S-1 1 v430800_s1.htm FORM S-1

As Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 9, 2016
Registration No. 333-[          ]

 

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

 

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or
organization)
6221
(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)
36-7362830
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

 

c/o Millburn Ridgefield Corporation
411 West Putnam Avenue
Greenwich, Connecticut 06830
203/625-7554
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

George E. Crapple

Millburn Ridgefield Corporation

411 West Putnam Avenue

Greenwich, Connecticut 06830

203/625-7554
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,

including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

 

Copies to:
James B. Biery
Daniel F. Spies

Sidley Austin LLP
One South Dearborn Street

Chicago, Illinois 60603

 

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:

As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

 

If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box. x

 

If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨

 

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨

 

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer ¨ Accelerated filer ¨
Non-accelerated filer x (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)   Smaller reporting company ¨

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

Title of each class of 
securities being registered
  Proposed Maximum
aggregate offering price(1)
   Amount of additional
registration fee(2)
 
Units of Beneficial Interest  $180,301,327   $0 

 

(1) To be allocated between Series on the basis of subscriber demand.

(2) Pursuant to Rule 457(o). As of the date hereof, Registrant registers pursuant to this Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-[         ]) $180,301,327 of Units.  Upon the filing of this Registration Statement on Form S-1, Registrant carries forward and registers, pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6), $180,301,327 of registered but unsold Units from Registrant’s previous Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-183197) for which Registrant has paid $22,634.41 in registration fees to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act or until this Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine. 

 

 

 

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST

$180,301,327
Units of Beneficial Interest

 

The Trust

 

Global Macro Trust is a Delaware statutory trust organized to seek profit opportunities in global fixed-income instruments, currencies, stock indices and commodities.

 

The primary objective of the Trust is substantial appreciation of its assets over time.

 

An investment in the Trust may provide valuable diversification to a traditional portfolio of stocks and bonds.

 

The Managing Owner

 

Millburn Ridgefield Corporation, a professional futures trading advisor, is the Managing Owner and trading advisor of the Trust.

 

The Units

 

The Selling Agents are now offering the Trust’s Units in four Series. The Units are offered at their Net Asset Value as of the beginning of each month. As of November 30, 2015, the Net Asset Value of a Series 1 Unit that sold for $1,000 as of July 1, 2002, when the Trust began trading, was $1,090.83. As of November 30, 2015, the Net Asset Value of a Series 2 Unit that sold for $1,278.10 as of April 1, 2010, when Series 2 Units were first issued, was $1,359.93. As of November 30, 2015, the Net Asset Value of a Series 3 Unit that sold for $1,180.91 as of September 1, 2009, when Series 3 Units were first issued, was $1,378.48. As of November 30, 2015, the Net Asset Value of a Series 4 Unit that sold for $1,315.33 as of November 1, 2010, when Series 4 Units were first issued, was $1,564.79.

 

Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units are available to investors participating in a registered investment adviser’s asset-based fee or fixed fee advisory program through which an investment adviser recommends a portfolio allocation to the Trust. Series 4 Units are available to employees and former employees of the Managing Owner.

 

The Selling Agents and brokers will use their best efforts to sell the Units but are not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of Units of any Series.

 

If the total amount of Units offered pursuant to this Prospectus is sold, the proceeds to the Trust will be $180,301,327.

 

There is no scheduled termination date for the offering of Units. No escrow account will be used in connection with this offering.

 

The minimum initial investment is $5,000; $2,000 for employee benefit plans and IRAs.

 

The Risks

 

These are speculative securities. Read this Prospectus before you decide to invest. See “The Risks You Face” beginning on page 12.

 

·The Trust is speculative. You may lose all or substantially all of your investment in the Trust. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
·The Trust is leveraged. The Trust acquires positions with an aggregate face amount of as much as eight to ten times or more of its total equity. Leverage magnifies the impact of both profit and loss.
·The performance of the Trust is expected to be volatile. In the last five years, monthly returns for the Series 1 Units, which are the highest fee paying Units, ranged from up 6.85% to down 8.44%.
·The Trust charges high fees. You will sustain losses if the Trust is unable to generate sufficient trading profits and interest income to offset its fees and expenses.
·The Units are not liquid. No secondary market exists for the Units and you may redeem Units only as of a month-end. Additionally, there are restrictions on transferring Units in the Trust.
·A lack of liquidity in the markets in which the Trust trades could make it impossible for the Trust to realize profits or limit losses.
·A substantial portion of the trades executed for the Trust takes place on foreign exchanges. No United States (“U.S.”) regulatory authority or exchange has the power to compel the enforcement of the rules of a foreign board of trade or any applicable foreign laws.
·Early redemption charges will be assessed if you redeem Series 1 Units during the first eleven months after they are issued to you.

 

To purchase Units, you will be required to represent and warrant, among other things, that you have received a copy of this Prospectus and that you satisfy the minimum net worth and income standards for a resident of your state to invest in the Trust. You are encouraged to discuss your investment decision with your financial, tax and legal advisors.

 

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

 

This Prospectus is in two parts: a Disclosure Document and a Statement of Additional Information. These parts are bound together and may not be distributed separately.

 

THE COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION HAS NOT PASSED UPON THE MERITS OF PARTICIPATING IN THIS POOL NOR HAS THE COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT.

 

The date of this Prospectus is [   ].

 

 

 

 

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION
RISK DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

 

YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER WHETHER YOUR FINANCIAL CONDITION PERMITS YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN A COMMODITY POOL. IN SO DOING, YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT COMMODITY INTEREST TRADING CAN QUICKLY LEAD TO LARGE LOSSES AS WELL AS GAINS. SUCH TRADING LOSSES CAN SHARPLY REDUCE THE NET ASSET VALUE OF THE POOL AND CONSEQUENTLY THE VALUE OF YOUR INTEREST IN THE POOL. IN ADDITION, RESTRICTIONS ON REDEMPTIONS MAY AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO WITHDRAW YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE POOL.

 

FURTHER, COMMODITY POOLS MAY BE SUBJECT TO SUBSTANTIAL CHARGES FOR MANAGEMENT, ADVISORY AND BROKERAGE FEES. IT MAY BE NECESSARY FOR THOSE POOLS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO THESE CHARGES TO MAKE SUBSTANTIAL TRADING PROFITS TO AVOID DEPLETION OR EXHAUSTION OF THEIR ASSETS. THIS DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT CONTAINS A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF EACH EXPENSE TO BE CHARGED THIS POOL AT PAGES 46 TO 51 AND A STATEMENT OF THE PERCENTAGE RETURN NECESSARY TO BREAK EVEN, THAT IS, TO RECOVER THE AMOUNT OF YOUR INITIAL INVESTMENT, AT PAGES 9-10.

 

THIS BRIEF STATEMENT CANNOT DISCLOSE ALL THE RISKS AND OTHER FACTORS NECESSARY TO EVALUATE YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS COMMODITY POOL. THEREFORE, BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS COMMODITY POOL, YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY STUDY THIS DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT, INCLUDING A DESCRIPTION OF THE PRINCIPAL RISK FACTORS OF THIS INVESTMENT, AT PAGES 12 TO 18.

 

YOU SHOULD ALSO BE AWARE THAT THIS COMMODITY POOL MAY TRADE FOREIGN FUTURES OR OPTIONS CONTRACTS. TRANSACTIONS ON MARKETS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING MARKETS FORMALLY LINKED TO A UNITED STATES MARKET, MAY BE SUBJECT TO REGULATIONS WHICH OFFER DIFFERENT OR DIMINISHED PROTECTION TO THE POOL AND ITS PARTICIPANTS. FURTHER, UNITED STATES REGULATORY AUTHORITIES MAY BE UNABLE TO COMPEL THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE RULES OF REGULATORY AUTHORITIES OR MARKETS IN NON-UNITED STATES JURISDICTIONS WHERE TRANSACTIONS FOR THE POOL MAY BE EFFECTED.

 

SWAPS TRANSACTIONS, LIKE OTHER FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS, INVOLVE A VARIETY OF SIGNIFICANT RISKS. THE SPECIFIC RISKS PRESENTED BY A PARTICULAR SWAP TRANSACTION NECESSARILY DEPEND UPON THE TERMS OF THE TRANSACTION AND YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES. IN GENERAL, HOWEVER, ALL SWAPS TRANSACTIONS INVOLVE SOME COMBINATION OF MARKET RISK, CREDIT RISK, COUNTERPARTY CREDIT RISK, FUNDING RISK, LIQUIDITY RISK, AND OPERATIONAL RISK.

 

HIGHLY CUSTOMIZED SWAPS TRANSACTIONS IN PARTICULAR MAY INCREASE LIQUIDITY RISK, WHICH MAY RESULT IN A SUSPENSION OF REDEMPTIONS. HIGHLY LEVERAGED TRANSACTIONS MAY EXPERIENCE SUBSTANTIAL GAINS OR LOSSES IN VALUE AS A RESULT OF RELATIVELY SMALL CHANGES IN THE VALUE OR LEVEL OF AN UNDERLYING OR RELATED MARKET FACTOR.

 

IN EVALUATING THE RISKS AND CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH A PARTICULAR SWAP TRANSACTION, IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER THAT A SWAP TRANSACTION MAY BE MODIFIED OR TERMINATED ONLY BY MUTUAL CONSENT OF THE ORIGINAL PARTIES AND SUBJECT TO AGREEMENT ON INDIVIDUALLY NEGOTIATED TERMS. THEREFORE, IT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR THE COMMODITY POOL OPERATOR TO MODIFY, TERMINATE, OR OFFSET THE POOL’S OBLIGATIONS OR THE POOL’S EXPOSURE TO THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH A TRANSACTION PRIOR TO ITS SCHEDULED TERMINATION DATE.

 

 

 

Please see the important Privacy Policy on page 99.

 

 

 

2 

 

 

This Prospectus does not include all of the information or exhibits in the Trust’s Registration Statement. You can read and copy the entire Registration Statement at the Public Reference Facilities maintained by the SEC in Washington, D.C.

 

The Trust files quarterly and annual reports with the SEC. You can read and copy these reports at the SEC Public Reference Facilities in Washington, D.C. at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-202-942-8090, or toll free at 1-800-SEC-0330, for further information.

 

The Trust’s filings are posted on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION
411 West Putnam Avenue
Greenwich, Connecticut 06830
(203) 625-7554
MANAGING OWNER

 

3 

 

 

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST
TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

  Page
Part One  
Disclosure Document  
Summary 5
The Risks You Face 12
You Could Lose Your Entire Investment in the Trust 12
Past Performance Is Not Necessarily Indicative of Future Results 12
The Trust Is a Highly Leveraged Investment 12
The Performance of the Trust Will Be Volatile 12
The Trust’s Expenses Will Cause Losses Unless Offset by Profits and Interest Income 12
An Investment in the Trust is Not Liquid 12
Series 1 Units Redeemed on or Before the End of the First Eleven Months After Purchase Will Be Assessed a Redemption Charge 12
The Timing of Your Investment and Redemption Decisions Will Affect the Profitability of Your Investment 12
The Managing Owner Alone Directs the Trust’s Trading 12
The Managing Owner Is Primarily a Technical Trader and May Not Always Analyze Economic Factors External to Market Price 13
Lack of Price Trends May Cause Losses; There Have Been Sustained Periods With Insufficient Price Trends That Prevented the Trust From Trading Profitably. The Managing Owner Expects That There May Be Similar Periods in the Future 13
Lack of Market Liquidity Could Make It Impossible for the Trust to Realize Profits or Limit Losses 13
Speculative Position Limits May Alter Investment Decisions for the Trust 13
The Managing Owner’s Trading Systems Have Been Developed Over Time and Are Subject to Change 14
Trading on Foreign Exchanges Presents Greater Risk Than Trading on U.S. Exchanges 14
The Managing Owner Anticipates the Trust’s Performance to Be Non-Correlated to Stocks and Bonds, Not Negatively Correlated 14
The Trust May Be Subject to Profit Shares Despite Certain Units Having Declined in Value 14
The Managing Owner’s Increased Equity Under Management Could Lead to Lower Returns for Investors 14
Increased Competition Among Trend-Following Traders Could Reduce the Managing Owner’s Profitability 15
The Trust is Subject to Conflicts of Interest 15
The Managing Owner Has Not Established Formal Procedures to Resolve Conflicts of Interest 15
You Will Be Taxed Each Year on Your Share of Trust Profits 15
You Will Be Taxed on the Trust’s Interest Income Even if the Trust Suffers Trading Losses 15
Limitations on the Deductibility of “Investment Advisory Fees” 16
The IRS Could Audit Both the Trust and Individual Unitholders 16
Accounting for Uncertain Tax Positions 16
The Bankruptcy of a Clearing Broker or Currency Dealer Could Cause Losses 16
The Trust Is Not Regulated as an Investment Company or Mutual Fund 16
Certain Special Considerations Related to Forward and Spot Trading 16
Regulation of Swap Trading Is Evolving and May Involve Counterparty Risk 17
Forwards, Swaps and Other Derivatives Are Subject to Varying CFTC Regulation 17
Trading in Options Requires an Assessment of Market Volatility as Well as Direction 18
The Failure of Computer Systems Could Result in Losses for the Trust 18
Investment Factors 18
Performance Of The Trust 21
Quantitative And Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 35
The Managing Owner 39
Use Of Proceeds 45
Charges 46
Redemptions; Net Asset Value 51
The Clearing Brokers and Swap Dealers 52
Conflicts Of Interest 81
The Trust And The Trustee 83
Federal Income Tax Aspects 85
Purchases By Employee Benefit Plans 88
Plan Of Distribution 90
Legal Matters 98
Experts 99
Reports 99
Privacy Policy 99
Part Two  
Statement Of Additional Information  
The Futures, Forward and Spot Markets 100
Supplemental Performance Information 102
Index to Financial Statements F-1
Exhibit A—Fourth Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement TA-1
Exhibit B—Subscription Requirements SR-1
Exhibit C—Subscription Agreement SA-1

 

The execution copy of the Subscription Agreement accompanies this Prospectus.

 

4 

 

 

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST

 

Summary

 

General

 

Global Macro Trust seeks profit opportunities in global fixed-income instruments, currencies, stock indices and various commodity products. Millburn Ridgefield Corporation, a Delaware corporation operating in Greenwich, Connecticut, serves as the Trust’s Managing Owner and trading advisor. The Managing Owner uses its proprietary quantitative, systematic trading method to trade in futures, forward and spot contracts, and may trade in swap and options contracts, for the Trust. In addition, positions held by the Trust may be either long, that is, contracts to buy, or short, that is, contracts to sell. The ability to take both long and short positions provides the Trust with the flexibility to capitalize on opportunities in both rising and falling markets.

 

The Trust began trading July 1, 2002.

 

The date of this Prospectus is [ ].

 

Overview

 

The Managing Owner trades the Trust’s assets in the markets that make up the Managing Owner’s Diversified Portfolio and uses the same trading strategies it uses in trading the Diversified Portfolio. The Diversified Portfolio itself is not a distinct trading strategy. Rather, it is a grouping of separate futures, forward and swap markets, featuring a variety of global fixed-income instruments, currencies, stock indices, agricultural commodities, energy products and precious and industrial metals, to which the Managing Owner applies its trading method.

 

The Trust’s primary objective is to achieve substantial capital appreciation over time with controlled volatility. The Trust also offers investors the advantages of limited liability in a leveraged trading vehicle and the convenience of professional management.

 

The performance of the Trust is not dependent upon any single nation’s economy or currency. On the contrary, periods of economic uncertainty can augment the profit potential of the Trust by increasing the likelihood of significant movements in global interest and exchange rates, and stock and commodity prices.

 

Additionally, because the Trust can take short positions as easily as long positions, the Trust is as likely to be profitable or unprofitable in falling markets as in rising markets.

 

If the Trust is successful, of which there can be no assurance, it can provide valuable diversification to traditional portfolios of stocks and bonds due to the Trust’s performance being generally unrelated to the general stock and bond markets. The Trust may also incur losses.

 

Approximately 90% or more of the Trust’s assets are invested in U.S. Treasury securities and other highly rated and liquid instruments, some of which will be deposited as collateral or margin in connection with the Trust’s trading. Accordingly, in addition to its potential to profit from its trading, the Trust earns interest on approximately 90% or more of its assets.

 

The principal office of the Trust is located at the office of the Managing Owner: 411 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830 (telephone: (203) 625-7554).

 

The Offering — Series of Units

 

The selling agents (“Selling Agents”) are offering the Trust’s Units in four Series. The only differences between the Units of each Series, referred to collectively in this Prospectus as “Units,” are the applicable fees and expenses described below. Otherwise, the Units of each Series are identical to the Units of the other Series and share pro rata in the profits and losses of the Trust.

 

The Units are offered at Net Asset Value per Unit of such Series as of the first business day of each calendar month.

 

Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units are available only to investors participating in a registered investment adviser’s asset-based fee or fixed fee advisory program through which an investment adviser recommends a portfolio allocation to the Trust. The only difference between Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units is the custodial fee applicable to Series 2 Units described below.

 

Series 4 Units are available only to employees and former employees of the Managing Owner and its affiliates who purchase their Units through The Millburn Corporation 401(k) and Profit Sharing Plan.

 

The Managing Owner may, from time to time, also permit intra-month closings.

 

The Net Asset Value per Unit of a Series is determined by dividing the Trust’s assets attributable to that Series minus its liabilities attributable to that Series by the number of Units of that Series outstanding on the date the calculation is being performed. A Series’ Net Assets in aggregate are the Trust’s assets attributable to that Series minus its liabilities attributable to that Series. The Trust’s Net Assets in aggregate are its total assets minus its total liabilities.

 

5 

 

 

The minimum investment in the Trust is $5,000; $2,000 for trustees or custodians of eligible employee benefit plans and individual retirement accounts. Units will be sold in fractions calculated to three decimal places.

 

To subscribe, you must complete and sign the Subscription Agreement Signature Page which accompanies this Prospectus and deliver it to your Selling Agent or broker. See Exhibit B — Subscription Requirements and Exhibit C — Subscription Agreement. You should review this entire Prospectus carefully before deciding whether to invest in the Units.

 

Major Risks of the Trust

 

The Trust is speculative. You may lose all or substantially all of your investment in the Trust.

 

The past performance of the Trust and the Managing Owner’s Diversified Portfolio are not necessarily indicative of the future results of the Trust.

 

The Trust is leveraged. The Trust acquires positions with an aggregate face amount of as much as eight to ten times or more of its total equity. Leverage magnifies the impact of both profit and loss.

 

The performance of the Trust is expected to be volatile. In the last five years, monthly returns for the Series 1 Units, which are the highest fee paying Units, have ranged from up 6.85% to down 8.44%.

 

To be profitable, the Trust’s fees and expenses must be offset by trading profits and interest income.

 

The Units are not liquid. No secondary market exists for the Units, and the Units may be redeemed only as of a month-end.

 

Investment Considerations

 

The Managing Owner has been managing client funds in the futures and forward markets for over 38 years. As of December 1, 2015, the Managing Owner was directing the trading of $1.3 billion of client and proprietary capital in the futures and forward markets; and had $1.4 billion total assets under management. Of these amounts, the Managing Owner was managing approximately $789 million pursuant to the Diversified Portfolio, the trading portfolio traded on behalf of the Trust, and the balance pursuant to other trading portfolios managed by the Managing Owner.

 

As of December 1, 2015, the net asset value of the Managing Owner’s interest in the Trust equaled $5.94 million. As of December 1, 2015, the investments of the Managing Owner, its principals, affiliates, employees and former employees and their family members in accounts managed pursuant to the Diversified Portfolio exceeded $71 million.

 

The Managing Owner makes trading decisions pursuant to its investment and trading methods, which include technical trend analysis and certain non-traditional technical systems (i.e., systems falling outside of traditional technical trend analysis). The Managing Owner may, however, from time to time, exercise discretion with respect to its technical trend analysis to adjust position sizes and will, over time, change the markets represented in the Diversified Portfolio. The Managing Owner’s trend-following trading approach seeks to identify and profit from sustained market trends while limiting losses in trendless markets.

 

The Managing Owner has the ability to shift capital readily among different international economies and markets. As of December 1, 2015, the composition of the Managing Owner’s Diversified Portfolio, as well as the Trust, was approximately as follows:

 

 

As illustrated by the correlation matrix below, the returns of the Trust from July 2002 through November 2015 have not been significantly correlated with traditional portfolio components such as stocks and bonds.

 

   Trust(1) 
Trust(1)   1.00 
S&P 500   (0.03)
NASDAQ   (0.01)
MSCI World   0.03 
Bonds   0.14 
Hedge Funds   0.23 

 

 

(1) Reflecting the cost/fee structure applicable to the Series 1 Units. Statistically, investments with a correlation of 1.00 make or lose money at the same time, and investments with a correlation of -1.00 always move in the opposite direction. See “Supplemental Performance Information” in Part Two of this Prospectus.

 

6 

 

 

An investment in the Trust can, but only if the Trust itself is successful, improve the reward/risk profile of a traditional portfolio of stocks and bonds.

 

Redemptions

 

You may redeem your Units as of the end of any calendar month, upon 10 days’ prior written notice to the Managing Owner.

 

A redemption charge of 4% of Net Asset Value applies to Series 1 Units redeemed on or before the sixth month-end after they are sold. A redemption charge of 3% of Net Asset Value applies to Series 1 Units redeemed after the sixth, but on or before the eleventh, month-end after they are sold. There are no charges for redemptions of Series 1 Units held at least 12 months. Redemption charges will be reduced in the case of subscriptions in the amount of $100,000 or more to 3.5% and 2.5%, of $500,000 or more to 3% and 2%, and of $1,000,000 or more to 2.5% and 1.5%. Series 1 Units purchased on different closing dates are treated on a “first-in, first-out” basis for purposes of calculating the periods to which redemption charges apply and for purposes of determining the 9.5% threshold for Selling Agent fees discussed below.

 

Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units are not subject to redemption charges.

 

Charges

 

The Trust’s expenses must be offset by trading gains and interest income to avoid depletion of the Trust’s assets.

 

Series 1 Units. The Trust pays Brokerage Fees to the Managing Owner of 7% per year of the Trust’s Net Assets attributable to Series 1 Units. From this amount, the Managing Owner pays approximately 0.30% to the Trust’s executing and clearing brokers, and up to 4% to the Selling Agents. The amount paid to Selling Agents will not, however, exceed 9.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Series 1 Units sold pursuant to this Prospectus. Once the 9.5% threshold is reached with respect to a Series 1 Unit, the Selling Agent will receive no future compensation and the up to 4% amount that would otherwise be paid to the Selling Agent for that Series 1 Unit will instead be rebated to the Trust for the benefit of all holders of Series 1 Units.

 

Brokerage Fees applicable to Series 1 Units will be reduced in respect of subscribers submitting net subscriptions of $100,000 or more to 6.5%, of $500,000 or more to 6% and of $1,000,000 or more to 5.5%. Net subscriptions for such purposes will be calculated as subscriptions minus redemptions.

 

If the Series 1 Units earn net trading profits for any year in excess of the highest amount of net trading profits earned in all previous years, the Trust will allocate 20% of those “new” net trading profits to the Managing Owner as the Managing Owner’s Series 1 Profit Share.

 

Series 2 Units. The Trust will pay the Managing Owner a management fee of 2% per year and a custodial fee of 0.25% per year of the Trust’s Net Assets attributable to Series 2 Units. The custodial fee will be paid on to the brokers that serve as custodians of Series 2 Units for the benefit of investors in Series 2 Units. The maximum amount of custodial fees paid to brokers that serve as custodians of Series 2 Units will not, however, exceed 3.1667% of the gross offering proceeds of the Series 2 Units sold pursuant to this Prospectus. Once the maximum threshold is reached with respect to a Series 2 Unit, the broker serving as custodian for such Series 2 Unit will receive no future payment of custodial fees and the 0.25% amount that would otherwise be paid to the custodian for that Series 2 Unit will instead be rebated to the Trust for the benefit of all holders of Series 2 Units. Series 2 Units will also be charged for their pro rata share of the Trust’s actual trade execution and clearing costs, including electronic platform trading costs, estimated at approximately 0.30% of the Trust’s average month-end Net Assets per year attributable to the Series 2 Units.

 

Series 3 Units. The Trust will pay the Managing Owner a management fee of 2% per year of the Trust’s Net Assets attributable to Series 3 Units. Series 3 Units will also be charged for their pro rata share of the Trust’s actual trade execution and clearing costs, including electronic platform trading costs, estimated at approximately 0.30% of the Trust’s average month-end Net Assets per year attributable to the Series 3 Units.

 

Series 2 and Series 3 Units. If the Series 2 and Series 3 Units in the aggregate earn net trading profits for any year in excess of the highest amount of net trading profits earned in all previous years, the Trust will allocate 20% of those “new” net trading profits to the Managing Owner as the Managing Owner’s Series 2/3 Profit Share (as defined below).

 

Series 4 Units. Series 4 Units will be charged for their pro rata share of the Trust’s actual trade execution and clearing costs, including electronic platform trading costs, estimated at approximately 0.30% of the Trust’s average month-end Net Assets per year attributable to the Series 4 Units.

 

The Trust pays its own offering costs, including, without limitation: costs associated with the offering and sale of the Units (such as printing and postage costs associated with producing and distributing this Prospectus and related sales literature to the Selling Agents, as well as payments to administrators for processing subscription agreements); professional fees and expenses (including legal and accounting) in connection with the update of the Trust’s offering documents, constitutional documents and other relevant documents; communication expenses with respect to investor services and all expenses relating to Unitholder meetings, if any; and costs of preparing, printing, filing, registering and distributing this Prospectus as well as financial and other reports, forms, proxies and similar documents. Ongoing offering costs will not exceed 1% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold pursuant to this Prospectus.

 

7 

 

 

The Trust also pays its own operating costs, including, but not limited to: (i) the Management Fee payable to the Managing Owner (ii) direct and indirect investment expenses (such as, but not limited to, brokerage commissions and other transaction-execution costs; dealer spreads, give-up fees; NFA fees; exchange-related fees, externally incurred costs of establishing and utilizing electronic trading, computer, software and systems connections directly or indirectly with the Trust’s brokers and counterparties or with third parties to facilitate electronic trading with the Trust’s brokers and counterparties; costs relating to the use of trading algorithms; clearing fees; valuation and portfolio pricing; interest charges; custodial fees and charges and financing charges; and applicable withholding and other taxes); (iii) all expenses related to the purchase, sale, transmittal or custody of trading assets and related items; (iv) costs and expenses associated with or deriving from obtaining and maintaining exchange memberships and credit ratings; (v) any taxes and duties payable in any jurisdiction in connection with the Trust’s operations; (vi) compliance costs of regulatory and governmental inquiries, subpoenas and proceedings (in each case, to the extent involving the Trust or the Managing Owner in its capacity as managing owner, CPO or CTA of the Trust; (vii) costs associated with possible reorganizations or restructurings of the Trust; and (viii) costs of any litigation or investigation involving Trust activities and any indemnification payments, if any; (ix) legal, financial and tax accounting, auditing and other professional fees and expenses, including consulting and appraisal fees and expenses pertaining to the Trust; (x) administrative expenses (including, if applicable, the fees and out-of-pocket expenses of an administrator unaffiliated with the Managing Owner (and its agents) which the Managing Owner may select for the Trust); (xi) establishing computer and systems connectivity with administrators and other third-party service providers; (xii) paying agency, transfer agency, accounting verification (if any) and/or investor registrar services and the costs of middle-office and back-office support as provided by the Managing Owner or administrators, as applicable; (xiii) due diligence expenses, including due diligence relating to anti-money laundering, know your customer and other inquiries; (xiv) costs of maintaining the Trustee’s and Verification Agent’s services in Delaware or in any other applicable jurisdiction (viii) legal, compliance, tax, accounting and audit costs, fees and expenses relating to the Trust’s regulatory and self-regulatory filings, registrations, memberships and reporting (including, but not limited to, expenses incurred in connection with complying with applicable U.S. reporting obligations, such as those required by the SEC, the CFTC or other regional counterparts, as well as out-of-pocket costs of preparing regulatory filings related to the Trust or the Managing Owner with respect to the Trust); (xv) the costs and fees attributable to any third-party proxy voting or class actions service or consultant; (xvi) the Trust’s insurance costs, including without limitations, errors and omissions insurance and directors and officers insurance, if any; and any other operating or administrative expenses related to accounting, research, third-party consultants, and reporting.

 

The Managing Owner expects that the operating costs listed above, but excluding those expenses relating to the Management Fee, Brokerage Fees, custodial fees and trade execution and clearing costs (each as described separately in “Charges” below), will not exceed 0.55% per year of the Trust’s average annual Net Assets, assuming Trust assets of $300,000,000, and, when aggregated with ongoing offering costs, are not expected to exceed 0.60% of the Trust’s average annual Net Assets.

 

The Trust itself could be subject to taxes or could incur extraordinary charges incidental to its trading, but the Managing Owner believes that neither situation is likely. There are no other charges borne by investors or the Trust.

 

The Managing Owner paid, without reimbursement, the Trust’s initial organizational costs. You will not bear any part of those costs.

 

The Managing Owner will pay any Selling Agent compensation due in connection with the sale of Series 2 Units or Series 3 Units from its own funds but not to exceed 6.3333% and 9.5%, respectively, of the gross offering proceeds from the sale of the Series 2 and Series 3 Units. Series 4 Units are not subject to any sales charges.

 

Please refer to “Charges” for a more detailed discussion of the expenses applicable to the Trust.

 

8 

 

 

Breakeven Tables

 

The following Breakeven Tables indicate the approximate amount of trading profit the Trust must earn with respect to a Series of Units, during the first twelve months after a Unit is sold, to offset the costs applicable to that Series of Units.

 

Series 1

ROUTINE
EXPENSES
 

Percentage
Return
Required First
Twelve

Months of
Investment

   Dollar Return
Required ($5,000
Initial
Investment)
First Twelve
Months
of Investment
 
         
Brokerage Fees   7.00%  $350.00 
Administrative and Offering Expenses*   0.60%  $30.00 
Profit Share*   0.00%  $0.00 
Less Interest Income*   (0.20)%  $(10.00)
Twelve-month
 “breakeven” **
   7.40%  $370.00 

 

 

*See Notes to Breakeven Tables below.

 

Series 2

ROUTINE
EXPENSES
 

Percentage
Return
Required First
Twelve

Months of
Investment

   Dollar Return
Required ($5,000
Initial
Investment)
First Twelve
Months
of Investment
 
         
Management Fee   2.00%  $100.00 
Custodial Fee   0.25%  $12.50 
Trade Execution and Clearing Costs*   0.30%  $15.00 
Administrative and Offering Expenses*   0.60%  $30.00 
Profit Share*   0.00%  $0.00 
Less Interest Income*   (0.20)%  $(10.00)
Twelve-month
 “breakeven”
   2.95%  $147.50 

 

 

*See Notes to Breakeven Tables below.

 

Series 3

ROUTINE
EXPENSES
 

Percentage
Return
Required First
Twelve

Months of
Investment

   Dollar Return
Required ($5,000
Initial
Investment)
First Twelve
Months
of Investment
 
         
Management Fee   2.00%  $100.00 
Trade Execution and Clearing Costs*   0.30%  $15.00 
Administrative and Offering Expenses*   0.60%  $30.00 
Profit Share*   0.00%  $0.00 
Less Interest Income*   (0.20)%  $(10.00)
Twelve-month
 “breakeven”
   2.70%  $135.00 

 

 

*See Notes to Breakeven Tables below.

 

Notes to Breakeven Tables. * Estimated. Administrative and offering expenses in aggregate are estimated at 0.60% of the Trust’s average annual Net Assets. Brokerage Fees (Series 1 only) or Management Fees and Trade Execution and Clearing Costs (Series 2 and Series 3 only), including electronic platform trading costs, the Custodial Fee (Series 2 only) and ongoing offering and administrative expenses must be offset by trading profits before a Profit Share is allocated to the Managing Owner. Accordingly, the Profit Share is shown as $0.00 because none would be payable at the “break-even” point.  Interest income is assumed to be 90% of the current 91-day Treasury bill rate.

 

**Series 1 Units are subject to a redemption charge if redeemed prior to the 12th month-end after they are sold. As no redemption charge applies to Series 1 Units held for 12 months or more, no redemption charge is shown at the Series 1 “twelve-month breakeven” point. The applicable charge for Series 1 Units redeemed before the 12th month-end following their sale is determined by how soon after the sale they are redeemed, as described above under “Summary – Redemptions.” For example, based on an initial investment of $5,000, the redemption charge at the end of the 11th month-end after the sale of Series 1 Units would be $150 or 3% of the initial investment.

 

The Breakeven Tables assume an investment with a constant $5,000 Net Asset Value and a breakeven year. See “Charges.”

 

Series 4 Units. Employees and former employees of the Managing Owner and its affiliates may purchase Series 4 Units through The Millburn Corporation 401(k) and Profit Sharing Plan. Assuming a $2,000 investment, estimated trade execution and clearing costs at 0.30% per annum ($6.00), estimated administrative and offering expenses at 0.60% per annum ($12.00) and estimated interest income at 0.20% per annum (less $4.00), the twelve-month breakeven would be 0.70% of the initial investment ($14.00), assuming a constant $2,000 Net Asset Value and a breakeven year. Series 4 Units are not subject to a Profit Share. See “Charges.”

 

9 

 

 

Federal Income Tax Aspects

 

The Trust will be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. Thus, you will be taxed each year on your share of the Trust’s income whether or not you redeem Units from the Trust or receive distributions from the Trust.

 

40% of any trading profits on certain U.S. exchange-traded futures contracts and certain foreign currency forward contracts are taxed as short-term capital gains at ordinary income rates (unless offset by capital losses), while 60% of any such trading profits are taxed as long-term capital gains at a lower maximum rate for individuals. 100% of any trading profits from certain bank forward contracts or foreign currency futures contracts traded on a non-U.S. exchange are “marked-to-market” at the end of each year and taxed as short-term capital gains at ordinary income rates (unless offset by capital losses). The Trust’s trading gains from other contracts will be primarily short-term capital gains. This tax treatment applies regardless of how long an investor holds Units. Interest income is taxed at ordinary income rates.

 

Capital losses on the Units may be deducted against capital gains. However, capital losses in excess of capital gains may only be deducted by a non-corporate taxpayer against ordinary income to the extent of $3,000 per year. Consequently, you could pay tax on the Trust’s interest income even though you have lost money on your Units.

 

The Futures, Forward and Swap Markets

 

Futures contracts are generally traded on exchanges and call for the future delivery of various commodities or are settled in cash.

 

Forward currency contracts and swap contracts are generally traded off-exchange through banks or dealers.

 

Futures, forward and swap trading is a “zero-sum,” risk transfer economic activity. For every gain realized by a futures, forward or swap trader, there is an equal and offsetting loss suffered by another. In this respect, an investment in the Trust is different from other securities investments where one expects consistent yields, in the case of bonds, or participation in overall economic growth as in the case of stocks.

 

Is the Trust a Suitable Investment for You?

 

You should consider investing in the Trust if you are interested in its potential to produce returns that are generally unrelated to those of stocks and bonds and you are prepared to risk significant losses.

 

The Trust is a diversification opportunity for an investment portfolio, not a complete investment program.

 

You should consider an investment in the Trust to be a 3 to 5 year commitment.

 

To invest, you must, at a minimum, have either (i) a net worth of at least $250,000, exclusive of home, furnishings and automobiles, or (ii) a net worth, similarly calculated, of at least $70,000 and an annual gross income of at least $70,000. A number of States in which the Units are offered impose higher suitability standards. These standards are regulatory minimums only, and just because you meet the standard does not necessarily mean the Units are a suitable investment for you.

 

You should not invest more than 10% of your net worth (exclusive of home, furnishings and automobiles) in the Trust.

 

These are speculative securities. You may lose all or substantially all of your investment in the Trust.

 

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS.

 

10 

 

 

Organizational Chart

  

 

None of the entities indicated in this organizational chart, other than the Trust, are related to the Managing Owner. See “Conflicts of Interest.” Descriptions of the dealings between the Managing Owner and the Trust are set forth under “Charges.”

 

11 

 

 

The Risks You Face

 

Set forth below are the principal risks associated with an investment in the Trust. You should consider these risks when making your investment decision.

 

You Could Lose Your Entire Investment in the Trust

 

An investment in the Trust is a speculative investment. You will be relying on the Managing Owner to trade profitably for the Trust and profitability is not assured. You could lose all or substantially all of your investment in the Trust.

 

Past Performance Is Not Necessarily Indicative of Future Results

 

The Trust began trading July 1, 2002 and has traded in both rising and falling markets. Nevertheless, the past performance of the Trust is not necessarily indicative of the Trust’s future results, and the Trust may sustain losses in the future under market conditions in which it achieved gains in the past.

 

The Trust Is a Highly Leveraged Investment

 

The Trust acquires positions with an aggregate face value of as much as eight to ten times or more of its total equity. Consequently, small adverse movements in the prices of the Trust’s open positions can cause significant losses.

 

The Performance of the Trust Will Be Volatile

 

The Managing Owner expects that the performance of the Trust will be volatile. The Trust may suffer sudden and substantial losses from time to time and the day-to-day value of the Units will be variable and uncertain. The Net Asset Value per Unit may change materially between the date on which you subscribe for Units and the date the Units are issued or the date you request a redemption and the month-end redemption date. In the last five years, monthly returns for the Series 1 Units, which are the highest fee paying Units, have ranged from up 6.85% to down 8.44%.

 

The Trust’s Expenses Will Cause Losses Unless Offset by Profits and Interest Income

 

The Trust pays annual expenses of up to approximately 7.60%, 3.15%, 2.90% and 0.90% of its average month-end Net Assets attributable to the Series 1 Units, Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units, respectively. The Trust must earn trading profits and interest income allocable to each Series at least equal to these expenses to avoid losses. To the extent the Trust’s Net Assets decline, fixed costs of the Trust will constitute a greater percentage of the Trust’s Net Assets.

 

An Investment in the Trust is Not Liquid

 

There is no secondary market for the Units. You may redeem your Units only as of the close of business on the last day of a calendar month, and you must give the Trust at least 10 days’ prior written notice of your intent to redeem. Early redemption charges apply if you redeem Series 1 Units through the end of the first eleven months you own them.

 

Series 1 Units Redeemed on or Before the End of the First Eleven Months After Purchase Will Be Assessed a Redemption Charge

 

Series 1 Units redeemed on or prior to the end of the first six-month period after their sale will pay a redemption charge of up to 4% of the Net Asset Value at which such Series 1 Units are redeemed. Series 1 Units redeemed on or prior to the end of the first eleven months but after the end of the first six-month period after their sale will pay a redemption charge of up to 3% of the Net Asset Value at which such Series 1 Units are redeemed. See “Redemptions; Net Asset Value — Redemption Procedure.”

 

The Timing of Your Investment and Redemption Decisions Will Affect the Profitability of Your Investment

 

The Managing Owner expects that a majority of the Trust’s trades will result in small profits only or in losses. The majority of any profits earned by the Trust will most likely come from a small number of trades each year. Accordingly, you will not know when is a good time to invest in the Trust or to redeem your Units, and the timing of your investment and redemption decisions will affect the amount of profit or loss you experience as an investor in the Trust.

 

The Managing Owner Alone Directs the Trust’s Trading

 

The Trust is a single-advisor fund. The use of a single advisor trading one program involves a greater risk of loss than the diversified, multi-advisor approach employed by many futures funds. In addition, if the management services of the Managing Owner were to become unavailable for any reason, the Trust would terminate. Furthermore, were the Managing Owner to lose the services of its key principals, the Managing Owner could decide to dissolve the Trust, possibly causing it to realize losses.

 

12 

 

 

The Managing Owner Is Primarily a Technical Trader and May Not Always Analyze Economic Factors External to Market Price

 

The Managing Owner’s systematic strategies are developed on the basis of, among other factors, a statistical analysis of market prices. Consequently, any factor external to the market itself that dominates prices may cause major losses to these strategies. For example, a pending political or economic event may be very likely to cause a major price movement, but certain of the Managing Owner’s traditional strategies may continue to maintain positions indicated by its trading method that would incur major losses if the event proved to be adverse.

 

The Managing Owner’s systematic strategies retain certain discretionary aspects. Decisions, for example, to adjust the size of the positions indicated by the systematic strategies, which contracts to trade and method of order entry require judgmental input from the Managing Owner’s principals. Additionally, the Managing Owner may determine not to enter a new position indicated by its strategies if the Managing Owner determines prevailing market conditions to be unusual, for example, significantly more volatile than the expected volatility factored into the design of the strategies. The Managing Owner does, however, exit positions when its trading strategies indicate that it should do so. Discretionary decision-making may result in the Managing Owner making unprofitable trades when a more wholly systematic approach would not have done so.

 

Lack of Price Trends May Cause Losses; There Have Been Sustained Periods With Insufficient Price Trends That Prevented the Trust From Trading Profitably. The Managing Owner Expects That There May Be Similar Periods in the Future

 

The Trust is less likely to trade profitably when there are no major price trends in at least some of the markets it trades. Moreover, the price trends must be of a type the Managing Owner’s systems are designed to identify. In the past there have been sustained periods with few trending markets where gains from trading those markets were insufficient to offset losses from trades in non-trending markets. The Managing Owner expects that there may be similar periods in the future.

 

Markets in which prices move rapidly and then reverse and then do so again may cause losses. In such “whipsaw” market conditions, the Managing Owner may establish positions for the Trust on the basis of incorrectly identifying the rapid movement or the reversal as a trend.

 

Lack of Market Liquidity Could Make It Impossible for the Trust to Realize Profits or Limit Losses

 

In illiquid markets, the Trust could be unable to close out positions to limit losses or to take positions in order to follow trends. There are too many different factors that can contribute to market illiquidity to predict when or where illiquid markets may occur.

 

Unexpected market illiquidity has caused major losses for some traders in recent years in such market sectors as emerging markets and mortgage-backed securities. There can be no assurance that the same will not happen in the markets traded by the Trust. In addition, the large size of the positions the Trust may take increases the risk of illiquidity by both making its positions more difficult to liquidate and increasing the losses incurred while trying to do so.

 

U.S. commodity exchanges impose limits on the amount the price of some, but not all, futures contracts may change on a single day. Once a futures contract has reached its daily limit, it may be impossible for the Trust to liquidate a position in that contract, if the market has moved adversely to the Trust, until the limit is either raised by the exchange or the contract begins to trade away from the limit price.

 

Speculative Position Limits May Alter Investment Decisions for the Trust

 

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) has established limits on the maximum net long or net short positions which any person may hold or control in certain futures contracts. Exchanges also have established such limits. In October 2011, the CFTC adopted position limits for 28 so-called “exempt” (e.g., metal and energy contracts) and agricultural commodity derivatives, futures and option contracts and their economically equivalent swaps. On September 28, 2012, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued an opinion that vacated these rules. In November 2013, however, the CFTC proposed substantially similar rules to its prior position limits regime. All accounts controlled by the Managing Owner, including the account of the Trust, are likely to be combined for speculative position limit purposes. The Trust could be required to liquidate positions it holds in order to comply with the new position limits regime. Any such liquidation or limited implementation could result in substantial costs to the Trust. It is as yet unclear whether the rules will have an adverse effect on the Trust.

 

13 

 

 

The Managing Owner’s Trading Systems Have Been Developed Over Time and Are Subject to Change

 

In executing its trading method, the Managing Owner uses combinations of trading systems to generate buy and sell signals in the various markets traded. The Managing Owner has developed, modified, retained and discarded numerous systems over more than 40 years. Consequently, some of the trading systems and combinations of systems currently being used to trade accounts pursuant to the Diversified Portfolio, as the Trust is so traded, are not identical to those used 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 or more years ago.

 

Trading on Foreign Exchanges Presents Greater Risk Than Trading on U.S. Exchanges

 

The Trust will trade on commodity exchanges outside the U.S. Trading on foreign exchanges is not regulated by any U.S. governmental agency and may involve certain risks that do not arise when trading on U.S. exchanges. For example, some foreign exchanges are “principals’ markets” in which performance is the responsibility only of the individual member with whom the Trust has traded, not of the exchange or a clearing facility. In such cases, the Trust will be subject to a risk that the member with whom the Trust has traded is unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the transaction. Additionally, an adverse change in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the currency in which a non-U.S. futures contract is denominated would reduce the profit or increase the loss on a trade in that contract.

 

Trading on foreign exchanges also presents risks of loss due to: (1) the possible imposition of exchange controls, which could make it difficult or impossible for the Trust to repatriate some or all of its assets held by non-U.S. counterparties; (2) possible government confiscation of assets; (3) taxation; (4) possible government disruptions, which could result in market closures and thus an inability to exit positions and repatriate Trust assets for sustained periods of time, or even permanently; and (5) limited rights in the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of a foreign broker or exchange resulting in a different and possibly less favorable distribution of the bankrupt’s assets than would occur in the U.S.

 

The Managing Owner Anticipates the Trust’s Performance to Be Non-Correlated to Stocks and Bonds, Not Negatively Correlated

 

The performance of the Trust has been generally non-correlated to the performance of the stock and bond markets, as represented by the S&P 500 Stock Index and the Barclays Long-Term Treasury Index. Non-correlation means that there is no statistically valid relationship between two asset classes and should not be confused with negative correlation, where the performance of two asset classes would be opposite. Because of this non-correlation, you should not expect the Trust to be automatically profitable during unfavorable periods for the stock and/or bond markets, or vice versa.

 

If the Trust does not perform in a manner non-correlated with the general financial markets or does not perform successfully, you will obtain little or no diversification benefits by investing in the Units and the Trust may have no gains to offset your losses from other investments.

 

The Trust May Be Subject to Profit Shares Despite Certain Units Having Declined in Value

 

Investors will purchase Units at different times and will, accordingly, recognize different amounts of profit and loss on their investments. Profit Shares are accrued, or the accruals are reversed to reflect losses, on a monthly basis so that Units are not sold with an embedded Profit Share liability. However, Series 1 Profit Shares are ultimately calculated on the basis of the net trading profits, if any, recognized by the Series 1 Units as a whole and Series 2/3 Profit Shares are ultimately calculated on the basis of the cumulative net trading profits, if any, recognized by the Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units as a whole, not on the profits recognized by any particular Unit or Units. Consequently, the Managing Owner may still be allocated a Profit Share even though certain Units have lost value since the date they were purchased.

 

Conversely, Units purchased at a Net Asset Value reduced by accrued Profit Shares will benefit from any reversal of such accruals, and the benefit of such reversals to Units outstanding at the time of such purchase will be diluted.

 

Similarly, Units may incur losses generating a loss carryforward for purposes of calculating subsequent Profit Shares. The benefit of any such loss carryforward will, in the case of Series 1 Units be diluted by the sale of additional Series 1 Units and, in the case of Series 2 and Series 3 Units, be diluted by the sale of additional Series 2 Units or Series 3 Units.

 

The Managing Owner’s Increased Equity Under Management Could Lead to Lower Returns for Investors

 

The Managing Owner has not agreed to limit the amount of money it may manage and is actively seeking additional accounts. The more money the Managing Owner manages, the more difficult it may become for the Managing Owner to trade profitably for the Trust because of the difficulty of trading larger positions without negatively affecting prices and performance.

 

14 

 

 

Increased Competition Among Trend-Following Traders Could Reduce the Managing Owner’s Profitability

 

A substantial number CTAs use technical trading systems, particularly trend-following systems, that may be similar to a portion of the Managing Owner’s systems. As the amount of money under the management of such systems increases, competition for the same positions increases, making the positions more costly and more difficult to acquire.

 

Further, the “Volcker Rule” component of the the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Reform Act”) has materially restricted proprietary speculative trading by banks, “bank holding companies” and other regulated entities. As a result, there has been a significant influx of new portfolio managers into private investment funds who had previously traded institutional proprietary accounts. Such influx can only increase the competition for the Trust from other talented portfolio managers trading in the Trust’s investment sector.

 

The Trust is Subject to Conflicts of Interest

 

The Trust is subject to numerous actual and potential conflicts of interest, including: (1) the compensation that the Selling Agents receive gives them an incentive to promote the sale of Units as well as to discourage redemptions; (2) the brokerage commissions that Selling Agents receive if they also serve as clearing brokers for the Trust gives an additional incentive to promote the sale of Units as well as to discourage redemptions; (3) the Managing Owner has significant financial incentives both to promote the sale of the Units and to discourage their redemption; and (4) the Managing Owner of the Trust will not select any other trading advisor even if doing so would be in the best interests of the Trust. See “Conflicts of Interest.”

 

The Managing Owner Has Not Established Formal Procedures to Resolve Conflicts of Interest

 

Because the Managing Owner has not established any formal procedures for resolving conflicts of interest, you will be dependent on the good faith of the parties with conflicts to resolve the conflicts equitably. The Managing Owner cannot assure that conflicts of interest will not result in losses for the Trust.

 

You Will Be Taxed Each Year on Your Share of Trust Profits

 

If you are an individual or entity subject to U.S. taxes (e.g., not a tax-exempt entity such as an IRA or pension plan), you will be taxed on your share of Trust income or gain each year, whether or not you redeem Units or receive distributions from the Trust.

 

Because a substantial portion of the Trust’s open positions are “marked-to-market” at the end of each year, some of your tax liability will be based on unrealized gains which the Trust may, in fact, never realize.

 

40% of any trading profits on certain U.S. exchange-traded futures contracts and certain foreign currency forward contracts are taxed as short-term capital gains at ordinary income rates (unless offset by capital losses), while 60% of any such trading profits are taxed as long-term capital gains at a lower maximum rate for individuals. 100% of any trading profits from certain bank forward contracts or foreign currency futures contracts traded on a non-U.S. exchange are “marked-to-market” at the end of each year and taxed as short-term capital gains at ordinary income rates (unless offset by capital losses). These rates apply regardless of how long the Trust holds a contract, or an investor his or her Units.

 

Due to the different tax rates for long-term and short-term capital gains and limitations on the deductibility of capital losses, and depending on the tax character of income and loss you receive on other investments in your portfolio, it is possible for you to have a pre-tax economic gain on your investment in the Trust but an after-tax loss.

 

All performance information included in this Prospectus is presented on a pre-tax basis; the investors who experienced such performance had to pay the related taxes from other sources.

 

Over time, the compounding effects of the annual taxation of the Trust’s income are material to the economic consequences of investing in the Trust. For example, a 10% compound annual rate of return over five years would result in an initial $10,000 investment compounding to $16,105. However, if one factors in a 30% tax rate each year, the result would be $14,025.

 

You Will Be Taxed on the Trust’s Interest Income Even if the Trust Suffers Trading Losses

 

Losses on the Trust’s trading are almost exclusively capital losses. Non-corporate investors may use net capital losses to offset up to $3,000 of ordinary income each year. So, for example, if your share of the Trust’s trading (i.e., capital) loss was $10,000 in a given fiscal year and your share of interest income was $5,000, you would incur a net loss in the Net Asset Value of your Units equal to $5,000, but would nevertheless recognize taxable income of $2,000.

 

15 

 

 

Limitations on the Deductibility of “Investment Advisory Fees”

 

The Managing Owner does not intend to treat the ordinary expenses of the Trust as “investment advisory fees” for federal income tax purposes. The Managing Owner believes that this is the position adopted by virtually all U.S. futures fund sponsors. However, were the ordinary expenses of the Trust characterized as “investment advisory fees,” non-corporate taxpayers would be subject to substantial restrictions on the deductibility of those expenses, would pay increased taxes in respect of an investment in the Trust and could actually recognize taxable income despite having incurred a financial loss.

 

The IRS Could Audit Both the Trust and Individual Unitholders

 

The Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) could audit the Trust’s tax returns and require the Trust to adjust such returns. If an audit results in an adjustment, you could be audited and required to pay additional taxes, plus interest and possibly penalties.

 

Generally, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, new IRS audit procedures will apply to the Trust. Absent an election by the Trust under rules to be established by the IRS, these new audit procedures will require the Trust to determine and pay any underpayment of tax (including interest and penalties) resulting from an adjustment of the Trust’s items of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit at the Trust level without the benefit of Unitholder-level tax items that could otherwise reduce tax due on any adjustment and, where the adjustment reallocates any such item from one Unitholder to another, without the benefit of any decrease in any item of income or gain (or increase in any item of deduction, loss or credit). The cost of such underpayment will be borne by Unitholders in the year of adjustment, without any Trust or Unitholder-level tax deduction or credit for the Trust’s payments, rather than by those who were Unitholders in the taxable year to which the adjustment relates.

 

Accounting for Uncertain Tax Positions

 

Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic No. 740, “Income Taxes” (“ASC 740,” in part formerly known as “FIN 48”), provides guidance on the recognition of uncertain tax positions.  ASC 740 prescribes the minimum recognition threshold that a tax position is required to meet before being recognized in an entity’s financial statements.  It also provides guidance on recognition, measurement, classification, interest and penalties with respect to tax positions.  A prospective investor should be aware that, among other things, ASC 740 could have a material adverse effect on the periodic calculations of the Net Assets of the Trust, including reducing the Net Assets of the Trust to reflect reserves for income taxes, such as foreign withholding taxes, that may be payable by the Trust.  This could cause benefits or detriments to certain Unitholders, depending upon the timing of their subscriptions and withdrawals from the Trust.

 

The Bankruptcy of a Clearing Broker or Currency Dealer Could Cause Losses

 

The Managing Owner must assess the credit-worthiness of the clearing brokers and foreign currency counterparties it selects for the Trust. If one of the Trust’s clearing brokers or foreign currency counterparties becomes bankrupt, the Trust will be limited to recovering none or only its pro rata share, of all available customer funds segregated by the clearing broker or counterparty. In some jurisdictions, the Trust may only be an unsecured creditor of its broker in the event of bankruptcy or administration of such brokers. The Managing Owner attempts to mitigate this risk by selecting only well capitalized, major financial institutions as clearing brokers and foreign currency counterparties, but there can be no assurance that even a well capitalized, major institution will not become bankrupt, and recent events have demonstrated that even major financial institutions of the type with which the Trust may deal in the financial markets can and do fail.

 

The Trust Is Not Regulated as an Investment Company or Mutual Fund

 

Although the Managing Owner is subject to regulation by the CFTC and the Trust itself is subject to reporting requirements and other regulation applicable to public companies in the U.S., the Trust is not an investment company or mutual fund registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. Accordingly, investors in the Trust are not accorded the protections of such legislation.

 

Certain Special Considerations Related to Forward and Spot Trading

 

The Trust will conduct all or substantially all of its currency forward and related options trading in lightly regulated markets rather than on futures exchanges or through “retail” foreign exchange markets that are subject to more rigorous regulation of the CFTC or other regulatory bodies. In such markets, a counterparty may not settle a transaction with the Trust in accordance with its terms because the counterparty is either unwilling or unable to do so (for example, because of a credit or liquidity problem affecting the counterparty), potentially resulting in significant loss. In addition, counterparties generally have the right to terminate trades under a number of circumstances, including, for example, declines in the Trust’s Net Assets and certain “key person” events. Any premature termination of the Trust’s currency forward trades could result in material losses for the Trust, as the Trust may be unable to quickly re-establish those trades and may only be able to do so at disadvantageous prices.

 

16 

 

 

Trust funds on deposit with the currency forward and spot counterparties with which the Trust trades are not protected by the same segregation requirements imposed on CFTC-regulated commodity brokers in respect of customer funds deposited with them. Although the Trust deals only with major financial institutions as currency forward and spot counterparties, the insolvency or bankruptcy of a currency forward or spot counterparty could subject the Trust to the loss of its entire deposit with such counterparty. The forward and spot markets are well established. However, it is impossible to predict how, given certain unusual market scenarios, the evolving regulatory environment for these markets might affect the Trust, and the events underlying the bankruptcies of various counterparties have underscored, among other things, the risks of maintaining capital at unregulated entities. Further, as demonstrated by the insolvency and liquidation of MF Global Inc., customer funds held by a broker in bankruptcy may not be distributed promptly and may be subject to a lengthy claims process. Commodity broker bankruptcies are not insured by any governmental agency, and investors would not have the benefit of any protection such as that afforded customers of bankrupt securities broker-dealers by the Securities Investors Protection Corporation.

 

Various national governments have expressed concern regarding the disruptive effects of speculative trading in the currency markets and the need to regulate the “derivatives” markets in general. Future regulatory changes may limit the Trust’s ability to trade in certain markets. The imposition of credit controls by governmental authorities might limit such forward trading to less than that which the Managing Owner would otherwise recommend, to the possible detriment of the Trust.

 

Regulation of Swap Trading Is Evolving and May Involve Counterparty Risk

 

The Trust may engage in trading commodity swaps.  Swaps involve many of the same risks as those described above with respect to forward contracts.  Many swap contracts are not currently required to be cleared by a centralized clearinghouse; rather, banks and dealers act as principals in much of the swap market.  As a result, the Trust may be subject to the risk of the inability or refusal to perform with respect to such contracts on the part of the counterparties with which the Trust trades.  The Managing Owner intends to enter into swaps on behalf of the Trust only with highly creditworthy banks and dealers, but there can be no assurance that even highly creditworthy banks and dealers will have the ability to, or will not refuse to, perform with respect to such contracts. Regulation of the swap market is evolving, both in the U.S. and internationally. The CFTC has, for example, adopted various regulations which may restrict the Trust’s ability to utilize swaps or may make swap contracts more costly to trade with respect to certain non-security based swaps.  Finally, swaps may be illiquid and participants in the swap market are not required to make continuous markets in the swap contracts they trade.

 

Forwards, Swaps and Other Derivatives Are Subject to Varying CFTC Regulation

 

Enacted in July 2010, the Reform Act includes provisions that comprehensively regulate the over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivatives markets for the first time. The Reform Act will ultimately mandate that a substantial portion of OTC derivatives must be executed in regulated markets and submitted for clearing to regulated clearinghouses. OTC trades submitted for clearing are subject to minimum initial and variation margin requirements set by the relevant clearinghouse, as well as margin requirements mandated by the CFTC, SEC and/or federal prudential regulators. The regulators also have broad discretion to impose margin requirements on non-cleared OTC derivatives. OTC derivative dealers also are required to post margin to the clearinghouses through which they clear their customers’ trades instead of using such margin in their operations, as was widely permitted before the Reform Act. This has increased and will continue to increase the dealers’ costs, which costs are generally passed through to other market participants in the form of new and higher fees, including clearing account maintenance fees, and less favorable dealer marks.

 

The CFTC now requires certain derivative transactions that were previously executed on a bi-lateral basis in the OTC markets to be executed through a regulated futures or swap exchange or execution facility. Such requirements may make it more difficult and costly for investment funds, including the Trust, to enter into highly tailored or customized transactions. They may also render certain strategies in which the Trust might otherwise engage impossible or so costly that they will no longer be economical to implement. If the Trust decides to execute derivatives transactions through such exchanges or execution facilities — and especially if it decides to become a direct member of one or more of these exchanges or execution facilities, the Trust would be subject to all of the rules of the exchange or execution facility, which would bring additional risks and liabilities, and potential requirements under applicable regulations and under rules of the relevant exchange or execution facility.

 

17 

 

 

Trading in Options Requires an Assessment of Market Volatility as Well as Direction

 

The Managing Owner may trade futures and forward options on behalf of the Trust.  Although successful options trading requires many of the same skills as successful futures and forward trading, the risks involved are somewhat different.  For example, the assessment of near-term market volatility — which is directly reflected in the price of outstanding options — can be of much greater significance in trading options than it is in many long-term futures strategies.  The use of options can be extremely expensive if market volatility is incorrectly predicted.

 

The Failure of Computer Systems Could Result in Losses for the Trust

 

The Managing Owner relies heavily on computer hardware and software, online services and other computer-related or electronic technology and equipment to facilitate the Trust’s investment activities and may trade financial instruments through electronic trading or order routing systems. Electronic trading exposes the Trust to the risk of system or component failure. Should events beyond the Managing Owner’s control cause a disruption in the operation of any technology or equipment, the Trust’s investment program may be severely impaired, causing it to experience substantial losses or other adverse effects.

 

Investment Factors

 

Although there can be no assurance that the Managing Owner will trade successfully on behalf of the Trust or that the Trust will avoid substantial losses, if the Trust is successful, an investment in the Trust offers investors the following potential advantages.

 

Access to the Diversified Portfolio

 

The Trust offers you access to the Managing Owner’s oldest and most successful trading portfolio. The Managing Owner has been managing investment funds pursuant to its Diversified Portfolio since February 1977. The composite compound annual return for the Diversified Portfolio, adjusted to reflect the highest level of fees and expenses of the Trust, from February 1977 through November 2015 is approximately 11.3%. Past performance is not, however, necessarily indicative of future results.

 

Millburn Ridgefield Corporation

 

The Managing Owner and its principals have extensive experience in designing, sponsoring, marketing and administering futures funds. The Managing Owner, together with its predecessors, is one of the longest operating of all futures money managers and was a pioneer in developing systematic trading technologies. The Managing Owner’s trading experience, together with its predecessors, spans more than 40 years. The Trust provides you the opportunity to place capital under the management of a trading advisor with one of the longest continuous trading records of any active manager.

 

Investment Diversification

 

If you are not prepared to spend substantial time trading in the futures, forward and spot markets, you may nevertheless participate through investing in the Trust. An investment in the Trust can provide valuable diversification to a traditional portfolio of stocks and bonds. The Managing Owner believes that the profit potential of the Trust does not depend upon favorable general economic conditions and that the Trust is just as likely to be profitable or unprofitable during periods of declining stock and bond markets as at any other time.

 

Allocating a small portion of your investment portfolio to a managed futures investment, such as the Trust, can potentially enhance the performance of the portfolio. Modern portfolio theory suggests that a diverse portfolio with positively performing assets that have little or no correlation with each other should have higher returns and lower risk, as measured by variability of returns, than a less diversified portfolio: the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1990 was awarded to Dr. Harry Markowitz for demonstrating that the total return can increase, and/or risks can be reduced, when portfolios have positively performing asset categories that are essentially non-correlated.

 

Historically, managed futures investments have had very little correlation to the stock and bond markets. Non-correlated performance is not, however, negatively correlated performance. Non-correlation means only that the performance of managed futures likely has no relation to the performance of stocks and bonds. The performance of the Trust has exhibited a substantial degree of non-correlation with the general equity and debt markets.

 

Non-correlation will not provide diversification advantages beyond, perhaps, lowering a portfolio’s overall volatility unless the non-correlated assets are performing positively. There can be no assurance that the Trust will perform positively or avoid losses.

 

Market Diversification

 

The Trust trades in more than 100 markets, though not necessarily in all markets at all times.

 

18 

 

 

The diversification of the Trust permits investors to participate in markets that would otherwise not be included in their portfolios, thereby both potentially diversifying risk and increasing profit opportunities.

 

The markets traded by the Trust change from time to time. Currently these markets include:

 

Currencies  
Major  
   
British Pound Japanese Yen
Euro Swiss Franc
   
Secondary  
Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar
Brazilian Real Norwegian Krone
Canadian Dollar Polish Zloty
Chilean Peso Russian Ruble
Colombian Peso Singapore Dollar
Czech Koruna South African Rand
Indian Rupee Swedish Krona
Israeli Shekel Turkish Lira
Korean Won  
Mexican Peso  
   
Crosses  
Australian Dollar-Japanese Euro-Polish Zloty
Yen Euro-Swedish Krona
British Pound-Australian Euro-Turkish Lira
 Dollar Euro-South African Rand
Euro-Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar-
Euro-Norwegian Krone Canadian Dollar
   
Interest Rates  
Aussie Bank Bills French 10-yr Bond
Australian Treasury 3- and Gilts
10-yr Bonds Italian 10-yr Bond
Canada Bankers Acceptance Japanese Government
Canadian Government Bond Bonds
Euribor Sterling Rates
Euro Bobl US Treasury 2-yr Note
Euro Bund US Treasury 5-yr Note
Euro Buxl US Treasury 10-yr Note
Euro Dollar US Treasury 30-yr Bond
Euro Schatz  

Stock Indices
 
All Shares (South Africa) IBEX 35 (Spain)
Amsterdam Index (Netherlands) Kospi Index (Korea)
CAC 40 (France) Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
CBOE VIX (U.S.) Mini DJIA (United States)
DAX (Germany) Mini Russell 2000 (U.S.)
DJ Euro Stoxx 50 (Euro Zone) S&P TSE 60 (Canada)
E-Mini NASDAQ 100 (U.S.) SIMEX Nifty (India)
E-Mini S&P 500 (U.S.) SIMEX Nikkei (Japan)
FTSE (United Kingdom) SIMEX (Singapore)
H-Shares (Hong Kong) SIMEX Taiwan (Taiwan)
Hang Seng (Hong Kong) SPI 200 (Australia)
  TOPIX (Japan)
  VStoxx Mini (Euro Zone)
   
Energy  
Brent Crude Oil Heating Oil
Crude Oil London Gas Oil
Gasoline RBOB Natural Gas
   
Agricultural Commodities  
Bean Oil Soy Meal
Cocoa Soybean
Coffee Sugar
Corn Wheat
Cotton  
Kansas City Wheat  
   
Metals  
Copper London Zinc
Gold Palladium
London Aluminum Platinum (NYMEX)
London Copper Silver
London Lead  
London Nickel  
   
Livestock  
Live Hogs Live Cattle

 

Opportunity to Profit in Rising as Well as in Declining Markets

 

The Trust may realize positive or negative returns in both rising and declining markets as the Trust’s trading positions may be established on either the long or the short side of a market. Unlike short selling in the securities markets, establishing short positions in futures or forwards or through swaps in anticipation of a drop in price can be accomplished without additional restrictions or special margin requirements.

 

It is potentially advantageous for investors to own investments that can appreciate during a period of generally declining prices, financial disruption or economic instability.

 

Investors must realize, however, that the Trust is not specifically designed to appreciate in declining markets. Rather, it is designed to perform independent of the direction of stocks and bonds and the general economy. The Trust’s capital traded pursuant to the Managing Owner’s trend-following trading systems will only increase in value to the extent that such systems are able to identify market trends and the Trust is able to trade those trends profitably.

 

Interest on Trust Assets

 

The Trust will receive all of the interest income earned on its assets. Approximately 90% of the Trust’s assets are invested in deposit accounts, short-term money market funds and U.S. Treasury bills or notes. The interest earned on the Trust’s assets can offset a portion, though it may not offset all, of its routine costs. Given historically low interest rates on U.S. Treasury bills and notes, any interest earned by the Trust may be nominal. In addition, the Trust’s interest income is subject to the risk of trading losses.

 

19 

 

 

Small Minimum Investment

 

The Managing Owner typically manages individual accounts only of substantial size — $5,000,000 or more. You may gain access to the Managing Owner for a minimum investment of only $5,000; $2,000 in the case of trustees or custodians of eligible employee benefit plans and individual retirement accounts.

 

Limited Liability

 

If you open an individual futures account, you will be generally liable for all losses incurred in the account, and may lose substantially more than you committed to the account. However, as an investor in the Trust, you cannot lose more than your investment plus undistributed profits.

 

Administrative Convenience

 

The Managing Owner is responsible for all aspects of the Trust’s operation. You will receive monthly unaudited and annual audited financial reports as well as information necessary for you to complete your federal income tax returns. The approximate daily Net Asset Value per Unit is available by calling representatives of the Managing Owner at (203) 625-7554 (ask for Investor Services).

 

20 

 

 

Performance Of The Trust

 

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST
(Reflecting Series 1 Unit Expenses)
(January 1, 2010 – November 30, 2015)

 

Type of Pool: Single-Advisor/Publicly-Offered/No Principal Protection
Inception of Trust Trading: July 2002
Inception of Series 1 Trading: July 2002
Total Net Asset Value of the Trust: $210,902,409
Total Net Asset Value of Series 1: $188,282,2571
Largest % Monthly Drawdown: (8.44)% (05/10)
Worst Peak-to-Valley Drawdown: (32.38)% (04/11-01/14)
Aggregate Trust Subscriptions from Inception: $1,411,919,500
Aggregate Series 1 Subscriptions from Inception: $1,355,004,5962

 

Month  2015   2014   2013   2012   2011   2010 
January   1.14%   (2.85)%   1.11%   (2.79)%   (1.64)%   (2.63)%
February   (0.02)%   4.07%   (1.17)%   (1.84)%   2.44%   1.24%
March   4.35%   (0.49)%   1.49%   (3.18)%   (3.20)%   6.13%
April   (4.05)%   2.79%   2.19%   1.04%   6.85%   3.40%
May   (1.34)%   2.79%   (8.40)%   1.97%   (5.83)%   (8.44)%
June   (3.43)%   1.74%   (3.85)%   (3.76)%   (4.58)%   (1.69)%
July   5.48%   (1.38)%   (0.30)%   3.96%   3.55%   (0.90)%
August   (3.92)%   2.64%   (2.68)%   (2.25)%   (1.79)%   2.99%
September   3.36%   0.27%   0.76%   (2.68)%   (2.49)%   3.54%
October   (2.98)%   2.36%   1.92%   (2.41)%   (3.43)%   2.62%
November   3.81%   1.57%   0.53%   1.12%   (0.51)%   (3.44)%
December        (1.48)%   (1.77)%   1.03%   0.22%   6.35%
Compound Rate of Return   1.77%   12.44%   (10.19)%   (9.68)%   (10.58)%   8.43%
    (11 mos.)                         

 

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS.

 

“Largest % Monthly Drawdown” is the largest negative monthly rate of return experienced by Series 1.

 

“Worst Peak-to-Valley Drawdown” is the greatest percentage decline in Net Asset Value of a Series 1 Unit without such Net Asset Value being subsequently equaled or exceeded during the period shown. For example, if the value of a Unit dropped by 1% in each of January and February, rose 1% in March and dropped again by 2% in April, a “peak-to-valley drawdown” would be still continuing at the end of April in the amount of approximately (3)%, whereas if the value of the Unit had risen by approximately 2% or more in March, the drawdown would have ended as of the end of February at the (2)% level.

 

Monthly Rate of Return for the Trust is the actual monthly rate of return recognized by an initial $1,000 investment in a Series 1 Unit subject to Brokerage Fees at a 7% annual rate, the highest rate applicable to investors in the Trust.

 

Performance information is calculated on an accrual basis in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

 

 

1 Includes net asset value of Managing Owner interest of $5,940,987.

2 Includes Managing Owner subscriptions from inception of $5,812,500.

 

21 

 

 

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST
(Reflecting Series 2 Unit Expenses)
(April 1, 2010 – November 30, 2015)

 

Type of Pool: Single-Advisor/Publicly-Offered/No Principal Protection
Inception of Trust Trading: July 2002
Inception of Series 2 Trading: April 2010
Total Net Asset Value of the Trust: $210,902,409
Total Net Asset Value of Series 2: $53,202

Largest % Monthly Drawdown: (8.09)% (05/13)
Worst Peak-to-Valley Drawdown: (23.17)% (04/11-08/13)
Aggregate Trust Subscriptions from Inception: $1,411,919,500
Aggregate Series 2 Subscriptions from Inception: $354,530

 

Month  2015   2014   2013   2012   2011   2010 
January   1.19%   (2.51)%   1.48%   (2.42)%   (1.27)%     
February   0.27%   4.44%   (0.83)%   (1.47)%   2.49%     
March   3.78%   (0.13)%   1.85%   (2.82)%   (2.55)%     
April   (3.01)%   3.15%   2.55%   1.42%   6.07%   3.07%
May   (0.80)%   3.15%   (8.09)%   2.35%   (4.49)%   (6.71)%
June   (2.80)%   2.10%   (3.51)%   (3.41)%   (4.23)%   (1.33)%
July   5.01%   (1.03)%   0.06%   4.35%   3.95%   (0.52)%
August   (2.90)%   3.01%   (2.34)%   (1.89)%   (1.42)%   3.07%
September   2.98%   0.62%   1.11%   (2.33)%   (2.13)%   3.15%
October   (2.13)%   2.20%   2.28%   (2.05)%   (3.06)%   2.43%
November   3.34%   1.54%   0.89%   1.49%   (0.14)%   (2.49)%
December        (0.92)%   (1.43)%   1.39%   0.59%   5.44%
Compound Rate of Return   4.58%   16.52%   (6.32)%   (5.59)%   (6.56)%   5.67%
    (11 mos.)                       (9 mos.)

 

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS.

 

“Largest % Monthly Drawdown” is the largest negative monthly rate of return experienced by Series 2.

 

“Worst Peak-to-Valley Drawdown” is the greatest percentage decline in Net Asset Value of a Series 2 Unit without such Net Asset Value being subsequently equaled or exceeded during the period shown. For example, if the value of a Unit dropped by 1% in each of January and February, rose 1% in March and dropped again by 2% in April, a “peak-to-valley drawdown” would be still continuing at the end of April in the amount of approximately (3)%, whereas if the value of the Unit had risen by approximately 2% or more in March, the drawdown would have ended as of the end of February at the (2)% level.

 

Monthly Rate of Return for the Trust is the actual monthly rate of return recognized by an initial $1,000 investment in a Series 2 Unit.

 

Performance information is calculated on an accrual basis in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

 

22 

 

 

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST
(Reflecting Series 3 Unit Expenses)
(January 1, 2010 – November 30, 2015)

 

Type of Pool: Single-Advisor/Publicly-Offered/No Principal Protection
Inception of Trust Trading: July 2002
Inception of Series 3 Trading: September 2009
Total Net Asset Value of the Trust: $210,902,409
Total Net Asset Value of Series 3: $18,598,718
Largest % Monthly Drawdown: (8.07)% (05/13)
Worst Peak-to-Valley Drawdown: (22.72)% (04/11-08/13)
Aggregate Trust Subscriptions from Inception: $1,411,919,500
Aggregate Series 3 Subscriptions from Inception: $52,998,921

 

Month  2015   2014   2013   2012   2011   2010 
January   1.21%   (2.49)%   1.50%   (2.40)%   (1.25)%   (2.23)%
February   0.28%   4.46%   (0.81)%   (1.45)%   2.50%   1.64%
March   3.80%   (0.11)%   1.87%   (2.80)%   (2.53)%   5.30%
April   (2.99)%   3.18%   2.57%   1.45%   6.08%   3.09%
May   (0.78)%   3.18%   (8.07)%   2.37%   (4.48)%   (6.69)%
June   (2.78)%   2.12%   (3.49)%   (3.38)%   (4.21)%   (1.31)%
July   5.03%   (1.01)%   0.08%   4.37%   3.97%   (0.50)%
August   (2.88)%   3.03%   (2.32)%   (1.87)%   (1.40)%   3.08%
September   3.00%   0.64%   1.13%   (2.31)%   (2.11)%   3.17%
October   (2.11)%   2.22%   2.30%   (2.03)%   (3.04)%   2.45%
November   3.37%   1.56%   0.91%   1.51%   (0.12)%   (2.47)%
December        (0.90)%   (1.41)%   1.41%   0.61%   5.45%
Compound Rate of Return   4.79%   16.80%   (6.09)%   (5.35)%   (6.34)%   10.75%
    (11 mos.)                         

 

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS.

 

“Largest % Monthly Drawdown” is the largest negative monthly rate of return experienced by Series 3.

 

“Worst Peak-to-Valley Drawdown” is the greatest percentage decline in Net Asset Value of a Series 3 Unit without such Net Asset Value being subsequently equaled or exceeded during the period shown. For example, if the value of a Unit dropped by 1% in each of January and February, rose 1% in March and dropped again by 2% in April, a “peak-to-valley drawdown” would be still continuing at the end of April in the amount of approximately (3)%, whereas if the value of the Unit had risen by approximately 2% or more in March, the drawdown would have ended as of the end of February at the (2)% level.

 

Monthly Rate of Return for the Trust is the actual monthly rate of return recognized by an initial $1,000 investment in a Series 3 Unit.

 

Performance information is calculated on an accrual basis in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

 

23 

 

 

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST
(Reflecting Series 4 Unit Expenses)
(November 1, 2010 – November 30, 2015)

 

Type of Pool: Single-Advisor/Publicly-Offered/No Principal Protection
Inception of Trust Trading: July 2002
Inception of Series 4 Trading: November 2010
Total Net Asset Value of the Trust: $210,902,409
Total Net Asset Value of Series 4: $3,968,232
Largest % Monthly Drawdown: (7.92)% (5/13)
Worst Peak-to-Valley Drawdown: (19.86)% (4/11-08/13)
Aggregate Trust Subscriptions from Inception: $1,411,919,500
Aggregate Series 4 Subscriptions from Inception: $3,561,453

 

Month  2015   2014   2013   2012   2011   2010 
January    1.68%   (2.32)%   1.67%   (2.24)%   (1.08)%     
February    0.51%   4.63%   (0.64)%   (1.29)%   3.02%     
March    4.90%   0.05%   2.04%   (2.64)%   (2.66)%     
April    (3.54)%   3.35%   2.74%   1.62%   7.46%     
May    (0.81)%   3.35%   (7.92)%   2.54%   (5.30)%     
June    (2.92)%   2.30%   (3.33)%   (3.22)%   (4.05)%     
July    6.05%   (0.84)%   0.25%   4.55%   4.15%     
August    (3.42)%   3.20%   (2.16)%   (1.71)%   (1.23)%     
September    3.92%   0.81%   1.30%   (2.15)%   (1.94)%     
October    (2.46)%   2.89%   2.47%   (1.87)%   (2.88)%     
November    4.37%   2.12%   1.08%   1.68%   0.05%   (2.90)%
December         (0.96)%   (1.25)%   1.58%   0.78%   6.95%
Compound Rate of Return    7.90%   19.93%   (4.19)%   (3.44)%   (4.31)%   3.85%
    (11 mos.)                       (2 mos.)

 

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS.

 

“Largest % Monthly Drawdown” is the largest negative monthly rate of return experienced by Series 4.

 

“Worst Peak-to-Valley Drawdown” is the greatest percentage decline in Net Asset Value of a Series 4 Unit without such Net Asset Value being subsequently equaled or exceeded during the period shown. For example, if the value of a Unit dropped by 1% in each of January and February, rose 1% in March and dropped again by 2% in April, a “peak-to-valley drawdown” would be still continuing at the end of April in the amount of approximately (3)%, whereas if the value of the Unit had risen by approximately 2% or more in March, the drawdown would have ended as of the end of February at the (2)% level.

 

Monthly Rate of Return for the Trust is the actual monthly rate of return recognized by an initial $1,000 investment in a Series 4 Unit.

 

Performance information is calculated on an accrual basis in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

 

24 

 

 

Selected Financial Information

 

The Selected Financial Information for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010 is taken from the audited financial statements of the Trust.

