged by the future or option or to designate liquid assets on its books and records.

 

Certain characteristics of the futures market might increase the risk that movements in the prices of futures contracts might not correlate perfectly with movements in the prices of the investments being hedged. For example, all participants in the futures markets are subject to daily variation margin calls and might be compelled to liquidate futures positions whose prices are moving unfavorably to avoid being subject to further calls. These liquidations could increase price volatility of the instruments and distort the normal price relationship between the futures and the investments being hedged. Also, because initial margin deposit requirements in the futures markets are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities markets, there might be increased participation by speculators in the futures markets. This participation also might cause temporary price distortions. In addition, activities of large traders in both the futures and securities markets involving arbitrage, “program trading” and other investment strategies might result in temporary price distortions.

 

Commodity Pool Operator. The use of derivative instruments is subject to applicable regulations of the SEC, the several options and futures exchanges upon which they may be traded, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), and various state regulatory authorities. In addition, the Fund’s ability to use derivative instruments may be limited by certain tax considerations.

 

The Adviser on behalf of the Fund has filed a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” in accordance with Rule 4.5 under the Commodities Exchange Act (“CEA”), and therefore, the Fund will not be subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the CEA.

 

N.                  Defensive Positions. At times the Funds’ Adviser may determine that market, economic or political conditions make pursuing a Fund’s investment strategies inconsistent with the best interests of Fund shareholders. The Adviser then may cause the respective Fund to take temporary defensive positions that are designed mainly to limit losses. In implementing these strategies, each Fund may hold up to 100% of its assets in cash, short-term U.S. government securities, money market instruments, other investment companies (including money market funds), investment grade fixed-income securities, repurchase agreements, or other securities that the Adviser believes are consistent with the Fund’s defensive strategies.

 

INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS

A.       Fundamental. The investment limitations described below have been adopted by the Trust with respect to each Fund and are fundamental, (i.e., they may not be changed without the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of a Fund). As used in the Prospectus and this SAI, the term “majority of the outstanding shares” of a Fund means the lesser of (1) 67% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented at such meeting; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund.

 

1.       Borrowing Money. A Fund will not borrow money, except (a) from a bank, provided that immediately after such borrowing there is an asset coverage of 300% for all borrowings of the Fund; or (b) from a bank or other persons for temporary purposes only, provided that such temporary borrowings are in an amount not exceeding 5% of the Fund’s total assets at the time when the borrowing is made. This limitation does not preclude the Fund from entering into reverse repurchase transactions, provided that the Fund has an asset coverage of 300% for all borrowings and repurchase commitments of the Fund pursuant to reverse repurchase transactions.

 

2.       Senior Securities. A Fund will not issue senior securities. This limitation is not applicable to activities that may be deemed to involve the issuance or sale of a senior security by the Fund, provided

17 
 

that the Fund’s engagement in such activities is consistent with or permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or interpretations of the SEC or its staff.

 

3.       Underwriting. A Fund will not act as underwriter of securities issued by other persons. This limitation is not applicable to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities (including restricted securities), the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under certain federal securities laws.

 

4.       Real Estate. A Fund will not purchase or sell real estate. This limitation is not applicable to investments in marketable securities which are secured by or represent interests in real estate. This limitation does not preclude the Fund from investing in mortgage-related securities or investing in companies engaged in the real estate business or that have a significant portion of their assets in real estate (including REITs).

 

5.       Commodities. A Fund will not purchase or sell commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other investments. This limitation does not preclude the Fund from purchasing or selling options or futures contracts, including commodities futures contracts, from investing in securities or other instruments backed by commodities or from investing in companies which are engaged in a commodities business or have a significant portion of their assets in commodities.

 

6.       Loans. A Fund will not make loans to other persons, except (a) by loaning portfolio securities, (b) by engaging in repurchase agreements, or (c) by purchasing non-publicly offered debt securities. For purposes of this limitation, the term “loans” shall not include the purchase of a portion of an issue of publicly distributed bonds, debentures or other securities.

 

7.       Concentration. A Fund will not invest 25% or more of its total assets in a particular industry. This limitation is not applicable to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities or repurchase agreements with respect thereto.

 

With respect to the percentages adopted by the Trust as maximum limitations on a Fund’s investment policies and limitations, an excess above the fixed percentage will not be a violation of the policy or limitation unless the excess results immediately and directly from the acquisition of any security or the action taken. This paragraph does not apply to the borrowing policy set forth in paragraph 1 above.

 

Notwithstanding any of the foregoing limitations, any investment company, whether organized as a trust, association or corporation, or a personal holding company, may be merged or consolidated with or acquired by the Trust, provided that if such merger, consolidation or acquisition results in an investment in the securities of any issuer prohibited by the paragraphs above, the Trust shall, within ninety days after the consummation of such merger, consolidation or acquisition, dispose of all of the securities of such issuer so acquired or such portion thereof as shall bring the total investment therein within the limitations imposed by said paragraphs above as of the date of consummation.

 

B.       Non-Fundamental. The following limitations have been adopted by the Trust with respect to each Fund and are non-fundamental (i.e., they are other investment practices which may be changed by the Board without the approval of shareholders to the extent permitted by applicable law, regulation or regulatory policy).

 

1.       Pledging. A Fund will not mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or in any manner transfer, as security for indebtedness, any assets of the Fund except as may be necessary in connection with borrowings described in Fundamental limitation (1) above. Margin deposits, security interests, liens and collateral arrangements with respect to transactions involving options, futures contracts, short sales and other

18 
 

permitted investments and techniques are not deemed to be a mortgage, pledge or hypothecation of assets for purposes of this limitation.

 

2.       Borrowing. A Fund will not purchase any security while borrowings (including reverse repurchase agreements) representing more than 5% of its total assets are outstanding.

 

3.       Margin Purchases. A Fund will not purchase securities or evidences of interest thereon on “margin.” This limitation is not applicable to short-term credit obtained by the Fund for the clearance of purchases and sales or redemption of securities, or to arrangements with respect to transactions involving options, futures contracts, short sales and other permitted investments and techniques.

 

4.       80% Policy. Each Fund is subject to an 80% policy, as provided in the prospectus.

 

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

The Adviser

OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC (the “Adviser”), located at 23 Inverness Center Parkway, Birmingham, AL 35242, serves as the investment adviser to the Funds. The Adviser is a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and provides investment advisory services to the Funds. The Adviser has overall supervisory management responsibility for the general management and investment of each Fund’s portfolio. Under the terms of the management agreement with the Trust, the Adviser is primarily responsible for managing the Funds’ investments and providing a continuous investment program for each Fund, subject to the supervision of the Board.

 

For its investment advisory services, the Adviser is paid a fee at the annual rate of 0.74% of the average daily net assets of the International Equity Fund and 0.74% of the average daily net assets of the Emerging Markets Fund. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or to reimburse certain operating expenses of each Fund, but only to the extent necessary so that the respective Fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding portfolio transaction and other investment-related costs (including brokerage fees and commissions); taxes; borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short); acquired fund fees and expenses; fees and expenses associated with investments in other collective investment vehicles or derivative instruments (including for example option and swap fees and expenses); any administrative and/or shareholder servicing fees payable pursuant to a plan adopted by the Board; expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization; extraordinary expenses (such as litigation expenses, indemnification of Trust officers and Trustees and contractual indemnification of Fund service providers); and other expenses that the Trustees agree have not been incurred in the ordinary course of a Fund’s business, do not exceed 0.95% of the average daily net assets of the International Equity Fund, and 1.25 of the Emerging Markets Fund. The contractual agreement is in effect through December 31, 2023. Each waiver/expense payment by the Adviser is subject to recoupment by the Adviser from the respective Fund in the three years following the date the particular waiver/expense payment occurred, but only if such recoupment can be achieved without exceeding the annual expense limitation in effect at the time of the waiver/expense payment and any expense limitation in effect at the time of the recoupment.

 

General

 

A discussion of the factors that the Board considered in approving each Fund’s management agreement will be included in the respective Fund’s first report to shareholders.

 

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About the Portfolio Manager

 

Each Fund is managed by Andrew Manton, Chief Equity Strategist and Senior Portfolio Manager, of the Adviser (the “Portfolio Manager”). The Portfolio Manager’s compensation will not be based on the investment performance of the Funds, but will be a function of the overall profitability of the Adviser.

 

The Portfolio Manager may also carry on investment activities for his own account(s) and/or the accounts of immediate family members. Conflicts may arise as a result of the Portfolio Manager’s differing economic interests in respect of such activities. The Portfolio Manager’s management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest. The other accounts may have the same investment objective as a Fund. A potential conflict of interest may arise whereby the Portfolio Manager could favor one account over another, or the Portfolio Manager's knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, could be used to the advantage of other accounts. In order to mitigate these risks, the Adviser has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities are fairly and equitably allocated.  Where possible, the Portfolio Manager aggregates client transactions, including the Funds’, when it is believed that such aggregation may facilitate the Adviser’s duty of best execution. Aggregation facilitates the pro-rata sharing of transaction costs and an average price of such transactions for client accounts that participate. The Adviser generally allocates securities among client accounts according to each account’s pre-determined participation in the transaction. The Adviser’s policy prohibits any allocation of trades that would favor any accounts or clients over any other account(s). The Adviser monitors trades daily to ensure this policy is not violated.  

 

As of July 31, 2022, the Portfolio Manager was also responsible for the management of the following types of other accounts in addition to the Funds:

 

Andrew Manton
Type of Account Number of Other Accounts Managed

Total Assets in

Other Accounts Managed

(millions)

Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fee

Total Assets with Performance-Based Advisory Fee

(millions)

Registered Investment Companies: [0 $0 0 $0
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: 0 $0 0 $0
Other Accounts: 0 $0 0 $0]

 

As of the date of this SAI, the Portfolio Manager owned no shares of the Funds.

 

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS. The Board supervises the business activities of the Trust. Each Trustee serves as a trustee until termination of the Trust unless the Trustee dies, resigns, retires, or is removed. The Chairman of the Board and more than 75% of the Trustees are “Independent Trustees,” which means that they are not “interested persons” (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the Trust or any adviser, sub-adviser or distributor of the Trust.

 

The following table provides information regarding the Independent Trustees.

 

Name, Address*, (Year of Birth), Position

with Trust**, Term of Position with Trust

Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships

Kenneth G.Y. Grant (1949)

Chairman of the Governance & Nominating Committee, May 2022 to present; Chairman, January 2017

 

Current: Director, Standpoint Multi-Asset (Cayman) Fund, Ltd. (2019 – present); Director, Advisors Charitable Gift Fund (2020 - present), a Donor Advised Fund.

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to May 2022; Independent Trustee, May 2008 to present

 

Previous: EVP, Benefit Plans Administrative Services, Inc., provider of retirement benefit plans administration (2019 – 2020); Director, Northeast Retirement Services (NRS) LLC, a transfer agent and fund administrator; and Director, Global Trust Company (GTC), a non-depository trust company sponsoring private investment product (2003 – 2019); EVP, NRS (2003 – 2019); GTC, EVP (2008 – 2019); EVP, Savings Banks Retirement Association (2003 – 2019), provider of qualified retirement benefit plans.