 

   December 31, 2014   December 31, 2013   December 31, 2012   December 31, 2011   December 31, 2010 
Income Statement Data                         
                          
Investment income:                         
Interest income  $289,332   $640,996   $870,824   $2,072,015   $3,235,502 
                          
Expenses:                         
Total expenses  $17,054,873   $26,300,358   $40,699,596   $57,730,451   $59,857,073 
Net investment loss  $(16,765,541)  $(25,659,362)  $(39,828,772)  $(55,658,436)  $(56,621,571)
                          
Realized and unrealized gains (losses):                         
Net realized gain (losses) on closed positions:                         
Futures and forward currency contracts  $54,277,805   $(16,102,920)  $(17,215,476)  $(8,224,392)  $87,904,542 
Foreign exchange translation  $71,870   $(279,960)  $32,225   $(52,568)  $352,202 
Net change in unrealized:                         
Futures and forward currency contracts  $(5,408,170)  $2,167,110   $(6,846,541)  $(25,425,124)  $42,259,414 
Foreign exchange translation  $(253,319)  $24,611   $35,618   $(192,987)  $(302,673)
Net gains (losses) from U.S. Treasury  notes:                         
Realized  $7,946   $21,695   $(56,600)  $28,504   $16,976 
Net change in unrealized  $(30,279)  $(74,728)  $73,373   $(373,516)  $(203,035)
Total net realized and unrealized gains (losses)  $48,665,853   $(14,244,192)  $(23,977,401)  $(34,240,083)  $130,027,426 
Net income (loss) before Profit Share to  Managing Owner  $31,900,312   $(39,903,554)  $(63,806,173)  $(89,898,519)  $73,405,855 
Less profit share to Managing Owner  $119,598   $   $   $1,385   $262,695 
Net income (loss) after Profit Share to  Managing Owner  $31,780,714   $(39,903,554)  $(63,806,173)  $(89,899,904)  $73,143,160 
Net income (loss) after profit share to  Managing Owner per Series 1 Unit  $118.61   $(108.10)  $(113.73)  $(139.10)  $102.20 
Net income (loss) after profit share to Managing Owner per Series 2 Unit  $184.35   $(75.35)  $(70.56)  $(88.62)  $72.46 
Net income (loss) after profit share to Managing Owner per Series 3 Unit  $189.23   $(73.04)  $(67.85)  $(85.70)  $131.36 
Net income (loss) after profit share to Managing Owner per Series 4 Unit  $240.96   $(52.90)  $(44.98)  $(58.92)  $50.68 
                          
Balance Sheet Data                         
Total Assets  $246,891,692   $306,334,381   $499,260,401   $782,343,935   $911,161,872 
Total Liabilities  $6,302,486   $18,096,652   $25,600,367   $29,156,541   $18,236,261 
Total Trust Capital  $240,589,206   $288,237,729   $473,660,034   $753,187,394   $892,925,611 
Net Asset Value per Series 1 Unit  $1,071.85   $953.24   $1,061.34   $1,175.07   $1,314.17 
Net Asset Value per Series 2 Unit  $1,300.38   $1,116.03   $1,191.38   $1,261.94   $1,350.56 
Net Asset Value per Series 3 Unit  $1,315,44   $1,126.21   $1,199.25   $1,267.10   $1,352.80 
Net Asset Value per Series 4 Unit  $1,450.17   $1,209.21   $1,262.11   $1,307.09   $1,366.01 

 

Selected Quarterly Financial Data

 

The following summarized quarterly financial information presents the results of operations for the three month periods ended March 31, June 30, September 30, 2015, 2014 and 2013 and December 31, 2014 and 2013. This information has not been audited.

 

   Third Quarter
2015
   Second Quarter
2015
   First Quarter
2015
 
             
Interest Income:  $129,442   $110,796   $72,812 
Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) :  $13,949,008   $(16,710,449)  $17,256,221 
Expenses*:  $3,510,002   $3,602,485   $3,892,004 
Net Income (Loss):  $10,413,447   $(20,202,138)  $13,437,029 
Increase (Decrease) in Net Asset Value per Series 1 Unit:  $49.09   $(97.10)  $59.20 
Increase (Decrease) in Net  Asset Value per Series 2 Unit:  $64.06   $(88.77)  $68.88 
Increase (Decrease) in Net Asset Value per Series 3 Unit  $65.62   $(89.10)  $70.34 
Increase (Decrease) in Net Asset Value per Series 4 Unit:  $93.00   $(110.62)  $104.59 

 

25 

 

 

 

   Fourth Quarter
2014
   Third Quarter
2014
   Second Quarter
2014
   First Quarter
2014
 
                 
Interest Income:  $64,642   $71,375   $73,713   $79,602 
Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) :  $10,179,726   $8,288,857   $23.673,308   $6,523,962 
Expenses*:  $3,934,361   $4,186,441   $4,397,532   $4,656,137 
Net Income (Loss):  $6,310,007   $4,173,791   $19,349,489   $1,947,427 
Increase (Decrease) in Net Asset Value per Series 1 Unit:  $25.48   $15.44   $71.85   $5.84 
Increase (Decrease) in Net Asset Value per Series 2 Unit:  $35.74   $31.75   $98.11   $18.75 
Increase (Decrease) in Net Asset Value per Series 3 Unit  $36.85   $32.88   $99.85   $19.65 
Increase (Decrease) in Net Asset Value per Series 4 Unit:  $56.59   $42.62   $114.49   $27.26 

 

   Fourth Quarter
2013
   Third Quarter
2013
   Second Quarter
2013
   First Quarter
2013
 
                 
Interest Income:  $106,224   $135,346   $191,115   $208,311 
Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) :  $8,520,944   $(1,702,140)  $(35,983,541)  $14,920,545 
Expenses*:  $5,408,251   $5,994,410   $7,065,270   $7,832,427 
Net Income (Loss):  $3,218,917   $(7,561,204)  $(42,857,696)  $7,296,429 
Increase (Decrease) in Net Asset Value per Series 1 Unit:  $6.09   $(21.60)  $(107.52)  $14.93 
Increase (Decrease) in Net Asset Value per Series 2 Unit:  $18.79   $(13.28)  $(110.64)  $29.78 
Increase (Decrease) in Net Asset Value per Series 3 Unit  $19.64   $(12.69)  $(110.74)  $30.75 
Increase (Decrease) in Net Asset Value per Series 4 Unit:  $27.02   $(7.58)  $(111.19)  $38.85 

 

* Expenses are inclusive of accruals and reversals of accruals of profit share to the Managing Owner.

 

There were no extraordinary, unusual or infrequently occurring items recognized in any quarter reported above, and the Trust has not disposed of any segments of its business.

 

Managing Owner’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

Results of Operations

 

General

 

The Trust’s success depends on the Managing Owner’s ability to recognize and capitalize on trends and other profit opportunities in different sectors of the global capital and commodity markets. The Managing Owner seeks to achieve this goal by developing and selecting trading systems to be used in each market traded and allocating portfolio risk among those markets. The Managing Owner’s trading methods do not generally aim to predict price movements, nor do they always rely on fundamental economic supply or demand analysis or on macroeconomic assessments of the relative strengths of different national economies or economic sectors. Instead, the systems generally apply proprietary computer models to analyzing price, price derivatives, fundamental and other quantitative data, and from this data attempt to determine whether market prices are trending or other types of non-trend or non-traditional opportunities exist.

 

The Managing Owner’s investment and trading decisions for the Trust are not determined by discretionary analysis of fundamental supply and demand factors, general economic factors or anticipated world events, but by systematic trading systems that seek to model price behavior using price, price derivatives, fundamental and other quantitative data as inputs, as well as the money management principles developed by the Managing Owner and its affiliates. The Managing Owner deploys a variety of trading systems, some of which involve quantitative trend analysis. The profitability of any trading system involving quantitative trend analysis depends upon the occurrence in the future of significant sustained price moves in at least some of the markets traded. Without such sustained price moves in at least some of the markets traded, the Managing Owner’s trend analysis systems are unlikely to produce profits. Similarly, during periods when market behavior is unsuitable for other types of models, such models are unlikely to produce profits.

 

26 

 

 

If the Managing Owner’s trend-following models identify a trend, they signal positions which follow it. When these models identify the trend as having ended or reversed, these positions are either closed out or reversed. Due to their trend-following character, the Managing Owner’s trend-following systems do not predict either the commencement or the end of a price movement. Rather, their objective is to identify a trend early enough to profit from it and to detect its end or reversal in time to close out the Trust’s positions while retaining most of the profits made from following the trend.

 

In analyzing the performance of the Managing Owner’s trend-following systems, economic conditions, political events, weather factors, etc., are not directly relevant because the Managing Owner uses only market data in developing these systems. However, these factors may be relevant in analyzing the performance of the Managing Owner’s non-traditional models.

 

The performance summary set forth below is an outline description of how the Trust performed in the past trading in a wide variety of markets. The Trust’s futures and currency forward contract prices are marked-to-market every trading day, and the Trust’s trading accounts are credited or debited with its daily gains or losses. Accordingly, there is no material economic distinction between realized gains or losses on closed positions and unrealized gains or losses on open positions. The Trust’s past performance is not necessarily indicative of how it will perform in the future.

 

Series 1 Units, which were initially issued simply as “Units” beginning in July 2002, were the only Series of Units available prior to 2009. Series 2 Units were first issued on April 1, 2010, Series 3 Units were first issued on September 1, 2009 and Series 4 Units were first issued on November 1, 2010. The Trust’s past performance is not necessarily indicative of how it will perform in the future.

 

Performance Summary

 

2015 (9 months)

 

The Trust experienced net realized and unrealized gains of $14,494,780 from its trading operations (including foreign exchange translations and U.S. Treasury notes). Brokerage fees of $9,768,971, administrative expenses of $906,376, custody fees and other expenses of $39,167, management fees of $289,977 and an accrued profit share to the General Partner of $159,644 were incurred. The Trust’s gains achieved from trading operations, in addition to interest income of $313,050, were partially offset by the Trust’s expenses resulting in net income after profit share to the General Partner of $3,643,695.

 

An analysis of the trading gain (loss) by sector is as follows:

 

Sector  % Gain (Loss) 
Currencies   0.71%
Energies   (0.06)%
Grains   (1.03)%
Interest Rates   4.95%
Livestock   0.12%
Metals   1.87%
Softs   0.27%
Stock Indices   (0.26)%
Total   6.57%

 

At the end of a quarter of extraordinary volatility in both financial and commodity markets, the Trust posted a gain due to profits from long interest rate futures positions, short energy and metal future positions and, long dollar foreign exchange forward positions. On the other hand, trading of stock index futures was unprofitable, as was, to a lesser extent, trading of agricultural commodity futures.

 

Futile attempts by Chinese officials to stem a sharp equity selloff, two official rate cuts by the People’s Bank of China (the “PBOC”), and a surprise devaluation of the Chinese yuan, coupled with weak economic data, raised questions about how China’s leadership was addressing its economic slowdown. Also during the quarter, the vacillating prospects for a Federal Reserve interest rate increase were answered in a somewhat surprising way in September when the Federal Reserve failed to raise official rates. The decision not to change rates, even as U.S. growth and employment data remained strong, led the markets to conclude that U.S. policymakers think the rising dollar, increased market volatility and slowing growth in emerging economies could derail global economic activity, and they did not want to exacerbate that threat with a rate increase. Actual and upcoming elections in Greece, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Argentina, Singapore, Canada and Australia, and heightened political uncertainties elsewhere—Brazil, Russia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Middle East—only added to investor skittishness.

 

Against this background and with inflation generally subdued globally, demand for government securities, augmented by some safe haven buying, was strong. Consequently, long positions in U.S., Canadian, German, French, Italian, British and Japanese note and bond futures were profitable. Long positions in U.S. and British short-term interest rate futures were profitable also. Official rate reductions by several central banks including those of China (twice), New Zealand (twice), Canada, Taiwan, Norway, Sweden, India and Hungary added to the downward pressure on interest rates. A September comment from European Central Bank President Draghi that “…more ease is possible…” also supported government securities purchases.

 

27 

 

 

Lowered global growth projections from the IMF, World Bank, OECD, WTO and Asian Development Bank cemented the outlook for low energy demand amid continuing oversupply. Consequently, energy prices declined and short positions in crude oil, crude oil products, and natural gas were profitable. This occurred despite an abrupt— though temporary 25% oil price spike on the final three trading days of August, amid signs that U.S. production during the first half of 2015 had fallen more than previously reported, and that OPEC might be willing to alter its current production stance. This was the largest three day gain in the price of oil in 25 years.

 

Prices of industrial metals fell in the July-September period. Short positions in copper, aluminum, nickel, zinc and platinum were profitable. Abundant supplies and inventories of metals brought on by the expansion of productive capacity over the past 10-20 years have combined with sluggish demand—especially from China— and a stronger U.S. dollar to depress prices. Trading of gold and silver were marginally unprofitable.

 

In the wake of the difficult economic and political situations in Asia and emerging markets, long U.S. dollar positions versus the currencies of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Korea, Canada, New Zealand, Russia, and Turkey were profitable. On the other hand, as risk was unwound, the euro, which had been used as funding vehicle due to its low interest rate, advanced faster than the U.S. dollar and a long U.S. dollar position versus the euro was unprofitable. Trading the U.S. dollar against the currencies of India, Australia, the U.K., Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Poland was unprofitable. After the Federal Reserve failed to raise interest rates, the U.S. dollar fell back somewhat, earlier profits were reduced and positions were cut back.

 

In this environment investors sold equities aggressively and volatility spiked higher, especially in August and September. Long positions in Japanese, Hong Kong, Chinese and U.S. equity futures were unprofitable, and positions were reduced or reversed. Short positions in Korean and Singaporean indices, and trading of Dutch and German stock futures were profitable, reducing the sector’s overall loss. In addition, these overall losses were reduced somewhat when equity prices rallied on the last day of September quarter.

 

Turning to agricultural commodities, trading of corn, wheat, soybeans and soybean meal, and a long cotton position were unprofitable. On the other hand, profits from long sugar, coffee, soybean oil and cattle trades, and from a long cocoa position provided partially offsetting gains.

 

The Trust sustained a loss as a number of profitable, consensus trades from the first quarter proved unprofitable in the second quarter. Long positions in interest rate futures, equity futures, and U.S. dollar forwards and short euro currency trades were unprofitable. Short energy futures trades were unprofitable as well. On the other hand, trading of metal futures was profitable, while trading of soft and agricultural commodities was nearly flat.

 

The sanguine attitude towards Greece from the first quarter became a second quarter ebb and flow of meetings, proposals, information and recriminations around the Greek crisis, culminating in the imposition of capital controls; a week-long bank holiday; and a nationwide referendum that rattled equity, bond and currency markets. The U.S. economy rebounded from its poor first quarter performance, although inflation and wages did not register explicit improvements. Consequently, the on-again, off-again prospects for a Federal Reserve rate increase added to market anxiety. Finally, uncertainty about China’s growth prospects were compounded late in the period by the sudden, precipitous collapse in Chinese equity markets.

 

The price of German, French, and Italian note and bond futures, which had risen precipitously in the wake of the European Central Bank’s quantitative easing program, reversed course abruptly, driving rates sharply higher as analysts questioned the extraordinarily low levels they had reached particularly as EU economic data was improving and the Greek situation seemed to defy solution. Consequently, long positions in Continental European note and bond futures were unprofitable. Though the path was not a straight line partly due to reduced global bond market liquidity, better U.S. economic news pushed U.S. interest rates higher, producing losses from long positions in U.S. note and bond futures. Long positions in Japanese bond futures, U.K. bond futures, and short sterling futures also registered losses. Long positions in U.S. 2-year notes and short term euro dollar futures did register small gains.

 

The path of equity prices during the quarter was uneven across time and markets. Equity futures were buffeted in a positive way by improving economic data from the U.S. and Europe, and in a negative way by the unfolding Greek tragedy; by economic growth concerns and wild swings in equity markets in China that prompted a Bank of China rate cut; and by worries about the timing of possible Fed rate increases. In the end, the negative influences carried the day. Long positions in European, British, Canadian, Australian, Korean and Taiwanese equity futures posted losses, especially in June. Meanwhile, long positions in Chinese, Hong Kong and Japanese futures remained profitable even after posting losses in May and June. As volatility spiked in June, the gain from a short VIX position was pared back.

 

28 

 

 

Currency trading was also volatile during the quarter. In April and early May, poor results from the U.S. first quarter GDP report raised the likelihood that an anticipated Federal Reserve interest rate increase would be delayed. Consequently, long dollar positions registered losses and were reduced or reversed. Later on, the U.S. dollar steadied as U.S. economic data recovered and as the situations in China and Greece deteriorated. On balance, trading the U.S. dollar against the currencies of Australia, the U.K., Canada, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Czech Republic, Sweden, and Korea was unprofitable. Short euro trades versus several currencies were also unprofitable. The gain from a long U.S. dollar/short Japanese yen trade provided a partial offset.

 

Energy prices moved higher in April amid signs of a growth improvement in Europe and a weakening dollar. Consequently, short positions in crude oil, crude oil products and natural gas generated losses and were scaled back.

 

Short positions in aluminum, copper, palladium, platinum, and silver were profitable, particularly in May and June, as China’s slowdown and equity turmoil led to reduced demand and some increased supplies on world markets. Increased palladium and platinum production from South Africa also weighed on prices. Meanwhile, a sharp swing in the price of zinc led to a loss on a long position, and trading of gold was also unprofitable.

 

Grain prices, which have been falling rather persistently, rose somewhat late in the period as heavy rains in the U.S. threatened to delay harvests of some crops and planting of others. Consequently, losses on short corn and wheat positions outweighed the gains from long soybean and soybean meal trades.

 

The loss on a short sugar trade slightly outweighed the gains from a long cocoa position and a short coffee trade.

 

Solid first quarter performance was led by gains from trading of financial markets—interest rate and equity futures, and currency forwards. Commodity futures trading was nearly flat as losses from trading grain futures were countered by gains from trading soft, metal and livestock futures.

 

The European Central Bank’s historic quantitative easing announcement, several easing moves by the People’s Bank of China and more than 20 other official interest rate reductions led to sharp gains on long positions in U.S. interest rate futures across the yield curve. Long positions in German, Italian, French, Canadian and Australian notes and bonds also registered profits. A long position in short-term sterling rates was profitable as events suggested that any tightening of U.K. monetary policy would be delayed.

 

The more accommodative monetary policy environment and some improvement in growth indicators for Europe led to gains on long positions in Continental European, Chinese, Hong Kong, Japanese, and Australian equity futures. On the other hand, a short Korean kospi futures trade was unprofitable. Meanwhile, U.S. equity futures, after reaching record levels, stagnated in the wake of the stronger U.S. dollar, disappointing earnings reports, and a first quarter growth slowdown.

 

Currency markets were volatile during the quarter, although a solid U.S. economic outlook, generally higher relative interest rates, and some safe haven cachet underpinned the U.S. dollar. Still, a tentative Russia/ Ukraine ceasefire and temporary bouts of sanity around the Greek crisis periodically took some steam out of the dollar. Overall, long U.S. dollar positions versus the euro, Czech koruna, Swedish krona, Turkish lira, Brazilian real and Canadian dollar were profitable. On the other hand, a long U.S. dollar/short Swiss franc trade sustained a large loss when, on January 15th, the Swiss National Bank unexpectedly ended the franc’s peg to the euro and the franc soared 15%. Long dollar trades against the South African, Norwegian and New Zealand currencies produced small losses.

 

Grain prices recovered a bit after the USDA projected a reduction in planting acreage for the current crop year. Consequently, short wheat positions, and to a lesser extent trading of corn, soybeans, soybean meal and bean oil produced minor losses. Coffee and sugar prices continued to fall and short positions in both were profitable. A short hog trade was marginally positive.

 

Energy trading was flat as the gains from short WTI crude and natural gas positions offset the losses from short Brent crude, heating oil and London gas oil trades. Metal trading was also nearly flat with gains from short aluminum, silver and nickel positions and trading of gold marginally outpacing the losses from short copper, zinc, and platinum positions and trading of palladium.

 

2014

 

During 2014, the Trust achieved net realized and unrealized gains of $48,665,853 from its trading operations (including foreign exchange transactions and translations). Brokerage fees of $15,348,327, management fees of $405,490, administrative expenses of $1,239,830 and custody fees of $61,226 were paid or accrued. The Trust allocated $119,598 in profit share to the New Profits Memo Account for the benefit of the Managing Owner. Interest income of $289,332 partially offset the Trust expenses resulting in a net income after profit share to the Managing Owner of $31,780,714.

 

29 

 

 

 

An analysis of the trading gain (loss) by sector is as follows:

 

Sector  % Gain (Loss) 
Currencies   0.64%
Energies   1.31%
Grains   1.46%
Interest rates   15.65%
Livestock   0.43%
Metals   (0.74)%
Softs   0.91%
Stock indices   1.26%
Total   20.92%

 

The Trust was profitable for the year largely due to gains from long interest rate futures positions, although profits from trading currency forwards, and stock index, energy and agricultural commodity futures augmented the advance. On the other hand, trading of metal futures was unprofitable.

 

The environment for trading these markets was favorable due to the differential growth, inflation and policy paths that were followed by the world’s major economies and central banks—Federal Reserve, ECB, Bank of Japan, People’s Bank of China, and Bank of England. Furthermore, within most major regions of the world — such as North America, Latin and South America, Europe, and non-Japan Asia — there were also varying trajectories for growth, inflation and policy among the constituent countries. While the worldwide growth outlook at the start of 2014 was optimistic, the results were somewhat disappointing due to several events including: the Russian incursions in Crimea and the Ukraine and subsequent sanctions that dented European growth; the collapse of oil and industrial commodity prices that weakened growth in commodity producing nations; and the greater than expected slowdown in China. Then, on the inflation front, an anticipated acceleration never materialized as prices for oil, industrial commodities and many foodstuffs fell sharply. Moreover, wages and core prices failed to accelerate even where growth remained solid, i.e. the U.S. and U.K. The mosaic for the trading environment was also influenced by numerous political and social events during 2014 such as: the coup in Thailand, Modi’s election in India, Jokowi’s victory in Indonesia, the Erdogan election in Turkey, Abe’s re-election in Japan, the Republican Congressional win in the U.S., the Scottish independence vote, the Hong Kong democracy protests and the liberalization of Shanghai equity markets. Finally, the persistent and escalating turmoil in the Middle East encompassing ISIL, Syria, Iran, Iraq and Libya and the terrorism it spawns shadowed market events throughout the year.

 

With inflation absent, growth somewhat disappointing and the social and political background unsettled, it should come as no surprise that long positions in interest rate futures across the maturity spectrum would be profitable. Thus, long trades in U.S., U.K., Australian, Canadian, Japanese, German, French and Italian note, bond and short term futures were profitable.

 

Equity market performances were mixed around the globe with several serious corrections throughout the year adding to trader anxiety. Long positions in U.S., Canadian, Japanese, Taiwanese, Indian, and South African stock index futures were profitable. These gains were partially offset by losses from long positions in Dutch, British, Euro stoxx, Korean and Australian futures. A short vix trade also registered a loss as volatility rose, particularly in the second half of the year.

 

Solid growth, the end of QE and prospects for interest rate increases underpinned the U.S. dollar, while sluggish growth, anemic inflation and increased ease in monetary policies undermined the euro and yen. Hence, long dollar trades versus the euro and yen were profitable, as were long dollar positions against the Czech, Swedish, Chilean and Israeli currencies. A long pound sterling trade relative to the dollar was also profitable, and so too were a long New Zealand Dollar/short Canadian dollar trade and trading of the euro versus the Swedish and South African units. On the other hand, short dollar trades against Korea, Mexico and Canada posted losses, as did trading of the U.S. unit against South Africa, Singapore and Turkey. Trading the euro versus Eastern Europe and Norway, and the Aussie dollar against the yen and pound were also unprofitable.

 

Short positions in corn, wheat and soybeans were profitable as record grain crops weighed on prices. A long soybean meal trade and spread trading of grains added to the gains. Trading of Kansas City wheat was slightly unprofitable. A short sugar trade benefitted from persistent oversupply and large inventories. A short cotton trade was profitable as Chinese demand softened and supplies remained plentiful. A long cattle trade produced a fractional gain.

 

Energy trading produced a gain. Long positions in crude oil, RBOB gasoline and London gas oil were profitable early in the year when growth was expected to improve and Middle-East turmoil underpinned prices. During the second half of 2014, as prices first fell and then collapsed as demand plunged and supply from the U.S. continued to advance, short trades in the same markets also registered small gains. The second half profits were tempered somewhat as short-term, non-trend factors caused us to exit our trend determined short positions, and at times take long positions even as energy prices fell. Energy spread trading was slightly profitable.

 

Metal prices were volatile in 2014 in the wake of changing outlooks on growth, inflation, and the U.S. dollar. Losses from trading copper, aluminum and lead outpaced the gain from a long nickel position that benefitted from export restrictions imposed by Indonesia, and from long platinum and short silver trades.

 

30 

 

  

2013

 

During 2013, the Trust achieved net realized and unrealized losses of $14,244,192 from its trading operations (including foreign exchange transactions and translations). Brokerage fees of $23,947,630, management fees of $574,919, administrative expenses of $1,692,114 and custody fees of $85,695 were paid or accrued. Interest income of $640,996 partially offset the Trust expenses resulting in a net loss of $39,903,554.

 

An analysis of the trading gain (loss) by sector is as follows:

 

Sector  % Gain (Loss) 
Currencies   (3.80)%
Energies   (2.33)%
Grains   0.74%
Interest rates   (7.82)%
Livestock   (0.11)%
Metals   (1.07)%
Softs   0.16%
Stock indices   10.88%
Total   (3.35)%

 

The Trust was unprofitable for the year as losses from trading interest rate futures, currency forwards, and energy and metal futures outpaced the sizable gain from trading equity futures and a lesser gain from trading agricultural and softs commodities.

 

During the year, market participants were encouraged by the gradual, but persistent, improvement in U.S. economic conditions; by signs that China’s growth, while transitioning to a slower pace, would be solid; by at least a modest improvement in European growth dynamics; by continued monetary ease worldwide for most of 2013; and by evidence that some grudging progress was being made on the banking and fiscal problems that have plagued developed economies in recent years.

 

However, this underlying positive current was interrupted frequently by policy concerns, and political and social disruptions and their ensuing economic uncertainties. On the monetary policy front, the on again-off again talk of Fed tapering; the moves toward a more restrictive policy by the People’s Bank of China starting around midyear, aimed especially toward the shadow banking system; and the interest rate changes by many central banks to influence their currencies — some to support and others to weaken their units — frequently disrupted interest rate and currency markets. U.S. fiscal policy events that influenced market activity included: sequestration at the start of the year, the October government shutdown and the December Murray-Ryan budget agreement. Political and social tensions were rampant worldwide and included: Spanish scandals; Italy elections; Cypriot economic collapse; social unrest in Turkey, Indonesia, Thailand, Brazil, and South Africa; and armed conflict in Syria, Egypt, Iraq and Iran.

 

Interest rate trading was volatile and unprofitable in 2013. As the year began, the market was still focused on deflation concerns and persistent ease of monetary policy, and long interest rate futures positions were profitable. In May, however, Chairman Bernanke and other Fed officials raised the prospects of “tapering” the Fed’s policy of quantitative ease (“QE”). In response, yields on U.S. notes and bonds reversed abruptly and moved sharply higher. There was a sympathetic move higher in yields on Canadian, European, British, Australian and Japanese notes and bonds. Thereafter, the uncertain timing of the QE taper led to unsettled trading conditions. Consequently, long positions in U.S., German, Australian, Canadian and British notes and bonds generated losses. Trading of short-term Aussie, German and British interest rate futures was also unprofitable.

 

 Foreign exchange markets were volatile without sustained direction this year. Large changes in developed markets interest rates and uncertainty about QE influenced currency movements. In addition, several countries including Australia, New Zealand, the Czech Republic, Poland, Peru and South Korea took steps to weaken their currencies, while others — Turkey, India, Indonesia, Brazil and South Africa — took steps to support their currencies. Finally, the group of commodity currencies was buffeted by the uncertainty around Chinese growth dynamics. Consequently, losses were sustained in trading the U.S. dollar against the currencies of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Brazil, Columbia, Switzerland, Norway, the Czech Republic, Russia, Turkey and Singapore. There were profits from a short yen/long dollar trade and from trading the dollar against the Indian rupee and Israeli shekel. Non-dollar cross rate trading was fractionally unprofitable.

 

Energy prices were buffeted by conflicting forces in 2013. Underpinning prices was the overall improvement in growth, particularly in the developed world, and the turmoil that continues to envelop the Middle East. Weighing down prices was the impact of the shale oil revolution, and the transition in China to a less manufacturing focused growth model. In this environment, trading of crude oil, RBOB gasoline, London gas oil, heating oil and natural gas were unprofitable. Meanwhile, energy spread trading was marginally profitable.

 

31 

 

  

Metal trading was fractionally unprofitable as gains from trading copper fell short of losses from long lead and zinc positions and from trading precious metals.

 

Equity prices were buoyed by the improving worldwide economic outlook and long positions in U.S., Japanese, European, Australian and Canadian equity futures were highly profitable. On the other hand, the policy tightening in China and the sharp fall in the yen led to losses from trading Chinese, Korean and Singaporean equity futures. Long positions in Indian equity futures were also unprofitable as the Reserve Bank of India raised rates.

 

The profit from trading soft and agricultural commodities was due to short positions in sugar, coffee, wheat and soybean oil, and to trading of soybeans. Meanwhile, a short cocoa trade and trading of cotton were unprofitable.

 

2012

 

During 2012, the Trust achieved net realized and unrealized losses of $23,977,401 from its trading operations (including foreign exchange transactions and translations). Brokerage fees of $37,951,734, management fees of $651,848, administrative expenses of $1,968,723 and custody fees of $127,291 were paid or accrued. Interest income of $870,824 partially offset the Trust expenses resulting in a net loss after profit share to the Managing Owner of $63,806,173.

 

An analysis of the trading gain (loss) by sector is as follows:

 

Sector  % Gain (Loss) 
Currencies   (2.35)%
Energies   (1.98)%
Grains   (1.26)%
Interest rates   4.12%
Livestock   (0.23)%
Metals   (2.10)%
Softs   0.47%
Stock indices   0.35%
Total   (2.98)%

 

The Trust posted a loss during the year as uncertainties concerning worldwide growth and inflation, fiscal and monetary policies, and political events restricted the development of sustained, exploitable trends. In this environment, gains from trading interest rate futures and, to a lesser extent, equity and soft commodity futures, fell short of the losses generated from trading currency, energy, metal and grain futures.

 

Deleveraging in the developed world and the transition to a new growth model in the developing world that placed less emphasis on exports and greater emphasis on domestic demand interacted with the banking and sovereign stresses in Europe and fiscal dysfunction in the United States to weigh on worldwide economic activity. Important elections throughout the year—for example two Greek elections in a month, the French Presidential contest, the vote on the new Chinese leadership and the U.S. Presidential ballot—periodically added to negative pressures. Throughout 2012 these negative influences were resisted by unrelenting policy easing by monetary authorities, particularly in the developed world. The Federal Reserve led the way with Operation Twist, round 3 of quantitative easing, outright open market purchases of long term treasuries and mortgage backed securities, and finally tying policy to the unemployment rate along with the inflation rate. The European Central Bank (“ECB”) went from long term refinancing operations at the start of the year to outright monetary transactions near the year’s end. The Bank of Japan increased their asset purchase program five times and initiated an inflation target, and the Bank of England increased its quantitative easing program twice in 2012. Finally, there were a plethora of easing actions from the central banks of China, Brazil, India and many other Asian and European countries.

 

In large measure, these monetary efforts were meant to “buy time” for legislators and fiscal authorities to improve banking regulation and supervision, to rein in debt and deficits with appropriate and effective tax and expenditure programs, and to implement institutional changes to improve competitiveness. And while it was excruciatingly slow, there was progress. On June 29, European Union (“EU”) leaders announced an agreement to moderate conditions on emergency loans to Spanish banks, ease borrowing costs for Spain and Italy, move toward direct recapitalization of European banks with bailout funds, discuss a full EU banking union with ECB supervision (which was further advanced in December), advance the fiscal union discussion and discuss a €120 billion fund to promote growth. On July 26, ECB President Draghi vowed to do “…whatever it takes…” to preserve the euro. Importantly, Europe’s most troubled countries were implementing pension and welfare reforms, improving the functioning of labor markets, and strengthening revenue collection and spending controls. In the U.S., the fiscal cliff was avoided with a last minute deal.

 

Consequently, as the second half of 2012 progressed, the growth outlook brightened, albeit marginally. Improved housing statistics, a potential shale oil growth dividend, and stability in the American employment picture underpinned global investor sentiment. Chinese growth appeared to have bottomed in the third quarter, and emerging markets in general were steady to improving. Still, Europe was in recession and Japan was foundering.

 

32 

 

  

Given this generally uncertain, easy money, low growth, low inflation environment, it is no surprise that long positions in German, French, Italian, Japanese, Australian and Canadian notes and bonds were profitable. Long positions in short term German and British instruments were also profitable. Meanwhile, trading of U.S. note and bond futures was marginally negative, as losses in the first quarter and again late in the year, when rates rebounded with improving economic activity, outdistanced profits from the spring and summer.

 

Equity futures trading was profitable as long positions produced gains in the last half of the year that were larger than the losses sustained from equity trading in the first six months. These profits likely reflected some improvement in the economic outlook as well as massive central bank liquidity injections. Long positions in South African, Turkish, Thai, French and U.S. indices showed gains, as did trading of the VIX. On the other hand, trading of German, British, Canadian, Indian and Asian equity futures produced losses.

 

A short Arabica coffee trade was very profitable as supplies were boosted by a bumper Brazilian crop. A short cotton trade was profitable during the first half when worldwide growth was weak. Meanwhile, trading of cocoa and sugar were unprofitable.

 

In a changeable “Risk On/Risk Off” environment, currency trading was volatile and unprofitable. Trading the U.S. dollar versus a variety of high yield, emerging market, and safe haven currencies was broadly unprofitable. On the other hand, short yen positions relative to the U.S. and Australian dollars during the fourth quarter benefitted from official efforts designed to weaken the yen to promote growth. A long Korean won trade during that same time frame was also quite profitable. A short Swiss franc/long Norway position was profitable. Short euro trades versus the Norwegian, Turkish and New Zealand currencies were profitable, while trading the euro against South Africa, Hungary and the Czech Republic produced losses as did sterling/Aussie trading.

 

Metal prices were volatile in 2012. Generally speaking, long gold and silver trades were unprofitable, while trading industrial metals predominantly from the short side proved a losing proposition. Trading of crude oil, heating oil and London gas oil was quite unprofitable as economic uncertainty and Middle East ructions blocked the development of sustained trends. Trading of U.S. natural gas, on the other hand, was profitable in the wake of the shale boom in North America.

 

Grain trading was unprofitable as prices declined initially on good crop prospects, spiked in early summer as drought took hold and plunged thereafter as demand weakened. Thus trading of corn, wheat, soybeans and soybean oil was unprofitable. Short livestock trades resulted in small losses too.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

Units may be offered for sale as of the beginning, and may be redeemed as of the end, of each month.

 

The amount of capital raised for the Trust should not have a significant impact on its operations, as the Trust has no significant capital expenditure or working capital requirements other than for monies to pay trading losses, brokerage commissions and charges. Within broad ranges of capitalization, the Managing Owner’s trading positions should increase or decrease in approximate proportion to the size of the Trust.

 

The Trust raises additional capital only through the sale of Units and capital is increased through trading profits (if any). The Trust does not engage in borrowing.

 

The Trust trades futures, forward and spot contracts, and may trade swap and options contracts, on interest rates, commodities, currencies, metals, energy and stock indices. Risk arises from changes in the value of these contracts (market risk) and the potential inability of counterparties or brokers to perform under the terms of their contracts (credit risk). Market risk is generally to be measured by the face amount of the futures positions acquired and the volatility of the markets traded. The credit risk from counterparty non-performance associated with these instruments is the net unrealized gain, if any, on these positions plus the value of the margin or collateral held by the counterparty. The risks associated with exchange-traded contracts are generally perceived to be less than those associated with OTC transactions, because exchanges typically (but not universally) provide clearinghouse arrangements in which the collective credit (in some cases limited in amount, in some cases not) of the members of the exchange is pledged to support the financial integrity of the exchange. In most OTC transactions, on the other hand, traders must rely solely on the credit of their respective individual counterparties. Margins which may be subject to loss in the event of a default, are generally required in exchange trading, and counterparties may require margin or collateral in the OTC markets.

 

The Managing Owner has procedures in place to control market risk, although there can be no assurance that they will, in fact, succeed in doing so. These procedures primarily focus on: (1) real time monitoring of open positions; (2) diversifying positions among various markets; (3) limiting the assets committed as margin or collateral, generally within a range of 5% to 35% of an account’s net assets at exchange, though the amount may at any time be substantially higher; and (4) prohibiting pyramiding – that is, using unrealized profits in a particular market as margin for additional positions in the same market. The Trust controls credit risk by dealing exclusively with large, well capitalized financial institutions as brokers and counterparties.

 

33 

 

  

The financial instruments traded by the Trust contain varying degrees of off-balance sheet risk whereby changes in the market values of the futures, forward and spot contracts or the Trust’s satisfaction of the obligations may exceed the amount recognized in the Statement of Financial Condition of the Trust.

 

Due to the nature of the Trust’s business, substantially all its assets are represented by cash, cash equivalents and U.S. government obligations, while the Trust maintains its market exposure through open futures, forward and spot contract positions.

 

The Trust’s futures contracts are settled by offset and are cleared by the exchange clearinghouse function. Open futures positions are marked to market each trading day and the Trust’s trading accounts are debited or credited accordingly. Options on futures contracts are settled either by offset or by exercise. If an option on a future is exercised, the Trust is assigned a position in the underlying future which is then settled by offset. The Trust’s spot and forward currency transactions conducted in the interbank market are settled by netting offsetting positions or payment obligations and by cash payments.

 

The value of the Trust’s cash and financial instruments is not materially affected by inflation. Changes in interest rates, which are often associated with inflation, could cause the value of certain of the Trust’s debt securities to decline, but only to a limited extent. More important, changes in interest rates could cause periods of strong up or down market price trends, during which the Trust’s profit potential generally increases. However, inflation can also give rise to markets which have numerous short price trends followed by rapid reversals, markets in which the Trust is likely to suffer losses.

 

The Trust’s assets are generally held as cash or cash equivalents, including short-term U.S. government obligations, which are used to margin the Trust’s futures and forward currency positions and withdrawn, as necessary, to pay redemptions and expenses. Other than potential market-imposed limitations on liquidity, due, for example, to limited open interest in certain futures markets or to daily price fluctuation limits, which are inherent in the Trust’s futures and forward trading, the Trust’s assets are highly liquid and are expected to remain so. During 2014 and from the end of 2014 until September 2015, the Trust experienced no meaningful periods of illiquidity in any of the numerous markets traded by the Managing Owner.

 

Critical Accounting Estimates

 

The Trust records its transactions in futures, forward and spot currency contracts, including related income and expenses, on a trade date basis. Open futures contracts traded on an exchange are valued at fair value, which is based on the closing settlement price on the exchange where the futures contract is traded by the Trust on the day with respect to which Net Assets are being determined. Open swap contracts are recorded at fair value based on the closing settlement price for equivalent or similar futures positions that are traded on an exchange on the day with respect to which Net Assets are being determined. Open forward currency contracts are recorded at fair value, based on pricing models that consider the current market prices (“Spot Prices”) plus the time value of money (“Forward Points”) and contractual prices of the underlying financial instruments. The Spot Prices and Forward Points for open forward currency contracts are generally based on the 3:00 P.M. New York time prices provided by widely used quotation service providers on the day with respect to which Net Assets are being determined. The Forward Points from the quotation service providers are generally in periods of one month, two months, three months and six months forward while the contractual forward delivery dates for the foreign currency contracts traded by the Trust may be in between these periods.

 

The Managing Owner’s policy is to calculate the Forward Points for each contract being valued by determining the number of days from the date the forward currency contract is being valued to its maturity date and then using straight-line interpolation to calculate the valuation of Forward Points for the applicable forward currency contract. The Managing Owner will also compare the calculated price to the forward currency prices provided by dealers to determine whether the calculated price is fair and reasonable.

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires management to make estimates and assumptions, such as accrual of expenses, that affect the amounts and disclosures reported in the financial statements. Based on the nature of the business and operations of the Trust, the Managing Owner believes that the estimates utilized in preparing the Trust’s financial statements are appropriate and reasonable, however actual results could differ from these estimates. The estimates used do not provide a range of possible results that would require the exercise of subjective judgment. The Managing Owner further believes that, based on the nature of the business and operations of the Trust, no other reasonable assumptions relating to the application of the Trust’s critical accounting estimates other than those currently used would likely result in materially different amounts from those reported.

 

34 

 

  

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

The Trust does not engage in off-balance sheet arrangements with other entities.

 

Contractual Obligations

 

The Trust does not enter into any contractual obligations or commercial commitments to make future payments of a type that would be typical for an operating company or that would affect its liquidity or capital resources. The Trust’s sole business is trading futures, forward and spot currency contracts, both long (contracts to buy) and short (contracts to sell). The Trust may also engage in trading swaps. All such contracts are settled by offset, not delivery. Substantially all such contacts are for settlement within four months of the trade date and substantially all such contracts are held by the Trust for less than four months before being offset or rolled over into new contracts with similar maturities. The Trust’s Financial Statements present a Condensed Schedule of Investments setting forth net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of the Trust’s open future and forward currency contracts, both long and short, at September 30, 2015, December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013.

 

Quantitative And Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

Introduction

 

Past Results Are Not Necessarily Indicative of Future Performance

 

The Trust is a speculative commodity pool. Unlike an operating company, the risk of market sensitive instruments is integral, not incidental, to the Trust’s main line of business.

 

Market movements result in frequent changes in the fair market value of the Trust’s open positions and, consequently, in its earnings and cash flow. The Trust’s market risk is influenced by a wide variety of factors, including the level and volatility of interest rates, exchange rates, equity price levels, the market value of financial instruments and contracts, the diversification effects among the Trust’s open positions and the liquidity of the markets in which it trades.

 

The Trust can rapidly acquire and/or liquidate both long and short positions in a wide range of different markets. Consequently, it is not possible to predict how a particular future market scenario will affect performance, and the Trust’s past performance is not necessarily indicative of its future results.

 

Value at Risk is a measure of the maximum amount which the Trust could reasonably be expected to lose in a given market sector. However, the inherent uncertainty of the Trust’s speculative trading and the recurrence in the markets traded by the Trust of market movements far exceeding expectations could result in actual trading or non-trading losses far beyond the indicated Value at Risk or the Trust’s experience to date (i.e., “risk of ruin”). In light of the foregoing as well as the risks and uncertainties intrinsic to all future projections, the inclusion of the quantification included in this section should not be considered to constitute any assurance or representation that the Trust’s losses in any market sector will be limited to Value at Risk or by the Trust’s attempts to manage its market risk.

 

Materiality, as used in this section “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk,” is based on an assessment of reasonably possible market movements and the potential losses caused by such movements, taking into account the leverage, optionality and multiplier features of the Trust’s market sensitive instruments.

 

Quantifying the Trust’s Trading Value at Risk

 

Quantitative Forward-Looking Statements

 

The following quantitative disclosures regarding the Trust’s market risk exposures contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor from civil liability provided for such statements by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (set forth in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)). All quantitative disclosures in this section are deemed to be forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor, except for statements of historical fact.

 

The Trust’s risk exposure in the various market sectors traded by the Managing Owner is quantified below in terms of Value at Risk. Due to the Trust’s mark-to-market accounting, any loss in the fair value of the Trust’s open positions is directly reflected in the Trust’s earnings (realized or unrealized) and cash flow (at least in the case of exchange-traded contracts in which profits and losses on open positions are settled daily through variation margin).

 

Exchange maintenance margin requirements have been used by the Trust as the measure of its Value at Risk. Maintenance margin requirements are set by exchanges to equal or exceed 95-99% of the maximum one day losses in the fair value of any given contract incurred during the time period over which historical price fluctuations are researched for purposes of establishing margin levels. The maintenance margin levels are established by dealers and exchanges using historical price studies as well as an assessment of current market volatility (including the implied volatility of the options on a given futures contract) and economic fundamentals to provide a probabilistic estimate of the maximum expected near-term one day price fluctuation.

 

35 

 

  

The Trust calculates Value at Risk for forward currency contracts that are not exchange traded using exchange maintenance margin requirements for equivalent or similar futures positions as the measure of Value at Risk.

 

In quantifying the Trust’s Value at Risk, 100% positive correlation in the different positions held in each market risk category has been assumed. Consequently, the margin requirements applicable to the open contracts have simply been aggregated to determine each trading category’s aggregate Value at Risk. The diversification effects resulting from the fact that the Trust’s positions are rarely, if ever, 100% positively correlated have not been reflected.

 

The Trust’s Trading Value at Risk in Different Market Sectors

 

The following tables indicate the average, highest and lowest amounts of trading Value at Risk associated with the Trust’s open positions by market category for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014. During the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and fiscal year 2014, the Trust’s average total capitalization was approximately $230 million and $260 million, respectively.

 

September 30, 2015
Market Sector  Average
Value at
Risk
   % of Average
Capitalization
   Highest
Value
At Risk
   Lowest
Value
At Risk
 
                 
Currencies  $6.3    2.7%   7.4%   5.0%
Energies  $1.4    0.6%   2.3%   0.7%
Grains  $0.9    0.4%   1.0%   0.7%
Interest Rates  $6.5    2.9%   7.8%   5.3%
Livestock  $0.1    0.0%   0.1%   0.1%
Metals  $2.6    1.1%   2.8%   2.1%
Softs  $0.4    0.2%   0.5%   0.3%
Stock Indices  $9.4    4.1%   12.2%   5.9%
                     
Total  $27.6    12.0%          

 

Average, highest and lowest Value at Risk amounts relate to the quarter-end amounts for the nine months ended September 30, 2015. Average capitalization is the average of the Trust’s approximate capitalization at the end of each the nine months ended September 30, 2015. Dollar amounts represent millions of dollars.

 

Fiscal Year 2014
Market Sector  Average
Value at
Risk
   % of Average
Capitalization
   Highest
Value
At Risk
   Lowest
Value
At Risk
 
                 
Currencies  $11.7    4.5%   16.2%   6.5%
Energies  $1.9    0.7%   2.2%   1.6%
Grains  $1.1    0.4%   1.5%   0.3%
Interest Rates  $9.9    3.8%   11.7%   5.6%
Livestock  $0.1    0.0%   0.2%   0.1%
Metals  $2.3    0.9%   4.2%   0.8%
Softs  $0.5    0.2%   0.5%   0.4%
Stock Indices  $13.3    5.1%   15.4%   9.4%
                     
Total  $40.8    15.6%          

 

Average, highest and lowest Value at Risk amounts relate to the quarter-end amounts during the fiscal year. Average capitalization is the average of the Trust’s capitalization at the end of each month during the fiscal year 2014. Dollar amounts represent millions of dollars.

 

Material Limitations on Value at Risk as an Assessment of Market Risk

 

The face value of the market sector instruments held by the Trust is typically many times the applicable maintenance margin requirement (maintenance margin requirements generally range between approximately 1% and 10% of contract face value) as well as many times the capitalization of the Trust. The magnitude of the Trust’s open positions creates a “risk of ruin” not typically found in most other investment vehicles. Because of the size of its positions, certain market conditions — unusual, but historically recurring from time to time — could cause the Trust to incur severe losses over a short period of time. The foregoing Value at Risk table — as well as the past performance of the Trust — give no indication of this “risk of ruin.”

 

Non-Trading Risk

 

The Trust has non-trading market risk on its foreign cash balances not needed for margin. However, these balances (as well as any market risk they represent) are immaterial.

 

The Trust also has non-trading cash flow risk as a result of holding a substantial portion (approximately 90%) of its assets in U.S. Treasury notes and other short-term debt instruments (as well as any market risk they represent) for margin and cash management purposes. Although the Managing Owner does not anticipate that, even in the case of major interest rate movements, the Trust would sustain a material mark-to-market loss on its securities positions, if short-term interest rates decline so will the Trust’s cash management income. The Trust also maintains a portion (approximately between 5% and 10%) of its assets in cash and in a U.S. government securities and related instruments money market fund. These cash balances are also subject (as well as any market risk they represent) to cash flow risk, which is not material.

 

36 

 

 

Qualitative Disclosures Regarding Primary Trading Risk Exposures

 

The following qualitative disclosures regarding the Trust’s market risk exposures—except for (i) those disclosures that are statements of historical fact and (ii) the descriptions of how the Managing Owner manages the Trust’s primary market risk exposures—constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. The Trust’s primary market risk exposures as well as the strategies used and to be used by the Managing Owner for managing such exposures are subject to numerous uncertainties, contingencies and risks, any one of which could cause the actual results of the Trust’s risk controls to differ materially from the objectives of such strategies. Government interventions, defaults and expropriations, illiquid markets, the emergence of dominant fundamental factors, political upheavals, changes in historical price relationships, an influx of new market participants, increased regulation and many other factors could result in material losses as well as in material changes to the risk exposures and the risk management strategies of the Trust. There can be no assurance that the Trust’s current market exposure and/or risk management strategies will not change materially or that any such strategies will be effective in either the short- or long-term. Investors must be prepared to lose all or substantially all of their investment in the Trust.

 

The following were the primary trading risk exposures of the Trust as of September 30, 2015, by market sector (see page 19 for a complete list of futures, forward and spot contracts traded).

 

Financial Instruments. Interest rate movements directly affect the price of the sovereign bond futures positions held by the Trust and indirectly the value of its stock index and currency positions. Interest rate movements in one country as well as relative interest rate movements between countries may materially impact the Trust’s profitability. The Trust’s primary interest rate exposure is to interest rate fluctuations in countries or regions including Australia, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, the U.K., the U.S. and the Eurozone. However, the Trust also may take positions in futures contracts on the government debt of other nations. The Managing Owner anticipates that interest rates in these industrialized countries or areas, both long-term and short-term, will remain the primary interest rate market exposure of the Trust for the foreseeable future.

 

Currencies. Exchange rate risk is a principal market exposure of the Trust. The Trust’s currency exposure is to exchange rate fluctuations, primarily fluctuations which disrupt the historical pricing relationships between different currencies and currency pairs. The fluctuations are influenced by interest rate changes as well as political and general economic conditions. The Trust trades in a large number of currencies, including cross-rates — e.g., positions between two currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

 

Stock Indices. The Trust’s equity exposure, through stock index futures, is to equity price risk in the major industrialized countries as well as other countries.

 

Metals. The Trust’s metals market exposure is to fluctuations in the price of aluminum, copper, gold, lead, nickel, palladium, platinum, silver, tin and zinc.

 

Agricultural. The Trust’s primary commodities exposure is to agricultural price movements, which are often directly affected by severe or unexpected weather conditions as well as supply and demand factors.

 

Energy. The Trust’s primary energy market exposure is to gas and oil price movements, often resulting from political developments in the Middle East and economic conditions worldwide. Energy prices are volatile and substantial profits and losses have been and are expected to continue to be experienced in this market.

 

Qualitative Disclosures Regarding Non-Trading Risk Exposure

 

The following were the non-trading risk exposures of the Trust as of September 30, 2015.

 

Foreign Currency Balances. The Trust’s primary foreign currency balances are in Australian Dollars, British Pounds, Canadian Dollars, Euros, Japanese Yen, Korean Won, Malaysian Ringgit, Swiss Francs and Thai Bhat. To the extent possible, the Trust controls the non-trading risk of these balances by regularly converting these balances back into U.S. dollars (no less frequently than twice a month).

 

Securities Positions. The Trust’s only market exposure in instruments held other than for trading is in its securities portfolio. The Trust holds only cash or interest-bearing, credit risk-free, short-term paper — typically U.S. Treasury instruments with durations no longer than 1 year. Violent fluctuations in prevailing interest rates could cause immaterial mark-to-market losses on the Trust’s securities, although substantially all of these short-term instruments are held to maturity.

 

37 

 

  

Qualitative Disclosures Regarding Means of Managing Risk Exposure

 

The Managing Owner attempts to control risk through the systematic application of its trading method, which includes a multi-system approach to price trend recognition, an analysis of market volatility, the application of certain money management principles, which may be revised from time to time, and adjusting leverage or portfolio size. In addition, the Managing Owner limits its trading to markets which it believes are sufficiently liquid in respect of the amount of trading it contemplates conducting.

 

The goal of the Managing Owner’s research has been to develop and select a mix of systems in each market and to allocate risk across a wide array of markets, so as to contain overall portfolio risk within a targeted range while allowing exposure to profitable trend opportunities. Over more than 40 years, the Managing Owner has developed hundreds of trading systems. These trading systems generate buy or sell decisions in a particular market based on the direction of price movements in the market.

 

Of course, systems can be materially different — better in some periods and worse in others. The main distinguishing features are: the time frame over which systems work (intra-day to long-term); the granularity of data fed into them (tick data to daily, weekly or monthly frequencies); type (market or economic statistics); source (cash, futures or option markets-generated data or government and industry generated statistical information), and the objective of the system (profiting from momentum, mean reversion, trading-ranges or volatility). No single approach will work all the time. Therefore, the Managing Owner’s objective is to have several approaches operating simultaneously. Since the early 1980s, the Managing Owner has used multiple systems for each market.

 

When arriving at the portfolio allocation, the Managing Owner generally seeks maximum diversification subject to liquidity and sector concentration constraints, and each market is traded using a diversified (but generally not optimized for each particular market) set of trading systems. The markets traded and allocations are reviewed at least monthly, although changes may occur more or less frequently. The following factors, among others, are considered in constructing a universe of markets to trade for the Trust: profitability, liquidity of markets, professional judgment, desired diversification, transaction costs, exchange regulations and depth of market. Once the universe of markets is established, the Managing Owner’s simulation and optimization techniques help determine which markets to include in the Trust’s portfolio. The current allocation to any market in the Trust’s portfolio does not exceed 2% of total market exposure, measured by risk allocation.

 

Risk is a function of both price level and price volatility. The Managing Owner sizes the position in each market taking into account its measurement of risk based on price level and volatility in that market. Market exposure is then managed by the position-sizing models which measure the risk in the portfolio’s position in each market. In the event the model determines that the risk has changed beyond an acceptable threshold, it will signal a change in the position — a decrease in position size when risk increases and an increase in position size when risk decreases. The Managing Owner’s position-sizing models maintain overall portfolio risk and distribution of risk across markets within designated ranges. The position-sizing model manages the position traded by each of the (directional) trading systems discussed above. A secondary benefit of the position-sizing model can be timely profit taking. Because markets tend to become more volatile after a profitable trend has been long underway, the position-sizing model often signals position reductions before trend reversals.

 

In addition, the Managing Owner’s risk management focuses on money management principles applicable to the portfolio as a whole rather than to individual markets. The first principle is portfolio diversification, which attempts to improve the quality of profits by reducing volatility.

 

Additional money management principles applicable to the portfolio as a whole include: (1) limiting the assets committed as margin or collateral, generally within a range of 5% to 35% of an account’s net assets, though the amount may at any time be higher or lower and (2) prohibiting pyramiding — that is, using unrealized profits in a particular market as margin for additional positions solely in the same market.

 

Another important risk management function is the careful control of leverage or total portfolio exposure. Leverage levels are determined by simulating the entire portfolio — all markets, all systems, all risk control models, the exact weightings of the markets in the portfolio and the proposed level of leverage — over the past five or ten years to determine the portfolio’s simulated risk and return characteristics as well as the worst case experienced by the portfolio in the simulation period. The worst case, or peak-to-trough drawdown, is measured from a daily high in portfolio assets to the subsequent daily low whether that occurs days, weeks or months after the daily high. If the Managing Owner considers the drawdown too severe or the portfolio’s simulated volatility too high, it reduces the leverage or total portfolio exposure. There are, however, no restrictions on the amount of leverage the Trust may use at any given time.

 

38 

 

  

The Managing Owner

 

Millburn Ridgefield Corporation

 

The Managing Owner, Millburn Ridgefield Corporation, is a Delaware corporation operating in Greenwich, Connecticut, organized in May 1982 to manage discretionary accounts in futures and forward markets. It is the corporate successor to a futures trading and advisory organization that has been continuously managing assets in the currency and futures markets using quantitative, systematic techniques since 1971. As of December 1, 2015, the Managing Owner, together with its affiliates, was managing approximately $1.3 billion in commodity and financial futures, currencies and other alternative strategies in non-proprietary accounts.

 

The value of the Managing Owner’s investment in the Trust as of November 30, 2015 was $5,940,987. As of the same date, the aggregate value of the Managing Owner’s principals’ and their family members’ investments in the Trust was $910,109.

 

Background and Management

 

The Managing Owner has been registered with the CFTC as a CPO since July 1, 1982 and as a CTA since September 13, 1984 and has been a member of the National Futures Association (“NFA”) since July 1, 1982.  The Managing Owner registered with the CFTC as a “swap member” effective December 26, 2012. The Managing Owner is the successor to the trading advisory and CPO functions of Millburn Partners and CommInVest Research Limited Partnership (“CommInVest”), each of which served as the general partners of various commodity pools and both of which are or were affiliates of The Millburn Corporation.  The Millburn Corporation, an affiliate of the Managing Owner operating in New York, performs certain administrative and operating functions for the Managing Owner, including research, trade order entry, technology, operations, marketing, accounting, tax, legal, compliance, human resources and administration services.  The Millburn Corporation is compensated by the Managing Owner out of the Managing Owner’s own funds and neither the Trust nor any Unitholder bears any additional costs as a result of the arrangement between The Millburn Corporation and the Managing Owner.  Millburn International, LLC was formed on November 18, 2010, and Millburn Asia, LLC (together with Millburn International, LLC, “Millburn International Group”) was formed on November 3, 2014. Millburn International Group and their subsidiaries provide information regarding the Managing Owner and its strategies and certain investor services on behalf of the Managing Owner in connection with the Managing Owner’s international activities.  ShareInVest Research L.P. (“ShareInVest”), a former affiliate of the Managing Owner, managed U.S. small capitalization growth stock hedge funds and ceased operations as of December 31, 2007.  The registration of the Managing Owner with the CFTC must not be taken as an indication that such agency has recommended or approved either the Managing Owner or the Trust.

 

The core of the Managing Owner’s business centers on its Systematic Futures & Currency Investment Process (the “Investment Process”). The Investment Process is overseen by the Managing Owner’s Investment Committee, which comprises the Managing Owner’s senior principals. The Investment Process is supported by employees of The Millburn Corporation who are responsible for research, data management, system implementation, trade order entry and market intelligence. The Investment Process includes, among other functions, system design, modeling and the Managing Owner’s risk management processes. This Investment Process is responsible for deploying portfolio risk across markets, strategies and models.

 

The Managing Owner was among the first systematic money managers to begin building a comprehensive in-house computerized database of cleaned and time-stamped pricing and market-related data pertaining to instruments traded by its funds. This database has been enhanced and updated continuously since its introduction in 1975, but includes data from several decades before that time. Over the years, with advancements in software and storage technology, the database has been expanded to include terabytes of tick and other data. The Managing Owner and The Millburn Corporation utilize third-party software packages to collect this data efficiently and have developed several proprietary software tools that they believe enhance their ability to filter the data and generate simulations, trading signals and new trading models. Data robustness is supported by multiple data feeds from independent third-party vendors and by the continuous back up and redundancy of data between the two different geographical locations and a backup site with independent generators.

 

Other key components of the Managing Owner’s Investment Process include trade execution and market intelligence. Currently, most of the Managing Owner’s trades in the futures markets are executed electronically. The Managing Owner believes electronic trading has been instrumental in making the trading operation more efficient and cost effective. The Millburn Corporation’s experienced trading team provides meaningful feedback to the research team which is critical in the monitoring of markets (e.g., liquidity, credit, sovereign issues), the development of trading algorithms and/or utilization of brokers’ trading algorithms.

 

39 

 

  

The Millburn Corporation’s back office infrastructure supports the Managing Owner’s Investment Process. The infrastructure consists of legal, compliance, fund accounting, tax, technology, marketing, human resources and administrative departments. The Managing Owner and The Millburn Corporation have a strong focus on internal controls and risk management to ensure that all accounts are reconciled in a timely manner. Portfolios are priced using independent pricing sources, assets are safeguarded at independent counterparties and the Managing Owner and The Millburn Corporation strive to maintain adequate separation of duties among employees. A suite of risk management tools is used to monitor various items such as counterparty credit risk, liquidity in the markets traded, targeted risk levels, margin and performance attribution.

 

In addition to the back office infrastructure provided by The Millburn Corporation, the Trust has engaged CACEIS (USA) Inc., a third-party asset servicing provider (the “Verification Agent”), to, among other things, independently price the Trust’s portfolio, or verify the Managing Owner’s valuations, verify the existence of assets, cash balances and counterparty balances, calculate counterparty exposures, verify the Managing Owner’s calculation of fees and allocations, verify the Managing Owner’s calculation of Net Assets and provide monthly reports related to the foregoing.  The agreement between the Trust and the Verification Agent may be terminated by either party for cause or, after August 16, 2012, upon 90 days notice. The Trust reimburses the Verification Agent for expenses that the Verification Agent incurs on the Trust’s behalf and pays the Verification Agent a monthly fee in arrears equal to the higher of: (1) 1/12 of 0.004% of the month-end Net Assets of the Trust and (2) $2,500. Such expenses and fees are considered a part of the routine legal, accounting, administrative, printing and similar costs associated with the Trust’s day-to-day operations, which are not expected to exceed 0.45 of 1% of the Trust’s average month-end Net Assets in any given year, assuming Trust assets of $300,000,000.

 

Communication between the Managing Owner and the Trust’s investors is maintained primarily by the investor services department, which provides investors with insight into the trading methodology, current market conditions and performance of their investments.

 

The background of each of the principals and senior officers of the Managing Owner and its affiliates who perform services on the Managing Owner’s behalf is set forth below. The principals of the Managing Owner responsible for investment decisions and/or business operations on behalf of the Trust are Harvey Beker, George E. Crapple, Barry Goodman, Grant N. Smith, Gregg R. Buckbinder, and Mark B. Fitzsimmons.

 

Harvey Beker, age 62. Mr. Beker is Co-Chairman of the Managing Owner and serves as a member of the Managing Owner’s Investment Committee. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from New York University (“NYU”) in 1974 and a Master of Business Administration degree in finance from NYU in 1975. From June 1975 to July 1977, Mr. Beker was employed by the investment bank Loeb Rhoades, Inc. where he developed and traded silver arbitrage strategies. From July 1977 to June 1978, Mr. Beker was a futures trader at the commodities and securities brokerage firm of Clayton Brokerage Co. of St. Louis. Mr. Beker has been employed by The Millburn Corporation since June 1978. He initially served as the Director of Operations for its affiliate, Millburn Partners, and most recently thereafter served as Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Managing Owner and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Millburn Corporation until November 1, 2015. During his tenure at the Managing Owner (including its affiliates, Millburn Partners and CommInVest), he has been instrumental in the development of the research, trading and operations areas. Mr. Beker became a principal of the firm in June 1982, and a partner in the predecessor to ShareInVest in April 1982. Mr. Beker became registered as an Associated Person and a Swap Associated Person of the Managing Owner effective November 25, 1986 and March 8, 2013, respectively. Additionally, he became listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person and a Swap Associated Person of The Millburn Corporation effective February 8, 1984, May 23, 1989, and March 8, 2013, respectively. He was also listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person of ShareInVest effective February 20, 1986 until February 25, 2007. Mr. Beker has also served as Co-Chairman of each entity in Millburn International Group since inception.

 

George E. Crapple, age 71. Mr. Crapple is Co-Chairman of the Managing Owner and serves as a member of the Managing Owner’s Investment Committee. In 1966, he graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin where his field of concentration was economics and he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In 1969, he graduated from Harvard Law School, magna cum laude , where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He was a lawyer with the law firm of Sidley Austin LLP, Chicago, Illinois, from June 1969 until April 1, 1983, as a partner since July 1975, specializing in commodities, securities, corporate and tax law. He was first associated with the Managing Owner in June 1976 and joined the Managing Owner and The Millburn Corporation (including its affiliates, Millburn Partners and CommInVest) on April 1, 1983 on a full-time basis. Mr. Crapple ceased his employment with The Millburn Corporation effective May 31, 2011 and his position as Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Managing Owner as of November 1, 2015. He became a partner in ShareInVest in April 1984. Mr. Crapple is a past Director, Member of the Executive Committee, Chairman of the Appeals Committee and a former Chairman of the Eastern Regional Business Conduct Committee of the NFA, past Chairman of the hedge fund industry group, the Managed Funds Association (the “MFA”), a former member of the Global Markets Advisory Committee of the CFTC and a former member of the board of directors of the Futures Industry Association. Mr. Crapple has also served as the Co-Chairman of each entity in Millburn International Group since inception. Mr. Crapple became listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person and Swap Associated Person of the Managing Owner effective September 13, 1984, April 2, 1988 and December 26, 2012, respectively. Additionally, he was listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person of The Millburn Corporation effective April 9, 1981 and May 23, 1989, respectively, until May 31, 2011. He was also listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person of ShareInVest effective February 20, 1986 until February 25, 2007.

 

40 

 

  

Barry A. Goodman, age 58. Mr. Goodman is Co-Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Trading for the Managing Owner and The Millburn Corporation, and serves as a member of the Managing Owner’s Investment Committee. Mr. Goodman plays an integral role in business and product development, and in the strategic direction of the firm as a whole. Mr. Goodman joined the Managing Owner and The Millburn Corporation (including its affiliate, Millburn Partners) in November 1982 as Assistant Director of Trading and most recently thereafter served as Executive Vice-President of the Managing Owner and The Millburn Corporation until November 1, 2015. His responsibilities include overseeing the firm’s trading operations and managing its trading relationships, as well as the design and implementation of trading systems. From September 1980 through October 1982, he was a commodity trader at the brokerage firm of E. F. Hutton & Co., Inc. (“E.F. Hutton”). At E.F. Hutton, he also designed and maintained various technical indicators and coordinated research projects pertaining to the futures markets. Mr. Goodman graduated magna cum laude from Harpur College of the State University of New York in 1979 with a B.A. in economics. Mr. Goodman has also served as President and a Director of each entity in Millburn International Group since inception. Mr. Goodman became listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person and a Swap Associated Person of the Managing Owner effective December 19, 1991, May 23, 1989 and January 14, 2013, respectively. He also became listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person and a Swap Associated Person of The Millburn Corporation effective June 20, 1995, April 5, 1989, and March 8, 2013, respectively. He became a partner in ShareInVest in January 1994. Mr. Goodman was a listed Principal of ShareInVest, effective May 19, 1999 until February 25, 2007.

 

Grant N. Smith, age 64. Mr. Smith is Co-Chief Executive Officer and Director of Research of the Managing Owner and The Millburn Corporation, and serves as a member of the Managing Owner’s Investment Committee. He is responsible for the design, testing and implementation of quantitative trading strategies, as well as for planning and overseeing the computerized decision-support systems of the firm. He received a B.S. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (“MIT”) in 1974 and an M.S. degree from MIT in 1975. While at MIT, he held several teaching and research positions in the computer science field and participated in various projects relating to database management. He joined the predecessor entity to The Millburn Corporation in June 1975, and has been continuously associated with the Managing Owner, The Millburn Corporation and their affiliates since that time. Mr. Smith served as the Executive Vice-President of the Managing Owner and The Millburn Corporation until November 1, 2015 and has also served as a Director of each entity in Millburn International Group since inception, where he, along with the other Directors of each of those entities, is responsible for its overall management. Mr. Smith became listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person and a Swap Associated Person of the Managing Owner, effective December 19, 1991, April 15, 2009, and March 8, 2013, respectively. He became listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person and a Swap Associated Person of The Millburn Corporation effective June 20, 1995, May 21, 1992, and March 8, 2013, respectively. Mr. Smith also became a partner in ShareInVest in January 1994. He also was listed as a Principal of ShareInVest, effective May 19, 1999 until February 25, 2007.

 

Gregg R. Buckbinder, age 57. Mr. Buckbinder is President and Chief Operating Officer of the Managing Owner and The Millburn Corporation and also serves as Chief Financial Officer of the Management Owner. He joined the Managing Owner and The Millburn Corporation in January 1998 from Odyssey Partners, L.P., an investment management firm, where he was responsible for the operation, administration and accounting of the firm’s merchant banking and managed account businesses from July 1990 through December 1997. Mr. Buckbinder was employed by Tucker Anthony, a securities broker and dealer, from June 1985 to July 1990 where he was First Vice President and Controller, and from August 1983 to June 1984 where he designed and implemented various operations and accounting systems. He was with the public accounting firm of Ernst & Whinney from June 1984 to June 1985 as a manager in the tax department and from September 1980 to August 1983 as a senior auditor, with an emphasis on clients in the financial services business. Mr. Buckbinder graduated cum laude from Pace University (“Pace”) in 1980 with a B.B.A. in accounting and received an M.S. in taxation from Pace in 1988. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Buckbinder served as Senior Vice-President of the Managing Owner and The Millburn Corporation until November 1, 2015, and has also served as Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and a Director of each entity in Millburn International Group since inception. Mr. Buckbinder became listed as a Principal of the Managing Owner effective February 5, 1999. He became listed as a Principal of The Millburn Corporation effective March 23, 1998. Mr. Buckbinder became a partner in ShareInVest in January 2000. He was also listed as a Principal of ShareInVest effective February 28, 2001 until February 25, 2007.

 

41 

 

  

Steven M. Felsenthal, age 46. Mr. Felsenthal is General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of the Managing Owner and The Millburn Corporation. Prior to joining the Managing Owner and its affiliates in January 2004, Mr. Felsenthal was a senior associate in the investment management group at the law firm of Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP (September 1999 - January 2004), where he represented and advised hedge funds, registered investment companies, investment advisers, broker-dealers and banks in connection with all facets of their asset management businesses, and a member of the tax department of the law firm of Kramer, Levin, Naftalis & Frankel LLP (October 1996 - September 1999). He graduated cum laude from Yeshiva University in 1991 with a B.A. in political science, and order of the coif from Fordham University School of Law in 1996, where he also served as an editor of the Fordham Environmental Law Journal. Mr. Felsenthal received an LL.M degree in taxation from NYU School of Law in 2001 and has written and been quoted in numerous published articles, and frequently speaks at conferences, on various topics related to investment management. Mr. Felsenthal is a member of the New York State Bar (since August 1997), a member of the NFA’s Compliance and Risk Committee (since May 2014), a former member of the Steering Committee of the MFA’s Chief Compliance Officer Forum (June 2014-December 2015), former Chairman of the MFA’s CPO/CTA Advisory Committee (November 2006 to June 2010) and former Co-Chairman of the Steering Committee of MFA’s CPO/CTA Forum (June 2010 to January 2013), is currently a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Securities Operations & Custody (formerly known as the Journal of Securities Law, Regulation and Compliance) (since February 2007) and a regular lecturer for the Regulatory Compliance Association’s Chief Compliance Officer University (since May 2009). Mr. Felsenthal has also served as General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary of each entity in Millburn International Group since inception. Mr. Felsenthal became listed as a Principal of the Managing Owner and The Millburn Corporation effective June 24, 2004. Mr. Felsenthal also served as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of ShareInVest.

 

Mark B. Fitzsimmons, age 68. Mr. Fitzsimmons is a Senior Vice-President of the Managing Owner and served in the same capacity at The Millburn Corporation until December 31, 2011. His responsibilities mainly involve business development. He joined the Managing Owner and its affiliates in January 1990 from the brokerage firm of Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, a global financial services firm, where he was a Principal and Manager of institutional foreign exchange sales and was involved in strategic trading for the firm from October 1987 until January 1990. From September 1977 to October 1987, he was with the financial institution Chemical Bank New York Corporation (“Chemical”), first as a Senior Economist in Chemical’s Foreign Exchange Advisory Service and later as a Vice-President and Manager of Chemical’s Corporate Trading Group. While at Chemical he also traded both foreign exchange and fixed income products. From September 1973 to September 1977, Mr. Fitzsimmons was employed by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, dividing his time between the International Research Department and the Foreign Exchange Department. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1970 with a B.S. degree in economics. His graduate work was done at the University of Virginia, where he received a certificate of candidacy for a Ph.D. in economics in 1973. Mr. Fitzsimmons became listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person and a Swap Associated Person of the Managing Owner effective July 2, 1993, April 15, 2009, and March 8, 2013, respectively. Mr. Fitzsimmons was a listed Principal and registered Associated Person of The Millburn Corporation effective June 20, 1995 until December 31, 2011 and October 12, 1992 until December 31, 2011, respectively. Mr. Fitzsimmons was a partner in ShareInVest beginning in January 2000. He was also a listed Principal of ShareInVest effective May 19, 1999 until February 25, 2007.

 

Michael W. Carter, age 46. Mr. Carter is a Vice President, Director of Operations of The Millburn Corporation and Principal Accounting Officer of the Managing Owner. He is responsible for overseeing operations and accounting for the firm’s commodity pools. Prior to his promotion to Director of Operations in January 2011 and Principal Accounting Officer effective May 2014, Mr. Carter held the positions of Fund Controller (February 2001 until February 2011) and Senior Accountant (March 2000 until February 2001) with The Millburn Corporation. He graduated from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey – Newark in May 1997 with a B.S. in Accounting. Prior to joining the Managing Owner and its affiliates, he was employed with the accounting firm Rothstein Kass & Company, P.C., as a fund accountant from March 1997 until September 1997 and as a staff auditor from September 1997 until June 1999, and then an equity analyst covering restaurants with the brokerage firm of Sidoti & Company, LLC, which conducts independent small-cap equity research for institutional investors, from June 1999 until February 2000. He is a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Carter became listed as Principal of the Managing Owner and The Millburn Corporation effective April 22, 2014 and July 1, 2014, respectively.

 

42 

 

  

The Managing Owner shares with its affiliates a staff of over 50, including the above-named individuals.

 

Past performance of the Units is set forth on pages 21-24 hereof.

 

Trading Strategies in General

 

Futures and forward traders may generally be classified as either systematic or discretionary. A systematic trader will generally rely to some degree on judgmental decisions concerning, for example, which markets to follow and trade, when to liquidate a position in a contract that is about to expire and how heavy a weighting a particular market should have in a portfolio. However, although these judgmental decisions may have a substantial effect on a systematic trading advisor’s performance, the trader relies primarily on trading programs or models that generate trading signals. The systems used to generate trading signals themselves may be changed from time to time, but the trading instructions generated by the systems are followed without significant additional analysis or interpretation. Discretionary traders on the other hand — while they may use market charts, computer programs and compilations of quantifiable information to assist them in making investment decisions — make investment decisions primarily on the basis of their own judgment and trading instinct, not on the basis of trading signals generated by any program or model.

 

The Managing Owner is a systematic trader with respect to its futures and forward trading.

 

In addition to being distinguished from one another on the basis of whether they are systematic or discretionary traders, futures trading advisors are also distinguished as relying on either technical or fundamental analysis, or on a combination of the two.

 

Technical analysis is not based on the anticipated supply and demand of a particular commodity, currency or financial instrument. Instead, it is based on the theory that the study of the markets themselves will provide a means of anticipating the external factors that affect the supply and demand for a particular commodity, currency or financial instrument in order to predict future prices. Technical analysis operates on the theory that market prices at any given point in time reflect all known factors affecting supply and demand for a particular commodity, currency or financial instrument.

 

Fundamental analysis, in contrast, is based on the study of factors external to the trading markets that affect the supply and demand of a particular commodity, currency or financial instrument in an attempt to predict future prices. Such factors might include the economy of a particular country, government policies, domestic and foreign political and economic events, and changing trade prospects. Fundamental analysis theorizes that by monitoring relevant supply and demand factors for a particular commodity, currency or financial instrument, a state of current or potential disequilibrium of market conditions may be identified that has yet to be reflected in the price level of that instrument. Fundamental analysis assumes that the markets are imperfect, that information is not instantaneously assimilated or disseminated and that econometric models can be constructed that generate equilibrium prices that may indicate that current prices are inconsistent with underlying economic conditions and will, accordingly, change in the future.

 

The Managing Owner employs models analyzing both technical and fundamental data, but is predominantly a technical trader with respect to its systematic investment approach.

 

The Managing Owner’s Trading Strategy

 

Multiple Trading Systems

 

The Managing Owner makes its systematically-based investment and trading decisions pursuant to its investment and trading methods, which may include technical trend analysis, certain non-traditional technical systems (i.e., systems falling outside of traditional technical trend analysis), and money management principles, each of which may be revised from time to time. The objective of the Managing Owner’s investment and trading methods is to consider multiple data inputs, or “factors,” in order to arrive at relatively near-term return forecasts for each traded instrument, and take appropriate, risk-managed positions. These factors include price data, but also a range of price derivative and non-price data. The Managing Owner’s approach employs models that analyze data inputs over a time spectrum from several minutes to multiple years.

 

A majority of trades generated by quantitative models may be unprofitable. Their objective is to make fewer but larger profits, more than offsetting possibly more numerous but smaller losses. Consequently, during periods in which market behavior differs significantly from that analyzed to build models, substantial losses are possible, and even likely.

 

The Managing Owner is engaged in an ongoing research effort to improve its trading methods and to apply its quantitative analytic expertise to new financial products.

 

Successful systematic futures and forward trading depends on several elements. Two of the main factors are the development and selection of the trading systems used in each market, and the allocation of portfolio risk among the markets available for trading.

 

43 

 

  

Market environments change over time, and particular systems may perform well in one environment but poorly in another. Likewise, market sectors and individual markets go through periods where systematic trading is very profitable and other periods where no system is able to generate any profits.

 

The goal of the Managing Owner’s research has been to develop and select a mix of systems in each market and to allocate risk across a wide array of markets, so as to contain overall portfolio risk within a targeted range, while allowing exposure to profitable opportunities.

 

Over more than 40 years, the Managing Owner and its predecessor entities have developed hundreds of trading systems. These trading systems generate buy or sell decisions in a particular market based on the analysis of price movements in the market, some non-price information or a combination of both.

 

Of course, systems can be materially different — better in some periods and worse in others. The main distinguishing features are: the time frame over which systems work (intra-day to long-term); the granularity of data fed into them (tick data to daily, weekly or monthly frequencies); type (market or economic statistics); source (cash, futures, forward or option markets-generated data or government and industry generated statistical information), and the objective of the system (profiting from momentum, mean reversion, trading-ranges or volatility). No single approach will work all the time. Therefore, the Managing Owner’s objective is to have several approaches and several data inputs operating in conjunction with one another.

 

When arriving at the portfolio allocation, the Managing Owner generally seeks maximum diversification subject to liquidity and sector concentration constraints, and each market is traded using a diversified set of trading systems, which may be optimized for groups of markets, sectors or specific markets. The markets traded and allocations are reviewed at least monthly, although changes may occur more or less frequently. The following factors, among others, are considered in constructing a universe of markets to trade for the Trust: profitability, liquidity of markets, professional judgment, desired diversification, transaction costs, exchange regulations and depth of market. Once the universe of markets is established, the Managing Owner’s simulation and optimization techniques help determine which markets to include in the Trust’s portfolio. The current allocation to any market in the Trust’s portfolio does not exceed 2% of total market exposure, measured by risk allocation.

 

Risk Management

 

Risk is a function of both price level and price volatility. For example, for any given level of volatility, a 100,000 barrel crude oil position is worth more and is, therefore, probably more risky with oil at $90 per barrel than with oil at $50 per barrel. Similarly, oil would be more risky if prices are moving in a 5% daily range than if prices are moving in a 1% daily range. The Managing Owner sizes the position in each market taking into account its measurement of risk based on price level and volatility in that market. Market exposure is then managed by the position-sizing models which measure the risk in the portfolio’s position in each market. In the event the model determines that the risk has changed beyond an acceptable threshold, it will signal a change in the position — a decrease in position size when risk increases and an increase in position size when risk decreases. The Managing Owner’s position-sizing models maintain overall portfolio risk and distribution of risk across markets within designated ranges. The position-sizing model manages the position traded by each of the (directional) trading systems discussed above.

 

In addition, the Managing Owner’s risk management processes focus on money management principles applicable to the portfolio as a whole rather than to individual markets. The first principle is portfolio diversification, which attempts to improve the quality of profits by reducing volatility.

 

Additional money management principles applicable to the portfolio as a whole include: (1) limiting the assets committed as margin or collateral, generally within a range of 5% to 35% of an account’s net assets, though the amount may at any time be higher or lower and (2) prohibiting pyramiding — that is, using unrealized profits in a particular market as margin for additional positions solely in the same market.

 

Another important risk management function is the careful control of leverage or total portfolio exposure. Leverage levels are determined by simulating the entire portfolio — all markets, all systems, all risk control models, the exact weightings of the markets in the portfolio and the proposed level of leverage — over the past five or ten years to determine the portfolio’s simulated risk and return characteristics as well as the worst case experienced by the portfolio in the simulation period. The worst case, or peak-to-trough drawdown, is measured from a daily high in portfolio assets to the subsequent daily low whether that occurs days, weeks or months after the daily high. If the Managing Owner considers the drawdown too severe or the portfolio’s simulated volatility too high, it reduces the leverage or total portfolio exposure. There are, however, no restrictions on the amount of leverage the Trust may use at any given time.

 

44 

 

  

Decisions whether to trade a particular market require the exercise of judgment. The decision not to trade certain markets for certain periods, or to reduce the size of a position in a particular market, may result at times in missing significant profit opportunities.