Daniel J. Condon (1950)

Chairman, May 2022 to present; Chairman of the Audit Committee; Chairman of the Governance & Nominating Committee, May 2020 to May 2022; Independent Trustee, December 2002 to present

 

Current: Retired (2017 - present)

 

Gary E. Hippenstiel (1947)

Chairman of the Pricing & Liquidity Committee; Independent Trustee, December 2002 to present

Current: President and founder of Hippenstiel Investment Counsel LLC (“Hippenstiel”) since 2008.  Hippenstiel was registered as an investment adviser from 2008 to December 31, 2019.

Stephen A. Little (1946)

Independent Trustee, December 2002 to present; Chairman, December 2004 to December 2016

Current: President and founder of The Rose, Inc., a registered investment adviser, since 1993.

Ronald C. Tritschler (1952)

Chairman of the Audit Committee, May 2022 to present; Independent Trustee, January 2007 to present; Interested Trustee, December 2002 to December 2006

Current: Chief Executive Officer, Director and Legal Counsel of The Webb Companies, a national real estate company, since 2001; Director, Standpoint Multi-Asset (Cayman) Fund, Ltd. (2020 – present).

*       The address for each Trustee is 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246.

**       As of the date of this SAI, the Trust consists of, and each Trustee oversees, 31 series.

 

The following table provides information regarding the interested Trustee and the officers of the Trust.

 

Name, Address*, (Year of Birth), Position

with Trust, Term of Position with Trust

Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships

David R. Carson (1958)

President, January 2016 to August 2021; Interested Trustee, August 2020 to present

Current: Senior Vice President Client Strategies of Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, since 2013; Interested Trustee of Ultimus Managers Trust, since 2020.

Zachary P. Richmond (1980)

Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, November 2014 to present

Current: Vice President, Director of Financial Administration for Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, since 2015.

 

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Martin R. Dean (1963)

President, August 2021 to present; Vice President, November 2020 to August 2021; Chief Compliance Officer, April 2021 to August 2021; Assistant Chief Compliance Officer, January 2016 to April 2021

Current: Vice President, Director of Fund Compliance of Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, since 2016.

 

Gweneth K. Gosselink (1955)

Chief Compliance Officer, August 2021 to present

Current: Assistant Vice President, Senior Compliance Officer of Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, since 2019.

Previous: Chief Operating Officer & CCO at Miles Capital, Inc. (2013 – 2019).

Stacey A. Havens (1965)

Relationship Manager, November 2009 to present

Current: Assistant Vice President, Relationship Management for Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, since 2015.

Elisabeth A. Dahl (1962)

Secretary, May 2017 to present; Assistant Secretary, March 2016 to May 2017

Current: Attorney, Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, since March 2016.

 

Stephen L. Preston (1966)

AML Compliance Officer, May 2017 to present

Current: Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer, Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC and Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC, since 2011.

 

Kevin M. Traegner (1985)

Assistant Treasurer, November 2020 to present

Current: AVP, Financial Administration, Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, since June 2016

 

Lynn E. Wood (1946)

Assistant Chief Compliance Officer, April 2021 to present; Chief Compliance Officer, October 2004 to April 2021

Current: Managing Member, Buttonwood Compliance Partners, LLC, since 2013.
* The business address for each officer is 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246.

 

In addition to the information provided above, below is a summary of the specific experience, qualifications, attributes or skills of each Trustee and the reason why he was selected to serve as Trustee:

 

Stephen A. Little – Mr. Little has been an Independent Trustee of the Trust since its inception in 2002. He previously served as trustee to three other registered investment companies. In 1993, he founded an investment advisory firm that provides discretionary investment advice and advice on socially responsible investing. Mr. Little previously held NASD Series 6, 7, and 22 licenses. Mr. Little received a B.A. from Wabash College and a M. Div. from Christian Theological Seminary. Prior to completing his education, Mr. Little served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Mr. Little was selected to serve as Trustee of the Trust based primarily on his experience in the investment management industry.

 

Gary E. Hippenstiel – Mr. Hippenstiel has served as a registered investment company trustee since 1995. He has been an Independent Trustee of the Trust since its inception in 2002, and he currently serves as Chairman of the Pricing & Liquidity Committee of the Board. He previously served as a trustee to three other registered

22 
 

investment companies and a variable insurance trust. In 2008, Mr. Hippenstiel founded an investment consulting firm and he also has served as Chairman of the investment committee for two family foundations. Prior to that, he served as Chief Investment Officer of Legacy Trust Company for 17 years, where he was responsible for establishing investment strategies and selecting and monitoring independent managers of trust accounts. Mr. Hippenstiel received a B.S. in Business Administration and an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of California, Berkeley. Mr. Hippenstiel was selected as Trustee based primarily on his experience in the investment management industry.

 

Daniel J. Condon – Mr. Condon has been an Independent Trustee of the Trust since its inception in 2002 and currently serves as Chairman of the of the Board. He previously served as the Chairman of the Audit Committee. He has also served as trustee of three other registered investment companies. From 1990 to 2002, he served as Vice President and General Manager of an international automotive equipment manufacturing company. From 2002 to 2017 he served as CEO of various multi-national companies. Mr. Condon received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from Eastern Illinois University. He also received his registered Professional Engineer license. Mr. Condon was selected as Trustee based on his over 22 years of international business experience.

 

Ronald C. Tritschler – Mr. Tritschler has been a Trustee of the Trust since its inception in 2002 and currently serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Board. He also has served as trustee of three other registered investment companies. From 1989 to 2021, he was a director, vice president and general counsel of a company that operates convenience stores. Since 2001, Mr. Tritschler has been CEO, director and general counsel of a national real estate company. He also is a Director of First State Bank of the Southeast and its holding company, as well as a member of its Directors’ Loan Committee, Audit Committee, and Personnel Committee. Mr. Tritschler is a Director of Mountain Valley Insurance Company, a Member of the Executive Board of The Lexington Chamber of Commerce, and Member of the Hartland Executive Home Owners’ Association. Mr. Tritschler has been a Director of Standpoint Multi-Asset (Cayman) Fund, Ltd. since 2020. Mr. Tritschler received a B.A. in Business Administration from Baldwin-Wallace College and his J.D. and M.B.A. from the University of Toledo. Mr. Tritschler was selected to serve as a Trustee based primarily on his substantial business and legal experience.

 

Kenneth G.Y. Grant – Mr. Grant, an Independent Trustee of the Trust since 2008, currently serves as Chairman of the Governance & Nominating Committee of the Board. He previously served as the Chairman of the Board. Mr. Grant has over 40 years of executive leadership experience, founding and leading multiple financial services firms. Previously, he was an Executive Vice President of a retirement benefit plan administrator, and a Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Officer Corporate Development for a trust company that sponsors private investment product. He was also a Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Officer Corporate Development for a firm administering more than US$1 trillion in global pension, endowment, corporate, public and other commingled assets. He was also an Executive Vice President of a retirement association serving multiple employers. Mr. Grant is a member of the Presbytery of Boston, Presbyterian Church (USA), Chair of the Investment Committee of the Massachusetts Council of Churches and previously a member of the Board, Lift Up Africa. He is a member, Dean’s Advisory Board, Boston University School of Theology and a Director, Oceana Palms Condominium Association, Inc. Mr. Grant has been a Director of Standpoint Multi-Asset (Cayman) Fund, Ltd. since 2019. He has a B.A. in Psychology from Syracuse University, a ThM in Theology and Ethics from Boston University and a M.B.A. from Clark University. Mr. Grant was selected to serve as a Trustee based primarily on his experience in investment and trust product development and administration, and financial service and retirement plan management.

 

David R. Carson – Mr. Carson has been an Interested Trustee of the Trust since 2020 and served as President of the Trust from 2016 until August 2021. Since 2013, Mr. Carson has been a Senior Vice President and Vice President of Client Strategies at Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC, the Trust’s current administrator. Mr. Carson

23 
 

served in other capacities, including chief compliance officer and chief operations officer, for other registered investment companies from 1994 to 2013.

 

Independent Trustees Messrs. Hippenstiel, Tritschler, Condon, and Little each have previous experience serving as trustees to other multi-series trusts, which means that they are familiar with issues relating to overseeing multiple advisers and multiple funds. Messrs. Hippenstiel, Little, and Grant have experience conducting due diligence on and evaluating investment advisers – Mr. Hippenstiel as the Chief Investment Officer of Legacy Trust, Mr. Little as the President of a registered investment adviser, and Mr. Grant as an officer of a trust company which sponsors collective investment trusts and manages limited liability investment corporations. This means that they are qualified to review annually each adviser’s qualifications, including the qualification of the Adviser to serve as adviser to the Funds. Mr. Carson’s experience as an officer of the Trust’s administrator provides the Independent Trustees with insight into the operations of the service providers and their day-to-day administration of the Funds.

 

RISK MANAGEMENT. As part of its efforts to oversee risk management associated with the Trust, the Board has established the Audit Committee, the Pricing & Liquidity Committee, and the Governance & Nominating Committee as described below:

  • The Audit Committee consists of Messrs. Condon, Grant and Tritschler. The Audit Committee is responsible for overseeing the Trust’s accounting and financial reporting policies and practices, internal controls and, as appropriate, the internal controls of certain service providers; overseeing the quality and objectivity of financial statements and the independent audits of the financial statements; and acting as a liaison between the independent auditors and the full Board. The Audit Committee expects to meet four times during the fiscal year ending August 31, 2022.
  • The Pricing & Liquidity Committee is responsible for reviewing and approving fair valuation determinations. The Pricing & Liquidity Committee currently consists of Messrs. Hippenstiel, and Little, except that any one member of the Pricing & Liquidity Committee constitutes a quorum for purposes of reviewing and approving a fair value. In addition to meetings to approve fair valuations, the Pricing & Liquidity Committee expects to meet four times during the fiscal year ending August 31, 2022.
  • The Governance & Nominating Committee currently consists of all of the Independent Trustees. The Governance & Nominating Committee is responsible for overseeing the composition of the Board and qualifications and independence of its members, compensation, education and other governance matters, as well as succession of Board members. The Committee currently does not accept recommendations of nominees from shareholders. The Committee expects to meet four times during the fiscal year ending August 31, 2022.

 

The Audit Committee and the Pricing & Liquidity Committee meet at least quarterly and each Committee reviews reports provided by administrative service providers, legal counsel and independent accountants. The Governance & Nominating Committee meets on an as needed basis. All Committees report directly to the full Board.

 

The Independent Trustees have engaged independent legal counsel to provide advice on regulatory, compliance and other topics. This counsel also serves as counsel to the Trust. In addition, the Board has engaged on behalf of the Trust a full-time Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) who is responsible for overseeing compliance risks. He reports to the Board at least quarterly any material compliance items that have arisen, and annually he provides to the Board a comprehensive compliance report outlining the effectiveness of compliance policies and procedures of the Trust and its service providers. As part of the CCO’s risk oversight function, the CCO seeks to understand the risks inherent in the operations of the Trust’s series and their advisers and sub-advisers. Periodically, the CCO provides reports to the Board that:

 

24 
 
·Assess the quality of the information the CCO receives from internal and external sources;
·Assess how Trust personnel monitor and evaluate risks;
·Assess the quality of the Trust’s risk management procedures and the effectiveness of the Trust’s organizational structure in implementing those procedures;
·Consider feedback from and provide feedback regarding critical risk issues to Trust and administrative and advisory personnel responsible for implementing risk management programs; and
·Consider economic, industry, and regulatory developments, and recommend changes to the Trust’s compliance programs as necessary to meet new regulations or industry developments.

 

The Trustees, under normal circumstances, meet in-person on a quarterly basis, typically for two days of meetings. Trustees also participate in special meetings and conference calls as needed. In addition to Board meetings, Trustees also participate in teleconferences each quarter to review and discuss 15(c) materials and other information. Legal counsel to the Trust provides quarterly reports to the Board regarding regulatory developments. Beginning in March 2020, the Trustees have been permitted to conduct quarterly meetings telephonically or by video conference in accordance with relief granted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“the SEC”) to ease certain governance obligations in light of current travel concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Trustees acknowledged that all actions that require a vote of the Trustees at an in-person meeting would be ratified at a later in-person meeting, as required by the SEC’s relief. The Trustees held an in-person meeting in May 2021 and ratified prior actions taken pursuant to exemptive relief. The Trustees may rely on the SEC relief if needed, so long as it is available. On a quarterly basis, the Trustees review and discuss some or all of the following compliance and risk management reports relating to the series of the Trust:

 

(1)Fund Performance/Morningstar Report/Portfolio Manager’s Commentary
(2)Code of Ethics review
(3)NAV Errors, if any
(4)Distributor Compliance Reports
(5)Timeliness of SEC Filings
(6)Dividends and other Distributions
(7)List of Brokers, Brokerage Commissions Paid and Average Commission Rate
(8)Review of 12b-1 Payments
(9)Multiple Class Expense Reports
(10)Anti-Money Laundering/Customer Identification Reports
(11)Administrator and CCO Compliance Reports
(12)Market Timing Reports

 

The Board has not adopted a formal diversity policy. When soliciting future nominees for Trustee, the Board will make efforts to identify and solicit qualified minorities and women.

 

On an annual basis, the Trustees assess the Board’s and their individual effectiveness in overseeing the Trust. Based upon its assessment, the Board determines whether additional risk assessment or monitoring processes are required with respect to the Trust or any of its service providers.

 

Based on the qualifications of each of the Trust’s Trustees and officers, the risk management practices adopted by the Board, including a regular review of several compliance and operational reports, and the committee structure adopted by the Board, the Trust believes that its leadership is appropriate.

 

The following table provides information regarding shares of the Funds and other portfolios of the Trust owned by each Trustee as of December 31, 2021.

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Trustee Dollar Range of each Fund’s Shares   Aggregate Dollar Range of Shares of All Funds Within the Trust*
Gary E. Hippenstiel None   None
Ronald C. Tritschler None   None
Stephen A. Little None   $1 - $10,000
Daniel J. Condon None   None
Kenneth G.Y. Grant None   $100,001 - $500,000
David R. Carson None   None

* As of the date of this SAI, the Trust consists of 31 series.

 

Set forth below are estimates of the annual compensation paid to the Trustees and compensated officers by each Fund on an individual basis and by the Trust on an aggregate basis. Trustees’ and officers’ fees and expenses are Trust expenses and each Fund incurs its respective share of such expenses, which are allocated among the series of the Trust in such manner as the Trustees determine to be fair and equitable.

 

Name and Position Aggregate Compensation from each Fund   Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses   Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement   Total Compensation from Trust1
Kenneth G.Y. Grant, Independent Trustee and $ 3,235   $ 0   $ 0   $ 100,285
Chairman of the Governance & Nominating              
Committee              
Daniel J. Condon, Independent Trustee and Chairman $ 3,435   $ 0   $ 0   $ 106,485
of the Board              
Gary E. Hippenstiel, Independent Trustee and $ 3,235   $ 0   $ 0   $ 100,285
Chairman of the Pricing & Liquidity Committee              
David R. Carson, Interested Trustee $ 0   $ 0   $ 0   $ 0
Stephen A. Little, Independent Trustee $ 2,785   $ 0   $ 0   $ 86,335
Ronald C. Tritschler, Independent Trustee and $ 3,235   $ 0   $ 0   $ 100,285
Chairman of the Audit Committee              
1As of the date of this SAI, the Trust consists of 31 series.

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

A principal shareholder is any person who owns (either of record or beneficially) 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a fund. A person who beneficially owns, either directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the voting securities of a fund is presumed to be a control person of the fund. As a controlling shareholder, each of these persons could control the outcome of any proposal submitted to the shareholders for approval, including changes to a Fund’s fundamental policies or the terms of the management agreement with the Adviser.

 

As of the date of this SAI, the Trustees and officers of the Trust as a group owned no shares of either Fund.

 

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PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

The Funds may sell portfolio securities without regard to the length of time they have been held when, in the opinion of the Adviser, investment considerations warrant such action. A Fund’s portfolio turnover rate is the percentage of its portfolio that is bought and sold to exchange for other securities and is expressed as a percentage of its total assets. A high rate of portfolio turnover (100% or more) generally leads to higher transaction costs and may result in a greater number of taxable transactions. It is anticipated that each Fund will have a high portfolio turnover rate that exceeds 100%. However, this should not be considered as a limiting factor. Each Fund’s turnover rate will be available after the Fund completes its first fiscal year.

 

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE

Subject to policies established by the Board, the Adviser is responsible for the Funds’ portfolio decisions and the placing of the Funds’ portfolio transactions. In placing portfolio transactions, the Adviser seeks the best qualitative execution for each Fund, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), the execution capability, financial responsibility and responsiveness of the broker or dealer and the brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. The Adviser generally seeks favorable prices and commission rates that are reasonable in relation to the benefits received.

 

The Adviser is specifically authorized to select brokers or dealers who also provide brokerage and research services to the Funds and/or the other accounts over which the Adviser exercises investment discretion and to pay such brokers or dealers a commission in excess of the commission another broker or dealer would charge if the Adviser determines in good faith that the commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided. The determination may be viewed in terms of a particular transaction or the Adviser’s overall responsibilities with respect to the Funds and to other accounts over which it exercises investment discretion.

 

Research services include supplemental research, securities and economic analyses, statistical services and information with respect to the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities and analyses of reports concerning performance of accounts. The research services and other information furnished by brokers through whom the Funds effect securities transactions may also be used by the Adviser in servicing all of its accounts. Similarly, research and information provided by brokers or dealers serving other clients may be useful to the Adviser in connection with its services to the Funds.

 

When a Fund and another of the Adviser’s clients seek to purchase or sell the same security at or about the same time, the Adviser may execute the transaction on a combined (“blocked”) basis, through one or more broker-dealers. Blocked transactions can produce better execution for a Fund and other accounts managed by the Adviser because of the increased volume of each such transaction. If the entire blocked order is not filled, the Fund may not be able to acquire as large a position in such security as it desires, or it may have to pay a higher price for the security.

 

Similarly, a Fund may not be able to obtain as large an execution of an order to sell, or as high a price for any particular portfolio security, if the Adviser is selling the same portfolio security for its other client accounts at the same time. In the event that more than one client wants to purchase or sell the same security on a given date, the purchases and sales will normally be made on a pro rata average price per share basis.

 

Over-the-counter transactions will be placed either directly with principal market makers or with broker-dealers, if the same or a better price, including commissions and executions, is available. Fixed income securities are normally purchased directly from the issuer, an underwriter or a market maker. Purchases include a concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter and the purchase price paid to a market maker may include the spread between the bid and asked prices.

 

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CODE OF ETHICS

The Trust, the Adviser, and the Funds’ Distributor as defined herein have each adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act, and the Adviser’s Code of Ethics also conform to Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The personnel subject to the Codes are permitted to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds. You may obtain copies of the Trust’s Code from documents filed with SEC and available on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov.

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

The Trust has adopted policies with respect to the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio holdings. These policies generally prohibit the disclosure of information about a Fund’s portfolio to third parties prior to the day after the information is posted to the Funds’ website unless the information is publicly available on the SEC’s EDGAR system. Because each Fund is an exchange-traded fund, it is required to publicly disclose its portfolio holdings daily, as described below. As further described below, the policies allow for disclosure of non-public portfolio information to third parties only if there is a legitimate business purpose for the disclosure. In addition, the policies require that the party receiving the portfolio holdings information execute a non-disclosure agreement that includes a prohibition on trading based on the information, unless the party is already subject to a duty of confidentiality (as determined by the Trust’s CCO). Any arrangement to disclose non-public information about a Fund’s portfolio must be approved by the Trust’s CCO. The Trust and the Adviser are prohibited from receiving compensation or other consideration in connection with disclosing information about the Fund’s portfolio to third parties.

 

Each Fund discloses on the Adviser’s website at investments.oneascent.com at the start of each day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for business (“Business Day”) the identities and quantities of the securities and other assets held by the Fund that will form the basis of the Fund’s calculation of its NAV on that day. The portfolio holdings so disclosed will be based on information as of the close of business on the prior Business Day and/or trades that have been completed prior to the opening of business on that Business Day and that are expected to settle on that Business Day. The Funds may also concurrently disclose this portfolio holdings information directly to ratings agencies on a daily basis.

 

Under the Trust’s policies, the Adviser is permitted to include Fund portfolio information that has already been made public through the Funds’ website or SEC filing in marketing literature and other communications to shareholders or other parties, provided that, in the case of portfolio information made public solely through the Funds’ website, the information is disclosed no earlier than the day after the date of posting to the website.

 

Each Fund releases non-public portfolio holdings information to certain third-party service providers on a daily basis in order for those parties to perform their duties on behalf of the Fund. These service providers include the Fund’s Adviser, Distributor, Transfer Agent, Fund Accounting Agent, Administrator and Custodian. Each Fund also periodically discloses portfolio holdings information on a confidential basis to other parties that provide services to the Funds, such as the Funds’ auditors, legal counsel, proxy voting services (if applicable), printers, brokers and pricing services. The lag between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed will vary based on the nature of the services provided by the party to whom the information is disclosed. For example, the information may be provided to the Funds’ auditors within days after the end of the Funds’ fiscal year in connection with the Funds’ annual audits, while the information may be given to legal counsel at any time. Fund service providers are required to keep this information confidential and are prohibited from trading based on the information or otherwise using the information except as necessary in providing services to the Funds.

 

Each business day, each Fund’s portfolio holdings information will generally be provided for dissemination through the facilities of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) and/or other fee-based

28 
 

subscription services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to those other fee-based subscription services, including Authorized Participants, and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading shares of a Fund in the secondary market. This information typically reflects the Fund’s anticipated holdings as of the next Business Day.

 

Each Fund reserves the right to adopt a semi-transparency policy which would allow the Fund to disclose information to facilitate efficient trading of shares through substantial portfolio transparency and publication of informative metrics, while shielding the identity of the full portfolio contents of the Fund to protect the Fund’s investment strategy.  A Fund may adopt such a policy with approval of the Board and without shareholder approval.

 

PROXY VOTING POLICY

The Trust and the Adviser each have adopted proxy voting policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in shareholders’ best interests. As a brief summary, the Trust’s policy delegates responsibility regarding proxy voting to the Adviser, subject to the Adviser’s proxy voting policy and the supervision of the Board.

 

Absent mitigating circumstances and/or conflicts of interest, it is the Adviser’s general policy to vote proxies consistent with the recommendation of the senior management of the issuer. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Adviser may vote against a management recommendation with respect to stock option and other executive compensation plan matters. The Adviser monitors corporate actions of issuers of each Fund’s portfolio securities in a manner consistent with the Adviser’s fiduciary duty to vote proxies in the best interests of its clients.