 

The Managing Owner employs discretion in the execution of trades where The Millburn Corporation’s trader expertise plays a role in timing of orders and, from time to time, the Managing Owner may adjust the size of a position, long or short, in any given market indicated by its systematic trading strategies. This exercise of discretion (other than in trade execution) generally occurs only in response to unusual market conditions that may not have been factored into the design of the trading systems and is generally intended to reduce risk exposure. Decisions to make such adjustments also require the exercise of judgment and may include consideration of the volatility of the particular market; the pattern of price movements, both inter-day and intra-day; open interest; volume of trading; changes in spread relationships between various forward contracts; and overall portfolio balance and risk exposure.

 

With respect to the execution of trades, the Managing Owner and The Millburn Corporation employees responsible for trade order entry may rely to an extent upon the judgment of others, including dealers and bank traders. No assurance is given that it will be possible to execute trades regularly at or near the desired buy or sell point.

 

The trading method, systems and money management principles utilized by the Managing Owner are proprietary and confidential. The foregoing description is general and is not intended to be complete.

 

Use Of Proceeds

 

The entire proceeds of this offering of the Units will be used by the Trust to engage in its trading activities and as reserves to support that trading.

 

The Trust will deposit its assets in cash with the Trust’s clearing brokers and other futures clearing brokers to be used as margin, in accounts established in the name of the Trust at major U.S. banks and with its foreign exchange counterparties. The assets deposited as margin with the clearing brokers will be held in “customer segregated funds accounts” or “foreign futures and foreign options secured amount accounts,” as required by the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended (the “CEA”) and CFTC regulations. In general, the Managing Owner expects that approximately 3% to 13% of the Trust’s assets will be held in customer segregated funds and approximately 3% to 13% will be held in foreign futures and options secured amount accounts. Assets held in customer segregated funds accounts and foreign futures and options secured amount accounts will be held in cash or in U.S. Treasury instruments approved by the CFTC for the investment of customer segregated funds. In general, the Managing Owner expects that approximately 70% to 85% of the Trust’s assets will be held in bank, U.S. government securities and related instrument money market fund or custody accounts opened in the Trust’s name, although the actual level may vary from time to time. Assets held in these accounts will be held primarily in interest-bearing deposits or in U.S. Treasury instruments and/or Government Agency and related instruments. However, any interest actually earned may be nominal as a result of the historically low interest rates currently available.

 

The Trust will trade in the forward currency and may trade in swap markets. The Trust will deposit assets with its currency forward and swap counterparties in order to initiate and maintain its currency forward and swap contracts, primarily with Morgan Stanley & Co., LLC and Deutsche Bank AG which serves as the Trust’s prime broker in connection with the Trust’s foreign currency forward contract transactions. Such assets will be held in U.S. Treasury instruments or in cash, for which the Trust will receive an interest credit at short-term rates. The foreign exchange and swap counterparties may receive a benefit as a result of the deposit of such cash in the form of a reduction in their outstanding overnight borrowings, despite such cash belonging to the Trust, not the counterparties. Approximately 3% to 12% of the Trust’s assets will be held, in the Trust’s name, in cash or U.S. Treasury instruments in accounts in the U.S., with foreign exchange and swap counterparties. These accounts may not be subject to the segregation regulations of the CFTC and thus may offer less protection than segregated funds accounts in the event of the bankruptcy of a foreign exchange or swap counterparty.

 

On an ongoing basis, the Managing Owner anticipates that the Trust will be able to earn interest on approximately 90% of its daily Net Assets. The Managing Owner will not receive any interest income earned on the approximately 10% of the Trust’s Net Assets which do not earn interest for the Trust.

 

Under current margin requirements, the Managing Owner expects the Trust’s average margin to equity ratio, including collateral held by foreign exchange and swap counterparties, to be approximately 5% to 35% of the Trust’s assets. However, margin requirements vary from time to time, and the Trust is not limited in the amount of leverage it may use at any one time.

 

The Managing Owner does not anticipate making any distributions of Trust profits.

 

The Trust will not lend any of its assets to any person or entity other than through permitted securities investments. The Managing Owner will not commingle the property of the Trust with the property of any other person or entity in violation of law.

 

45 

 

  

Charges

 

The Managing Owner believes that you should consider the charges to which the Trust is subject when making your investment decision.

 

Charges Paid by the Trust

 

Recipient   Nature of Payment   Amount of Payment
The Managing Owner   Brokerage Fee   Series 1 Units only:  7% annually, paid as a monthly fee of 0.5833 of 1% of the Trust’s month-end Net Assets attributable to Series 1 Units before accruals for unpaid Brokerage Fees or Series 1 Profit Shares.  The Managing Owner will, in turn, pay all the routine costs of executing and clearing the Trust’s trades and all selling commissions due to the Selling Agents. During 2014, the Trust incurred $15,348,327 in Brokerage Fees that were paid and accrued to the Managing Owner.
         
        Persons who invest $100,000 or more in the Series 1 Units pay annual Brokerage Fees at reduced rates. This reduction has no effect on other investors.
         
    Management Fee   Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units only:  2% annually, paid as a monthly fee of 0.166 of 1% of the Trust’s month-end Net Assets attributable to Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units before accruals for unpaid management fees, custodial fees or Series 2/3 Profit Shares.  During 2014, the Trust incurred $405,490 in management fees that were paid and accrued to the Managing Owner.
         
    Custodial Fee   Series 2 Units only:  0.25% annually, paid as a monthly fee of 0.0208 of 1% of the Trust’s month-end Net Assets attributable to Series 2 Units, before accruals for unpaid management fees, custodial fees or Series 2/3 Profit Shares, which the Managing Owner will pay on to broker-dealers serving as custodians of the Series 2 Units.   During 2014, the Trust incurred $61,226 in custodial fees.
         
Executing, Clearing Brokers and Others   Round-Turn Brokerage and Electronic Trading Platform Fees   Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units only:  Actual costs of executing and clearing the Trust’s futures trades and actual electronic platform trading costs attributable to Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units, estimated at approximately 0.30% of the Trust’s average month-end Net Assets per year attributable to the Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units.  During 2014, the Trust incurred $86,069 in round-turn brokerage and electronic trading platform fees attributable to the Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units.

 

46 

 

  

Forward and Swap

Counterparties/Prime Brokers

  “Bid-ask” Spreads, Prime Brokerage Fees   “Bid-ask” spreads are not actually fees but are dealer profit margins incorporated into forward and swap contract pricing. They are, therefore, unquantifiable.  The Managing Owner, not the Trust, may pay, depending upon whether the trade is executed at the prime broker or away from the prime broker, approximately $7-$8 in prime brokerage fees per $1 million of currency forward contracts facilitated on behalf of the Trust attributable to the Series 1 Units. The Trust, and not the Managing Owner, may pay, depending upon whether the trade is executed at the prime broker or away from the prime broker, approximately $7-$8 in prime brokerage fees per $1 million of currency forward contracts facilitated on behalf of the Trust attributable to the Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units, estimated at approximately 0.001% of the Trust’s average month-end Net Assets per year attributable to the Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units.  During 2014, approximately 81% of the Trust’s currency forward contracts were not subject to such prime brokerage fee.
         
The Managing Owner   Annual Profit Share   Series 1 Units: 20% of any New Trading Profit attributable to Series 1 Units, excluding interest income and after reduction for Brokerage Fees and ongoing offering and administrative costs.    
         
        Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units:  20% of any aggregate New Trading Profit attributable to Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units, excluding interest income and after reduction for management fees (attributable to Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units), executing and clearing costs (attributable to Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units), custodial fees (attributable to Series 2 Units) and ongoing offering and administrative costs.
         
        During 2014, the Trust allocated $119,598 in Profit Share to the Managing Owner.
         
Others   Trustee fees, legal, accounting, printing, postage and other offering and administrative costs   As incurred; not expected to exceed 0.55 of 1% of average month-end Net Assets annually.  During 2014, the Trust incurred $1,239,830 in administrative expenses.
         
Others   Extraordinary charges   Actual payments to third parties; expected to be negligible.

 

 

 

Flat-Rate Brokerage Fees — Series 1 Units

 

The Trust will pay the Managing Owner a flat-rate annual Brokerage Fee equal to 7% of the average month-end Net Assets attributable to the Series 1 Units after reduction for expenses but before reduction for any accrued but unpaid Brokerage Fees or Profit Shares.

 

The Managing Owner, not the Trust, will pay all routine costs of executing and clearing the Trust’s futures trades attributable to the Series 1 Units. These costs include the brokerage commissions paid to the clearing brokers, electronic trading platform fees, and NFA transaction fees described below.

 

The Trust’s expenses must be offset by trading gains and interest income to avoid depletion of the Trust’s assets.

 

The Managing Owner pays up to 4% to the Selling Agents in respect of the Series 1 Units sold by the Selling Agents. The amount paid to Selling Agents will not, however, exceed 9.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Series 1 Units sold pursuant to this Prospectus. Once the 9.5% threshold is reached with respect to a Series 1 Unit, the Selling Agent will receive no future compensation and the up to 4% amount that would otherwise be paid to the Selling Agent for that Series 1 Unit will instead be rebated to the Trust for the benefit of all holders of Series 1 Units.

 

47 

 

  

The balance of the Brokerage Fees in respect of Series 1 Units, after payment of compensation to the Selling Agents (or after rebating to the Trust amounts which would otherwise have been paid to the Selling Agents but for the cap on such compensation) will be retained by the Managing Owner. The amount of the Brokerage Fee retained per Series 1 Unit by the Managing Owner is estimated to be approximately 2.70% of the average month-end Net Asset Value per Series 1 Unit per year, i.e., the 7% Brokerage Fee received less (i) the up to 4% amount paid as selling commissions or otherwise rebated to the Trust and (ii) the estimated 0.30% per annum paid out in clearing and execution costs.

 

Brokerage Fee Differentials

 

If you subscribe for Series 1 Units in the amount of $100,000, $500,000 or $1,000,000 or more, you will be subject to Brokerage Fees of 6.5%, 6% and 5.5%, respectively.

 

If your Series 1 Units are subject to reduced Brokerage Fees, rather than actually being charged the reduced amount, your Series 1 Units will be charged the same 7% Brokerage Fee as those of other investors. However, the Managing Owner will rebate to you the difference between the 7% Brokerage Fee and the reduced Brokerage Fee to which you are subject. This rebate will be in the form of additional Series 1 Units, calculated to three decimal places and issued at the then current Series 1 Unit Net Asset Value. Accordingly, the Net Asset Value of your investment in the Trust will reflect the reduced Brokerage Fee applicable to your Series 1 Units and a somewhat higher Profit Share as a result of the lower Brokerage Fee. The Managing Owner uses this rebate procedure to maintain a uniform Net Asset Value across all Series 1 Units.

 

The level of the Brokerage Fees you pay will be determined by taking into account the net investments you make — i.e., subscriptions minus redemptions. Thus, if you first invest $50,000 in the Series 1 Units, you will qualify for reduced Brokerage Fees upon a subsequent investment of $50,000, even if your original investment has lost value.

 

If, immediately after you redeem Series 1 Units, your aggregate net investment is less than $1,000,000, $500,000, or $100,000, you will no longer qualify for the level of reduced Brokerage Fee you were paying. If you make a subsequent investment, you will again qualify for reduced Brokerage Fees at the former level if the amount of the investment, plus the amount of your remaining net capital contributions — that is, subscriptions minus redemptions, assuming redemptions to be made first from profits, not capital contributions — equals or exceeds the relevant break point.

 

Management Fees — Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units

 

The Trust will pay the Managing Owner an annual management fee equal to 2% of the average month-end Net Assets attributable to the Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units after reduction for expenses but before reduction for any accrued but unpaid management fees, custodial fees or Series 2/3 Profit Shares.

 

Round-Turn Brokerage Fees — Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units

 

The Trust, not the Managing Owner, will pay the actual costs of executing and clearing the Trust’s futures trades attributable to Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units, estimated at approximately 0.30% of the Trust’s average month-end Net Assets per year attributable to the Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units. The costs of executing and clearing the Trust’s futures trades attributable to Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units will be borne by the Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units, respectively, not by the Trust as a whole.

 

The costs of executing and clearing the Trust’s futures trades include brokerage commissions paid to the clearing brokers and electronic trading platform fees, as both are described below, and NFA transaction fees of $0.02 per round-turn trade of a futures contract and $0.01 for each trade of a commodity option executed on a U.S. exchange.

 

The Managing Owner has negotiated brokerage rates with the clearing brokers ranging from approximately $2.00 to approximately $15.00 per round-turn trade, including all related exchange and regulatory fees. Commissions on some foreign exchanges are somewhat higher. Electronic trading platform fees for futures range from $0.15 to $0.25 per contract, depending upon the futures trading volume. At these rates, and including the foreign currency prime broker fees described below, the Managing Owner estimates the Trust’s aggregate execution and clearing costs borne by the Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units will be approximately 0.30% of average month-end Net Assets attributable to the Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units per year. The Managing Owner does not receive any portion of the commissions paid to the clearing brokers.

 

Custodial Fees — Series 2 Units

 

The Trust will pay the Managing Owner a custodial fee equal to 0.25% of the average month-end Net Assets attributable to the Series 2 Units, after reduction for expenses but before reduction for any accrued but unpaid management fees, custodial fees or Series 2/3 Profit Shares, which the Managing Owner will pay on to brokers acting as custodian of Series 2 Units for the benefit of investors in Series 2 Units. The custodial fee expense will be borne by the Series 2 Units, not by the Trust as a whole.

 

48 

 

  

The maximum amount of custodial fees paid to brokers that serve as custodians of Series 2 Units will not exceed 3.1667% of the gross offering proceeds of the Series 2 Units sold pursuant to this Prospectus. Once the maximum threshold is reached with respect to a Series 2 Unit, the broker serving as custodian for such Series 2 Unit will receive no future payment of custodial fees and the 0.25% amount that would otherwise be paid to the custodian for that Series 2 Unit will instead be rebated to the Trust for the benefit of all holders of Series 2 Units.

 

“Bid-Ask” Spreads

 

Currency dealers trade with a spread between the price at which they are prepared to buy or sell a particular currency. These “bid-ask” spreads are not actually fees but, rather, represent a profit margin to the dealer for making a market in the currency. The Managing Owner cannot quantify the amount of dealer profit that is embedded in a price quoted by a dealer, but the Managing Owner believes that the Trust will effect its currency transactions at prevailing market prices. Because the Trust will buy currency at the offer price and sell it at the bid price, the Trust, not the Managing Owner, will pay the dealer spreads. Dealer profit from the Trust’s currency trading may, over time, be substantial. Moreover, if the Trust trades swaps, banks and other dealers charge a “spread” between “bid” and “ask” prices, reflecting their profit on the transaction. In addition, the Managing Owner, not the Trust, may pay, depending upon whether the trade is executed at the prime broker or away from the prime broker, approximately $7-$8 in prime brokerage fees per $1 million of currency forward contracts facilitated on behalf of the Trust attributable to the Series 1 Units. The Trust, and not the Managing Owner, may pay, depending upon whether the trade is executed at the prime broker or away from the prime broker, approximately $7-$8 in prime brokerage fees per $1 million of currency forward contracts facilitated on behalf of the Trust attributable to the Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units, such prime brokerage fees to be an expense borne by the Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units, not the Trust as a whole. Prime brokerage fees borne by the Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units are estimated at approximately 0.01% of the Trust’s average month-end Net Assets per year attributable to the Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units. During 2014, approximately 81% of the Trust’s currency forward contracts were not subject to such prime brokerage fee.

 

20% Profit Share Based on “High Water Mark” New Trading Profit

 

The Trust pays the Managing Owner a Series 1 Profit Share equal to 20% of any cumulative New Trading Profit recognized by the Series 1 Units as of the end of each calendar year. The Trust pays the Managing Owner a Profit Share attributed to the Series 2 and Series 3 Units equal to 20% of any cumulative New Trading Profit recognized, in the aggregate, by the Series 2 Units and the Series 3 Units as of the end of each calendar year (the “Series 2/3 Profit Share”). New Trading Profit is any cumulative Trading Profit in excess of the highest level — the “High Water Mark”— of cumulative Trading Profit as of any previous calendar year-end. Trading Profit includes (1) realized trading profit (loss) plus or minus (2) the change in unrealized trading profit (loss) on open positions as of the previous calendar year-end. New Trading Profit in respect of Series 1 Units is calculated after payment of the monthly Brokerage Fee and ongoing offering and administrative expenses. New Trading Profit in respect of Series 2 and Series 3 Units is calculated after payment of the monthly management fee, execution and clearing costs, custodial fees, and ongoing offering and administrative expenses. For purposes of determining the Unit Net Asset Value and for allocating Profit Shares in respect of Units redeemed as of a date other than December 31, the Profit Share is accrued, and the accruals are reversed to reflect losses, on a monthly basis. Trading Profit does not include interest earned on the Trust’s assets. Profit Shares previously paid do not reduce New Trading Profit. That is, the Managing Owner does not have to “earn back” its Profit Shares in order to produce New Trading Profit.

 

For example, assume that at the end of the first year of trading the Series 1 Units had, after payment of monthly Brokerage Fees and ongoing offering and administrative costs, a realized profit of $50,000 on its closed positions and an unrealized profit of $150,000 on open positions. Series 1 Trading Profit would equal $200,000 and 20%, or $40,000, would be allocated as a Series 1 Profit Share. Assume that during the second calendar year, again after payment of monthly Brokerage Fees and ongoing offering and administrative costs, the Series 1 Units had realized profits of $60,000 and a decrease in the unrealized profits on its open positions of $50,000. Cumulative Series 1 New Trading Profit would have increased to $210,000 ($200,000 + $60,000 -$50,000), and 20% of $10,000, or $2,000, would be allocated as a Series 1 Profit Share. Now assume that during the third year, again after payment of monthly Brokerage Fees and ongoing offering and administrative costs, the Series 1 Units incurred realized losses of $150,000 and a decrease in the unrealized profit on its open positions of $100,000. Series 1 Trading Profit would have decreased as of the end of such year to $(40,000) ($210,000 - $150,000 - $100,000), and no Series 1 Profit Share would be paid. The Managing Owner would retain the $42,000 already paid as Series 1 Profit Shares but would not receive additional Series 1 Profit Shares until cumulative Series 1 New Trading Profit exceeded $210,000 as of a year-end.

 

Redemption of Units will result in a proportional decrease in any loss carryforward — since the last calendar year-end as of which a Profit Share was paid — as of the date of redemption. Redemption of Units at a time when there is accrued New Trading Profit will result in a proportional Profit Share allocation to the Managing Owner.

 

49 

 

  

Series 4 Units, which are available only to employees and former employees of the Managing Owner and its affiliates who purchase their Units through The Millburn Corporation 401(k) and Profit Sharing Plan, are not subject to the Managing Owner’s Profit Share.

 

Offering Expenses

 

The Trust pays its own offering costs, including, without limitation: costs associated with the offering and sale of the Units (such as printing and postage costs associated with producing and distributing this Prospectus and related sales literature to the Selling Agents, as well as payments to administrators for processing subscription agreements); professional fees and expenses (including legal and accounting) in connection with the update of the Trust’s offering documents, constitutional documents and other relevant documents; communication expenses with respect to investor services and all expenses relating to Unitholder meetings, if any; and costs of preparing, printing, filing, registering and distributing this Prospectus as well as financial and other reports, forms, proxies and similar documents. The Managing Owner may pay certain of these costs and, if so, will be reimbursed without interest by the Trust. Under certain circumstances, for example, where such costs are unexpectedly high, the Managing Owner may, but is not obligated to do so, waive a portion of such reimbursement. The offering costs of the Trust will not exceed 1% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units. When added to selling compensation discussed herein, the “organizational and offering expenses” of the Trust, as defined by Rule 2310 of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”), will not exceed 11% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units.

 

Operating Expenses

 

The Trust also pays its own operating costs, including, but not limited to: (i) the Management Fee payable to the Managing Owner (ii) direct and indirect investment expenses (such as, but not limited to, brokerage commissions and other transaction-execution costs; dealer spreads, give-up fees; NFA fees; exchange-related fees, externally incurred costs of establishing and utilizing electronic trading, computer, software and systems connections directly or indirectly with the Trust’s brokers and counterparties or with third parties to facilitate electronic trading with the Trust’s brokers and counterparties; costs relating to the use of trading algorithms; clearing fees; valuation and portfolio pricing; interest charges; custodial fees and charges and financing charges; and applicable withholding and other taxes); (iii) all expenses related to the purchase, sale, transmittal or custody of trading assets and related items; (iv) costs and expenses associated with or deriving from obtaining and maintaining exchange memberships and credit ratings; (v) any taxes and duties payable in any jurisdiction in connection with the Trust’s operations; (vi) compliance costs of regulatory and governmental inquiries, subpoenas and proceedings (in each case, to the extent involving the Trust or the Managing Owner in its capacity as managing owner, CPO or CTA of the Trust; (vii) costs associated with possible reorganizations or restructurings of the Trust; and (viii) costs of any litigation or investigation involving Trust activities and any indemnification payments, if any; (ix) legal, financial and tax accounting, auditing and other professional fees and expenses, including consulting and appraisal fees and expenses pertaining to the Trust; (x) administrative expenses (including, if applicable, the fees and out-of-pocket expenses of an administrator unaffiliated with the Managing Owner (and its agents) which the Managing Owner may select for the Trust); (xi) establishing computer and systems connectivity with administrators and other third-party service providers; (xii) paying agency, transfer agency, accounting verification (if any) and/or investor registrar services and the costs of middle-office and back-office support as provided by the Managing Owner or administrators, as applicable; (xiii) due diligence expenses, including due diligence relating to anti-money laundering, know your customer and other inquiries; (xiv) costs of maintaining the Trustee’s and Verification Agent’s services in Delaware or in any other applicable jurisdiction (viii) legal, compliance, tax, accounting and audit costs, fees and expenses relating to the Trust’s regulatory and self-regulatory filings, registrations, memberships and reporting (including, but not limited to, expenses incurred in connection with complying with applicable U.S. reporting obligations, such as those required by the SEC, the CFTC or other regional counterparts, as well as out-of-pocket costs of preparing regulatory filings related to the Trust or the Managing Owner with respect to the Trust); (xv) the costs and fees attributable to any third-party proxy voting or class actions service or consultant; (xvi) the Trust’s insurance costs, including without limitations, errors and omissions insurance and directors and officers insurance, if any; and any other operating or administrative expenses related to accounting, research, third-party consultants, and reporting.

 

The Managing Owner estimates such costs, excluding those expenses relating to the Management Fee, Brokerage Fees, custodial fees and trade execution and clearing costs (each as described herein) will not exceed 0.55 of 1% of the Trust’s average month-end Net Assets in any given year, assuming Trust assets of $300,000,000, and, when aggregated with the offering costs described above, are not expected to exceed 0.60 of 1% of the Trust’s average month-end Net Assets in any given year. The Managing Owner may pay certain of these costs and, if so, will be reimbursed without interest by the Trust. Under certain circumstances, for example, where such costs are unexpectedly high, the Managing Owner may, but is not obligated to do so, waive a portion of such reimbursement.

 

50 

 

  

Extraordinary Expenses

 

The Trust is responsible for the taxes, if any, imposed on the Trust itself. The Trust is required to pay any extraordinary charges incidental to its trading, for example, insurance or delivery expenses. The Managing Owner expects that any such charges will be negligible.

 

Charges Paid by the Managing Owner

 

Selling Commissions

 

The Managing Owner pays, from its own funds, the Selling Agent’s selling commissions in connection with the sale and distribution of the Series 1 Units. The Managing Owner will also pay, from its own funds, any sales commissions or compensation due Selling Agents in connection with the sale of the Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units.

 

Charges Paid by Certain Investors

 

Redemption Charges

 

Redemption charges, described below, apply through the first eleven months after a Series 1 Unit is issued. Redemption charges reduce the amount of your redemption proceeds.

 

Redemptions; Net Asset Value

 

Redemption Procedure

 

The Trust is intended as a medium- to long-term investment, which the Managing Owner construes to mean at least a 3-5 year period. However, you may redeem Units as of the close of business on the last day of any calendar month. You must give at least 10 days’ prior written notice to the Managing Owner of your intent to redeem.

 

If you redeem Series 1 Units on or before the end of the first consecutive six-month and five-month periods after you buy such Series 1 Units, you will pay redemption charges of 4% and 3%, respectively, of your redeemed Series 1 Units’ Net Asset Value as of the date of redemption. Series 1 Units are considered sold, for purposes of determining whether redemption charges apply, on the closing date — the first day of the month —of the investment, not the day subscriptions are received or accepted. If your subscription is in the amount of $100,000, $500,000 or $1,000,000 or more, your redemption charges will be 3.5% and 2.5%, 3% and 2%, and 2.5% and 1.5%, respectively. Redemption charges are paid to the Managing Owner. Series 1 Units purchased on different closing dates are treated on a “first-in, first-out” basis for purposes of calculating the periods to which redemption charges apply and for purposes of determining the 9.5% threshold for Selling Agent fees.

 

All additional Series 1 Units issued to subscribers subject to reduced Brokerage Fees will, for redemption purposes, be deemed all to have been issued as of the same issue date as the longest outstanding Series 1 Units held by the particular Unitholder. In the event that Series 1 Units are sold at an intra-month closing date, the end of such month will constitute the first of the eleven month-ends as of which such redemption charges are due.

 

Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units are not subject to redemption charges.

 

The Managing Owner may declare additional redemption dates upon notice to the Unitholders and may, in unusual circumstances, permit certain, or all, Unitholders to redeem as of dates other than month-end.

 

Unitholders may redeem any whole number of Units.

 

Fractional Units may be redeemed only upon redemption of a Unitholder’s entire remaining interest in the Trust.

 

A form of Request for Redemption is attached to the Fourth Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement (the “Declaration of Trust”) as an Annex.

 

All requests for redemption will be honored and payment will be made within 15 business days of the month-end redemption date. The Managing Owner will make arrangements with Selling Agents who so request to pay redemptions through crediting Unitholders’ customer securities accounts with such Selling Agents. In the unlikely event a market disruption that results in the closing of financial markets in the U.S. or abroad makes it impossible or impracticable to value the Units or liquidate Trust assets, redemptions may be suspended or payment of redemption proceeds may be delayed. Unitholders will be notified by telephone or first-class mail if redemptions are suspended or if redemption payments will be delayed due to such a market disruption.

 

Investments by the Managing Owner, other than its required investment in the Trust, may be redeemed on the same terms as the Units.

 

51 

 

  

Net Asset Value

 

Net Assets are determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles of the U.S. and include unrealized profits as well as unrealized losses on open commodity positions. Net Assets include the sum of all cash, U.S. Treasury instruments or other fixed-income instruments, valued at market, the liquidating value, or cost of liquidation, of all futures, forward and options positions and the fair market value of all other assets of the Trust, less all liabilities of the Trust, including accrued liabilities, irrespective of whether such liabilities, such as Profit Shares, may, in fact, never be paid. If a contract cannot be liquidated on a day with respect to which Net Assets are being determined, the settlement price on the next day on which the contract can be liquidated will be the basis for determining the liquidating value of such contract, or such day, or such other value as the Managing Owner may deem fair and reasonable.

 

The Net Asset Value of a Unit of a particular Series refers to the Net Assets allocated to the aggregate capital accounts of the Units of such Series divided by the number of outstanding Units of such Series.

 

The Clearing Brokers AND SWAP DEALERS

 

The Trust utilizes the services of various clearing and executing brokers in connection with its futures trading. The Managing Owner currently clears trades through SG Americas Securities, LLC and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., but may execute or clear some or all of the Trust’s trades through other brokerage firms or cease utilizing the services of one or more of the foregoing without notice to the Unitholders (the “Clearing Brokers”). The Managing Owner may execute or clear trades through brokerage firms which are also Selling Agents.

 

The Trust’s prime brokers for purposes of trading in the forward currency and swap markets are currently Morgan Stanley & Co., LLC and Deutsche Bank AG. The Managing Owner may trade in the currency forward or swap markets through other dealers or cease utilizing the services of one or more of the foregoing without notice to the Unitholders.

 

The Customer Agreements among the clearing brokers, the Managing Owner and the Trust generally provide that the clearing brokers will not be liable to the Trust except for gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith and, in the case of trades executed as well as cleared by the clearing brokers, for errors in such execution.

 

SG Americas Securities, LLC (“SGAS”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of SG Americas Securities Holdings, LLC (“SGASH”), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Société Générale (“SG”), a French bank. Effective January 2, 2015, Newedge USA, LLC (“NUSA”) merged with and into SGAS, with SGAS being the surviving entity. Effective on such date, all rights, receivables, assets, and liabilities of legacy NUSA were assumed by SGAS by operation of law.

 

On December 22, 2015, the SEC instituted public administrative and cease-and-desist proceedings pursuant to Sections 15(b)(4) and 21C of the Exchange Act against SGAS, and pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act, Sections 15(b)(6) and 21C of the Exchange Act, and Section 9(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”) against Yimin Ge (“Ge”). From October 2011 to June 2013, Ge, then a trader at SGAS, a registered brokerdealer, engaged in a series of unlawful prearranged purchases of fixed-income securities and sales back to two different registered investment advisers, Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. (“MSIM”) and “Firm A”. Because each relevant purchase from MSIM and Firm A was recorded in SGAS’s books and records without any reference to the resale or reoffer arrangement, SGAS’s books and records were inaccurate pursuant to the SEC’s order. Accordingly, the SEC’s order found that SGAS willfully violated and Ge willfully aided and abetted and caused SGAS’s violations of Section 17(a) of the Exchange Act and Rule 17a-3(a)(2) thereunder. Furthermore, SGAS failed reasonably to supervise Ge within the meaning of Section 15(b)(4)(E) of the Exchange Act by failing to prevent and detect Ge’s violations with respect to the unlawful parking arrangement with Huang. In anticipation of the institution of these proceedings, SGAS submitted an offer of settlement which the SEC accepted. Solely for the purpose of these proceedings and any other proceedings brought by or on behalf of the SEC, or to which SEC is a party, and without admitting or denying the findings herein, except as to the SEC’s jurisdiction over SGAS and the subject matter of these proceedings, which are admitted, and except as provided therein, SGAS consented to the entry of the SEC’s order instituting administrative and cease-and-desist proceedings pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act, Sections 15(b) and 21C of the Exchange Act, and Section 9(b) of the Investment Company Act, making findings, and imposing remedial sanctions and a cease-and-desist order. SGAS additionally agreed to pay disgorgement, representing profits gained as a result of the conduct described herein of $198,338 and prejudgment interest of $12,755 as well as a civil money penalty in the amount of $800,000 to the SEC for transfer to the general fund of the U.S. Treasury in accordance with Exchange Act Section 21F(g)(3).

 

52 

 

  

In January 2012, NUSA settled, without admitting or denying the allegations, a disciplinary action brought by the CFTC alleging that NUSA failed to file accurate and timely reports to the CFTC and failed to report certain large trader information to the CFTC. NUSA paid a $700,000 civil penalty to settle this matter. In addition, the CFTC order required NUSA to timely submit accurate position reports and notices, and to implement and maintain procedures to prevent and detect reporting violations of the CEA and CFTC regulations.

 

In July 2013, NUSA settled, without admitting or denying the allegations, a matter brought by FINRA, on its behalf and on behalf of NYSE/NYSE ARCA, BATS and NASDAQ exchanges, involving rules and regulations pertaining to supervision of equities direct market access and sponsored access business, Regulation SHO, and books and records retention. In connection with this matter, NUSA paid a fine of $9,500,000. In addition, NUSA agreed to retain an independent consultant to review its policies, systems, procedures and training relating to these areas and to implement the recommendation of such consultant based on its review and written reports. The matter did not relate to NUSA’s futures activities.

 

In February 2015, SGAS, as successor to NUSA, settled, without admitting or denying the allegations, a matter brought by CME Group alleging that, on multiple occasions between 2010 and 2012, NUSA employees executed certain customers’ orders as EFRPs, instead of on CME Group’s GLOBEX platform. The settlement also included allegations that the EFRPs were non bona fide and/or were inadequately documented. In connection with this matter, SGAS paid a fine of $1,700,000.

 

In re: Commodity Exchange, Inc., Gold Futures and Options Trading Litigation (filed March 10, 2014, and thereafter, U.S. District Court Southern District of New York (the “SDNY”)) are consolidated putative class actions filed by multiple individuals claiming financial injury stemming from the participation of SG (with four other financial institutions) in the process for setting the daily price of gold in London. Plaintiffs claim that the participating financial institutions manipulated the process and thereby caused them losses. SGAS is named as a defendant in four of the pending litigations. SGAS is defending against these actions.

 

Northern Rock (Asset Management) PLC v. Societe Generale Corporate and Investment Bank, et al. (filed November 12, 2013, New York State, Supreme Court, Commercial Division) is a suit alleging that the purchaser of certain ABS CDO was misled in connection with its purchase of $34,000,000 in face amount of bonds in 2007. SGAS is defending against this action.

 

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System v. Fuld, et al., City of Burbank v. Fuld, et al., City of San Buenaventura v. Fuld, et al., Vallejo Sanitation & Flood Control District v. Fuld, et al., and San Mateo County Investment Pool v. Fuld, et al. are litigations filed by entities that elected not to participate in the settlement of the Lehman Brothers Securities class action that was settled in 2011. The allegations against SGAS involve some of the same offerings at issue in the class litigation. SGAS was a small syndicate participant in those offerings. By orders dated October 25, 2012 and August 9, 2013, defendants’ motions to dismiss the complaints in these cases were granted as to SGAS. The California Public Employees’ Retirement System v. Fuld, et al. is on appeal regarding the dismissal of its claims against the underwriters, including SGAS. Plaintiffs’ time to appeal their previously dismissed claims against the underwriters, including SGAS in the other three cases is currently running. SGAS is defending the cases.

 

State-Boston Retirement System v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Beaver County Employees’ Retirement Fund, Erie County Employees’ Retirement System and Lackawanna County Employees’ Retirement System v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Arkansas Teacher Retirement System v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Marc G. Federighi v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; United Food and Commercial Workers Union and Participating Food Industry Employers Tri-State Pension Fund v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Inter-Local Pension Fund Graphic Communications Conference of The International Brotherhood of Teamsters v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; United International Insurance Company v Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; IBEW Local 640 Arizona Chapter NECA Pension Trust Fund v Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; City of Pontiac Police and Fire Retirement System v Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Rutgers Enhanced Insurance Co. v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Michael St. John v Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Cleveland Bakers and Teamsters Pension Fund, et al., v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776 & Participating Employers Pension Fund v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Marina Fouts v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Employees’ Retirement System of Rhode Island v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; City of Atlanta Firefighters Pension Fund v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; H. Rogers Varner, Jr. v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Jane Franklin and Jonathan Richard Williamson v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Laborers Local 100 and 397 Health and Welfare Fund v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Bank of Jerusalem v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Alaska Electrical Pension Fund v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Employee Retirement System of the Government of the Virgin Islands v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Endeavor Trading, LLC v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Police Retirement System of St. Louis v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Central Laborers Pension Fund v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; The New Jersey Laborers Statewide Funds v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; City of Providence v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Michael J. Smith v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; Richard Corbett and Brian Fisher v. Bank of America Corp., et al.; Laborers’ Local 231 Pension Fund v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al.; and Robert L. Teel v. Bank of Nova Scotia, et al. are litigations filed in various jurisdictions (primarily in the SDNY) alleging collusion in the market for US treasuries. Plaintiffs allege that SGAS and the other primary dealers, which are also named as defendants, used electronic chat rooms to exchange customer information, coordinate trading, and increase bid-ask spreads in the when-issued market. They further allege that chat rooms were used to rig Treasury auctions to decrease the price of treasuries. SGAS is defending against the cases.

 

53 

 

  

Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System v. Bank of America Corporation, et al. (filed September 23, 2011, SDNY) is a consolidated class action pending in federal court. The complaint alleges violations of the 1933 Act by underwriters (including SGAS) who participated in Bank of America’s public offering of Common Equivalent Shares during the class period of February 27, 2009, to October 19, 2010. The court granted the underwriters motion to dismiss by order of July 11, 2012. The case remains subject to possible appeal.

 

Edward S. Weisfelner v. Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc., et al. (filed October 2010, SDNY) is an action brought by a trustee for a creditor trust known as the LB Creditor Trust, which was created pursuant to a confirmed Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization in the bankruptcy proceedings of a chemical company known as LyondellBasell Industries AF S.C.A. (“LBI”) and various of LBI’s subsidiaries. The allegations in the complaint concern the December 2007 acquisition of Lyondell Chemical Company (“Lyondell”) by Basell AF S.C.A. in a cash-out merger (“Merger”) in which Lyondell shareholders are claimed to have received a total of $12.5 billion as consideration. The trustee alleges, among other things, that as a consequence of the Merger, LBI and certain of its subsidiaries were rendered insolvent and forced into bankruptcy. The trustee seeks to recover as fraudulent transfers approximately $5.9 billion paid to former Lyondell shareholders in connection with the Merger. The complaint names as defendants numerous financial institutions and financial services companies, as well as various of their affiliates and customers, which are alleged to have been the registered or beneficial holders of the Lyondell shares that were sold in connection with the Merger. SGAS is defending against the case.

 

The Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Tribune Company, et al. v. Dennis J. Fitzsimmons, et al.; Deutsche Bank Tr ust Company Americas, et al. v. Adaly Opportunity Fund TD Securities Inc., et al.; and Williams A. Niese, et al. v. AllianceBernstein L.P., et al. are lawsuits arising from the bankruptcy of the Tribune Company, which was the subject of a leveraged buyout in 2007. The suits generally allege that the LBO left the company overleveraged, thus leading to its bankruptcy, and seek to recover payments made to holders of Tribune shares under various federal and state law theories of liability. The cases have been transferred to the SDNY. The complaints seek to recover approximately $1 million in merger consideration from SGAS. On September 23, 2013, the court granted the motion to dismiss Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, et al. v. Adaly Opportunity Fund TD Securities Inc., et al. and Williams A. Niese, et al. v. AllianceBernstein L.P., et al.; the parties have cross-appealed that dismissal. The Committee action is proceeding, and a motion to dismiss is pending. SGAS is defending against the cases.

 

AC Scout Trading, LLC v. SG Americas Securities, LLC and Newedge USA, LLC is a FINRA arbitration filed by a former Newedge customer alleging claims of fraud, breach of FINRA rules, breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and negligence. The allegations involve losses incurred in connection with a position in tin futures contracts traded in the London Metal Exchange (“LME”). SGAS is defending against the case.

 

Vega Opportunity Fund LLC v. Newedge USA, LLC is a FINRA arbitration filed by a former Newedge customer alleging claims of fraud, deceptive trade practices, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and violation of Illinois Securities Law. Newedge is alleged to be responsible for capital losses due to false representations of risk management by Newedge. SGAS is defending against the case.

 

A portion of the Trust’s futures transactions are cleared through Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. (“DBSI”). DBSI has its main business office located at 60 Wall Street, New York, New York 10005, U.S.A., and is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG which serves as one of the Partnership’s prime brokers in the forward currency and swap markets. DBSI is registered with the CFTC as a futures commission merchant and is a member of the NFA in such capacity. DBSI is also a U.S.-registered broker-dealer. Deutsche Bank AG and its subsidiaries and affiliates, including DBSI (collectively, “Deutsche Bank”), are, in the ordinary course of their business, the subject of litigation, and regulatory examinations, inquiries and investigations. DBSI is not, and during the past five years has not been, subject to any civil, administrative or criminal proceeding that would materially affect its ability to do business as a futures commission merchant in the ordinary course of its business.

 

54 

 

  

On September 30, 2015, the CFTC issued an order filing and simultaneously settling charges against Deutsche Bank AG for failing to properly report its swaps transactions from in or about January 2013 until July 2015 (the “Relevant Period”). The CFTC order also found that Deutsche Bank AG did not diligently address and correct the reporting errors until Deutsche Bank AG was notified of the CFTC’s investigation, and failed to have an adequate swaps supervisory system governing its swaps reporting requirements. The order required Deutsche Bank AG to pay a $2.5 million civil monetary penalty and comply with undertakings to improve its internal controls to ensure the accuracy and integrity of its swaps reporting. According to the CFTC order, during the Relevant Period, Deutsche Bank failed to properly report cancellations of swap transactions in all asset classes, which in the aggregate included between tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of reporting violations and errors and omissions in its swap reporting. Deutsche Bank was aware of problems relating to its cancellation messages since its reporting obligations began on December 31, 2012, but failed to provide timely notice to its swap data repository (“SDR”) and did not diligently investigate, address and remediate the problems until it was notified of the CFTC’s Division of Enforcement’s investigation in June 2014. The CFTC further found that Deutsche Bank’s reporting failures resulted in part due to deficiencies with its swaps supervisory system. Deutsche Bank AG did not have an adequate system to supervise all activities related to compliance with the swaps reporting requirements until at least sometime between April and July of 2014 – well after its reporting obligations went into effect, according to the Order.

 

On May 26, 2015, the SEC issued a cease and desist order in a settled administrative proceeding against Deutsche Bank AG. The matter related to the manner in which Deutsche Bank valued “gap risk” associated with certain Leveraged Super Senior (“LSS”) synthetic CDO positions during the fourth quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009, which was the height of the financial crisis. Gap risk is the risk that the present value of a trade could exceed the value of posted collateral. During the two quarters at issue, Deutsche Bank did not adjust its value of the LSS trades to account for gap risk, essentially assigning a zero value for gap risk. The SEC found that although there was no standard industry model to value gap risk and the valuation of these instruments was complex, Deutsche Bank did not reasonably adjust the value of the LSS trades for gap risk during these periods, resulting in misstatements of its financial statements for the two quarters at issue. The SEC also found that Deutsche Bank failed to maintain adequate systems and controls over the valuation process. The SEC found violations of Sections 13(a) (requirement to file accurate periodic reports with the SEC), 13(b)(2)(A) (requirement to maintain accurate books and records), and 13(b)(2)(B) (requirement to maintain reasonable internal accounting controls) of the Exchange Act. Deutsche Bank paid a U.S.$ 55 million penalty, for which it had previously recorded a provision, and neither admitted nor denied the findings.

 

On December 22, 2014, the CFTC issued an order filing and simultaneously settling charges against DBSI for failing to properly invest customer segregated funds, failing to prepare and file accurate financial reports, failing to maintain required books and records, and for related supervisory failures. None of the violations resulted in any customer losses. The CFTC’s order found that that, for the period June 18, 2012 through August 15, 2012, DBSI failed to accurately compute the amount of customer funds on deposit. As a result of these miscalculations, DBSI’s investment of customer funds in certain money market mutual funds during that period exceeded the 50% asset-backed concentration limit for such investments in violation of CFTC Regulation 1.25. The order also found that on at least six occasions between June 2011 and March 2013, DBSI failed to file accurate financial statements with the CFTC in a timely manner in violation of CFTC Regulation 1.10(B). According to the order, DBSI did not have automated processes in place designed to ensure accuracy of DBSI’s financial reporting. Consequently, DBSI filed six amended financial and operational combined uniform single (focus) reports as a result of the errors. The CFTC order further found that DBSI failed to create and maintain complete and systematic records, such as order tickets, for a number of block trades it executed at various times throughout October 1, 2009 and March 16, 2012 in violation of CFTC Regulation 1.35(A). The CFTC order found that each of these violations was a result of DBSI’s failure to maintain adequate controls and systems, reflecting a lack of supervision over its business as a CFTC registrant in violation of CFTC Regulation 166.3. The order recognized DBSI’s cooperation and corrective action it undertook after its deficiencies were discovered. DBSI and the CFTC have entered into a settlement agreement whereby DBSI, without admitting or denying any of the findings conclusions therein, consented to the entry of the order instituting proceedings under 6(c) and 6(d) of the CEA, to cease and desist from violations the CFTC regulations set forth in the settlement agreement, and to pay a civil monetary penalty in the amount of $3,000,000.

 

On March 18, 2014, a civil judgment was entered in the Middle District of Florida against DBSI, and in favor of Amegy Bank (“Amegy”). Amegy alleged that DBSI converted Amegy’s collateral when a private client, through DBSI, sold securities the client had pledged to Amegy as collateral for a loan. On August 10, 2015, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment. DBSI filed a petition for re-hearing en banc on August 31, 2015.

 

DBSI has been named in a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) arbitration complaint filed by Robert Stiller, former CEO, President and Chairman of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (“GMCR”) alleging that GMCR stock was wrongfully liquidated from his Margin Accounts. Stiller makes several claims including breach of contract and duty of good faith and seeks monetary damages of no less than $300 million. The Company has also been named in a similar FINRA arbitration complaint filed by William Davis, former member of the Board of Directors of GMCR. Davis also alleges that GMCR stock was wrongfully liquidated from his Margin Accounts, asserts similar claims and seeks monetary damages of no less than $38 million.

 

55 

 

  

Deutsche Bank has been named as defendant in numerous civil litigations in various roles as issuer or underwriter in RMBS offerings. These cases include purported class action suits, actions by individual purchasers of securities, and actions by insurance companies that guaranteed payments of principal and interest for particular tranches of securities offerings. Although the allegations vary by lawsuit, these cases generally allege that the RMBS offering documents contained material misrepresentations and omissions, including with regard to the underwriting standards pursuant to which the underlying mortgage loans were issued, or assert that various representations or warranties relating to the loans were breached at the time of origination.

 

Deutsche Bank has been named as a defendant in a civil action brought by the Commonwealth of Virginia asserting claims for fraud and breach of the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act as a result of purchases by the Virginia Retirement System (“VRS”) of RMBS issued or underwritten by Deutsche Bank. Deutsche Bank is one of thirteen financial institutions named as defendants. The complaint alleges damages of $1.15 billion in the aggregate against all defendants but does not specify the damages sought from each defendant. The action was originally filed under seal by a private party and was unsealed on September 16, 2014, after the Attorney General for Virginia decided to intervene in the action. Deutsche Bank is contesting VRS’s assertion that the Virginia state court can exercise personal jurisdiction over it. The case is stayed while the parties participate in mediation.

 

Deutsche Bank is a defendant in putative class actions relating to its role, along with other financial institutions, as underwriter of RMBS issued by IndyMac MBS, Inc. On September 8, 2014, Deutsche Bank, certain other financial institution defendants and lead plaintiffs executed a stipulation to settle the action. On September 30, 2014, the court issued an order certifying the class for settlement and approving notice to the class. On February 23, 2015, the court issued an order approving the settlement and dismissing the action. Under the settlement, all settling defendants paid a total of $340 million. Deutsche Bank’s portion of the settlement is not material to it. On March 25, 2015, Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC filed a notice of appeal of the court’s February 23, 2015 order, but withdrew the appeal on June 11, 2015.

 

Deutsche Bank is a defendant in putative class action relating to its role, along with other financial institutions, as underwriter of RMBS issued by Novastar Mortgage Corporation. On February 4, 2015, the court issued an order vacating its prior decision that had dismissed five of six RMBS offerings from the case. The court ordered the plaintiffs to amend the operative complaint to include the previously dismissed offerings. On March 9, 2015, the lead plaintiff filed its third amended complaint pursuant to the court’s February 5, 2015 order. Discovery in the action is ongoing.

 

On December 18, 2013, the SDNY dismissed the claims against DBSI in the putative class action relating to RMBS issued by Residential Accredit Loans, Inc. and its affiliates.

 

On April 17, 2013, Bank of America announced that it had reached a settlement in principle to dismiss various class action claims, which include the class action claims brought against underwriters, including Deutsche Bank, relating to RMBS issued by Countrywide Financial Corporation. The settlement in principle which is subject to final court approval does not require any payment by underwriters, including Deutsche Bank.

 

Deutsche Bank currently is a defendant in various non-class action lawsuits and arbitrations by alleged purchasers of, and counterparties involved in transactions relating to, RMBS, and their affiliates, including: (1) Aozora Bank, Ltd. (alleging U.S.$ 61 million in damages attributable to Deutsche Bank); (2) the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) as receiver for: (a) Colonial Bank (in one of two separate actions, alleging no less than U.S.$ 189 million in damages in the aggregate against all defendants), (b) Franklin Bank S.S.B. and Guaranty Bank (alleging no less than U.S.$ 901 million in damages in the aggregate against all defendants), and (c) Citizens National Bank and Strategic Capital Bank (in one of two separate actions, alleging no less than U.S.$ 66 million in damages in the aggregate against all defendants); (3) the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston; (4) the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco; (5) HSBC Bank USA, National Association (“HSBC”) (as trustee for certain RMBS trusts); (6) Knights of Columbus (alleging no less than U.S.$ 27 million in damages attributable to Deutsche Bank); (7) Phoenix Light SF Limited (as purported assignee of claims of special purpose vehicles created and/or managed by former WestLB AG); (8) Royal Park Investments (as purported assignee of claims of a special-purpose vehicle created to acquire certain assets of Fortis Bank); (9) Sealink Funding Ltd. (as purported assignee of claims of special purpose vehicles created and/or managed by Sachsen Landesbank and its subsidiaries); (10) Texas County & District Retirement System (alleging no less than U.S.$ 64 million in damages in the aggregate against all defendants); and (11) The Charles Schwab Corporation. Unless otherwise indicated, the complaints in these matters did not specify the damages sought.

 

56 

 

  

On December 19, 2014, a stipulation was filed dismissing with prejudice claims brought against Deutsche Bank by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance DBSI relating to two offerings issued by entities affiliated with Countrywide Financial Corporation (“Countrywide”). Deutsche Bank’s understanding is that the dismissal with respect to these offerings was pursuant to a confidential settlement agreement to which Deutsche Bank was not a party. Deutsche Bank was a defendant in separate litigation brought by Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company relating to certificates not issued by entities affiliated with Countrywide. On July 22, 2015, Deutsche Bank and Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company entered into a settlement agreement to resolve all pending claims against Deutsche Bank. On August 11, 2015, Deutsche Bank paid the settlement amount, and on August 15, 2015, the court dismissed the actions. The economic impact of the settlement was not material to Deutsche Bank.

 

On January 14, 2015, the court granted Deutsche Bank’s motion to dismiss the action brought against it by Aozora Bank, Ltd., relating to a collateralized debt obligation identified as Blue Edge ABS CDO, Ltd. On March 31, 2015, the court denied Aozora Bank, Ltd.’s motion to reargue, or, in the alternative, to file an amended complaint. On April 29, 2015, Aozora Bank, Ltd. filed a notice of appeal. Deutsche Bank also is a defendant, along with UBS AG and affiliates, in an action brought by Aozora Bank, Ltd. relating to a collateralized debt obligation identified as Brooklyn Structured Finance CDO, Ltd. On October 14, 2015, the court granted in part and denied in part Deutsche Bank’s motion to dismiss.

 

On January 22, 2015, pursuant to a confidential settlement agreement with Deutsche Bank, the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco dismissed with prejudice claims that it had filed against Deutsche Bank relating to seven RMBS offerings. On January 26, 2015, pursuant to a confidential agreement between the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco and Countrywide, the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco entered an order dismissing with prejudice claims brought against Deutsche Bank by the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco relating to 15 offerings issued by entities affiliated with Countrywide. Deutsche Bank’s understanding is that the dismissal with respect to these 15 offerings was pursuant to a confidential settlement agreement to which Deutsche Bank was not a party. Deutsche Bank remains a defendant in the case with respect to one RMBS offering and two offerings described as resecuritizations of RMBS certificates. The case is in discovery.

 

Deutsche Bank and Monarch Alternative Capital LP and certain of its advisory clients and managed investments vehicles (Monarch) reached an agreement on December 18, 2014 to propose a settlement agreement to HSBC to resolve litigation relating to three RMBS trusts. After receiving approval from a majority of certificate holders, on July 13, 2015, HSBC executed the settlement agreements, and on July 27, 2015, the actions were dismissed. A substantial portion of the settlement funds paid by Deutsche Bank was reimbursed by a non-party to the litigation. The net economic impact of the settlements was not material to Deutsche Bank. On June 17, 2015, the court granted defendants’ motion to dismiss the RMBS-related claims brought by Commerzbank AG against Deutsche Bank and several other financial institutions. Commerzbank AG filed a notice to appeal on July 24, 2015, but withdrew that appeal on August 17, 2015.

 

Residential Funding Company has brought a repurchase action against Deutsche Bank for breaches of representations and warranties on loans sold to Residential Funding Company and for indemnification for losses incurred as a result of RMBS-related claims and actions asserted against Residential Funding Company. The complaint did not specify the amount of damages sought. On June 8, 2015, the court denied Deutsche Bank’s motion to dismiss certain of the claims. Also on June 8, 2015, Deutsche Bank moved to dismiss other claims. On September 29, 2015, the court denied Deutsche Bank’s second motion to dismiss. Discovery is ongoing.

 

On July 13, 2015, Deutsche Bank and Texas County & District Retirement System reached an agreement in principle to settle the latter’s claims against Deutsche Bank. Deutsche Bank and Texas County & District Retirement System are currently finalizing the terms of the settlement agreement.

 

In 2012, the FDIC, as receiver for Colonial Bank, Franklin Bank S.S.B., Guaranty Bank, Citizens National Bank and Strategic Capital Bank, commenced several actions in different federal courts asserting claims under Section 11 and 12(a)(2) of the 1933 Act, as well as Article 581-33 of the Texas Securities Act, against several underwriters, including Deutsche Bank. Each of these actions has been dismissed as time-barred. The FDIC has appealed these rulings to the Second, Fifth and Ninth Circuits Courts of Appeal. The appeals in the Second and Ninth Circuits Courts of Appeal are pending. On August 10, 2015, the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed the district court’s dismissal of the FDIC’s claims as time-barred. On August 24, 2015, Deutsche Bank and the other defendants filed a petition for rehearing en banc in that action. On September 11, 2015, the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit denied that petition.

 

57 

 

  

On April 20, 2011, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston filed a complaint against dozens of entities, including Deutsche Bank, alleging a variety of claims under the Massachusetts Uniform Securities Act and various other Massachusetts statutory and common laws. The complaint did not specify the amount of damages sought. On October 16, 2015, the parties signed a settlement agreement to resolve the matter. The financial terms of the settlement are not material to Deutsche Bank.

 

On September 22, 2015, Deutsche Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, as successor to the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle, executed a settlement agreement resolving all claims related to the single bond at issue. On October 12, 2015, the court entered the parties’ stipulation dismissing the matter. The financial terms of the settlement are not material to Deutsche Bank.

 

Pursuant to a confidential settlement agreement dated January 15, 2015, John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.) and affiliates agreed to dismiss with prejudice the action they had filed against Deutsche Bank. The financial terms of the settlement are not material to Deutsche Bank.

 

On October 1, 2014, the district court entered an order dismissing with prejudice claims brought against Deutsche Bank by Triaxx Prime CDO 2006-1 Ltd., Triaxx Prime CDO 2006-1 LLC, Triaxx Prime CDO 2006-2 Ltd., Triaxx Prime CDO 2006-2 LLC, Triaxx Prime CDO 2007-1 Ltd. and Triaxx Prime CDO 2007-1 LLC. Deutsche Bank’s understanding is that the dismissal was pursuant to a confidential settlement between the plaintiffs and certain defendants affiliated with Countrywide Securities Corporation. Deutsche Bank did not contribute to the settlement.

 

Deutsche Bank National Trust Company (“DBNTC”) and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas (“DBTCA”) have been named as defendants in civil litigation concerning their roles as trustees of certain RMBS trusts. On June 18, 2014, a group of investors filed a civil action against DBNTC and DBTCA in New York State Supreme Court purportedly on behalf of and for the benefit of 544 private-label RMBS trusts asserting claims for alleged violations of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and negligence based on DBNTC and DBTCA’s alleged failure to perform their duties as trustees for the trusts. Plaintiffs have since dismissed their state court complaint and refiled an amended complaint in the SDNY on behalf of and for the benefit of 564 private-label RMBS trusts, which substantially overlapped with the trusts at issue in the state court action. The complaint alleges that the trusts at issue have suffered total, realized collateral losses of U.S.$ 89.4 billion, but the complaint does not include a demand for money damages in a sum certain.

 

On June 18, 2014, Royal Park Investments SA/NV filed a purported class action on behalf of investors in ten RMBS trusts against DBNTC in the SDNY asserting claims for alleged violations of the TIA, breach of contract and breach of trust based on DBNTC’s alleged failure to perform its duties as trustee for the trusts. Royal Park’s complaint alleges that the total realized losses of the ten trusts amount to over U.S.$ 3.1 billion, but does not allege damages in a sum certain.

 

On November 7, 2014, the National Credit Union Administration Board (“NCUA”), as an investor in 121 RMBS trusts, filed a lawsuit in the SDNY against DBNTC as trustee of those trusts, alleging violations of the TIA and the New York Streit Act for DBNTC’s alleged failure to perform certain purported statutory and contractual duties. On March 5, 2015, NCUA amended its complaint to assert claims as an investor in 97 of the 121 RMBS trusts that were the subject of its first complaint. The amended complaint alleges violations of the TIA and Streit Act, as well as breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, gross negligence, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of the covenant of good faith. NCUA’s complaint alleges that the trusts at issue have suffered total, realized collateral losses of U.S.$ 17.2 billion, but the complaint does not include a demand for money damages in a sum certain.

 

On December 23, 2014, certain CDOs (collectively “Phoenix Light SF Limited”) that hold RMBS certificates issued by 21 RMBS trusts filed a complaint in the SDNY against DBNTC as trustee of the trusts, asserting claims for violation of the TIA and the Streit Act, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, gross negligence, and negligent misrepresentation, based on DBNTC’s alleged failure to perform its duties as trustee for the trusts. On April 10, 2015, the CDOs filed an amended complaint relating to an additional 34 trusts (for a total of 55 trusts) and amended its complaint for a second time on July 15, 2015 to include additional allegations. The CDO plaintiffs allege that DBNTC is liable for over U.S.$ 527 million of damages.

 

On March 24, 2015, the Western and Southern Life Insurance Company and five related entities (collectively “Western & Southern”), as investors in 18 RMBS trusts, filed a lawsuit in the Court of Common Pleas, Hamilton County, Ohio, against DBNTC as trustee of 12 of those trusts, asserting claims for violation of the TIA and the Streit Act, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, gross negligence, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, based on DBNTC’s alleged failure to perform its duties as trustee for the trusts. Western & Southern alleges that it purchased certificates issued by the trusts with a face value of more than U.S.$ 220 million and that the trusts at issue have suffered total, realized collateral losses of U.S.$ 1 billion, but the complaint does not include a demand for money damages in a sum certain.

 

58 

 

  

DBNTC and/or DBTCA have filed motions to dismiss in each of these five cases, none of which has been adjudicated by the courts at this time. Discovery has commenced in some, but not all, of these cases.

 

On December 20, 2013, Deutsche Bank announced that it reached an agreement to resolve its residential mortgage-backed securities litigation with the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) as conservator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. As part of the agreement, Deutsche Bank paid $1.9 billion of which DBSI paid $887 million. The settlement included dismissal of claims brought against Deutsche Bank in the SDNY relating to approximately $14.3 billion of RMBS purchased by the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (the “GSEs”) that were issued, sponsored and/or underwritten by Deutsche Bank and an agreement to resolve claims brought by or at the direction of the FHFA and/or the GSEs seeking the repurchase of mortgage loans contained in RMBS purchased by the GSEs. The settlement did not resolve two matters brought by the FHFA against Deutsche Bank as underwriter of RMBS issued by Countrywide and Societe Generale and/or their affiliates. As underwriter, Deutsche Bank received a customary agreement of indemnity from Countrywide and Societe Generale and/or their affiliates. On February 27, 2014, the FHFA and Societe Generale announced that they reached a settlement of the action concerning RMBS issued by Societe Generale. The settlement included a release of the claims asserted against all defendants in that action, including Deutsche Bank. The settlement did not require any payment by Deutsche Bank.

 

On July 16, 2012, the Fourth Judicial District for the State of Minnesota dismissed Deutsche Bank from a litigation brought by Moneygram Payment Systems, Inc. (“Moneygram”) relating to investments in RMBS, collateralized debt obligations and credit-linked notes. The court further denied Moneygram’s motion for reconsideration, and Moneygram has filed an appeal. On January 11, 2013, Moneygram filed a summons with notice in the Civil Branch of the Supreme Court of the State of New York (the “N.Y. Supreme Court”) seeking to assert claims similar to those dismissed in Minnesota. On June 17, 2013, Moneygram filed an amended summons with notice and complaint in the N.Y. Supreme Court. On July 22, 2013, the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of Deutsche Bank AG, but reversed the dismissal of DBSI. On October 15, 2013, the Minnesota Supreme Court denied DBSI’s petition for review of the Minnesota Court of Appeal’s decision reversing the district court’s dismissal of claims against DBSI. The Court of Appeals issued its judgment on October 28, 2013. On January 31, 2014, DBSI filed a petition for writ of certorari with the U.S. Supreme Court to seek review of Minnesota Court of Appeals decision finding specific personal jurisdiction over DBSI.

 

Pursuant to terms of settlement agreements, litigations filed by Allstate Insurance Company, Cambridge Place Investments Management Inc., Dexia SA/NV, Stichting Pensionfonds ABP, West Virginia Investment Management Board, The Union Central Life Insurance Company, Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America and the Western and Southern Life Insurance Co. were dismissed. The financial terms of each of these settlements are confidential and not material to DBSI.

 

From 2005 through 2008, as part of Deutsche Bank’s U.S. residential mortgage loan business, Deutsche Bank sold approximately U.S. $84 billion of private label securities and U.S. $71 billion of loans through whole loan sales, including to U.S. government-sponsored entities such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and the Federal National Mortgage Association. Deutsche Bank has been presented with demands to repurchase loans from or to indemnify purchasers, investors or financial insurers with respect to losses allegedly caused by material breaches of representations and warranties. Deutsche Bank’s general practice is to process valid repurchase demands that are presented in compliance with contractual rights. As of September 30, 2014, Deutsche Bank has approximately U.S. $4.5 billion of outstanding mortgage repurchase demands (based on original principal balance of the loans). These demands consist primarily of demands made in respect of private label securitizations by the trustees or servicers thereof. Against these outstanding demands, Deutsche Bank recorded provisions of U.S. $514 million as of September 30, 2014. As of September 30, 2014, Deutsche Bank has completed repurchases, obtained agreements to rescind and otherwise settled claims on loans with an original principal balance of approximately U.S.$5.0 billion. In connection with those repurchases, agreements and settlements, Deutsche Bank has obtained releases for potential claims on approximately U.S.$66.0 billion of loans sold by Deutsche Bank as described above.

 

59 

 

 

 

On May 3, 2011, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) filed a civil action against Deutsche Bank AG and MortgageIT, Inc. (“MortgageIT”) in the SDNY. The DOJ filed an amended complaint on August 22, 2011. The amended complaint, which asserts claims under the U.S. False Claims Act and common law, alleges that Deutsche Bank AG, DB Structured Products, Inc., MortgageIT, and the DBSI submitted false certifications to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”) concerning MortgageIT’s compliance with FHA requirements for quality controls and concerning whether individual loans qualified for FHA insurance. As set forth in the amended complaint, the FHA has paid $368 million in insurance claims on mortgages that are allegedly subject to false certifications. The amended complaint seeks recovery of treble damages and indemnification of future losses on loans insured by FHA, and as set forth in the filings, the government seeks over $1 billion in damages. On September 23, 2011, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint. Following a hearing on December 21, 2011, the court granted the DOJ leave to file a second amended complaint. On May 10, 2012, Deutsche Bank settled this litigation with the DOJ for $202.3 million.

 

On May 8, 2012, Deutsche Bank reached a settlement with Assured Guaranty Municipal Corporation (“Assured”) regarding claims on certain RMBS issued and underwritten by Deutsche Bank that are covered by financial guaranty insurance provided by Assured. Pursuant to this settlement, Deutsche Bank made a payment of $166 million and agreed to participate in a loss share arrangement to cover a percentage of Assured’s future losses on certain RMBS issued by Deutsche Bank. All of Deutsche Bank’s currently expected payments pursuant to this settlement were provisioned in previous quarters. This settlement resolves two litigations with Assured relating to financial guaranty insurance and limits claims in a third litigation where all the underlying mortgage collateral was originated by Greenpoint Mortgage Funding, Inc. (a subsidiary of Capital One), which is required to indemnify Deutsche Bank.

 

On November 17, 2014, pursuant to confidential settlement agreements executed on November 6, 2014, Assured Guaranty Municipal Corporation dismissed with prejudice the action it had filed against Deutsche Bank and Deutsche Bank dismissed with prejudice the third-party claims it had filed in that action against Greenpoint Mortgage Funding, Inc.

 

On October 22, 2014, plaintiffs STS Partners Fund, LP and Burgess Creek Master Fund Ltd. commenced an action in the N.Y. Supreme Court against DBSI and another affiliate of Deutsche Bank, as well as Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., seeking $15 million of alleged damages plus punitive damages and costs and fees in connection with the termination of a resecuritization of RMBS. Plaintiffs allege that defendants improperly terminated the resecuritization and that plaintiffs, who owned certain interest-only certificates in the resecuritization, were injured as a consequence. Deutsche Bank has filed a motion to dismiss. The court has stayed discovery pending a decision on Deutsche Bank’s motion to dismiss.

 

Deutsche Bank AG and DBSI, including a division of the DBSI, have been named as defendants in twenty-three actions, including two putative class actions, asserting various claims under the federal securities laws and state common law arising out of the sale of auction rate securities (“ARS”). All of those actions have been resolved or dismissed with prejudice.

 

Deutsche Bank AG and certain of its affiliates and officers, including DBSI, were the subject of a consolidated putative class action, filed in the SDNY, asserting claims under the federal securities laws on behalf of persons who purchased certain trust preferred securities issued by Deutsche Bank AG and its affiliates between October 2006 and May 2008. The court dismissed the plaintiffs’ second amended complaint with prejudice, which was affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. On July 30, 2014, the plaintiffs filed a petition for rehearing and rehearing en banc with the Second Circuit, which was denied on October 16, 2014. Plaintiffs have filed a petition for a writ of certiorari seeking review by the U.S. Supreme Court. On June 8, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court granted plaintiffs’ petition, vacated the judgment, and remanded the case to the Second Circuit for further consideration in light of its recent decision in Omnicare, Inc. v. Laborers District Council Construction Industry Pension Fund. On July 21, 2015, the Second Circuit vacated the district court’s judgment and remanded the case to the district court for further consideration in light of the Omnicare decision. On July 27, 2015, the defendants filed a motion seeking dismissal of plaintiffs’ complaint.

 

On December 8, 2014, the DOJ filed a civil complaint against, among others, DBSI and Deutsche Bank, alleging that Deutsche Bank owes more than $190 million in taxes, penalties, and interest relating to two transactions that occurred between March and May 2000. The DOJ’s case arises out of Deutsche Bank’s March 2000 acquisition of Charter Corp. (“Charter”) and its subsequent sale in May 2000 of Charter to an unrelated entity called BMY Statutory Trust. Charter’s primary asset, both at the time of purchase by Deutsche Bank and sale to BMY Statutory Trust, was Meyers Squibb Company (“BMY”) stock. When the BMY stock was sold, it triggered a large capital gains tax which BMY Statutory Trust allegedly failed to pay. Relying on certain theories, including fraudulent conveyance, the DOJ is now seeking to recoup from Deutsche Bank the taxes, plus penalties and interest, allegedly owed by BMY Statutory Trust. Deutsche Bank filed a motion to dismiss the complaint on February 20, 2015.

 

60 

 

 

On July 1, 2013, the European Commission (the “EC”) issued a Statement of Objections (the “SO”) against Deutsche Bank, including DBSI, Markit Group Limited (“Markit”), ISDA, and twelve other banks alleging anti-competitive conduct under Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (“TFEU”) and Article 53 of the European Economic Area Agreement (the “EEA Agreement”). The SO sets forth preliminary conclusions of the EC that (i) attempts by certain entities to engage in exchange trading of unfunded credit derivatives were foreclosed by improper collective action in the period from 2006 through 2009, and (ii) the conduct of Markit, ISDA, Deutsche Bank and the twelve other banks constituted a single and continuous infringement of Article 101 of the TFEU and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement. If the EC finally concludes that infringement occurred, it may seek to impose fines and other remedial measures on the Bank, including Deutsche Bank, Markit, ISDA and the twelve other banks. Deustche Bank, along with certain affiliates, including DBSI, filed a response contesting the EC’s preliminary conclusions in January 2014. Deutsche Bank and other SO addressees presented orally the key elements of their responses at an oral hearing in May 2014. Following the oral hearing, the EC announced its intention to carry out a further investigation of the facts.

 

In addition, a multi-district civil class action is currently pending in the SDNY against Deutsche Bank, including DBSI, and numerous other CDS dealer banks, as well as Markit and ISDA. Plaintiffs filed a second consolidated amended class action complaint on April 11, 2014 alleging that the banks conspired with Markit and ISDA to prevent the establishment of exchange traded CDS, with the effect of raising prices for OTC CDS transactions. Plaintiffs seek to represent a class of individuals and entities located in the United States or abroad who, during a period from January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2013, directly purchased CDS from or directly sold CDS to the dealer defendants in the United States. Defendants moved to dismiss the second consolidated amended class action complaint on May 23, 2014. On September 4, 2014, the court granted in part and denied in part the motion to dismiss. Discovery on plaintiffs’ remaining claims is ongoing. On September 30, 2015, Deutsche Bank executed a settlement agreement to resolve the matter for U.S. $120 million, which is subject to court approval.

 

DBSI and Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch (“DBNY”) have been named as co-defendants in a class action pending in Delaware Court of Chancery that was brought by former shareholders of Dole Food Company, Inc. (“Dole”). Plaintiffs allege that defendant David H. Murdock and certain members of Dole’s board and management (who are also named as defendants) breached their fiduciary duties, and DBSI and DBNY aided and abetted in those breaches, in connection with Mr. Murdock’s privatization of Dole, which closed on November 1, 2013 (the “Transaction”). Plaintiffs claimed approximately U.S.$ 642 million in damages against all defendants and also sought an award of interest, disgorgement of any gains by DBSI and DBNY arising out of the Transaction, and costs and disbursements. Trial in this matter concluded on March 9, 2015. On August 27, 2015, the Delaware Court of Chancery issued its post-trial decision, which found that DBSI and DBNY were not liable for aiding and abetting breaches of fiduciary duties. The Court of Chancery’s August 27, 2015 decision also found that Mr. Murdock and Dole’s former President, Michael Carter, breached their fiduciary duties to Dole’s shareholders, holding them responsible for damages of approximately U.S.$ 148 million, prior to the application of pre- and post-judgment interest. The deadline for the parties to file any appeals is thirty days after entry of a judgment, which has not yet taken place. DBSI and DBNY are parties to customary indemnity agreements from Dole (and certain of Mr. Murdock’s affiliated entities) in connection with the Transaction, and DBSI and DBNY have notified Dole (and the relevant Murdock affiliates) that they are seeking indemnity.

 

Deutsche Bank also has been named as a defendant in multiple putative class actions brought in the SDNY alleging antitrust and CEA claims relating to the alleged manipulation of foreign exchange rates. The complaints in the class actions do not specify the damages sought. On January 28, 2015, the federal judge overseeing the class actions granted the motion to dismiss with prejudice in two actions involving non-U.S. plaintiffs while denying the motion to dismiss in one action involving U.S. plaintiffs then pending. Additional actions have been filed since the judge’s January 28, 2015 order. There are now two actions pending. A consolidated action is brought on behalf of a putative class of over-the-counter traders and a putative class of central exchange traders, who are domiciled in or traded in the United States or its territories, and alleges illegal agreements to restrain competition with respect to and to manipulate both benchmark rates and spot rates, particularly the spreads quoted on those spot rates; the complaint further alleges that those supposed conspiracies, in turn, resulted in artificial prices on centralized exchanges for foreign exchange futures and options. The other action alleges that Deutsche Bank and other defendants breached their fiduciary duties in violation of the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), by allegedly colluding to trade around the WM/Reuters Closing Spot Rate and thereby allegedly causing foreign exchange transactions to be executed on behalf of the putative class at artificial prices. Deutsche Bank intends to move to dismiss both actions in their entirety, but no briefing schedule has yet been established in either action. Discovery has commenced in the consolidated action, while all other discovery therein and in the ERISA case is stayed by order of the court.

 

Deutsche Bank has also been named as a defendant in two Canadian class proceedings brought in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Filed on September 10, 2015, these class actions assert factual allegations similar to those made in the consolidated action in the United States and seek damages pursuant to the Canadian Competition Act as well as other causes of action.

 

61 

 

 

Deutsche Bank has received requests for information from certain regulatory authorities related to high frequency trading and the operation of Deutsche Bank’s alternative trading system, SuperX. The Bank is cooperating with these requests.

 

DBSI, along with numerous other securities firms and individuals, has been named as an underwriter defendant in a consolidated class action lawsuit pending in SDNY relating to certain debt and equity securities issued by MF Global Holdings Ltd. The lawsuit alleges material misstatements and omissions in a registration statement and prospectuses. On November 25, 2014, DBSI and certain other settling underwriter defendants executed a Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement and Dismissal with the lead plaintiffs in the Class Action (the Class Action Settlement). On December 12, 2014, the Court preliminarily approved the Class Action Settlement and scheduled a final approval hearing for June 26, 2015. On November 25, 2014, DBSI also executed a Settlement Agreement and General Release in AG Oncon, et al. v. Corzine et al. (the “AG Oncon Action”). The AG Oncon Action, which was consolidated with the class action for pretrial purposes, was an individual action that asserted claims against DBSI that were substantially similar to those asserted in the Class Action. On January 5, 2015, in accordance with the Settlement Agreement and General Release in the AG Oncon Action, the court entered a judgment dismissing with prejudice all claims against DBSI and certain other settling underwriter defendants.

 

DBSI has been named as a respondent in 27 arbitrations seeking damages allegedly sustained from investments in the Aravali Fund (“Aravali”), a third-party hedge fund sold by DBSI to retail clients. Aravali used a high degree of leverage in investing in municipal bonds to generate return and income, leverage that led to the collapse of the fund when the municipal bond market suffered a decline in the fall of 2008. All 27 of the arbitrations have concluded or have been resolved and have been dismissed with prejudice. One additional Aravali claim recently was resolved prior to the commencement of an arbitration.

 

Deutsche Bank AG and DBSI, and current and/or former employees, have collectively been named as defendants in a number of legal proceedings brought by customers in various tax-oriented transactions. Deutsche Bank provided financial products and services to these customers, who were advised by various accounting, legal and financial advisory professionals. The customers claimed tax benefits as a result of these transactions, and the IRS has rejected those claims. In these legal proceedings, the customers allege that the professional advisors, together with Deutsche Bank, improperly misled the customers into believing that the claimed tax benefits would be upheld by the IRS. The legal proceedings are pending in state and federal courts, and claims against Deutsche Bank are alleged under both U.S. state and federal law. Numerous legal proceedings have been resolved and dismissed with prejudice with respect to Deutsche Bank. A number of other legal proceedings have been filed and remain pending against Deutsche Bank and are currently at various pre-trial stages, including discovery. Deutsche Bank has received and resolved a number of unfiled claims as well. Deutsche Bank does not expect these pending legal proceedings to have a significant effect on its financial position or profitability.

 

DBSI has been named as a respondent in sixteen arbitrations and a defendant in one litigation seeking damages for losses sustained through a put spread options investment strategy directed by an independent registered investment advisor, Themis Asset Strategies LLC (“Themis”), whose principal Derek Clark was a client advisor at the DBSI from 2002-2005. Claimants include direct clients of Themis, for whom DBSI performed execution and custody services, and customers of DBSI, who participated in the trading program through DBSI’s referral program. The litigation plaintiff is a non-customer whose trades were executed through the DBSI’s options desk and delivered to another firm. The put spread options strategy experienced a severe decline during the market turmoil of October 2008, and DBSI discontinued its referral arrangement with Themis in November 2008. The litigation and one of the arbitrations is pending and the other fifteen arbitrations have been resolved or dismissed with prejudice.

 

DBSI has been named as respondent in an arbitration alleging that DBSI failed to sell an equity position held by the claimant, Dr. Xiaohua Qu (the Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Solar), in accordance with the terms of a Rule 10b5-1 sales plan agreement. Claimant seeks compensatory damages in excess of $10 million plus punitive damages and costs and fees. The arbitration hearing took place in November 2012 and the dispute was settled in late 2012. The terms of the settlement are confidential.

 

DBSI, along with numerous other securities firms and individuals, has been named as a defendant in a consolidated class action lawsuit pending in the SDNY relating to certain debt and equity securities issued by MF Global Holdings Ltd. The lawsuit alleges material misstatements and omissions in a registration statement and prospectuses. This litigation is in discovery.

 

Deutsche Bank is the subject of a litigation filed in the SDNY by the Joint Official Liquidators (“JOLs”) of the SPhinX family of hedge funds (“SPhinX”) arising from losses allegedly suffered by SPhinX when SPhinX assets were transferred from segregated accounts at Refco LLC to unprotected accounts at Refco Capital Markets, Ltd. According to the complaint, the JOLs filed the action to recover (i) $263 million plus interest in damages suffered by SPhinX, (ii) the lost business enterprise value and deepening insolvency damages suffered by SPhinX’s investment manager, PlusFunds Group, Inc., and (iii) damages suffered by a group of SPhinX investors that assigned claims to the JOLs. The complaint included claims for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud/misrepresentation, aiding and abetting fraud, aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty, aiding and abetting conversion, breach of contract/breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and declaratory relief on Deutsche Bank’s indemnity claims against SPhinX. On November 1, 2011, the court dismissed all claims, except for the claim for aiding and abetting fraud and further limited that claim to losses suffered by SPhinX with respect to assets placed at Refco LLC. On December 26, 2012, the court issued an order granting Deutsche Bank’s motion for summary judgment and dismissed the aiding and abetting fraud claim. Plaintiffs made a motion for reconsideration which the court denied on August 2, 2013.

 

62 

 

 

On November 27, 2012, the CME Group Business Conduct Committee approved settlements/fines in the amounts of $550,000 and $250,000 to resolve three separate actions concerning DBSI’s alleged inaccurate reporting of block trades on the CME and CBOT. The settlement resolves approximately 50 violations relating to approximately 30 trades from 2009-2011, including two incidents of alleged intentional misreporting. DBSI neither admitted nor denied the rule violations upon which the fines are based.

 

In January 2009, the City of Milan (the “City”) issued civil proceedings in the District Court of Milan against Deutsche Bank and three other banks (together the “Banks”) in relation to a 2005 bond issue by the City (the “Bond”) and a related swap transaction which was subsequently restructured several times between 2005 and 2007 (the “Swap”) (the Bond and Swap together, the “Milan Transaction”). The City sought damages and/or other remedies on the grounds of alleged fraudulent and deceitful acts and alleged breach of advisory obligations. During March 2012, the City and the Banks agreed to discharge all existing civil claims between them in respect of the Milan Transaction, with no admission of liability by the Banks. While some aspects of the Swap remain in place between Deutsche Bank and the City, others were terminated as part of the civil settlement. As a further condition of the civil settlement, the sums seized from the Banks by the Milan Prosecutor (in the case of Deutsche Bank, €25 million) have been returned by the Prosecutor to the Banks, despite this seizure having been part of the trial described below. Deutsche Bank also received a small interest payment in respect of the seized sum.

 

In March 2010, at the Milan Prosecutor’s request, the Milan judge of the preliminary hearing approved the indictment of each of the Banks and certain of their employees (including two current employees of Deutsche Bank). The indictments of the employees were for alleged criminal offences relating to the Swap and subsequent restructuring, in particular fraud against a public authority. The Banks were charged with an administrative (non-criminal) offence of having systems and controls that did not prevent the employees’ alleged crimes. A first instance verdict was handed down on December 19, 2012. This verdict found all the Banks and certain employees, including the two Deutsche Bank employees, guilty of the charges against them. A reasoned judgment was handed down on February 3, 2013. Deutsche Bank and its employees filed appeals of this judgment in May 2013, and the appeals commenced on January 30, 2014. On March 7, 2014, the Milan Court of Appeal upheld all the grounds of appeal and quashed both the criminal convictions of the employees and the administrative liability of the Banks. In its reasoned judgment published on June 3, 2014, the appeal court held that “the facts pleaded before the court did not occur” and that the Bank’s compliance model was adequate and effective. The prosecutor did not file an appeal to this judgment by the deadline of July 21, 2014. Deutsche Bank received a stamped final copy of the judgment on September 26, 2014 and has been advised that the matter is now concluded.

 

Deutsche Bank AG and DBSI regularly act in the capacity of underwriter and sales agent for debt and equity securities of corporate issuers and are from time to time named as defendants in litigation commenced by investors relating to those securities.

 

Deutsche Bank AG and DBSI, along with numerous other financial institutions, have been sued in the SDNY in various actions in their capacity as underwriters and sales agents for debt and equity securities issued by American International Group, Inc. (“AIG”) between 2006 and 2008. The consolidated complaint alleges, among other things, that the offering documents failed to reveal that AIG had substantial exposure to losses due to credit default swaps, that AIG’s real estate assets were overvalued, and that AIG’s financial statements did not conform to US GAAP. On March 20, 2015, the court approved a settlement, funded by AIG, and releasing Deutsche Bank AG and DBSI from all claims.

 

DBSI, along with numerous other financial institutions, was named as a defendant in a putative class action lawsuit pending in the SDNY relating to alleged misstatements and omissions in the registration statement of General Motors Company (“GM”) in connection with GM’s November 18, 2010 initial public offering (“IPO”). DBSI acted as an underwriter for the offering. On September 4, 2014, the court dismissed all of the plaintiffs’ claims with prejudice. The court also denied plaintiffs’ request for leave to further amend the complaint. On May 28, 2015, the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal, and on July 9, 2015, the Second Circuit denied en banc review of plaintiffs’ appeal. The underwriters, including DBSI, received a customary indemnification agreement from GM as issuer in connection with the offerings.

 

63 

 

 

DBSI, along with numerous other financial institutions, was named as a defendant in two putative class action lawsuits pending in the SDNY relating to alleged misstatements and omissions in the securities filings of Vivint Solar Inc. (“Vivint”) in connection with Vivint’s October 1, 2014 IPO, which actions were subsequently consolidated. DBSI acted as one of several underwriters for the IPO. On May 6, 2015, defendants moved to dismiss the Second Amended Consolidated Complaint. Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (“PSLRA”), discovery is stayed pending the court’s resolution of the motions to dismiss. The underwriters, including DBSI, received a customary indemnification agreement from Vivint as issuer in connection with the IPO.

 

DBSI, along with numerous other financial institutions, was named as a defendant in a putative class action lawsuit pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California relating to alleged misstatements and omissions in the securities filings of SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (“SeaWorld”) in connection with SeaWorld’s April 19, 2013 IPO and two secondary offerings, which occurred on or about December 12, 2013 and April 3, 2014 (collectively, “SPOs”). DBSI acted as one of several underwriters for the SPOs. On May 29, 2015, defendants moved to dismiss the amended consolidated class action complaint. Under the PSLRA, discovery is stayed pending the court’s resolution of the motions to dismiss. The underwriters, including DBSI, received a customary indemnification agreement from SeaWorld as issuer in connection with the SPOs.

 

DBSI, along with certain other financial institutions, was named as a defendant in a putative class action lawsuit pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California relating to alleged misstatements and omissions in the securities filings of 500.com Limited (“500.com”) in connection with 500.com’s November 22, 2013 IPO. DBSI acted as one of several underwriters for the IPO. By order dated July 17, 2015, the court set a schedule whereby lead plaintiff may file an amended complaint by September 15, 2015. Under the PSLRA, discovery is stayed pending the court’s resolution of the anticipated motions to dismiss. The underwriters, including DBSI, received a customary indemnification agreement from 500.com as issuer in connection with the IPO.

 

DBSI, along with numerous other financial institutions, was named as a defendant in three putative class action lawsuits brought by purchasers of American Realty Capital Properties, Inc. (“ARCP”) securities alleging violations of the federal securities laws with respect to, among other things, ARCP’s May 21, 2014 issuance and sale of 138,000,000 shares of common stock (the “Secondary Offering”). DBSI acted as one of several underwriters of the ARCP Secondary Offering. On May 29, 2015, the defendants moved to dismiss the amended consolidated complaint. Under the PSLRA, discovery is stayed pending the court’s resolution of the motions to dismiss. The underwriters, including the Company, received a customary indemnification agreement from ARCP as issuer in connection with the Secondary Offering.

 

DBSI, along with other financial institutions, was named as a defendant in a putative class action lawsuit pending in the SDNY in April 2009 alleging material misstatements and/or omissions in the offering documents of General Electric Co.’s (“GE”) October 2008 Common Stock Offering. DBSI acted as an underwriter in the offering. On July 29, 2009, the Court entered an order consolidating this action with others generally arising out of the same facts against GE and various company officers and directors. A consolidated amended complaint was filed on October 2, 2009. Defendants moved to dismiss the consolidated amended complaint on November 24, 2009, and, on June 9, 2010, the plaintiff filed a second amended complaint. Defendants moved to dismiss the second amended complaint on June 30, 2010, and the Court granted in part and denied in part that motion on January 12, 2012. On January 26, 2012, defendants moved for reconsideration regarding the claims which were not dismissed, and, on April 18, 2012, the Court granted reconsideration and dismissed the remaining claims against DBSI and the other underwriter defendants. Some claims against the GE-related defendants survived. The time for any appeal from dismissal of the claims against the underwriters will not begin to run until disposition of the remaining claims against the GE-related defendants. The underwriters, including DBSI, received a customary agreement to indemnify from GE as issuer in connection with the offerings, upon which they have notified GE that they are seeking indemnity. A settlement between GE and the Plaintiffs has been reached, which contains a release of the underwriter defendants, including the DBSI, and was approved by the Court on September 6, 2013. On October 3, 2013, a shareholder of the Issuer filed a notice of appeal challenging the settlement.

 

DBSI and one of its former employees are named as defendants in a lawsuit brought by Insurative Premium Finance (Jersey) Limited (“Insurative”) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts arising from the former employee’s alleged involvement in a fraudulent scheme involving the purchase of premium life insurance policies by clients of DBSI. Insurative alleges that it was contracted to provide the financing for the life insurance policies and that it suffered lost profits when the clients terminated the financing arrangement. This litigation has been settled.

 

64 

 

 

Deutsche Bank and certain of its officers have been named as defendants in a putative class action pending in the SDNY brought on behalf of all persons who acquired Deutsche Bank ordinary shares between January 3, 2007 and January 16, 2009 (the “class period”). In an amended complaint, plaintiff alleges that during the class period, the value of Deutsche Bank’s securities was inflated due to alleged misstatements or omissions on Deutsche Bank’s part regarding the potential exposure to Deutsche Bank arising out of the MortgageIT acquisition, and regarding the potential exposure arising from Deutsche Bank’s RMBS and CDO portfolio during the class period. By decision dated March 27, 2013, the Court largely denied the motion to dismiss as to Deutsche Bank and all but one of the individual defendants. The Court dismissed all claims by class members who acquired shares outside the United States. Discovery is expected to commence shortly.

 

Deutsche Bank is involved in legal proceedings with respect to a hydropower project in Albania. On the other side are two Italian companies, BEG SpA and Hydro Srl. BEG is Deutsche Bank’s joint venture partner with respect to the project; Hydro is the joint venture vehicle (owned 55 % by BEG and 45 % by Deutsche Bank). The dispute centers around whether Deutsche Bank has an obligation to fund construction of the project in full. Deutsche Bank’s position is that its sole funding obligation with respect to the project was to provide an equity injection of up to €35 million, which obligation it has fulfilled.

 

Initially, Deutsche Bank was defendant in an arbitration claim from Hydro in Italy for damages of €411 million for alleged failure to finance the construction of the project (“Rome 1”). In November 2011, the arbitration panel ruled that there was evidence of some (unspecified) further financing commitment on Deutsche Bank’s part, and issued an award of approximately €29 million against Deutsche Bank. Deutsche Bank appealed to the Court of Appeal in Rome for the award to be set aside. The Court affirmed the award in July 2013. Deutsche Bank is considering an appeal to the Italian Supreme Court.

 

Deutsche Bank responded to the Rome 1 arbitration by bringing a claim against BEG in an International Chamber of Commerce (“ICC”) arbitration in Paris. The ICC tribunal’s award, which was issued in April 2013, confirmed inter alia that Deutsche Bank had fulfilled its obligations in respect of the project to date and that (contrary to the findings of the Italian arbitration panel) no further financing commitment exists on the Bank’s part. The ICC tribunal also dismissed BEG’s counterclaim of €242 million in full.

 

In June 2012, Kaupthing hf, an Icelandic stock corporation, acting through its winding-up committee, issued Icelandic law clawback claims for approximately € 509 million (plus interest calculated on a damages rate basis and penalty rate basis) against Deutsche Bank in both Iceland and England. The claims relate to leveraged credit linked notes (“CLNs”), referencing Kaupthing, issued by Deutsche Bank to two British Virgin Island special purpose vehicles (“SPVs”) in 2008. The SPVs were ultimately owned by high net worth individuals. Kaupthing claims to have funded the SPVs and alleges that Deutsche Bank was or should have been aware that Kaupthing itself was economically exposed in the transactions. Kaupthing claims that the transactions are voidable by Kaupthing on a number of alternative grounds, including the ground that the transactions were improper because one of the alleged purposes of the transactions was to allow Kaupthing to influence the market in its own CDS (credit default swap) spreads and thereby its listed bonds. Additionally, in November 2012, an English law claim (with allegations similar to those featured in the Icelandic law claims) was commenced by Kaupthing against Deutsche Bank in London. Deutsche Bank filed a defense in the Icelandic proceedings in late February 2013 and continues to defend the claims. In February 2014, proceedings in England were stayed pending final determination of the Icelandic proceedings. Additionally, in December 2014, the SPVs and their joint liquidators served Deutsche Bank with substantively similar claims arising out of the CLN transactions against Deutsche Bank and other defendants in England. The SPVs are also claiming approximately € 509 million (plus interest), although the amount of that interest claim is less than in Iceland. Deutsche Bank has filed a defense in these proceedings and continues to defend them. The SPVs’ claims are not expected to increase Deutsche Bank’s overall potential liability in respect of the CLN transactions beyond the amount already claimed by Kaupthing.

 

The public prosecutor’s office in Munich (Staatsanwaltschaft München I) has conducted and is currently conducting criminal investigations in connection with the Kirch case with regard to former Management Board members as well as the current Management Board members Jürgen Fitschen and Dr. Stephan Leithner. The Kirch case involved several civil proceedings between Deutsche Bank AG and Dr. Leo Kirch as well as media companies controlled by him. The key issue was whether an interview given by Dr. Rolf Breuer, then Spokesman of Deutsche Bank’s Management Board, in 2002 with Bloomberg television, during which Dr. Rolf Breuer commented on Dr. Kirch’s (and his companies’) inability to obtain financing, caused the insolvency of the Kirch companies. In February 2014, Deutsche Bank and the Kirch heirs reached a comprehensive settlement, which has ended all legal disputes between them.

 

65 

 

 

The investigation involving current Management Board member Jürgen Fitschen and several former Management Board members has been concluded and an indictment against all accused has been filed. Trial started on April 28, 2015 and court dates are currently scheduled until January 2016, generally one day per week. The court ordered the secondary participation of Deutsche Bank AG.

 

The investigation involving current Management Board member Dr. Stephan Leithner is ongoing.

 

The allegations of the public prosecutors are that the two current Management Board members failed to correct in a timely manner factual statements made by Deutsche Bank’s litigation counsel in submissions filed in a civil case between Kirch and Deutsche Bank AG before the Munich Higher Regional Court and the Federal Court of Justice, after allegedly having become aware that such statements were not correct. Under German law, a party in a civil litigation is under a statutory duty to make sure all factual statements made by it in court are accurate. The investigation of Dr. Stephan Leithner and the indictment of Mr. Jürgen Fitschen are based on the allegation that (unlike the other current Management Board members of the Bank) they had special knowledge or responsibility in relation to the Kirch case. The indictment regarding former Management Board members is based on the allegation that such former Management Board members gave incorrect testimony to the Munich Higher Regional Court.

 

The Supervisory Board and the Management Board of Deutsche Bank have obtained opinions from an international law firm and a retired president of one of the leading courts of appeal in Germany to the effect that there is no basis for the accusation of criminal wrongdoing made by the public prosecutors against Mr. Jürgen Fitschen and Dr. Stephan Leithner. Deutsche Bank is fully cooperating with the Munich public prosecutor’s office.

 

Following the decline of the Korea Composite Stock Price Index 200 (“KOSPI 200”) in the closing auction on November 11, 2010 by approximately 2.7 %, the Korean Financial Supervisory Service (“FSS”) commenced an investigation and expressed concerns that the fall in the KOSPI 200 was attributable to a sale by Deutsche Bank of a basket of stocks, worth approximately €1.6 billion, that was held as part of an index arbitrage position on the KOSPI 200. On February 23, 2011, the Korean Financial Services Commission, which oversees the work of the FSS, reviewed the FSS’ findings and recommendations and resolved to take the following action: (i) to file a criminal complaint to the Korean Prosecutor’s Office for alleged market manipulation against five employees of the Deutsche Bank group and Deutsche Bank’s subsidiary Deutsche Securities Korea Co. (“DSK”) for vicarious liability; and (ii) to impose a suspension of six months, commencing April 1, 2011 and ending September 30, 2011, of DSK’s business for proprietary trading of cash equities and listed derivatives and DMA (direct market access) cash equities trading, and the requirement that DSK suspend the employment of one named employee for six months. There was an exemption to the business suspension which permitted DSK to continue acting as liquidity provider for existing derivatives linked securities. On August 19, 2011, the Korean Prosecutor’s Office announced its decision to indict DSK and four employees of the Deutsche Bank group on charges of spot/futures linked market manipulation. The criminal trial commenced in January 2012. . A verdict in respect of DSK and one of the four indicted employees is currently expected to be rendered in the fourth quarter of 2015 or the first quarter of 2016.

 

In addition, a number of civil actions have been filed in Korean courts against Deutsche Bank and DSK by certain parties who allege they incurred losses as a consequence of the fall in the KOSPI 200 on November 11, 2010. The claimants are seeking damages with an aggregate claim amount of approximately € 270 million (at present exchange rates) plus interest and costs. These litigations are at various stages of proceedings, with first instance court decisions in some of these currently expected to be rendered in November 2015.

 

Following the bankruptcy of the Italian company Parmalat, prosecutors in Parma conducted a criminal investigation against various bank employees, including employees of Deutsche bank, and brought charges of fraudulent bankruptcy against a number of Deutsche Bank employees and others. The trial commenced in September 2009 and is ongoing.

 

Certain retail bondholders and shareholders have alleged civil liability against Deutsche Bank in connection with the above-mentioned criminal proceedings. Deutsche Bank has made a formal settlement offer to those retail investors who have asserted claims against Deutsche Bank. This offer has been accepted by some of the retail investors. The outstanding claims will be heard during the criminal trial process.

 

In January 2001, a group of institutional investors (bondholders and shareholders) commenced a civil claim for damages in an aggregate amount of approximately €130 million plus interest and costs, in the Milan courts against various international and Italian banks, including Deutsche Bank and Deutsche Bank S.p.A., on allegations of cooperation with Parmalat in the fraudulent placement of securities and of deepening the insolvency of Parmalat. Hearings on a preliminary application (made for preliminary matters, including jurisdiction) brought by the defendant banks have taken place and the court has reserved judgment and ordered the case to proceed on the merits. An appeal by Deutsche Bank to the Italian Supreme Court on the jurisdiction argument has been rejected, and the case will now proceed.

 

66 

 

 

Deutsche Bank is in litigation in the United Kingdom and the United States with Sebastian Holdings Inc., a Turks and Caicos company (“SHI”). The dispute arose in October 2008 when SHI accumulated trading losses and subsequently failed to meet margin calls issued by Deutsche Bank.

 

The U.K. action is brought by Deutsche Bank to recover approximately $246 million owed by SHI after the termination of two sets of master trading agreements with SHI in the U.K. action against SHI, the trial court (upheld by the Court of Appeal) held that it has jurisdiction over Deutsche Bank’s suit and rejected SHI’s claim that the U.K. is an inconvenient forum for the case to be heard. The action is progressing in the English courts, with a trial date of April 2013. As a counterclaim against Deutsche Bank in the U.K., SHI is duplicating aspects of the U.S. claim (described below) in the U.K. proceedings. The amount of the U.K. pleaded counterclaim has not been fully specified and elements may be duplicative, but the pleaded claim is at least NOK 8.28 billion (around €1 billion or $1.38 billion at recent exchange rates, which do not necessarily equate to the rates applicable to the claim). Substantial consequential loss claims are in addition pleaded based primarily on the profits which SHI claims it would have made on the moneys allegedly lost.

 

The trial in the English court began in April 2013 and judgment was handed down in November 2013. The English court found SHI liable to Deutsche Bank for the amount of approximately U.S. $236 million, plus interest, plus 85 % of costs, including an interim award of GBP 34 million, in respect of Deutsche Bank’s claim and denied SHI’s counterclaims, holding that SHI was not entitled to any recovery. In December 2013, Deutsche Bank commenced action in the English court against Mr. Alexander Vik (SHI’s sole shareholder and director) personally in respect of the GBP 34 million interim costs award. On June 24, 2014, the English court held Mr. Vik personally liable for such costs (including a further GBP 2 million in interest accrued since November 2013) and granted Deutsche Bank a further GBP 350,000 by way of its costs of this action. These sums (together approximately GBP 36.5 million) have been paid by Mr. Vik, although he has indicated an intention to appeal this decision.

 

On December 20, 2013, SHI filed an application for permission to appeal portions of the trial court judgment with the Court of Appeal in England. The appeal relates to approximately U.S. $600 million of SHI’s original claim, plus interest and potentially a further sum to reflect exchange rate fluctuations. In February 2014 Deutsche Bank applied to the Court of Appeal for an order that SHI’s appeal be made conditional upon it first (a) paying into court the sums the English court ordered SHI to pay in November 2013; and (b) providing security for Deutsche Bank’s future costs of the SHI appeal. The hearing of this application took place on July 8, 2014. The Court of Appeal granted Deutsche Bank security for its future costs of the appeal and ordered SHI to pay U.S. $256 million by August 27, 2014 as a condition of prosecuting its appeal. The Court of Appeal also granted Deutsche Bank its costs of making this application and an interim payment of GBP 250,000 was received from SHI on August 11, 2014. SHI failed to pay the U.S. $256 million by August 27, 2014 and therefore failed to meet the condition imposed on prosecuting its appeal and as a consequence its appeal has been delisted by the Court of Appeal. SHI has applied to the Supreme Court for permission to appeal against the Court of Appeal decision.

 

The U.S. action is a damages claim brought by SHI against Deutsche Bank in New York state court, arising out of the same circumstances as Deutsche Bank’s suit against SHI in the U.K. and seeking damages of at least $2.5 billion in an amended complaint filed January 10, 2011. The New York State Court has granted Deutsche Bank’s motion to dismiss SHI’s tort claims, certain of its contract and quasi-contract claims, and its claims for punitive damages, which ruling has been affirmed by the Appellate Division. SHI has filed a motion for leave to file an amended complaint, and Deutsche Bank has filed a motion for summary judgment dismissing the action. No trial date has been set.

 

In November and December 2013, Deutsche Bank commenced actions in New York and Connecticut seeking to enforce the English judgment against SHI and Mr. Vik. SHI’s and Mr. Vik’s motions to dismiss the Connecticut action have been dismissed or withdrawn, and the action is proceeding. The Connecticut court has scheduled the case for trial commencing November 10, 2015. The English judgment against SHI has been recognized in Connecticut, and, on July 18, 2014, a New York judge granted Deutsche Bank summary judgment in its claim to recognize the English judgment against SHI in New York. In addition, Deutsche Bank brought claims in New York against SHI, Mr. Vik, and other defendants, including Mr. Vik’s wife, Carrie Vik, and a family trust, for fraudulent transfers that stripped SHI of assets in October 2008. The action also seeks to enforce the judgment against Mr. Vik. The defendants’ motion to dismiss that action is pending.

 

67 

 

 

Deutsche Bank has received subpoenas and requests for information from various regulatory and law enforcement agencies in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific in connection with industry-wide investigations concerning the setting of London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), Euro Interbank Offered Rate (“EURIBOR”), Tokyo Interbank Offered Rate (“TIBOR”), Singapore Interbank Offered Rate (“SIBOR”) and other interbank offered rates. Deutsche Bank is cooperating with these investigations.

 

On December 4, 2013, Deutsche Bank reached a settlement with the EC as part of a collective settlement to resolve the EC’s investigations in relation to anticompetitive conduct in the trading of Euro interest rate derivatives and Yen interest rate derivatives. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Deutsche Bank agreed to pay €466 million for the Euro interest rate derivatives and €259 million for the Yen interest rate derivatives matters, respectively, or €725 million in total.

 

On April 23, 2015, Deutsche Bank entered into separate settlements with the DOJ, the CFTC, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), and the New York State Department of Financial Services (“NYSDFS”) to resolve investigations into misconduct concerning the setting of LIBOR, EURIBOR, and TIBOR. Under the terms of these agreements, Deutsche Bank agreed to pay penalties of U.S.$2.175 billion to the DOJ, CFTC and NYSDFS and GBP 226.8 million to the FCA. The agreements also contained provisions requiring various undertakings with respect to Deutsche Bank’s benchmark rate submissions in the future, as well as provisions requiring the appointment of an independent corporate monitor. Deutsche Bank was also required to take further disciplinary action against certain employees who were working at the Bank at the time of the agreements.

 

As part of the resolution with the DOJ, Deutsche Bank entered into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement with a three-year term pursuant to which it agreed (among other things) to the filing of a two-count criminal Information in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut charging Deutsche Bank with one count of wire fraud and one count of price-fixing, in violation of the Sherman Act. As part of the agreement, DB Group Services (UK) Ltd. (an indirectly held, wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank) entered into a Plea Agreement with the DOJ, pursuant to which the company pled guilty to a one-count criminal Information filed in the same court and charging the company with wire fraud. Deutsche Bank has made provision for a U.S.$ 150 million fine, which (subject to court approval) is expected to be paid by Deutsche Bank pursuant to the Plea Agreement within ten business days of when DB Group Services (UK) Ltd. is sentenced. (The U.S.$ 150 million fine is included in the U.S.$2.175 billion in total penalties referenced in the immediately preceding paragraph.) DB Group Services (UK) Ltd. currently has a sentencing date of April 5, 2016.

 

Other regulatory investigations of Deutsche Bank concerning the setting of various interbank offered rates remain ongoing, and Deutsche Bank remains exposed to further regulatory action and to civil litigation.

 

Deutsche Bank is party to approximately 44 civil actions concerning manipulation relating to the setting of various Interbank Offered Rates. Most of the civil actions, including putative class actions, are pending in the SDNY, against Deutsche Bank and numerous other banks. All but five of the civil actions were filed on behalf of parties who allege losses as a result of manipulation relating to the setting of U.S. dollar LIBOR. The five civil actions pending against Deutsche Bank that do not relate to U.S. dollar LIBOR are also pending in the SDNY, and include two actions concerning Yen LIBOR and Euroyen TIBOR, one action concerning EURIBOR, one action concerning Pound Sterling (GBP) LIBOR and one action concerning Swiss franc (CHF) LIBOR.

 

With one exception, all of the civil actions pending in the SDNY concerning U.S. dollar LIBOR are being coordinated as part of a multidistrict litigation (“U.S. dollar LIBOR MDL”). This U.S. dollar LIBOR MDL includes 31 actions against Deutsche Bank and others: ten class actions and 21 individual actions. One of these individual actions includes ten actions for which the plaintiffs submitted one consolidated complaint, and is therefore discussed here as one action. Six actions originally part of the U.S. dollar LIBOR MDL were dismissed and a consolidated appeal is pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Several other actions that are part of the U.S. dollar LIBOR MDL were dismissed in part and also are part of the consolidated appeal. There is one non-MDL class action concerning U.S. dollar LIBOR that was dismissed and for which an appeal is pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

 

Claims for damages for all 44 of the civil actions discussed have been asserted under various legal theories, including violations of the CEA, federal and state antitrust laws, the U.S. Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”), and other federal and state laws. In all but five cases, the amount of damages has not been formally articulated by the counterparty. The five cases that allege a specific amount of damages are individual actions consolidated in the U.S. dollar LIBOR MDL and seek a minimum of more than U.S.$ 1.25 billion in damages in the aggregate from all defendants including Deutsche Bank.

 

68 

 

 

In three rulings between March 2013 and June 2014, the court in the U.S. dollar LIBOR MDL granted in part and denied in part motions to dismiss addressed to the six first-filed complaints (three class actions and three individual actions). The court issued decisions permitting certain CEA claims and state law contract and unjust enrichment claims to proceed, while dismissing certain CEA claims as time-barred and dismissing all of plaintiffs’ federal and state law antitrust claims and claims asserted under RICO. This resulted in the dismissal of four cases in their entirety (one class action and three individual actions) and the partial dismissal of two cases (both class actions). One of the four cases dismissed in its entirety is being appealed as part of the consolidated appeal discussed below. In the other three cases dismissed in their entirety, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit denied plaintiffs’ efforts to appeal as untimely, and in October 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court denied plaintiffs’ petition to have it review the Second Circuit’s denial. Separately, and prior to the Supreme Court’s October 2015 denial, on February 10, 2015, the plaintiffs in those three cases filed a second notice of appeal, which defendants have moved to dismiss.

 

Various additional plaintiffs proceeding in their individual capacities have brought actions against Deutsche Bank. These 21 individual actions have been consolidated in the U.S. dollar LIBOR MDL. On August 4, 2015, the court issued an opinion concerning some of these individual consolidated actions. Deutsche Bank is a defendant in 17 of those cases. Several claims have been dismissed against certain parties, including a subsidiary of Deutsche Bank, based on lack of jurisdiction. Other claims were dismissed against all parties, including claims for antitrust, RICO, conspiracy, consumer protection, unfair business practices, and state law claims for injunctive and equitable relief. Contract, fraud and other tort claims from certain counterparties with whom Deutsche Bank had direct dealings remain pending against Deutsche Bank. For some claims, the court described legal principles and directed the parties in the first instance to attempt to reach agreement on which claims survive. That process is ongoing.

 

Some of the plaintiffs in these individual actions were permitted by the lower court to pursue interlocutory appeals on their federal antitrust claims. These plaintiffs, along with plaintiffs in one of the first-filed class actions discussed above, are pursuing appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Also part of the consolidated appeal are two class actions involving only federal antitrust claims, which were dismissed upon the plaintiffs’ request so that they could become part of the appeal. The Second Circuit granted a motion by defendants to consolidate these appeals, and briefing was completed on August 17, 2015. Oral argument is scheduled for November 13, 2015. Certain other class actions with federal antitrust claims are stayed pending resolution of this appeal.

 

Plaintiffs representing putative classes of homeowners and lenders also have brought actions against Deutsche Bank, which have been consolidated in the U.S. dollar LIBOR MDL. Deutsche Bank has filed motions to dismiss, which are pending.

 

Plaintiffs representing a putative class of plaintiffs who allegedly transacted in exchange-traded financial instruments referencing U.S. dollar LIBOR (the “exchange-based plaintiffs”) also have brought an action against Deutsche Bank, which has been consolidated in the U.S. dollar LIBOR MDL. Deutsche Bank has filed a motion to dismiss on the grounds that the court lacks jurisdiction. That motion is pending. On June 29, 2015, the exchange-based plaintiffs requested leave to move to amend their complaint to include new allegations relating to Deutsche Bank’s April 23, 2015 LIBOR settlements with the DOJ, CFTC, NYSDFS, and FCA. The proposed amended complaint also would add two Deutsche Bank subsidiaries, DB Group Services (UK) Ltd. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., as named defendants. Defendants have requested that the court defer consideration of plaintiffs’ request until after deciding the pending motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction.

 

The court in an additional action concerning U.S. dollar LIBOR that was independently pending in the SDNY, outside of the U.S. dollar LIBOR MDL, has granted defendants’ motions to dismiss. The plaintiff has filed a motion to amend its complaint, which is pending.

 

Deutsche Bank also was named as a defendant in a civil action in the Central District of California concerning U.S. dollar LIBOR. The court granted Deutsche Bank’s motion to dismiss. The plaintiff is currently pursuing an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and briefing is scheduled to be completed on November 18, 2015.

 

A putative class action was filed against Deutsche Bank and other banks concerning the alleged manipulation of Yen LIBOR and Euroyen TIBOR. On March 28, 2014, the SDNY court granted defendants’ motions to dismiss claims asserted under U.S. federal antitrust laws and for unjust enrichment, but denied defendants’ motions as to certain claims asserted under the CEA. On March 31, 2015, the court denied motions to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction filed by certain foreign defendants (including Deutsche Bank). The court subsequently denied a motion by those defendants (including Deutsche Bank) asking the court to reconsider this decision or, in the alternative, to grant defendants leave to file an interlocutory appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. On March 31, 2015, the court also denied in part and granted in part a motion by the plaintiff to amend his complaint. The court denied plaintiff’s requests to assert RICO claims against Deutsche Bank and to add two new named plaintiffs. In addition, the court lifted a stay of discovery on May 15, 2015. On September 29, 2015, Deutsche Bank filed a motion to join the petition of certain Japanese bank defendants to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which seeks reversal of the March 31, 2015 ruling concerning jurisdiction. That motion is pending.

 

69 

 

 

A second putative class action alleging manipulation of Yen LIBOR and Euroyen TIBOR and naming Deutsche Bank and a subsidiary, DB Group Services (UK) Ltd., as defendants, along with other banks and inter-dealer brokers, was filed in the SDNY on July 24, 2015. On October 8, 2015, the court denied without prejudice the plaintiffs’ motion to consolidate the action with the other aforementioned putative class action alleging manipulation of Yen LIBOR and Euroyen TIBOR. On October 8, 2015, the plaintiffs in both putative class actions stated that they intend to file amended complaints, both of which must be filed by December 1, 2015.

 

Deutsche Bank and a subsidiary, DB Group Services (UK) Ltd., are also named as defendants in a putative class action concerning the alleged manipulation of EURIBOR, pending in the SDNY. The court modified a stay on discovery on May 13, 2015 and granted plaintiffs leave to file a further amended complaint by August 11, 2015. A motion to dismiss the further amended complaint was filed on October 14, 2015.

 

On May 6, 2015, Deutsche Bank was named as a defendant in a putative class action in the SDNY concerning the alleged manipulation of Pound Sterling (GBP) LIBOR. Plaintiff filed an amended complaint on July 24, 2015. Defendants filed a pre motion to dismiss letter on September 25, 2015. Defendants’ motions to dismiss are due on November 13, 2015.

 

On June 19, 2015, Deutsche Bank and a subsidiary, DB Group Services (UK) Ltd., were named as defendants in a putative class action in the SDNY concerning the alleged manipulation of Swiss Franc (CHF) LIBOR. Motions to dismiss were filed on August 18, 2015.

On May 20, 2013, plaintiff Salix Capital US Inc. (“Salix”), on their own behalf and as assignee of the Frontpoint Funds, filed a complaint alleging that Deutsche Bank AG and DBSI, along with various other financial institutions, conspired to manipulate LIBOR for the period from August 2007 to May 2010. On October 6, 2014, Salix filed its second amended complaint and plaintiffs Principal Funds, Inc., Principal Variable Contracts Funds, Inc., Principal Financial Group, Inc., Principal Financial Services, Inc. and Principal Life Insurance Company filed amended complaints asserting similar allegations against Deutsche Bank AG, and adding DBSI as a defendant. On November 5, 2014, defendants moved to dismiss these complaints. On August 4, 2015, DBSI was dismissed as a defendant in these actions.

 

Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. AG & Co. KGaA (“Sal. Oppenheim”) was prior to its acquisition by Deutsche Bank in 2010 involved in the marketing and financing of participations in closed end real estate funds. These funds were structured as Civil Law Partnerships under German law. Usually, Josef Esch Fonds-Project GmbH performed the planning and project development. Sal. Oppenheim held an indirect interest in this company via a joint-venture. In relation to this business a number of civil claims have been filed against Sal. Oppenheim. Some but not all of these claims are also directed against former managing partners of Sal. Oppenheim and other individuals. The claims brought against Sal. Oppenheim relate to investments of originally approximately €1.1 billion, of which claims relating to investments of originally approximately €500 million are still pending. The investors are seeking to unwind their fund participation and to be indemnified against potential losses and debt related to the investment. The claims are based in part on an alleged failure of Sal. Oppenheim to provide adequate information on related risks and other material aspects important for the investors’ decision. Based on the facts of the individual cases, some courts decided in favor and some against Sal. Oppenheim. Appeals are pending.

 

Deutsche Bank has received inquiries from certain regulatory and law enforcement authorities, including requests for information and documents, pertaining to investigations of precious metals trading and related conduct. Deutsche Bank is cooperating with these investigations. Relatedly, Deutsche Bank has been conducting its own internal review in relation to Deutsche Bank’s historic participation in the precious metals benchmarks and other aspects of its precious metals trading and precious metals business.

 

Deutsche Bank is also named as a defendant in several putative class action complaints, which have been consolidated in two lawsuits pending in the SDNY. The suits allege violations of U.S. antitrust law, the CEA, and related state law arising out of the alleged manipulation of gold and silver prices through participation in the gold and silver fixes. The class action complaints are in the early stages. Deutsche Bank has filed motions to dismiss the complaints. The complaints do not specify the damages sought.

 

DBSI has been named as a defendant in several putative class action complaints pending in the SDNY and the U.S. District Courts in the Northern District of Illinois and the District of the Virgin Islands alleging violations of U.S. antitrust law, the CEA and common law related to the alleged manipulation of the U.S. Treasury securities market. These cases are in their early stages. A motion has been filed before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to centralize these cases in the SDNY, which is pending.

 

70 

 

 

On June 1, 2011, Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated converted from a Delaware corporation to a Delaware limited liability company. As a result of that conversion, Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated is now named Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (“MS&Co.”).

 

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Morgan Stanley, a Delaware holding company.

 

MS&Co. is a Delaware limited liability company with its main business office located at 1585 Broadway, New York, New York 10036. Among other registrations and memberships, MS&Co. is registered as a futures commission merchant and is a member of the NFA.

 

On May 7, 2009, MS&Co. was named as a defendant in a purported class action lawsuit brought under Sections 11, 12 and 15 of the 1933 Act, which is now styled In re Morgan Stanley Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates Litigation and is pending in the SDNY. The third amended complaint, filed on September 30, 2011, alleges, among other things, that the registration statements and offering documents related to the offerings of certain mortgage pass-through certificates in 2006 contained false and misleading information concerning the pools of residential loans that backed these securitizations. The plaintiffs seek, among other relief, class certification, unspecified compensatory and rescissionary damages, costs, interest and fees. On July 22, 2014, the parties reached an agreement in principle to settle the litigation. The settlement is subject to approval by the court, which has set a final approval hearing for December 18, 2014.

 

On December 23, 2009, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle filed a complaint against MS&Co. and another defendant in the Superior Court of the State of Washington, styled Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle v. Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc., et al. The amended complaint, filed on September 28, 2010, alleges that defendants made untrue statements and material omissions in the sale to plaintiff of certain mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly sold to plaintiff by MS&Co. was approximately $233 million. The complaint raises claims under the Washington State Securities Act and seeks, among other things, to rescind the plaintiff’s purchase of such certificates. On October 18, 2010, defendants filed a motion to dismiss the action. By orders dated June 23, 2011 and July 18, 2011, the court denied defendants’ omnibus motion to dismiss plaintiff’s amended complaint and on August 15, 2011, the court denied MS&Co.’s individual motion to dismiss the amended complaint. On March 7, 2013, the court granted defendants’ motion to strike plaintiff’s demand for a jury trial. At December 25, 2014, the current unpaid balance of the mortgage pass-through certificates at issue in this action was approximately $53 million, and the certificates had not yet incurred actual losses. Based on currently available information, MS&Co. believes it could incur a loss in this action up to the difference between the $53 million unpaid balance of these certificates (plus any losses incurred) and their fair market value at the time of a judgment against MS&Co., plus pre- and post-judgment interest, fees and costs. MS&CO. may be entitled to be indemnified for some of these losses and to an offset for interest received by the plaintiff prior to a judgment.

 

On March 15, 2010, the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco filed two complaints against MS&Co. and other defendants in the Superior Court of the State of California. These actions are styled Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco v. Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, et al., and Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco v. Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. et al., respectively. Amended complaints filed on June 10, 2010 allege that defendants made untrue statements and material omissions in connection with the sale to plaintiff of a number of mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The amount of certificates allegedly sold to plaintiff by MS&Co. in these cases was approximately $704 million and $276 million, respectively. The complaints raise claims under both the federal securities laws and California law and seek, among other things, to rescind the plaintiff’s purchase of such certificates. On August 11, 2011, plaintiff’s 1933 Act claims were dismissed with prejudice. The defendants filed answers to the amended complaints on October 7, 2011. On February 9, 2012, defendants’ demurrers with respect to all other claims were overruled. On December 20, 2013, plaintiff’s negligent misrepresentation claims were dismissed with prejudice. A bellwether trial was scheduled to begin in January 2015. MS&Co. was not a defendant in connection with the securitizations at issue in that trial. On May 23, 2014, plaintiff and the defendants in the bellwether trial filed motions for summary adjudication. On October 15, 2014, these motions were denied. The defendants in the bellwether trial reached a settlement with plaintiff, and on January 22 and January 26, 2015, following which all remaining claims against MS&Co. in Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco v. Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, et al. were dismissed with prejudice. At June 25, 2015, the current unpaid balance of the mortgage pass-through certificates at issue in these cases was approximately $63, and the certificates had incurred actual losses of approximately $1. Based on currently available information, MS&Co. believes it could incur a loss for this action up to the difference between the $63 unpaid balance of these certificates (plus any losses incurred) and their fair market value at the time of a judgment against MS&Co., or upon sale, plus pre- and post-judgment interest, fees and costs. MS&Co. may be entitled to be indemnified for some of these losses and to an offset for interest received by the plaintiff prior to a judgment.

 

71 

 

 

On July 9, 2010 and February 11, 2011, Cambridge Place Investment Management Inc. filed two separate complaints against MS&Co. and other defendants in the Superior Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, both styled Cambridge Place Investment Management Inc. v. Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc., et al. The complaints assert claims on behalf of certain clients of plaintiff’s affiliates and allege that defendants made untrue statements and material omissions in the sale of a number of mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly issued by MS&Co. or sold to plaintiff’s affiliates’ clients by MS&Co. in the two matters was approximately $263 million. On February 11, 2014, the parties entered into an agreement to settle the litigation. On February 20, 2014, the court dismissed the action.

 

On July 15, 2010, The Charles Schwab Corp. filed a complaint against MS&Co. and other defendants in the Superior Court of the State of California, styled The Charles Schwab Corp. v. BNP Paribas Securities Corp., et al. The complaint alleges that defendants made untrue statements and material omissions in the sale to one of plaintiff’s subsidiaries of a number of mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly sold to plaintiff’s subsidiary by MS&Co. was approximately $180 million. The complaint raises claims under both the federal securities laws and California law and seeks, among other things, to rescind the plaintiff’s purchase of such certificates. Plaintiff filed an amended complaint on August 2, 2010. On September 22, 2011, defendants filed demurrers to the amended complaint. On October 13, 2011, plaintiff voluntarily dismissed its claims brought under the 1933 Act. On January 27, 2012, the court substantially overruled defendants’ demurrers. On March 5, 2012, the plaintiff filed a second amended complaint. On April 10, 2012, MS&Co. filed a demurrer to certain causes of action in the second amended complaint, which the court overruled on July 24, 2012. On November 24, 2014, plaintiff’s negligent misrepresentation claims were dismissed with prejudice. An initial trial of certain of plaintiff’s claims is scheduled to begin in August 2015.

 

On July 15, 2010, China Development Industrial Bank (“CDIB”) filed a complaint against MS&Co., which is styled China Development Industrial Bank v. Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated et al. and is pending in the N.Y. Supreme Court. The complaint relates to a $275 million credit default swap referencing the super senior portion of the STACK 2006-1 CDO. The complaint asserts claims for common law fraud, fraudulent inducement and fraudulent concealment and alleges that MS&Co. misrepresented the risks of the STACK 2006-1 CDO to CDIB, and that MS&Co. knew that the assets backing the CDO were of poor quality when it entered into the credit default swap with CDIB. The complaint seeks compensatory damages related to the approximately $228 million that CDIB alleges it has already lost under the credit default swap, rescission of CDIB’s obligation to pay an additional $12 million, punitive damages, equitable relief, fees and costs. On February 28, 2011, the court presiding over this action denied MS&Co.’s motion to dismiss the complaint and on March 21, 2011, MS&Co. appealed that order.  On July 7, 2011, the appellate court affirmed the lower court’s decision denying the motion to dismiss. Based on currently available information, MS&Co. believes it could incur a loss of up to approximately $240 million plus pre- and post-judgment interest, fees and costs.

 

On October 15, 2010, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago filed a complaint against MS&Co. and other defendants in the Circuit Court of the State of Illinois styled Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago v. Bank of America Funding Corporation et al. The complaint alleges that defendants made untrue statements and material omissions in the sale to plaintiff of a number of mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly sold to plaintiff by MS&Co. in this action was approximately $203. The complaint raises claims under Illinois law and seeks, among other things, to rescind the plaintiff’s purchase of such certificates. On March 24, 2011, the court granted plaintiff leave to file an amended complaint. MS&Co. filed its answer on December 21, 2012. On December 13, 2013, the court entered an order dismissing all claims related to one of the securitizations at issue. After that dismissal, the remaining amount of certificates allegedly issued by MS&Co. or sold to plaintiff by MS&Co. was approximately $78 million. At June 25, 2015, the current unpaid balance of the mortgage pass-through certificates at issue in this action was approximately $53 million, and the certificates had not yet incurred actual losses. Based on currently available information, MS&Co. believes it could incur a loss in this action up to the difference between the $53 million unpaid balance of these certificates (plus any losses incurred) and their fair market value at the time of a judgment against MS&Co., plus pre- and post-judgment interest, fees and costs. MS&Co. may be entitled to be indemnified for some of these losses and to an offset for interest received by the plaintiff prior to a judgment.

 

72 

 

 

On October 25, 2010, MS&Co., certain affiliates and Pinnacle Performance Limited, a special purpose vehicle (“Pinnacle”), were named as defendants in a purported class action related to securities issued by the SPV in Singapore, commonly referred to as Pinnacle Notes. The case is styled Ge Dandong, et al. v. Pinnacle Performance Ltd., et al. and is pending in the SDNY. An amended complaint was filed on October 22, 2012. The court denied defendants’ motion to dismiss the amended complaint on August 22, 2013 and granted class certification on October 17, 2013. On October 30, 2013, defendants filed a petition for permission to appeal the court’s decision granting class certification. On January 31, 2014, plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint. The second amended complaint alleges that the defendants engaged in a fraudulent scheme to defraud investors by structuring the Pinnacle Notes to fail and benefited subsequently from the securities’ failure. In addition, the second amended complaint alleges that the securities’ offering materials contained material misstatements or omissions regarding the securities’ underlying assets and the alleged conflicts of interest between the defendants and the investors. The second amended complaint asserts common law claims of fraud, aiding and abetting fraud, fraudulent inducement, aiding and abetting fraudulent inducement, and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. On July 17, 2014, the parties reached an agreement in principle to settle the litigation, which received preliminary court approval December 2, 2014. The final approval hearing is scheduled for July 2, 2015.

 

On July 5, 2011, Allstate Insurance Company and certain of its affiliated entities filed a complaint against MS&Co. in the N.Y. Supreme Court, styled Allstate Insurance Company, et al. v. Morgan Stanley, et al. An amended complaint was filed on September 9, 2011 and alleges that defendants made untrue statements and material omissions in the sale to plaintiff of certain mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The complaint raises common law claims of fraud, fraudulent inducement, aiding and abetting fraud and negligent misrepresentation and seeks, among other things, compensatory and/or recessionary damages associated with plaintiffs’ purchases of such certificates. On January 16, 2015, the parties reached an agreement to settle the litigation.

 

On July 18, 2011, the Western and Southern Life Insurance Company and certain affiliated companies filed a complaint against MS&Co. and other defendants in the Court of Common Pleas in Ohio, styled Western and Southern Life Insurance Company, et al. v. Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Inc., et al. An amended complaint was filed on April 2, 2012 and alleges that defendants made untrue statements and material omissions in the sale to plaintiffs of certain mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The amount of the certificates allegedly sold to plaintiffs by MS&Co. was approximately $153 million. The amended complaint raises claims under the Ohio Securities Act, federal securities laws, and common law and seeks, among other things, to rescind the plaintiffs’ purchases of such certificates. At December 25, 2014, the current unpaid balance of the mortgage pass-through certificates at issue in this action was approximately $110 million, and the certificates had incurred actual losses of approximately $2 million. The parties reached agreements to settle this litigation during the six months ended June 30, 2015.

 

On September 2, 2011, the FHFA, as conservator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, filed 17 complaints against numerous financial services companies, including MS&Co. A complaint against MS&Co. and other defendants was filed in the N.Y. Supreme Court, styled Federal Housing Finance Agency, as Conservator v. Morgan Stanley et al. The complaint alleges that defendants made untrue statements and material omissions in connection with the sale to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac of residential mortgage pass-through certificates with an original unpaid balance of approximately $11 billion. The complaint raised claims under federal and state securities laws and common law and seeks, among other things, rescission and compensatory and punitive damages. On February 7, 2014, the parties entered into an agreement to settle the litigation. On February 20, 2014, the court dismissed the action.

 

On November 4, 2011, the FDIC, as receiver for Franklin Bank S.S.B., filed two complaints against MS&Co. in the District Court of the State of Texas. Each was styled Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, as Receiver for Franklin Bank S.S.B. v. Morgan Stanley & Company LLC F/K/A Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc. and alleged that MS&Co. made untrue statements and material omissions in connection with the sale to plaintiff of mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The amount of certificates allegedly underwritten and sold to the plaintiff by MS&Co. in these cases was approximately $67 million and $35 million, respectively. The complaints each raised claims under both federal securities law and the Texas Securities Act and each seeks, among other things, compensatory damages associated with plaintiff’s purchase of such certificates. On June 7, 2012, the two cases were consolidated. MS&Co. filed a motion for summary judgment and special exceptions, which was denied in substantial part on April 26, 2013. The FDIC filed a second amended consolidated complaint on May 3, 2013. MS&Co. filed a motion for leave to file an interlocutory appeal as to the court’s order denying its motion for summary judgment and special exceptions, which was denied on August 1, 2013. On October 7, 2014, the court denied MS&Co.’s motion for reconsideration of the court’s order denying its motion for summary judgment and special exceptions and granted its motion for reconsideration of the court’s order denying leave to file an interlocutory appeal. On November 21, 2014, MS&Co. filed a motion for summary judgment, which was denied on February 10, 2015. The Texas Fourteenth Court of Appeals denied Morgan Stanley’s petition for interlocutory appeal on November 25, 2014. Trial is currently scheduled to begin in July 2015.

 

73 

 

 

On April 20, 2011, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston filed a complaint against MS&Co. and other defendants in the Superior Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts styled Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston v. Ally Financial, Inc. F/K/A GMAC LLC et al. An amended complaint was filed on June 19, 2012 and alleges that defendants made untrue statements and material omissions in the sale to plaintiff of certain mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly issued by MS&Co. or sold to plaintiff by MS&Co. was approximately $385 million. The amended complaint raises claims under the Massachusetts Uniform Securities Act, the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act and common law and seeks, among other things, to rescind the plaintiff’s purchase of such certificates. On May 26, 2011, defendants removed the case to the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. On October 11, 2012, defendants filed motions to dismiss the amended complaint, which was granted in part and denied in part on September 30, 2013. On November 25, 2013 and July 16, 2014, respectively, the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed its claims against the MS&Co. with respect to two of the securitizations at issue. After these voluntary dismissals, the remaining amount of certificates allegedly issued by the MS&Co. or sold to plaintiff by the MS&Co. was approximately $358 million. At June 25, 2015, the current unpaid balance of the mortgage pass-through certificates at issue in this action was approximately $57 million, and the certificates had not yet incurred actual losses. Based on currently available information, MS&Co. believes it could incur a loss in this action up to the difference between the $57 million unpaid balance of these certificates (plus any losses incurred) and their fair market value at the time of a judgment against MS&Co., or upon sale, plus pre- and post-judgment interest, fees and costs. MS&Co. may be entitled to be indemnified for some of these losses and to an offset for interest received by the plaintiff prior to a judgment.

 

On January 20, 2012, Sealink Funding Limited filed a complaint against MS&Co. in the N.Y. Supreme Court, styled Sealink Funding Limited v. Morgan Stanley, et al. Plaintiff purports to be the assignee of claims of certain SPVs formerly sponsored by SachsenLB Europe. A second amended complaint, filed on March 20, 2013, alleges that defendants made untrue statements and material omissions in the sale to the SPVs of certain mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly issued by MS&Co. and/or sold by the MS&Co. was approximately $507 million The second amended complaint raises common law claims of fraud, fraudulent inducement, and aiding and abetting fraud and seeks, among other things, compensatory and/or rescissionary damages as well as punitive damages associated with plaintiffs’ purchases of such certificates. On May 3, 2013, MS&Co. moved to dismiss the second amended complaint, and on April 18, 2014, the court granted MS&Co’s motion. On May 1, 2014, the plaintiff filed a notice of appeal of that decision.

 

On January 25, 2011, MS&Co. was named as a defendant in The Bank of New York Mellon Trust, National Association v. Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital, Inc., a litigation pending in the SDNY. The suit, brought by the trustee of a series of commercial mortgage pass-through certificates, alleges that MS&Co. breached certain representations and warranties with respect to an $81 million commercial mortgage loan that was originated and transferred to the trust by MS&Co.. The complaint seeks, among other things, to have MS&Co. repurchase the loan and pay additional monetary damages. On June 16, 2014, the court granted MS&Co.’s supplemental motion for summary judgment. On June 17, 2014, the court entered judgment in MS&Co.’s favor. On July 16, 2014, the plaintiff filed a notice of appeal.

 

On January 25, 2012, Dexia SA/NV and certain of its affiliated entities filed a complaint against MS&Co. in the N.Y. Supreme Court, styled Dexia SA/NV et al. v. Morgan Stanley, et al. An amended complaint was filed on May 24, 2012 and alleges that defendants made untrue statements and material omissions in the sale to plaintiffs of certain mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly issued by MS&Co. and/or sold to plaintiffs by MS&Co. was approximately $626 million. The amended complaint raises common law claims of fraud, fraudulent inducement, and aiding and abetting fraud and seeks, among other things, compensatory and/or rescissionary damages as well as punitive damages associated with plaintiffs’ purchases of such certificates. On October 16, 2013, the court granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss the amended complaint. On November 18, 2013, plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal of the dismissal. Plaintiffs also filed a motion to renew their opposition to defendants’ motion to dismiss, which the court denied on June 23, 2014. On July 16, 2014, plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal of that decision, which has been consolidated with the appeal of the motion to dismiss.

 

74 

 

 

On April 25, 2012, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and certain affiliates filed a complaint against MS&Co. and certain affiliates in the N.Y. Supreme Court styled Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, et al. v. Morgan Stanley, et al. An amended complaint was filed on June 29, 2012 and alleges that defendants made untrue statements and material omissions in the sale to plaintiffs of certain mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly sponsored, underwritten and/or sold by MS&Co. was approximately $758 million. The amended complaint raised common law claims of fraud, fraudulent inducement, and aiding and abetting fraud and seeks, among other things, rescission, compensatory and/or rescissionary damages, as well as punitive damages, associated with plaintiffs’ purchases of such certificates. On January 23, 2014, the parties reached an agreement in principle to settle the litigation. On April 25, 2014, the parties filed a stipulation of voluntary discontinuance of the action with prejudice.

 

On April 25, 2012, The Prudential Insurance Company of America and certain affiliates filed a complaint against MS&Co. and certain affiliates in the Superior Court of the State of New Jersey styled The Prudential Insurance Company of America, et al. v. Morgan Stanley, et al. On October 16, 2012, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint. The amended complaint alleges that defendants made untrue statements and material omissions in connection with the sale to plaintiffs of certain mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly sponsored, underwritten and/or sold by MS&Co. is approximately $1.073 billion. The amended complaint raises claims under the New Jersey Uniform Securities Law, as well as common law claims of negligent misrepresentation, fraud, fraudulent inducement, equitable fraud, aiding and abetting fraud, and violations of the New Jersey RICO statute, and includes a claim for treble damages. On March 15, 2013, the court denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss the amended complaint. On January 2, 2015, the court denied defendants’ renewed motion to dismiss the amended complaint. At June 25, 2015, the current unpaid balance of the mortgage pass-through certificates at issue in this action was approximately $590 million, and the certificates had not yet incurred actual losses. Based on currently available information, MS&Co. believes it could incur a loss in this action up to the difference between the $590 million unpaid balance of these certificates (plus any losses incurred) and their fair market value at the time of a judgment against MS&Co., plus pre- and post-judgment interest, fees and costs. MS&Co. may be entitled to be indemnified for some of these losses and to an offset for interest received by the plaintiff prior to a judgment.

 

On August 7, 2012, U.S. Bank, in its capacity as Trustee, filed a complaint on behalf of Morgan Stanley Mortgage Loan Trust 2006-4SL and Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2006-4SL (together, the “Trust”) against MS&Co. The matter is styled Morgan Stanley Mortgage Loan Trust 2006-4SL, et al. v. Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Inc. and is pending in the N.Y. Supreme Court. The complaint asserts claims for breach of contract and alleges, among other things, that the loans in the Trust, which had an original principal balance of approximately $303 million, breached various representations and warranties. The complaint seeks, among other relief, rescission of the mortgage loan purchase agreement underlying the transaction, specific performance and unspecified damages and interest. On August 8, 2014, the court granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motion to dismiss.

 

On June 5, 2012, MS&Co. consented to and became the subject of an order instituting proceedings pursuant to Sections 6(c) and 6(d) of the CEA to resolve allegations related to the failure of a salesperson to comply with exchange rules that prohibit off-exchange futures transactions. Specifically, the CFTC found that from April 2008 through October 2009, MS&Co. violated Section 4c(a) of the CEA and CFTC Regulation 1.38 by executing, processing and reporting numerous off-exchange futures trades to the CME and CBOT as EFRPs in violation of CME and CBOT rules because those trades lacked the corresponding and related cash, OTC swap, OTC option, or other OTC derivative position. In addition, the CFTC found that MS&Co. violated CFTC Regulation 166.3 by failing to supervise the handling of the trades at issue and failing to have adequate policies and procedures designed to detect and deter the violations of the CEA and regulations. Without admitting or denying the underlying allegations and without adjudication of any issue of law or fact, MS&Co. accepted and consented to entry of findings and the imposition of a cease and desist order, a fine of $5,000,000, and undertakings related to public statements, cooperation and payment of the fine. MS&Co. entered into corresponding and related settlements with the CME and CBOT in which the CME found that MS&Co. violated CME Rules 432.Q and 538 and fined MS&Co. $750,000 and CBOT found that MS&Co. violated CBOT Rules 432.Q and 538 and fined MS&Co. $1,000,000.

 

On August 8, 2012, U.S. Bank, in its capacity as Trustee, filed a complaint on behalf of Morgan Stanley Mortgage Loan Trust 2006-14SL, Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2006-14SL, Morgan Stanley Mortgage Loan Trust 2007-4SL and Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2007-4SL against MS&Co. The complaint is styled Morgan Stanley Mortgage Loan Trust 2006-14SL, et al. v. Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, as successor in interest to Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Inc. and is pending in the Supreme Court of NY. The complaint asserts claims for breach of contract and alleges, among other things, that the loans in the trusts, which had original principal balances of approximately $354 million and $305 million respectively, breached various representations and warranties. The complaint seeks, among other relief, rescission of the mortgage loan purchase agreements underlying the transactions, specific performance and unspecified damages and interest. On October 9, 2012, MS&Co. filed a motion to dismiss the complaint. On August 16, 2013, the court granted in part and denied in part MS&Co.’s motion to dismiss the complaint. On September 26, 2013, and October 7, 2013, MS&Co. and the plaintiffs, respectively, filed notices of appeal with respect to the court’s August 16, 2013 decision.

 

75 

 

 

On August 10, 2012, the FDIC, as receiver for Colonial Bank, filed a complaint against MS&Co. and other defendants in the Circuit Court of Montgomery, Alabama styled Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as Receiver for Colonial Bank v. Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust Inc. et al. The plaintiff filed an amended complaint on September 13, 2013. The complaint alleges that MS&Co. made untrue statements and material omissions in connection with the sale to Colonial Bank of a mortgage pass-through certificate backed by a securitization trust containing residential loans. The complaint asserts claims under federal securities law and the Alabama Securities Act, and seeks, among other things, compensatory damages. The total amount of the certificate allegedly sponsored, underwritten and/or sold by MS&Co. to Colonial Bank was approximately $65 million. On November 12, 2013, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint, which was denied on April 10, 2014.

 

On September 28, 2012, U.S. Bank, in its capacity as Trustee, filed a complaint on behalf of Morgan Stanley Mortgage Loan Trust 2006-13ARX against MS&Co. styled Morgan Stanley Mortgage Loan Trust 2006-13ARX v. Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, as successor in interest to Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Inc., pending in the N.Y. Supreme Court. U.S. Bank filed an amended complaint on January 17, 2013, which asserts claims for breach of contract and alleges, among other things, that the loans in the trust, which had an original principal balance of approximately $609 million, breached various representations and warranties. The amended complaint seeks, among other relief, declaratory judgment relief, specific performance and unspecified damages and interest. On September 30, 2014, the court granted in part and denied in part MS&Co.’s motion to dismiss the amended complaint. On November 7, 2014, plaintiff filed a notice of appeal from the court’s September 30, 2014 decision.

 

On December 14, 2012, Royal Park Investments SA/NV filed a complaint against MS&Co., certain affiliates, and other defendants in the N.Y. Supreme Court, styled Royal Park Investments SA/NV v. Merrill Lynch et al. The complaint alleges that defendants made material misrepresentations and omissions in the sale to plaintiff of certain mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans totaling approximately $628 million. On October 24, 2013, plaintiff filed a new complaint against MS&Co. in the N.Y. Supreme Court, styled Royal Park Investments SA/NV v. Morgan Stanley et al. The new complaint alleges that defendants made material misrepresentations and omissions in the sale to plaintiff of certain mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly sponsored, underwritten and/or sold by MS&Co. to plaintiff was approximately $597 million. The complaint raises common law claims of fraud, fraudulent inducement, negligent misrepresentation, and aiding and abetting fraud and seeks, among other things, compensatory and punitive damages. On February 3, 2014, MS&Co. filed a motion to dismiss the complaint.

 

On January 10, 2013, U.S. Bank, in its capacity as Trustee, filed a complaint on behalf of Morgan Stanley Mortgage Loan Trust 2006-10SL and Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2006-10SL against MS&Co. The complaint is styled Morgan Stanley Mortgage Loan Trust 2006-10SL, et al. v. Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, as successor in interest to Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Inc. and is pending in the N.Y. Supreme Court. The complaint asserts claims for breach of contract and alleges, among other things, that the loans in the trust, which had an original principal balance of approximately $300 million, breached various representations and warranties. The complaint seeks, among other relief, an order requiring MS&Co. to comply with the loan breach remedy procedures in the transaction documents, unspecified damages, and interest. On August 8, 2014, the court granted in part and denied in part MS&Co.’s motion to dismiss the complaint.

 

On January 31, 2013, HSH Nordbank AG and certain affiliates filed a complaint against MS&Co., certain affiliates, and other defendants in the N.Y. Supreme Court, styled HSH Nordbank AG et al. v. Morgan Stanley et al. The complaint alleges that defendants made material misrepresentations and omissions in the sale to plaintiffs of certain mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly sponsored, underwritten and/or sold by MS&Co. to plaintiff was approximately $524 million. The complaint alleges causes of action against MS&Co. for common law fraud, fraudulent concealment, aiding and abetting fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and rescission and seeks, among other things, compensatory and punitive damages. On April 12, 2013, defendants filed a motion to dismiss the complaint.

 

76 

 

 

On February 14, 2013, Bank Hapoalim B.M. filed a complaint against MS&Co. and certain affiliates in the N.Y. Supreme Court, styled Bank Hapoalim B.M. v. Morgan Stanley et al. The complaint alleges that defendants made material misrepresentations and omissions in the sale to plaintiff of certain mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly sponsored, underwritten and/or sold by MS&Co. to plaintiff was approximately $141 million. The complaint alleges causes of action against MS&Co. for common law fraud, fraudulent concealment, aiding and abetting fraud, and negligent misrepresentation, and seeks, among other things, compensatory and punitive damages. On April 22, 2014, the defendants’ motion to dismiss was denied in substantial part. On August 29, 2014, the defendants filed an answer to the complaint, and on September 18, 2014, the defendants filed a notice of appeal from the ruling denying their motion to dismiss. At December 25, 2014, the current unpaid balance of the mortgage pass-through certificates at issue in this action was approximately $72 million, and the certificates had not yet incurred actual losses. Based on currently available information, MS&Co. believes it could incur a loss in this action up to the difference between the $72 million unpaid balance of these certificates (plus any losses incurred) and their fair market value at the time of a judgment against MS&Co., or upon sale, plus pre- and post-judgment interest, fees and costs.

 

On March 7, 2013, the Federal Housing Finance Agency filed a summons with notice on behalf of the trustee of the Saxon Asset Securities Trust, Series 2007-1, against MS&Co. and an affiliate. The matter is styled Federal Housing Finance Agency, as Conservator for the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, on behalf of the Trustee of the Saxon Asset Securities Trust, Series 2007-1 v. Saxon Funding Management LLC and Morgan Stanley and is pending in the N.Y. Supreme Court. The notice asserts claims for breach of contract and alleges, among other things, that the loans in the trust, which had an original principal balance of approximately $593 million, breached various representations and warranties. The notice seeks, among other relief, specific performance of the loan breach remedy procedures in the transaction documents, unspecified damages, indemnity, and interest.

 

On May 3, 2013, plaintiffs in Deutsche Zentral-Genossenschaftsbank AG et al. v. Morgan Stanley et al. filed a complaint against MS&Co., certain affiliates, and other defendants in the N.Y. Supreme Court. The complaint alleges that defendants made material misrepresentations and omissions in the sale to plaintiffs of certain mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly sponsored, underwritten and/or sold by MS&Co. and/or its affiliates to plaintiff was approximately $694 million. The complaint alleges causes of action against MS&Co. and its affiliates for common law fraud, fraudulent concealment, aiding and abetting fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and rescission and seeks, among other things, compensatory and punitive damages. On June 10, 2014, the court denied defendants’ motion to dismiss. On August 4, 2014, claims regarding two certificates were dismissed by stipulation. After these dismissals, the remaining amount of certificates allegedly issued by MS&Co. or sold to plaintiff by MS&Co.was approximately $644 million. On October 13, 2014, the Company filed its answer to the complaint. At June 25, 2015, the current unpaid balance of the mortgage pass-through certificates at issue in this action was approximately $283 million, and the certificates had incurred actual losses of approximately $80 million. Based on currently available information, MS&Co. believes it could incur a loss in this action up to the difference between the $283 million unpaid balance of these certificates (plus any losses incurred) and their fair market value at the time of a judgment against MS&Co., or upon sale, plus pre- and post-judgment interest, fees and costs. MS&Co. may be entitled to be indemnified for some of these losses.

 

On May 17, 2013, plaintiff in IKB International S.A. in Liquidation, et al. v. Morgan Stanley, et al. filed a complaint against MS&Co. and certain affiliates in the N.Y. Supreme Court. The complaint alleges that defendants made material misrepresentations and omissions in the sale to plaintiff of certain mortgage passthrough certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly sponsored, underwritten and/or sold by MS&Co. to plaintiff was approximately $132 million. The complaint alleges causes of action against MS&Co. for common law fraud, fraudulent concealment, aiding and abetting fraud, and negligent misrepresentation, and seeks, among other things, compensatory and punitive damages. On October 30, 2014, the court granted in part and denied in part MS&Co.’s motion to dismiss. All claims regarding four certificates were dismissed. After these dismissals, the remaining amount of certificates allegedly issued by MS&Co. or sold to plaintiff by MS&Co. was approximately $116 million. On August 26, 2015, MS&Co. appealed from the portion of the court’s decision denying MS&Co.’s motion to dismiss. At June 25, 2015, the current unpaid balance of the mortgage pass-through certificates at issue in this action was approximately $31 million, and the certificates had incurred actual losses of $57 million. Based on currently available information, MS&Co. believes it could incur a loss in this action up to the difference between the $31 million unpaid balance of these certificates (plus any losses incurred) and their fair market value at the time of a judgment against MS&Co., or upon sale, plus pre- and post-judgment interest, fees and costs. MS&Co. may be entitled to be indemnified for some of these losses and to an offset for interest received by the plaintiff prior to a judgment.

 

77 

 

 

On July 2, 2013, the trustee, Deutsche Bank became the named plaintiff in Federal Housing Finance Agency, as Conservator for the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, on behalf of the Trustee of the Morgan Stanley ABS Capital I Inc. Trust, Series 2007-NC1 (MSAC 2007-NC1) v. Morgan Stanley ABS Capital I Inc., and filed a complaint in the N.Y. Supreme Court under the caption Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as Trustee for the Morgan Stanley ABS Capital I Inc. Trust, Series 2007-NC1 v. Morgan Stanley ABS Capital I, Inc. On February 3, 2014, the plaintiff filed an amended complaint, which asserts claims for breach of contract and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and alleges, among other things, that the loans in the trust, which had an original principal balance of approximately $1.25 billion, breached various representations and warranties. The amended complaint seeks, among other relief, specific performance of the loan breach remedy procedures in the transaction documents, unspecified damages, rescission and interest. On March 12, 2014, MS&Co. filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint.

 

On July 8, 2013, a plaintiff filed a complaint in Morgan Stanley Mortgage Loan Trust 2007-2AX, by U.S. Bank National Association, solely in its capacity as Trustee v. Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, as successor-by-merger to Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Inc., and Greenpoint Mortgage Funding, Inc. The complaint, filed in the N.Y. Supreme Court, asserts claims for breach of contract and alleges, among other things, that the loans in the Trust, which had an original principal balance of approximately $650 million, breached various representations and warranties. The complaint seeks, among other relief, specific performance of the loan breach remedy procedures in the transaction documents, unspecified damages and interest. On August 22, 2013, MS&Co. a filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, which was granted in part and denied in part on November 24, 2014.

 

Beginning in May 2013, twelve financial firms (including MS&Co.), as well as ISDA and Markit, were named as defendants in multiple purported antitrust class actions now consolidated into a single proceeding in the SDNY styled In Re: Credit Default Swaps Antitrust Litigation. Plaintiffs allege that defendants violated U.S. antitrust laws from 2008 to present in connection with their alleged efforts to prevent the development of exchange traded CDS products. The complaints seek, among other relief, certification of a class of plaintiffs who purchased CDS from defendants in the United States, treble damages and injunctive relief. On September 4, 2014, the court granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motion to dismiss the second amended complaint.

 

On August 5, 2013, Landesbank Baden-Württemberg and two affiliates filed a complaint against MS&Co. and certain affiliates in the N.Y. Supreme Court, styled Landesbank Baden-Württemberg et al. v. Morgan Stanley et al. The complaint alleges that defendants made material misrepresentations and omissions in the sale to plaintiffs of certain mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly sponsored, underwritten and/or sold by MS&Co. to plaintiffs was approximately $50 million. The complaint alleges causes of action against MS&Co. for, among other things, common law fraud, fraudulent concealment, aiding and abetting fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and rescission based upon mutual mistake, and seeks, among other things, rescission, compensatory damages, and punitive damages. On October 4, 2013, defendants filed a motion to dismiss the complaint.

 

On August 16, 2013, the plaintiff in National Credit Union Administration Board v. Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, et al. filed a complaint against MS&Co. and certain affiliates in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. The complaint alleges that defendants made untrue statements of material fact or omitted to state material facts in the sale to the plaintiff of certain mortgage pass-through certificates issued by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly sponsored, underwritten and/or sold by MS&Co. to plaintiffs was approximately $567 million. The complaint alleges causes of action against MS&Co. for violations of Section 11 and Section 12(a)(2) of the 1933 Act, violations of the California Corporate Securities Law of 1968, and violations of the Kansas Blue Sky Law and seeks, among other things, rescissionary and compensatory damages. On December 27, 2013, the court granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss in substantial part. The surviving claims relate to one certificate purchased by the plaintiff for approximately $17 million. On November 17, 2014, the plaintiff filed an amended complaint. On December 15, 2014, defendants filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint in part.

 

On August 26, 2013, a complaint was filed against MS&Co. and certain affiliates in the N.Y. Supreme Court, styled Phoenix Light SF Limited et al v. Morgan Stanley et al. The complaint alleges that defendants made untrue statements and material omissions in the sale to plaintiffs, or their assignors, of certain mortgage passthrough certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly issued by MS&Co. and/or sold to plaintiffs or their assignors by MS&Co. was approximately $344 million. The complaint raises common law claims of fraud, fraudulent inducement, aiding and abetting fraud, negligent misrepresentation and rescission based on mutual mistake and seeks, among other things, compensatory damages, punitive damages or alternatively rescission or rescissionary damages associated with the purchase of such certificates. The defendants filed a motion to dismiss the complaint on December 13, 2013. On June 17, 2014, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint. By stipulation dated July 18, 2014, the parties agreed that MS&Co.’s previously filed motion to dismiss would be deemed to be directed at the amended complaint.

 

78 

 

 

On September 23, 2013, the plaintiff in National Credit Union Administration Board v. Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc., et al. filed a complaint against MS&Co. and certain affiliates in the SDNY. The complaint alleges that defendants made untrue statements of material fact or omitted to state material facts in the sale to plaintiffs of certain mortgage pass-through certificates issued by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly sponsored, underwritten and/or sold by MS&Co. to plaintiffs was approximately $417 million. The complaint alleges causes of action against MS&Co. for violations of Section 11 and Section 12(a)(2) of the 1933 Act, violations of the Texas Securities Act, and violations of the Illinois Securities Law of 1953 and seeks, among other things, rescissory and compensatory damages. The defendants filed a motion to dismiss the complaint on November 13, 2013. On January 22, 2014, the court granted defendants’ motion to dismiss with respect to claims arising under the 1933 Act and denied defendants’ motion to dismiss with respect to claims arising under Texas Securities Act and the Illinois Securities Law of 1953. On April 28, 2014, the court granted in part and denied in part plaintiff’s motion to strike certain of the defendants’ affirmative defenses. On July 11, 2014, the defendants filed a motion for reconsideration of the court’s order on the motion to dismiss the complaint or, in the alternative, for certification of interlocutory appeal and a stay of all proceedings, which was denied on September 30, 2014. On November 17, 2014, the plaintiff filed an amended complaint. At June 25, 2015, the current unpaid balance of the mortgage pass-through certificates at issue in this action was approximately $200, and the certificates had incurred actual losses of $28. Based on currently available information, MS&Co. believes it could incur a loss in this action up to the difference between the $200 unpaid balance of these certificates (plus any losses incurred) and their fair market value at the time of a judgment against MS&Co., or upon sale, plus pre- and post-judgment interest, fees and costs. MS&Co. may be entitled to be indemnified for some of these losses and to an offset for interest received by the plaintiff prior to a judgment.

 

On November 6, 2013, Deutsche Bank, in its capacity as trustee, became the named plaintiff in Federal Housing Finance Agency, as Conservator for the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, on behalf of the Trustee of the Morgan Stanley ABS Capital I Inc. Trust, Series 2007-NC3 (MSAC 2007-NC3) v. Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, and filed a complaint in the N.Y. Supreme Court under the caption Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, solely in its capacity as Trustee for Morgan Stanley ABS Capital I Inc. Trust, Series 2007-NC3 v. Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, as Successor-by-Merger to Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Inc. The complaint asserts claims for breach of contract and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and alleges, among other things, that the loans in the trust, which had an original principal balance of approximately $1.3 billion, breached various representations and warranties. The complaint seeks, among other relief, specific performance of the loan breach remedy procedures in the transaction documents, unspecified damages, rescission, interest and costs. On December 16, 2013, MS&Co. filed a motion to dismiss the complaint.

 

On December 24, 2013, Commerzbank AG London Branch filed a summons with notice against MS&Co. and others in the N.Y. Supreme Court, styled Commerzbank AG London Branch v. UBS AG et al. Plaintiff purports to be the assignee of claims of certain other entities. The complaint, which was filed on May 20, 2014, alleges that MS&Co. made material misrepresentations and omissions in the sale to plaintiff’s assignors of certain mortgage pass-through certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The total amount of certificates allegedly sponsored, underwritten and/or sold by MS&Co. to plaintiffs’ assignors was approximately $185 million. The complaint asserts causes of action against MS&Co. for common law fraud, fraudulent concealment, and aiding and abetting common law fraud and fraudulent concealment and seeks, among other things, compensatory and punitive damages. MS&Co. and other defendants moved to dismiss the complaint on December 5, 2014.

 

On December 30, 2013, Wilmington Trust Company, in its capacity as trustee for Morgan Stanley Mortgage Loan Trust 2007-12, filed a complaint against MS&Co. The matter is styled Wilmington Trust Company v. Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC et al. and is pending in the N.Y. Supreme Court. The complaint asserts claims for breach of contract and alleges, among other things, that the loans in the trust, which had an original principal balance of approximately $516 million, breached various representations and warranties. The complaint seeks, among other relief, unspecified damages, interest and costs. On February 28, 2014, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the complaint.

 

On January 15, 2014, the FDIC, as receiver for United Western Bank filed a complaint against MS&Co. and others in the District Court of the State of Colorado, styled Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, as Receiver for United Western Bank v. Banc of America Funding Corp., et al. The complaint alleges that MS&Co. made untrue statements and material omissions in connection with the sale to United Western Bank of mortgage passthrough certificates backed by securitization trusts containing residential mortgage loans. The amount of certificates allegedly sponsored, underwritten and/or sold to United Western Bank by MS&Co. was approximately $75 million. The complaint raises claims under both federal securities law and the Colorado Securities Act and seeks, among other things, compensatory damages associated with plaintiff’s purchase of such certificates. On February 14, 2014, the defendants filed a notice removing the litigation to the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. On March 14, 2014, the plaintiff filed a motion to remand the action. On April 30, 2014, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the complaint.

 

79 

 

 

On April 28, 2014, Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, in its capacity as trustee for Morgan Stanley Structured Trust I 2007-1, filed a complaint against MS&Co. The matter is styled Deutsche Bank National Trust Company v. Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC and is pending in the SDNY. The complaint asserts claims for breach of contract and alleges, among other things, that the loans in the trust, which had an original principal balance of approximately $735 million, breached various representations and warranties. The complaint seeks, among other relief, specific performance of the loan breach remedy procedures in the transaction documents, unspecified compensatory and/or rescissory damages, interest and costs. On July 21, 2014, MS&Co. filed a motion to dismiss the complaint.

 

On July 23, 2014, the SEC approved a settlement by MS&Co. and certain affiliates to resolve an investigation related to certain subprime RMBS transactions sponsored and underwritten by those entities in 2007. Pursuant to the SEC’s investigation, MS&Co. and certain affiliates were charged with violating Sections 17(a)(2) and 17(a)(3) of the 1933 Act by misleading investors in a pair of RMBS securitizations that the firms underwrote, sponsored, and issued. The investigation specifically found that the firms misrepresented the current or historical delinquency status of mortgage loans underlying those RMBS securitizations that came against a backdrop of rising borrower delinquencies and unprecedented distress in the subprime market. As part of the settlement, MS&Co. and certain affiliates agreed to pay disgorgement and penalties in an amount of $275 million and neither admitted nor denied the SEC’s findings.

 

On September 16, 2014, the Virginia Attorney General’s Office filed a civil lawsuit, styled Commonwealth of Virginia ex rel. Integra REC LLC v. Barclays Capital Inc., et al., against MS&Co. and several other defendants in the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond related to RMBS. The lawsuit alleges that the MS&Co. and the other defendants knowingly made misrepresentations and omissions related to the loans backing RMBS purchased by the Virginia Retirement System (“VRS”). The complaint alleges VRS suffered total losses of approximately $384 million on these securities, but does not specify the amount of alleged losses attributable to RMBS sponsored or underwritten by the MS&Co. The complaint asserts claims under the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act, as well as common law claims of actual and constructive fraud, and seeks, among other things, treble damages and civil penalties. On January 20, 2015, the defendants filed a demurrer to the complaint and a plea in bar seeking dismissal of the complaint.

 

On September 19, 2014, Financial Guaranty Insurance Company (“FGIC”) filed a complaint against MS&Co. in the N.Y. Supreme Court styled Financial Guaranty Insurance Company v. Morgan Stanley ABS Capital I Inc. et al. The complaint asserts claims for breach of contract and alleges, among other things, that the net interest margin securities (“NIMS”) in the trust breached various representations and warranties. FGIC issued a financial guaranty policy with respect to certain notes that had an original balance of approximately $475 million. The complaint seeks, among other relief, specific performance of the NIM breach remedy procedures in the transaction documents, unspecified damages, reimbursement of certain payments made pursuant to the transaction documents, attorneys’ fees and interest. On November 24, 2014, MS&Co. filed a motion to dismiss the complaint.

 

On September 19, 2014, Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, in its capacity as trustee of Morgan Stanley ABS Capital I Inc. Trust, Series 2007-NC4, filed a summons with notice against MS&Co. in the N.Y. Supreme Court styled Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, solely in its capacity as Trustee of the Morgan Stanley ABS Capital I Inc. Trust, Series 2007-NC4 v. Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, as successor-by-merger to Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Inc., and Morgan Stanley ABS Capital I Inc. The notice asserts claims for breach of contract and alleges, among other things, that the loans in the trust, which had an original principal balance of approximately $1.05 billion, breached various representations and warranties. The trustee filed its complaint on January 23, 2015, alleging breaches of representations and warranties, the repurchase obligation, and the duty to notify, and seeking, among other relief, specific performance of the loan breach remedy procedures in the transaction documents; compensatory, consequential, rescissory, equitable and/or punitive damages; attorneys’ fees, costs and other related expenses, and interest.

 

80 

 

 

On September 23, 2014, FGIC filed a complaint against MS&Co. in the N.Y. Supreme Court styled Financial Guaranty Insurance Company v. Morgan Stanley ABS Capital I Inc. et al. The complaint asserts claims for breach of contract and fraudulent inducement and alleges, among other things, that the loans in the trust breached various representations and warranties and defendants made untrue statements and material omissions to induce FGIC to issue a financial guaranty policy on certain classes of certificates that had an original balance of approximately $876 million. The complaint seeks, among other relief, specific performance of the loan breach remedy procedures in the transaction documents, compensatory, consequential and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and interest. On November 24, 2014, MS&Co. filed a motion to dismiss the complaint.

 

On February 25, 2015, MS&Co. reached an agreement in principle with the DOJ, Civil Division and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, Civil Division (collectively, the “Civil Division”) to pay $2.6 billion to resolve certain claims that the Civil Division indicated it intended to bring against MS&Co. While MS&Co. and the Civil Division have reached an agreement in principle to resolve this matter, there can be no assurance that MS&Co. and the Civil Division will agree on the final documentation of the settlement.

 

On June 18, 2015, the SEC instituted public administrative and cease-and-desist proceedings pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act and Section 15(b) of the Exchange Act against MS&Co. Pursuant to the SEC’s order, the matter involved violations of an antifraud provision of the federal securities laws in connection with MS&Co. underwriting of certain municipal securities offerings. MS&Co., a registered broker-dealer, conducted inadequate due diligence in certain offerings and as a result, failed to form a reasonable basis for believing the truthfulness of certain material representations in official statements issued in connection with those offerings. This resulted in MS&Co. offering and selling municipal securities on the basis of materially misleading disclosure documents. As a result of such conduct, the SEC’s order found that MS&Co. willfully violated Section 17(a)(2) of the 1933 Act. The violations discussed in the SEC’s order were self-reported by MS&Co. to the SEC pursuant to the Division of Enforcement’s Municipalities Continuing Disclosure Cooperation Initiative.