 

The Trust’s policy provides that, if a conflict of interest between the Adviser or its affiliates and a Fund arises with respect to any proxy, the Adviser must fully disclose the conflict to the Board and vote the proxy in accordance with the Board’s instructions. The Board shall make the proxy voting decision that in its judgment, after reviewing the recommendation of the Adviser, is most consistent with the Adviser’s proxy voting policies and in the best interests of Fund shareholders. When the Board is required to make a proxy voting decision, only the Trustees without a conflict of interest with regard to the security in question or the matter to be voted upon shall be permitted to participate in the decision of how a Fund’s vote will be cast.

 

You may obtain a copy of the Adviser’s proxy voting policies by calling the Adviser at 1-800-222-8274. A copy of the policies will be mailed to you within three days of receipt of your request. You may obtain a copy of the Trust’s or Adviser’s policies from Fund documents filed with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. A copy of the votes cast by each Fund with respect to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30th will be filed by the Fund with the SEC on Form N-PX. Each Fund’s proxy voting record will be available to shareholders free of charge upon request by calling or writing the Fund as described above or from the SEC’s web site.

 

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

The NAV of the shares of a Fund is determined at the close of trading (which is normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. The New York Stock Exchange is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. For a description of the methods used to determine the NAV (share price), see “Determination of Net Asset Value” in the Prospectus. A Fund’s NAV per share is computed by dividing the value of the securities held by the Fund plus any cash or other assets (including interest and dividends accrued but not yet received) minus all liabilities (including accrued expenses) by the total number of shares in the Fund outstanding at such time.

 

Equity securities are generally valued by using market quotations. Equity securities traded on a securities exchange for which a last-quoted sales price is readily available are generally valued at the last quoted sale price as reported by

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the primary exchange on which the securities are listed. Lacking a last sale price, an exchange traded security is generally valued by the pricing service at its last bid price. Securities listed on the NASDAQ National Market System are generally valued by a pricing service at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price, which may differ from the last sales price reported.

 

Options traded on major exchanges are valued at the last quoted sales price on their primary exchange. If there is no reported sale on the valuation date, such options are valued at the mean of the last bid and ask prices.

 

Fixed income securities for which market quotations are readily available are generally valued based upon the mean of the last bid and ask prices as provided by an independent pricing service. If market quotations are not readily available, the pricing service may use electronic data processing techniques and/or a computerized matrix system based on yield spreads relating to securities with similar characteristics to determine prices for normal institutional-size trading units of debt securities without regard to sale or bid prices to determine valuations. In determining the value of a bond or other fixed income security, matrix pricing takes into consideration recent transactions, yield, liquidity, risk, credit quality, coupon, maturity and type of issue, and any other factors or market data as the independent pricing service deems relevant for the security being priced and for other securities with similar characteristics.

 

If management or the Adviser considers a valuation unreliable due to market or other events (including events that occur after the close of the trading market but before the calculation of the NAV), the applicable Fund will value its securities at their fair value, as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as determined in good faith by the Adviser in conformity with guidelines adopted by and subject to review of the Board. The Trust maintains a pricing review committee that will review any fair value provided by the Adviser, subject to the ultimate review and approval of the Pricing & Liquidity Committee of the Board. Any one member of the Pricing & Liquidity Committee constitutes a quorum for purposes of reviewing and approving a fair value. The full Pricing & Liquidity Committee will review all fair valued securities on a quarterly basis.

 

Short-term investments in fixed income securities with maturities of less than 60 days when acquired, or which subsequently are within 60 days of maturity, are valued at their market value as determined by an independent third-party pricing agent, unless it is determined that such practice does not approximate fair value.

 

STATUS AND TAXATION OF THE FUNDS

The Funds were organized as a series of a business trust and intends to continue to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) in each taxable year. There can be no assurance that it actually will so qualify. If a Fund qualifies as a RIC, its dividend and capital gain distributions generally are subject only to a single level of taxation, to the shareholders. This differs from distributions of a regular business corporation which, in general, are taxed first as taxable income of the distributing corporation, and then again as dividend income of the shareholder.

 

Redemption of Fund shares generally will result in a taxable gain or loss to the redeeming shareholder, depending on whether the redemption proceeds are more or less than the shareholder’s adjusted basis for the redeemed shares.

 

If a Fund does qualify as a RIC but (in a particular calendar year) distributes less than 98% of its ordinary income and 98.2% of its capital gain net income (as the Code defines each such term), the Fund would be subject to an excise tax. The excise tax, if applicable, is 4% of the excess of the amount required to have been distributed over the amount actually distributed for the applicable year. If a Fund does not qualify as a RIC, its income will be subject to taxation as a regular business corporation, without reduction by dividends paid to shareholders of the Fund.

 

To continue to qualify for treatment as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, a Fund must, among other requirements:

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·Derive at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, and certain other income (including gains from options, futures, or forward contracts derived with respect to the RIC’s business of investing in stock securities, or foreign currencies) (the “Income Requirement”);
·Diversify its investments in securities within certain statutory limits; and
·Distribute annually to its shareholders at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (generally, taxable net investment income less net capital gain) (the “Distribution Requirement”).

 

A Fund may acquire zero coupon bonds or other securities issued with original issue discount (including pay-in-kind securities). If it does so, the Fund will have to include in its income its share of the original issue discount that accrues on the securities during the taxable year, even if the Fund receives no corresponding payment on the securities during the year. Because each Fund annually must distribute (a) 98% of its ordinary income in order to avoid imposition of a 4% excise tax, and (b) 90% of its investment company taxable income, including any original issue discount, to satisfy the Distribution Requirement, a Fund may be required in a particular year to distribute as a dividend an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash it actually receives. Those distributions would be made from the Fund’s cash, if any, or from the sales of portfolio securities, if necessary. A Fund might realize capital gains or losses from any such sales, which would increase or decrease the Fund’s investment company taxable income and/or net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss).

 

Hedging strategies, to reduce risk in various ways, are subject to complex rules that determine, for federal income tax purposes, the character and time for recognition of gains and losses that a Fund realizes in connection with the hedge. A Fund’s income from derivative instruments, if any, in each case derived with respect to its business of making investments, should qualify as allowable income for the Fund under the Income Requirement.

 

Fund distributions received by your qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA, are generally tax-deferred; this means that you are not required to report Fund distributions on your income tax return when paid to your plan, but, rather, when your plan makes payments to you or your beneficiary. Special rules apply to payouts from Roth and Education IRAs.

 

The portion of the dividends a Fund pays (other than capital gain distributions) that does not exceed the aggregate dividends it receives from U.S. corporations will be eligible for the dividends received deduction allowed to corporations.

 

If you are a non-retirement plan holder, a Fund will send you a Form 1099 each year that tells you the amount of distributions you received for the prior calendar year, the tax status of those distributions, and a list of reportable sale transactions. Generally, a Fund’s distributions are taxable to you in the year you received them. However, any dividends that are declared in October, November or December but paid in January are taxable as if received in December of the year they are declared. Investors should be careful to consider the tax consequences of buying shares shortly before a distribution. The price of shares purchased at that time may reflect the amount of the anticipated distribution. However, any such distribution will be taxable to the purchaser of the shares and may result in a decline in the share value by the amount of the distribution.

 

If shares of a Fund are purchased within 30 days before or after redeeming other shares of the Fund at a loss, all or a portion of that loss will not be deductible and will increase the basis of the newly purchased shares. If shares of a Fund are sold at a loss after being held by a shareholder for six-months or less, the loss will be treated as a long-term, instead of a short-term, capital loss to the extent of any capital gain distributions received on the shares.

 

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A Fund’s net realized capital gains from securities transactions will be distributed only after reducing such gains by the amount of any available capital loss carryforwards. Net capital losses recognized in taxable years of the Fund beginning after December 31, 2010 may be carried forward indefinitely to offset any capital gains.

 

Capital losses and specified gains realized after October 31, and net investment losses realized after August 31 of the Funds’ fiscal year may be deferred and treated as occurring on the first business day of the following fiscal year for tax purposes.

 

The foregoing is only a summary of some of the important federal income tax considerations affecting each Fund and its shareholders and is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Accordingly, prospective investors should consult their own tax advisers for more detailed information regarding the above and for information regarding federal, state, local and foreign taxes.

 

CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., located at 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110, is Custodian of the Funds’ investments. The Custodian acts as the Funds’ depository, safekeeps portfolio securities, collects all income and other payments with respect thereto, disburses funds at the Funds’ request and maintains records in connection with its duties. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. also serves as the Funds’ Transfer Agent.

 

OTHER FUND SERVICES

Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (“Ultimus”), located at 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246, acts as the Funds’ fund accountant, and administrator. Ultimus is the parent company of the Distributor. One Trustee and certain officers of the Trust are members of management and/or employees of the Distributor or Ultimus.

 

Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (“NLCS”), an affiliate of Ultimus, provides a Chief Compliance Officer to the Trust, as well as related compliance services, pursuant to a consulting agreement between NLCS and the Trust. Under the terms of such agreement, NLCS receives fees from each Fund.

 

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The firm of [•] (“[•]”), located at [•], has been selected as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2023. [•] will perform an annual audit of the Fund’s financial statements and will provide financial, tax and accounting services, as requested, in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

 

DISTRIBUTOR

Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, located at 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130, is the distributor of Creation Units for the Funds. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). The Distributor is obligated to sell the shares of the Fund on a best-efforts basis only against purchase orders for the shares. Shares of the Fund are offered to the public on a continuous basis.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The Funds recently commenced operations and, as a result, there are no financial statements available.

 

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DISCLAIMERS

Shares of the Trust are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the NYSE Arca, Inc. The NYSE Arca, Inc. makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Shares of the Funds. The NYSE Arca, Inc. is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of the shares of the Funds to be issued, or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the shares are redeemable. The NYSE Arca, Inc. has no obligation or liability to owners of the hares of the Funds in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the shares of the Funds. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the NYSE Arca, Inc. have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.

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APPENDIX A

 

Commercial Paper Ratings

 

A Standard & Poor’s commercial paper rating is a current assessment of the likelihood of timely payment of debt having an original maturity of no more than 365 days. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Standard & Poor’s for commercial paper in which the Funds may invest:

 

“A-1” - Issue’s degree of safety regarding timely payment is strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety characteristics are denoted “A-1+.”

 

“A-2” - Issue’s capacity for timely payment is satisfactory. However, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated “A-1.”

 

Moody’s commercial paper ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to repay punctually promissory obligations not having an original maturity in excess of 9 months. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Moody’s for commercial paper in which the Funds may invest:

 

“Prime-1” - Issuer or related supporting institutions are considered to have a superior capacity for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. Prime-1 repayment capacity will normally be evidenced by the following capacities: leading market positions in well-established industries; high rates of return on funds employed; conservative capitalization structures with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection; broad margins in earning coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation; and well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity.

 

“Prime-2” - Issuer or related supporting institutions are considered to have a strong capacity for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, will be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternative liquidity is maintained.

 

Fitch short-term ratings apply to debt obligations that are payable on demand or have original maturities of up to three years. The highest rating category of Fitch for short-term obligations is “F-1.” Fitch employs two designations, “F-1+” and “F-1,” within the highest category. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Fitch for short-term obligations in which the Funds may invest:

 

“F-1+” - Securities possess exceptionally strong credit quality. Issues assigned this rating are regarded as having the strongest degree of assurance for timely payment.

 

“F-1” - Securities possess very strong credit quality. Issues assigned this rating reflect an assurance of timely payment only slightly less in degree than issues rated “F-1+.”

 

Fitch may also use the symbol “LOC” with its short-term ratings to indicate that the rating is based upon a letter of credit issued by a commercial bank.