 

In anticipation of the institution of these proceedings, MS&Co. submitted an Offer of Settlement (the “Offer”) which the SEC determined to accept. Solely for the purpose of these proceedings and any other proceedings brought by or on behalf of the Commission, or to which the SEC is a party, and without admitting or denying the findings herein, except as to the SEC’s jurisdiction over it and the subject matter of these proceedings, which are admitted, MS&Co. consented to the entry of the order instituting administrative and cease-and-desist proceedings pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act and Section 15(b) of the Exchange Act, making findings, and imposing remedial sanctions and a cease-and-desist order. In connection with the Offer and Order, the SEC additionally paid a money penalty in the amount of $500,000 to the SEC and agreed to an undertaking to retain an independent consultant to provide recommendations regarding MS&Co.’s municipal underwriting due diligence process and procedures.

 

On August 6, 2015, the CFTC issued an order requiring MS&Co to pay a $300,000 civil monetary penalty for failing to hold sufficient U.S. Dollars in segregated accounts in the United States to meet all of its U.S. Dollar obligations to cleared swaps customers. The order also found that the firm failed to implement adequate procedures and requires MS&Co. to cease and desist from violating CFTC Regulations, as charged. As set forth in the order, the CFTC found that on numerous days from March 12, 2013 to March 7, 2014, MS&Co. failed to hold sufficient U.S. Dollars in segregated accounts in the United States to meet all U.S. Dollar obligations to the firm’s cleared swaps customers, in violation of CFTC Regulation 22.9. On those days, MS&Co. held the amount of the U.S. Dollar deficits in Euros and other currencies, rather than in U.S. Dollars, according to the order. Because MS&Co. held the amount of the U.S. Dollar deficits in other currencies, it did not have a shortfall in overall cleared swaps customer collateral. As the order found, however, the size of MS&Co.’s U.S. Dollar deficits ranged from approximately $5 million to approximately $265 million, at times representing more than 10 percent of the amount that the firm was obligated to maintain in U.S. Dollars for cleared swaps customers. Additionally, the order found that from November 8, 2012 to on or about April 8, 2014, MS&Co. did not have in place adequate procedures to comply with the currency denomination requirements for cleared swaps customer collateral and did not train and supervise its personnel to ensure compliance with CFTC Regulation 22.9. Pursuant to the order, MS&Co. thereby failed to supervise diligently its officers, employees, and agents and did not have sufficient procedures in place to detect and deter the violations found herein, in violation of Regulation 166.3.

 

Conflicts Of Interest

 

General

 

The Managing Owner has not established any formal procedures to resolve the conflicts of interest described below. You should be aware that no such procedures have been established, and that, consequently, you will be dependent on the good faith of the respective parties subject to such conflicts to resolve such conflicts equitably. Although the Managing Owner will attempt to monitor and resolve these conflicts in good faith, it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for it to assure that these conflicts will not, in fact, result in losses for the Trust. Notwithstanding the conflict of interest, the Trust will trade in parallel with all other Managing Owner accounts traded pursuant to the Managing Owner’s Diversified Portfolio.

 

81 

 

 

The Managing Owner

 

The responsibilities of the Managing Owner include acting as the managing owner and trading advisor for the Trust and engaging commodity brokers and dealers to execute trades on behalf of the Trust. The Managing Owner has a conflict of interest in that it has a financial disincentive to replace itself as either the trading advisor or the entity receiving the Brokerage Fees or Management Fees from the Trust.

 

The Profit Share arrangement between the Trust and the Managing Owner may create an incentive for the Managing Owner to make trading and investment decisions (or implement the Trust’s systematic trading strategy) in a manner that is more speculative or subject to a greater degree of loss than would be the case if no such arrangement existed.

 

The Managing Owner receives, with respect to the Series 1 Units, the difference between (1) the amount paid out to the Selling Agents plus the amount paid out for executing the Trust’s trades and (2) the Brokerage Fee the Managing Owner receives from the Trust with respect to Series 1 Units. Thus, the Managing Owner has a conflict of interest between trading in the manner which it believes to be in the best interests of the Trust and trading in low volume or in the forward markets so as to reduce the Trust’s futures trading costs.

 

The Managing Owner directs the trading for clients other than the Trust. The Managing Owner and its principals may have incentives (financial or otherwise) to favor such other accounts over the Trust in such matters as, for example, the allocation of available speculative position limits. Different accounts also pay different fees, trade at different levels of leverage and will, from time to time, compete for the same positions.

 

The Managing Owner has agreed to treat the Trust equitably with its other accounts. However, the Managing Owner trades different portfolios for other accounts and there can be no assurance whatsoever that such other portfolios will not outperform the Trust. The Managing Owner will, however, trade the Trust’s account in parallel with all other accounts managed by the Managing Owner pursuant to the Diversified Portfolio.

 

The Trust’s Brokers

 

The Clearing Brokers and other brokers employed by the Trust act from time to time as commodity brokers for other accounts with which they are affiliated or in which they or one of their respective affiliates has a financial interest. In addition, various accounts traded through the Trust’s brokers (and over which their personnel may have discretionary trading authority) may take positions in the futures markets opposite to those of the Trust or compete with the Trust for the same positions. The Trust’s brokers may have a conflict of interest in their execution of trades for the Trust and for other of their customers. The Managing Owner has, however, no reason to believe that the Trust’s brokers would knowingly or deliberately favor any other customer over the Trust with respect to the execution of commodity trades.

 

The Managing Owner selects the Trust’s Clearing Brokers, other brokers and counterparties to execute transactions on behalf of the Trust. The commission rates or “bid-ask” spreads paid by the Trust may not be the lowest rates the Trust could have obtained, but the Managing Owner believes that those rates/spreads are competitive with rates paid by similar customers. The Managing Owner selects those service providers based on various factors, including, but not limited to, quality of execution, commission rates, market knowledge, financial condition and creditworthiness. The Managing Owner may also consider factors that benefit the Managing Owner, such as the referral of prospective Trust and other investors to the Managing Owner. The Managing Owner’s receipt of such benefits may give it an incentive to select a Clearing Broker, other broker or counterparty that it would not otherwise use, but the Managing Owner intends to use only those Clearing Brokers, other brokers and counterparties that provide the Trust with high quality services and competitive commission rates consistent with the Managing Owner’s obligations to the Trust.

 

Certain officers or employees of the Trust’s brokers are, and may in the future be, members of U.S. commodities exchanges and are serving, and may in the future serve, on the governing bodies and standing committees of such exchanges and of their clearinghouses and of various industry organizations. In such capacities, these employees have a fiduciary duty to the exchanges and their clearinghouses which could compel such employees to act in the best interests of these entities, perhaps to the detriment of the Trust.

 

The Selling Agents

 

The Selling Agents receive substantial selling commissions on the sale of Units. Consequently, the Selling Agents have a conflict of interest in advising their clients whether to invest in the Units.

 

The Selling Agents receive ongoing compensation or installment selling commissions based on Units sold by them which remain outstanding longer than twelve months. Consequently, the Selling Agents have a disincentive to advise clients to redeem their Units even when doing so is in such clients’ best interests.

 

82 

 

 

The total dollar amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Trust is dependent upon the size of the Trust’s capitalization. Consequently, the Selling Agents have a financial incentive to discourage their clients from redeeming Units.

 

In addition, one or more Selling Agents may also be selected, based on the criteria described above, to serve as Clearing Brokers, other brokers or counterparties for the Trust.

 

Proprietary Trading and Trading for Other Accounts

 

The Managing Owner, the Clearing Brokers and other clearing brokers employed by the Trust and their respective principals and affiliates may trade in the futures, forward and spot markets for their own accounts and for the accounts of their clients. In doing so, they may take positions opposite to those held by the Trust or may compete with the Trust for positions in the marketplace. Records of this trading are not available for inspection. Such trading may create conflicts of interest on behalf of one or more of such persons in respect of their obligations to the Trust.

 

Because the Managing Owner, the Clearing Brokers and other brokers employed by the Trust and their respective principals and affiliates may trade for their own accounts at the same time that they are managing the Trust’s account, you should be aware that, as a result of a neutral allocation system, testing a new trading system, trading their proprietary accounts more aggressively or other actions not constituting a violation of fiduciary duty, such persons may from time to time take positions in their proprietary accounts which are opposite, or ahead of, the positions taken for the Trust. The Managing Owner generally prohibits its personnel from trading in the futures and forward markets for their personal accounts, subject to limited exceptions and pre-approval.

 

Fiduciary Duty and Remedies

 

In evaluating the foregoing conflicts of interest, a prospective investor should be aware that the Managing Owner has a responsibility to Unitholders to exercise good faith and fairness in all dealings affecting the Trust. The fiduciary responsibility of the Managing Owner is comparable to that of a general partner of a limited partnership.

 

If you believe that the Managing Owner has violated its fiduciary duty to the Unitholders, you may seek legal relief individually or on behalf of the Trust under applicable laws to recover damages from or require an accounting by the Managing Owner. The Declaration of Trust is governed by Delaware law and any breach of the Managing Owner’s fiduciary duty under the Declaration of Trust will generally be governed by Delaware law. The Declaration of Trust does not limit fiduciary obligations under Delaware or common law. The Managing Owner may, however, assert as a defense to claims of breach of fiduciary duty that the conflicts of interest and fees payable to the Managing Owner have been disclosed to you in the Prospectus.

 

The Trust And The Trustee

 

The following summary briefly describes certain aspects of the operation of the Trust. You should carefully review the Declaration of Trust attached hereto as Exhibit A and consult with your own advisors concerning the implications to you of investing in a Delaware statutory trust.

 

Principal Office; Location of Records

 

The Trust is organized under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (formerly, the Delaware Business Trust Act). The Trust is administered, including the performance of transfer agent services, by the Managing Owner, whose office is located at 411 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830 (telephone: (203) 625-7554). The records of the Trust, including a list of the Unitholders and their addresses, is located at the foregoing address, and available for inspection and copying by Unitholders as provided in the Declaration of Trust.

 

Certain Aspects of the Trust

 

The Trust is the functional equivalent of a limited partnership. No special custody arrangements are applicable to the Trust that would not be applicable to a limited partnership. You should not anticipate any legal or practical protections under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act greater than those available to limited partners of a limited partnership.

 

To the greatest extent permissible under Delaware law, the Trustee acts in a passive role, with all authority over the operation of the Trust going to the Managing Owner. The Managing Owner is the functional equivalent of a sole general partner in a limited partnership.

 

The Declaration of Trust gives Unitholders voting rights comparable to those typically extended to limited partners in publicly-offered futures funds.

 

The Trustee

 

Wilmington Trust Company, a Delaware trust company, is the sole Trustee of the Trust. The Trustee’s principal offices are located at Rodney Square North, 1100 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19890-0001. The Trustee is not affiliated with either the Managing Owner or the Selling Agents.

 

83 

 

 

The Trustee will accept service of legal process on the Trust in the State of Delaware and will make certain filings under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act. The Trustee does not owe any other duties to the Trust, the Managing Owner or the Unitholders. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustee is compensated by the Trust. The Managing Owner has the discretion to replace the Trustee.

 

Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustee has delegated to the Managing Owner the exclusive management and control of all aspects of the business of the Trust. The Trustee has no duty or liability to supervise or monitor the performance of the Managing Owner, nor will the Trustee have any liability for the acts or omissions of the Managing Owner. In the course of its management, the Managing Owner may, in its sole and absolute discretion, appoint an affiliate or affiliates of the Managing Owner as additional managing owners and retain such persons, including affiliates of the Managing Owner, as it deems necessary for the efficient operation of the Trust.

 

The Trustee is not registered in any capacity with the CFTC.

 

Management of Trust Affairs; Voting by Unitholders

 

Unitholders will not take any part in the management or control and will have no voice in the operations of the Trust or its business. Unitholders may, however, remove and replace the Managing Owner as managing owner of the Trust, and may amend the Declaration of Trust, except in certain limited respects, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding Units then owned by Unitholders. The owners of a majority of the outstanding Units then owned by Unitholders may also compel dissolution of the Trust. Although the Trust will not hold any regular, or annual, meetings of the Unitholders, upon receipt of a written proposal signed by the owners of at least 10% of the outstanding Units that a meeting be called, the Managing Owner will call a meeting of the Trust. The details of this procedure are set forth in Section 18 of the Declaration of Trust attached hereto as Exhibit A. The Managing Owner has no power under the Declaration of Trust to restrict any of the Unitholders’ voting rights.

 

The Managing Owner has the right to amend the Declaration of Trust without the consent of the Unitholders provided that any such amendment is for the benefit of and not adverse to the Unitholders or the Trustee.

 

In the event that the Managing Owner or the Unitholders vote to amend the Declaration of Trust in any material respect, the amendment will not become effective before all Unitholders have had an opportunity to redeem their Units.

 

Recognition of the Trust in Certain States

 

A number of states do not have “business trust” statutes such as that under which the Trust has been formed in the State of Delaware. In order to protect Unitholders against any possible loss of limited liability, the Declaration of Trust provides that no written obligation may be undertaken by the Trust unless such obligation is explicitly limited so as not to be enforceable against any Unitholder personally.

 

Possible Repayment of Distributions Received by Unitholders; Indemnification of the Trust by Unitholders

 

The Units are limited liability investments; you may not lose more than the amount you invest plus any profits recognized on your investment. However, you could be required, as a matter of law, to return to the Trust’s estate any distribution which you received at a time when the Trust was in fact insolvent or in violation of the Declaration of Trust. In addition, although the Managing Owner is not aware of this provision ever having been invoked in the case of any public futures fund, Unitholders agree in the Declaration of Trust that they will indemnify the Trust for any harm suffered by it as a result of (1) Unitholders’ actions unrelated to the business of the Trust, (2) transfers of their Units in violation of the Declaration of Trust or (3) taxes imposed on the Trust by the states or municipalities in which such investors reside.

 

Indemnification and Standard of Liability

 

The Managing Owner and certain of its affiliates, officers, directors and controlling persons may not be liable to the Trust or any Unitholder for errors in judgment or other acts or omissions not amounting to misconduct or negligence, as a consequence of the indemnification and exculpatory provisions described in the following paragraph. You may, therefore, have more limited rights of action than you would absent such provisions.

 

The Managing Owner and its affiliates will not have any liability to the Trust or to any Unitholder for any loss suffered by the Trust which arises out of any action or inaction of the Managing Owner or any such affiliate if the Managing Owner or its affiliates, in good faith, determined that such course of conduct was in the best interests of the Trust, and such course of conduct did not constitute negligence or misconduct.

 

The Trust has agreed to indemnify the Managing Owner and its affiliates, officers, directors and controlling persons against claims, losses or liabilities based on their conduct relating to the Trust, provided that the conduct resulting in the claims, losses or liabilities for which indemnity is sought did not constitute negligence, misconduct or breach any fiduciary obligation to the Trust and was done in good faith and in a manner the Managing Owner, in good faith, determined to be in the best interests of the Trust.

 

84 

 

 

The Declaration of Trust provides that the Managing Owner, its affiliates and the Selling Agents will not be indemnified for any losses, liabilities or expenses arising from or out of an alleged violation of federal or state securities laws unless (1) there has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged securities law violations as to the particular indemnitee and the court approves indemnification of the litigation costs, or (2) such claims have been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of competent jurisdiction as to the particular indemnitee and the court approves indemnification of the litigation costs, or (3) a court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims against a particular indemnitee and finds that indemnification of the settlement and related costs should be made. It is the opinion of the SEC and certain States that indemnification for violation of the securities laws is against public policy and unenforceable.

 

Transfers of Units Restricted

 

Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, you may assign your Units upon notice to the Trust and the Managing Owner. No assignment will be effective in respect of the Trust or the Managing Owner until the first day of the month following the month in which such notice is received. An assignee may become a substituted Unitholder only with the consent of the Managing Owner and upon execution and delivery of an instrument of transfer in form and substance satisfactory to the Managing Owner.

 

There are no certificates for the Units. Transfers of Units are reflected on the books and records of the Trust. Transferors and transferees of Units will each receive notification from the Managing Owner to the effect that such transfers have been duly reflected as notified to the Managing Owner.

 

Reports to Unitholders

 

The Managing Owner will provide you with monthly reports in compliance with CFTC requirements. The Managing Owner also distributes, not later than March 15 of each year, audited financial statements and the tax information related to the Trust necessary for the preparation of your annual federal income tax returns.

 

The Managing Owner will notify all Unitholders of a Series within seven business days of any decline in the Net Asset Value per Unit of such Series to less than 50% of such Net Asset Value as of the previous month-end valuation date. In addition, the Managing Owner will notify all Unitholders of any change in the fees paid by the Trust or of any material changes in the basic investment policies or structure of the Trust. Any such notifications will include a description of your voting rights.

 

Federal Income Tax Aspects

 

The following constitutes the opinion of Sidley Austin LLP and summarizes the material federal income tax consequences to individual investors in the Trust. Sidley Austin LLP’s opinion is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement related to the Units offered by this Prospectus.

 

The Trust’s Partnership Tax Status

 

The Trust will be treated as a partnership and, based on the type of income expected to be earned by the Trust, it will not be treated as a “publicly traded partnership” taxable as a corporation. Accordingly, the Trust will not pay any federal income tax.

 

Taxation of Unitholders on Profits and Losses of the Trust

 

Each Unitholder (other than Foreign Unitholders and tax-exempt U.S. Unitholders, discussed below) must pay tax on his share of the Trust’s annual income and gains, if any, even if the Trust does not make any cash distributions.

 

The Trust generally allocates the Trust’s gains and losses equally with respect to each Unit. However, a Unitholder who redeems any Units will be specially allocated the Trust’s gains and losses in order that the amount of cash a Unitholder receives for a redeemed Unit will generally equal the Unitholder’s adjusted tax basis attributable to the redeemed Unit. A Unitholder’s adjusted tax basis in his Units generally equals the amount paid for the Units, increased by income or gains allocated to the Unitholder with respect to the Units and decreased (but not below zero) by distributions, deductions and losses allocated to the Unitholder with respect to the Units.

 

Deductibility of Trust Losses by Unitholders

 

A Unitholder may deduct Trust losses only to the extent of his adjusted tax basis in his Units. However, a Unitholder subject to “at-risk” limitations (generally, non-corporate taxpayers and closely-held corporations) can only deduct losses to the extent the Unitholder is “at-risk.” The “at-risk” amount is similar to adjusted tax basis, except that it does not include any amount borrowed on a nonrecourse basis or from someone with an interest in the Trust.

 

85 

 

 

“Passive-Activity Loss Rules” and Their Effect on the Treatment of Income and Loss

 

The trading activities of the Trust are not a “passive activity.” Accordingly, a Unitholder can deduct Trust losses from taxable income (subject to certain limitations, such as the limitation on deductibility of capital losses, discussed below). However, a Unitholder cannot offset losses from “passive activities” against Trust gains.

 

Cash Distributions and Unit Redemptions

 

A Unitholder who receives cash from the Trust, either through a distribution or a partial redemption, will not pay tax on that cash until his adjusted tax basis in the Units is reduced to zero. A Unitholder who receives cash upon the complete redemption of Units will recognize gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. Such gain or loss will generally equal the difference between the amount of cash received and the Unitholder’s adjusted tax basis for his Units.

 

Potential Trust-Level Consequences of Withdrawals and Transfers of Units

 

If a Unitholder receives a distribution of property in liquidation of his Units that would, if the Trust had an Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), Section 754 election in effect, require the Trust to make a downward adjustment of more than $250,000 to the basis of its remaining assets, then even if the Trust does not have a Code Section 754 election in effect, the Trust will be required to make a downward adjustment to the basis of its remaining assets.

 

In addition, if immediately after the transfer of a Unit, the Trust’s adjusted basis in its property exceeds the fair market value by more than $250,000 of such property, the Trust generally will be required to adjust the basis of its property with respect to the transferee Unitholder.

 

Gain or Loss on Section 1256 Contracts and Non-Section 1256 Contracts

 

Section 1256 Contracts include certain futures and forward contracts as well as certain option contracts on certain futures contracts traded on U.S. exchanges. For tax purposes, Section 1256 Contracts that remain open at year-end are marked-to-market and treated as if the position were closed at year-end. The gain or loss on Section 1256 Contracts is characterized as 60% long-term capital gain or loss and 40% short-term capital gain or loss, regardless of how long the position was open.

 

Non-Section 1256 Contracts include Section 988 transactions, i.e., transactions in which the amount paid or received is denominated by reference to a foreign currency. In general, gain or loss on Section 988 transactions is characterized as ordinary income or loss. However, the Trust elects to treat gain or loss on certain Non-Section 1256 Contracts, such as foreign futures contracts, certain foreign currency forward contracts and non-equity options on foreign currencies, as capital gain or loss.

 

Trading and Investing in Swaps

 

The Trust may invest in and trade swaps.  The proper tax treatment of swaps may not be entirely free from doubt.  The Trust expects to mark-to-market its swap positions at the end of each taxable year and to treat any gain or loss on such positions as ordinary income or loss.

 

Tax on Capital Gains and Losses

 

A non-corporate Unitholder’s long-term capital gains — net gain on capital assets held more than one year and 60% of the gain on Section 1256 Contracts — are taxed at a maximum rate of 20%. Short-term capital gains — net gain on capital assets held one year or less and 40% of the gain on Section 1256 Contracts — are subject to tax at the same rates as ordinary income.

 

Individual taxpayers can deduct capital losses only to the extent of their capital gains plus $3,000. Accordingly, the Trust could suffer significant losses and a Unitholder could still be required to pay taxes on his share of the Trust’s interest income. Capital losses generally may not be carried back to offset capital gains in prior years, but can be carried forward indefinitely.

 

An individual taxpayer can carry back net capital losses on Section 1256 Contracts three years to offset earlier gains on Section 1256 Contracts. To the extent the taxpayer cannot offset past Section 1256 Contract gains, he can carry forward such losses indefinitely as losses on Section 1256 Contracts.

 

Limited Deduction for Certain Expenses

 

Individual taxpayers are subject to material limitations on their ability to deduct investment advisory expenses and other expenses of producing income. Sidley Austin LLP has advised the Managing Owner that the amount, if any, of the Trust’s expenses which might be subject to this limitation should be de minimis. Based on such advice, the Managing Owner treats these items as ordinary business deductions, or income allocations not subject to the material deductibility limitations that apply to investment advisory expenses. However, the IRS could take a different position. The IRS could contend that the Brokerage Fee, the management fee, the Profit Share or the ordinary expenses of the Trust should be recharacterized as investment advisory expenses or, alternatively, capitalized. If these items were treated as investment advisory expenses or were capitalized, individual taxpayers would have additional tax liability. See also “— Syndication Expenses,” below.

 

86 

 

 

Interest Income

 

Interest received by the Trust is taxed as ordinary income. Net capital losses can offset ordinary income only to the extent of $3,000 per year. See “— Tax on Capital Gains and Losses,” above.

 

Syndication Expenses

 

Neither the Trust nor any Unitholder is entitled to any deduction for syndication expenses (i.e., expenses incurred in issuing and marketing the Units, including costs of updating this Prospectus), nor can these expenses be amortized by the Trust or any Unitholder even though the payment of such expenses reduces Net Asset Value.

 

The Managing Owner has paid all organization and initial offering costs from its own funds. However, the IRS could take the position that a portion of the Brokerage Fee paid by the Trust to the Managing Owner constitutes non-deductible syndication expenses.

 

Investment Interest Deductibility Limitation

 

Individual taxpayers can deduct “investment interest”— interest on indebtedness allocable to property held for investment — only to the extent that it does not exceed net investment income. Net investment income does not include certain net capital gains. A taxpayer can elect to include certain net capital gains in investment income if he forgoes the benefit of the reduced capital gains rate.

 

Tax on Net Investment Income

 

A 3.8% tax is imposed on some or all of the net investment income of certain individuals with modified adjusted gross income of over $200,000 ($250,000 in the case of joint filers) and the undistributed net investment income of certain estates and trusts. For these purposes, it is expected that all or a substantial portion of a Unitholder’s share of Trust income will be net investment income. In addition, certain Trust expenses may not be deducted in calculating a Unitholder’s net investment income.

 

IRS Audits of the Trust and Its Unitholders

 

The IRS audits Trust-related items at the Trust level rather than at the Unitholder level. The Managing Owner acts as “tax matters partner” with the authority to determine the Trust’s responses to an audit. If an audit results in an adjustment, all Unitholders may be required to pay additional taxes, interest, and penalties.

 

Generally, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, new IRS audit procedures will apply to the Trust. Absent an election by the Trust under rules to be established by the IRS, these new audit procedures will require the Trust to determine and pay any underpayment of tax (including interest and penalties) resulting from an adjustment of the Trust’s items of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit at the Trust level without the benefit of Unitholder-level tax items that could otherwise reduce tax due on any adjustment and, where the adjustment reallocates any such item from one Unitholder to another, without the benefit of any decrease in any item of income or gain (or increase in any item of deduction, loss or credit). The cost of such underpayment will be borne by Unitholders in the year of adjustment, without any Trust or Unitholder-level tax deduction or credit for the Trust’s payments, rather than by those who were Unitholders in the taxable year to which the adjustment relates.

 

Under the new provisions, the Managing Owner will be designated as the Trust's “partnership representative.” The partnership representative will have broad authority to resolve the Trust’s audit and any such resolution will be binding on all Unitholders. Unitholders will have no statutory right to notice or to participate in the audit proceeding under the new provisions.

 

Taxation of Foreign Investors

 

A Unitholder who is a non-resident alien individual, foreign corporation, foreign trust or foreign estate (a “Foreign Unitholder”) generally is not subject to taxation by the U.S. on capital gains from commodity trading, provided that such Foreign Unitholder (in the case of an individual) does not spend more than 182 days in the U.S. during his taxable year, and provided further, that such Foreign Unitholder is not engaged in a trade or business within the U.S. during a taxable year to which income, gain, or loss of the Trust is treated as “effectively connected.” An investment in the Trust should not, by itself, cause a Foreign Unitholder to be engaged in a trade or business within the U.S. for the foregoing purposes, assuming that the trading activities of the Trust continue to be conducted as described in this Prospectus. In the event that the Trust were found to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business, a Foreign Unitholder would be required to file a U.S. federal income tax return for such year and pay tax at full U.S. rates. In the case of a Foreign Unitholder which is a foreign corporation, an additional 30% “branch profits” tax might be imposed. Furthermore, in such event the Trust would be required to withhold taxes from the income or gain allocable to such a Unitholder under Section 1446 of the Code.

 

Portfolio interest income (other than so-called “contingent interest”) allocable to a Foreign Unitholder is likewise not subject to federal income tax withholding, provided that such Foreign Unitholder is not engaged in a trade or business within the U.S. and provides the Trust with an IRS Form W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E or other applicable form. Similarly, a Foreign Unitholder’s allocable share of interest on U.S. bank deposits, certificates of deposit and discount obligations with maturities (from original issue) of 183 days or less is not subject to U.S. federal income tax withholding. Generally, other interest from U.S. sources (including original issue discount) paid to the Trust and allocable to Foreign Unitholders will be subject to U.S. federal income tax withholding at a statutory rate of 30%. The foregoing discussion of tax consequences to Foreign Unitholders may be subject to applicable treaty modifications.

 

87 

 

 

The Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (“HIRE Act”) requires certain foreign entities to enter into an agreement with the Secretary of the Treasury to disclose to the IRS the name, address and tax identification number of certain U.S. persons who own an interest in the foreign entity and requires certain other foreign entities to provide certain other information to avoid a 30% withholding tax on certain payments of U.S. source income and certain payments of proceeds from the sale of property that could give rise to U.S. source interest or dividends. The IRS has released regulations and other guidance that provide for the phased implementation of the foregoing withholding and reporting requirements. Accordingly, certain Foreign Unitholders may be subject to a 30% withholding tax in respect of certain of the Trust’s investments if they fail to enter into an agreement with the Secretary of the Treasury or otherwise fail to satisfy their obligations under the legislation. In addition, an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the United States and the jurisdiction of the Foreign Unitholder or implementing legislation may modify these requirements. Foreign Unitholders are encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the possible implications of this legislation on an investment in the Trust.

 

Tax-Exempt U.S. Unitholders

 

A tax-exempt U.S. Unitholder will not be required to pay tax on its share of income or gains of the Trust, so long as such Unitholder does not use borrowed funds in connection with its purchase of Units.

 

State and Other Taxes

 

In addition to the federal income tax consequences described above, the Trust and the Unitholders may be subject to various state and other taxes.

 

Prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors before deciding whether to invest.

 

Purchases By Employee Benefit Plans

 

Although there can be no assurance that an investment in the Trust, or any other managed futures product, will achieve the investment objectives of an employee benefit plan, such investments have certain features which may be of interest to such plans. For example, the futures markets are one of the few investment fields in which employee benefit plans can participate in leveraged strategies without being required to pay tax on “unrelated business taxable income.” In addition, because they are not taxpaying entities, employee benefit plans are not subject to paying annual tax on their profits, if any, from the Trust despite receiving no distributions from it, as are other Unitholders.

 

General

 

The following section sets forth certain consequences under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and the Code, which a fiduciary of an “employee benefit plan” as defined in, and subject to the fiduciary responsibility provisions of, ERISA or of a “plan” as defined in and subject to Section 4975 of the Code who has investment discretion should consider before deciding to invest any of such plan’s assets in the Trust (such “employee benefit plans” and “plans” being referred to herein as “Plans,” and such fiduciaries with investment discretion being referred to herein as “Plan Fiduciaries”). The following summary is not intended to be complete, but only to address certain questions under ERISA and the Code which are likely to be raised by the Plan Fiduciary’s own counsel.

 

In general, the terms “employee benefit plan” as defined in ERISA and “plan” as defined in Section 4975 of the Code together refer to any plan or account of various types which provides retirement benefits or welfare benefits to an individual or to an employer’s employees and their beneficiaries. Such plans and accounts include, but are not limited to, corporate pension and profit sharing plans, “simplified employee pension plans,” Keogh plans for self-employed individuals (including partners), individual retirement accounts described in Section 408 of the Code and medical benefit plans.

 

Each Plan Fiduciary must give appropriate consideration to the facts and circumstances that are relevant to an investment in the Trust, including the role that an investment in the Trust plays in the Plan’s overall investment portfolio. Each Plan Fiduciary, before deciding to invest in the Trust, must be satisfied that investment in the Trust is a prudent investment for the Plan, that the investments of the Plan, including the investment in the Trust, are diversified so as to minimize the risks of large losses, that an investment in the Trust complies with the terms of the Plan and the related trust and that an investment in the Trust does not give rise to a transaction prohibited by Section 406 of ERISA or Scetion 4975 of the Code.

 

Each plan fiduciary considering acquiring Units must consult its own legal and tax advisors before doing so.

 

88 

 

 

“Plan Assets”

 

The purchase of Units by a Plan raises the issue of whether that purchase will cause, for purposes of Title I of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code, the underlying assets of the Trust to constitute assets of such Plan. ERISA and a regulation issued thereunder (the “ERISA Regulation”) contain rules for determining when an investment by a Plan in an entity will result in the underlying assets of such entity being considered assets of such Plan for purposes of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code (i.e., “plan assets”). Those rules provide that assets of an entity will not be considered plan assets of a Plan which purchases an equity interest in the entity if certain exceptions apply, including an exception applicable if the equity interest purchased is a “publicly-offered security” (the “Publicly-Offered Security Exemption”).

 

The Publicly-Offered Security Exception applies if the equity interest is a security that is (1) “freely transferable,” (2) part of a class of securities that is “widely held” and (3) either (a) part of a class of securities registered under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, or (b) sold to the Plan as part of a public offering pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 and the class of which such security is a part is registered under the Exchange Act within 120 days (or such later time as may be allowed by the SEC) after the end of the fiscal year of the issuer in which the offering of such security occurred. The ERISA Regulation states that the determination of whether a security is “freely transferable” is to be made based on all relevant facts and circumstances. The ERISA Regulation specifies that, in the case of a security that is part of an offering in which the minimum investment is $10,000 or less, the following requirements, alone or in combination, ordinarily will not affect a finding that the security is freely transferable: (i) a requirement that no transfer or assignment of the security or rights in respect thereof be made that would violate any federal or state law; (ii) a requirement that no transfer or assignment be made without advance notice given to the entity that issued the security; and (iii) any restriction on substitution of an assignee as “a limited partner of a partnership, including a general partner consent requirement, provided that the economic benefits of ownership of the assignor may be transferred or assigned without regard to such restriction or consent” (other than compliance with any of the foregoing restrictions). Under the ERISA Regulation, a class of securities is “widely held” only if it is of a class of securities owned by 100 or more investors independent of the issuer and of each other. A class of securities will not fail to be widely held solely because subsequent to the initial offering the number of independent investors falls below 100 as a result of events beyond the issuer’s control.

 

The Managing Owner believes that the Publicly-Offered Securities Exception currently applies to the Units for the following reasons. First, the Units are registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and timely registered under the Exchange Act. Second, the Units currently are held by more than 100 investors who the Managing Owner believes are independent of the Trust and of each other. Lastly, the Managing Owner believes that the Units should be considered to be “freely transferable.”

 

Ineligible Purchasers

 

In general, Units may not be purchased with the assets of a Plan if the Managing Owner, the Trustee, any wholesaler, any Selling Agent, or any of their respective affiliates or any of their respective agents or employees either: (1) has investment discretion with respect to the investment of such plan assets; (2) has authority or responsibility to give or regularly gives investment advice with respect to such plan assets, for a fee, and pursuant to an agreement or understanding that such advice will serve as a primary basis for investment decisions with respect to such plan assets and that such advice will be based on the particular investment needs of the Plan; or (3) is an employer maintaining or contributing to such Plan, except as is otherwise permissible under ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code. A party that is described in clause (1) or (2) of the preceding sentence is a fiduciary under ERISA and the Code with respect to the Plan, and any such purchase might result in a “prohibited transaction” under ERISA and the Code.

 

Except as otherwise set forth, the foregoing statements regarding the consequences under ERISA and the Code of an investment in the Trust are based on the provisions of the Code and ERISA as currently in effect, and the existing administrative and judicial interpretations thereunder. No assurance can be given that administrative, judicial or legislative changes will not occur that may make the foregoing statements incorrect or incomplete.

 

Acceptance of subscriptions on behalf of plans is in no respect a representation by the Trust, the Managing Owner, any Selling Agent or any other party related to the Trust that this investment meets the relevant legal requirements with respect to investments by any particular plan or that this investment is appropriate for any particular plan. The person with investment discretion should consult with his or her financial and legal advisors as to the propriety of an investment in the Trust in light of the circumstances of the particular plan and current tax law.

 

89 

 

  

Plan Of Distribution

 

Subscription Procedure

 

The Series 1, Series 2 and Series 3 Units are offered on a “best efforts” basis without any firm underwriting commitment through Selling Agents including, but not limited to, LPL Financial, RBC Capital Markets Corporation, Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated and Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., although not all Series are offered through all Selling Agents. You may purchase Units at Net Asset Value of the applicable Series as of the first business day of each calendar month. The Managing Owner may from time to time cause the Trust to issue Units at intra-month closings. The minimum initial investment is $5,000; $2,000 for trustees or custodians of eligible employee benefit plans and individual retirement accounts. Units are sold in fractions calculated up to three decimal places.

 

In order to purchase Units, you must complete, sign and deliver to a Selling Agent an original of the Subscription Agreement Signature Pages which accompanies this Prospectus, together with a check for the amount of your subscription. Checks should be made payable to “Global Macro Trust.” Subscription proceeds will be deposited in the Trust’s bank account at First Republic Bank, San Francisco, California, and then transferred to a U.S. government instrument-only money market account pending investment in the Trust’s trading accounts.

 

Clients of certain Selling Agents may make subscription payments by authorizing the Selling Agents to debit their customer securities account for the amount of the subscription. When a subscriber authorizes such a debit, the subscriber will be required to have the amount of his or her subscription payment on deposit in his or her account on a settlement date specified by such Selling Agent. The Selling Agent will debit the account and transmit the debited funds directly to the Trust’s bank account via check or wire transfer made payable to “Global Macro Trust.” The settlement date specified by such Selling Agents will be no later than the termination of the relevant monthly offering period.

 

The Managing Owner will determine, in its sole discretion, whether to accept or reject a subscription in whole or in part. The Managing Owner will make its determination within five (5) business days of the submission of a subscription to the Managing Owner, except with respect to plan asset investors, including IRAs, in which case the Managing Owner will make its determination no later than five (5) business days before the end of a month (other than for subscriptions submitted after that date).

 

The Managing Owner will make every reasonable effort to determine the suitability of prospective Unitholders in the Trust through information received on the Subscription Agreement. Generally, the Managing Owner must receive subscription documents at least five (5) calendar days before the end of a month for them to be accepted as of the first day of the immediately following month.

 

The Trust will receive any interest earned on subscriptions held in its accounts pending investment in the Trust’s trading account.

 

There are no fees applicable to subscriptions held pending investment in the Trust’s trading account.

 

Subscriptions, if rejected, will be returned to investors promptly following the end of the month in which the subscription was rejected or sooner if practicable.

 

Subscriptions are final and binding on a subscriber as of the close of business on the fifth business day following the submission of the subscriber’s Subscription Agreement to subscriber’s Selling Agent.

 

The Selling Agents

 

Neither the Trust nor the Unitholders pay selling commissions in connection with the sale of the Units. The Managing Owner pays the Selling Agents, from its own funds, upfront selling commissions of up to 4% of the gross offering proceeds of all Series 1 Units sold by each Selling Agent. In addition to upfront selling commissions, the Managing Owner will also pay installment selling commissions to the Selling Agents by paying up to 0.3333 of 1% (a 4% annual rate) of the month-end Net Asset Value of all Series 1 Units sold by them which remain outstanding more than twelve months after such Series 1 Units were first issued (not the date that the related subscription was received or accepted by the Trust); provided, however that cumulative selling commissions per Series 1 Unit will not exceed 9.5% of the gross offering proceeds for such Series 1 Unit sold pursuant to this Prospectus, as described in the compensation grid below.

 

As illustrated in the table below, The Managing Owner pays the Selling Agents reduced selling commissions of up to 3.5%, 3% and 2.5% of the subscription amount and ongoing compensation at an annual rate of up to 3.5%, 3%, and 2.5% in respect of Series 1 Units purchased by investors investing $100,000, $500,000 or $1,000,000 or more, respectively, in the Trust.

 

90 

 

  

Reduced Selling Commission/Ongoing Compensation Table

 

 Selling Commission/
Ongoing Compensation
    Aggregate Investment per Investor 
 3.5%   > $100,000 ≤ $499,999 
 3%   > $500,000 ≤ $999,999 
 2.5%   > $1,000,000 

 

Investors paying reduced or no selling commissions will pay Brokerage Fees reduced to reflect the reduction or absence of selling commissions. See “Charges — Brokerage Fee Differentials.”

 

For Series 1 Units on which the Managing Owner pays an upfront selling commission of 4% of the gross offering proceeds of such Units, the Managing Owner will pay a maximum of 5.5% of the gross offering proceeds of such Units in ongoing compensation, as described above. Likewise, for Series 1 Units on which the Managing Owner pays an upfront selling commission of 3.5%, 3% or 2.5% of the gross offering proceeds of such Units, the Managing Owner will pay a maximum of 6%, 6.5% or 7%, respectively, of the gross offering proceeds of such Units in ongoing compensation, as described above and in the compensation grid below.

 

The Managing Owner may engage one or more registered broker-dealers to solicit other broker-dealers to become Selling Agents and to assist those Selling Agents with the offering and sale of the Series 1 Units, that is, to act as wholesalers. As compensation for its services, any such wholesaler will receive a portion of the selling commissions and may receive a portion of the ongoing compensation that would otherwise be paid to the Selling Agents.

 

The Managing Owner may also engage one or more registered broker-dealers, as wholesalers, to assist Selling Agents with the offer and sale of the Units. The Managing Owner, not the Trust, will compensate such broker-dealers from its own funds subject to the limitations of FINRA Rule 2310(b)(4)(B)(i) pertaining to maximum allowable selling commissions. The maximum compensation payable to wholesalers is illustrated on the compensation grid below.

 

Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units are available for purchase only by investors participating in a registered investment adviser’s asset-based or fixed fee advisory program through which an investment adviser recommends a portfolio allocation to the Trust. The Managing Owner may engage one or more registered broker-dealers, as introducing brokers or wholesalers, to assist Selling Agents acting as executing brokers with the offer and sale of the Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units. The Managing Owner will pay, from its own funds, all compensation due to such broker-dealers, wholesalers and Selling Agents. Compensation to broker-dealers, wholesalers and Selling Agents due in connection with the sale of Series 2 Units or Series 3 Units will be paid up to 6.3333% and 9.5%, respectively, of the gross offering proceeds of the Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units in monthly installments beginning with the first month following the sale of a Series 2 Unit or Series 3 Unit in an aggregate amount not to exceed 0.0417 of 1% (a 0.50% annual rate) of the month-end Net Asset Value of all Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units sold by them which remain outstanding.

 

The Series 2 Units are subject to a custodial fee equal to 0.0208 of 1% of the month-end Net Asset Value of all Series 2 Units (a 0.25% annual rate) before accruals for unpaid management fees, custodial fees or Series 2/3 Profit Shares. The maximum amount of custodial fees paid is 3.1667% of the gross offering proceeds of the Series 2 Units. The Managing Owner will pay the custodial fee on to broker-dealers that act as custodian for Series 2 Units for the benefit of investors in Series 2 Units.

 

The Selling Agents and brokers will determine the suitability of prospective Unitholders in the Trust, pursuant to FINRA Rule 2310, based upon information contained in the Subscription Agreement and documents furnished to the Selling Agents or brokers by their customers in opening accounts.

 

No Selling Agent will make an investment in the Trust on behalf of a client for which it has discretionary trading authority without prior written approval of the investment by the client.

 

As illustrated on the Items of Compensation chart beginning on page 94, under no circumstances will the maximum compensation paid to the Selling Agents, broker-dealers assisting selling agents and wholesalers, including initial selling commissions, installment selling commissions to selling agents, selling commissions to wholesalers, installment selling commissions to wholesalers, expense reimbursements and custodial fees, exceed 10% of the gross offering proceeds of the sale of the Units, which is the maximum permitted by FINRA in connection with this offering of the Units.

 

91 

 

 

Selling Agent Compensation Table

 

 Nature of  Payment   Recipient   Amount of Payment
         
Selling Commissions — Series 1 Units   Selling Agents   Selling Agents will receive from the Managing Owner, in conjunction with the sale of Series 1 Units, initial selling commissions of up to 4% of the gross offering proceeds of Series 1 Units sold by the Selling Agents.
         
Installment Selling Commissions — Series 1 Units   Selling Agents   Selling Agents will also receive from the Managing Owner installment selling commissions by paying up to 0.3333 of 1% of the month-end Net Asset Value of all Series 1 Units sold which remain outstanding more than twelve months (a 4% annual rate), provided that installment selling commissions plus initial selling commissions in respect of a Series 1 Unit will not exceed 9.5% of the gross offering proceeds of such Series 1 Unit.
         
Wholesaling Fees — Series 1 Units   Wholesalers   Wholesalers wholesaling the Series 1 Units to Selling Agents will receive a portion of the selling commission described above (not to exceed 1% of the gross offering proceeds of the Series 1 Units sold by the Selling Agents solicited by the wholesalers), and may receive a portion of the installment selling commissions described above (not to exceed 0.0833 of 1% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Series 1 Units sold by the Selling Agents solicited by the wholesalers – a 1% annual rate).
         
Wholesaling Fees — Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units   Wholesalers   Wholesalers wholesaling the Series 2 and Series 3 Units to Selling Agents or otherwise assisting with the placement of Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units may receive from the Managing Owner installment selling commissions of up to 6.333% and 9.5%, respectively, of the gross offering proceeds of the Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units by paying an amount not to exceed 0.0417 of 1% (a 0.50% annual rate) of the month-end Net Asset Value of all Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units sold by a Selling Agent selling Series 2 or Series 3 Units which remain outstanding, provided that the Selling Agent does not receive installment selling commissions in connection with the sale of the Series 2 or Series 3 Units.
         
Custodial Fees — Series 2 Units   Managing Owner/Custodians   The Managing Owner will receive a custodial fee by receiving a payment from the Trust, to be borne solely by the Series 2 Units, equal to 0.0208 of 1% (a 0.25% annual rate) of the month-end Net Asset Value of all Series 2 Units which remain outstanding before accruals for unpaid management fees, custodial fees or Series 2/3 Profit Shares.  The Managing Owner will then pay the custodial fees on to broker-dealers serving as custodians of the Series 2 Units.  The maximum amount of custodial fees paid depends upon the level of installment selling commissions paid, as discussed on the grid below.

 

92 

 

 

Installment Selling Commissions — Series 3 Units

 

  Selling Agents   Certain Selling Agents may receive from the Managing Owner installment selling commissions of up to 2.7143% of the gross offering proceeds of the Series 3 Units in amounts not to exceed 0.0167 of 1% (a 0.20% annual rate) of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Series 3 Units sold by a Selling Agent selling Series 3 Units.
         

Expense Reimbursement

 

 

Managing Owner

 

  The Managing Owner may, but is not obligated to, reimburse Selling Agents or otherwise pay for reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred in connection with the performance of their duties including, for example, Selling Agents’ legal fees, broker/client seminars or other deemed underwriting expenses. The amount of such reimbursements will not exceed 0.50% of the gross offering proceeds of all Units sold and the amount of such reimbursements, when aggregated with selling commissions, and installment selling commissions will not exceed 10% of the gross offering proceeds of all Units sold.

 

There are no other items of compensation paid in respect of the sale of the Trust’s Units.

 

93 

 

 

Items of Compensation Pursuant to FINRA Rule 2310

 

The following table sets forth the items of compensation, and the maximum amounts thereof in respect of the offering of the Units, paid to members of FINRA pursuant to FINRA Rule 2310 on a Series-by-Series basis, with distinctions made for investment amount and the involvement of wholesalers, where appropriate. These items of compensation are set forth in detail below and are more fully described above:

 

Series 1 Investors with No Wholesalers
 
Investment Amount   Selling Commissions to Selling Agents   Installment Selling Commissions to Selling Agents   Selling Commissions to
Wholesalers
  Installment Selling Commissions to
Wholesalers
  Expense Reimbursement   Custodial Fees   TOTAL
                             
Investing $5,000 ($2,000 for employee plans / IRAs) - $99,999   4% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.3333% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 5.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 0.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 10% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.
                             
Investing $100,000 - $499,999   3.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.2917% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 6% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 0.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 10% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.
                             
Investing $500,000 - $999,999   3% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.25% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 6.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 0.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 10% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.
                             
Investing $1,000,000 or more   2.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.2083% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 7% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 0.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 10% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.

 

94 

 

 

Series 1 Investors whose Selling Agents were introduced by Wholesalers (additional services to Selling Agents)
 
Investment Amount   Selling Commissions to Selling Agents   Installment Selling Commissions to Selling Agents   Selling Commissions to
Wholesalers
  Installment Selling Commissions to
Wholesalers
  Expense Reimbursement   Custodial Fees   TOTAL  
                               
Investing $5,000 ($2,000 for employee plans / IRAs) - $99,999   3% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.25% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 4.125% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold   1% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.0833% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 1.375% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   Up to 0.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 10% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.  
                               
Investing $100,000 - $499,999   2.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.2083% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 4.2857% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   1% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.0833% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 1.7143% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   Up to 0.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 10% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.  
                               
Investing $500,000 - $999,999   2.25% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.1875% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 4.875% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.75% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.0625% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 1.625% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   Up to 0.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 10% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.  
                               
Investing $1,000,000 or more   1.75% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.1458% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 4.90% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.75% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.0625% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 2.10% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   Up to 0.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 10% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.  

 

95 

 

 

Series 1 Investors whose Selling Agents were introduced by Wholesalers (no additional services to Selling Agents)
 
Investment Amount   Selling Commissions to Selling Agents   Installment Selling Commissions to Selling Agents   Selling Commissions to
Wholesalers
  Installment Selling Commissions to
Wholesalers
  Expense Reimbursement   Custodial Fees   TOTAL
                             
Investing $5,000 ($2,000 for employee plans / IRAs) - $99,999   3.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.3333% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 5.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 0.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 10% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.
                             
Investing $100,000 - $499,999   3.0% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.2917% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 6% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 0.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 10% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.
                             
Investing $500,000 - $999,999   2.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.25% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 6.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 0.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 10% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.
                             
Investing $1,000,000 or more   2.0% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.2083% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 7% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 0.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 10% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.

 

96 

 

 

Series 2 Investors whose Wholesalers receive Installment Selling Commissions of 0.50% per annum
 
Investment Amount   Selling Commissions to Selling Agents   Installment Selling Commissions to Selling Agents   Selling Commissions to
Wholesalers
  Installment Selling Commissions to
Wholesalers
  Expense Reimbursement   Custodial Fees   TOTAL
                             
All   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   0.0417% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 6.3333% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   Up to 0.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.0208% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 3.1667% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   Up to 10% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.

 

Series 2 Investors whose Wholesalers receive no Installment Selling Commissions
 
Investment Amount   Selling Commissions to Selling Agents   Installment Selling Commissions to Selling Agents   Selling Commissions to
Wholesalers
  Installment Selling Commissions to
Wholesalers
  Expense Reimbursement   Custodial Fees   TOTAL
                             
All   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 0.50% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   0.0208% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 9.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   Up to 10% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.

 

Series 3 Investors whose Selling Agents and Wholesalers receive Installment Selling Commissions
 
Investment Amount   Selling Commissions to Selling Agents   Installment Selling Commissions to Selling Agents   Selling Commissions to
Wholesalers
  Installment Selling Commissions to
Wholesalers
  Expense Reimbursement   Custodial Fees   TOTAL
                             
All   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   0.0167% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of  2.7143% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   0.0417% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 6.7857% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   Up to 0.50% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 10% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.

 

97 

 

 

Series 3 Investors whose Selling Agents receive Installment Selling Commissions and whose Wholesalers receive no Installment Selling Commissions
 
Investment Amount   Selling Commissions to Selling Agents   Installment Selling Commissions to Selling Agents   Selling Commissions to
Wholesalers
  Installment Selling Commissions to
Wholesalers
  Expense Reimbursement   Custodial Fees   TOTAL
                             
All   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   0.0167% of the month-end Net Asset Value of the Units sold and outstanding, subject to a limit of 9.5% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 0.50% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 10% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.

 

Series 3 Investors whose Selling Agents and Wholesalers receive no Installment Selling Commissions
 
Investment Amount   Selling Commissions to Selling Agents   Installment Selling Commissions to Selling Agents   Selling Commissions to
Wholesalers
  Installment Selling Commissions to
Wholesalers
  Expense Reimbursement   Custodial Fees   TOTAL
                             
All   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 0.50% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   Up to 0.50% of the gross offering proceeds of the Units sold.

 

Series 4 Investors
 
Investment Amount   Selling Commissions to Selling Agents   Installment Selling Commissions to Selling Agents   Selling Commissions to
Wholesalers
  Installment Selling Commissions to
Wholesalers
  Expense Reimbursement   Custodial Fees   TOTAL
                             
All   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.   This item of compensation not paid by these Units.

 

Legal Matters

 

Sidley Austin LLP, Chicago, Illinois, served as legal counsel to the Managing Owner in connection with the preparation of this Prospectus. Sidley Austin LLP may continue to serve in such capacity in the future, but has not assumed any obligation to update this Prospectus. Sidley Austin LLP may advise the Managing Owner in matters relating to the operation of the Trust on an ongoing basis. Sidley Austin LLP does not represent and has not represented the prospective investors or the Trust in negotiation of its business terms, the offering of the Units or in respect of its ongoing operations. Prospective investors must recognize that, as they have had no representation in the organization process, the terms of the Trust relating to themselves and the Units have not been negotiated at arm’s length. More specifically, Sidley Austin LLP does not undertake to monitor the compliance of the Managing Owner and its affiliates with the investment program, valuation procedures and other guidelines set forth herein or in the exhibits hereto, nor does it monitor compliance with applicable laws. In preparing this Prospectus, Sidley Austin LLP relied upon information furnished by the Managing Owner and did not investigate or verify the accuracy and completeness of the information set forth herein concerning the Managing Owner, the Trust’s service providers and their affiliates and personnel.

 

98 

 

 

Sidley Austin LLP’s engagement by the Managing Owner in respect of the Trust is limited to the specific matters as to which it is consulted by the Managing Owner and, therefore, there may exist facts or circumstances which could have a bearing on the Trust’s (or the Managing Owner’s) financial condition or operations with respect to which Sidley Austin LLP has not been consulted and for which Sidley Austin LLP expressly disclaims any responsibility.

 

Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. acted as special Delaware counsel to the Trust in connection with assessing the legality of its securities under Delaware law but does not otherwise represent the Trust or the Unitholders.

 

Experts

 

The Millburn Ridgefield Corporation Statement of Financial Condition as of December 31, 2014, included in this Prospectus, has been included herein in reliance on the report of Arthur F. Bell, Jr. & Associates, L.L.C., an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of that firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

The statements of financial condition of the Trust, including the condensed schedules of investments, as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the related statements of operations, changes in trust capital and the financial highlights for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014 (“the financial statements”) included in this Prospectus have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report appearing herein. Such financial statements have been so included in reliance upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

REPORTS

 

CFTC Rules require that this Prospectus be accompanied by summary financial information, which may be a recent monthly report of the Trust, current within 60 calendar days.

 

Privacy Policy

 

Under CFTC Rules, financial institutions like the Managing Owner are required to provide privacy notices to their clients. As required by such CFTC Rules, we are providing you with the following information.

 

We collect nonpublic personal information about you from the following sources:

 

(i)Information the Managing Owner receives from you on Subscription Agreements and related forms (for example, name, address, Social Security number, birth date, assets, income, and investment experience); and

 

(ii)Information about your transactions with the Managing Owner (for example, account activity and balances).

 

In order to service your account and process your transactions, the Managing Owner may provide your personal information to its affiliates and to firms that assist the Managing Owner in servicing your account and have a need for such information such as account or fund administrators. The Managing Owner requires third-party service providers to protect the confidentiality of your information and to use the information only for the purposes for which the Managing Owner discloses the information to them.

 

The Managing Owner does not disclose any nonpublic information about its customers or former customers to anyone other than in connection with the administration, processing and servicing of customer accounts as described above or to its accountants, attorneys and auditors or as otherwise permitted or required by law.

 

The Managing Owner restricts access to nonpublic personal information about you to its personnel who need to know that information in order to provide products or services to you. The Managing Owner maintains physical, electronic and procedural controls in keeping with federal standards to safeguard your nonpublic personal information.

 

99 

 

 

This Prospectus is in two parts: a Disclosure Document and a Statement of Additional Information. These parts are bound together and may not be distributed separately.

 

PART TWO

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

The Futures, Forward AND SPOT Markets

 

Futures, Forward, Swap and Spot Contracts

 

Futures contracts in the U.S. are generally traded on exchanges and call for the future delivery of various commodities. These contractual obligations may be satisfied either by taking or making physical delivery or by making an offsetting sale or purchase of a futures contract on the same exchange.

 

Forward currency contracts are agreements to make or accept delivery of a currency and are traded off-exchange through banks or dealers. In such instances, the bank or dealer generally acts as principal in the transaction and charges “bid-ask” spreads. These contractual obligations are generally satisfied by making an offsetting agreement.

 

Foreign currency spot contracts are similar to forward currency contracts because they are agreements to make or accept delivery of a currency and are traded off-exchange through banks or dealers, similar to forwards. However, these contracts are shorter in duration, typically settling within two days of the trade date and are settled by physical delivery.

 

Swap contracts are agreements to exchange cash flows or periodic payments based on price changes of an underlying commodity, instrument or index and contain terms and conditions specially negotiated by the parties to the agreement. These agreements are settled in cash, and may be terminated at the expiration of a specific period of time or by making an offsetting agreement.

 

Unlike an investment in bonds where one expects some consistency of yield or in stocks where one expects to participate in economic growth, futures, forward, spot and swap trading is a “zero-sum,” risk transfer economic activity. For every gain realized by one futures, forward, spot or swap trader, there is an equal and offsetting loss suffered by another.

 

Hedgers and Speculators

 

The two broad classifications of persons who trade futures are “hedgers” and “speculators.” Hedging is designed to minimize the losses that may occur because of price changes, for example, between the time a merchandiser contracts to sell a commodity and the time of delivery. The futures and forward markets enable the hedger to shift the risk of price changes to the speculator. The speculator risks capital with the hope of making profits from such changes. Speculators, such as the Trust, rarely take delivery of the physical commodity but rather close out their futures positions through offsetting futures contracts.

 

Exchanges; Position and Daily Limits; Margins

 

Commodity exchanges in the U.S. generally have an associated “clearinghouse.” Once trades made between members of an exchange have been cleared, each clearing broker looks only to the clearinghouse for all payments in respect of such broker’s open positions. The clearinghouse “guarantee” of performance on open positions does not run to customers. If a member firm goes bankrupt, customers could lose money.

 

The Reform Act mandates that a substantial portion of OTC derivatives must be executed in regulated markets and submitted for clearing to regulated clearinghouses. The mandates imposed by the Reform Act may result in the Trust bearing higher upfront and mark-to-market margin, less favorable trade pricing, and the possible imposition of new or increased fees.

 

The Managing Owner will trade for the Trust on a number of foreign commodity exchanges. Foreign commodity exchanges differ in certain respects from their U.S. counterparts and are not regulated by any U.S. agency.

 

The CFTC and the U.S. exchanges have established “speculative position limits” on the maximum positions that the Managing Owner may hold or control in futures contracts on some, but not all, commodities. For example, the CFTC limits the number of contracts the Managing Owner can control in corn to 33,000 in a single delivery month, whereas the Chicago Mercantile Exchange limits the number of S&P 500 Index contracts the Managing Owner can control to 28,000 and U.S. Treasury bonds traded on the Chicago Board of Trade are not subject to position limits. In October 2011, the CFTC adopted position limits for 28 so-called “exempt” (e.g., metal and energy contracts) and agricultural commodity derivatives, futures and option contracts and their economically equivalent swaps. All accounts controlled by the Managing Owner, including the account of the Trust, are combined for speculative position limit purposes. These position limits are not yet effective and there is uncertainty surrounding their application. If position limits are exceeded by the Managing Owner in the opinion of the CFTC or any other regulatory body, exchange or board, the Managing Owner will liquidate positions to the extent necessary to comply with applicable position limits. To date, position limits have not been a material imposition on the ability of the Managing Owner to effect its trading method. In the event the Managing Owner controls contracts in excess of the applicable limits, the Managing Owner will equitably reduce the position it controls across affected accounts managed by the Managing Owner, including the Trust, giving due consideration to such factors as account size, position size, account risk/reward parameters and trading portfolio composition. Any such liquidation or limited implementation could result in substantial costs to the Trust.

 

100 

 

  

On September 28, 2012, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued an opinion that vacated substantial portions of the rules that were enacted in October 2011. In November 2013, however, the CFTC proposed substantially similar rules to its prior position limits regime. The Trust could be required to liquidate positions it holds in order to comply with the new position limits regime. It is as yet unclear whether the rules will have an adverse effect on the Trust.

 

U.S. exchanges limit the maximum change in some, but not all, futures prices during any single trading day. Once the “daily limit” has been reached, it becomes very difficult to execute trades in the same direction the market has moved. That is, if a market is “limit up,” it is difficult, or impossible, to buy, but very easy to sell. Because these limits apply on a day-to-day basis, they do not limit ultimate losses, but may reduce or temporarily eliminate liquidity. For example, the Chicago Board of Trade imposes daily limits of 40¢ on corn futures and no daily limits on U.S. Treasury bond futures. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange coordinates trading halts in the S&P 500 Index futures with halts in the trading of the stocks underlying the Index and imposes trading pauses or halts at moves of 7%, 13% and 20% in the value of the Index.

 

When a position is established, “initial margin” is deposited. On most exchanges, at the close of each trading day “variation margin,” representing the unrealized gain or loss on the open positions, is either credited to or debited from a trader’s account. If “variation margin” payments cause a trader’s “initial margin” to fall below “maintenance margin” levels, a “margin call” is made, requiring the trader to deposit additional margin or have his position closed out.

 

101 

 

 

Supplemental Performance Information

 

The Trust trades the Millburn Diversified Portfolio (“MDP”). MDP is the composite performance of all fully-funded accounts which have traded the portfolio since its inception in 1977 through December 2003 and, thereafter, of all accounts (fully-funded and notional), adjusted to reflect the charges applicable to the Trust. The Trust is separate from MDP and the performance of MDP is not the performance of the Trust. Moreover, the past performance of MDP is not necessarily indicative of the future performance of the Trust. The Trust is one account which has traded MDP since July 1, 2002.

 

The analyses set forth on pages 103-105 are derived from the over 38-year history of MDP and reflect the characteristics of the portfolio and strategy traded by the Trust over an extended period which includes rising and falling stock prices, interest rates, dollar exchange rates and inflation plus numerous shocks to global economic and financial systems.

 

The S&P 500 Index, NASDAQ Composite Index, Morgan Stanley Capital International World Index (MSCI World) and Barclays Long-Term Treasury Index are unmanaged indices commonly used as market benchmarks. The performance of the indices does not reflect any fees or transaction costs as these expenses do not apply to market indices. These indices are compared to MDP and the Trust because they represent asset classes often included in investor portfolios, and are useful in illustrating the potential diversification benefits of the Trust.

 

The Trust is not a complete investment program, and investment in the Trust should be viewed as a diversification opportunity only, not as a substitute for a well diversified portfolio.

 

Please see “Note to Supplemental Performance Information” on page 106.

 

Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.

 

102 

 

 

SUPPLEMENTAL TABLE NO. 1

PRO FORMA ANNUAL RETURNS OF THE MILLBURN DIVERSIFIED PORTFOLIO (rounded to the nearest %)
FEBRUARY 1977—NOVEMBER 2015

 

The pro forma adjustments to MDP’s performance1 reflect the cost/fee structure of the Trust applicable to investors who purchase Series 1 Units.

 

      MDP2    S&P 5003   NASDAQ4    MSCI WORLD5    BONDS6 
 2015 (11 months)    1%   3%   8%   1%   1%
 2014    12%   14%   13%   6%   25%
 2013    -10%   32%   38%   27%   -13%
 2012    -10%   16%   16%   17%   4%
 2011    -11%   2%   -2%   -5%   30%
 2010    8%   15%   17%   12%   9%
 2009    -12%   26%   44%   31%   -13%
 2008    18%   -37%   -41%   -40%   24%
 2007    11%   5%   10%   10%   10%
 2006    6%   16%   10%   21%   2%
 2005    2%   5%   1%   10%   7%
 2004    -5%   11%   9%   15%   8%
 2003    -2%   29%   50%   34%   2%
 2002    24%   -22%   -32%   -20%   17%
 2001    -9%   -12%   -21%   -17%   4%
 2000    12%   -9%   -39%   -13%   20%
 1999    -5%   21%   86%   25%   -9%
 1998    5%   29%   40%   25%   14%
 1997    11%   33%   22%   16%   15%
 1996    15%   23%   23%   14%   -1%
 1995    26%   38%   40%   21%   31%
 1994    8%   1%   -3%   6%   -8%
 1993    8%   10%   15%   23%   17%
 1992    15%   8%   15%   -5%   8%
 1991    5%   30%   57%   19%   19%
 1990    49%   -3%   -18%   -17%   6%
 1989    -1%   32%   19%   17%   19%
 1988    4%   17%   15%   24%   9%
 1987    41%   5%   -5%   17%   -3%
 1986    -13%   19%   7%   43%   24%
 1985    26%   32%   31%   42%   32%
 1984    28%   6%   -11%   6%   15%
 1983    -6%   23%   20%   23%   2%
 1982    35%   22%   19%   11%   42%
 1981    45%   -5%   -3%   -3%   0%
 1980    69%   33%   34%   28%   -3%
 1979    62%   19%   28%   13%   -1%
 1978    26%   7%   12%   18%   -1%
 1977 (11 months)    10%   -3%   10%   5%   4%
      Compound Annual Return
 1977-2015    11%   11%   11%   10%   9%

 

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS. THE TRUST IS A SINGLE ACCOUNT TRADED PURSUANT TO MDP AND IS THUS SEPARATE FROM MDP. THE PAST PERFORMANCE OF MDP IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF THE FUTURE PERFORMANCE OF THE TRUST.

 

 

1MDP, pursuant to which the Trust is traded, has a pro forma compound rate of return of 11.3% for over 38 years. MDP has tended to be profitable during periods of stress in equity and bond markets. The benefit of including MDP in a portfolio of stocks and/or bonds is observable in the table for the years 2008, 2002, 2000, 1994, 1990, 1987 and 1981 when MDP performed well in difficult years for other asset classes. There can, of course, be no assurance that this pattern will continue or that MDP or the Trust will not incur losses, as MDP did in the full years 2013, 2012, 2011, 2009, 2004, 2003, 2001, 1999, 1989, 1986 and 1983. The largest monthly loss during the period shown was 15.4% (9/86).
2MDP is the composite performance of the fully-funded accounts trading in the portfolio since its inception through December 2003 and, thereafter, of all accounts (fully-funded and notional), pro forma to reflect the highest cost/fee structure applicable to the Series 1 Units. There are material limitations inherent in pro forma comparisons.
3S&P 500 Index includes net dividends. Source: eVestment.
4NASDAQ Composite Index. Source: eVestment.
5Morgan Stanley Capital International World Index includes net dividends. Source: eVestment.
6Barclays Long-Term Treasury Index. Source: eVestment.

 

103 

 

  

SUPPLEMENTAL TABLE NO. 2

PRO FORMA ANNUAL RETURNS OF THE MILLBURN DIVERSIFIED PORTFOLIO (rounded to the nearest %)
FEBRUARY 1977—NOVEMBER 2015

 

The following table is similar to the Annual Returns table on the previous page. The pro forma adjustments to MDP’s performance, however, reflect the cost/fee structure of the Trust applicable to investors who purchase Series 2 Units.

 

      MDP1    S&P 5002   NASDAQ3    MSCI WORLD4    BONDS5 
 2015 (11 months)    5%   3%   8%   1%   1%
 2014    17%   14%   13%   6%   25%
 2013    -7%   32%   38%   27%   -13%
 2012    -6%   16%   16%   17%   4%
 2011    -7%   2%   -2%   -5%   30%
 2010    12%   15%   17%   12%   9%
 2009    -8%   26%   44%   31%   -13%
 2008    22%   -37%   -41%   -40%   24%
 2007    15%   5%   10%   10%   10%
 2006    10%   16%   10%   21%   2%
 2005    6%   5%   1%   10%   7%
 2004    -1%   11%   9%   15%   8%
 2003    3%   29%   50%   34%   2%
 2002    28%   -22%   -32%   -20%   17%
 2001    -5%   -12%   -21%   -17%   4%
 2000    16%   -9%   -39%   -13%   20%
 1999    0%   21%   86%   25%   -9%
 1998    9%   29%   40%   25%   14%
 1997    15%   33%   22%   16%   15%
 1996    19%   23%   23%   14%   -1%
 1995    31%   38%   40%   21%   31%
 1994    12%   1%   -3%   6%   -8%
 1993    12%   10%   15%   23%   17%
 1992    19%   8%   15%   -5%   8%
 1991    9%   30%   57%   19%   19%
 1990    53%   -3%   -18%   -17%   6%
 1989    3%   32%   19%   17%   19%
 1988    8%   17%   15%   24%   9%
 1987    44%   5%   -5%   17%   -3%
 1986    -9%   19%   7%   43%   24%
 1985    31%   32%   31%   42%   32%
 1984    32%   6%   -11%   6%   15%
 1983    -2%   23%   20%   23%   2%
 1982    40%   22%   19%   11%   42%
 1981    50%   -5%   -3%   -3%   0%
 1980    75%   33%   34%   28%   -3%
 1979    68%   19%   28%   13%   -1%
 1978    31%   7%   12%   18%   -1%
 1977 (11 months)    13%   -3%   10%   5%   4%
      Compound Annual Return
 1977-2015    16%   11%   11%   10%   9%

 

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS.
THE TRUST IS A SINGLE ACCOUNT TRADED PURSUANT TO MDP
AND IS THUS SEPARATE FROM MDP. THE PAST PERFORMANCE OF MDP IS
NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF THE FUTURE PERFORMANCE OF THE TRUST.

 

 

1MDP is the composite performance of the fully-funded accounts trading in the portfolio since its inception through December 2003 and, thereafter, of all accounts (fully-funded and notional), pro forma to reflect the cost/fee structure of the Trust applicable to investors who purchase Series 2 Units. There are material limitations inherent in pro forma comparisons.
2S&P 500 Index includes net dividends. Source: eVestment.
3NASDAQ Composite Index. Source: eVestment.
4Morgan Stanley Capital International World Index includes net dividends. Source: eVestment.
5Barclays Long-Term Treasury Index. Source: eVestment.

 

104 

 

 

SUPPLEMENTAL TABLE NO. 3

PRO FORMA ANNUAL RETURNS OF THE MILLBURN DIVERSIFIED PORTFOLIO (rounded to the nearest %)
FEBRUARY 1977—NOVEMBER 2015

 

The following table is similar to the Annual Returns tables on the previous pages. The pro forma adjustments to MDP’s performance, however, reflect the cost/fee structure of the Trust applicable to investors who purchase Series 3 Units.

 

      MDP1    S&P 5002   NASDAQ3    MSCI WORLD4    BONDS5 
 2015 (11 months)    5%   3%   8%   1%   1%
 2014    17%   14%   13%   6%   25%
 2013    -6%   32%   38%   27%   -13%
 2012    -6%   16%   16%   17%   4%
 2011    -7%   2%   -2%   -5%   30%
 2010    12%   15%   17%   12%   9%
 2009    -8%   26%   44%   31%   -13%
 2008    23%   -37%   -41%   -40%   24%
 2007    15%   5%   10%   10%   10%
 2006    11%   16%   10%   21%   2%
 2005    7%   5%   1%   10%   7%
 2004    -1%   11%   9%   15%   8%
 2003    3%   29%   50%   34%   2%
 2002    29%   -22%   -32%   -20%   17%
 2001    -4%   -12%   -21%   -17%   4%
 2000    16%   -9%   -39%   -13%   20%
 1999    0%   21%   86%   25%   -9%
 1998    9%   29%   40%   25%   14%
 1997    16%   33%   22%   16%   15%
 1996    20%   23%   23%   14%   -1%
 1995    31%   38%   40%   21%   31%
 1994    12%   1%   -3%   6%   -8%
 1993    12%   10%   15%   23%   17%
 1992    19%   8%   15%   -5%   8%
 1991    9%   30%   57%   19%   19%
 1990    53%   -3%   -18%   -17%   6%
 1989    4%   32%   19%   17%   19%
 1988    9%   17%   15%   24%   9%
 1987    45%   5%   -5%   17%   -3%
 1986    -9%   19%   7%   43%   24%
 1985    31%   32%   31%   42%   32%
 1984    32%   6%   -11%   6%   15%
 1983    -1%   23%   20%   23%   2%
 1982    40%   22%   19%   11%   42%
 1981    50%   -5%   -3%   -3%   0%
 1980    76%   33%   34%   28%   -3%
 1979    69%   19%   28%   13%   -1%
 1978    31%   7%   12%   18%   -1%
 1977 (11 months)    14%   -3%   10%   5%   4%
      Compound Annual Return
 1977-2015    16%   11%   11%   11%   9%

 

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS.
THE TRUST IS A SINGLE ACCOUNT TRADED PURSUANT TO MDP
AND IS THUS SEPARATE FROM MDP. THE PAST PERFORMANCE OF MDP IS
NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF THE FUTURE PERFORMANCE OF THE TRUST.

 

 

1MDP is the composite performance of the fully-funded accounts trading in the portfolio since its inception through December 2003 and, thereafter, of all accounts (fully-funded and notional), pro forma to reflect the cost/fee structure of the Trust applicable to investors who purchase Series 3 Units. There are material limitations inherent in pro forma comparisons.
2S&P 500 Index includes net dividends. Source: eVestment.
3NASDAQ Composite Index. Source: eVestment.
4Morgan Stanley Capital International World Index includes net dividends. Source: eVestment.
5Barclays Long-Term Treasury Index. Source: eVestment.

 

105 

 

 

Note to Supplemental Performance Information

 

The performance shown on pages 103-105 represents the pro forma composite performance of all fully-funded accounts prior to January 2004 and of all accounts beginning with January 2004 traded pursuant to the Managing Owner’s Diversified Portfolio during the period presented. The historical performance of the Diversified Portfolio composite has been retroactively adjusted on a pro forma basis approximately to reflect the highest cost/fee structure applicable to the Series 1 Units (Table 1) and the cost/fee structures applicable to Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units (Tables 2 and 3, respectively). The purpose of this pro forma presentation is to provide an approximation of the rates of return such composite accounts would have achieved had they been traded pursuant to the Trust’s cost/fee structure. However, there are material limitations inherent in pro forma comparisons. It is not feasible to make all the pro forma adjustments necessary to reflect the effect of all the business terms of the Trust on the actual performance of the accounts in the composite. The pro forma performance of the composite accounts should not be considered to be indicative of how any one account in the composite would have performed had it been subject to the cost/fee structure of the relevant Series of Units.

 

The pro forma calculations were made on a month-to-month basis. That is, the adjustments to fees and income in one month do not affect the actual figures used in the following month for making similar pro forma calculations. Accordingly, the pro forma performance does not reflect on a cumulative basis the effect of the differences between the fees to be charged and interest to be earned by the Trust and the fees charged and interest earned by the accounts in the composite. The following assumptions were made in calculating the pro forma rates of return: a Brokerage Fee of 7% per annum of month-end Net Assets (Supplemental Table No. 1); a management fee of 2%, clearing and execution costs of 0.50% and custodial fees of 0.25% (Supplemental Table No. 2); a management fee of 2% and clearing and execution costs of 0.50% (Supplemental Table No. 3); an annual Profit Share of 20% of New Trading Profit; operating and ongoing offering and administrative expenses of 0.60% per annum of average annual Net Assets; and actual interest income earned by the accounts in the Diversified Portfolio composite. With respect to the clearing and execution costs for Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units (Tables 2 and 3, respectively), the cost assumptions reflect the Trust’s highest annual clearing and execution costs since the Trust began trading MDP in July 1, 2002 and are higher than the actual clearing and execution costs applicable to Series 2 and Series 3 Units which are currently estimated at approximately 0.30% of the Trust’s average month-end Net Assets per year attributable to such Units.

 

The Millburn Diversified Portfolio is an actively managed portfolio of futures, forward and spot contracts and related options. The Managing Owner will trade its Diversified Portfolio on behalf of the Trust and the Trust will pay the fees and expenses and will be subject to the Profit Share as described in this Prospectus. The S&P 500 Index, NASDAQ Composite Index, Morgan Stanley Capital International World Index, Barclay BTOP50 Index, Citi World Government Bond Index and Barclays Long-Term Treasury Index are unmanaged indices commonly used as market benchmarks. The performance of these indices does not reflect any fees or transaction costs as these expenses do not apply to most market indices (Barclay BTOP50 Index is compiled net of CTA fees). The HFRI Fund Weighted Composite Index is an unmanaged index of actively managed hedge funds and is an internationally recognized benchmark of hedge fund performance. The performance of the index reflects the fees and transaction costs borne by its underlying hedge fund components but not of the index itself as none apply to the index.

 

106 

 

 

 

107 

 

 

 

108 

 

 

 

109 

 

 

 

110 

 

 

 

111 

 

 

 

112 

 

 

 

113 

 

 

 

114 

 

 

 

115 

 

 

 

116 

 

 

 

117 

 

 

 

118 

 

 

 

119 

 

 

 

120 

 

 

 

121 

 

 

 

122 

 

 

 

123 

 

 

 

124 

 

 

 

125 

 

 

 

126 

 

 

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

  

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST Page
   
Financial Statements for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 (unaudited) F-2
   
Notes to Financial Statements F-13
   
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm F-25
   
Statements of Financial Condition as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 F-26
   
Condensed Schedule of Investments as of December 31, 2014 F-27
   
Condensed Schedule of Investments as of December 31, 2013 F-29
   
Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 F-31
   
Statements of Changes in Trust Capital for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 F-32
   
Statements of Financial Highlights for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 – Series 1 F-33
   
Statements of Financial Highlights for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 – Series 2 F-33
   
Statements of Financial Highlights for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 – Series 3 F-33
   
Statements of Financial Highlights for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 – Series 4 F-33
   
Notes to Financial Statements F-34
   
MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION:  
   
Statement of Financial Condition at September 30, 2015 (unaudited) F-51
   
Notes to Statement of Financial Condition (unaudited) F-52
   
Independent Auditor’s Report F-60
   
Statement of Financial Condition at December 31, 2014 F-61
   
Notes to Statement of Financial Condition F-62

 

 

Schedules are omitted for the reason that they are not required or are not applicable or that equivalent information has been included in the financial statements or notes thereto.