 

Thomson BankWatch short-term ratings assess the likelihood of an untimely or incomplete payment of principal or interest of unsubordinated instruments having a maturity of one year or less which are issued by a bank holding company or an entity within the holding company structure. The following summarizes the ratings used by Thomson BankWatch in which the Funds may invest:

 

“TBW-1” - This designation represents Thomson BankWatch’s highest rating category and indicates a very high degree of likelihood that principal and interest will be paid on a timely basis.

 

“TBW-2” - this designation indicates that while the degree of safety regarding timely payment of principal and interest is

34 
 

strong, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues rated “TBW-1.”

 

IBCA assesses the investment quality of unsecured debt with an original maturity of less than one year which is issued by bank holding companies and their principal bank subsidiaries. The following summarizes the rating categories used by IBCA for short-term debt ratings in which the Funds may invest:

 

“A1” - Obligations are supported by the highest capacity for timely repayment. Where issues possess a particularly strong credit feature, a rating of A1+ is assigned.

 

“A2” - Obligations are supported by a good capacity for timely repayment.

 

Corporate Long-Term Investment Grade Debt Ratings

 

Standard & Poor’s Debt Ratings

 

A Standard & Poor’s corporate or municipal debt rating is a current assessment of the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific obligation. This assessment may take into consideration obligors such as guarantors, insurers, or lessees. The debt rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell, or hold a security, inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor.

 

The ratings are based on current information furnished by the issuer or obtained by S&P from other sources it considers reliable. S&P does not perform an audit in connection with any rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. The ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or unavailability of, such information, or for other circumstances.

 

The ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations:

 

1.       Likelihood of default - capacity and willingness of the obligor as to the timely payment of interest and repayment of principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation.

 

2.       Nature of and provisions of the obligation.

 

3.       Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors’ rights.

 

AAA - Debt rated ‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor’s. Capacity to pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong.

 

AA - Debt rated ‘AA’ has a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal and differs from the highest rated issues only in small degree.

 

A - Debt rated ‘A’ has a strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher rated categories.

 

BBB - Debt rated ‘BBB’ is regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Whereas it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal for debt in this category than in higher rated categories.

BB, B, CCC, CC and C:

Obligations rated ‘BB’, ‘B’, ‘CCC’ ‘CC’, and ‘C’ are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. ‘BB’ indicates the least degree of speculation and ‘C’ the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.

 

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BB: - An obligation rated ‘BB’ is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

B: - An obligation rated ‘B’ is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated ‘BB’, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

CCC: - An obligation rated ‘CCC’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

CC: - An obligation rated ‘CC’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The ‘CC’ rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

 

C: - An obligation rated ‘C’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.

 

D: - An obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

Moody’s Long-Term Debt Ratings

 

Aaa: - Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as “gilt edged.” Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.

 

Aa: - Bonds which are rated ‘Aa’ are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as high grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present which make the long-term risk appear somewhat larger than in Aaa securities.

 

A: - Bonds which are rated ‘A’ possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper-medium grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate, but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.

 

Baa: - Bonds which are rated ‘Baa’ are considered as medium-grade obligations (i.e, they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured). Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.

 

Ba: - Obligations rated ‘Ba’ are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

 

B: - Obligations rated ‘B’ are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

 

Caa: - Obligations rated ‘Caa’ are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

 

Ca: - Obligations rated ‘Ca’ are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

 

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C: - Obligations rated ‘C’ are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

 

Fitch Investors Service, Inc. Ratings

 

Fitch investment grade bond ratings provide a guide to investors in determining the credit risk associated with a particular security. The ratings represent Fitch’s assessment of the issuer’s ability to meet the obligations of a specific debt issue or class of debt in a timely manner.

 

The rating takes into consideration special features of the issue, its relationship to other obligations of the issuer, the current and prospective financial condition and operating performance of the issuer and any guarantor, as well as the economic and political environment that might affect the issuer’s future financial strength and credit quality.

 

Fitch ratings do not reflect any credit enhancement that may be provided by insurance policies or financial guaranties unless otherwise indicated.

 

Bonds that have the same rating are of similar but not necessarily identical credit quality since the rating categories do not fully reflect small differences in the degrees of credit risk.

 

Fitch ratings are not recommendations to buy, sell, or hold any security. Ratings do not comment on the adequacy of market price, the suitability of any security for a particular investor, or the tax-exempt nature of taxability of payments made in respect of any security.

 

Fitch ratings are based on information obtained from issuers, other obligors, underwriters, their experts, and other sources Fitch believes to be reliable. Fitch does not audit or verify the truth or accuracy of such information. Ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or the unavailability of, information or for other reasons.

 

AAA Bonds considered to be investment grade and of the highest credit quality. The obligor has an exceptionally strong ability to pay interest and repay principal, which is unlikely to be affected by reasonably foreseeable events.

 

AA Bonds considered to be investment grade and of very high credit quality. The obligor’s ability to pay interest and repay principal is very strong, although not quite as strong as bonds rated ‘AAA.= Because bonds rated in the ‘AAA’ and ‘AA’ categories are not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable future developments, short-term debt of the issuers is generally rated ‘F-1+.’

 

A Bonds considered to be investment grade and of high credit quality. The obligor’s ability to pay interest and repay principal is considered to be strong, but may be more vulnerable to adverse changes in economic conditions and circumstances than bonds with higher ratings.

 

BBB Bonds considered to be investment grade and of satisfactory credit quality. The obligor’s ability to pay interest and repay principal is considered to be adequate. Adverse changes in economic conditions and circumstances, however, are more likely to have adverse impact on these bonds, and therefore impair timely payment. The likelihood that the ratings of these bonds will fall below investment grade is higher than for bonds with higher ratings.

BB: Speculative. ‘BB’ ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial flexibility exists that supports the servicing of financial commitments.

B: Highly speculative. ‘B’ ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.

CCC: Substantial credit risk. Default is a real possibility.

CC: Very high levels of credit risk. Default of some kind appears probable.

37 
 

C: Near default. A default or default-like process has begun, or the issuer is in standstill, or for a closed funding vehicle, payment capacity is irrevocably impaired. Conditions that are indicative of a ‘C’ category rating for an issuer include:

a.        the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation;

 

b.       the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or

 

c.        the formal announcement by the issuer or their agent of a distressed debt exchange;

 

d.       a closed financing vehicle where payment capacity is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to pay interest and/or principal in full during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default is imminent

RD: Restricted default. ‘RD’ ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch’s opinion has experienced:

 

a.        an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation, but

 

b.       has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation, or other formal winding-up procedure, and

 

c.        has not otherwise ceased operating.

 

This would include:

 

i.the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt;

 

ii.the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation;

 

iii.the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; ordinary execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations.

D: Default. ‘D’ ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings’ opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure or which has otherwise ceased business.

Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period, unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a distressed debt exchange.

In all cases, the assignment of a default rating reflects the agency’s opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuer’s financial obligations or local commercial practice.

The rating takes into consideration special features of the issue, its relationship to other obligations of the issuer, the current and prospective financial condition and operating performance of the issuer and any guarantor, as well as the economic and political environment that might affect the issuer’s future financial strength.

 

Bonds that have the same rating are of similar but not necessarily identical credit quality since the rating categories cannot fully reflect the differences in the degrees of credit risk. Moreover, the character of the risk factor varies from industry to industry and between corporate, health care and municipal obligations.

38 
 

 

 

PART C. OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 28. Exhibits

 

(a) Articles of Incorporation
   
  1. Agreement and Declaration of Trust as filed with the State of Ohio on October 17, 2002 – Filed with Registrant’s initial registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 21, 2002 and incorporated herein by reference.
   
  2. Amendment No. 42 to Agreement and Declaration of Trust as filed with the State of Ohio on May 23, 2022 – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated May 31, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
(b) By-laws. Bylaws of the Registrant, as adopted on October 14, 2002 – Filed with Registrant’s initial registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 21, 2002 and incorporated herein by reference.
   
(c) Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders. None.
   
(d) Investment Advisory Contracts.
   

 

  1. (a) Registrant’s Amended and Restated Management Agreement with Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. with regard to the Crawford Large Cap Dividend Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated May 2, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (b) Registrant’s Amended and Restated Management Agreement with Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. with regard to the Crawford Small Cap Dividend Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 29, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (c) Amended and Restated Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Crawford Large Cap Dividend Fund, and the Crawford Small Cap Dividend Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 29, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
  2. (a) Registrant’s Management Agreement with Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. with regard to the Crawford Multi-Asset Income Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 29, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (b) Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Crawford Multi-Asset Income Fund - Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 29, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  3. (a) Registrant’s Management Agreement with Channel Investment Partners LLC with regard to the Channel Short Duration Income Fund dated August 1, 2020 – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated January 27, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (b) Assignment and Assumption Agreement among Financial Counselors, Inc., Channel Investment Partners LLC and Unified Series Trust regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Channel Short Duration Income Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated January 27, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
    (c) Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with Channel Investment Partners LLC regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Channel Short Duration Income Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated January 27, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  4. (a) Registrant’s Amended and Restated Management Agreement with Pekin Hardy Strauss, Inc. with regard to Appleseed Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated January 28, 2015 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (b) Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with Pekin Hardy Strauss, Inc. regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Appleseed Fund - Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated January 27, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
 
 

 

     
   5. (a) Registrant’s Amended and Restated Management Agreement with Dean Investment Associates, LLC with regard to the Dean Mid Cap Value Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 28, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
    (b) Amended and Restated Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with Dean Investment Associates, LLC regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Dean Mid Cap Value Fund and Dean Small Cap Value Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 28, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  6. Registrant’s Management Agreement with Dean Investment Associates, LLC with regard to the Dean Small Cap Value Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 28, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  7. (a) Investment Subadvisory Agreement between Dean Investment Associates, LLC and Dean Capital Management, LLC with regard to the Dean Mid Cap Value Fund and Dean Small Cap Value Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 28, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
    (b) First Addendum to Investment Subadvisory Agreement between Dean Investment Associates, LLC and Dean Capital Management, LLC with regard to the Dean Mid Cap Value Fund and Dean Small Cap Value Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 28, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

  

  8. Registrant’s Management Agreement with SBAuer Funds, LLC with regard to the Auer Growth Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated March 29, 2021.