 

F-1 

 

  

Global Macro Trust

Statements of Financial Condition (UNAUDITED)

 

   September 30, 2015   December 31, 2014 
ASSETS          
EQUITY IN TRADING ACCOUNTS:          
Investments in U.S. Treasury notes – at fair value (amortized cost $35,466,355 and $27,555,881)  $35,484,868   $27,560,017 
Net unrealized appreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts   3,493,184    2,573,582 
Due from brokers   12,643,396    6,118,430 
Cash denominated in foreign currencies (cost $1,181,038 and $2,849,059)   1,150,781    2,621,704 
Total equity in trading accounts   52,772,229    38,873,733 
           
INVESTMENTS IN U.S. TREASURY NOTES – at fair value (amortized cost $160,129,691 and $190,875,374)   160,208,211    190,874,789 
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS   10,199,346    16,954,930 
ACCRUED INTEREST RECEIVABLE   207,992    188,240 
TOTAL  $223,387,778   $246,891,692 
           
LIABILITIES AND TRUST CAPITAL          
LIABILITIES:          
Subscriptions by Unitholders received in advance  $389,000   $470,000 
Net unrealized depreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts   1,494,144    684,078 
Due to Managing Owner   70,210    - 
Accrued brokerage and custodial fees   1,072,103    1,188,401 
Accrued management fees   32,382    30,904 
Redemptions payable to Unitholders   3,003,401    2,807,481 
Redemption payable to Managing Owner   -    719,598 
Accrued expenses   94,950    190,677 
Cash denominated in foreign currencies (cost $684,824 and $195,152)   681,208    211,347 
Other liabilities   154,423    - 
Total liabilities   6,991,821    6,302,486 
           
TRUST CAPITAL:          
Managing Owner interest (5,384.326 and 5,128.014 units outstanding)   5,831,746    5,496,789 
Series 1 Unitholders (173,474.389 and 199,292.051 units outstanding)   187,879,312    213,611,159 
Series 2 Unitholders (39.121 and 39.121 units outstanding)   52,600    50,872 
Series 3 Unitholders (13,748.269 and 13,848.201 units outstanding)   18,729,267    18,216,525 
Series 4 Unitholders (2,539.152 and 2,216.197 units outstanding)   3,903,032    3,213,861 
Total trust capital   216,395,957    240,589,206 
           
TOTAL  $223,387,778   $246,891,692 
           
NET ASSET VALUE PER UNIT OUTSTANDING:          
Series 1 Unitholders  $1,083.04   $1,071.85 
Series 2 Unitholders  $1,344.55   $1,300.38 
Series 3 Unitholders  $1,362.30   $1,315.44 
Series 4 Unitholders  $1,537.14   $1,450.17 

 

See notes to financial statements (unaudited)

 

F-2 

 

  

Global Macro Trust

Condensed Schedule of Investments (UNAUDITED)

September 30, 2015

 

FUTURES AND FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS  Net Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
as a % of
Trust Capital
   Net Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 
FUTURES CONTRACTS          
Long futures contracts:          
Energies   0.01%  $350 
Grains   (0.01)   (20,180)
Interest rates          
2 Year U.S. Treasury Note (727 contracts, settlement date December 2015)   0.05    104,562 
5 Year U.S. Treasury Note (611 contracts, settlement date December 2015)   0.05    118,812 
10 Year U.S. Treasury Note (307 contracts, settlement date December 2015)   0.02    44,609 
Other interest rates   1.17    2,523,687 
Total interest rates   1.29    2,791,670 
           
Metals   (0.13)   (274,324)
Softs   0.04    92,092 
Stock indices   (0.33)   (705,504)
Total long futures contracts   0.87    1,884,104 
           
Short futures contracts:          
Energies   0.12    251,561 
Grains   (0.12)   (266,480)
Livestock   0.08    175,390 
Metals   0.58    1,271,138 
Softs   0.05    108,961 
Stock indices   0.03    68,510 
Total short futures contracts   0.74    1,609,080 
TOTAL INVESTMENTS IN FUTURES CONTRACTS-Net   1.61    3,493,184 
           
FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS          
Total long forward currency contracts   (0.85)   (1,851,107)
Total short forward currency contracts   0.16    356,963 
TOTAL INVESTMENTS IN FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS-Net   (0.69)   (1,494,144)
           
TOTAL   0.92%  $1,999,040 

 

(Continued)

 

F-3 

 

  

Global Macro Trust

Condensed Schedule of Investments (UNAUDITED)

September 30, 2015

U.S. TREASURY NOTES

 

Face Amount   Description  Fair Value
as a % of
Trust Capital
   Fair Value 
             
$53,100,000   U.S. Treasury notes, 0.375%, 04/30/2016   24.56%  $53,154,967 
 50,710,000   U.S. Treasury notes, 0.250%, 05/15/2016   23.44    50,718,914 
 44,260,000   U.S. Treasury notes, 0.625%, 07/15/2016   20.51    44,373,243 
 47,220,000   U.S. Treasury notes, 0.875%, 09/15/2016   21.92    47,445,955 
     Total investments in U.S. Treasury notes          
     (amortized cost $195,596,046)   90.43%  $195,693,079 

 

See notes to financial statements (unaudited) (Concluded)

 

F-4 

 

  

Global Macro Trust

Condensed Schedule of Investments

December 31, 2014

 

FUTURES AND FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS  Net Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
as a % of
Trust Capital
   Net Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 
FUTURES CONTRACTS          
Long futures contracts:          
Grains   (0.11)%  $(252,629)
Interest rates:          
5 Year U.S. Treasury Note (772 contracts, settlement date March 2015)   0.01    23,242 
30 Year U.S. Treasury Bond (62 contracts, settlement date March 2015)   0.03    81,500 
Other interest rates   0.48    1,162,658 
Total interest rates   0.52    1,267,400 
           
Livestock   (0.01)   (19,440)
Metals   (0.76)   (1,849,278)
Softs   0.00    5,670 
Stock indices   0.37    871,263 
Total long futures contracts   0.01    22,986 
Short futures contracts:          
Energies   0.30    731,816 
Interest rates   (0.10)   (235,011)
Livestock   0.03    65,050 
Metals   0.50    1,207,429 
Softs   0.23    548,958 
Stock indices   0.07    165,973 
Total short futures contracts   1.03    2,484,215 
TOTAL INVESTMENTS IN FUTURES CONTRACTS-Net   1.04    2,507,201 
           
FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS          
Total long forward currency contracts   (0.71)   (1,717,870)
Total short forward currency contracts   0.46    1,100,173 
TOTAL INVESTMENTS IN FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS-Net   (0.25)   (617,697)
           
TOTAL   0.79%  $1,889,504 

 

(Continued)

 

F-5 

 

  

Global Macro Trust

Condensed Schedule of Investments

December 31, 2014

U.S. TREASURY NOTES

 

Face Amount   Description  Fair Value
as a % of
Trust Capital
   Fair Value 
             
$68,100,000   U.S. Treasury notes, 0.375%, 03/15/2015   28.32%  $68,149,213 
 50,710,000   U.S. Treasury notes, 0.250%, 05/15/2015   21.09    50,747,636 
 52,260,000   U.S. Treasury notes, 0.250%, 07/15/2015   21.74    52,296,745 
 47,220,000   U.S. Treasury notes, 0.250%, 09/15/2015   19.64    47,241,212 
     Total investments in U.S. Treasury notes          
     (amortized cost $218,431,255)   90.79%  $218,434,806 

 

See notes to financial statements (unaudited) (Concluded)

 

F-6 

 

  

Global Macro Trust

Statements of Operations (UNAUDITED)

 

   For the three months ended 
   September 30,
2015
   September 30,
2014
 
INVESTMENT INCOME:          
Interest income  $129,442   $71,375 
           
EXPENSES:          
Brokerage and custodial fees   3,106,092    3,719,672 
Administrative expenses   295,862    353,645 
Custody fees and other expenses   11,792    14,743 
Management fees   96,256    98,381 
Total expenses   3,510,002    4,186,441 
           
NET INVESTMENT LOSS   (3,380,560)   (4,115,066)
           
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAINS (LOSSES):          
Net realized gains (losses) on closed positions:          
Futures and forward currency contracts   12,653,930    13,742,591 
Foreign exchange translation   (243,895)   117,731 
Net change in unrealized:          
Futures and forward currency contracts   1,457,714    (5,448,615)
Foreign exchange translation   34,285    (151,755)
Net gains from U.S. Treasury notes:          
Realized   -    108 
Net change in unrealized   46,974    28,797 
TOTAL NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAINS   13,949,008    8,288,857 
           
NET INCOME  $10,568,448   $4,173,791 
LESS PROFIT SHARE TO MANAGING OWNER   155,001    - 
NET INCOME AFTER PROFIT SHARE TO MANAGING OWNER  $10,413,447   $4,173,791 
           
NET INCOME PER UNIT OUTSTANDING          
Series 1 Unitholders  $49.09   $15.44 
Series 2 Unitholders  $64.06   $31.75 
Series 3 Unitholders  $65.62   $32.88 
Series 4 Unitholders  $93.00   $42.62 

 

(Continued)

 

F-7 

 

  

Global Macro Trust

Statements of Operations (UNAUDITED)

 

   For the nine months ended 
   September 30,
2015
   September 30,
2014
 
INVESTMENT INCOME:          
Interest income  $313,050   $224,690 
           
EXPENSES:          
Brokerage and custodial fees   9,768,971    11,802,765 
Administrative expenses   906,376    1,077,989 
Custody fees and other expenses   39,167    47,350 
Management fees   289,977    312,006 
Total expenses   11,004,491    13,240,110 
           
NET INVESTMENT LOSS   (10,691,441)   (13,015,420)
           
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAINS (LOSSES):          
Net realized gains (losses) on closed positions:          
Futures and forward currency contracts   14,661,898    43,609,724 
Foreign exchange translation   (598,049)   71,870 
Net change in unrealized:          
Futures and forward currency contracts   109,536    (5,078,452)
Foreign exchange translation   216,909    (160,059)
Net gains from U.S. Treasury notes:          
Realized   11,004    7,945 
Net change in unrealized   93,482    35,099 
TOTAL NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAINS   14,494,780    38,486,127 
           
NET INCOME  $3,803,339   $25,470,707 
LESS PROFIT SHARE TO MANAGING OWNER   159,644    - 
NET INCOME AFTER PROFIT SHARE TO MANAGING OWNER  $3,643,695   $25,470,707 
           
NET INCOME PER UNIT OUTSTANDING          
Series 1 Unitholders  $11.19   $93.13 
Series 2 Unitholders  $44.17   $148.61 
Series 3 Unitholders  $46.86   $152.38 
Series 4 Unitholders  $86.97   $184.37 

 

See notes to financial statements (unaudited) (Concluded)

 

F-8 

 

  

Global Macro Trust

Statements of Changes in Trust Capital (UNAUDITED)

 

For the nine months ended September 30, 2015:

 

                                   New Profit             
   Series 1 Unitholders   Series 2 Unitholders   Series 3 Unitholders   Series 4 Unitholders   Memo Account   Managing Owner   Total 
   Amount   Units   Amount   Units   Amount   Units   Amount   Units   Amount   Units   Amount   Units   Amount 
                                                     
Trust capital at January 1, 2015  $213,611,159    199,292.051   $50,872    39.121   $18,216,525    13,848.201   $3,213,861    2,216.197   $-   -   $5,496,789    5,128.014   $240,589,206 
Subscriptions   2,381,953    2,205.291    -    -    1,504,191    1,129.010    561,954    382.135    5,221    4.752    -    -    4,453,319 
Redemptions   (30,547,191)   (28,295.840)   -    -    (1,652,104)   (1,228.942)   (90,968)   (59.180)   -    -    -    -    (32,290,263)
Addt'l units allocated *   -    272.887    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    0.114    -    251.446    - 
Net income before profit   2,433,391    -    2,148    -    819,879    -    218,185    -    69    -    329,667    -    3,803,339 
Profit share to Managing Owner:   -    -    (420)   -    (159,224)   -    -    -    -    -    -    -    (159,644)
Trust capital at September 30, 2015  $187,879,312    173,474.389   $52,600    39.121   $18,729,267    13,748.269   $3,903,032    2,539.152   $5,290    4.866   $5,826,456    5,379.460   $216,395,957 
                                                                  
Net asset value per unit outstanding at September 30, 2015:  $1,083.04        $1,344.55        $1,362.30        $1,537.14                               

 

* Additional units are issued to Series 1 Unitholders who are charged less than a 7% brokerage fee and the Managing Owner. (Continued)

 

F-9 

 

  

Global Macro Trust

Statements of Changes in Trust Capital (UNAUDITED)

 

For the nine months ended September 30, 2014:

 

   Series 1 Unitholders   Series 2 Unitholders   Series 3 Unitholders   Series 4 Unitholders  Managing Owner   Total 
   Amount   Units   Amount   Units   Amount   Units   Amount   Units  Amount   Units   Amount 
                                            
Trust capital at January 1, 2014  $257,057,401    269,666.902   $156,016    139.796   $21,885,706    19,432.989   $2,305,510    1,906.624  $6,833,096    7,168.282   $288,237,729 
Subscriptions   1,150,000    1,151.155    -    -    252,750    220.792    463,873    381.837   -    -    1,866,623 
Redemptions   (63,379,310)   (64,514.050)   (118,925)   (100.675)   (6,699,735)   (5,546.671)   (105,216)   (83.337)  (2,000,000)   (1,916.517)   (72,303,186)
Addt'l units allocated *   -    365.347    -    -    -    -    -    -   -    347.447    - 
Net income   21,425,216    -    12,383    -    2,598,500    -    408,843    -   1,025,765    -    25,470,707 
Trust capital at September 30, 2014  $216,253,307    206,669.354   $49,474    39.121   $18,037,221    14,107.110   $3,073,010    2,205.124  $5,858,861    5,599.212   $243,271,873 
                                                       
Net asset value per unit outstanding at September 30, 2014:  $1,046.37        $1,264.64        $1,278.59        $1,393.58                    

 

* Additional units are issued to Series 1 Unitholders who are charged less than a 7% brokerage fee and the Managing Owner.

 

See notes to financial statements (unaudited) (Concluded)

 

F-10 

 

  

Global Macro Trust

Statements of Financial Highlights (UNAUDITED)

 

For the three months
ended September 30:
  2015   2014 
   Series 1   Series 2   Series 3   Series 4   Series 1   Series 2   Series 3   Series 4 
                                 
Net income (loss) from operations:                                        
Net investment loss  $(18.19)  $(9.33)  $(8.60)  $(2.00)  $(18.42)  $(9.36)  $(8.94)  $(2.95)
Net realized and unrealized gains on trading of futures and forward currency contracts   67.06    83.82    84.75    94.62    33.75    41.02    41.69    45.40 
Net gains from U.S. Treasury obligations   0.22    0.31    0.30    0.38    0.11    0.09    0.13    0.17 
Profit share allocated to Managing Owner   0.00    (10.74)   (10.83)   0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00 
Net income per unit  $49.09   $64.06   $65.62   $93.00   $15.44   $31.75   $32.88   $42.62 
                                         
Net asset value per unit, beginning of period   1,033.95    1,280.49    1,296.68    1,444.14    1,030.93    1,232.89    1,245.71    1,350.96 
                                         
Net asset value per unit, end of period  $1,083.04   $1,344.55   $1,362.30   $1,537.14   $1,046.37   $1,264.64   $1,278.59   $1,393.58 

 

Total return and
ratios for the three
months ended
September 30:
  2015   2014 
   Series 1   Series 2   Series 3   Series 4   Series 1   Series 2   Series 3   Series 4 
                                 
RATIOS TO AVERAGE CAPITAL:                                        
                                         
Net investment loss (a)   (6.77)%   (2.80)%   (2.55)%   (0.53)%   (7.14)%   (3.11)%   (2.86)%   (0.86)%
                                         
Total expenses (a)   7.01%   3.04%   2.78%   0.76%   7.25%   3.23%   2.97%   0.97%
Profit share allocation (b)   0.00    0.81    0.81    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00 
TOTAL EXPENSES AND PROFIT SHARE ALLOCATION   7.01%   3.85%   3.59%   0.76%   7.25%   3.23%   2.97%   0.97%
                                         
Total return before profit share allocation (b)   4.75%   5.81%   5.87%   6.44%   1.50%   2.58%   2.64%   3.15%
Less: Profit share allocation (b)   0.00    0.81    0.81    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00 
TOTAL RETURN AFTER PROFIT SHARE ALLOCATION   4.75%   5.00%   5.06%   6.44%   1.50%   2.58%   2.64%   3.15%

 

(a) annualized    
(b) not annualized (Continued)  

  

F-11 

 

 

Global Macro Trust

Statements of Financial Highlights (UNAUDITED)

 

For the nine months
ended September 30:
  2015   2014 
   Series 1   Series 2   Series 3   Series 4   Series 1   Series 2   Series 3   Series 4 
                                 
Net income (loss) from operations:                                        
Net investment loss  $(55.04)  $(28.43)  $(26.24)  $(6.62)  $(53.41)  $(27.18)  $(25.59)  $(8.26)
Net realized and unrealized gains on trading of futures and forward currency contracts   65.74    82.72    83.63    92.87    146.38    175.63    177.78    192.40 
Net gains from U.S. Treasury obligations   0.49    0.62    0.62    0.72    0.16    0.16    0.19    0.23 
Profit share allocated to Managing Owner   0.00    (10.74)   (11.15)   0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00 
Net income per unit  $11.19   $44.17   $46.86   $86.97   $93.13   $148.61   $152.38   $184.37 
                                         
Net asset value per unit, beginning of period   1,071.85    1,300.38    1,315.44    1,450.17    953.24    1,116.03    1,126.21    1,209.21 
                                         
Net asset value per unit, end of period  $1,083.04   $1,344.55   $1,362.30   $1,537.14   $1,046.37   $1,264.64   $1,278.59   $1,393.58 

 

Total return and
ratios for the nine
months ended
September 30:
  2015   2014 
   Series 1   Series 2   Series 3   Series 4   Series 1   Series 2   Series 3   Series 4 
                                 
RATIOS TO AVERAGE CAPITAL:                                        
                                         
Net investment loss (a)   (6.80)%   (2.86)%   (2.61)%   (0.59)%   (7.15)%   (3.10)%   (2.85)%   (0.85)%
                                         
Total expenses (a)   6.98%   3.04%   2.79%   0.77%   7.26%   3.21%   2.96%   0.96%
Profit share allocation (b)   0.00    0.81    0.83    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00 
TOTAL EXPENSES AND PROFIT SHARE ALLOCATION   6.98%   3.85%   3.62%   0.77%   7.26%   3.21%   2.96%   0.96%
                                         
Total return before profit share allocation (b)   1.04%   4.21%   4.39%   6.00%   9.77%   13.32%   13.53%   15.25%
Less: Profit share allocation (b)   0.00    0.81    0.83    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00 
TOTAL RETURN AFTER PROFIT SHARE ALLOCATION   1.04%   3.40%   3.56%   6.00%   9.77%   13.32%   13.53%   15.25%

 

(a) annualized

(b) not annualized

 

See notes to financial statements (unaudited) (Concluded)  

F-12 

 

  

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

The accompanying unaudited financial statements, in the opinion of management, include all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of Global Macro Trust’s (the “Trust”) financial condition at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 (unaudited) and the results of its operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 (unaudited). These financial statements present the results of interim periods and do not include all disclosures normally provided in annual financial statements. It is suggested that these financial statements be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and notes included in the Trust's annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the year ended December 31, 2014. The December 31, 2014 information has been derived from the audited financial statements as of December 31, 2014.

 

With the effectiveness of the Trust’s Registration Statement on August 12, 2009, the Trust began to offer Series 2, Series 3 and Series 4 Units. The only Units offered prior to such date were the Series 1 Units.

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted (“U.S. GAAP”) in the United States of America (the “U.S.”), as detailed in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“Codification”), requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts and disclosures reported in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

 

The Trust enters into contracts that contain a variety of indemnification provisions. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown. The Trust does not anticipate recognizing any loss related to these arrangements.

 

The Income Taxes topic of the Codification clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in tax positions. This requires that the Trust recognize in its financial statements the impact of any uncertain tax positions. Based on a review of the Trust’s open tax years, 2011 to 2014, Millburn Ridgefield Corporation (the “Managing Owner”) determined that no reserves for uncertain tax positions were required. 

 

There have been no material changes with respect to the Trust's critical accounting policies, off-balance sheet arrangements or disclosure of contractual obligations as reported in the Trust's Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal year 2014.

 

2. FAIR VALUE

 

The Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures topic of the Codification defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:

 

Level 1: Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities;

 

Level 2: Quoted prices in markets that are not active or financial instruments for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly; and

 

Level 3: Prices or valuations that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.

 

In determining fair value, the Trust separates its investments into two categories: cash instruments and derivative contracts.

 

Cash Instruments – The Trust’s cash instruments are generally classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy, because they are typically valued using quoted market prices. The types of instruments valued based on quoted market prices in active markets include U.S. government obligations and an investment in a quoted short-term U.S. government securities money market fund. Millburn Ridgefield Corporation, does not adjust the quoted price for such instruments even in situations where the Trust holds a large position and a sale could reasonably impact the quoted price.

 

Derivative Contracts – Derivative contracts can be exchange-traded or over-the-counter (“OTC”). Exchange-traded futures contracts are valued based on quoted closing settlement prices and typically fall within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy.

 

F-13 

 

  

Spot currency contracts are valued based on current market prices (“Spot Price”). Forward currency contracts are valued based on pricing models that consider the Spot Price, plus the financing cost or benefit (“Forward Point”). Forward Points from the quotation service providers are generally in periods of one month, two months, three months, six months, nine months and twelve months forward while the contractual forward delivery dates for the forward currency contracts traded by the Trust may be in between these periods. The Managing Owner’s policy to determine fair value for forward currency contracts involves first calculating the number of months from the date the forward currency contract is being valued to its maturity date (“Months to Maturity”), then identifying the forward currency contracts for the two forward months that are closest to the Months to Maturity (“Forward Month Contracts”). Linear interpolation is then performed between the dates of these two Forward Month Contracts to calculate the interpolated forward point. Model inputs can generally be verified and model selection does not involve significant management judgment. Such instruments are typically classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. Investment Company Status: The Trust adopted Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2013-08, “Financial Services — Investment Companies (Topic 946): Amendments to the Scope, Measurement and Disclosure Requirements” and based on the Managing Owner’s assessment, the Trust has been deemed to be an investment company since inception. Accordingly, the Trust follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of Topic 946 and reflects its investments at fair value with unrealized gains and losses resulting from changes in fair value reflected in the Statements of Income and Expenses and Changes in Trust Capital.

 

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, there were no transfers of assets or liabilities between Level 1 and Level 2. The following tables represent the Trust’s investments by hierarchical level as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 in valuing the Trust’s investments at fair value. At September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Trust held no assets or liabilities classified in Level 3.

 

Financial Assets and Liabilities at Fair Value as of September 30, 2015

 

   Level 1   Level 2   Total 
             
U.S. Treasury notes (1)  $195,693,079   $-   $195,693,079 
Short-term money market fund*   9,949,346    -    9,949,346 
Exchange-traded futures contracts               
Energies   251,911    -    251,911 
Grains   (286,660)   -    (286,660)
Interest rates   2,791,670    -    2,791,670 
Livestock   175,390    -    175,390 
Metals   996,814    -    996,814 
Softs   201,053    -    201,053 
Stock indices   (636,994)   -    (636,994)
                
Total exchange-traded futures contracts   3,493,184    -    3,493,184 
                
Over-the-counter forward currency contracts   -    (1,494,144)   (1,494,144)
                
Total futures and forward currency contracts (2)   3,493,184    (1,494,144)   1,999,040 
                
Total financial assets at fair value  $209,135,609   $(1,494,144)  $207,641,465 

 

Per line item in the Statements of Financial Condition    
(1)    
Investments in U.S. Treasury notes held in equity trading accounts as collateral  $35,484,868 
Investments in U.S. Treasury notes held in custody   160,208,211 
Total investments in U.S. Treasury notes  $195,693,079 
(2)     
Net unrealized appreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts  $3,493,184 
Net unrealized depreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts   (1,494,144)
Total unrealized appreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts  $1,999,040 

 

*The short-term money market fund is included in Cash and Cash Equivalents on the Statements of Financial Condition.

 

F-14 

 

  

 Financial Assets and Liabilities at Fair Value as of December 31, 2014

 

   Level 1   Level 2   Total 
             
U.S. Treasury notes (1)  $218,434,806   $-   $218,434,806 
Short-term money market fund*   16,785,518    -    16,785,518 
Exchange-traded futures contracts               
Energies   731,816    -    731,816 
Grains   (252,629)   -    (252,629)
Interest rates   1,032,389    -    1,032,389 
Livestock   45,610    -    45,610 
Metals   (641,849)   -    (641,849)
Softs   554,628    -    554,628 
Stock indices   1,037,236    -    1,037,236 
                
Total exchange-traded futures contracts   2,507,201    -    2,507,201 
                
Over-the-counter forward currency contracts   -    (617,697)   (617,697)
                
Total futures and forward currency contracts (2)   2,507,201    (617,697)   1,889,504 
                
Total financial assets at fair value  $237,727,525   $(617,697)  $237,109,828 

 

Per line item in the Statements of Financial Condition    
(1)    
Investments in U.S. Treasury notes held in equity trading accounts as collateral  $27,560,017 
Investments in U.S. Treasury notes held in custody   190,874,789 
Total investments in U.S. Treasury notes  $218,434,806 
(2)     
Net unrealized appreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts  $2,573,582 
Net unrealized depreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts   (684,078)
Total unrealized appreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts  $1,889,504 

  

*The short-term money market fund is included in Cash and Cash Equivalents on the Statements of Financial Condition.

 

3. DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

 

The Derivatives and Hedging topic of the Codification requires qualitative disclosure about objectives and strategies for using derivatives, quantitative disclosures about fair value amounts of gains and losses on derivative instruments, and disclosures about credit-risk-related contingent features in derivative agreements.

 

The Trust’s market risk is influenced by a wide variety of factors, including the level and volatility of interest rates, exchange rates, equity price levels, the market value of financial instruments and contracts, the diversification effects among the Trust’s open positions, and the liquidity of the markets in which it trades.

 

The Trust engages in the speculative trading of futures and forward contracts on currencies, energies, grains, interest rates, livestock, metals, softs and stock indices. The following were the primary trading risk exposures of the Trust at September 30, 2015, by market sector:

 

Agricultural (grains, livestock and softs) – The Trust’s primary exposure is to agricultural price movements which are often directly affected by severe or unexpected weather conditions, as well as supply and demand factors.

 

Currencies – Exchange rate risk is a principal market exposure of the Trust. The Trust’s currency exposure is to exchange rate fluctuations, primarily fluctuations which disrupt the historical pricing relationships between different currencies and currency pairs. The fluctuations are influenced by interest rate changes, as well as political and general economic conditions. The Trust trades in a large number of currencies, including cross-rates—e.g., positions between two currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

 

F-15 

 

  

Energies – The Trust’s primary energy market exposure is to gas and oil price movements often resulting from political developments in the oil producing countries and economic conditions worldwide. Energy prices are volatile and substantial profits and losses have been and are expected to continue to be experienced in this market.

 

Interest Rates – Interest rate movements directly affect the price of the sovereign bond futures positions held by the Trust and indirectly the value of its stock index and currency positions. Interest rate movements in one country, as well as relative interest rate movements between countries, may materially impact the Trust’s profitability. The Trust’s primary interest rate exposure is to interest rate fluctuations in countries or regions, including Australia, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the U.S. and the Eurozone. However, the Trust also may take positions in futures contracts on the government debt of other nations. The Managing Owner anticipates that interest rates in these industrialized countries or areas, both long-term and short-term, will remain the primary interest rate market exposure of the Trust for the foreseeable future.

 

Metals – The Trust’s metals market exposure is to fluctuations in the price of aluminum, copper, gold, lead, nickel, platinum, silver, tin and zinc.

 

Stock Indices – The Trust’s equity exposure, through stock index futures, is to equity price risk in the major industrialized countries, as well as other countries.

 

The Derivatives and Hedging topic of the Codification requires entities to recognize in the Statements of Financial Condition all derivative contracts as assets or liabilities. Fair values of futures and forward currency contracts in an asset position by counterparty are recorded in the Statements of Financial Condition as “Net unrealized appreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts.” Fair values of futures and forward currency contracts in a liability position by counterparty are recorded in the Statements of Financial Condition as “Net unrealized depreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts.” The Trust’s policy regarding fair value measurement is discussed in the Fair Value and Disclosures note, contained herein.

 

Since the derivatives held or sold by the Trust are for speculative trading purposes, the derivative instruments are not designated as hedging instruments under the provisions of the Derivatives and Hedging guidance. Accordingly, all realized gains and losses, as well as any change in net unrealized gains or losses on open positions from the preceding period, are recognized as part of the Trust’s trading gains and losses in the Statements of Operations.

 

See “Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” for additional derivative-related information.

 

The following tables present the fair value of open futures and forward currency contracts, held long or sold short, at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014. Fair value is presented on a gross basis even though the contracts are subject to master netting agreements and qualify for net presentation in the Statements of Financial Condition.

 

F-16 

 

  

Fair Value of Futures and Forward Currency Contracts at September 30, 2015

 

                   Net Unrealized 
   Fair Value - Long Positions   Fair Value - Short Positions   Gain (Loss) on 
Sector  Gains   Losses   Gains   Losses   Open Positions 
                     
Futures contracts:                         
Energies  $350   $-   $347,789   $(96,228)  $251,911 
Grains   510    (20,690)   80,967    (347,447)   (286,660)
Interest rates   3,197,905    (406,235)   -    -    2,791,670 
Livestock   -    -    176,360    (970)   175,390 
Metals   271,790    (546,114)   1,467,948    (196,810)   996,814 
Softs   97,494    (5,402)   115,012    (6,051)   201,053 
Stock indices   200,473    (905,977)   139,150    (70,640)   (636,994)
                          
Total futures contracts   3,768,522    (1,884,418)   2,327,226    (718,146)   3,493,184 
                          
Forward currency contracts   820,305    (2,671,412)   2,088,422    (1,731,459)   (1,494,144)
                          
Total futures and forward currency contracts  $4,588,827   $(4,555,830)  $4,415,648   $(2,449,605)  $1,999,040 

 

Fair Value of Futures and Forward Currency Contracts at December 31, 2014

 

                   Net Unrealized 
   Fair Value - Long Positions   Fair Value - Short Positions   Gain (Loss) on 
Sector  Gains   Losses   Gains   Losses   Open Positions 
                     
Futures contracts:                         
Energies  $-   $-   $762,163   $(30,347)  $731,816 
Grains   400    (253,029)   -    -    (252,629)
Interest rates   2,130,457    (863,057)   -    (235,011)   1,032,389 
Livestock   3,090    (22,530)   65,050    -    45,610 
Metals   17,174    (1,866,452)   1,245,270    (37,841)   (641,849)
Softs   6,540    (870)   564,493    (15,535)   554,628 
Stock indices   1,359,895    (488,632)   225,100    (59,127)   1,037,236 
                          
Total futures contracts   3,517,556    (3,494,570)   2,862,076    (377,861)   2,507,201 
                          
Forward currency contracts   664,940    (2,382,810)   2,583,894    (1,483,721)   (617,697)
                          
Total futures and forward currency contracts  $4,182,496   $(5,877,380)  $5,445,970   $(1,861,582)  $1,889,504 

 

The effect of trading futures and forward currency contracts is represented on the Statements of Operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 as “Net realized gains (losses) on closed positions: Futures and forward currency contracts” and “Net change in unrealized: Futures and forward currency contracts.” These trading gains and losses are detailed below:

 

F-17 

 

  

Trading gains (losses) of futures and forward currency contracts for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014

 

   Three months
ended:
   Three months
ended:
   Nine months
ended:
   Nine months
ended:
 
Sector  September 30,
2015
   September 30,
2014
   September 30,
2015
   September 30,
2014
 
                 
Futures contracts:                    
  Energies  $4,450,300   $625,765   $(745,143)   3,021,163 
  Grains   (1,215,421)   4,951,308    (2,263,729)   5,621,524 
  Interest rates   9,284,046    6,615,418    10,824,820    25,113,367 
  Livestock   228,380    11,400    340,730    913,300 
  Metals   3,225,542    1,062,941    4,030,535    (2,460,805)
  Softs   338,810    1,734,085    641,395    2,076,704 
  Stock indices   (5,149,759)   (4,379,183)   468,609    2,243,743 
                     
Total futures contracts   11,161,898    10,621,734    13,297,217    36,528,996 
                     
Forward currency contracts   2,949,746    (2,327,758)   1,474,217    2,002,276 
                     
Total futures and forward currency contracts  $14,111,644   $8,293,976   $14,771,434   $38,531,272 

 

The following table presents average notional value by sector in U.S. dollars of open futures and forward currency contracts for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014. The Trust’s average net asset value for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 was approximately $230,000,000 and $264,000,000, respectively.

 

Average notional value by sector of futures and forward currency contracts for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014

 

   2015   2014 
Sector  Long Positions   Short Positions   Long Positions   Short Positions 
                 
Futures contracts:                    
Energies  $1,812,064   $16,678,909   $73,132,675   $39,900,141 
Grains   5,638,288    7,336,045    21,860,990    21,673,759 
Interest rates   418,360,124    24,030,694    760,064,480    30,823,739 
Livestock   390,973    1,860,523    7,139,505    3,173,938 
Metals   2,785,135    25,762,676    38,906,383    14,900,085 
Softs   1,501,345    5,071,156    7,052,058    7,285,994 
Stock indices   153,778,348    9,586,138    295,649,104    2,747,451 
                     
Total futures contracts   584,266,277    90,326,141    1,203,805,195    120,505,107 
                     
Forward currency contracts   65,110,660    87,744,655    274,943,800    58,744,449 
                     
Total average notional  $649,376,937   $178,070,796   $1,478,748,995   $179,249,556 

 

F-18 

 

  

Notional values in the interest rate sector were calculated by converting the notional value in local currency of open interest rate futures positions with maturities less than 10 years to 10-year equivalent fixed income instruments and translated to U.S. dollars at September 30, 2015 and 2014. The 10-year note is often used as a benchmark for many types of fixed-income instruments and the Managing Owner believes it is a more meaningful representation of notional values of the Trust’s open interest rate positions.

 

The customer agreements between the Trust, the futures clearing brokers including Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG), and SG Americas Securities, LLC, as well as the FX prime broker, Deutsche Bank AG, and the swap dealer, Morgan Stanley & Co., LLC, gives the Trust the legal right to net unrealized gains and losses on open futures and foreign currency contracts. The Trust netted, for financial reporting purposes, the unrealized gains and losses on open futures and forward currency contracts on the Statements of Financial Condition as the criteria under ASC 210-20, “Balance Sheet,” were met. The Trust ceased clearing trades through J.P. Morgan Securities LLC., Barclays Capital Inc. and Barclays Bank PLC during September 2015, June 2014 and October 2014, respectively.

 

The following tables present gross amounts of assets or liabilities which qualify for offset as presented in the Statements of Financial Condition at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014.

 

Offsetting of derivative assets and liabilities at September 30, 2015

 

   Gross amounts of
recognized assets
   Gross amounts
offset in
the Statement of
Financial
Condition
   Net amounts of
assets
presented in the
Statement
of Financial
Condition
 
Assets               
Futures contracts               
Counterparty C  $2,274,113   $(988,145)  $1,285,968 
Counterparty I   3,821,635    (1,614,419)   2,207,216 
                
Total assets  $6,095,748   $(2,602,564)  $3,493,184 

 

   Gross amounts of
recognized
liabilities
   Gross amounts
offset in
the Statement of
Financial
Condition
   Net amounts of
liabilities
presented in the
Statement
of Financial
Condition
 
Liabilities               
Forward currency contracts               
Counterparty G  $2,830,773   $(2,366,979)  $463,794 
Counterparty H   1,572,098    (541,748)   1,030,350 
                
Total liabilities  $4,402,871   $(2,908,727)  $1,494,144 

 

F-19 

 

  

       Amounts Not Offset in the
Statement of Financial Condition
     
Counterparty  Net amounts of
Assets
presented in the
Statement
of Financial
Condition
   Financial
Instruments
   Collateral
Received(1)(2)
   Net
Amount(3)(4)
 
                 
Counterparty C  $1,285,968   $-   $(1,285,968)  $- 
Counterparty I  $2,207,216   $-   $(2,207,216)  $- 
                     
Total  $3,493,184   $-   $(3,493,184)  $- 
                   (Continued) 

 

       Amounts Not Offset in the
Statement of Financial Condition
     
Counterparty  Net amounts of
Liabilities
presented in the
Statement
of Financial
Condition
   Financial
Instruments
   Collateral
Pledged(1)(2)
   Net
Amount(3)(4)
 
                 
Counterparty G  $463,794   $-   $(463,794)  $- 
Counterparty H   1,030,350    -    (1,030,350)   - 
                     
Total  $1,494,144   $-   $(1,494,144)  $- 
                   (Concluded) 

 

(1) Collateral received includes trades made on exchanges. These trades are subject to central counterparty clearing where settlement is guaranteed by the exchange. Collateral pledged includes both cash and U.S. Treasury notes held at each respective counterparty.

(2) Collateral disclosed is limited to an amount not to exceed 100% of the net amount of assets presented in the Statement of Financial Condition, for each respective counterparty.

(3) Net amount represents the amount that is subject to loss in the event of a counterparty failure as of September 30, 2015.

(4) Net amount represents the amounts owed by the Trust to each counterparty as of September 30, 2015.

 

F-20 

 

  

Offsetting of derivative assets and liabilities at December 31, 2014

 

   Gross amounts of
recognized assets
   Gross amounts
offset in
the Statement of
Financial
Condition
   Net amounts of
assets
presented in the
Statement
of Financial
Condition
 
Assets               
Futures contracts               
Counterparty C  $2,697,244   $(898,740)  $1,798,504 
Counterparty D   3,682,388    (2,973,691)   708,697 
Total futures contracts   6,379,632    (3,872,431)   2,507,201 
                
Forward currency contracts               
Counterparty G   1,085,849    (1,019,468)   66,381 
Total forward currency contracts               
                
Total assets  $7,465,481   $(4,891,899)  $2,573,582 

 

   Gross amounts of
recognized
liabilities
   Gross amounts
offset in
the Statement of
Financial
Condition
   Net amounts of
liabilities
presented in the
Statement
of Financial
Condition
 
Liabilities               
Forward currency contracts               
Counterparty H  $2,847,063   $(2,162,985)  $684,078 
                
Total liabilities  $2,847,063   $(2,162,985)  $684,078 

 

F-21 

 

  

       Amounts Not Offset in the
Statement of Financial Condition
     
Counterparty  Net amounts of
Assets
presented in the
Statement
of Financial
Condition
   Financial
Instruments
   Collateral
Received(1)(2)
   Net
Amount(3)(4)
 
                 
Counterparty C  $1,798,504   $-   $(1,798,504)  $- 
Counterparty D   708,697    -    (708,697)   - 
Counterparty G   66,381    -    (66,381)   - 
                     
Total  $2,573,582   $-   $(2,573,582)  $- 

 

       Amounts Not Offset in the
Statement of Financial Condition
     
Counterparty  Net amounts of
Liabilities
presented in the
Statement
of Financial
Condition
   Financial
Instruments
   Collateral
Pledged(1)(2)
   Net
Amount(3)(4)
 
                 
Counterparty H  $684,078   $-   $(684,078)  $- 
                     
Total  $684,078   $-   $(684,078)  $- 

 

(1) Collateral received includes trades made on exchanges. These trades are subject to central counterparty clearing where settlement is guaranteed by the exchange. Collateral pledged includes both cash and U.S. Treasury notes held at each respective counterparty.

(2) Collateral disclosed is limited to an amount not to exceed 100% of the net amount of assets presented in the Statement of Financial

Condition, for each respective counterparty.

(3) Net amount represents the amount that is subject to loss in the event of a counterparty failure as of December 31, 2014.

(4) Net amount represents the amounts owed by the Trust to each counterparty as of December 31, 2014.

 

CONCENTRATION OF CREDIT RISK

 

Credit risk is the possibility that a loss may occur due to the failure of a counterparty to perform according to the terms of a contract. Credit risk is normally reduced to the extent that an exchange or clearing organization acts as a counterparty to futures transactions since typically the collective credit of the members of the exchange is pledged to support the financial integrity of the exchange.

 

The Managing Owner seeks to minimize credit risk primarily by depositing and maintaining the Trust’s assets at financial institutions and trading counterparties which the Managing Owner believes to be creditworthy. In addition, for OTC forward currency contracts, the Trust enters into master netting agreements with its counterparties. Collateral posted at the various counterparties for trading of futures and forward currency contracts includes cash and U.S. Treasury notes.

 

A significant portion of the Trust’s forward currency trading activities are cleared by Deutsche Bank AG (“DB”) and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (“MS”). The Trust’s concentration of credit risk associated with DB or MS nonperformance includes unrealized gains inherent in such contracts, which are recognized in the Statements of Financial Condition, plus the value of margin or collateral held by DB and MS. The amount of such credit risk was $18,230,444 and $12,990,214 at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.

 

F-22 

 

  

4. PROFIT SHARE

 

The following table indicates the total profit share earned and accrued during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014. Profit share earned (from Unitholders' redemptions) is credited to the New Profit Memo Account as defined in the Trust’s Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”).

 

   Three months ended: 
   September 30,     September 30, 
   2015     2014 
Profit share earned  $578      $0 
Profit share accrued   154,423(1)     0 
Total profit share  $155,001      $0 

 

(1) Included in “Other liabilities” in the Statements of Financial Condition.

 

   Nine months ended:
   September 30,       September 30, 
   2015       2014 
Profit share earned  $5,221      $0 
Profit share accrued   154,423(1)     0 
Total profit share  $159,644      $0 

 

(1) Included in “Other liabilities” in the Statements of Financial Condition.

 

5. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

The Trust pays all routine expenses, such as legal, accounting, printing, postage and similar administrative expenses (including the Trustee's fees, the charges of an outside accounting services agency and the expenses of updating the Trust's Prospectus), as well as extraordinary costs. At September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Managing Owner was owed $70,210 and $0, respectively, from the Trust in connection with such expenses it has paid on the Trust's behalf (and is included in "Due to Managing Owner" in the Statements of Financial Condition).

 

Series 1 Unitholders who redeem Units at or prior to the end of the first eleven months after such Units are sold shall be assessed redemption charges calculated based on their redeemed Units' net asset value as of the date of redemption. All redemption charges will be paid to the Managing Owner. There was no redemption charge payable at September 30, 2015 or December 31, 2014.

 

6. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

Per unit operating performance for Series 1, Series 2, Series 3 and Series 4 Units is calculated based on Unitholders’ Trust capital for each Series taken as a whole utilizing the beginning and ending net asset value per unit and weighted average number of Units during the period. Weighted average number of Units for each Series is detailed below:

 

    Three months ended September 30,   Nine months ended September 30,   Date of first issuance
    2015   2014   2015   2014    
                             
Series 1    178,555.093    213,880.956    186,632.986    234,187.443   July 23, 2001
Series 2    39.121    39.111    39.121    82.295   April 1, 2010
Series 3    14,129.372    15,568.745    14,273.977    17,253.798   September 1, 2009
Series 4    2,540.451    2,200.654    2,482.760    2,193.473   November 1, 2010

 

F-23 

 

 

7. BROKERAGE AND CUSTODIAL FEES

 

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, brokerage and custodial fees were as follows:

 

   Three months ending September 30,   Nine months ending September 30, 
   2015   2014   2015   2014 
                 
Brokerage fees  $3,106,059   $3,719,641   $9,768,873   $11,802,584 
Custodial fees   33    31    98    181 
                     
Total  $3,106,092   $3,719,672   $9,768,971   $11,802,765 

 

Per the Trust agreement, selling agents are prohibited from receiving amounts in excess of 9.5% of the gross offering proceeds of Series 1 units sold subsequent to August 12, 2009. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, the Managing Owner rebated to the Trust for the benefit of all holders of Series 1 Units, all amounts that would have otherwise been due to selling agents but for the 9.5% cap. Further, in certain cases, there are Series 1 units that remain outstanding, where there is no longer a selling agent associated with such units. Beginning in August 2014, the Managing Owner rebated such amounts to the Trust for the benefit of all holders of Series 1 Units. The total amounts rebated to the Trust for both of these items, included in “Brokerage and custodial fees” in the Statements of Operations, were as follows:

 

   Three months ending September 30,   Nine months ending September 30, 
   2015   2014   2015   2014 
                     
Brokerage fee rebates  $192,784   $90,008   $625,502   $224,464 

 

F-24 

 

  

   

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the Unitholders of Global Macro Trust:

 

We have audited the accompanying statements of financial condition of Global Macro Trust (the “Trust”), including the condensed schedules of investments, as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the related statements of operations, changes in trust capital and the financial highlights for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Trust’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. The Trust is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2014, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

In our opinion, such financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Global Macro Trust as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the results of its operations, changes in its trust capital and the financial highlights for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

 

 

March 20, 2015

 

F-25 

 

  

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST

 

STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2014 AND 2013

 

   2014   2013 
ASSETS          
           
EQUITY IN TRADING ACCOUNTS:          
Investments in U.S. Treasury notes — at fair value (amortized cost          
$27,555,881 and $71,463,383)  $27,560,017   $71,472,453 
Net unrealized appreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts   2,573,582    7,842,259 
Due from brokers   6,118,430    4,384,023 
Cash denominated in foreign currencies (cost $2,849,059 and $8,299,507)   2,621,704    8,309,276 
           
Total equity in trading accounts   38,873,733    92,008,011 
           
INVESTMENTS IN U.S. TREASURY NOTES — at fair value (amortized cost          
$190,875,374 and $205,231,935)   190,874,789    205,256,695 
           
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS   16,954,930    8,447,500 
           
ACCRUED INTEREST RECEIVABLE   188,240    622,175 
           
TOTAL  $246,891,692   $306,334,381 
           
LIABILITIES AND TRUST CAPITAL          
           
LIABILITIES:          
Subscriptions by Unitholders received in advance  $470,000   $641,973 
Net unrealized depreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts   684,078    544,585 
Due to Managing Owner   -    536 
Accrued brokerage fees   1,188,401    1,444,229 
Accrued management fees   30,904    37,971 
Redemptions payable to Unitholders   2,807,481    10,798,213 
Redemptions payable to Managing Owner   719,598    - 
Accrued expenses   190,677    242,308 
Cash denominated in foreign currencies (cost $195,152 and $0)   211,347    - 
Due to brokers   -    4,386,837 
           
Total liabilities   6,302,486    18,096,652 
           
TRUST CAPITAL:          
Managing Owner interest (5,128.014 and 7,168.282 units outstanding)   5,496,789    6,833,096 
Series 1 Unitholders (199,292.051 and 269,666.902 units outstanding)   213,611,159    257,057,401 
Series 2 Unitholders (39.121 and 139.796 units outstanding)   50,872    156,016 
Series 3 Unitholders (13,848.201 and 19,432.989 units outstanding)   18,216,525    21,885,706 
Series 4 Unitholders (2,216.197 and 1,906.624 units outstanding)   3,213,861    2,305,510 
           
Total trust capital   240,589,206    288,237,729 
           
TOTAL  $246,891,692   $306,334,381 
           
NET ASSET VALUE PER UNIT OUTSTANDING:          
Series 1 Unitholders  $1,071.85   $953.24 
Series 2 Unitholders  $1,300.38   $1,116.03 
Series 3 Unitholders  $1,315.44   $1,126.21 
Series 4 Unitholders  $1,450.17   $1,209.21 

 

See notes to financial statements

 

F-26 

 

  

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST

 

CONDENSED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2014

 

   Net Unrealized     
   Appreciation     
   (Depreciation)   Net Unrealized 
   as a % of   Appreciation 
   Trust Capital   (Depreciation) 
FUTURES AND FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS          
           
FUTURES CONTRACTS          
Long futures contracts:          
Grains   (0.11)%  $(252,629)
Interest rates:          
5 Year U.S. Treasury Note (772 contracts, settlement date March 2015)   0.01    23,242 
30 Year U.S. Treasury Bond (62 contracts, settlement date March 2015)   0.03    81,500 
Other interest rates   0.48    1,162,658 
Total interest rates   0.52    1,267,400 
           
Livestock   (0.01)   (19,440)
Metals   (0.76)   (1,849,278)
Softs   0.00    5,670 
Stock indices   0.37    871,263 
           
Total long futures contracts   0.01    22,986 
           
Short futures contracts:          
Energies   0.30    731,816 
Interest rates   (0.10)   (235,011)
Livestock   0.03    65,050 
Metals   0.50    1,207,429 
Softs   0.23    548,958 
Stock indices   0.07    165,973 
           
Total short futures contracts   1.03    2,484,215 
           
TOTAL INVESTMENTS IN FUTURES CONTRACTS-Net   1.04    2,507,201 
           
FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS          
Total long forward currency contracts   (0.71)   (1,717,870)
Total short forward currency contracts   0.46    1,100,173 
           
TOTAL INVESTMENTS IN FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS-Net   (0.25)   (617,697)
           
TOTAL   0.79%  $1,889,504 

 

(Continued)

 

F-27 

 

 

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST
 
CONDENSED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2014

 

U. S. TREASURY NOTES

 

       Fair Value     
Face      as a % of   Fair 
Amount   Description  Trust Capital   Value 
             
$68,100,000   U.S. Treasury notes, 0.375%, 03/15/2015   28.32%  $68,149,213 
 50,710,000   U.S. Treasury notes, 0.250%, 05/15/2015   21.09    50,747,636 
 52,260,000   U.S. Treasury notes, 0.250%, 07/15/2015   21.74    52,296,745 
 47,220,000   U.S. Treasury notes, 0.250%, 09/15/2015   19.64    47,241,212 
                
     TOTAL INVESTMENTS IN U.S. TREASURY NOTES (amortized cost $218,431,255)   90.79%  $218,434,806 

 

See notes to financial statements (Concluded)

 

F-28 

 

  

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST

 

CONDENSED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2013

 

   Net Unrealized     
   Appreciation     
   (Depreciation)   Net Unrealized 
   as a % of   Appreciation 
   Trust Capital   (Depreciation) 
FUTURES AND FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS          
           
FUTURES CONTRACTS          
Long futures contracts:          
Energies   (0.06)%  $(175,907)
Grains   (0.30)   (852,934)
Interest rates   (0.80)   (2,295,130)
Livestock   0.02    51,710 
Metals   1.33    3,829,439 
Softs   (0.02)   (70,129)
Stock indices   2.58    7,439,892 
           
Total long futures contracts   2.75    7,926,941 
           
Short futures contracts:          
Energies   (0.05)   (146,735)
Grains   0.24    687,063 
Interest rates:          
5 Year U.S. Treasury Note (-610 contracts, settlement date March 2014)   0.00    10,508 
10 Year U.S. Treasury Note (-108 contracts, settlement date March 2014)   0.00    14,063 
Other interest rates   (0.04)   (139,609)
Total interest rates   (0.04)   (115,038)
           
Livestock   (0.01)   (18,670)
Metals   (0.46)   (1,340,658)
Softs   0.03    98,528 
Stock indices   0.05    153,580 
           
Total short futures contracts   (0.24)   (681,930)
           
TOTAL INVESTMENTS IN FUTURES CONTRACTS-Net   2.51    7,245,011 
           
FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS          
Total long forward currency contracts   (0.09)   (269,086)
Total short forward currency contracts   0.11    321,749 
           
TOTAL INVESTMENTS IN FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS-Net   0.02    52,663 
           
TOTAL   2.53%  $7,297,674 

 

(Continued)

 

F-29 

 

  

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST
 
CONDENSED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2013

 

U. S. TREASURY NOTES        

 

       Fair Value     
Face      as a % of   Fair 
Amount   Description  Trust Capital   Value 
             
$74,100,000   U.S. Treasury notes, 1.250%, 03/15/2014   25.77%  $74,276,567 
 50,710,000   U.S. Treasury notes, 1.000%, 05/15/2014   17.65    50,881,344 
 78,060,000   U.S. Treasury notes, 0.625%, 07/15/2014   27.16    78,282,593 
 73,220,000   U.S. Treasury notes, 0.250%, 09/15/2014   25.43    73,288,644 
                
     TOTAL INVESTMENTS IN U.S. TREASURY NOTES (amortized cost $276,695,318)   96.01%  $276,729,148 

 

See notes to financial statements (Concluded)

  

F-30 

 

 
GLOBAL MACRO TRUST
 
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2014, 2013 AND 2012

 

   2014   2013   2012 
             
INVESTMENT INCOME — Interest income  $289,332   $640,996   $870,824 
                
EXPENSES:               
Brokerage and custodial fees   15,348,327    23,947,630    37,951,734 
Administrative expenses   1,239,830    1,692,114    1,968,723 
Custody fees and other expenses   61,226    85,695    127,291 
Management fees   405,490    574,919    651,848 
                
Total expenses   17,054,873    26,300,358    40,699,596 
                
NET INVESTMENT LOSS   (16,765,541)   (25,659,362)   (39,828,772)
                
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAINS (LOSSES):               
Net realized gains (losses) on closed positions:               
Futures and forward currency contracts   54,277,805    (16,102,920)   (17,215,476)
Foreign exchange translation   71,870    (279,960)   32,225 
Net change in unrealized:               
Futures and forward currency contracts   (5,408,170)   2,167,110    (6,846,541)
Foreign exchange translation   (253,319)   24,611    35,618 
Net gains (losses) from U.S. Treasury notes:               
Realized   7,946    21,695    (56,600)
Net change in unrealized   (30,279)   (74,728)   73,373 
                
Total net realized and unrealized gains (losses)   48,665,853    (14,244,192)   (23,977,401)
                
NET INCOME (LOSS)   31,900,312    (39,903,554)   (63,806,173)
                
LESS PROFIT SHARE TO MANAGING OWNER   119,598    -    - 
                
NET INCOME (LOSS) AFTER PROFIT SHARE TO MANAGING OWNER  $31,780,714   $(39,903,554)  $(63,806,173)
                
Series 1 Unitholders  $118.61   $(108.10)  $(113.73)
Series 2 Unitholders  $184.35   $(75.35)  $(70.56)
Series 3 Unitholders  $189.23   $(73.04)  $(67.85)
Series 4 Unitholders  $240.96   $(52.90)  $(44.98)

 

See notes to financial statements

  

F-31 

 

 
GLOBAL MACRO TRUST
 
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN TRUST CAPITAL
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2014, 2013 AND 2012

 

                                   New Profit Memo             
   Series 1 Unitholders   Series 2 Unitholders   Series 3 Unitholders   Series 4 Unitholders   Account   Managing Owner   Total 
   Amount   Units   Amount   Units   Amount   Units   Amount   Units   Amount   Units   Amount   Units   Amount 
                                                     
TRUST CAPITAL — January 1, 2012   709,737,394    603,996.596    240,698    190.737    32,771,232    25,863.120    793,127    606.787    -    -    9,644,943    8,207.970    753,187,394 
                                                                  
Subscriptions   19,701,253    17,742.243    75,000    63.612    10,382,897    8,662.304    949,215    737.186    -    -    -    -    31,108,365 
Redemptions   (238,894,078)   (218,969.787)   (13,898)   (11.397)   (7,895,502)   (6,574.057)   (26,074)   (21.231)   -    -    -    -    (246,829,552)
Additional units allocated*   -    1,311.776    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    566.805    - 
Net loss   (61,677,100)   -    (12,353)   -    (1,737,974)   -    (46,823)   -    -    -    (331,923)   -    (63,806,173)
                                                                  
TRUST CAPITAL — December 31, 2012   428,867,469    404,080.828    289,447    242.952    33,520,653    27,951.367    1,669,445    1,322.742    -    -    9,313,020    8,774.775    473,660,034 
                                                                  
Subscriptions   3,924,900    3,821.577    -    -    4,897,900    4,260.521    750,479    593.229    -    -    -    -    9,573,279 
Redemptions   (138,233,578)   (139,022.344)   (120,908)   (103.156)   (14,626,307)   (12,778.899)   (11,237)   (9.347)   -    -    (2,100,000)   (2,166.848)   (155,092,030)
Additional units allocated*   -    786.841    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    560.355    - 
Net loss   (37,501,390)   -    (12,523)   -    (1,906,540)   -    (103,177)   -    -    -    (379,924)   -    (39,903,554)
                                                                  
TRUST CAPITAL — December 31, 2013   257,057,401    269,666.902    156,016    139.796    21,885,706    19,432.989    2,305,510    1,906.624    -    -    6,833,096    7,168.282    288,237,729 
                                                                  
Subscriptions   1,603,650    1,573.989    -    -    387,750    323.377    479,890    392.910    -    -    -    -    2,471,290 
Redemptions   (71,899,612)   (72,423.402)   (118,925)   (100.675)   (7,176,774)   (5,908.165)   (105,216)   (83.337)   -    -    (2,719,598)   (2,590.292)   (82,020,125)
Additional units allocated*   -    474.562    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    436.029    - 
Net income after profit share to Managing Owner   26,849,720    -    13,781    -    3,119,843    -    533,677    -    -    -    1,263,693    -    31,780,714 
Managing Owner’s profit share   -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    119,598    113.995    -    -    119,598 
Transfer of New Profit Memo Account to Managing Owner   -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    (119,598)   (113.995)   119,598    113.995    - 
                                                                  
TRUST CAPITAL — December 31, 2014  $213,611,159    199,292.051   $50,872    39.121   $18,216,525    13,848.201   $3,213,861    2,216.197   $-    -   $5,496,789    5,128.014   $240,589,206 

 

* Additional units are issued to Series 1 Unitholders who are charged less than a 7.0% brokerage fee and the Managing Owner.

 

See notes to financial statements

 

F-32 

 

  

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST
 
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2014, 2013 AND 2012

 

   2014   2013   2012 
   Series 1   Series 2   Series 3   Series 4   Series 1   Series 2   Series 3   Series 4   Series 1   Series 2   Series 3   Series 4 
                                                 
PER UNIT OPERATING PERFORMANCE (FOR A UNIT OUTSTANDING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR)                                                            
Net loss from operations:                                                            
Net investment loss (a)  $(71.17)  $(36.24)  $(33.89)  $(9.99)  $(70.97)  $(35.21)  $(32.48)  $(9.80)  $(76.05)  $(33.27)  $(30.39)  $(6.59)
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on trading of futures and forward currency contracts   189.87    225.09    230.46    251.11    (36.99)   (40.01)   (40.41)   (42.89)   (37.70)   (37.52)   (37.60)   (38.53)
Net gains (losses) from U.S. Treasury notes (a)   (0.09)   0.00    (0.09)   (0.16)   (0.14)   (0.13)   (0.15)   (0.21)   0.02    0.23    0.14    0.14 
                                                             
Net loss from operations   118.61    188.85    196.48    240.96    (108.10)   (75.35)   (73.04)   (52.90)   (113.73)   (70.56)   (67.85)   (44.98)
                                                             
Less: profit share allocated to Managing Owner   0.00    4.50    7.25    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00 
Net loss after profit share allocation   118.61    184.35    189.23    240.96    (108.10)   (75.35)   (73.04)   (52.90)   (113.73)   (70.56)   (67.85)   (44.98)
                                                             
Net asset value, beginning of year   953.24    1,116.03    1,126.21    1,209.21    1,061.34    1,191.38    1,199.25    1,262.11    1,175.07    1,261.94    1,267.10    1,307.09 
                                                             
Net asset value, end of year  $1,071.85   $1,300.38   $1,315.44   $1,450.17   $953.24   $1,116.03   $1,126.21   $1,209.21   $1,061.34   $1,191.38   $1,199.25   $1,262.11 
                                                             
RATIOS TO AVERAGE TRUST CAPITAL:                                                            
                                                             
Net investment loss   (7.02)%   (3.05)%   (2.77)%   (0.75)%   (7.04)%   (3.03)%   (2.79)%   (0.79)%   (6.96)%   (2.78)%   (2.52)%   (0.52)%
                                                             
Total expenses   7.13    3.16    2.88    0.86    7.20    3.20    2.95    0.95    7.10    2.92    2.67    0.67 
Less profit share allocation   0.00    0.38    0.59    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00 
TOTAL EXPENSES AND PROFIT SHARE ALLOCATION   7.13    3.54    3.47    0.86    7.20    3.20    2.95    0.95    7.10    2.92    2.67    0.67 
                                                             
Total return before profit share allocation   12.44    16.90    17.39    19.93    (10.19)   (6.32)   (6.09)   (4.19)   (9.68)   (5.59)   (5.35)   (3.44)
Profit share allocation   0.00    0.38    0.59    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00 
TOTAL RETURN AFTER PROFIT SHARE ALLOCATION   12.44%   16.52%   16.80%   19.93%   (10.19)%   (6.32)%   (6.09)%   (4.19)%   (9.68)%   (5.59)%   (5.35)%   (3.44)%

 

(a) Calculated based on the weighted average number of units during the year, see Note 7.

 

See notes to financial statements

 

F-33 

 

 

Global Macro Trust

 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2014, 2013, AND 2012

 

1.ORGANIZATION

 

Global Macro Trust (the “Trust”) was organized on July 23, 2001, under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act. At such time, original capital of $400 by Millburn Ridgefield Corporation (the “Managing Owner”) and $1,600 by the Initial Unitholder, an affiliated entity, was contributed to the Trust. The Trust commenced trading operations on July 1, 2002. The Trust engages in the speculative trading of futures and forward currency contracts. The instruments that are traded by the Trust are volatile and involve a high degree of market risk.

 

The Managing Owner manages the business of the Trust and makes all trading decisions, as stated in Trust agreement.

 

The Managing Owner has agreed to make additional capital contributions, subject to certain possible exceptions, in order to maintain its capital account at not less than 1% of the total outstanding capital contributions in the Trust (including the Managing Owner’s contributions) but in no event shall the Managing Owner invest less than $500,000. The Managing Owner and the holders (the “Unitholders”) of the Units of Beneficial Interest (“Units”) issued by the Trust will share in any profits and losses of the Trust in proportion to the percentage interest owned by each before brokerage commissions, custodial fee, management fees and profit share allocations.

 

The Trust will dissolve on December 31, 2031 or at an earlier date if certain conditions occur set forth in the Fourth Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and the Trust Agreement (the “Agreement”).

 

2.SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Basis of Presentation — The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted (“U.S. GAAP”) in the United States (the “U.S.”) as detailed in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“Codification”).

 

Investments — The Trust records its transactions in futures and forward currency contracts and U.S. Treasury notes including related income and expenses on a trade date basis.

 

Open futures contracts are valued at quoted market values. Open forward currency contracts are valued at fair value which is based on pricing models that consider the time value of money and the current market and contractual prices of the underlying financial instruments. Brokerage commissions on futures contracts are expensed when contracts are opened. Realized gains (losses) and changes in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures and forward currency contracts are recognized in the periods in which the contracts are closed or the changes in the value of open contracts occur and are included in net realized and unrealized gains (losses) in the Statements of Operations.

 

Investments in U.S. Treasury notes are valued at fair value based on the midpoint of bid/ask quotations reported daily at 3 pm EST by Bloomberg. The Trust amortizes premiums and accretes discounts on U.S. Treasury notes. Such securities are normally on deposit with financial institutions (see Note 6) as collateral for performance of the Trust’s trading obligations with respect to derivative contracts or are held for safekeeping in a custody account at HSBC Bank USA, N.A.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents — Cash and cash equivalents includes cash and investments in Dreyfus Treasury Prime Cash Management, a short term U.S. government securities money market fund.

 

Cash Denominated in Foreign Currencies — Includes foreign currency cash held at the Trust’s trading counterparties.

 

F-34 

 

 

Foreign Currency Translation — Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated to U.S. dollars at prevailing exchange rates of such currencies. Purchases and sales of investments are translated to U.S. dollars at the exchange rate prevailing when such transactions occurred.

 

Income Taxes — The Trust is treated as a limited partnership for federal and state income tax reporting purposes. Accordingly, the Trust prepares calendar year U.S. federal and applicable state tax returns and reports to the Unitholders their allocable shares of the Trust’s income, expenses and trading gains or losses. No provision for income taxes has been made in the accompanying financial statements as the Unitholders are responsible for the payment of taxes.

 

The Income Taxes topic of the Codification clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in tax positions. This requires that the Trust recognize in its financial statements the impact of any uncertain tax positions. Based on a review of the Trust’s open tax years, 2011 to 2014, the Managing Owner has determined that no reserves for uncertain tax positions were required.

 

Estimates — The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts and disclosures reported in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

 

Right of Offset — The customer agreements between the Trust and each of its brokers give the Trust the legal right to net unrealized gains and losses with each broker. Unrealized gains and losses related to offsetting transactions with these brokers are reflected on a net basis in the equity in trading accounts in the Statements of Financial Condition.

 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments — The fair value of the Trust’s assets and liabilities which qualify as financial instruments under the Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures topic of the Codification approximates the carrying amounts presented in the Statements of Financial Condition. The topic defines fair value, establishes a framework for measurement of fair value and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:

 

Level 1 — Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities;

 

Level 2 — Quoted prices in markets that are not active or financial instruments for which all significant inputs are observable either directly or indirectly;

 

Level 3 — Prices or valuations that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.

 

In determining fair value, the Trust separates its investments into two categories: cash instruments and derivative contracts.

 

Cash Instruments — The Trust’s cash instruments are generally classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy because they are typically valued using quoted market prices. The types of instruments valued based on quoted market prices in active markets include U.S. government obligations and an investment in a quoted short term U.S. government securities money market fund. The Managing Owner of the Trust does not adjust the quoted price for such instruments even in situations where the Trust holds a large position and a sale could reasonably impact the quoted price.

 

Derivative Contracts —Derivative contracts can be exchange-traded or over-the-counter (“OTC”). Exchange-traded futures contracts are valued based on quoted closing settlement prices and typically fall within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy.

 

F-35 

 

 

Spot currency contracts are valued based on current market prices (“Spot Price”). Forward currency contracts are valued based on pricing models that consider the Spot Price plus the financing cost or benefit (“Forward Point”). Forward Points from the quotation service providers are generally in periods of one month, two months, three months, six months, nine months and twelve months forward while the contractual forward delivery dates for the forward currency contracts traded by the Trust may be in between these periods. The Managing Owner’s policy to determine fair value for forward currency contracts involves first calculating the number of months from the date the forward currency contract is being valued to its maturity date (“Months to Maturity”), then identifying the forward currency contracts for the two forward months that are closest to the Months to Maturity (“Forward Month Contracts”). Linear interpolation is then performed between the dates of these two Forward Month Contracts to calculate the interpolated forward point. Model inputs can generally be verified and model selection does not involve significant management judgment. Such instruments are typically classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

 

Effective January 1, 2014, the Trust adopted ASU 2013-08, “Financial Services – Investment Companies (Topic 946): Amendments to the Scope, Measurement and Disclosure Requirements.” ASU 2013-08 changes the approach to the investment company assessment, requires non-controlling ownership interests in other investment companies to be measured at fair value, and requires additional disclosures about the investment company’s status as an investment company. ASU 2013-08 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2013. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on the Trust’s financial statements. Based on management’s assessment, the Trust has been deemed to be an investment company since inception. It has all of the fundamental characteristics of an investment company. Although the Trust does not possess all of the typical characteristics of an investment company, its activities are consistent with those of an investment company.

 

During the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, there were no transfers of assets or liabilities between Level 1 and Level 2. The following table represents the Trust’s investments by hierarchical level as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 in valuing the Trust’s investments at fair value. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Trust held no assets or liabilities classified in Level 3.

 

F-36 

 

 

Financial Assets and Liabilities at Fair Value as of December 31, 2014

 

   Level 1   Level 2   Total 
             
U.S. Treasury notes (1)  $218,434,806   $-   $218,434,806 
Short-term money market fund*   16,785,518    -    16,785,518 
Exchange-traded futures contracts               
Energies   731,816    -    731,816 
Grains   (252,629)   -    (252,629)
Interest rates   1,032,389    -    1,032,389 
Livestock   45,610    -    45,610 
Metals   (641,849)   -    (641,849)
Softs   554,628    -    554,628 
Stock indices   1,037,236    -    1,037,236 
                
Total exchange-traded futures contracts   2,507,201    -    2,507,201 
                
Over-the-counter forward currency contracts   -    (617,697)   (617,697)
                
Total futures and forward currency contracts (2)   2,507,201    (617,697)   1,889,504 
                
Total financial assets at fair value  $237,727,525   $(617,697)  $237,109,828 
                
Per line item in the Statements of Financial Condition               
(1)               
Investments in U.S. Treasury notes held in equity trading accounts (as collateral)            $27,560,017 
Investments in U.S. Treasury notes             190,874,789 
Total investments in U.S. Treasury notes            $218,434,806 
                
(2)               
Net unrealized appreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts            $2,573,582 
Net unrealized depreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts             (684,078)
Total unrealized appreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts            $1,889,504 

 

*The short-term money market fund is included in Cash and Cash Equivalents on the Statement of Financial Condition.

 

F-37 

 

 

Financial Assets and Liabilities at Fair Value as of December 31, 2013

 

   Level 1   Level 2   Total 
             
U.S. Treasury notes (1)  $276,729,148   $-   $276,729,148 
Short-term money market fund*   8,281,834    -    8,281,834 
Exchange-traded futures contracts               
Energies   (322,642)   -    (322,642)
Grains   (165,871)   -    (165,871)
Interest rates   (2,410,168)   -    (2,410,168)
Livestock   33,040    -    33,040 
Metals   2,488,781    -    2,488,781 
Softs   28,399    -    28,399 
Stock indices   7,593,472    -    7,593,472 
                
Total exchange-traded futures contracts   7,245,011    -    7,245,011 
                
Over-the-counter forward currency contracts   -    52,663    52,663 
                
Total futures and forward currency contracts (2)   7,245,011    52,663    7,297,674 
                
Total financial assets at fair value  $292,255,993   $52,663   $292,308,656 
                
Per line item in the Statements of Financial Condition               
(1)               
Investments in U.S. Treasury notes held in equity trading accounts (as collateral)            $71,472,453 
Investments in U.S. Treasury notes             205,256,695 
Total investments in U.S. Treasury notes            $276,729,148 
                
(2)               
Net unrealized appreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts            $7,842,259 
Net unrealized depreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts             (544,585)
Total unrealized appreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts            $7,297,674 

 

*The short-term money market fund is included in Cash and Cash Equivalents on the Statement of Financial Condition.

 

F-38 

 

 

3.TRUST AGREEMENT

 

With the effectiveness of the Trust’s Registration Statement on August 12, 2009, the Trust began to offer Series 2, Series 3 and Series 4 units. The only units offered prior to such date were Series 1 units. Series 2, Series 3 and Series 4 units were first issued April 1, 2010, September 1, 2009 and November 1, 2010, respectively.

 

Series 1 Unitholders pay brokerage fees to the Managing Owner at the annual rate of up to 7.0% of their average month end Net Assets Value (prior to reduction for accrued brokerage commissions or Profit Share). Series 1 Unitholders who make net capital investments into Series 1 of $100,000 or more or who had previously invested through asset based fee or fixed fee investment programs are charged less than the annual brokerage rate of 7.0% as follows:

 

Net Capital Investments  Brokerage Fees 
$100,000–$499,999   6.50%
$500,000–$999,999   6.00 
Greater than $1,000,000   5.50 
Asset-based or fixed fee investment programs   4.00 

 

Brokerage fees are charged to capital accounts of the Managing Owner, its principals, their respective affiliates or the New Profit Memo Account only to the extent of charges paid to third-party executing and clearing brokers. In order to maintain a uniform Net Asset Value per Unit, additional Units are issued to Series 1 Unitholders who are charged less than a 7.0% brokerage fee.

 

The Managing Owner, not the Trust, pays the allocable share to Series 1 of all routine costs of executing and clearing the Trust’s futures trades including brokerage commissions payable to the clearing brokers and electronic platform trading costs. The Managing Owner also pays, from its own funds, selling commissions on all sales of Series 1 Units.

 

The Trust pays the Managing Owner a management fee of 2% per year of the Trust’s Net Asset Value (before management fee and profit share calculations) attributable to Series 2 and 3 Units. In addition, Series 2 Unitholders pay an annual custodial fee of 0.25% of their attributable Net Asset Value before management fee and profit share calculations. Series 2, 3 and 4 Units are also charged for their pro rata share of the Trust’s actual trade execution and clearing costs including electronic platform trading costs. Series 4 Unitholders are not charged a management fee.

 

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, brokerage and custodial fees were as follows:

 

   2014   2013   2012 
             
Brokerage fees  $15,348,114   $23,947,088   $37,951,047 
Custodial fees   213    542    687 
                
Total  $15,348,327   $23,947,630   $37,951,734 

 

Per the Trust agreement, selling agents are prohibited from receiving amounts in excess of 9.5% of the gross offering proceeds of Series 1 units sold subsequent to August 12, 2009. During the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the Managing Owner rebated to the Trust for the benefit of all holders of Series 1 Units, all amounts that would have otherwise been due to selling agents but for the 9.5% cap. Further, it certain cases, there are Series 1 units that remain outstanding, where there is no longer a selling agent associated with such units. Beginning in August 2014, the Managing Owner rebated such amounts to the Trust for the benefit of all holders of Series 1 Units. The total amounts rebated to the Trust for both of these items during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012, were $454,987, $150,686, and $36,144 respectively, are netted in “Brokerage and custodial fees” in the Statements of Operations.

 

F-39 

 

 

The Agreement provides that the Managing Owner’s profit share, equal to 20% of New Trading Profits in excess of the highest cumulative level of Trading Profit as of any previous calendar year end, is charged to the Unitholders’ capital accounts. The highest cumulative level of Trading Profit is maintained separately for Series 1 and Series 2 and 3 Unitholders in the aggregate. Series 4 Unitholders are not charged profit share. New Trading Profits include realized and unrealized trading profits (losses), brokerage fees, trading related expenses and administrative expenses. New Trading Profits do not include interest income. For Unitholders’ redemptions during the year, the profit share calculation shall be computed as though the redemption occurred at year end. Profit share attributable to interests redeemed during a year is tentatively credited to an account maintained for bookkeeping purposes called New Profit Memo Account. Any profit share charged is added to the Managing Owner’s capital account to the extent that net taxable capital gains are allocated to the Managing Owner. The remainder of such profit share, if any, is added to the New Profit Memo Account. The Managing Owner may not make any withdrawal from the balance in the New Profit Memo Account. If, at the end of a subsequent year, net taxable gains are allocated to the Managing Owner in excess of such year’s profit share, a corresponding amount is transferred from the New Profit Memo Account to the Managing Owner’s capital account.

 

The Trust will pay its legal, accounting, auditing, printing, postage and similar administrative expenses (including Trustees’ fees, accounting services fees and the expenses of updating the Prospectus) as well as extraordinary costs. The Managing Owner, at its discretion, may reimburse certain expenses paid by the Trust.

 

Units may be redeemed at the option of any Unitholder at Net Asset Value (as defined in the Agreement) as of the close of business on the last business day of any calendar month on ten business days written notice to the Managing Owner. Series 1 Unitholders who redeem Units at or prior to the end of the first consecutive six month and five month periods after such Units are sold shall be assessed redemption charges calculated based on their redeemed Units’ Net Asset Value as of the date of redemption as follows:

 

   Redemption Charges 
Subscriptions  First 6 Months   Second 5 Months 
         
Less than $100,000   4.0%   3.0%
$100,000–$499,999   3.5    2.5 
$500,000–$999,999   3.0    2.0 
Greater than $1,000,000   2.5    1.5 

 

All redemption charges will be paid to the Managing Owner. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, $0 and $536, respectively, of redemption charges were owed to the Managing Owner and are included in “Due to Managing Owner” in the Statements of Financial Condition. The aggregate amount of redemption charges paid to the Managing Owner for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, were $0, $13,706 and $117,082, respectively.

 

4.DUE FROM/TO BROKERS

 

At December 31, 2014 and 2013, due from and due to brokers balances in the Statements of Financial Condition include net cash receivable from each broker and net cash payable to each broker, respectively.

 

5.TRADING ACTIVITIES

 

The Trust conducts its futures trading with various futures commission merchants (“FCMs”) on futures exchanges and its forward currency trading with various banks or dealers (“Dealers”) in the interbank markets. Substantially all assets included in the Trust’s equity in trading accounts and certain liability accounts, as discussed below, were held as collateral by such FCMs in either U.S. regulated segregated accounts (for futures contracts traded on U.S. exchanges) or non U.S. secured accounts (for futures contracts traded on non U.S. exchanges) as required by U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s regulations or held as collateral by the Dealers.

 

Liabilities in the Statements of Financial Condition that are components of “Total equity in trading accounts” include net unrealized depreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts, cash denominated in foreign currencies and due to brokers.

 

F-40 

 

 

The Trust enters into contracts with various institutions that contain a variety of indemnifications. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown. However, the Trust has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these contracts and expects the risk of loss to be remote.

 

6.DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

 

The Trust is party to derivative financial instruments in the normal course of its business. These financial instruments include futures and forward currency contracts which may be traded on an exchange or OTC.

 

The Trust records its derivative activities on a mark to market basis as described in Note 2. For OTC contracts, the Trust enters into master netting agreements with its counterparties. Therefore, assets represent the Trust’s unrealized gains less unrealized losses for OTC contracts in which the Trust has a master netting agreement. Similarly, liabilities represent net amounts owed to counterparties on OTC contracts.

 

Futures contracts are agreements to buy or sell an underlying asset or index for a set price in the future. Initial margin deposits are made upon entering into futures contracts and can be either in cash or treasury securities. Open futures contracts are revalued on a daily basis to reflect the market value of the contracts at the end of each trading day. Variation margin payments are received or made depending upon whether unrealized gains or losses are incurred. When a contract is closed, the Trust records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the time it was closed. The Trust bears the market risk that arises from changes in the value of these financial instruments.

 

Forward currency contracts entered into by the Trust represent a firm commitment to buy or sell an underlying currency at a specified value and point in time based upon an agreed or contracted quantity. The ultimate gain or loss is equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the onset and the value of the contract at settlement date.

 

Each of these financial instruments is subject to various risks similar to those related to the underlying financial instruments including market risk, credit risk and sovereign risk.

 

Market risk is the potential change in the value of the instruments traded by the Trust due to market changes including interest and foreign exchange rate movements and fluctuations in futures or security prices. Market risk is directly impacted by the volatility and liquidity in the markets in which the related underlying assets are traded. The financial instruments traded by the Trust contain varying degrees of off balance sheet risk whereby changes in the market values of the futures and forward currency contracts and the Trust’s satisfaction of its obligations related to such market value changes may exceed the amount recognized in the Statements of Financial Condition.

 

Credit risk is the possibility that a loss may occur due to the failure of a counterparty to perform according to the terms of a contract. Credit risk is normally reduced to the extent that an exchange or clearing organization acts as a counterparty to futures transactions since typically the collective credit of the members of the exchange is pledged to support the financial integrity of the exchange. In the case of OTC transactions, the Trust must rely solely on the credit of the individual counterparties. The contract amounts of the forward and futures contracts do not represent the Trust’s risk of loss due to counterparty nonperformance. The Trust’s exposure to credit risk associated with counterparty nonperformance of these forward currency contracts includes unrealized gains inherent in such contracts, which are recognized in the Statements of Financial Condition, plus the value of margin or collateral held in cash and U.S. Treasury Notes by the counterparty. The amount of such credit risk was $12,990,214 and $24,711,870 at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

 

The Managing Owner has established procedures to actively monitor market risk and minimize credit risk although there can be no assurance that it will in fact succeed in doing so. The Managing Owner’s market risk control procedures include diversification of the Trust’s portfolio and continuously monitoring the portfolio’s open positions, historical volatility and maximum historical loss. The Managing Owner seeks to minimize credit risk primarily by depositing and maintaining the Trust’s assets at financial institutions and brokers which the Managing Owner believes to be creditworthy. The Trust’s trading activities are primarily with brokers and other financial institutions located in North America, Europe and Asia. All futures transactions of the Trust are cleared by major securities firms, pursuant to customer agreements, including Barclays Capital Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG), J.P. Morgan Securities LLC., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Newedge USA, LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of Newedge Group which is owned by Société Générale (50%) and Calyon (50%)), collectively the “Futures Clearing Brokers.” The Trust ceased clearing trades through Barclays Capital Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated during April 2014, July 2013, and June 2013, respectively. For all forward currency transactions, the Trust utilizes three prime brokers, Barclays Bank PLC, Deutsche Bank AG and Morgan Stanley & Co., LLC, collectively the “FX Prime Brokers.” The Trust ceased clearing trades through Barclays Bank PLC during October 2014.

 

F-41 

 

 

The Trust is subject to sovereign risk such as the risk of restrictions being imposed by foreign governments on the repatriation of cash and the effect of political or economic uncertainties. Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures and forward currency contracts are denominated in the functional currency (U.S. dollar). Cash settlement of futures and forward currency contracts is made in the local currency (settlement currency) and then translated to U.S. dollars.

 

Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures and forward currency contracts by settlement currency type, denominated in U.S. dollars, is detailed below:

 

   As of December 31, 
   2014   2013 
   Total Net       Total Net     
   Unrealized       Unrealized     
   Appreciation   Percent   Appreciation   Percent 
Currency Type  (Depreciation)   of Total   (Depreciation)   of Total 
                 
Australian dollar  $128,350    6.79%  $601,558    8.24%
British pound   783,671    41.47    200,024    2.74 
Canadian dollar   170,686    9.03    413,483    5.67 
Czech koruna   9,022    0.48    (10,705)   (0.15)
Euro   598,654    31.68    1,804,353    24.73 
Hong Kong dollar   52,989    2.80    310,030    4.25 
Hungarian forint   (200,728)   (10.62)   17,183    0.24 
Japanese yen   62,508    3.31    1,148,992    15.74 
Korean won   225,094    11.91    210,778    2.89 
Malaysian ringgit   (122)   (0.01)   32,728    0.45 
Norwegian krone   13,190    0.70    (35,963)   (0.49)
Polish zloty   (350,211)   (18.53)   99,571    1.36 
Singapore dollar   6,043    0.32    92,918    1.27 
South African rand   (35,083)   (1.86)   402,690    5.52 
Swedish krona   30,949    1.64    (83,625)   (1.15)
Turkish lira   (199,049)   (10.53)   601,652    8.24 
U.S. dollar   593,541    31.42    1,492,007    20.45 
                     
Total  $1,889,504    100.00%  $7,297,674    100.00%

 

The Derivatives and Hedging topic of the Codification requires qualitative disclosure about objectives and strategies for using derivatives, quantitative disclosures about fair value amounts of gains and losses on derivative instruments and disclosures about credit-risk-related contingent features in derivative agreements.

 

The Trust’s market risk is influenced by a wide variety of factors including the level and volatility of interest rates, exchange rates, equity price levels, the market value of financial instruments and contracts, the diversification effects among the Trust’s open positions and the liquidity of the markets in which it trades.

 

The Trust engages in the speculative trading of futures and forward contracts on agricultural commodities, currencies, energies, interest rates, metals and stock indices. The following were the primary trading risk exposures of the Trust at December 31, 2014 and 2013 by market sector:

 

F-42 

 

 

Agricultural (grains, livestock and softs) – The Trust’s primary exposure is to agricultural price movements, which are often directly affected by severe or unexpected weather conditions as well as supply and demand factors.