 

  9. (a) Registrant’s Management Agreement with Fisher Asset Management, LLC with regard to the Tactical Multi-Purpose Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 29, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (b) Amended and Restated Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with Fisher Asset Management, LLC regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Tactical Multi-Purpose Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 29, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     

 

  10. (a) Registrant’s Management Agreement with Silk Invest Limited with regard to the Silk Invest New Horizons Frontier Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 27, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

    (b) Amendment to Registrant’s Management Agreement with Silk Invest Limited with regard to the Silk Invest New Horizons Frontier Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 27, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (c) Amended and Restated Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with Silk Invest Limited with regard to the Silk Invest New Horizons Frontier Fund - Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 27, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  11. (a) Registrant’s Management Agreement with Fisher Asset Management, LLC with regard to the Fisher Investments Institutional Group All Foreign Equity Environmental and Social Values Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 28, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (b) Amended and Restated Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with Fisher Asset Management, LLC regarding Fisher Investments Institutional Group All Foreign Equity Environmental and Social Values Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 28, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  12. (a) Registrant’s Management Agreement with Fisher Asset Management, LLC with regard to the Fisher Investments Institutional Group U.S. Large Cap Equity Environmental and Social Values Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 28, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
 
 

 

    (b) Amended and Restated Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with Fisher Asset Management, LLC regarding Fisher Investments Institutional Group U.S. Large Cap Equity Environmental and Social Values Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 28, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  13. (a) Registrant’s Management Agreement with Fisher Asset Management, LLC with regard to the Fisher Investments Institutional Group U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 28, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (b) Amended and Restated Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with Fisher Asset Management, LLC regarding Fisher Investments Institutional Group U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 28, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  14. Registrant’s Management Agreement with Fisher Asset Management, LLC with regard to the Fisher Investments Institutional Group Stock Fund for Retirement Plans, the Fisher Investments Institutional Group ESG Stock Fund for Retirement Plans, the Fisher Investments Institutional Group Fixed Income Fund for Retirement Plans, and the Fisher Investments Institutional Group ESG Fixed Income Fund for Retirement Plans – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 28, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  15. (a) Registrant’s Management Agreement with Standpoint Asset Management, LLC with regard to the Standpoint Multi-Asset Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 26, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

    (b) Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with Standpoint Asset Management, LLC regarding Standpoint Multi-Asset Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 26, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

    (c) Investment Advisory Agreement between Standpoint Asset Management, LLC and Standpoint Multi-Asset (Cayman) Fund, Ltd. – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 26, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  16. (a) Registrant’s Management Agreement with Absolute Investment Advisers LLC with regard to the Absolute Core Strategy ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 28, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (b) Amended and Restated Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with Absolute Investment Advisers LLC with regard to the Absolute Core Strategy ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 28, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  17. Subadvisory Agreement between Absolute Investment Advisers LLC and St. James Investment Company, LLC with regard to the Absolute Core Strategy ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 28, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  18. (a) Registrant’s Management Agreement with Ballast Asset Management, LP with regard to the Ballast Small/Mid Cap ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 20, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
    (b) Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with Ballast Asset Management, LP with regard to the Ballast Small/Mid Cap ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 20, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  19. Registrant’s Management Agreement with Little Harbor Advisors, LLC with regard to the LHA Tactical Beta Variable Series Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 9, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  20. (a) Registrant’s Management Agreement with OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC with regard to the OneAscent Large Cap Core ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 5, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (b) Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC with regard to the OneAscent Large Cap Core ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 5, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
 
 

 

    (c) Registrant’s Management Agreement with OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC with regard to the OneAscent Core Plus Bond ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated March 14, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (d) Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC with regard to the OneAscent Core Plus Bond ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated March 14, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (e) Sub-advisory agreement between OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC and Teachers Advisors, LLC with regard to the OneAscent Core Plus Bond ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated March 14, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (f) Registrant’s Management Agreement with OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC with regard to the OneAscent International Equity ETF – To be filed by subsequent amendment.
       
    (g) Registrant’s Management Agreement with OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC with regard to the OneAscent Emerging Markets ETF – To be filed by subsequent amendment.
       
    (h) Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC with regard to the OneAscent International Equity ETF and the OneAscent Emerging Markets ETF – To be filed by subsequent amendment.
       
  21. (a) Registrant’s Management Agreement with AlphaTrAI Funds, Inc. with regard to the NightShares 500 ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated May 17, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (b) Amendment to Management Agreement with AlphaTrAI Funds, Inc. with regard to the NightShares 500 ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated May 17, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (c) Registrant’s Management Agreement with AlphaTrAI Funds, Inc. with regard to the NightShares 100 ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated May 17, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (d) Amendment to Management Agreement with AlphaTrAI Funds, Inc. with regard to the NightShares 100 ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated May 17, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (e) Registrant’s Management Agreement with AlphaTrAI Funds, Inc. with regard to the NightShares 2000 ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated May 17, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (f) Amendment to Management Agreement with AlphaTrAI Funds, Inc. with regard to the NightShares 2000 ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated May 17, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (g) Sub-advisory agreement between AlphaTrAI Funds, Inc. and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated May 17, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (h) Amendment to sub-advisory agreement between AlphaTrAI Funds, Inc. and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC – To be filed by subsequent amendment.
       
    (i) Registrant’s Management Agreement with AlphaTrAI Funds, Inc. with regard to the NightShares 500 1.5x at Night ETF – To be filed by subsequent amendment.
       
    (j) Registrant’s Management Agreement with AlphaTrAI Funds, Inc. with regard to the NightShares 100 1.5x at Night ETF – To be filed by subsequent amendment.
       
    (k) Registrant’s Management Agreement with AlphaTrAI Funds, Inc. with regard to the NightShares 500 Covered Call ETF – To be filed by subsequent amendment.
(e) Underwriting Contracts.

 

 
 

 

  1. (a) Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC dated February 1, 2019 – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 26, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
    (b) Amendment to Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 24, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  2. (a) Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Northern Lights Distributors, LLC – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 26, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (b) Supplemental Schedule B to Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Northern Lights Distributors, LLC – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 26, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (c) Supplemental Schedule B to Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Northern Lights Distributors, LLC for OneAscent Large Cap Core ETF and OneAscent Core Plus Bond ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 24, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.  A revised Supplemental Schedule B will be filed by subsequent amendment.
       
    (d) Supplemental Schedule B to Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Northern Lights Distributors, LLC for the NightShares ETFs – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated May 17, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.  A revised Supplemental Schedule B will be filed by subsequent amendment.
       
  3. (a) Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC dated December 31, 2019 – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 26, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (b) Amendment to Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 29, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

     

(f) Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts. None.

 

(g) Custodian Agreements.
   
  1. Registrant’s Custodian Agreement with Huntington National Bank dated October 15, 2010 – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 28, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  2. Registrant’s Custodian Agreement with U.S. Bank, N.A. dated September 23, 2005 – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 28, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  3. (a) Registrant’s Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement with Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 26, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

    (b) First Amendment to Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement with Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 26, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (c) Second Amendment to Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement with Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 29, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (d) Third Amendment to Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement with Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated March 14, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
    (e) Form of Fourth Amendment to Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement with Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated May 17, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
       
  4. (a) Registrant’s Custodian Agreement with MUFG Union Bank, N.A. – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 26, 2021.
       
         
 
 

 

    (b) U.S. Bank National Association Acknowledgement of Assumption of Custodial Duties – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 27, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  5. Registrant’s Custodian Agreement with Fifth Third Bank, National Association – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 9, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

(h) Other Material Contracts.
   
  1. Amended and Restated Consulting Agreement between Registrant and Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 24, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  2. (a) Registrant’s Investor Class Administrative Services Plan for the Appleseed Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated January 27, 2017 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

    (b) Side Letter Agreement with Pekin Hardy Strauss, Inc. regarding agreement to waive receipt of payments under the plan relating to the Fund’s Investor Class until January 31, 2023 – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated January 27, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  3. (a) Master Services Agreement between Registrant and Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated January 17, 2017 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

    (b) Amendment to Master Services Agreement between Registrant and Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 27, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

    (c) Amendment to Master Services Agreement between Registrant and Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 26, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

    (d) Amendment to Master Services Agreement between Registrant and Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 24, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
    (e) Amendment to Master Services Agreement between Registrant and Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 24, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  4. Form of Authorized Participant Agreement for ETFs – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 20, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  5. Registrant’s Participation Agreement with Security Benefit Life Insurance Company for LHA Tactical Beta Variable Series Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 3, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  6. Registrant’s Participation Agreement with First Security Benefit Life Insurance and Annuity Company of New York for LHA Tactical Beta Variable Series Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 3, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  7. Registrant’s Amended and Restated Loan Agreement with U.S. Bank National Association for Silk Invest New Horizons Frontier Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 3, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  8. Registrant’s Investment Agreement with Pekin Hardy Strauss, Inc. and Simplify Exchange Traded Funds for Appleseed Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 3, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  9. Registrant’s Investment Agreement with 360 Funds for Ballast Small/Mid Cap ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 3, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
(i) Legal Opinion and Consent.
   
  1. Legal opinion and consent – The legal opinion was filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated May 17, 2022 and is incorporated herein by referernce.  A new legal opinion and the consent of Thompson Hine LLP is to be filed by subsequent amendment.
     
 
 

 

(j) Other Opinions. Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm – To be filed by subsequent amendment.
   
(k) Omitted Financial Statements. None.

 

(l) Initial Capital Agreements.  Letter of Investment Intent from Unified Fund Services, Inc., dated December 30, 2002 – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 31, 2002 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

(m) Rule 12b-1 Plans.
   
  1. Revised Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan for Crawford Large Cap Dividend Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated May 2, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  2. Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan for Channel Short Duration Income Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 30, 2005 and incorporated herein by reference.
   
  3. Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan with respect to the Appleseed Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 2, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  4. Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan with respect to the Auer Growth Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 21, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  5. Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan with respect to the Investor Class Shares of the Standpoint Multi-Asset Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 28, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  6. Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan with respect to the Series II Shares of the LHA Tactical Beta Variable Series Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 17, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

(n) Rule 18f-3 Plans.
   
  1. Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Plan for Crawford Large Cap Dividend Fund, and Crawford Small Cap Dividend Fund - Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 28, 2015 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  2. Rule 18f-3 Plan for the Appleseed Fund –Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated January 28, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  3. Rule 18f-3 Plan for Standpoint Multi-Asset Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 28, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  4. Rule 18f-3 Plan for LHA Tactical Beta Variable Series Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 17, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
(o) Reserved.

 

(p) Codes of Ethics.
   
  1. Registrant’s Code of Ethics – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A on March 29, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  2. Code of Ethics for Senior Executive Officers – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 29, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  3. Code of Ethics adopted by Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC and Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, as distributors to Registrant – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 29, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  4. Dean Investment Associates, LLC and Dean Financial Services, LLC Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Policy - Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 3, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  5. Dean Capital Management, LLC Code of Ethics – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 3, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
 
 

 

  6. Silk Invest Limited Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Policy - Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 28, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  7. Fisher Asset Management, LLC Code of Ethics - Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 27, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  8. Pekin Hardy Strauss, Inc. Code of Ethics - Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated January 27, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  9. Channel Investment Partners LLC Code of Ethics - Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 31, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  10. SBAuer Funds, LLC Code of Ethics – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated March 29, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  11. Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. Code of Ethics – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 26, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  12. Standpoint Asset Management, LLC Code of Ethics – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 26, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  13. Absolute Investment Advisers LLC Code of Ethics – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 20, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  14. St. James Investment Company, LLC Code of Ethics – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 3, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  15. Ballast Asset Management, LP Code of Ethics – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 20, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  16. Little Harbor Advisors, LLC Code of Ethics – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 17, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  17. OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC Code of Ethics – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 5, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  18. Teachers Advisors, LLC Code of Ethics – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated March 14, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  19. AlphaTrAI Funds, Inc. Code of Ethics – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated May 17, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  20. Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC Code of Ethics – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated May 17, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

(q) Proxy Voting Policies.
   