 

Currencies – Exchange rate risk is a principal market exposure of the Trust. The Trust’s currency exposure is to exchange rate fluctuations, primarily fluctuations which disrupt the historical pricing relationships between different currencies and currency pairs. The fluctuations are influenced by interest rate changes as well as political and general economic conditions. The Trust trades in a large number of currencies including cross-rates—e.g., positions between two currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

 

Energies – The Trust’s primary energy market exposure is to gas and oil price movements often resulting from political developments in the Middle East and economic conditions worldwide. Energy prices are volatile and substantial profits and losses have been and are expected to continue to be experienced in this market.

 

Interest Rates – Interest rate movements directly affect the price of the sovereign bond futures positions held by the Trust and indirectly the value of its stock index and currency positions. Interest rate movements in one country as well as relative interest rate movements between countries may materially impact the Trust’s profitability. The Trust’s primary interest rate exposure is to interest rate fluctuations in countries or regions including Australia, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the U.S. and the Eurozone. However, the Trust also may take positions in futures contracts on the government debt of other countries. The Managing Owner anticipates that interest rates in these industrialized countries or areas, both long-term and short-term, will remain the primary interest rate market exposure of the Trust for the foreseeable future.

 

Metals – The Trust’s metals market exposure is to fluctuations in the price of aluminum, copper, gold, lead, nickel, palladium, platinum, silver, tin and zinc.

 

Stock Indices – The Trust’s equity exposure through stock index futures is to equity price risk in the major industrialized countries as well as other countries.

 

The Derivatives and Hedging topic of the Codification requires entities to recognize in the Statements of Financial Condition all derivative contracts as assets or liabilities. Fair value of futures and forward currency contracts in a net asset position are recorded in the Statements of Financial Condition as “Net unrealized appreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts.” Fair value of futures and forward currency contracts in a liability position are recorded in the Statements of Financial Condition as “Net unrealized depreciation on open futures and forward currency contracts.” The Trust’s policy regarding fair value measurement is discussed in Note 2.

 

Since the derivatives held or sold by the Trust are for speculative trading purposes, derivative instruments are not designated as hedging instruments under the provisions of the Derivatives and Hedging Topic of the Codification. Accordingly, all realized gains and losses as well as any change in net unrealized gains or losses on open positions from the preceding period are recognized as part of the Trust’s trading gains and losses in the Statements of Operations.

 

The following tables present the fair value of open futures and forward currency contracts, held long or sold short, at December 31, 2014 and 2013. Fair value is presented on a gross basis even though the contracts are subject to master netting agreements and qualify for net presentation in the Statements of Financial Condition.

 

F-43 

 

 

Fair Value of Futures and Forward Currency Contracts at December 31, 2014

 

                   Net Unrealized 
   Fair Value - Long Positions   Fair Value - Short Positions   Gain (Loss) on 
Sector  Gains   Losses   Gains   Losses   Open Positions 
                     
Futures contracts:                         
Energies  $-   $-   $762,163   $(30,347)  $731,816 
Grains   400    (253,029)   -    -    (252,629)
Interest rates   2,130,457    (863,057)   -    (235,011)   1,032,389 
Livestock   3,090    (22,530)   65,050    -    45,610 
Metals   17,174    (1,866,452)   1,245,270    (37,841)   (641,849)
Softs   6,540    (870)   564,493    (15,535)   554,628 
Stock indices   1,359,895    (488,632)   225,100    (59,127)   1,037,236 
                          
Total futures contracts   3,517,556    (3,494,570)   2,862,076    (377,861)   2,507,201 
                          
Forward currency contracts   664,940    (2,382,810)   2,583,894    (1,483,721)   (617,697)
                          
Total futures and forward currency contracts  $4,182,496   $(5,877,380)  $5,445,970   $(1,861,582)  $1,889,504 

 

Fair Value of Futures and Forward Currency Contracts at December 31, 2013

 

                   Net Unrealized 
   Fair Value - Long Positions   Fair Value - Short Positions   Gain (Loss) on 
Sector  Gains   Losses   Gains   Losses   Open Positions 
                     
Futures contracts:                         
Energies  $388,742   $(564,649)  $141,550   $(288,285)  $(322,642)
Grains   11,122    (864,056)   699,110    (12,047)   (165,871)
Interest rates   353,905    (2,649,035)   113,396    (228,434)   (2,410,168)
Livestock   55,840    (4,130)   6,860    (25,530)   33,040 
Metals   4,158,465    (329,026)   153,641    (1,494,299)   2,488,781 
Softs   15,020    (85,149)   129,991    (31,463)   28,399 
Stock indices   7,480,395    (40,503)   179,079    (25,499)   7,593,472 
                          
Total futures contracts   12,463,489    (4,536,548)   1,423,627    (2,105,557)   7,245,011 
                          
Forward currency contracts   2,348,138    (2,617,224)   937,404    (615,655)   52,663 
                          
Total futures and forward currency contracts  $14,811,627   $(7,153,772)  $2,361,031   $(2,721,212)  $7,297,674 

 

F-44 

 

 

The effect of trading futures and forward currency contracts is represented on the Statements of Operations for the years ended 2014, 2013, and 2012 as “Net realized gains (losses) on closed positions: Futures and forward currency contracts” and “Net change in unrealized: Futures and forward currency contracts.” These trading gains and losses are detailed below:

 

Trading gains (losses) of futures and forward currency contracts for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

Sector  2014   2013   2012 
             
Futures contracts:               
Energies  $2,981,313   $(9,244,714)  $(9,616,856)
Grains   3,623,367    2,931,562    (7,690,728)
Interest rates   37,531,206    (31,272,082)   24,444,275 
Livestock   893,890    47,540    (1,158,380)
Metals   (2,488,313)   (3,039,993)   (12,773,525)
Softs   2,095,657    1,364,117    3,389,662 
Stock indices   2,913,996    41,701,461    (3,683,359)
                
Total futures contracts   47,551,116    2,487,891    (7,088,911)
                
Forward currency contracts   1,318,519    (16,423,701)   (16,973,106)
                
Total futures and forward currency contracts  $48,869,635   $(13,935,810)  $(24,062,017)

 

The following table presents average notional value by sector in U.S. dollars of open futures and forward currency contracts for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012. The Trust’s average net asset value for the years ended 2014, 2013 and 2012 was approximately $260,000,000, $392,000,000 and $603,000,000, respectively.

 

   2014   2013   2012 
Sector  Long Positions   Short Positions   Long Positions   Short Positions   Long Positions   Short Positions 
                         
Futures contracts:                              
Energies  $58,506,140   $36,503,884   $71,637,547   $48,300,516   $74,820,385   $88,376,901 
Grains   18,708,435    17,339,007    25,104,204    28,410,091    26,413,270    21,155,358 
Interest rates   684,099,838    29,797,825    763,634,747    98,936,097    1,392,478,396    13,707,348 
Livestock   6,012,536    2,708,046    3,945,350    7,746,144    -    6,183,656 
Metals   32,405,876    13,151,885    34,532,110    36,657,310    24,635,116    47,230,107 
Softs   5,798,787    7,150,901    9,004,985    17,986,347    3,769,785    27,166,883 
Stock indices   264,077,146    6,713,147    394,409,752    4,163,167    195,268,153    67,827,053 
                               
Total futures contracts   1,069,608,758    113,364,695    1,302,268,695    242,199,672    1,717,385,105    271,647,306 
                               
Forward currency  contracts   228,857,494    65,941,926    395,040,766    138,986,355    431,007,736    367,222,250 
                               
Total average notional  $1,298,466,252   $179,306,621   $1,697,309,461   $381,186,027   $2,148,392,841   $638,869,556 

 

F-45 

 

 

Notional values in the interest rate sector were calculated by converting the notional value in local currency of all open interest rate futures positions to 10-year equivalent fixed income instruments, translated to U.S. dollars at each quarter-end during 2014, 2013 and 2012. The 10-year note is often used as a benchmark for many types of fixed-income instruments and the Managing Owner believes it is a more meaningful representation of notional values of the Trust’s open interest rate positions.

 

The customer agreements between the Trust, the Futures Clearing Brokers and the FX Prime Brokers gives the Trust the legal right to net unrealized gains and losses on open futures and foreign currency contracts. The Trust netted, for financial reporting purposes, the unrealized gains and losses on open futures and forward currency contracts on the Statements of Financial Condition as the criteria under ASC 210-20, “Balance Sheet,” were met.

 

On January 1, 2013, the Trust adopted ASU 2011-11, “Disclosure about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities” and ASU 2013-01, “Clarifying the Scope of Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities.” ASU 2011-11 and ASU 2013-01 did not have a significant impact on the Trust’s financial statements.

 

The following tables summarize the valuation of the Trust’s investments as December 31, 2014 and 2013.

 

Offsetting of derivative assets and liabilities at December 31, 2014

 

   Gross amounts of
recognized assets
   Gross amounts offset in
the Statement of
Financial
Condition
   Net amounts of assets
presented in the
Statement
of Financial Condition
 
Assets               
Futures contracts               
Counterparty C  $2,697,244   $(898,740)  $1,798,504 
Counterparty D   3,682,388    (2,973,691)   708,697 
Total futures contracts   6,379,632    (3,872,431)   2,507,201 
                
Forward currency contracts               
Counterparty G   1,085,849    (1,019,468)   66,381 
                
Total assets  $7,465,481   $(4,891,899)  $2,573,582 

 

   Gross amounts of
recognized
liabilities
   Gross amounts offset in
the Statement of
Financial
Condition
   Net amounts of liabilities
presented in the
Statement
of Financial Condition
 
Liabilities               
Forward currency contracts               
Counterparty H  $2,847,063   $(2,162,985)  $684,078 
                
Total liabilities  $2,847,063   $(2,162,985)  $684,078 

 

(Continued)

 

F-46 

 

 

 

       Amounts Not Offset in the
Statement of Financial Condition
     
Counterparty  Net amounts of Assets
presented in the
Statement
of Financial Condition
   Financial
Instruments
   Collateral
Received(1)(2)
   Net Amount(3) 
                 
Counterparty C  $1,798,504   $-   $(1,798,504)  $- 
Counterparty D   708,697    -    (708,697)   - 
Counterparty G   66,381    -    (66,381)   - 
                     
Total  $2,573,582   $-   $(2,573,582)  $- 

 

       Amounts Not Offset in the
Statement of Financial Condition
     
Counterparty  Net amounts of
Liabilities
presented in the
Statement
of Financial Condition
   Financial
Instruments
   Collateral
Pledged(1)(2)
   Net Amount(4) 
                 
Counterparty H  $684,078   $-   $(684,078)  $- 
                     
Total  $684,078   $-   $(684,078)  $- 

 

(1) Collateral received and pledged includes both cash and U.S. Treasury notes held at each respective broker.

(2) Collateral disclosed is limited to an amount not to exceed 100% of the net amount of assets presented in the Statement of Financial Condition, for each respective counterparty.

(3) Net amount represents the amounts owed to the Trust by each counterparty as of December 31, 2014. Net amount represents the amount that is subject to loss in the event of a counterparty failure as of December 31, 2014.

(4) Net amount represents the amounts owed by the Trust to each counterparty as of December 31, 2014.

 

(Concluded)

 

F-47 

 

 

Offsetting of derivative assets and liabilities at December 31, 2013

 

   Gross amounts of
recognized assets
   Gross amounts offset in
the Statement of
Financial
Condition
   Net amounts of assets
presented in the
Statement
of Financial Condition
 
Assets               
Futures contracts               
Counterparty A  $3,555,891   $(1,239,418)  $2,316,473 
Counterparty C   6,832,140    (3,220,492)   3,611,648 
Counterparty D   3,499,085    (2,182,195)   1,316,890 
Total futures contracts   13,887,116    (6,642,105)   7,245,011 
                
Forward currency contracts               
Counterparty F   1,074,713    (695,295)   379,418 
Counterparty G   487,686    (269,856)   217,830 
Total forward currency contracts   1,562,399    (965,151)   597,248 
                
Total assets  $15,449,515   $(7,607,256)  $7,842,259 

 

   Gross amounts of
recognized
liabilities
   Gross amounts offset in
the Statement of
Financial
Condition
   Net amounts of liabilities
presented in the
Statement
of Financial Condition
 
Liabilities               
Forward currency contracts               
Counterparty H   2,267,728    (1,723,143)   544,585 
                
Total liabilities  $2,267,728   $(1,723,143)  $544,585 

 

(Continued)

 

F-48 

 

 

       Amounts Not Offset in the
Statement of Financial Condition
     
Counterparty  Net amounts of Assets
presented in the
Statement
of Financial Condition
   Financial
Instruments
   Collateral
Received(1)(2)
   Net Amount(3) 
                 
Counterparty A  $2,316,473   $-   $(2,316,473)  $- 
Counterparty C   3,611,648    -    (3,611,648)   - 
Counterparty D   1,316,890    -    (1,316,890)   - 
Counterparty F   379,418    -    (379,418)   - 
Counterparty G   217,830    -    (217,830)   - 
                     
Total  $7,842,259   $-   $(7,842,259)  $- 

 

       Amounts Not Offset in the
Statement of Financial Condition
     
Counterparty  Net amounts of
Liabilities
presented in the
Statement
of Financial Condition
   Financial
Instruments
   Collateral
Pledged(1)(2)
   Net Amount(4) 
                 
Counterparty H   544,585    -    (544,585)   - 
                     
Total  $544,585   $-   $(544,585)  $- 

 

(1) Collateral received and pledged includes both cash and U.S. Treasury notes held at each respective broker.

(2) Collateral disclosed is limited to an amount not to exceed 100% of the net amount of assets presented in the Statement of Financial Condition, for each respective counterparty.

(3) Net amount represents the amounts owed to the Trust by each counterparty as of December 31, 2013. Net amount represents the amount that is subject to loss in the event of a counterparty failure as of December 31, 2013.

(4) Net amount represents the amounts owed by the Trust to each counterparty as of December 31, 2013.

 

(Concluded)

 

F-49 

 

 

7.FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

Unit operating performance for Series 1, 2, 3 and 4 Units is calculated based on Unitholders’ trust capital for each Series taken as a whole utilizing the beginning and ending Net Asset Value per unit and weighted average number of units during the year. Weighted average number of units for each Series is detailed below:

 

   Years ended December 31,   Date of first issuance
   2014   2013   2012    
                
Series 1   226,646.771    349,050.340    512,141.713   July 23, 2001
Series 2   71.411    186.285    228.982   April 1, 2010
Series 3   16,444.909    24,444.217    26,798.935   September 1, 2009
Series 4   2,198.058    1,861.921    1,241.673   November 1, 2010

 

Returns and ratios are calculated for each Series taken as a whole. An individual Unitholder’s per unit operating performance may vary based on the timing of capital transactions and differences in individual Unitholder’s brokerage fee (for Series 1) custodial fee (for Series 2), management fee (for Series 2 and 3) and profit share allocation arrangements.

 

8.SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

 

During the period from January 1, 2015 to March 20, 2015, contributions of $1,587,660 were made to the Trust and withdrawals of $11,161,503 were made from the Trust. The Managing Owner has performed its evaluation of subsequent events through March 20, 2015, the date the financial statements were issued. Based on such evaluation, no further events were discovered that required disclosure or adjustment to the financial statements.

 

* * * * * *

 

F-50 

 

 

MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

September 30, 2015

(UNAUDITED)

_______________

 

ASSETS     
Cash and cash equivalents  $3,792,503 
Commissions and fees receivable   5,514,022 
Loans receivable from stockholders and affiliates   37,869 
Investments in sponsored funds   22,369,857 
Investments in other funds   237,311 
Furniture and equipment net of accumulated depreciation of $569,505   93,595 
Total assets  $32,045,157 
      
LIABILITIES     
Accounts payable and accrued expenses  $1,410,026 
Stockholder distributions payable   5,264 
Due to affiliated companies   3,259,156 
Total liabilities  $4,674,446 
      
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY     
Common stock - $.005 par value, 300,000 shares authorized, 210,849 shares issued and outstanding   1,054 
Additional paid-in capital   11,636,406 
Retained earnings   15,733,251 
      
Total stockholders’ equity   27,370,711 
      
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity  $32,045,157 

 

See accompanying notes.

 

PURCHASERS OF UNITS OF GLOBAL MACRO TRUST WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION.

 

F-51 

 

 

MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

(UNAUDITED)

_______________

 

Note 1.ORGANIZATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

A.General

 

Millburn Ridgefield Corporation (the “Corporation”) was incorporated in the state of Delaware on May 19, 1982. The Corporation earns commissions and fees as a Commodity Trading Advisor and Commodity Pool Operator and is registered with, and subject to, the regulations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), an agency of the United States (“U.S.”) government which regulates most aspects of the commodity futures industry. It is also subject to the rules of the National Futures Association (“NFA”), an industry self-regulatory organization. In addition, the Corporation is registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission as an Investment Adviser.

 

The Corporation’s statement of financial condition is presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification”) is the single source of U.S. GAAP. The preparation of the statement of financial condition in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the statement of financial condition. Actual results could differ from those estimates, and those differences may be material to the statement of financial condition.

 

B.Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

Cash and cash equivalents includes cash and investments in money market mutual funds.

 

C.Forward Currency Contracts

 

The Corporation trades forward currency contracts at Morgan Stanley & Co., LLC to manage its exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates (see Note 6.). Forward currency contracts are accounted for on the trade date. As the Corporation uses hedge accounting, the fair value of any unrealized gains or losses is included in commissions and fees receivable on the statement of financial position.

 

D.Investments in Sponsored Funds and Other Funds

 

The Corporation is the general partner, managing owner or managing member of various commodity pools and investment funds (collectively, “sponsored funds”) formed as limited partnerships, limited liability companies or trusts. As the sponsor, the Corporation has a fiduciary responsibility to the sponsored funds and potential liability beyond amounts recognized as an asset in the statement of financial condition. The Corporation has not consolidated the assets, liabilities and operating results of its sponsored funds and other funds under the voting interest consolidation model due to the unaffiliated equity investors of the sponsored funds and other funds holding kick-out rights.

 

Investments in sponsored funds and other funds (collectively, “funds”) are reported in the Corporation’s statement of financial condition at fair value. Fair value ordinarily represents the Corporation’s proportionate share of each fund’s net asset value determined for each fund in accordance with such fund’s valuation policies and reported at the time of the fund’s valuation, which represents a market approach. Generally, the fair value of the Corporation’s investment in another fund represents the amount that the Corporation could reasonably expect to receive from such fund if the Corporation’s investment was redeemed at the date of the statement of financial condition, based on information reasonably available at the time the valuation is made and that the Corporation believes to be reliable.

 

PURCHASERS OF UNITS OF GLOBAL MACRO TRUST WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

 

F-52 

 

 

MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

(UNAUDITED) (CONTINUED)

_______________

 

Note 1.ORGANIZATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)

 

E.Foreign Currency Translation

 

The Corporation’s functional currency is the U.S. dollar; however, it transacts business in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at quoted prices of such currencies at the date of the statement of financial condition.

 

F.Revenue Recognition

 

Commission income is recognized when earned, in accordance with the related limited partnership agreement or other governing agreement. Commission income from sponsored funds is based on a fixed percentage of the sponsored funds’ net asset value.

 

Incentive, management and other fees accrue based on the terms of the respective advisory agreement or other governing agreement. Incentive fees are based on a percentage of the net profits experienced by the account. Management fees are based on a fixed percentage of the assets under management.

 

G.Income Taxes

 

The Corporation has elected S corporation status under the Internal Revenue Code, pursuant to which the Corporation does not pay U.S. Corporate or state income tax on its taxable income. Instead, the stockholders are liable for individual income tax on their share of the Corporation’s taxable income. The Corporation files U.S. federal and state tax returns. The 2012 through 2015 tax years generally remain subject to examination by U.S. federal and most state tax authorities.

 

The Corporation applies the provisions of Codification Topics 740, Income Taxes, which prescribe the minimum recognition threshold a tax position must meet in connection with accounting for uncertainties in income tax positions taken or expected to be taken by an entity before being measured and recognized in the financial statements. This accounting standard requires the evaluation of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing the Corporation’s financial statements to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” of being sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions with respect to tax at the Corporation level not deemed to meet the “more-likely-than-not” threshold would be recorded as an expense in the current year. The Corporation has concluded there are no liabilities related to uncertainties in income tax positions for the nine months ended September 30, 2015.

 

H.Furniture, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements

 

Furniture and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is charged to operations over the estimated lives of the furniture and equipment, primarily five or seven years, utilizing accelerated methods.

 

Leasehold improvements are stated at cost, net of accumulated amortization. The amortization of the leasehold improvements is charged to operations on a straight-line basis over the remaining term of the lease. The leasehold improvements were fully amortized at September 30, 2015.

 

I.Net Income Allocation

 

Net income is allocated and distributed to each stockholder on a pro rata basis.

 

PURCHASERS OF UNITS OF GLOBAL MACRO TRUST WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

 

F-53 

 

 

MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

(UNAUDITED) (CONTINUED)

_______________

 

Note 2.INVESTMENTS IN SPONSORED FUNDS AND OTHER FUNDS

 

The Corporation has general partner interests, managing owner interests or managing member interests in sponsored funds. The Corporation’s investments in such sponsored funds as of September 30, 2015, is as follows:

 

   Value at      Redemption
   September 30, 2015   Investment Strategy  Provisions
           
Global Macro Trust  $5,826,458   To achieve capital appreciation through trading a diversified portfolio of futures and forwards contracts on interest rate instruments, stock indices, metals, energy and agricultural commodities.  Monthly with 10 days prior written notice(1)
            
Millburn Multi-Markets Fund L.P.   3,261,373   To achieve capital appreciation through investments in Millburn Multi-Markets Trading L.P. which engages in the speculative trading of futures and forward currency contracts to achieve capital appreciation.  Monthly with 15 days prior written notice
            
Nestor Partners   2,618,153   To achieve capital appreciation through trading a diversified portfolio of futures and forwards contracts on interest rate instruments, stock indices, metals, energy and agricultural commodities.  Monthly with 15 days prior written notice
            
Millburn Core Markets L.P.   2,533,747   To achieve capital appreciation by trading a diversified portfolio of futures and forwards contracts on interest rate instruments, stock indices, metals, energy and agricultural commodities.  Monthly with 15 days prior written notice
            
Millburn MCo Partners L.P.   1,931,204   To achieve capital appreciation by allocating its capital among a number of independent investment advisors acting through investment funds and/or managed accounts.  Quarterly with 75 days prior written notice(2)
            
Millburn Hedge Fund L.P.   1,669,612   To achieve capital appreciation by investing in publicly traded equity securities, exchange-traded funds and futures and forwards contracts.  Quarterly with 30 days prior written notice
            
Other investments in managed futures funds   2,494,337   To achieve capital appreciation through the speculative trading of futures and forwards contracts directly and indirectly through investments in other funds.  Monthly
            
Other investments in fund of funds   2,034,973   To achieve capital appreciation through investments in alternative funds, managed accounts and registered investment companies.  Quarterly with 75 days prior written notice(3)
            
Total  $22,369,857       

 

 

  (1) The Corporation has currently agreed to maintain its investment at not less than 1% of the total outstanding capital contributions in Global Macro Trust but in no event shall the Corporation’s investment be less than $500,000.
  (2) Approximately $41,596 of the Corporation’s investment is restricted from redemption due to Millburn MCo Partners L.P. holding investments in funds for which redemptions are currently not available. The Corporation cannot reasonably estimate when the restrictions on redemption of these investments will be relieved.
  (3) Approximately $24,596 of the Corporation’s investment is restricted from redemption due to Millburn Select Strategies L.P. holding investments in funds for which redemptions are currently not available. The Corporation cannot reasonably estimate when the restrictions on redemption of these investments will be relieved.

 

PURCHASERS OF UNITS OF GLOBAL MACRO TRUST WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

 

F-54 

 

 

MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

(UNAUDITED) (CONTINUED)

_______________

 

Note 2.INVESTMENTS IN SPONSORED FUNDS AND OTHER FUNDS (CONTINUED)

 

Summarized financial information for the more significant sponsored funds as of September 30, 2015, is as follows:

 

                   Millburn 
   Nestor   Millburn MCo   Global       Multi-Markets 
   Partners   Partners L.P.   Macro Trust   Apollo   Trading L.P. 
Assets  $139,263,526   $123,187,475   $223,387,778   $77,762,792   $172,234,952 
Liabilities   5,512,768    379,000    6,991,821    1,560,060    5,112,504 
Net asset value  $133,750,758   $122,808,475   $216,395,957   $76,202,732   $167,122,448 

 

The combined net asset value of other sponsored funds as of September 30, 2015 is $254,587,525.

 

As the sponsor, the Corporation conducts and manages the respective businesses of the sponsored funds. The governing documents of the sponsored funds typically require the Corporation, as sponsor, to maintain a specified investment in the respective fund. Such minimum investments generally are 1% of either net assets, total assets or total net contributions or a minimum dollar amount (if greater). In addition, the governing documents for one of the sponsored funds require the Corporation to maintain a minimum net worth equal to an amount determined by the total net contributions made to the entity that the Corporation serves as the sponsor, not to exceed one million dollars. These requirements are defined in each of the respective governing documents of the sponsored funds and the Corporation is in compliance with all such requirements.

 

For managing the businesses of the sponsored funds, the Corporation earns commissions and fees based on the terms of the respective governing documents of the sponsored funds. As of September 30, 2015, the Corporation had a receivable of $1,999,408 from the sponsored funds for such commissions and fees. The Corporation earns an incentive allocation from certain sponsored funds, which are generally based on 20% of the sponsored fund’s trading profits, as specified in the governing documents of the sponsored funds.

 

The Corporation also receives administrative fees and reimbursements of certain costs from several of the sponsored funds according to the governing documents of the sponsored funds for direct and indirect expenses paid on their behalf by the Corporation. The Corporation records an expense when such amounts are incurred and records a receivable from the funds as income when the amounts are due from the sponsored funds. As of September 30, 2015, the Corporation had a receivable of $623,720 from the sponsored funds for such administrative expenses.

 

During 2015, the Corporation also invested in various other funds. At September 30, 2015 the value of such investments is $237,311.

 

The Corporation has an investment in a fund for which it serves as the investment adviser. The Corporation receives reimbursements from the fund for certain direct expenses paid on its behalf. Revenue related to reimbursements from the fund of $2,817 were outstanding at September 30, 2015. The Corporation earns an incentive allocation from this fund, which is based on 20% of the fund’s trading profits, as specified in the governing documents of the fund.

 

Generally, all investments in other funds can be redeemed from the other funds on a monthly basis. In addition, these funds generally attempt to achieve capital appreciation through investing in stocks, futures contracts, forward currency contracts and interest rate instruments.

 

At September 30, 2015, the Corporation has no explicit unfunded commitments related to its investments in sponsored funds and other funds.

 

PURCHASERS OF UNITS OF GLOBAL MACRO TRUST WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

 

F-55 

 

 

MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

(UNAUDITED) (CONTINUED)

_______________

 

Note 3.FAIR VALUE

 

Fair value, as defined in the Fair Value Measurement Topic of the Codification, is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The fair value hierarchy, as set forth in the Fair Value Measurement Topic of the Codification, prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels: quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1); inputs other than quoted market prices that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly (Level 2); and unobservable inputs for an asset or liability (Level 3). If the inputs used to measure a financial instrument fall within different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the categorization is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the measurement of that financial instrument. The Corporation recognizes transfers between fair value hierarchy levels at the beginning of the reporting period. During the nine months ended September 30, 2015, there were no transfers between fair value hierarchy levels.

 

The Fair Value Measurement Topic of the Codification provides that if the reporting entity has the ability to redeem its investment in another fund at net asset value at the measurement date, the investment shall be categorized as a Level 2 fair value measurement, and if the reporting entity cannot redeem its investment in another fund at net asset value at the measurement date but the investment may be redeemable at a future date, the reporting entity shall consider the length of time until the investment will be redeemable in determining whether it will be categorized as a Level 2 or Level 3 fair value measurement. Accordingly, at September 30, 2015, the Corporation’s investments in other funds are categorized as Level 2 fair value measurements.

 

For forward currency contracts which are categorized as Level 2 fair value measurements, the fair value is determined using spot currency rates provided by Bloomberg and are adjusted for interest rates and other typical adjustment factors, which represents a market and income approach.

 

The following summarizes the Corporation’s assets accounted for at fair value at September 30, 2015 using the fair value hierarchy:

 

   September 30, 2015 
   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
Assets                    
                     
Investments in sponsored funds(1)   0    22,369,857    0    22,369,857 
Investments in other funds   0    237,311    0    237,311 
Total  $0   $22,607,168   $0   $22,607,168 

 

 

  (1) See Note 2. for the fair value of the more significant funds within this category.

 

PURCHASERS OF UNITS OF GLOBAL MACRO TRUST WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

 

F-56 

 

 

MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

(UNAUDITED) (CONTINUED)

_______________

 

Note 4.RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

The Corporation has extensive transactions and relationships with affiliated companies. The Millburn Corporation (“TMC”) provides administrative, accounting, research and other services to the Corporation and the Corporation pays TMC a consulting fee for these services. Additionally, CommInVest Research Limited Partnership (“CIVR”) owns the trading algorithms used by the Corporation in managing client assets. The Corporation pays CIVR a licensing fee to use the trading algorithms. The Corporation also pays fees to Millburn International (Europe) LLP (“Europe”) and Millburn Asia, LLC (“Asia”) for providing prospective investors and interested parties with information about the Corporation and its investment and trading strategy. At September 30, 2015, the Corporation owes $1,522,765 to TMC for consulting fees. Additionally, the Corporation owes $1,246,465 to CIVR for licensing fees and $242,781 to Europe and $247,146 to Asia for providing prospective investors and interested parties with information about the Corporation.

 

Note 5.INVESTING ACTIVITIES AND RELATED RISKS

 

The Corporation’s investments in sponsored funds and other funds are subject to the market and credit risks of futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward currency contracts and other financial instruments traded by the funds. The Corporation also engages in the trading of forward currency contracts (collectively, “derivatives”). Additionally, the sponsored funds and other funds invest in stocks and United States government securities. As such, the Corporation is exposed, directly and indirectly to the extent of its investments in sponsored funds and other funds, to both market risk, the risk arising from changes in the fair value of the contracts, and credit risk, the risk of failure by another party to perform according to the terms of a contract. The Corporation is subject to the risk of loss to the extent of the fair value of its investments in sponsored funds and other funds and, in certain specific circumstances, distributions, dividends and redemptions received. Credit risk for forward currency contracts directly traded by the Corporation may be limited to the net unrealized gain as reported in Note 3.

 

For derivatives, risks arise from changes in the fair value of the contracts. Theoretically, the Corporation is exposed, directly and indirectly to the extent of its investments in other funds, to a market risk equal to the notional contract value of futures, forward currency and other derivative contracts purchased and liability on such contracts sold short. In addition, since forward currency contracts are traded in unregulated markets between principals, the Corporation, directly and indirectly to the extent of its investments in sponsored funds and other funds, also assumes the risk of loss from counterparty non-performance.

 

In addition, the Corporation, through its investments in sponsored funds and other funds, is indirectly exposed to the extent of its investments in other funds, to various trading activities including investments in stocks that are typically traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter market. The sponsored funds and other funds also sell stock not owned at the time of sale (a “short sale”). Risks arise from short sales due to the possible illiquidity of the securities markets and from potential adverse movements in stock values. Theoretically, short sales expose the sponsored funds and other funds to potentially unlimited liability as the sponsored funds’ and other funds’ ultimate obligation to purchase a stock sold short may exceed the amount recorded.

 

The Corporation, through its investments in sponsored funds and other funds, is indirectly exposed to the extent of its investments, to U.S. government securities. Risks arise from investments in U.S. government securities due to possible illiquidity and the potential for default by the issuer. U.S. government securities are also particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, economic conditions and conditions specific to the issuer.

 

Lastly, the Corporation, through its investments in sponsored funds and other funds, invests in fund of funds. The Corporation’s investments in fund of funds are subject to the market and credit risk of securities and financial instruments held or sold short by these entities.

 

PURCHASERS OF UNITS OF GLOBAL MACRO TRUST WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

 

F-57 

 

 

MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

(UNAUDITED) (CONTINUED)

_______________

 

Note 5.INVESTING ACTIVITIES AND RELATED RISKS (CONTINUED)

 

The Corporation has established procedures to actively monitor market risk and minimize credit risk of its own trading and investing activities, as well as the trading and investing activities of the sponsored funds and other funds. There can be no assurance that the Company will, in fact, succeed in doing so.

 

The Corporation maintains its cash and cash equivalents at financial institutions. Balances on deposit at such financial institutions are frequently in excess of available federal deposit insurance. In the event of a financial institution’s insolvency, recovery of the Corporation’s assets on deposit may be limited to available federal deposit insurance or other protection afforded such deposits.

 

Additionally, the Corporation, in its capacity as general partner, managing owner or managing member of the sponsored funds, is subject to certain additional risks of loss and liability for the activities of the sponsored funds.

 

Note 6.DERIVATIVE CONTRACTS

 

The Corporation enters into forward contracts for the purpose of hedging foreign currency exchange rate risk on receivables denominated in foreign currencies. Forward currency contracts are for the delayed delivery of specific currencies in which the seller agrees to make delivery at a specified future date of specified currencies.

 

During the nine months ended September 30, 2015, the Company entered into eight forward contracts with Morgan Stanley & Co., LLC to deliver a total of 7,704,099 euro at a future date in exchange for U.S. dollars. At September 30, 2015, two of the contracts remained open to sell 1,076,614 euro on October 9, 2015 for U.S. dollars.

 

Note 7.LEASE COMMITMENT

 

The Corporation has a noncancelable lease for office space in Greenwich, Connecticut. The lease expires on December 31, 2017. The future minimum lease payments under this noncancelable lease are as follows:

 

2015  $69,176 
2016   279,220 
2017   284,252 
      
   $632,648 

 

Note 8.INDEMNIFICATIONS

 

In the normal course of business, the Corporation enters into contracts and agreements that contain a variety of representations and warranties and which provide general indemnifications. The Corporation’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Corporation that have not yet occurred. The Corporation expects the risk of any future obligation under these indemnifications to be remote.

 

Note 9.EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN

 

The Corporation sponsors a 401(k) profit sharing and savings plan (the “Plan”) for the benefit of its employees. The Corporation is the Plan administrator of the Plan. Under the terms of the Plan, employees may elect to defer a portion of their compensation and the Corporation may make discretionary contributions to the Plan on behalf of its participants.

 

PURCHASERS OF UNITS OF GLOBAL MACRO TRUST WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

 

F-58 

 

 

MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

(UNAUDITED) (CONTINUED)

_______________

 

Note 10.SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

 

The Corporation has evaluated subsequent events through January 28, 2016 the date the financial statement were available to be issued. In January 2016, the Corporation paid distributions to its stockholders in the amount of $900,000.

 

PURCHASERS OF UNITS OF GLOBAL MACRO TRUST WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

 

F-59 

 

 

 

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

 

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors

Millburn Ridgefield Corporation

 

We have audited the accompanying statement of financial condition of Millburn Ridgefield Corporation as of December 31, 2014 and the related notes to the statement of financial condition.

 

Management’s Responsibility for the Statement of Financial Condition

 

Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the statement of financial condition in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; this includes the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of the statement of financial condition that is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

 

Auditor’s Responsibility

 

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the statement of financial condition based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the statement of financial condition is free from material misstatement.

 

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the statement of financial condition. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the statement of financial condition, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the statement of financial condition in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the statement of financial condition.

 

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

 

Opinion

 

In our opinion, the statement of financial condition referred to above presents fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Millburn Ridgefield Corporation as of December 31, 2014 in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

 

Hunt Valley, Maryland

April 28, 2015

 

PURCHASERS OF UNITS OF GLOBAL MACRO TRUST WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

 

F-60 

 

 

MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

December 31, 2014

_______________

 

ASSETS     
Cash and cash equivalents  $1,293,411 
Commissions and fees receivable   7,975,127 
Other receivables   2,029 
Loans receivable from stockholders and affiliate   407 
Investments in sponsored funds   19,000,318 
Investments in other funds   60,976 
Investment in sponsored fund pending admission   500,000 
Redemptions receivable from sponsored funds   5,241,541 
Furniture and equipment net of accumulated depreciation of $557,402   118,936 
Total assets  $34,192,745 
      
LIABILITIES     
Accounts payable and accrued expenses  $1,842,047 
Stockholder distributions payable   5,061,260 
Due to affiliated companies   896,627 
Total liabilities  $7,799,934 
      
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY     
Common stock - $.005 par value, 300,000 shares authorized, 210,849 shares issued and outstanding   1,054 
Additional paid-in capital   11,636,406 
Retained earnings   14,755,351 
      
Total stockholders’ equity   26,392,811 
      
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity  $34,192,745 

 

See accompanying notes.

 

PURCHASERS OF UNITS OF GLOBAL MACRO TRUST WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

 

F-61 

 

 

MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

_______________

 

Note 1.ORGANIZATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

A.General

 

Millburn Ridgefield Corporation (the “Corporation”) was incorporated in the state of Delaware on May 19, 1982. The Corporation earns commissions and fees as a Commodity Trading Advisor and Commodity Pool Operator and is registered with, and subject to, the regulations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), an agency of the United States (“U.S.”) government which regulates most aspects of the commodity futures industry. It is also subject to the rules of the National Futures Association (“NFA”), an industry self-regulatory organization. In addition, the Corporation is registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission as an Investment Adviser.

 

The Corporation’s statement of financial condition is presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification”) is the single source of U.S. GAAP. The preparation of the statement of financial condition in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the statement of financial condition. Actual results could differ from those estimates, and those differences may be material to the statement of financial condition.

 

B.Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

Cash and cash equivalents includes cash and investments in money market mutual funds.

 

C.Forward Currency Contracts

 

The Corporation trades forward currency contracts at Morgan Stanley & Co., LLC to manage its exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates (see Note 6.). Forward currency contracts are accounted for on the trade date. As the Corporation uses hedge accounting, the fair value of any unrealized gains or losses is included in commissions and fees receivable on the statement of financial position.

 

D.Investments in Sponsored Funds and Other Funds

 

The Corporation is the general partner, managing owner or managing member of various commodity pools and investment funds (collectively, “sponsored funds”) formed as limited partnerships, limited liability companies or trusts. As the sponsor, the Corporation has a fiduciary responsibility to the sponsored funds and potential liability beyond amounts recognized as an asset in the statement of financial condition. The Corporation has not consolidated the assets, liabilities and operating results of its sponsored funds and other funds under the voting interest consolidation model due to the unaffiliated equity investors of the sponsored funds and other funds holding kick-out rights.

 

Investments in sponsored funds and other funds (collectively, “funds”) are reported in the Corporation’s statement of financial condition at fair value. Fair value ordinarily represents the Corporation’s proportionate share of each fund’s net asset value determined for each fund in accordance with such fund’s valuation policies and reported at the time of the fund’s valuation, which represents a market approach. Generally, the fair value of the Corporation’s investment in another fund represents the amount that the Corporation could reasonably expect to receive from such fund if the Corporation’s investment was redeemed at the date of the statement of financial condition, based on information reasonably available at the time the valuation is made and that the Corporation believes to be reliable.

 

PURCHASERS OF UNITS OF GLOBAL MACRO TRUST WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

 

F-62 

 

 

MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION (CONTINUED)

_______________

 

Note 1.ORGANIZATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)

 

E.Foreign Currency Translation

 

The Corporation’s functional currency is the U.S. dollar; however, it transacts business in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at quoted prices of such currencies at the date of the statement of financial condition.

  

F.Revenue Recognition

 

Commission income is recognized when earned, in accordance with the related limited partnership agreement or other governing agreement. Commission income from sponsored funds is based on a fixed percentage of the sponsored funds’ net asset value.

 

Incentive, management and other fees accrue based on the terms of the respective advisory agreement or other governing agreement. Incentive fees are based on a percentage of the net profits experienced by the account. Management fees are based on a fixed percentage of the assets under management.

 

G.Income Taxes

 

The Corporation has elected S corporation status under the Internal Revenue Code, pursuant to which the Corporation does not pay U.S. Corporate or state income tax on its taxable income. Instead, the stockholders are liable for individual income tax on their share of the Corporation’s taxable income. The Corporation files U.S. federal and state tax returns. The 2011 through 2014 tax years generally remain subject to examination by U.S. federal and most state tax authorities.

 

The Corporation applies the provisions of Codification Topics 740, Income Taxes, which prescribe the minimum recognition threshold a tax position must meet in connection with accounting for uncertainties in income tax positions taken or expected to be taken by an entity before being measured and recognized in the financial statements. This accounting standard requires the evaluation of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing the Corporation’s financial statements to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” of being sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions with respect to tax at the Corporation level not deemed to meet the “more-likely-than-not” threshold would be recorded as an expense in the current year. The Corporation has concluded there are no liabilities related to uncertainties in income tax positions for the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

H.Furniture, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements

 

Furniture and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is charged to operations over the estimated lives of the furniture and equipment, primarily five or seven years, utilizing accelerated methods.

 

Leasehold improvements are stated at cost, net of accumulated amortization. The amortization of the leasehold improvements is charged to operations on a straight-line basis over the remaining term of the lease. The leasehold improvements were fully amortized at December 31, 2014.

 

I.Net Income Allocation

 

Net income is allocated and distributed to each stockholder on a pro rata basis.

 

PURCHASERS OF UNITS OF GLOBAL MACRO TRUST WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

 

F-63 

 

  

MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION (CONTINUED)

 

 

 

Note 2.    INVESTMENTS IN SPONSORED FUNDS AND OTHER FUNDS

 

The Corporation has general partner interests, managing owner interests or managing member interests in sponsored funds. The Corporation’s investments in such sponsored funds as of December 31, 2014, is as follows:

        
   Value at
December 31, 2014
   Investment Strategy  Redemption
Provisions
           
Global Macro Trust  $5,496,791   To achieve capital appreciation through trading a diversified portfolio of futures and forwards contracts on interest rate instruments, stock indices, metals, energy and agricultural commodities.  Monthly with 10 days prior written notice(1)
            
Millburn Multi-Markets Fund L.P.   3,073,797   To achieve capital appreciation through investments in Millburn Multi-Markets Trading L.P. which engages in the speculative trading of futures and forward currency contracts to achieve capital appreciation.  Monthly with 15 days prior written notice
            
Nestor Partners   466,185   To achieve capital appreciation through trading a diversified portfolio of futures and forwards contracts on interest rate instruments, stock indices, metals, energy and agricultural commodities.  Monthly with 15 days prior written notice
            
Millburn MCo Partners L.P.   1,931,647   To achieve capital appreciation by allocating its capital among a number of independent investment advisors acting through investment funds and/or managed accounts.  Quarterly with 75 days prior written notice(2)
            
Millburn Hedge Fund L.P.   1,677,828   To achieve capital appreciation by investing in publicly traded equity securities, exchange-traded funds and futures and forwards contracts.  Quarterly with 30 days prior written notice
            
Millburn Select Strategies L.P.   1,364,068   To achieve capital appreciation through investments in Millburn MCo Partners L.P. and Apollo Fund. Apollo Fund engages in the  speculative trading of futures and forward contracts directly and indirectly through investments in other funds.  Quarterly with 75 days prior written notice(3)
            
Other investments in managed futures funds   2,303,282   To achieve capital appreciation through the speculative trading of futures and forwards contracts directly and indirectly through investments in other funds.  Monthly
            
Other investments in fund of funds   686,720   To achieve capital appreciation through investments in alternative funds, managed accounts and registered investment companies.  Quarterly with 75 days prior written notice
            
Total  $ 19,000,318       

 

 

(1)The Corporation has currently agreed to maintain its investment at not less than 1% of the total outstanding capital contributions in Global Macro Trust but in no event shall the Corporation’s investment be less than $500,000.
(2)Approximately $42,129 of the Corporation’s investment is restricted from redemption due to Millburn MCo Partners L.P. holding investments in funds for which redemptions are currently not available. The Corporation cannot reasonably estimate when the restrictions on redemption of these investments will be relieved.
(3)Approximately $24,217 of the Corporation’s investment is restricted from redemption due to Millburn Select Strategies L.P. holding investments in funds for which redemptions are currently not available. The Corporation cannot reasonably estimate when the restrictions on redemption of these investments will be relieved.

 

PURCHASERS OF UNITS OF GLOBAL MACRO TRUST WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN MILLBURN
RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

 

F-64 

 

 

MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION (CONTINUED)

 

 

  

Note 2.       INVESTMENTS IN SPONSORED FUNDS AND OTHER FUNDS (CONTINUED)

 

Summarized financial information for the more significant sponsored funds as of December 31, 2014, is as follows:

 

                   Millburn 
   Nestor   Millburn MCo   Global   Millburn   Multi-Markets 
   Partners   Partners L.P.   Macro Trust   Hedge Fund   Trading L.P. 
Assets  $131,749,622   $126,249,582   $246,891,692   $84,130,854   $165,125,905 
Liabilities   5,369,818    1,805,170    6,302,486    2,343,673    3,014,824 
Net asset value  $126,379,804   $124,444,412   $240,589,206   $81,787,181   $162,111,081 

 

The combined net asset value of other sponsored funds as of December 31, 2014 is $289,248,003.

 

As the sponsor, the Corporation conducts and manages the respective businesses of the sponsored funds. The governing documents of the sponsored funds typically require the Corporation, as sponsor, to maintain a specified investment in the respective fund. Such minimum investments generally are 1% of either net assets, total assets or total net contributions or a minimum dollar amount (if greater). In addition, the governing documents for one of the sponsored funds require the Corporation to maintain a minimum net worth equal to an amount determined by the total net contributions made to the entity that the Corporation serves as the sponsor, not to exceed one million dollars. These requirements are defined in each of the respective governing documents of the sponsored funds and the Corporation is in compliance with all such requirements.

 

For managing the businesses of the sponsored funds, the Corporation earns commissions and fees based on the terms of the respective governing documents of the sponsored funds. As of December 31, 2014, the Corporation had a receivable of $2,076,847 from the sponsored funds for such commissions and fees. The Corporation earns an incentive allocation from certain sponsored funds, which are generally based on 20% of the sponsored fund’s trading profits, as specified in the governing documents of the sponsored funds.

 

The Corporation also receives administrative fees and reimbursements of certain costs from several of the sponsored funds according to the governing documents of the sponsored funds for direct and indirect expenses paid on their behalf by the Corporation. The Corporation records an expense when such amounts are incurred and records a receivable from the funds as income when the amounts are due from the sponsored funds. As of December 31, 2014, the Corporation had a receivable of $773,642 from the sponsored funds for such administrative expenses.

 

During 2014, the Corporation also invested in various other funds. At December 31, 2014, the value of such investments is $60,976.

 

The Corporation has an investment in a fund for which it serves as the investment adviser. Management fees from the fund of approximately $400 were outstanding at year end. The Corporation receives reimbursements from the fund for certain direct expenses paid on its behalf. Revenue related to reimbursements from the fund of $25,277 were outstanding at year end. The Corporation earns an incentive allocation from this fund, which is based on 20% of the fund’s trading profits, as specified in the governing documents of the fund.

 

Generally, all investments in other funds can be redeemed from the other funds on a monthly basis. In addition, these funds generally attempt to achieve capital appreciation through investing in stocks, futures contracts, forward currency contracts and interest rate instruments.

 

At December 31, 2014, the Corporation has no explicit unfunded commitments related to its investments in sponsored funds and other funds.

 

PURCHASERS OF UNITS OF GLOBAL MACRO TRUST WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN MILLBURN
RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

 

F-65 

 

  

MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION (CONTINUED)

  

 

 

Note 3.       FAIR VALUE

 

Fair value, as defined in the Fair Value Measurement Topic of the Codification, is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The fair value hierarchy, as set forth in the Fair Value Measurement Topic of the Codification, prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels: quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1); inputs other than quoted market prices that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly (Level 2); and unobservable inputs for an asset or liability (Level 3). If the inputs used to measure a financial instrument fall within different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the categorization is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the measurement of that financial instrument. The Corporation recognizes transfers between fair value hierarchy levels at the beginning of the reporting period. During the year ended December 31, 2014, there were no transfers between fair value hierarchy levels.

 

The Fair Value Measurement Topic of the Codification provides that if the reporting entity has the ability to redeem its investment in another fund at net asset value at the measurement date, the investment shall be categorized as a Level 2 fair value measurement, and if the reporting entity cannot redeem its investment in another fund at net asset value at the measurement date but the investment may be redeemable at a future date, the reporting entity shall consider the length of time until the investment will be redeemable in determining whether it will be categorized as a Level 2 or Level 3 fair value measurement. Accordingly, at December 31, 2014, the Corporation’s investments in other funds are categorized as Level 2 fair value measurements.

 

For forward currency contracts which are categorized as Level 2 fair value measurements, the fair value is determined using spot currency rates provided by Bloomberg and are adjusted for interest rates and other typical adjustment factors, which represents a market and income approach.

 

The following summarizes the Corporation’s assets accounted for at fair value at December 31, 2014 using the fair value hierarchy:

 

   December 31, 2014 
   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
Assets                    
Unrealized appreciation on open forward currency contracts(1)  $0   $55,925   $0   $55,925 
Investments in sponsored funds(2)   0    19,000,318    0    19,000,318 
Investments in other funds   0    60,976    0    60,976 
Total  $0   $19,117,219   $0   $19,117,219 

 

Note 4.       RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

The Corporation has extensive transactions and relationships with affiliated companies. The Millburn Corporation (“TMC”) provides administrative, accounting, research and other services to the Corporation and the Corporation pays TMC a consulting fee for these services. Additionally, CommInVest Research Limited Partnership (“CIVR”) owns the trading algorithms used by the Corporation in managing client assets. The Corporation pays CIVR a licensing fee to use the trading algorithms. The Corporation also pays fees to Millburn International (Europe) LLP (Europe) and Millburn International, LLC (International) for providing prospective investors and interested parties with information about the Corporation and its investment and trading strategy. At December 31, 2014, the Corporation owes $598,480 to TMC for consulting fees. Additionally, the Corporation owes $244,676 to CIVR for licensing fees and $53,471 to Europe for providing prospective investors and interested parties with information about the Corporation.

 

PURCHASERS OF UNITS OF GLOBAL MACRO TRUST WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN MILLBURN
RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

 

F-66 

 

  

MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION (CONTINUED)

 

 

 

Note 5.       INVESTING ACTIVITIES AND RELATED RISKS

 

The Corporation’s investments in sponsored funds and other funds are subject to the market and credit risks of futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward currency contracts and other financial instruments traded by the funds. The Corporation also engages in the trading of forward currency contracts (collectively, “derivatives”). Additionally, the sponsored funds and other funds invest in stocks and United States government securities. As such, the Corporation is exposed, directly and indirectly to the extent of its investments in sponsored funds and other funds, to both market risk, the risk arising from changes in the fair value of the contracts, and credit risk, the risk of failure by another party to perform according to the terms of a contract. The Corporation is subject to the risk of loss to the extent of the fair value of its investments in sponsored funds and other funds and, in certain specific circumstances, distributions, dividends and redemptions received. Credit risk for forward currency contracts directly traded by the Corporation may be limited to the net unrealized gain as reported in Note 3.

 

For derivatives, risks arise from changes in the fair value of the contracts. Theoretically, the Corporation is exposed, directly and indirectly to the extent of its investments in other funds, to a market risk equal to the notional contract value of futures, forward currency and other derivative contracts purchased and liability on such contracts sold short. In addition, since forward currency contracts are traded in unregulated markets between principals, the Corporation, directly and indirectly to the extent of its investments in sponsored funds and other funds, also assumes the risk of loss from counterparty non-performance.

 

In addition, the Corporation, through its investments in sponsored funds and other funds, is indirectly exposed to the extent of its investments in other funds, to various trading activities including investments in stocks that are typically traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter market. The sponsored funds and other funds also sell stock not owned at the time of sale (a “short sale”). Risks arise from short sales due to the possible illiquidity of the securities markets and from potential adverse movements in stock values. Theoretically, short sales expose the sponsored funds and other funds to potentially unlimited liability as the sponsored funds’ and other funds’ ultimate obligation to purchase a stock sold short may exceed the amount recorded.

 

The Corporation, through its investments in sponsored funds and other funds, is indirectly exposed to the extent of its investments, to U.S. government securities. Risks arise from investments in U.S. government securities due to possible illiquidity and the potential for default by the issuer. U.S. government securities are also particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, economic conditions and conditions specific to the issuer.

 

Lastly, the Corporation, through its investments in sponsored funds and other funds, invests in fund of funds. The Corporation’s investments in fund of funds are subject to the market and credit risk of securities and financial instruments held or sold short by these entities.

 

The Corporation has established procedures to actively monitor market risk and minimize credit risk of its own trading and investing activities, as well as the trading and investing activities of the sponsored funds and other funds. There can be no assurance that the Company will, in fact, succeed in doing so.

 

The Corporation maintains its cash and cash equivalents at financial institutions. Balances on deposit at such financial institutions are frequently in excess of available federal deposit insurance. In the event of a financial institution’s insolvency, recovery of the Corporation’s assets on deposit may be limited to available federal deposit insurance or other protection afforded such deposits.

 

Additionally, the Corporation, in its capacity as general partner, managing owner or managing member of the sponsored funds, is subject to certain additional risks of loss and liability for the activities of the sponsored funds.

 

 

(1)Unrealized appreciation on open forward currency contracts is included with commissions and fees receivable on the Statement of Financial Condition.
(2)See Note 2. for the fair value of the more significant funds within this category.

 

PURCHASERS OF UNITS OF GLOBAL MACRO TRUST WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN MILLBURN
RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

 

F-67 

 

 

MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION (CONTINUED)

 

 

 

Note 6.       DERIVATIVE CONTRACTS

 

The Corporation enters into forward contracts for the purpose of hedging foreign currency exchange rate risk on receivables denominated in foreign currencies. Forward currency contracts are for the delayed delivery of specific currencies in which the seller agrees to make delivery at a specified future date of specified currencies.

 

During 2014, the Company entered into five forward contracts with Morgan Stanley & Co., LLC to deliver a total of 6,727,088 euro at a future date in exchange for U.S. dollars. At December 31, 2014, three of the contracts remained open to sell 3,461,088 euro on January 30, 2015 for U.S. dollars.

 

Note 7.       LEASE COMMITMENT

 

The Corporation has a noncancelable lease for office space in Greenwich, Connecticut. The lease expires on December 31, 2017. The future minimum lease payments under this noncancelable lease are as follows:

 

 2015   $274,190 
 2016    279,220 
 2017    284,252 
        
     $837,662 

 

Note 8.       INDEMNIFICATIONS

 

In the normal course of business, the Corporation enters into contracts and agreements that contain a variety of representations and warranties and which provide general indemnifications. The Corporation’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Corporation that have not yet occurred. The Corporation expects the risk of any future obligation under these indemnifications to be remote.

 

Note 9.       EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN

 

The Corporation sponsors a 401(k) profit sharing and savings plan (the “Plan”) for the benefit of its employees. The Corporation is the Plan administrator of the Plan. Under the terms of the Plan, employees may elect to defer a portion of their compensation and the Corporation may make discretionary contributions to the Plan on behalf of its participants.

 

Note 10.      SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

 

The Corporation has evaluated subsequent events through April 28, 2015, the date the financial statement were available to be issued. In April 2015, the Corporation paid distributions to its stockholders in the amount of $2,000,000.

 

PURCHASERS OF UNITS OF GLOBAL MACRO TRUST WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN MILLBURN
RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION

 

F-68 

 

  

EXHIBIT A

 

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST

 

FOURTH AMENDED AND RESTATED

DECLARATION OF TRUST AND TRUST AGREEMENT

Dated as of August 12, 2009

 

 

 

  

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST

 

FOURTH AMENDED AND RESTATED

DECLARATION OF TRUST AND TRUST AGREEMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

      Page
1. Declaration of Trust TA-1
2. The Trustee TA-1
  (a) Term; Resignation TA-1
  (b) Powers TA-1
  (c) Compensation and Expenses of the Trustee TA-2
  (d) Indemnification TA-2
  (e) Successor Trustee TA-2
  (f) Liability of the Trustee TA-2
  (g) Reliance by the Trustee and the Managing Owner; Advice of Counsel TA-3
  (h) Not Part of Trust Estate TA-3
3. Principal Office TA-4
4. Business TA-4
5. Term, Dissolution, Fiscal Year, Series of Units and Net Asset Value TA-4
  (a) Term TA-4
  (b) Dissolution TA-4
  (c) Fiscal Year TA-4
  (d) Series of Units TA-5
  (e) Net Asset Value TA-5
6. Net Worth of Managing Owner TA-6
7. Capital Contributions; Units; Managing Owner’s Liability TA-6
  (a) Types of Beneficial Interests TA-6
  (b) Managing Owner’s Liability TA-6
  (c) No Certificates TA-6
  (d) Unitholder Consent TA-6
8. Allocation of Profits and Losses TA-6
  (a) Capital Accounts and Allocations TA-6
  (b) Allocation of Profit and Loss for Federal Income Tax Purposes TA-8
  (c) Profit Share; New Profits Memo Account TA-10
  (d) Expenses; Interest Income TA-11
  (e) Limited Liability of Unitholders TA-12
  (f) Return of Capital Contributions TA-12
9. Management of the Trust TA-12
  (a) Authority of the Managing Owner TA-12
  (b) Notification of Basic Changes TA-12
  (c) Certain Agreements TA-13
  (d) Fiduciary Duties TA-13
  (e) Brokerage Arrangements TA-13
  (f) Prohibited Activities TA-13
  (g) Freedom of Action TA-13
10. Audits and Reports to Unitholders TA-13
11. Assignability of Units TA-15
12. Redemptions TA-15
13. Offering of Units TA-16
14. Special Power of Attorney TA-17
15. Withdrawal of a Unitholder TA-17
16. Benefit Plan Investors TA-18
17. Standard of Liability; Indemnification TA-18
  (a) Standard of Liability for the Managing Owner TA-18
  (b) Indemnification of the Managing Owner by the Trust TA-18
  (c) Indemnification by the Unitholders TA-19

 

 i

 

 

18. Amendments; Meetings TA-20
  (a) Amendments with Consent of the Managing Owner TA-20
  (b) Amendments and Actions without Consent of the Managing Owner TA-20
  (c) Meetings; Other TA-20
  (d) Consent by Trustee TA-20
19. Governing Law TA-20
20. Miscellaneous TA-20
  (a) Notices TA-20
  (b) Binding Effect TA-20
  (c) Captions TA-21
21. Certain Definitions TA-21
22. No Legal Title to Trust Estate TA-22
23. Legal Title TA-22
24. Creditors TA-22
  Testimonium TA-23
  Signatures TA-23
  Schedule A—Certificate of Trust TA-24
  Annex—Request for Redemption RR-1

 

 ii

 

  

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST

 

FOURTH AMENDED AND RESTATED
DECLARATION OF TRUST AND TRUST AGREEMENT

 

This FOURTH AMENDED AND RESTATED DECLARATION OF TRUST AND TRUST AGREEMENT (“Declaration of Trust”) of Global Macro Trust (the “Trust”) is made and entered into as of this 12th day of August, 2009 by and among Millburn Ridgefield Corporation, a Delaware corporation, as managing owner (the “Managing Owner”), Wilmington Trust Company, a Delaware banking corporation, as trustee (the “Trustee”), and each other party who shall execute a counterpart of this Declaration of Trust as an owner of a unit (“Unit”) of beneficial interest of the Trust or who becomes a party to this Declaration of Trust as a Unitholder by execution of a Subscription Agreement and Power of Attorney Signature Page or otherwise and who is shown in the books and records of the Trust as a Unitholder (individually, a “Unitholder” and, collectively, the “Unitholders”).

 

W I T N E S S E T H:

 

WHEREAS, the parties hereto desire to continue the Trust for the business and purpose of issuing Units, the capital of which shall be used to engage in speculative trading, buying, selling or otherwise acquiring, holding or disposing of futures and forward contracts on currencies, interest rate, energy and agricultural products, metals and stock indices, hybrid instruments, swaps, any rights pertaining thereto and any options thereon or on physical commodities, with the objective of capital appreciation through speculative trading, and to amend and restate the original Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement of the Trust in its entirety.

 

NOW THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1. Declaration of Trust.

 

The Trustee hereby declares the investments in the Trust shall be held in trust upon and subject to the conditions set forth herein for the use and benefit of the Unitholders. It is the intention of the parties hereto that the Trust shall be a statutory trust under the Act, and that this Declaration of Trust shall constitute the governing instrument of the Trust. The Trustee has filed the Certificate of Trust required by Section 3810 of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, 12 Del. C. § 3801, et seq., as amended from time to time (the “Act”).

 

Nothing in this Declaration of Trust shall be construed to make the Unitholders partners or members of a joint stock association except to the extent that such Unitholders, as constituted from time to time, are deemed to be partners under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and applicable state and local tax laws. Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is the intention of the parties hereto that the Trust be treated as a partnership for purposes of taxation under the Code and applicable state and local tax laws. Effective as of the date hereof, the Trustee shall have all of the rights, powers and duties set forth herein and in the Act with respect to accomplishing the purposes of the Trust.

 

2. The Trustee.

 

(a) Term; Resignation. (i) Wilmington Trust Company has been appointed and has agreed to serve as the Trustee of the Trust. The Trust shall have only one trustee unless otherwise determined by the Managing Owner. The Trustee shall serve until such time as the Managing Owner removes the Trustee or the Trustee resigns and a successor Trustee is appointed by the Managing Owner in accordance with the terms of Section 2(e) hereof.

 

(ii)         The Trustee may resign at any time upon the giving of at least sixty (60) days’ advance written notice to the Managing Owner; provided, that such resignation shall not become effective unless and until a successor Trustee shall have been appointed by the Managing Owner in accordance with Section 2(e) hereof. If the Managing Owner does not act within such sixty (60) day period, the Trustee may apply to the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

 

(b) Powers. Except to the extent expressly set forth in this Section 2, the duty and authority of the Trustee to manage the business and affairs of the Trust are hereby delegated to the Managing Owner. The Trustee shall have only the rights, obligations or liabilities specifically provided for herein and in the Act and shall have no implied rights, obligations or liabilities with respect to the business or affairs of the Trust. The Trustee shall have the power and authority to execute, deliver, acknowledge and file all necessary documents, including any amendments to or cancellation of the Certificate of Trust, and to maintain all necessary records of the Trust as required by the Act. The Trustee shall provide prompt notice to the Managing Owner of its performance of any of the foregoing. The Managing Owner shall keep the Trustee informed of any actions taken by the Managing Owner with respect to the Trust that affect the rights, obligations or liabilities of the Trustee hereunder or under the Act.

 

 TA-1

 

 

(c) Compensation and Expenses of the Trustee. The Trustee shall be entitled to receive from the Trust or, if the assets of the Trust are insufficient, from the Managing Owner reasonable compensation for its services hereunder in accordance with a separate fee agreement between the Managing Owner and the Trustee, and shall be entitled to be reimbursed by the Trust or, if the assets of the Trust are insufficient, by the Managing Owner for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Trustee in the performance of its duties hereunder, including without limitation, the reasonable compensation, out-of-pocket expenses and disbursements of counsel and such other agents as the Trustee may employ in connection with the exercise and performance of its rights and duties hereunder, to the extent attributable to the Trust.

 

(d) Indemnification. The Managing Owner agrees, whether or not any of the transactions contemplated hereby shall be consummated, to assume liability for, and does hereby indemnify, protect, save and keep harmless the Trustee and its successors, assigns, legal representatives, officers, directors, agents, employees and servants (the “Indemnified Parties”) from and against any and all liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, taxes (excluding any taxes payable by the Trustee on or measured by any compensation received by the Trustee for its services hereunder or as indemnity payments pursuant to this Section 2(d)), claims, actions, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements (including legal fees and expenses) of any kind and nature whatsoever (collectively, “Expenses”), which may be imposed on, incurred by or asserted against the Indemnified Parties in any way relating to or arising out of the formation, operation or termination of the Trust, the execution, delivery and performance of any other agreements to which the Trust is a party or the action or inaction of the Trustee hereunder or thereunder, except for Expenses resulting from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Indemnified Parties. The indemnities contained in this Section 2(d) shall survive the termination of this Declaration of Trust or the removal or resignation of the Trustee. In addition, the Indemnified Parties shall be entitled to indemnification from any cash, net equity in any commodity futures, forward and option contracts, all funds on deposit in the accounts of the Trust, any other property held by the Trust, and all proceeds therefrom, including any rights of the Trust pursuant to any agreements to which the Trust is a party (the “Trust Estate”) to the extent such expenses are attributable to the formation, operation or termination of the Trust as set forth above, and to secure the same the Trustee shall have a lien against the Trust Estate which shall be prior to the rights of the Managing Owner and the Unitholders to receive distributions from the Trust Estate. The Trustee nevertheless agrees that it will, at its own cost and expense, promptly take all action as may be necessary to discharge any liens on any part of the Trust Estate which result from claims against the Trustee personally that are not related to the ownership or the administration of the Trust Estate or the transactions contemplated by any documents to which the Trust is a party.

 

(e) Successor Trustee. Upon the resignation or removal of the Trustee, the Managing Owner shall appoint a successor Trustee by delivering a written instrument to the outgoing Trustee. Any successor Trustee must satisfy the requirements of Section 3807 of the Act. Any resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall not become effective until a written acceptance of appointment is delivered by the successor Trustee to the outgoing Trustee and the Managing Owner and any fees and expenses due to the outgoing Trustee are paid. Following compliance with the preceding sentence, the successor Trustee shall become fully vested with all of the rights, powers, duties and obligations of the outgoing Trustee under this Declaration of Trust, with like effect as if originally named as Trustee, and the outgoing Trustee shall be discharged of its duties and obligations under this Declaration of Trust.

 

(f) Liability of the Trustee. Except as otherwise provided in this Section 2, in accepting the trust created hereby, Wilmington Trust Company acts solely as Trustee hereunder and not in its individual capacity, and all persons having any claim against the Trustee by reason of the transactions contemplated by this Declaration of Trust and any other agreement to which the Trust is a party shall look only to the Trust Estate for payment or satisfaction thereof. The Trustee shall not be liable or accountable hereunder or under any other agreement to which the Trust is a party, except for the Trustee’s own gross negligence or willful misconduct. In particular, but not by way of limitation:

 

(i)          the Trustee shall have no liability or responsibility for the validity or sufficiency of this Declaration of Trust or for the form, character, genuineness, sufficiency, value or validity of the Trust Estate;

 

(ii)         the Trustee shall not be liable for any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it in accordance with the instructions of the Managing Owner;

 

(iii)        the Trustee shall not have any liability for the acts or omissions of the Managing Owner;

 

 TA-2

 

 

(iv)        the Trustee shall not be liable for its failure to supervise the performance of any obligations of the Managing Owner, any commodity broker or any selling agent;

 

(v)         no provision of this Declaration of Trust shall require the Trustee to expend or risk funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its rights or powers hereunder if the Trustee shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured or provided to it;

 

(vi)        under no circumstances shall the Trustee be liable for indebtedness evidenced by or other obligations of the Trust arising under this Declaration of Trust or any other agreements to which the Trust is a party;

 

(vii)       the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Declaration of Trust, or to institute, conduct or defend any litigation under this Declaration of Trust or any other agreements to which the Trust is a party, at the request, order or direction of the Managing Owner or any Unitholders unless the Managing Owner or such Unitholders have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities that may be incurred by the Trustee (including, without limitation, the reasonable fees and expenses of its counsel) therein or thereby; and

 

(viii)      notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Trustee shall not be required to take any action in any jurisdiction other than in the State of Delaware if the taking of such action will (a) require the consent or approval or authorization or order of or the giving of notice to, or the registration with or taking of any action in respect of, any state or other governmental authority or agency of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware, (b) result in any fee, tax or other governmental charge under the laws of any jurisdiction or any political subdivision thereof in existence as of the date hereof other than the State of Delaware becoming payable by the Trustee or (c) subject the Trustee to personal jurisdiction other than in the State of Delaware for causes of action arising from personal acts unrelated to the consummation by the Trustee of the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

(g) Reliance by the Trustee and the Managing Owner; Advice of Counsel. (i) In the absence of negligence or misconduct on the part of the Managing Owner or bad faith on the part of the Trustee, the Trustee and the Managing Owner may conclusively rely upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee or the Managing Owner and conforming to the requirements of this Declaration of Trust in determining the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions contained therein, and shall incur no liability to anyone in acting on any signature, instrument, notice, resolution, request, consent, order, certificate, report, opinion, bond or other document or paper which is believed to be genuine and believed to be signed by the proper party or parties, and need not investigate any fact or matter pertaining to or in any such document; provided, however, that the Trustee or the Managing Owner shall have examined any certificates or opinions so as to determine compliance of the same with the requirements of this Declaration of Trust. The Trustee or the Managing Owner may accept a certified copy of a resolution of the board of directors or other governing body of any corporate party as conclusive evidence that such resolution has been duly adopted by such body and that the same is in full force and effect. As to any fact or matter the method of the determination of which is not specifically prescribed herein, the Trustee or the Managing Owner may for all purposes hereof rely on a certificate, signed by the president or any vice-president or by the treasurer or other authorized officers of the relevant party, as to such fact or matter, and such certificate shall constitute full protection to the Trustee or the Managing Owner for any action taken or omitted to be taken by either of them in good faith in reliance thereon.

 

(ii)         In the exercise or administration of the trust hereunder and in the performance of its duties and obligations under this Declaration of Trust, the Trustee, at the expense of the Trust, (i) may act directly or through its agents, attorneys, custodians or nominees pursuant to agreements entered into with any of them, and the Trustee shall not be liable for the conduct or misconduct of such agents, attorneys, custodians or nominees if such agents, attorneys, custodians or nominees shall have been selected by the Trustee with reasonable care and (ii) may consult with counsel, accountants and other skilled professionals to be selected with reasonable care by the Trustee; provided that the Trustee shall not allocate any of its internal expenses or overhead to the account of the Trust. The Trustee shall not be liable for anything done, suffered or omitted in good faith by it in accordance with the opinion or advice of any such counsel, accountant or other such persons.

 

(h) Not Part of Trust Estate. Amounts paid to the Trustee from the Trust Estate, if any, pursuant to this Section 2 shall not be deemed to be part of the Trust Estate immediately after such payment.

 

 TA-3

 

  

3. Principal Office.

 

The address of the principal office of the Trust is c/o the Managing Owner, 411 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830; telephone: (203) 625-8211. The Trustee is located at Rodney Square North, 1100 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19890, Attention: Corporate Trust Administration. The Trustee shall receive service of process on the Trust in the State of Delaware at the foregoing address. In the event Wilmington Trust Company resigns or is removed as the Trustee, the Trustee of the Trust in the State of Delaware shall be the successor Trustee.

 

4. Business.

 

The Trust’s business and purpose is to engage in speculative trading, buying, selling or otherwise acquiring, holding or disposing of futures and forward contracts on currencies, interest rate, energy and agricultural products, metals, stock and stock indices, hybrid instruments, swaps, any rights pertaining thereto and any options thereon or on physical commodities, and to engage in all activities necessary, convenient or incidental thereto. The objective of the Trust’s business is appreciation of its assets through speculative trading. The Trust shall have the power to engage in all activities which are necessary, suitable, desirable, convenient or incidental to the accomplishment to the foregoing business and purposes. The Trust shall do so under the direction of the Managing Owner.

 

5. Term, Dissolution, Fiscal Year, Series of Units and Net Asset Value.

 

(a) Term. The term of the Trust commenced on the day on which the Certificate of Trust was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware pursuant to the provisions of the Act. The Trust shall dissolve upon the first to occur of the following: (1) December 31, 2031; (2) receipt by the Managing Owner of an approval to dissolve the Trust at a specified time by Unitholders owning Units representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total number of outstanding Units then owned by Unitholders, notice of which is sent by certified mail return receipt requested to the Managing Owner not less than 90 days prior to the effective date of such dissolution; (3) death, insanity, bankruptcy, retirement, resignation, expulsion, withdrawal, insolvency or dissolution of the Managing Owner or any other event that causes the Managing Owner to cease to be a managing owner unless, (i) at the time of such event there is at least one remaining managing owner of the Trust who carries on the business of the Trust (and each remaining managing owner of the Trust is hereby authorized to carry on the business of the Trust in such an event), or (ii) within 90 days after such event Unitholders owning at least fifty percent (50%) of the total number of outstanding Units then owned by Unitholders agree in writing to continue the business of the Trust and to the appointment, effective as of the date of such event, of one or more managing owners of the Trust pursuant to the terms of Sections 18(b) and 18(c); (4) a decline in the aggregate Net Assets of the Trust to less than $250,000; (5) a decline in the Net Asset Value per Unit to $250 or less; or (6) any other event which shall make it unlawful for the existence of the Trust to be continued or shall require dissolution of the Trust.

 

(b) Dissolution. Upon the occurrence of an event causing the dissolution of the Trust, the Trust shall be dissolved and its affairs wound up. Upon dissolution, the New Profits Memo Account will be added to the Managing Owner’s capital account.

 

Upon the dissolution of the Trust, the Managing Owner (or, if the Managing Owner has withdrawn, such person as the Unitholders may, by majority vote of the Units, select) shall wind up the Trust’s affairs and, in connection therewith, shall distribute the Trust’s assets in the following manner and order:

 

(i)          FIRST TO pay or make reasonable provision to pay (all claims of the Trustee and then all other claims and obligations, including all contingent, conditional or unmatured claims and obligations, for which the Managing Owner (or its successor) may create a reserve, known to the Trust (including claims of Unitholders) and all claims and obligations which are known to the Trust but for which the identity of the claimant is unknown; and

 

(ii)         SECOND TO distribution in cash of the remaining assets to the Unitholders in proportion to their capital accounts, after giving effect to the allocations pursuant to Section 8 hereof as if the date of distribution were the end of a calendar year.

 

The Trust shall terminate when (i) all assets of the Trust shall have been distributed in the manner provided for in this Agreement and (ii) the Certificate of Trust shall have been canceled in the manner required by the Act.

 

(c) Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Trust shall begin on January 1 of each year and end on the following December 31.

 

 TA-4

 

 

(d) Series of Units. The Units may be issued in series (each, a “Series”). The only difference between Units of each Series shall be the applicable fees and expenses described herein. Otherwise, the Units of each Series shall be identical to the Units of the other Series and shall share pro rata in the profits and losses of the Trust. “Series of Units” shall include outstanding Units issued prior to the date hereof (unless the context dictates otherwise). The Series are not of a type contemplated by the last sentence of Section 3804(a) of the Act.

 

(e) Net Asset Value. The Net Assets of the Trust are its assets less its liabilities determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A Series’ Net Assets in aggregate are the Trust’s assets attributable to that Series minus its liabilities attributable to that Series. If a futures, forward or other contract cannot be liquidated on the day with respect to which Net Assets are being determined, the settlement price on the first subsequent day on which the contract can be liquidated shall be the basis for determining the liquidating value of such contract for such day, or such other value as the Managing Owner may deem fair and reasonable. The liquidating value of a commodity futures or option contract not traded on a United States commodity exchange shall mean its liquidating value as determined by the Managing Owner on a basis consistently applied for each different variety of contract.

 

The Brokerage Fee shall be charged to Series 1 Units at the basic rate of 7.0% per annum of the average month-end Net Assets of the Trust attributable to Series 1 Units (prior to reduction for accrued but unpaid fees), and additional Series 1 Units shall be allocated to Series 1 Unitholders subject to reduced Brokerage Fees as described in Section 8(a)(3) hereof. Brokerage Fees, accrued as well as paid, shall reduce Net Asset Value of Series 1 Units. The Managing Owner compensates selling agents in connection with the sale of Series 1 Units out of the Brokerage Fee in an amount up to 4% per annum of the Net Asset Value of Series 1 Units but not to exceed 9.5% of the purchase price paid by purchasers of the Series 1 Units. Once the 9.5% threshold is reached with respect to a Series 1 Unit issued on or after the date hereof, amounts that would otherwise be paid to the selling agent for that Series 1 Unit shall instead be rebated to the Trust and shall be allocated equally among all Series 1 Units (inclusive of outstanding Units issued prior to the date hereof).

 

The Management Fee shall be charged to Series 2 Units at the basic rate of 2.0% per annum of the average month-end Net Assets of the Trust attributable to Series 2 Units (prior to reduction for accrued but unpaid fees). The Custodial Fee shall also be charged to Series 2 Units at the basic rate of 0.25% per annum of the average month-end Net Assets of the Trust attributable to Series 2 Units (prior to reduction for accrued but unpaid fees). The Custodial Fee shall be paid to brokers acting as custodian of Series 2 Units for the benefit of Series 2 Unitholders. The maximum amount of Custodial Fees paid to brokers that act as custodian of Series 2 Units shall not exceed 3.1667% of the purchase price paid by purchasers of Series 2 Units (or such lower amount as described in the Prospectus). Once the maximum threshold is reached with respect to a Series 2 Unit, Custodial Fees that would otherwise be paid to the custodian for such Series 2 Unit shall instead be rebated to the Trust and shall be allocated equally among all Series 2 Units. Series 2 Units shall also be subject to their pro rata share of the Trust’s routine charges incidental to trading (including, without limitation, brokerage commissions, prime brokerage fees, exchange, clearinghouse, regulatory, floor brokerage, electronic platform trading costs and “give-up” fees). Management Fees, Custodial Fees and trading costs, accrued as well as paid, shall reduce Net Asset Value of Series 2 Units.

 

The Management Fee shall be charged to Series 3 Units at the basic rate of 2.0% per annum of the average month-end Net Assets of the Trust attributable to Series 3 Units (prior to reduction for accrued but unpaid fees). Series 3 Units shall also be subject to their pro rata share of the Trust’s routine charges incidental to trading (including, without limitation, brokerage commissions, prime brokerage fees, exchange, clearinghouse, regulatory, floor brokerage, electronic platform trading costs and “give-up” fees). Management Fees and trading costs, accrued as well as paid, shall reduce Net Asset Value of Series 3 Units.

 

Series 4 Units shall be subject to their pro rata share of the Trust’s routine charges incidental to trading (including, without limitation, brokerage commissions, prime brokerage fees, exchange, clearinghouse, regulatory, floor brokerage, electronic platform trading costs and “give-up” fees). Trading costs, accrued as well as paid, shall reduce Net Asset Value of Series 4 Units.

 

Accrued Profit Shares (as described in Section 8 hereof) shall reduce Net Asset Value, even though such Profit Shares may never, in fact, be paid. Accrued Profit Shares shall be calculated on a basis which reflects any aggregate New Trading Profit (as defined in Section 8(c)), accrued equally in respect of each Series 1 Unit (except as necessary to reflect the difference in the Brokerage Fees charged certain Unitholders) and accrued equally in respect of the Series 2 and 3 Units in the aggregate (except as necessary to reflect the Custodial Fee charged to the Series 2 Unitholders) but not in respect of the Series 4 Units, the Managing Owner’s capital account or the New Profits Memo Account (see Section 8(a)).   

 

 TA-5

 

 

6. Net Worth of Managing Owner.

 

The Managing Owner agrees that at all times so long as it remains managing owner of the Trust, it will maintain its Net Worth at an amount not less than the greater of $50,000 or 5% of the total contributions to the Trust and to all other entities of which it is managing owner or general partner. In no event shall the Managing Owner be required to maintain a net worth in excess of $1,000,000.

 

7. Capital Contributions; Units; Managing Owner’s Liability.

 

(a) Types of Beneficial Interests. The beneficial interests in the Trust shall consist of two types: a general liability interest and limited liability Units. The Managing Owner shall acquire the general liability interest, and investors shall all acquire limited liability Units.

 

(b) Managing Owner’s Liability. Upon the initial contribution by the Managing Owner to the Trust, the Managing Owner became the holder of the general liability interest of the Trust. The Managing Owner’s general liability interest shall be accounted for on a Unit-equivalent basis, but may receive allocations on an aggregate basis so as to simplify the Trust’s accounting. The Managing Owner’s general liability interest will not be subject to full Brokerage Fees, but rather only to actual execution costs, nor shall it be subject to Management Fees, Custodial Fees or Profit Shares.

 

(c) No Certificates. No certificates or other evidences of beneficial ownership of the Units will be issued.

 

(d) Unitholder Consent. Every Unitholder, by virtue of having purchased or otherwise acquired Units, shall be deemed to have expressly consented and agreed to be bound by the terms of this Declaration of Trust.

 

The Unitholders’ respective capital contributions to the Trust shall be as shown on the books and records of the Trust.

 

The Managing Owner shall have unlimited liability for the repayment, satisfaction and discharge of all debts, liabilities and obligations of the Trust to the full extent, and only to the extent, of the Managing Owner’s assets.

 

The Managing Owner shall be liable for the acts, omissions, obligations and expenses of the Trust, to the extent not paid out of the assets of the Trust, to the same extent that the Managing Owner would be so liable if the Trust were a partnership under the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act and the Managing Owner were a general partner of such partnership. The obligations of the Managing Owner under this paragraph shall be evidenced by its ownership of the general liability interest.

 

The Managing Owner, so long as it is generally liable for the obligations of the Trust, shall invest in the Trust, as a general liability interest, no less than 1% of the net capital contributions to the Trust (including the Managing Owner’s contributions) but in no event shall the Managing Owner invest less than $500,000 of the total capital contributions to the Trust. The Managing Owner may withdraw any interest it may have in excess of such requirement as of any month-end on the same terms as any Unitholder, provided the Managing Owner’s interest in the Trust remains equal to or greater than the greater of (i) 1% of the Trust’s then current Net Assets or (ii) $500,000.

 

Any Units acquired by the Managing Owner or any of its principals or their respective affiliates will be non-voting, and will not be considered outstanding for purposes of determining whether the majority approval of the outstanding Units has been obtained.

 

The general liability interest in the Trust held by the Managing Owner will be non-voting.

 

8. Allocation of Profits and Losses.

 

(a) Capital Accounts and Allocations. A capital account shall be established for each Unit of each Series and for the Managing Owner. In addition, a New Profits Memo Account shall be established on the books of the Trust for bookkeeping purposes only. The initial balance of each capital account shall be the amount contributed to the Trust in respect of a Unit or by the Managing Owner. As of the close of business (as determined by the Managing Owner) on the last day of each month, the following determinations and allocations shall be made:

 

 TA-6

 

 

(1)         The Net Assets of the Trust will be determined without regard to Brokerage Fees, Management Fees, Custodial Fees, the Trust’s actual trade execution and clearing costs or Profit Shares.

 

(2)         Any increase or decrease in the Trust’s Net Assets (as determined pursuant to Paragraph 1 above), as compared to the last such determination of Net Assets, shall then be credited or charged pro rata to the capital account of each Unit, to the capital account of the Managing Owner and to the New Profits Memo Account.

 

(3)         Brokerage Fees shall be charged equally to all Series 1 Units at the rate of 0.5833 of 1% of the month-end Trust assets (prior to reduction for any accrued but unpaid fees or Profit Shares) allocable to such Series 1 Units (a 7.0% annual rate). Such Brokerage Fees shall be paid out to the Managing Owner; provided that in respect of Series 1 Units which are subject to per annum Brokerage Fees of 6.5%, 6.0%, or 5.5% (or as otherwise reduced to reflect reduced sales commissions) of the average month-end Trust assets allocable to such Series 1 Units, the difference between the 0.5833 of 1% Brokerage Fees charged and the reduced Brokerage Fee due as of the end of each month shall not be paid out to the Managing Owner but shall instead be credited to a Suspense Account which shall not be included in the Net Asset Value of the Series 1 Units, and shall be used solely as a means of efficiently accounting for the reduction in the Brokerage Fee payable by such Series 1 Unitholders while maintaining a uniform Net Asset Value per Series 1 Unit.

 

Management Fees shall be charged equally to all Series 2 Units at the rate of 0.166 of 1% of the month-end Trust assets (prior to reduction for any accrued but unpaid fees or Profit Shares) allocable to such Series 2 Units (a 2.0% annual rate) and Custodial Fees shall be charged equally to all Series 2 Units at the rate of 0.0208 of 1% of the month-end Trust assets (prior to reduction for any accrued but unpaid fees or Profit Shares) allocable to such Series 2 units (a 0.25% annual rate). Actual costs of executing and clearing the Trust’s futures trades attributable to Series 2 Units, including prime brokerage fees in respect of currency forward contracts attributable to Series 2 Units, shall also be charged equally to all Series 2 Units.

 

Management Fees shall be charged equally to all Series 3 Units at the rate of 0.166 of 1% of the month-end Trust assets (prior to reduction for any accrued but unpaid fees or Profit Shares) allocable to such Series 3 Units (a 2% annual rate). Actual costs of executing and clearing the Trust’s futures trades attributable to Series 3 Units, including prime brokerage fees in respect of currency forward contracts attributable to Series 3 Units, shall also be charged equally to all Series 3 Units.

 

Actual costs of executing and clearing the Trust’s futures trades attributable to Series 4 Units, including prime brokerage fees in respect of currency forward contracts attributable to Series 4 Units, shall also be charged equally to all Series 4 Units.

 

Brokerage Fees, Management Fees and Custodial Fees will not be charged to (or calculated on a basis of average month-end Trust assets which include) capital accounts of the Series 4 Unitholders, the Managing Owner, its principals, their respective affiliates or the New Profits Memo Account. The capital accounts of the Series 4 Unitholders, the Managing Owner, its principals, their respective affiliates and the New Profits Memo Account shall be charged for their respective pro rata shares of the costs of executing and clearing the Trust’s futures trades as well as for prime brokerage fees in respect of currency forward contracts, but not for any Brokerage Fees, Management Fees or Custodial Fees.

 

(4)         The Managing Owner’s Series 1 Profit Share will equal 20% of any Series 1 New Trading Profit (as defined in Section 8(c)). The Managing Owner’s Series 2/3 Profit Share will equal 20% of any aggregate Series 2 and Series 3 New Trading Profit (as defined in Section 8(c)). As of the end of each month, the amount of any such Series 1 Profit Share or Series 2/3 Profit Share, as applicable, shall be calculated and shall reduce the Net Asset Value per Unit of Series 1 or Series 2 and Series 3, as applicable, pro rata. The Series 4 Units shall not be subject to a Profit Share. The amount of any such Profit Share shall be deducted from each Unit’s capital account (other than the Series 4 Units, as described above) and credited to the New Profits Memo Account, as a bookkeeping entry only, as of the end of each calendar year. The capital accounts of the Managing Owner, its principals, their respective affiliates and the New Profits Memo Account will not be subject to the Profit Share. (For the avoidance of doubt, the amount of any Series 1 Profit Share accrual reversal shall be credited to the Series 1 Units only and the amount of any Series 2/3 Profit Share accrual reversal shall be credited, pro rata, to Series 2 and Series 3 Units only.)

 

(5)         The amounts credited to the Suspense Account as provided in Paragraph 3 above as of the end of any month shall be reduced by the 20% Series 1 Profit Share if there is an accrued Profit Share in respect of the Series 1 Units as of the month-end that such amounts are so credited. If such month-end is also a year-end, the amount of such Series 1 Profit Share shall be credited to the New Profits Memo Account, as a bookkeeping entry only, and the remainder of the Suspense Account shall be reinvested in Series 1 Units as of such month-end, at Net Asset Value, for the benefit of the appropriate Series 1 Unitholders. If such month-end is not also a year-end, the Series 1 Profit Share accrual, as well as the remainder of the Suspense Account, shall be reinvested in Series 1 Units as of such month-end, at Net Asset Value, for the benefit of the appropriate Series 1 Unitholders.

 

 TA-7

 

 

(6)         The Managing Owner’s Series 1 Profit Share or Series 2/3 Profit Share with respect to Units redeemed as of a month-end which is not the end of a calendar year shall be computed as though such month-end were the end of a calendar year, and the amount of the Series 1 Profit Share or Series 2/3 Profit Share so computed (if any) shall be deducted from the redeemed Units’ capital accounts and credited to the New Profits Memo Account, as a bookkeeping entry only.

 

(7)         When Series 1 Units subject to reduced per annum Brokerage Fees are redeemed: (i) if a Series 1 Profit Share is then accrued, the difference between the 7.0% per annum and reduced per annum Brokerage Fee attributable to such Series 1 Units for the month-end of redemption shall be assessed a 20% Series 1 Profit Share which shall be credited to the New Profits Memo Account, as a bookkeeping entry only; and (ii) the Series 1 Profit Share, if any, due in respect of such Series 1 Units shall be calculated on the same basis as in respect of all other Series 1 Units, as set forth in Paragraph 4 above, and credited to the New Profits Memo Account, as a bookkeeping entry only.

 

If no Series 1 Profit Share is accrued as of the date of redemption, then no New Profits Memo Account credits shall be made in respect of any portion of the Series 1 Units redeemed.

 

(8)         The amount of any distributions made in respect of a Unit as of the end of such month and any amount (not reduced by any early redemption charges) paid upon partial redemption of Units or upon withdrawal of the Managing Owner’s interest as of the end of such month shall be charged against the capital account of such Unit or of the Managing Owner. The capital account of any Unit fully redeemed shall be eliminated.

 

(9)         Brokerage Fees, Management Fees and Custodial Fees shall be treated as if paid or payable to a third party and shall not be credited to the capital account of the general liability interest held by the Managing Owner.

 

(10)        Persons who make a net capital investment in the Series 1 Units, including both initial and subsequent investments and without regard to profits or losses, of $100,000, $500,000, $1,000,000 or more or who acquired Series 1 Units through asset-based fee or fixed-fee investment programs (such as broker or trust company “wrap accounts”) shall be entitled to pay Brokerage Fees of 6.5%, 6.0%, 5.5% or 4% per annum, respectively, of the average month-end assets of their respective capital accounts; provided that, if after any redemption of Series 1 Units, the aggregate net capital contributions for Series 1 Units (subscriptions less redemptions, but assuming redemptions to be made first from accumulated net profits, not capital contributions) of an investor is less than $100,000, $500,000 or $1,000,000, such Series 1 Unitholder will no longer be eligible for the level of per annum Brokerage Fee such investor was paying but rather shall be subject to the higher Brokerage Fee applicable to the aggregate Net Asset Value of such investor’s Series 1 Units as if that amount were such investor’s initial investment in the Series 1 Units. Should such person subsequently make an additional subscription, if the amount of such subsequent subscription plus such Series 1 Unitholder’s remaining net capital contributions (subscriptions less redemptions, but assuming redemptions to be made first from accumulated net profits, not capital contributions) equals $100,000, $500,000 or $1,000,000 or more, such person will pay the Brokerage Fee applicable to such person’s net capital investment in the Series 1 Units described in this Paragraph 10. Redemptions of Series 1 Units shall not cause investors who invest through asset-based fee or fixed-fee investment programs to pay increased Brokerage Fees.

 

Reduced Brokerage Fees apply to a Series 1 Unitholder’s entire capital account attributable to Series 1 Units, not just that part of such capital account corresponding to capital contributions of $100,000, $500,000 and $1,000,000 or more.

 

(b) Allocation of Profit and Loss for Federal Income Tax Purposes. Each of the parties hereto, by entering into this Declaration of Trust, (i) expresses its intention that the Units will qualify under applicable tax law as though the Units were interests in a partnership which holds the Trust Estate for their benefit, (ii) agrees that it will file its own federal, state and local income, franchise and other tax returns in a manner that is consistent with the treatment of the Trust as though it were a partnership in which each of the Unitholders is a partner and (iii) agrees to use reasonable efforts to notify the Managing Owner promptly upon a receipt of any notice from any taxing authority having jurisdiction over such Unitholder with respect to the treatment of the Units as anything other than interests in a partnership. As of the end of each fiscal year, income and expense and capital gain or loss of the Trust shall be allocated among the Unitholders pursuant to the following provisions of this Section 8(b) for federal income tax purposes. Such allocations shall be pro rata from short-term capital gain or loss and long-term capital gain or loss. For purposes of this Section 8(b), capital gain and capital loss shall be allocated separately and not netted.

 

 TA-8

 

 

(1)         Items of ordinary income and expenses attributable to the Trust (other than Brokerage Fees, Management Fees, Custodial Fees, and allocable execution and clearing costs (including prime brokerage fees), which shall be allocated as set forth in Section 8(b)(2)), shall be allocated pro rata among all Units of the Trust (based on Net Asset Value per Unit) outstanding as of the end of each calendar month (including Units being then redeemed), and pro rata to the capital account of the Managing Owner.

 

(2)         Deductions attributable to Brokerage Fees, Management Fees, Custodial Fees and allocable execution and clearing costs (including prime brokerage fees) shall be allocated to each Unitholder and the Managing Owner in the same manner as such Brokerage Fees, Management Fees, Custodial Fees and allocable execution and clearing costs are allocated for financial purposes pursuant to Section 8(a).

 

(3)         Capital Gain or Loss (as defined in Section 8(b)(3)(H)) shall be allocated as follows:

 

(A)         There shall be established a tax account with respect to each outstanding Unit and with respect to the Managing Owner. The initial balance of each tax account shall be the net amount paid to the Trust for each Unit and the amount contributed to the Trust by the Managing Owner. Amounts reinvested in Series 1 Units from the Suspense Account, as described in Section 8(a) hereof, shall not increase the aggregate tax basis of the affected Series 1 Unitholders in their Series 1 Units; rather the Series 1 Units acquired upon reinvestment will have an initial tax basis of $0. As of the end of each fiscal year:

 

(i)          Each tax account for the Units and the Managing Owner shall be increased by the amount of income or gain allocated to such tax account pursuant to Sections 8(b)(1), 8(b)(3)(B) and 8(b)(3)(D).

 

(ii)         Each tax account for the Units shall be decreased by the amount of expense or loss allocated to each Unit pursuant to Sections 8(b)(1), 8(b)(2) and 8(b)(3)(F) and by the amount of any distributions paid out with respect to such Units other than upon redemption.

 

(iii)        When a Unit is redeemed, the tax account attributable to such Unit (determined after making all allocations described in this Section 8(b)) shall be eliminated.

 

(B)         The Managing Owner shall be allocated Capital Gain, if any, up to the amount of any bookkeeping credit to the New Profits Memo Account, including any credits made as of the end of the fiscal year of allocation. To the extent any such tax allocation is made, the balance in the New Profits Memo Account shall be reduced, and the balance in the Managing Owner’s capital account, for financial purposes, correspondingly increased.

 

(C)         Each Unitholder who redeems a Unit during a fiscal year (including Units redeemed as of the end of the last day of such fiscal year) shall be allocated Capital Gain, if any, up to the amount of the excess, if any, of the amount received in respect of the Units so redeemed over the sum of the tax accounts (determined after making the allocation described in Sections 8(b)(1) and 8(b)(2), but prior to making the allocations described in this Section 8(b)(3)(C)) allocable to such Units (an “Excess”). In the event that the aggregate amount of Capital Gain available to be allocated pursuant to this Section 8(b)(3)(C) is less than the aggregate amount of Capital Gain required to be so allocated, the aggregate amount of available Capital Gain shall be allocated among all such Unitholders in the ratio which each such Unitholder’s Excess bears to the aggregate Excess of all such Unitholders.

 

 TA-9

 

 

(D)         Capital Gain remaining after the allocation described in Section 8(b)(3)(C) shall be allocated among all Unitholders who hold Units outstanding as of the end of the applicable fiscal year (other than Units redeemed as of the end of the last day of such fiscal year) whose capital accounts with respect to such Units are in excess of the related tax accounts (determined after making the allocations described in Sections 8(b)(1) and 8(b)(2)) allocable to such Units, in the ratio that each such Unitholder’s Excess bears to the aggregate Excess of all such Unitholders. Capital Gain remaining after the allocation described in the preceding sentence shall be allocated among all Unitholders described in said sentence in proportion to their holdings of such Units.

 

(E)         Each Unitholder who redeems a Unit during a fiscal year (including Units redeemed as of the end of the last day of such fiscal year) shall be allocated Capital Loss, if any, up to the amount of the sum of the excess of the tax accounts (determined after making the allocations described in Sections 8(b)(1) and 8(b)(2), but prior to making the allocations described in this Section 8(b)(3)(E)) allocable to the Units so redeemed over the amount received in respect of such Units (a “Negative Excess”). In the event that the aggregate amount of available Capital Loss required to be allocated pursuant to this Section 8(b)(3)(E) is less than the aggregate amount required to be so allocated, the aggregate amount of available Capital Loss shall be allocated among all such Unitholders in the ratio that each such Unitholder’s Negative Excess bears to the aggregate Negative Excess of all such Unitholders.

 

(F)         Capital Loss remaining after the allocation described in Section 8(b)(3)(E) shall be allocated among all Unitholders who hold Units outstanding as of the end of the applicable fiscal year (other than Units redeemed as of the end of the last day of such fiscal year) whose tax accounts with respect to such Units are in excess of their capital accounts (determined after making the allocations described in Sections 8(b)(1) and 8(b)(2) with respect to such Units, in the ratio that each such Unitholder’s Negative Excess bears to the aggregate Negative Excess of all such Unitholders. Capital Loss remaining after the allocation described in the preceding sentence shall be allocated among all Unitholders described in such sentence in proportion to their holdings of such Units.

 

(G)         For purposes of this Section 8(b), the Managing Owner’s interest in the Trust will be treated as if it were a single Unit.

 

(H)         For purposes of this Section 8(b), “Capital Gain” or “Capital Loss” shall mean gain or loss characterized as gain or loss from the sale or exchange of a capital asset by the Code, including, but not limited to, gain or loss required to be taken into account pursuant to Section 1256 thereof.

 

(4)         The allocation of profit and loss for federal income tax purposes set forth herein allocates taxable profit and loss among the Unitholders in the ratio and to the extent that financial profit and loss are allocated to such Unitholders and so as to eliminate, to the maximum practicable extent, any disparity between a Unit’s capital account and its tax account, consistent with principles set forth in Section 704 of the Code, including without limitation a “Qualified Income Offset.”

 

(5)         The allocations of profit and loss to the Unitholders in respect of their Units shall not exceed the allocations permitted under Subchapter K of the Code, as determined by the Managing Owner, whose determination shall be binding.

 

(c) Profit Share; New Profits Memo Account. The Managing Owner’s Profit Share will equal 20% of any cumulative trading profits (“New Trading Profit”), not including interest income, after deduction of all accrued but unpaid fees and expenses other than the Profit Share itself (“Trading Profit”), over the highest level of such cumulative Trading Profit as of any previous calendar year-end, or $0, if higher (the “Profit Share High Water Mark”). Profit Shares shall be determined separately (i) in respect of Series 1 Units (“Series 1 Profit Share”) and (ii) in respect of Series 2 and 3 Units in the aggregate (“Series 2/3 Profit Share”). Trading Profit does not include profits allocable to the Managing Owner’s capital account or to the New Profits Memo Account. (For the avoidance of doubt, Series 1 Profit Shares will be calculated on Series 1 Units subject to reduced per annum as well as on those subject to a 7.0% per annum Brokerage Fee in the manner described in Section 8(a) hereof.)

 

New Trading Profit is reduced by routine administrative expenses.

 

If Series 1 Units are redeemed when there is a loss carryforward for Series 1 Profit Share calculation purposes (i.e., the current level of cumulative Trading Profit for Series 1 is below the Profit Share High Water Mark for Series 1), such loss carryforward will be reduced in proportion to the proportion of the total outstanding Series 1 Units. If Series 2 Units or Series 3 Units are redeemed when there is a loss carryforward for Series 2/3 Profit Share calculation purposes (i.e., the current level of cumulative Trading Profit for Series 2 and Series 3 is below the Profit Share High Water Mark for Series 2 and Series 3), such loss carryforward will be reduced in proportion to the proportion of the total Net Assets of Series 2 and Series 3 Units.

 

Neither any Unitholder nor the Managing Owner shall have any interest in the New Profits Memo Account, except as described in Section 5(b) hereof. However, as described in Section 8(b)(3)(B), bookkeeping entries in the New Profits Memo Account shall be reduced, and the Managing Owner’s capital account correspondingly increased to the extent that priority allocations of Capital Gain are made to the Managing Owner pursuant to said Section 8(b)(3)(B).

 

 TA-10

 

 

In the event that the Net Asset Value per Unit of any Series is less than $400 as of any calendar month-end, the balance of any bookkeeping entries to the New Profits Memo Account then outstanding will be cancelled, and an amount equal to such balance shall be allocated pro rata among all outstanding Units (based on Net Asset Value per Unit), but not to the Managing Owner’s capital account.

 

(d) Expenses; Interest Income. The Trust shall bear all of any taxes applicable to it. The Series 1 Units shall pay the Managing Owner a Brokerage Fee equal to 0.5833 of 1% (a 7.0% annual rate) of the month-end assets of the Trust (prior to reduction for any accrued but unpaid Brokerage Fees and Series 1 Profit Shares) attributable to the Series 1 Units; provided that in the case of subscribers who invest $100,000, $500,000 or $1,000,000 or more in the Series 1 Units, such Brokerage Fee shall be reduced to 0.5417 of 1% (a 6.5% annual rate), 0.50 of 1% (a 6% annual rate) or 0.4583 of 1% (a 5.5% annual rate), respectively, of such month-end assets of the Trust attributable to each such Series 1 Unitholder’s capital account, as contemplated by Section 8(a)(10) above.

 

The Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units shall pay the Managing owner a Management Fee equal to 0.166 of 1% (a 2.0% annual rate) of the month-end assets of the Trust (prior to any accrued but unpaid Custodial Fee, Management Fees and Profit Shares) attributable to the Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units, respectively.

 

The Series 2 Units shall pay the Managing Owner a Custodial Fee equal to 0.0208 of 1% (a 0.25% annual rate) of the month-end assets of the Trust attributable to the Series 2 Units.

 

The Managing Owner shall pay all routine charges incidental to trading (including, without limitation, brokerage commissions, prime brokerage fees, exchange, clearinghouse, regulatory, floor brokerage, electronic platform trading costs and “give-up” fees) attributable to the Series 1 Units. The Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units shall pay all routine charges incidental to trading (including, without limitation, brokerage commissions, prime brokerage fees, exchange, clearinghouse, regulatory, floor brokerage, electronic platform trading costs and “give-up” fees) attributable to the Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units and Series 4 Units, respectively. Any extraordinary charges incidental to trading (for example, insurance or delivery charges) will be paid by the Trust.

 

The Trust’s organizational and offering expenses, including redemption fees, are limited to 15% of the capital contributions to the Trust.

 

The Trust will pay its ongoing administrative expenses, including the fees of the Trustee. All of the expenses which are for the account of the Trust shall be billed directly to the Trust. The Trust shall bear all of its own legal, accounting and administrative expenses, but none of the Managing Owner’s “overhead” expenses incurred in connection with the administration of the Trust (including, but not limited to, salaries and rent) shall be charged to the Trust.

 

Appropriate reserves may be created, accrued and charged against the Net Assets for contingent liabilities, if any, as of the date any such contingent liability becomes known to the Managing Owner. Such reserves shall reduce Net Asset Value for all purposes.

 

Any goods and services provided to the Trust by the Managing Owner shall be provided at rates and terms at least as favorable as those which may be obtained from third parties in arm’s-length negotiations.

 

In the event that the Trust shall be subject to taxation by any state or local or by any foreign taxing authority, the Trust shall be obligated to pay such taxes to such jurisdiction. In the event that the Trust shall be required to make payments to any federal, state or local or any foreign taxing authority in respect of any Unitholder’s allocable share of the Trust’s income, the amount of such taxes shall be considered a loan by the Trust to such Unitholder, and such Unitholder shall be liable for, and shall pay to the Trust, any taxes so required to be withheld and paid over by the Trust within ten (10) days after the Managing Owner’s request therefor. Such Unitholder shall also be liable for (and the Managing Owner shall be entitled to redeem Units of such Unitholder as necessary to satisfy) interest on the amount of taxes paid over by the Trust to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) or other taxing authority, from the date of the Managing Owner’s request for payment to the date of payment or redemption, as the case may be, at the rate of two percent (2%) per annum over the prime rate charged from time to time by FBR National Bank & Trust, Bethesda, Maryland. Any amount payable by the Trust to such Unitholder shall be reduced by any obligations owed to the Trust by the Unitholder, including, without limitation, the amount of any taxes required to be paid over by the Trust to the IRS or other taxing authority and interest thereon as aforesaid. Amounts, if any, deducted by the Trust from any actual distribution or redemption payment to such Unitholder shall be treated as an actual distribution to such Unitholder for all purposes of this Declaration of Trust.

 

The Trust will receive all interest income earned on its assets.

 

 TA-11

 

 

(e) Limited Liability of Unitholders. Each Unit, when purchased in accordance with this Declaration of Trust, shall, except as otherwise provided by law, be fully-paid and nonassessable. Any provisions of this Declaration of Trust to the contrary notwithstanding, Unitholders (including the Managing Owner, except to the extent otherwise provided herein) shall be entitled to the same limitation on personal liability extended to stockholders of private corporations for profit organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

 

The Trust will indemnify, to the full extent permitted by law, each Unitholder (other than the Managing Owner in the event that the Managing Owner acquires Units) against any claims of liability asserted against such Unitholder solely because such Unitholder is a beneficial owner of the Trust (other than in respect of taxes due from such Unitholder as such a beneficial owner).

 

Every written note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking made or issued by the Managing Owner shall give notice to the effect that the same was executed or made by or on behalf of the Trust and that the obligations of any of the foregoing are not binding upon the Unitholders individually but are binding only upon the assets and property of the Trust, and that no resort shall be had to the Unitholders’ personal property for the satisfaction of any obligation or claim thereunder, and appropriate references may be made to this Declaration of Trust and may contain any further recital which the Managing Owner deems appropriate, but the omission thereof shall not operate to bind the Unitholders individually or otherwise invalidate any such note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking.

 

(f) Return of Capital Contributions. No Unitholder or subsequent assignee shall have any right to demand the return of his or her capital contribution or any profits added thereto, except through redeeming Units or upon dissolution of the Trust, in each case as provided herein. In no event shall a Unitholder or subsequent assignee be entitled to demand or receive property other than cash.

 

9. Management of the Trust.

 

(a) Authority of the Managing Owner. Pursuant to Section 3806 of the Act, the Trust shall be managed by the Managing Owner, and the conduct of the Trust’s business (including the maintenance of accounts and allocations) shall be controlled and conducted solely by the Managing Owner in accordance with this Declaration of Trust.

 

The Managing Owner, to the exclusion of all other Unitholders, shall control, conduct and manage the business of the Trust. The Managing Owner shall have sole discretion in determining what distributions of profits and income, if any, shall be made to the Unitholders (subject to the allocation provisions hereof), shall execute various documents on behalf of the Trust and the Unitholders pursuant to powers of attorney and shall supervise the liquidation of the Trust if an event causing dissolution of the Trust occurs.

 

The Managing Owner may, in furtherance of the business of the Trust, cause the Trust to buy, sell, hold or otherwise acquire or dispose of commodities, futures contracts, forward contracts on currencies and options traded on exchanges or otherwise, swaps, hybrid instruments, arbitrage positions, repurchase agreements, interest-bearing securities, deposit accounts and similar instruments and other assets, and cause the trading of the Trust to be limited to only certain of the foregoing instruments.

 

The Managing Owner may take such other actions on behalf of the Trust as the Managing Owner deems necessary or desirable to manage the business of the Trust.

 

The Managing Owner is hereby authorized to perform all duties imposed by Sections 6221 through 6232 of the Code on the Managing Owner as the “tax matters partner” of the Trust.

 

(b) Notification of Basic Changes. The Managing Owner shall send to all Unitholders and assignees prior notice of any change in the basic investment approach of the Trust and of any increase in its charges. Such notifications shall contain a ballot and a description of Unitholder’s voting and redemption rights and a description of any material effect of such change or increase. The Managing Owner is hereby specifically authorized to enter into, on behalf of the Trust, the Customer Agreements, the Selling Agreements and the Additional Selling Agent Agreements as described in the Prospectus. For the avoidance of doubt, the business terms applicable to Units issued prior to the date hereof including, but not limited to fee terms and redemption terms, shall continue with respect to such Units while such Units remain outstanding.

 

 TA-12

 

 

(c) Certain Agreements. In addition to any specific contract or agreements described herein, the Trust, and the Managing Owner on behalf of the Trust, may enter into any other contracts or agreements specifically described in or contemplated by the Prospectus without any further act, approval or vote of any Unitholder other than the Managing Owner, notwithstanding any other provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the Act or any applicable law, rule or regulations.

 

(d) Fiduciary Duties. The Managing Owner shall be under a fiduciary duty to conduct the affairs of the Trust in the best interests of the Trust, provided that the Managing Owner shall not be obligated to engage in any conduct on behalf of the Trust to the detriment of any other commodity pool to which the Managing Owner owes similar fiduciary duties. The Unitholders will under no circumstances be deemed to have contracted away the fiduciary obligations owed them by the Managing Owner under the common law. The Managing Owner’s fiduciary duty includes, among other things, the safekeeping of all funds and assets of the Trust and the use thereof for the benefit of the Trust. The Managing Owner shall at all times act with integrity and good faith and exercise due diligence in all activities relating to the conduct of the business of the Trust and in resolving conflicts of interest. The Managing Owner will take no actions with respect to the property of the Trust which do not benefit the Trust, and the Managing Owner will not use the assets of the Trust as compensating balances for the Managing Owner’s exclusive benefit.

 

(e) Brokerage Arrangements. The Trust’s brokerage arrangements shall be non-exclusive, and the brokerage commissions paid by the Trust shall be competitive. Such brokerage commissions may not exceed 14% annually of the average net assets of the Trust, excluding Trust assets not directly related to trading activity. The Trust shall seek the best price and services available for its commodity transactions.

 

The Brokerage Fees (in respect of Series 1 Units) and Management Fees (in respect of Series 2 Units and Series 3 Units) paid by the Trust may not exceed the amount permitted under applicable North American Securities Administrators Association, Inc. Guidelines for the Registration of Commodity Pool Programs (“Blue Sky Guidelines”) in effect as of the date hereof.

 

(f) Prohibited Activities. The Trust shall make no loans to any party, and the funds of the Trust will not be commingled with the funds of any other person or entity (deposit of funds with a commodity broker, clearinghouse or forward dealer or entering into joint ventures or partnerships shall not be deemed to constitute “commingling” for these purposes). The Managing Owner shall make no loans to the Trust.

 

The Trust shall not employ the trading technique commonly known as “pyramiding.” The Managing Owner taking into account the Trust’s open trade equity on existing positions in determining generally whether to acquire additional commodity positions on behalf of the Trust will not be considered to be engaging in “pyramiding.”

 

No person or entity may receive, directly or indirectly, any advisory, management or incentive fees, or any profit-sharing allocation from joint ventures, partnerships or similar arrangements in which the Trust participates, for investment advice or management who shares or participates in any per-trade commodity brokerage commissions paid by the Trust; no broker may pay, directly or indirectly, rebates or give-ups to any trading advisor or manager or to the Managing Owner or any of their respective affiliates; and such prohibitions may not be circumvented by any reciprocal business arrangements.

 

The maximum period covered by any contract entered into by the Trust, except for the various provisions of the Selling Agreement which survive, shall not exceed one year. Any material change in the basic investment policies or structure of the Trust shall require the approval of Unitholders owning Units representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total outstanding Units owned by Unitholders as of a record date established for a vote thereon. Any agreements between the Trust and the Managing Owner or any affiliate of the Managing Owner shall be terminable by the Trust upon no more than 60 days’ written notice.

 

(g) Freedom of Action. The Managing Owner is engaged, and may in the future engage, other business activities and shall not be required to refrain from any other activity nor forego any profits from any such activity, whether or not in competition with the Trust. The Trustee and the Unitholders may similarly engage in any such other business activities. The Managing Owner shall devote to the Trust such time as the Managing Owner may deem advisable to the conduct of the Trust’s business and affairs.

 

10. Audits and Reports to Unitholders.

 

The Trust’s books shall be audited annually by an independent certified public accountant. The Trust will use its best efforts to cause each Unitholder to receive (i) within 90, but in no event later than 120 days, after the close of each fiscal year certified financial statements for the fiscal year then ended, (ii) within 90 days of the end of each fiscal year (but in no event later than March 15 of each year) such tax information as is necessary for a Unitholder to complete his or her federal income tax return and (iii) such other annual and monthly information as the Commodity Futures Trading Commission may by regulation require. Unitholders or their duly authorized representatives may inspect the books and records of the Trust during normal business hours upon reasonable written notice to the Managing Owner and obtain copies of such records upon payment of reasonable reproduction costs; provided, however, that upon request by the Managing Owner, the requesting Unitholder shall represent that the inspection and/or copies of such records will not be used for commercial purposes unrelated to such Unitholder’s interest as an investor in the Trust.

 

 TA-13

 

 

The Managing Owner shall calculate the Net Asset Value per Unit of each Series on a monthly basis and sell and redeem Units of each Series at such Net Asset Value.

 

The Brokerage Fees, Management Fees, Custodial Fees and Profit Share may not be increased without prior written notice to any affected Unitholders within sufficient time for the exercise of their redemption rights prior to any such increase becoming effective. The Brokerage Fees and the Profit Share may not be increased during any period when a redemption charge is in effect with respect to any Series 1 Units.

 

The Managing Owner shall notify the Unitholders of (i) changes to the trading method of the Managing Owner which the Managing Owner believes to be material, (ii) changes in Brokerage Fees, Management Fee, Custodial Fees, Profit Share or other fees paid by the Trust or (iii) material changes in the basic investment policies or structure of the Trust. The Managing Owner shall so notify Unitholders, by certified mail or other means of notification providing for evidence of delivery, prior to any such change. Such notification shall set forth the Unitholders’ voting and redemption rights. The Managing Owner will send written notice to each Unitholder of a Series within seven days of any decline in the Net Asset Value per Unit of such Series to 50% or less of such value as of the previous month-end. Any such notice shall contain a description of the Unitholders’ voting and redemption rights. The Managing Owner, not the Trust, shall pay the cost of any notification delivered pursuant to this paragraph.

 

The Managing Owner shall prepare or cause to be prepared and shall file on or before the due date (or any extension thereof) any federal, state or local tax returns required to be filed by the Trust. The Managing Owner shall cause the Trust to pay any taxes payable by the Trust; provided, however, that such taxes need not be paid if the Managing Owner or the Trust are in good faith and by appropriate legal proceedings contesting the validity, applicability or amount thereof, and such contest does not materially endanger any right or interest of the Trust.

 

The Managing Owner shall maintain and preserve all required records relating to the Trust for a period of not less than six (6) years from the receipt of such records.

 

In particular, and not by way of limitation, the Managing Owner will retain all Subscription Agreement and Power of Attorney Signature Pages submitted by persons admitted as Unitholders, and all other records necessary to substantiate that Units are sold only to purchasers for whom the Units are a suitable investment, for at least six (6) years after Units are sold to such persons.

 

The Managing Owner shall seek the best price and services for the Trust’s trading, and will, with the assistance of the Trust’s commodity broker(s), make an annual review of the commodity brokerage arrangements applicable to the Trust. Not by way of qualifying the Managing Owner’s obligations to ensure that the Trust’s brokerage arrangements are competitive, but rather as a means of providing additional information to the Unitholders, in connection with such review, the Managing Owner will ascertain, to the extent practicable, the commodity brokerage rates charged to other major commodity pools whose trading and operations are, in the opinion of the Managing Owner, comparable to those of the Trust, in order to assess whether the rates charged the Trust are reasonable in light of the services it receives and the terms upon which the Trust was promoted to subscribers. If, as a result of such review, the Managing Owner determines that such rates are unreasonable in light of the services provided to the Trust and the terms upon which the Trust was promoted, the Managing Owner will notify the Unitholders, setting forth the rates charged to the Trust and several funds which are, in the Managing Owner’s opinion, comparable to the Trust. The Managing Owner shall also make an annual review of the forward trading arrangements for the Trust in an attempt to determine whether such arrangements are competitive with those of other comparable pools in light of the circumstances.

 

In addition to the undertakings in the preceding paragraph, the Trust will seek the best price and services available on its commodity brokerage transactions. All brokerage transactions will be effected at competitive rates. Brokerage commissions may not exceed the cap set forth in Section 9(e). The Managing Owner will annually review the brokerage rates paid by the Trust to guarantee that the criteria set forth in this paragraph are followed. The Managing Owner may not rely solely on the rates charged by other major commodity pools in complying with this paragraph.

 

 TA-14

 

 

11. Assignability of Units.

 

Each Unitholder expressly agrees that he or she will not assign, transfer or dispose of, by gift or otherwise, any of his or her Units or any part or all of his or her right, title and interest in the capital or profits of the Trust in violation of any applicable federal or state securities laws or without giving written notice to the Managing Owner. No assignment, transfer or disposition by an assignee of Units or of any part of his or her right, title and interest in the capital or profits of the Trust shall be effective against the Trust, the Trustee or the Managing Owner until the Managing Owner receives the written notice of the assignment; the Managing Owner shall not be required to give any assignee any rights hereunder prior to receipt of such notice. The Managing Owner may, in its sole discretion, waive any such notice. No such assignee, except with the consent of the Managing Owner (such consent to be withheld only in the event that such assignment could give rise to negative legal or tax consequences), may become a substituted Unitholder, nor will the estate or any beneficiary of a deceased Unitholder or assignee have any right to redeem Units from the Trust except by redemption as provided in Section 12 hereof. Each Unitholder agrees that with the consent of the Managing Owner any assignee may become a substituted Unitholder without need of the further act or approval of any Unitholder. If the Managing Owner withholds consent, an assignee shall not become a substituted Unitholder, and shall not have any of the rights of a Unitholder, except that the assignee shall be entitled to receive that share of capital and profits and shall have that right of redemption to which his or her assignor would otherwise have been entitled. No assignment, transfer or disposition of Units shall be effective against the Trust, the Trustee or the Managing Owner until the first business day of the calendar month following the month in which the Managing Owner receives notice of such assignment, transfer or disposition. The Managing Owner will send written confirmation to both the transferors and transferees of Units that the transfers in question have been duly recorded on the Trust’s books and records. The Managing Owner will not permit the assignment, transfer or disposition of Units where, after the assignment, transfer or disposition, either the Unitholder or the assignee would hold less than the minimum number of Units equivalent to an initial minimum purchase (as stated in the then-current prospectus in respect of the Units), except for assignments, transfers or dispositions by gift, inheritance, intrafamily transfers, family dissolutions or transfers to Affiliates of the Unitholder.

 

12. Redemptions.

 

A Unitholder (including the Managing Owner except to the extent that its power to redeem is limited by any other provision of this Declaration of Trust) or any assignee of Units of whom the Managing Owner has received written notice, may redeem all or any of his or her Units, effective as of the close of business (as determined by the Managing Owner) on the last business day of any calendar month, provided that (i) all liabilities, contingent or otherwise, of the Trust (including the Trust’s allocable share of the liabilities, contingent or otherwise, of any entities in which the Trust invests), except any liability to Unitholders on account of their capital contributions, have been paid or there remains property of the Trust sufficient to pay them and (ii) the Managing Owner shall have received a redemption request at least ten business days prior to the date of redemption, or such later time as shall be acceptable to the Managing Owner. Series 1 Unitholders who redeem Series 1 Units on or prior to the end of the first successive six-month and five-month periods after such Series 1 Units are sold will be assessed redemption charges of 4% and 3%, respectively (3.5% and 2.5%, 3% and 2% and 2.5% and 1.5%, respectively, in the case of Series 1 Unitholders who have invested $100,000, $500,000 or $1,000,000 or more, respectively, in the Trust), of their Series 1 Units’ Net Asset Value as of the date of redemption. Series 1 Units purchased by the same Series 1 Unitholder on different closing dates will be treated on a “first-in, first-out” basis for purposes of calculating the foregoing six-month periods. Additional Series 1 Units issued to Series 1 Unitholders subject to a reduced rather than a 7.0% annual Brokerage Fee will be deemed all to have been issued as of the date of the longest outstanding Series 1 Units held by a particular Series 1 Unitholder. All redemption charges will be paid to the Managing Owner.

 

Redemption charges shall not apply to Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units or Series 4 Units.

 

Any number of whole Units may be redeemed. Fractional Units may only be redeemed upon redemption of a Unitholder’s entire interest in the Trust.

 

Redemption requests must be in writing unless the Managing Owner determines otherwise.

 

The Managing Owner may declare additional redemption dates upon notice to the Unitholders as well as to those assignees of whom the Managing Owner has received notice as described above.

 

Redemption payments will be made (by mailing a check or crediting a customer securities account) within 15 business days after the date of redemption, except that under special circumstances, including, but not limited to, inability to liquidate commodity positions or default or delay in payments due from commodity brokers, banks or other persons or entities, the Trust may in turn delay payment to Unitholders or assignees requesting redemption of their Units of the proportionate part of the Net Asset Value of such Units equal to that proportionate part of the aggregate Net Asset Value of the Trust represented by the sums which are the subject of such default or delay.

 

 TA-15

 

 

All redemptions will be made at Net Asset Value as of the effective date of the redemption (the “Valuation Date”).

 

The Managing Owner may require a Unitholder to redeem all or a portion of such Unitholder’s Units if the Managing Owner considers doing so to be desirable for the protection of the Trust, and will use its best efforts to do so to the extent necessary to prevent the Trust from being deemed to hold “plan assets” under the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), or Section 4975 of the Code with respect to any “employee benefit plan” as defined in and subject to ERISA or with respect to any “plan” as defined in Section 4975 of the Code.

 

If at the close of business (as determined by the Managing Owner) on any business day, the Net Asset Value per Unit of a Series has decreased to (i) $500 or less or (ii) less than 50% of the Net Asset Value per Unit of such Series on the most recent Valuation Date, after adding back all distributions, whichever is greater, the Trust will liquidate all open positions as expeditiously as possible and suspend trading. Within 7 business days after any such suspension of trading, the Managing Owner shall declare a “Special Redemption Date.” Such Special Redemption Date shall be a business day within 30 business days from the date of suspension of trading by the Trust, and the Managing Owner shall mail notice of such date to each Unitholder and assignee of Units of whom it has received written notice, by first class mail, postage prepaid, not later than 7 business days of the date of the decline of the Net Asset Value of the applicable Series precipitating such Special Redemption Date, together with instructions as to the procedure such Unitholder or assignee must follow to have such Unitholder’s or assignee’s interest (only entire, not partial, interests may be so redeemed unless otherwise determined by the Managing Owner) in the Trust redeemed on such date. Upon redemption pursuant to a Special Redemption Date, a Unitholder or any other assignee of whom the Managing Owner has received written notice, shall receive from the Trust an amount equal to the Net Asset Value of such Unitholder’s interest, determined as of the close of business (as determined by the Managing Owner) on such Special Redemption Date. No redemption charges shall be assessed on any such Special Redemption Date. As in the case of a regular redemption, an assignee shall not be entitled to redemption on any Special Redemption Date until the Managing Owner has received written notice (see Section 11) of the assignment, transfer or disposition under which the assignee claims an interest in the Units to be redeemed. If, after such Special Redemption Date, the Net Assets of the Trust are at least $250,000 and the Net Asset Value per Unit of each Series is in excess of $250, the Trust may, in the discretion of the Managing Owner, resume trading. If the preceding conditions are not met or the Managing Owner determines not to resume trading, the Trust will be dissolved and terminated.

 

The Managing Owner may declare additional Special Redemption Dates upon notice to the Unitholders and assignees of whom the Managing Owner has received notice. In the event the Managing Owner does, in its discretion, declare a Special Redemption Date, the Managing Owner may, in its notice of such Special Redemption Date modify the circumstances under which the Managing Owner is again required to declare a Special Redemption Date, as set forth in the preceding paragraph.

 

13. Offering of Units.

 

The Managing Owner on behalf of the Trust shall (i) cause to be filed from time to time a Registration Statement or Registration Statements, and such amendments thereto as the Managing Owner may deem advisable, with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the registration and ongoing public offering of Units, (ii) use its best efforts to qualify Units for sale from time to time under the securities laws of such states of the United States or other jurisdictions as the Managing Owner shall deem advisable and (iii) take such action with respect to the matters described in (i) and (ii) as the Managing Owner shall deem advisable or necessary.

 

The Managing Owner shall not accept any subscriptions for Units if doing so would cause the Trust to be considered to hold “plan assets” for any purpose of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code with respect to any “employee benefit plan” as defined in and subject to ERISA or with respect to any “plan” as defined in and subject to Section 4975 of the Code.

 

All Units subscribed for upon transfer of funds from a subscriber’s account (or receipt of a check in the subscription amount) are issued subject to the collection of the funds represented by such transfer (or check). In the event that a transfer (or check) of a subscriber is not honored, the Trust shall cancel the Units issued to such subscriber in consideration of such dishonored transfer (or check); provided that the Managing Owner may waive such cancellation upon receipt of what it believes to be reasonable assurances that such transfer (or check) will be honored or replaced by another transfer (or check) which will be honored within 10 business days of original dishonor. Any losses or profits sustained by the Trust in connection with its trading allocable to cancelled Units shall be deemed an increase or decrease in the Net Assets of the Trust and allocated as described above in Section 8, not a liability of the Managing Owner. Each subscriber agrees to reimburse the Trust for any expense or losses incurred in connection with any such cancellation of Units issued to him or her.

 

 TA-16

 

 

Units will be sold as of the first day of each calendar month subject to the Managing Owner’s discretion to hold intra-month closings and to suspend or terminate the offering of Units.

 

Each Unitholder consents, by the act of purchasing Units, to the Trust issuing to such Unitholder additional Units of the same Series purchased (in fractions calculated up to three decimal places) in lieu of all interest earned on such Unitholder’s subscription while held pending investment in the Units.

 

14. Special Power of Attorney.

 

Each Unitholder by virtue of having purchased or otherwise acquired Units does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint the Managing Owner and each officer of the Managing Owner, with full power of substitution, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact, in his or her name, place and stead, to execute, acknowledge, swear to (and deliver as may be appropriate) on his or her behalf and file and record in the appropriate public offices and publish (as may in the reasonable judgment of the Managing Owner be required by law): (i) this Declaration of Trust, including any amendments and/or restatements hereto duly adopted as provided herein; (ii) certificates in various jurisdictions, and amendments and/or restatements thereto; (iii) all conveyances and other instruments which the Managing Owner deems appropriate to qualify or continue the Trust in the State of Delaware and the jurisdictions in which the Trust may conduct business, or which may be required to be filed by the Trust or the Unitholders under the laws of any jurisdiction or under any amendments or successor statutes to the Act, to reflect the dissolution or termination of the Trust or the Trust being governed by any amendments or successor statutes to the Act or to reorganize or refile the Trust in a different jurisdiction; and (iv) to file, prosecute, defend, settle or compromise litigation, claims or arbitrations on behalf of the Trust. The Power of Attorney granted herein shall be irrevocable and deemed to be a power coupled with an interest (including, without limitation, the interest of the other Unitholders in the Managing Owner being able to rely on the Managing Owner’s authority to act as contemplated by this Section 14) and shall survive and shall not be affected by the subsequent incapacity, disability or death of a Unitholder.

 

15. Withdrawal of a Unitholder.

 

The Trust shall be dissolved upon the death, insanity, bankruptcy, retirement, resignation, expulsion, withdrawal, insolvency or dissolution of the Managing Owner, or any other event that causes the Managing Owner to cease to be the managing owner of the Trust, unless the Trust is continued pursuant to the terms of Section 5(a)(3). In addition, the Managing Owner may withdraw from the Trust, without any breach of this Declaration of Trust, at any time upon 120 days’ written notice by first class mail, postage prepaid, to the Trustee, each Unitholder and each assignee of whom the Managing Owner has notice. In the event of the Managing Owner’s removal or withdrawal from the Trust, the Managing Owner shall be entitled to a redemption of its interest in the Trust at its Net Asset Value as of the close of business on the last business day of the month following the date of removal or withdrawal. If the Managing Owner withdraws from the Trust and the Trust’s business is continued, the withdrawing Managing Owner shall pay all expenses incurred as a result of its withdrawal.

 

The Managing Owner may not assign its general liability interest or its obligation to direct the trading of the Trust without the consent of each Unitholder. The Managing Owner will notify all Unitholders of any change in the principals of the Managing Owner.

 

The death, incompetency, withdrawal, insolvency or dissolution of a Unitholder or any other event that causes a Unitholder to cease to be a beneficial owner (within the meaning of the Act) in the Trust shall not terminate or dissolve the Trust, and a Unitholder, his or her estate, custodian or personal representative shall have no right to redeem or value such Unitholder’s interest except as provided in Section 12 hereof. Each Unitholder expressly agrees that in the event of his or her death, he or she waives on behalf of himself or herself and his or her estate, and directs the legal representatives of his or her estate and any person interested therein to waive, the furnishing of any inventory, accounting or appraisal of the assets of the Trust and any right to an audit or examination of the books of the Trust. Nothing in this Section 15 shall, however, waive any right given elsewhere in this Declaration of Trust for a Unitholder to be informed of the Net Asset Value of his or her Units, to receive periodic reports, audited financial statements and other information from the Managing Owner or the Trust or to redeem or transfer Units.

 

 TA-17

 

  

16. Benefit Plan Investors.

 

Each Unitholder that is an “employee benefit plan” as defined in, and subject to the fiduciary responsibility provisions of, ERISA or a “plan” as defined in and subject to Section 4975 of the Code (each such employee benefit plan and plan, a “Plan”), and each fiduciary thereof who has caused the Plan to become a Unitholder (a “Plan Fiduciary”), represents and warrants that: (a) the Plan Fiduciary has considered an investment in the Trust for such Plan in light of the risks relating thereto; (b) the Plan Fiduciary has determined that, in view of such considerations, the investment in the Trust by such Plan is consistent with such Plan Fiduciary’s responsibilities under ERISA; (c) the investment in the Trust by the Plan does not violate and is not otherwise inconsistent with the terms of any legal document constituting the Plan or any trust agreement entered into thereunder; (d) the Plan’s investment in the Trust has been duly authorized and approved by all necessary parties; (e) none of the Managing Owner, any selling agent, Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc., Deutsche Bank AG, any wholesaler, any clearing broker, the Trustee, any of their respective affiliates or any of their respective agents or employees: (i) has investment discretion with respect to the investment of the assets of the Plan used to purchase Units; (ii) has authority or responsibility to or regularly gives investment advice with respect to the assets of the Plan used to purchase Units for a fee and pursuant to an agreement or understanding that such advice will serve as a primary basis for investment decisions with respect to the Plan and that such advice will be based on the particular investment needs of the Plan; or (iii) is an employer maintaining or contributing to the Plan, except in the case of a Plan where the Managing Owner is described in this clause (e), the fees payable to the Managing Owner are waived and the purchase and holding of Units would not result in a prohibited transaction under ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code; and (f) the Plan Fiduciary: (i) is authorized to make, and is responsible for, the decision for the Plan to invest in the Trust, including the determination that such investment is consistent with the requirement imposed by Section 404 of ERISA that Plan investments be diversified so as to minimize the risks of large losses; (ii) is independent of the Managing Owner, each selling agent, Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc., Deutsche Bank AG, each wholesaler, each clearing broker, the Trustee, and each of their respective affiliates, except in the case of the Managing Owner where the fees payable to the Managing Owner are waived and the purchase and holding of Units would not result in a prohibited transaction under ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code; and (iii) is qualified to make such investment decision.

 

17. Standard of Liability; Indemnification.

 

(a) Standard of Liability for the Managing Owner. The Managing Owner and its Affiliates, as defined below, shall have no liability to the Trust or to any Unitholder for any loss suffered by the Trust which arises out of any action or inaction of the Managing Owner or its Affiliates, if the Managing Owner, in good faith, determined that such course of conduct was in the best interests of the Trust, and such course of conduct did not constitute negligence or misconduct of the Managing Owner or its Affiliates.

 

(b) Indemnification of the Managing Owner by the Trust. To the fullest extent permitted by law, subject to this Section 17, the Managing Owner and its Affiliates shall be indemnified by the Trust, solely from the assets of the Trust, against any losses, judgments, liabilities, expenses and amounts paid in settlement of any claims sustained by them in connection with the Trust; provided that such claims were not the result of negligence or misconduct on the part of the Managing Owner or its Affiliates, and the Managing Owner, in good faith, determined that such conduct was in the best interests of the Trust; and provided further that Affiliates of the Managing Owner shall be entitled to indemnification only for losses incurred by such Affiliates in performing the duties of the Managing Owner and acting wholly within the scope of the authority of the Managing Owner.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the preceding two paragraphs, the Managing Owner and its Affiliates and any persons acting as selling agent for the Units shall not be indemnified for any losses, liabilities or expenses arising from or out of an alleged violation of federal or state securities laws unless (1) there has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged securities law violations as to the particular indemnitee and the court approves indemnification of the litigation costs, or (2) such claims have been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of competent jurisdiction as to the particular indemnitee and the court approves indemnification of the litigation costs, or (3) a court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims against a particular indemnitee and finds that indemnification of the settlement and related costs should be made.

 

In any claim for indemnification for federal or state securities law violations, the party seeking indemnification shall place before the court the position of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the California Department of Corporations, the Massachusetts Securities Division, the Pennsylvania Securities Commission, the Tennessee Securities Division, the Texas Securities Board and any other state or applicable regulatory authority with respect to the issue of indemnification for securities law violations.

 

The Trust shall not bear the cost of that portion of any insurance which insures any party against any liability the indemnification of which is herein prohibited.

 

 TA-18

 

 

For the purposes of this Section 17, the term “Affiliates” shall mean any person acting on behalf of or performing services on behalf of the Trust who: (1) directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the Managing Owner; or (2) owns or controls 10% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the Managing Owner; or (3) is an officer or director of the Managing Owner; or (4) if the Managing Owner is an officer, director, partner or trustee, is any entity for which the Managing Owner acts in any such capacity.

 

Advances from the funds of the Trust to the Managing Owner or its Affiliates for legal expenses and other costs incurred as a result of any legal action initiated against the Managing Owner by a Unitholder are prohibited.

 

Advances from the funds of the Trust to the Managing Owner or its Affiliates for legal expenses and other costs incurred as a result of a legal action will be made only if the following three conditions are satisfied: (1) the legal action relates to the performance of duties or services by the Managing Owner or its Affiliates on behalf of the Trust; (2) the legal action is initiated by a third party who is not a Unitholder; and (3) the Managing Owner or its Affiliates undertake to repay the advanced funds, with interest from the initial date of such advance, to the Trust in cases in which they would not be entitled to indemnification under the standard of liability set forth in Section 17(a).

 

In no event shall any indemnity or exculpation provided for herein be more favorable to the Managing Owner or any Affiliate than that contemplated by the Blue Sky Guidelines as in effect on the date of this Declaration of Trust.

 

In no event shall any indemnification permitted by this subsection (b) of Section 17 be made by the Trust unless all provisions of this Section for the payment of indemnification have been complied with in all respects. Furthermore, it shall be a precondition of any such indemnification that the Trust receive a determination of qualified independent legal counsel in a written opinion that the party which seeks to be indemnified hereunder has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth herein. Receipt of any such opinion shall not, however, in itself, entitle any such party to indemnification unless indemnification is otherwise proper hereunder. Any indemnification payable by the Trust hereunder shall be made only as provided in the specific case.

 

In no event shall any indemnification obligations of the Trust under this subsection (b) of Section 17 subject a Unitholder to any liability in excess of that contemplated by subsection (e) of Section 8 hereof.

 

(c) Indemnification by the Unitholders. In the event that the Trust is made a party to any claim, dispute or litigation or otherwise incurs any loss or expense as a result of or in connection with any activities of a Unitholder, obligations or liabilities unrelated to the business of the Trust or as a result of or in connection with a transfer, assignment or other disposition or an attempted transfer, assignment or other disposition by a Unitholder or an assignee of its Units or of any part of its right, title and interest in the capital or profits of the Trust in violation of this Declaration of Trust, such Unitholder shall indemnify and reimburse the Trust for all loss and expense incurred, including reasonable attorneys’ fees.

  

 TA-19

 

 

18. Amendments; Meetings.

 

(a) Amendments with Consent of the Managing Owner. If at any time during the term of the Trust the Managing Owner shall deem it necessary or desirable to amend this Declaration of Trust, the Managing Owner may proceed to do so, provided that such amendment shall be effective only if embodied in an instrument approved by the Managing Owner and, pursuant to a vote called by the Managing Owner, by the holders of Units representing a majority of the outstanding Units. Such vote shall be taken at least 30 but not more than 60 days after delivery by the Managing Owner to each Unitholder of record by certified mail of notice of the proposed amendment and voting procedures. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Managing Owner may amend this Declaration of Trust without the consent of the Unitholders in order (i) to clarify any clerical inaccuracy or ambiguity or reconcile any inconsistency (including any inconsistency between this Declaration of Trust and the Prospectus), (ii) to effect the intent of the allocations proposed herein to the maximum extent possible in the event of a change in the Code or the interpretations thereof affecting such allocations, (iii) to attempt to ensure that the Trust is not treated as an association taxable as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, (iv) to qualify or maintain the qualification of the Trust as a trust in any jurisdiction, (v) to delete or add any provision of or to this Declaration of Trust required to be deleted or added by the Staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other federal agency or any state “Blue Sky” or similar official or in order to opt to be governed by any amendment or successor statute to the Act, (vi) to make any amendment to this Declaration of Trust which the Managing Owner deems advisable, provided that such amendment is for the benefit of and not adverse to the Unitholders or the Trustee, or that is required by law, (vii) to make any amendment that is appropriate or necessary, in the opinion of the Managing Owner, to prevent the Trust or the Managing Owner or its directors, officers or controlling persons from in any manner being subjected to the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and (viii) to make any amendment that is appropriate or necessary, in the opinion of the Managing Owner, to avoid causing the assets of the Trust from being considered for any purpose of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code to constitute assets of any Plan, or to avoid the Trust’s engaging in a prohibited transaction as defined in Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975(c) of the Code.

 

(b) Amendments and Actions without Consent of the Managing Owner. In any vote called by the Managing Owner or pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section 18, upon the affirmative vote (which may be in person or by proxy) of more than fifty percent (50%) of the Units then owned by Unitholders, the following actions may be taken with respect to the Trust, irrespective of whether the Managing Owner concurs: (i) this Declaration of Trust may be amended, provided, however, that approval of all Unitholders shall be required in the case of amendments changing or altering this Section 18, extending the term of the Trust, or materially changing the Trust’s basic investment policies or structure; in addition, reduction of the capital account of any Unitholder or assignee or modification of the percentage of profits, losses or distributions to which a Unitholder or an assignee is entitled hereunder shall not be effected by any amendment or supplement to this Declaration of Trust without such Unitholder’s or assignee’s written consent; (ii) the Trust may be dissolved; (iii) the Managing Owner may be removed and replaced; (iv) a new managing owner or managing owners may be elected if the Managing Owner withdraws from the Trust; (v) the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Trust may be approved; and (vi) any contract with the Managing Owner or any affiliate thereof may be disapproved and, as a result, terminated upon 60 days’ notice.

 

(c) Meetings; Other. Any Unitholder upon request addressed to the Managing Owner shall be entitled to obtain from the Managing Owner, upon payment in advance of reasonable reproduction and mailing costs, a list of the names and addresses of record of all Unitholders and the number of Units held by each (which shall be mailed by the Managing Owner to the Unitholder within ten days of the receipt of the request); provided, that the Managing Owner may require any Unitholder requesting such information to submit written confirmation that such information will not be used for commercial purposes. Upon receipt of a written proposal, signed by Unitholders owning Units representing at least 10% of all Units then owned by Unitholders, that a meeting of the Trust be called to vote upon any matter upon which the Unitholders may vote pursuant to this Declaration of Trust, the Managing Owner shall, by written notice to each Unitholder of record sent by certified mail within 15 days after such receipt, call a meeting of the Trust. Such meeting shall be held at least 30 but not more than 60 days after the mailing of such notice, and such notice shall specify the date of, a reasonable place and time for, and the purpose of such meeting. Such notice shall establish a record date for Units entitled to vote at the meeting, which shall be not more than 15 days prior to the date established for such meeting.

 

The Managing Owner may not restrict the voting rights of Unitholders as set forth herein.

 

In the event that the Managing Owner or the Unitholders vote to amend this Declaration of Trust in any material respect, the amendment will not become effective prior to all Unitholders having an opportunity to redeem their Units.

 

(d) Consent by Trustee. The Trustee’s written consent to any amendment of this Declaration of Trust shall be required, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld; provided, however, that the Trustee may, in its sole discretion, withhold its consent to any such amendment that would adversely affect any right, duty or liability of, or immunity or indemnity in favor of, the Trustee under this Declaration of Trust or any of the documents contemplated hereby to which the Trustee is a party, or would cause or result in any conflict with or breach of any terms, conditions or provisions of, or default under, the charter documents or by-laws of the Trustee or any document contemplated hereby to which the Trustee is a party; provided further, that the Trustee may not withhold consent for any action listed in subsections 18(b)(ii)-(vi). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Declaration of Trust, the Trustee may immediately resign if, in its sole discretion, the Trustee determines that the Unitholders’ actions pursuant to subsections 18(b)(i)-(vi) would adversely affect the Trustee in any manner.

 

19. Governing Law.

 

The validity and construction of this Declaration of Trust shall be determined and governed by the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to principles of conflicts of law; provided, that the foregoing choice of law shall not restrict the application of any state’s securities laws to the sale of Units to its residents or within such state.

 

20. Miscellaneous.

 

(a) Notices. All notices under this Declaration of Trust shall be in writing and shall be effective upon personal delivery, or if sent by first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the last known address of the party to whom such notice is to be given, upon the deposit of such notice in the United States mails.

 

(b) Binding Effect. This Declaration of Trust shall inure to and be binding upon all of the parties, their successors and assigns, custodians, estates, heirs and personal representatives. For purposes of determining the rights of any Unitholder or assignee hereunder, the Trust and the Managing Owner may rely upon the Trust records as to who are Unitholders and assignees, and all Unitholders and assignees agree that their rights shall be determined and they shall be bound thereby.

 

 TA-20

 

 

(c) Captions. Captions in no way define, limit, extend or describe the scope of this Declaration of Trust nor the effect of any of its provisions. Any reference to “persons” in this Declaration of Trust shall also be deemed to include entities, unless the context otherwise requires.

 

21. Certain Definitions.

 

This Declaration of Trust contains certain provisions required by the Blue Sky Guidelines. The terms used in such provisions are defined as follows (the following definitions are included verbatim from such Guidelines and, accordingly, may not in all cases be relevant to this Declaration of Trust):

 

Administrator. The official or agency administering the securities laws of a state.

 

Advisor. Any Person who for any consideration engages in the business of advising others, either directly or indirectly, as to the value, purchase, or sale of Commodity Contracts or commodity options.

 

Affiliate. An Affiliate of a Person means: (a) any Person directly or indirectly owning, controlling or holding with power to vote 10% or more of the outstanding voting securities of such Person; (b) any Person 10% or more of whose outstanding voting securities are directly or indirectly owned, controlled or held with power to vote, by such Person; (c) any Person, directly or indirectly, controlling, controlled by, or under common control of such Person; (d) any officer, director or partner of such Person; or (e) if such Person is an officer, director or partner, any Person for which such Person acts in any such capacity.

 

Capital Contributions. The total investment in a Program by a Participant or by all Participants, as the case may be.

 

Commodity Broker. Any Person who engages in the business of effecting transactions in Commodity Contracts for the account of others or for his or her own account.

 

Commodity Contract. A contract or option thereon providing for the delivery or receipt at a future date of a specified amount and grade of a traded commodity at a specified price and delivery point.

 

Cross Reference Sheet. A compilation of the Guidelines sections, referenced to the page of the prospectus, Program agreement, or other exhibits, and justification of any deviation from the Guidelines.

 

Net Assets. The total assets, less total liabilities, of the Program determined on the basis of generally accepted accounting principles. Net Assets shall include any unrealized profits or losses on open positions, and any fee or expense including Net Asset fees accruing to the Program.

 

Net Asset Value Per Program Interest. The Net Assets divided by the number of Program Interests outstanding.

 

Net Worth. The excess of total assets over total liabilities as determined by generally accepted accounting principles. Net Worth shall be determined exclusive of home, home furnishings and automobiles.

 

New Trading Profits. The excess, if any, of Net Assets at the end of the period over Net Assets at the end of the highest previous period or Net Assets at the date trading commences, whichever is higher, and as further adjusted to eliminate the effect on Net Assets resulting from new Capital Contributions, redemptions, or capital distributions, if any, made during the period decreased by interest or other income, not directly related to trading activity, earned on Program assets during the period, whether the assets are held separately or in a margin account.

 

Organizational and Offering Expenses. All expenses incurred by the Program in connection with and in preparing a Program for registration and subsequently offering and distributing it to the public, including, but not limited to, total underwriting and brokerage discounts and commissions (including fees of the underwriters’ attorneys), expenses for printing, engraving, mailing, salaries of employees while engaged in sales activity, charges of transfer agents, registrars, trustees, escrow holders, depositories, experts, expenses of qualification of the sale of its Program Interest under federal and state law including taxes and fees, accountants’ and attorneys’ fees. (Organizational and Offering Expenses as used in this Declaration of Trust does not include selling commissions).

 

 TA-21

 

 

Participant. The holder of a Program Interest.

 

Person. Any natural Person, partnership, corporation, association or other legal entity.

 

Pit Brokerage Fee. Pit Brokerage Fee shall include floor brokerage, clearing fees, National Futures Association fees, and exchange fees.

 

Program. A limited partnership, joint venture, corporation, trust or other entity formed and operated for the purpose of investing in Commodity Contracts.

 

Program Broker. A Commodity Broker that effects trades in Commodity Contracts for the account of a Program.

 

Program Interest. A limited partnership interest or other security representing ownership in a Program.

 

Pyramiding. A method of using all or a part of an unrealized profit in a Commodity Contract position to provide margin for any additional Commodity Contracts of the same or related commodities.

 

Sponsor. Any Person directly or indirectly instrumental in organizing a Program or any Person who will manage or participate in the management of a Program, including a Commodity Broker who pays any portion of the Organizational and Offering Expenses of the Program, and the general partner(s) and any other Person who regularly performs or selects the Persons who perform services for the Program. Sponsor does not include wholly independent third parties such as attorneys, accountants and underwriters whose only compensation is for professional services rendered in connection with the offering of the units. The term “Sponsor” shall be deemed to include its Affiliates.

 

Valuation Date. The date as of which the Net Assets of the Program are determined.

 

Valuation Period. A regular period of time between Valuation Dates.

 

Certain terms not defined herein are used with the respective meanings set forth in the Prospectus.

 

22. No Legal Title to Trust Estate.

 

The Unitholders shall not have legal title to any part of the Trust Estate.

 

23. Legal Title.

 

Legal title to all the Trust Estate shall be vested in the Trust as a separate legal entity; except where applicable law in any jurisdiction requires any part of the Trust Estate to be vested otherwise, the Managing Owner (or the Trustee, if required by law) may cause legal title to the Trust Estate of any portion thereof to be held by or in the name of the Managing Owner or any other person as nominee.

 

24. Creditors.

 

No creditors of any Unitholders shall have any right to obtain possession of, or otherwise exercise legal or equitable remedies with respect to, the Trust Estate.

 

*********

 TA-22

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have duly executed this Fourth Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement as of the day and year first above written.

 

  WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY, not in its
  individual capacity but solely as Trustee
   
  By: /s/ JOSEPH B. FEIL
    Name: Joseph B. Feil
    Title: Vice President
   
  MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION as
  Managing Owner
   
  By: /s/ HARVEY BEKER
    Harvey Beker
    Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chairman
   
  All Unitholders admitted as Unitholders
  of the Trust, pursuant to powers of attorney
  executed in favor of, and granted and delivered to,
  the Managing Owner.
   
  MILLBURN RIDGEFIELD CORPORATION as
  Attorney-in-Fact
   
  By: /s/ GEORGE E. CRAPPLE
    George E. Crapple
    Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chairman

 

 TA-23

 

 

Schedule A

 

CERTIFICATE OF TRUST
OF
GLOBAL MACRO TRUST

THIS Certificate of Trust of GLOBAL MACRO TRUST (the “Trust”), dated July 23, 2001, is being duly executed and filed by Wilmington Trust Company, a Delaware banking corporation, as trustee, to form a business trust under the Delaware Business Trust Act (12 Del.C. § 3801 et seq.).

 

1.   Name. The name of the business trust formed hereby is GLOBAL MACRO TRUST.

 

2.   Delaware Trustee. The name and business address of the trustee of the Trust in the State of Delaware is Wilmington Trust Company, Rodney Square North, 1100 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19890, Attention: Corporate Trust Administration.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being the sole trustee of the Trust, has executed this Certificate of Trust as of the date first above written.

 

  WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY, as Trustee
   
  By: /s/ PATRICIA A. EVANS
    Patricia A. Evans
    Senior Financial Services Officer

 

 TA-24

 

 

ANNEX

 

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST
REQUEST FOR REDEMPTION

 

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST    
c/o Millburn Ridgefield Corporation Date  
  Managing Owner    
411 West Putnam Avenue    
Greenwich, Connecticut 06830    
     

Dear Sirs:

 

The undersigned (trust account number GM-______) hereby requests redemption subject to all the terms and conditions of the Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement (the “Declaration of Trust”) of GLOBAL MACRO TRUST (the “Trust”) of ______ Series ______ Units of Beneficial Interest (“Units”) in the Trust. (Insert number of whole Units to be redeemed and the Series of Units to be redeemed; subscribers may redeem any number of whole Units, they need not redeem all or any minimum number of their Units in order to redeem certain of their Units; however, if no number is indicated, all Units held of record by the undersigned will be redeemed; fractional Units may only be redeemed upon complete redemption of the undersigned’s interest in the Trust.) Units of a Series are redeemed at the Net Asset Value per Unit of such Series, as defined in the Declaration of Trust, less any applicable redemption charge (see below). Redemption shall be effective as of the end of the current calendar month; provided that this Request for Redemption is received at least ten (10) days prior to the end of such month. Payment of the redemption price of Units will generally be made within fifteen (15) business days of the date of redemption.

 

The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned is the true, lawful and beneficial owner of the Units to which this Request for Redemption relates, with full power and authority to request redemption of such Units. Such Units are not subject to any pledge or otherwise encumbered in any fashion.

 

Redemption charges of 4% and 3% (3.5% and 2.5%, 3% and 2%, and 2.5% and 1.5% in the case of subscriptions for $100,000, $500,000 or $1,000,000 or more, respectively) of the Net Asset Value of Series 1 Units redeemed on or before the end of the 6th and after the end of the 6th but on or before the end of the 11th full calendar months, respectively, after the undersigned has purchased the Series 1 Units being redeemed will be deducted from the redemption price of all such Series 1 Units and paid to the Managing Owner. If the undersigned has purchased Units at more than one closing, such Series 1 Units will be treated on a first-in/first-out basis for purposes of determining whether redemption charges continue to be applicable to such Series 1 Units. Redemption charges do not apply to Series 2 Units, Series 3 Units or Series 4 Units.

 

Signatures must be identical to name(s) in which units are registered

 

Credit my customer securities account   Send to the address below
     
     
Name Street   City, State and Zip Code
     
Entity Unitholder   Individual Unitholder(s)
(or assignee)   (or assignee(s))
     
(Name of Entity)    
     
By:      
(Authorized corporate officer, partner or trustee)   (Signature(s) of all Unitholder(s) or assignee(s))
     
Social Security or Taxpayer ID Number________    
         

 

 RR-1

 

 

EXHIBIT B

 

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIREMENTS

 

By executing the Subscription Agreement Signature Pages for Global Macro Trust (the “Trust”), each purchaser (“Purchaser”) of units of beneficial interest (“Units”) of a series (a “Series”) in the Trust irrevocably subscribes for Units of the applicable Series at the Net Asset Value per Unit of such Series, as described in the Trust’s Prospectus dated [ ] (the “Prospectus”). The minimum initial subscription is $5,000; $2,000 for trustees or custodians of employee benefit plans. Units are sold in fractions calculated to three decimal places.

 

Purchaser is herewith delivering to Purchaser’s Selling Agent (hereinafter, “Selling Agent”) executed Subscription Agreement Signature Pages (the “Signature Pages”) and either (i) delivering a check in the full amount of the Purchaser’s subscription or (ii) hereby authorizing such Selling Agent to debit Purchaser’s customer securities account maintained with such Selling Agent for the full amount of Purchaser’s subscription in accordance with the procedures described under “Plan of Distribution — Subscription Procedure” in the Prospectus. If Purchaser’s Subscription Agreement is accepted, Purchaser agrees to contribute Purchaser’s subscription to the Trust and to be bound by the terms of the Trust’s Fourth Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement (Exhibit A to the Prospectus). Purchaser agrees to reimburse the Trust and Millburn Ridgefield Corporation (the “Managing Owner”) for any expense or loss incurred by either as a result of the cancellation of Purchaser’s Units due to a failure of the Purchaser to deliver good funds in the amount of the subscription price of any or all of such Units.

 

If Purchaser is, or is acting on behalf of, an “employee benefit plan,” as defined in, and subject to the fiduciary responsibility provisions of, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), or a “plan,” as defined in and subject to Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) (such an “employee benefit plan” or a “plan” being hereinafter referred to as the “Plan”) or an entity (“Plan Assets Entity”) deemed for any purpose of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code to hold the assets of any Plan (in which case, the following must be true with respect to each Plan holding an interest in such Plan Assets Entity), the individual signing the Subscription Agreement on behalf of the Purchaser hereby represents and warrants as, or on behalf of, the fiduciary of the Plan responsible for purchasing Units (the “Plan Fiduciary”) that: the Plan Fiduciary has considered an investment in the Trust for such Plan in light of the risks relating thereto; the Plan Fiduciary has determined that, in view of such considerations, the Plan’s investment in the Trust is consistent with the Plan Fiduciary’s responsibilities under ERISA; the Plan’s investment in the Trust does not violate and is not otherwise inconsistent with the terms of any legal document constituting the Plan or any trust agreement thereunder; the Plan’s investment in the Trust has been duly authorized and approved by all necessary parties; none of the Managing Owner, Wilmington Trust Company, any selling agent, any wholesaler, any of their respective affiliates or any of their respective agents or employees: (a) has investment discretion with respect to the investment of the assets of the Plan used to purchase Units; (b) has authority or responsibility to or regularly gives investment advice with respect to the assets of the Plan used to purchase Units for a fee and pursuant to an agreement or understanding that such advice will serve as a primary basis for investment decisions with respect to the Plan and that such advice will be based on the particular investment needs of the Plan; or (c) is an employer maintaining or contributing to the Plan, except in the case of a Plan where the Managing Owner is described in clause (a), (b) or (c), the fees payable to the Managing Owner are waived and the purchase and holding of Units would not result in a prohibited transaction under ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code, and the Plan Fiduciary (i) is authorized to make, and responsible for, the decision to invest in the Trust, including the determination that such investment is consistent with the requirement imposed by Section 404 of ERISA that Plan investments be diversified so as to minimize the risks of large losses, (ii) is independent of the Managing Owner, Wilmington Trust Company, each selling agent, each wholesaler and each of their respective affiliates, except in the case of the Managing Owner where the fees payable to the Managing Owner are waived and the purchase and holding of Units would not result in a prohibited transaction under ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code, and (iii) is qualified to make such investment decision. The Purchaser understands that it must, at the request of the Managing Owner, furnish the Managing Owner with such information as the Managing Owner may reasonably require to establish that the purchase of Units by the Plan does not violate any provision of ERISA or the Code including, without limitation, those provisions relating to “prohibited transactions” by “parties in interest” or “disqualified persons,” as defined therein.

 

 SR-1

 

 

Prevention of Money Laundering

 

By submitting the executed Signature Pages, Purchaser represents and warrants to the Trust, the Managing Owner, Purchaser’s Selling Agent and their respective affiliates as follows: Purchaser’s subscription funds were not derived from activities that may contravene U.S. (federal or state) or international anti-money laundering laws and regulations. Purchaser is not (i) an individual, entity or organization named on a U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) “watch list” and does not have any affiliation with any kind of such individual, (ii) a prohibited foreign shell bank1, (iii) a person or entity resident in or whose subscription funds are transferred from or through a jurisdiction identified as non-cooperative by the U.S. Financial Action Task Force, or (iv) a senior foreign political figure, an immediate family member or close associate of a senior foreign political figure. Purchaser agrees to promptly notify the Managing Owner should the Purchaser become aware of any change in the information set forth in this representation. Purchaser acknowledges that, by law, the Managing Owner may be obligated to “freeze” Purchaser’s account, either by prohibiting additional subscriptions, declining any redemption requests and/or segregating the assets in the account in compliance with governmental regulations, and the Managing Owner may also be required to report such action and to disclose Purchaser’s identity to OFAC. Purchaser represents and warrants that all of the information which Purchaser has provided to the Trust in connection with the Subscription Agreement is true and correct, and Purchaser agrees to provide any information the Managing Owner or its agents, including the Selling Agents, deem necessary to comply with their anti-money laundering and related responsibilities from time to time. If Purchaser has indicated in the Subscription Agreement that Purchaser is an intermediary subscribing in the Trust as a record owner in the Purchaser’s capacity as agent, representative or nominee on behalf of one or more underlying investors (“Underlying Investors”), Purchaser agrees that the representations, warranties and covenants are made by the Purchaser on behalf of Purchaser and the Underlying Investors.

 

For purposes of the preceding paragraph, the following definitions shall apply:

 

A “senior foreign political figure” means a senior official in the executive, legislative, administrative, military or judicial branches of a non-U.S. government (whether elected or not), a senior official of a major non-U.S. political party, or a senior executive of a non-U.S. government-owned corporation. In addition, a “senior foreign political figure” includes any corporation, business or other entity that has been formed by, or for the benefit of, a senior foreign political figure.

 

“Immediate family” of a senior foreign political figure includes the figure’s parents, siblings, spouse, children and in-laws.

 

A “close associate” of a senior foreign political figure is a person who is widely and publicly known to maintain an unusually close relationship with the senior foreign political figure, and includes a person who is in a position to conduct substantial domestic and international financial transactions on behalf of the senior foreign political figure.

 

Investor Suitability

 

Purchaser understands that the purchase of Units may be made only by persons who, at a minimum have (i) a net worth of at least $250,000 (exclusive of home, furnishings and automobiles) or (ii) an annual gross income of at least $70,000 and a net worth of at least $70,000 (similarly calculated).

 

Residents of the following states must meet the specific requirements set forth below (net worth, is in all cases, to be calculated exclusive of home, furnishings and automobiles). No Purchaser should invest more than 10% of his or net worth (exclusive of home, furnishings and automobiles) in the Units. No entity, including ERISA plans, should invest more than 10% of its liquid net worth (readily marketable securities) in the Units.

 

1.         Iowa — Net worth of at least $300,000 or a net worth of at least $85,000 and an annual taxable income of $85,000.

 

2.         Kansas — The Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner recommends that you should limit your aggregate investment in the Trust and other managed futures investments to not more than 10% of your liquid net worth. “Liquid net worth” is that portion of your total net worth (total assets minus liabilities) that is comprised of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.

 

 

1A “prohibited foreign shell bank” is a foreign bank that does not have a physical presence in any country and is not a “regulated affiliate,” i.e., (i) an affiliate of a depository institution, credit union, or foreign bank that maintains a physical presence in the U.S. or a foreign country as applicable, and (ii) is subject to supervision by a banking authority in the country regulating the affiliated depository institution, credit union, or foreign bank.

 

 SR-2

 

 

3.         Kentucky — Net worth of at least $300,000 or a net worth of at least $85,000 and an annual taxable income of $85,000. Kentucky investors should limit their investment in any commodity pool program to not more than 10% of their liquid net worth (cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities).

 

4.         Minnesota — Minnesota investors are deemed not to (i) represent that they are legally competent to execute the Subscription Agreement and (ii) make the representation in respect of risk tolerance in Section 2 on page SA-1.

 

5.         New Hampshire — Net worth of at least $250,000 or a net worth of at least $125,000 and an annual taxable income of at least $70,000.

 

6.         Pennsylvania — Net worth of at least $250,000 or a net worth of at least $100,000 and an annual income of at least $70,000.

 

7.         South Carolina — Net worth of at least $250,000 or a net income in the preceding year some portion of which was subject to maximum federal and state income tax.

 

 

 

In the case of IRA and SEP