  1. Registrant’s Revised Proxy Voting Policy – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 1, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  2. Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 29, 2003 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  3. Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by Channel Investment Partners LLC – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 31, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  4. Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by Pekin Hardy Strauss, Inc. as adviser to Appleseed Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 2, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  5. Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by Dean Investment Associates, LLC as adviser to the Dean Funds – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated March 7, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
 
 

 

  6. Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by SBAuer Funds, LLC as adviser to the Auer Growth Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 21, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  7. Proxy Voting Policy adopted by Fisher Asset Management, LLC as adviser to the Tactical Multi-Purpose Fund and each of the Fisher Investments Institutional Group Funds – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 27, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  8. Proxy Voting Policy adopted by Silk Invest Limited as adviser to Silk Invest New Horizons Frontier Fund - Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 23, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  9. Proxy Voting Policy adopted by Standpoint Asset Management, LLC as adviser to Standpoint Multi-Asset Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 28, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  10. Proxy Voting Policy adopted by Absolute Investment Advisers, LLC as adviser to Absolute Core Strategy ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 20, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

  11. Proxy Voting Policy adopted by Ballast Asset Management, LP as adviser to the Ballast Small/Mid Cap ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 20, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  12. Proxy Voting Policy adopted by Little Harbor Advisors, LLC as adviser to LHA Tactical Beta Variable Series Fund – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 17, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  13. Proxy Voting Policy adopted by OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC as adviser to OneAscent Large Cap Core ETF, the OneAscent Core Plus Bond ETF, the OneAscent International Equity ETF and the OneAscent Emerging Markets ETF – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 24, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.
     
  14. Proxy Voting Policy adopted by Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC as sub-adviser to each of the NightShares ETFs – Filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated May 17, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.

  

Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with Registrant

 

The Dean Funds’ investment adviser, Dean Investment Associates LLC, is wholly owned by C.H. Dean, LLC, which is wholly owned by The C.H. Dean Companies, LLC. The Funds’ sub-adviser, Dean Capital Management, LLC, is controlled, by virtue of a 30% ownership in the sub-adviser, by C.H. Dean LLC. Dennis Dean and Terence Dean are deemed to control The C.H. Dean Companies, LLC and its wholly owned subsidiary, C.H. Dean, LLC by virtue of their controlling ownership interest in the companies. As of June 30, 2021, The C.H. Dean Companies, LLC owned 5.11%, Dennis Dean beneficially owned 7.84% and Terence Dean beneficially owned 8.29% of the Dean Mid Cap Fund. As a result, the Dean Mid Cap Fund may be deemed to be under common control with its investment adviser and sub-adviser. Each of the above-named companies is organized under the laws of Ohio.

 

Fisher Asset Management, LLC, d/b/a Fisher Investments is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the holding company Fisher Investments, Inc. Mr. Fisher is the founder, Chairman, and Co-Chief Investment Officer of the Adviser, and is the majority shareholder of Fisher Investments, Inc. As such, he controls the Adviser. As of December 28, 2021 the Adviser owned close to 100% of the shares of the Tactical Multi-Purpose Fund, and it is anticipated that substantially all of the shares of the Fund will be owned either by the Adviser or by clients of the Adviser as to whose accounts the Adviser has discretionary investment and voting authority. As a result, the Tactical Multi-Purpose Fund may be deemed to be under common control with its investment adviser. As of December 28, 2021 the Adviser owned close to 100% of the shares of the Fisher Investments Institutional Group Stock Fund for Retirement Plans, the Fisher Investments Institutional Group ESG Stock Fund for Retirement Plans, the Fisher Investments Institutional Group Fixed Income Fund for Retirement Plans, the Fisher Investments Institutional Group ESG Fixed Income Fund for Retirement Plans, the Fisher Investments Institutional Group All Foreign Equity Environmental and Social Values Fund, the Fisher Investments Institutional Group U.S. Large Cap Equity Environmental and Social Values Fund, and the Fisher Investments Institutional Group U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund. As a result, each of these Funds may be deemed to be under common control with its investment adviser. Fisher Asset Management, LLC is organized under the laws of Delaware and Fisher Investments, Inc. is organized under the laws of California.

 

Mr. John H. Crawford, III, Mr. John H. Crawford, IV, and Mr. David B. Crawford each own more than 25% of the Crawford Funds’ investment adviser, Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. As such, they control the Adviser. As of March 31, 2021, more than 25% of the shares of the Funds were owned either by the Adviser or by clients of the Adviser as to whose accounts the Adviser has discretionary investment and voting authority and it is anticipated that this will be the case in the future. As a result, the Crawford Large Cap Dividend Fund, the Crawford Small Cap Dividend Fund, and the Crawford Multi-Asset Income Fund may be deemed to be under common control with Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc., which is organized under the laws of Georgia. 

 

 
 

Mr. Robert C. Auer owns more than 75% of the Auer Growth Fund’s investment adviser, SBAuer Funds, LLC, and, as of February 28, 2022, owned 15.24% of Auer Growth Fund (the “Auer Fund”). As a result, the Auer Fund may be deemed to be under common control with SBAuer Funds, LLC, which is organized under the laws of Indiana. 

 

Item 30. Indemnification.

 

Article VI, Section 6.4 of the Declaration of Trust of Unified Series Trust, an Ohio business trust, provides that: 

 

Indemnification of Trustees, Officers, etc. Subject to and except as otherwise provided in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the 1940 Act, the Trust shall indemnify each of its Trustees and officers (including persons who serve at the Trust’s request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise (hereinafter referred to as a “Covered Person”) against all liabilities, including but not limited to amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines and penalties, and expenses, including reasonable accountants’ and counsel fees, incurred by any Covered Person in connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit or other proceeding, whether civil or criminal, before any court or administrative or legislative body, in which such Covered Person may be or may have been involved as a party or otherwise or with which such person may be or may have been threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of being or having been such a Trustee or officer, director or trustee, and except that no Covered Person shall be indemnified against any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders to which such Covered Person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person’s office.

 

The Distribution Agreement with Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC provides that the Trust, on behalf of each Fund, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Distributor and each person who has been, is, or may hereafter be a director, officer, employee, shareholder or control person of Distributor against any loss, damage or expense (including the reasonable costs of investigation and reasonable attorneys’ fees) reasonably incurred by any of them in connection with the matters to which the Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from the failure of Distributor or any such other person to comply with applicable law or the terms of this Agreement, or from willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence, including clerical errors and mechanical failures, on the part of any of such persons in the performance of Distributor’s duties or from the reckless disregard by any of such persons of Distributor’s obligations and duties under this Agreement, for all of which exceptions Distributor shall be liable to the Trust.

 

The Distribution Agreement with Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC further provides that the Distributor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Trust and each person who has been, is, or may hereafter be a Trustee, officer, employee, shareholder or control person of the Trust against any loss, damage or expense (including the reasonable costs of investigation and reasonable attorneys’ fees) reasonably incurred by any of them in connection with any claim or in connection with any action, suit or proceeding to which any of them may be a party, which arises out of or is alleged to arise out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact, or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact necessary to make the statements not misleading, on the part of Distributor or any agent or employee of Distributor or any other person for whose acts Distributor is responsible, unless such statement or omission was made in reliance upon written information furnished by the Trust; (ii) Distributor’s failure to exercise reasonable care and diligence with respect to its services, if any, rendered in connection with investment, reinvestment, automatic withdrawal and other plans for Shares; and (iii) Distributor’s failure to comply with applicable laws and the Rules of FINRA.

 

The Distribution Agreement with Northern Lights Distributors, LLC provides that the Trust agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Distributor and each of its managers and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Distributor within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act against any loss, liability, claim, damages or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending any alleged loss, liability, claim, damages, or expense and reasonable counsel fees and disbursements incurred in connection therewith), arising by reason of any person acquiring any Shares or Creation Units, based upon (i) the ground that the registration statement, prospectus, shareholder reports or other information filed or made public by the Trust (as from time to time amended) included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated or necessary in order to make the statements made not misleading, (ii) the Trust’s failure to maintain an effective registration statement and prospectus with respect to Shares of the Fund that are the subject of the claim or demand, (iii) the Trust’s failure to properly register Fund Shares under applicable state laws, (iv) instructions given by the Trust, the Trust’s failure to perform its duties hereunder or any inaccuracy of its representations, (v) any claim brought under Section 11 of the 1933 Act, or (vi) all actions taken by Distributor hereunder resulting from Distributor’s reliance on instructions received from an officer, agent or approved service provider of the Trust.

 

The Distribution Agreement with Northern Lights Distributors, LLC further provides that the Distributor covenants and agrees that it will indemnify and hold harmless the Trust and each of its Trustees and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Trust within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, against any loss, liability, damages, claim or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending any alleged loss, liability, damages, claim or expense and reasonable counsel fees and disbursements incurred in connection therewith) arising out of or based upon any Disqualifying Conduct by Distributor in connection with the offering and sale of any Shares. 

 

 
 

The Registrant may maintain a standard trustees and officers liability policy. The policy, if maintained, would provide coverage to the Registrant, its trustees and officers, and may cover the advisers and their affiliates, among others. Coverage under the policy would include losses by reason of any act, error, omission, misstatement, misleading statement, neglect or breach of duty.

 

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Advisers.

 

  1. Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. (“Crawford”) serves as the investment adviser for the Crawford Large Cap Dividend Fund, the Crawford Small Cap Dividend Fund, and Crawford Multi-Asset Income Fund, each a series of the Trust. John H. Crawford III serves as Founder, Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager of Crawford. Further information about Crawford can be obtained from the Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD.

 

  2. Dean Investment Associates, LLC (“Dean”), serves as investment adviser to the Dean Funds. Stephen M. Miller serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of Dean, and each of Debra E. Rindler and Pamela Miller are executive officers. Further information about Dean can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD.

 

  3. Dean Capital Management, LLC (“DCM”), serves as sub-adviser to the Dean Funds. Douglas Leach and Steven Roth serve as portfolio managers and are owners and members of Dean Capital Management, LLC. Further information about DCM can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD.

 

  4. Channel Investment Partners LLC (“Channel”) serves as the investment adviser to the Channel Short Duration Income Fund. Mr. Matthew Duch is the sole owner, Managing Member, President, Chief Investment Officer and Chief Compliance Officer of Channel. Further information about Channel can be obtained from the Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD.

 

  5. Pekin Hardy Strauss, Inc. (“Pekin”) serves as investment adviser to the Appleseed Fund. Brandon Hardy, William Pekin, Adam Strauss, Joshua Strauss and Patrick Herrington all are executive officers. Further information about Pekin can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD.

 

  6. SBAuer Funds, LLC (“SBA”) serves as investment adviser to the Auer Growth Fund. Mr. David Gilreath and Mr. Ronald Brock are executive officers of SBA and members of Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors, LLC. Further information about SBA and Sheaff Brock can be obtained from their respective Forms ADV Part I available on the IAPD.

 

  7. Fisher Asset Management, LLC d/b/a Fisher Investments, the adviser to the Tactical Multi-Purpose Fund and each of the Fisher Investments Institutional Group Funds, provides investment advisory services for large corporations, pension plans, endowments, foundations, governmental agencies and individuals. To the knowledge of Registrant, none of the directors or officers of Fisher Investments is or has been at any time during the past two fiscal years engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature. Further information about Fisher Asset Management can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD.

 

  8. Silk Invest Limited (“Silk Invest”) serves as the adviser to the Silk Invest New Horizons Frontier Fund. Silk Investment Management Ltd. is a majority owner of Silk Invest. Zin El Abidin Bekkali owns a controlling interest in Silk Investment Management Ltd. Mr. Bekkali is also the Chief Executive Officer & Group CIO of Silk Invest. Further information about Silk Invest can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD.

 

  9. Standpoint Asset Management, LLC (“Standpoint”) serves as the adviser to the Standpoint Multi-Asset Fund. Standpoint Group, LLC is the majority owner of Standpoint. Eric Crittenden, William Bologna, Courtney Stover, Shawn Serikov, and Matthew Kaplan, who are operators and employees of Standpoint, own Standpoint Group, LLC. Further information about Standpoint can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD.

 

  10. Absolute Investment Advisers LLC (“Absolute”) serves as the adviser to the Absolute Core Strategy ETF. Absolute is owned and controlled by James Compson and Brian Hlidek, who are employees of Absolute. Further information about Absolute can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD.

 

  11. St. James Investment Company, LLC (“St. James”) serves as the subadviser to the Absolute Core Strategy ETF. St. James is owned and controlled by Robert Mark through Sibelius Holdings, LLC of which he is the sole controlling member, and Larry Redell. Further information about St. James can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD.

 

  12. Ballast Asset Management, LP (“Ballast”) serves as the adviser to the Ballast Small/Mid Cap ETF. Ballast is owned and controlled by Inverdale Capital Management, LLC, which is owned and controlled by Ryan Martin and William Hardy. Further information about Ballast can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD.

 

 
 

 

  13. Little Harbor Advisors, LLC (“LHA”) serves as the adviser to the LHA Tactical Beta Variable Series Fund. LHA is owned and controlled by John Hassett through his individual ownership and through TAI Equity Holdings, LLC, the managing member of LHA. Further information about LHA can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD.

 

  14. OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC (“OAIS”) serves as the adviser to the OneAscent Large Cap Core ETF, the OneAscent Core Plus Bond ETF, the OneAscent International Equity ETF and the OneAscent Emerging Markets ETF. OAIS is owned and controlled by OneAscent Holdings, LLC (“OAH”). Harry N. Pearson is the majority owner of OAH. Further information about OAIS can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD.

 

  15. Teachers Advisors, LLC (“TAL”) serves as the subadviser to the OneAscent Core Plus Bond ETF. TAL is owned and controlled by Nuveen Finance, LLC which is a subsidiary of Nuveen, LLC (“Nuveen”).  Nuveen is a subsidiary, and represents the asset management division, of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (“TIAA”).  TIAA is the ultimate principal owner of TA. Further information about TAL can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD.

 

  16. AlphaTrAI Funds, Inc. (“AlphaTrAI”) serves as the adviser to the NightShares 500 ETF, the NightShares 100 ETF,  the NightShares 2000 ETF, the NightShares 500 1.5x at Night ETF, the NightShares 100 1.5x at Night ETF, and the NightShares 500 Covered Call ETF. AlphaTrAI is majority owned by AlphaTrAI Inc. and is governed by a Board of Directors. Further information about AlphaTrAI can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I to be made available on the IAPD.

 

  17. Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (“ETC”) serves as the subadviser to the NightShares 500 ETF, the NightShares 100 ETF, the NightShares 2000 ETF, the NightShares 500 1.5x at Night ETF, the NightShares 100 1.5x at Night ETF, and the NightShares 500 Covered Call ETF. ETC is owned and controlled by Cottonwood ETF Holdings, LLC (“Cottonwood”).  Richard Hogan is the majority owner of Cottonwood.  Further information about ETC can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD.

 

Item 32. Principal Underwriters.

 

  1. (a) Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC is the principal underwriter for some series of the Trust. Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC serves as a principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:

   

AlphaMark Investment Trust
ALTI Private Equity Access Fund
Bruce Fund, Inc.
CM Advisors Family of Funds
Caldwell Orkin Funds, Inc.

Cantor Select Portfolios Trust
Capitol Series Trust
Centaur Mutual Funds Trust
Chesapeake Investment Trust
Commonwealth International Series Trust
Conestoga Funds

Connors Funds

Copley Fund, Inc.
Cross Shore Discovery Fund
Dynamic Alternatives Fund

Eubel Brady & Suttman Mutual Fund Trust

Fairway Private Equity & Venture Capital Opportunities Fund
F/m Funds Trust

HC Capital Trust
Hussman Investment Trust

Index Funds

Lind Capital Partners Municipal Credit Income Fund
MSS Series Trust

Oak Associates Funds

Papp Investment Trust

Peachtree Alternative Strategies Fund

Red Cedar Fund Trust

Schwartz Investment Trust
Segall Bryant & Hamill Trust
The Cutler Trust
The Investment House Funds
Williamsburg Investment Trust
Ultimus Managers Trust
Unified Series Trust
Valued Advisers Trust

VELA Funds

Volumetric Fund

Waycross Independent Trust
Yorktown Funds 

 

  (b) The officers of Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC are as follows:

 

Name Position with Distributor Position with Registrant
Kevin M. Guerette President None
Douglas K. Jones Vice President None
Stephen L. Preston Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer, Financial Operations Principal and AML Compliance Officer AML Officer
 
 

 

Melvin Van Cleave Chief Information Security Officer None

 

The address of the Distributor and each of the above-named persons is 225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246.

 

  (c) Not applicable.

 

  2. (a) Northern Lights Distributors, LLC is the principal underwriter for some series of the Trust. Northern Lights Distributors serves as a principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended: Arrow ETF Trust, Arrow Investments Trust (ETF), Boyar Value Fund Inc., Copeland Trust, Humankind Benefit Corporation, Miller Investment Trust, Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust, Mutual Fund Series Trust, New Age Alpha Trust, North Country Funds, Northern Lights Fund Trust, Northern Lights Fund Trust II, Northern Lights Fund Trust III, Northern Lights Fund Trust IV, Northern Lights Variable Trust, OCM Mutual Fund, PREDEX, Princeton Private Investment Access Fund, The Saratoga Advantage Trust, Tributary Funds, Inc., Two Roads Shared Trust, Uncommon Investment Funds Trust, Ultimus Manager’s Trust (ETF), Capitol Series Trust (ETF), Valued Advisers Trust (ETF), and Unified Series Trust (ETF).

 

  (b) The officers of Northern Lights Distributors, LLC are as follows:

 

Name Position with Distributor Position with Registrant
Kevin Guerette President None
Bill Strait Secretary, General Counsel, and Manager None
Stephen Preston Treasurer, FINOP, CCO and AML Officer AML Compliance Officer
David James Manager None
Melvin Van Cleave Chief Information Security Officer None

 

The address of the Distributor and each of the above-named persons is 4221 North 203rd Street, Suite 100, Elkhorn, NE 68022-3474.

 

  (c) Not applicable.

 

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records.

 

Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC

225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450

Cincinnati, OH 45246

 

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.

50 Post Office Square

Boston, MA 02110 

 

Will maintain physical possession of the accounts, books, and other documents required to be maintained by Rule 31a-(b)(1), 31a-1(b) (2), and 31a-1(b)(4) through 31a-1(b)(11). 

 

Huntington National Bank

41 South High Street

Columbus, OH 43215

 

U.S. Bank, National Association

1555 N. Rivercenter Drive

Milwaukee, WI 53212

 

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.

50 Post Office Square

Boston, MA 02110

 

Fifth Third Bank, National Association

38 Fountain Square Plaza

Cincinnati, Ohio 45263

 

Will maintain physical possession of accounts, books, and other documents required to be maintained by Rule 31(b)(3) for each separate series for which the entity acts as custodian.

 

 
 

Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC

225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450

Cincinnati, OH 45246

 

Northern Lights Distributors, LLC

4221 North 203rd Street, Suite 100

Elkhorn, NE 68022 

 

Will maintain physical possession of the accounts, books, and other documents required to be maintained by a principal underwriter under by Rule 31a-1(d) for each separate series for which the entity acts as principal underwriter.

 

Pekin Hardy Strauss, Inc.

161 N. Clark Street, Suite 2200

Chicago, IL 60601

 

SB Auer Funds, LLC
8801 River Crossing Blvd., Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46240

 

Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc.
600 Galleria Parkway SE

Suite 1650

Atlanta, GA 30339

 

Dean Investment Associates, LLC
3500 Pentagon Blvd., Suite 200

Beavercreek, OH 45431

 

Dean Capital Management, LLC
7400 West 130th Street, Suite 350
Overland Park, KS 66213 

 

Channel Investment Partners LLC

4601 N. Fairfax Drive, Ste. 1200

Arlington, VA 22203 

 

Fisher Asset Management, LLC

5525 NW Fisher Creek Drive

Camas, WA 98607

 

Silk Invest Limited

63/66 Hatton Garden

Fifth Floor Suite 23

London EC1N8LE

 

Standpoint Asset Management, LLC

4250 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Suite 300

Scottsdale, AZ 85251

 

Absolute Investment Advisers LLC

4 North Street, Suite 2

Hingham, MA 02043

 

St. James Investment Company, LLC

3838 Oak Lawn Avenue, Suite 1414

Dallas, TX 75219

 

Ballast Asset Management, LP

100 Crescent Court, Suite 1825

Dallas, TX 75201

 

Little Harbor Advisors, LLC

 
 

30 Doaks Lane

Marblehead, MA 01945

 

OneAscent Investment Solutions, LLC

23 Inverness Center Parkway

Birmingham, Alabama 35242

 

Teachers Advisors, LLC

730 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10017

 

AlphaTrAI Funds, Inc.

500 Tamal Plaza

Corte Madera, CA 94925

 

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC

295 Madison Avenue, 26th Floor

New York, NY 10017

 

Each adviser (or sub-adviser) will maintain physical possession of the accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Rule 31a-1(f) at the address listed above for each separate series of the Trust that the adviser manages.

 

Item 34. Management Services - None.

 

Item 35. Undertakings

 

Registrant hereby undertakes, if requested by the holders of at least 10% of the Registrant’s outstanding shares, to call a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of voting upon the question of removal of a trustee(s) and to assist in communications with other shareholders in accordance with Section 16(c) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as though Section 16(c) applied.

 

Registrant hereby undertakes to furnish each person to whom a prospectus is delivered with a copy of its latest annual report to shareholders, upon request and without charge.

 

Registrant hereby undertakes to carry out all indemnification provisions of its Declaration of Trust in accordance with Investment Company Act Release No. 11330 (Sept. 4, 1980) and successor releases. 

 

Insofar as indemnifications for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“1933 Act”), may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling person of the Registrant pursuant to the provision under Item 30 herein, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and is 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 director, 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 1933 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication.  

 
 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the City of Cincinnati and the State of Ohio on June 2, 2022. 

 

  UNIFIED SERIES TRUST
       
  By: /s/ Martin R. Dean**  
    Martin R. Dean, President  

 

Attest:

 

By: /s/ Zachary Richmond*+  
  Zachary Richmond, Treasurer and
Chief Financial Officer
 

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

 

Signature   Title Date
       
/s/ David R. Carson**   Interested Trustee June 2, 2022
David R. Carson      
       
/s/ Martin R. Dean**   President June 2, 2022
Martin R. Dean      
       
/s/ Zachary Richmond*+   Treasurer and CFO June 2, 2022
Zachary Richmond      
       
/s/ Daniel Condon*   Trustee June 2, 2022
Daniel Condon      
       
/s/ Gary E. Hippenstiel*   Trustee June 2, 2022
Gary E. Hippenstiel      
       
/s/ Stephen Little*   Trustee June 2, 2022
Stephen Little      
       
/s/ Ronald Tritschler*   Trustee June 2, 2022
Ronald Tritschler      
       
/s/ Kenneth Grant*   Trustee June 2, 2022
Kenneth Grant      
       
/s/ Elisabeth A. Dahl      
Elisabeth A. Dahl, Attorney in Fact      

 

* Signed pursuant to a Power of Attorney dated May 14, 2018 (+and May 17, 2018) and filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 27, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference.
** Signed pursuant to a Power of Attorney dated November 16, 2021 and filed with Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 29, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference.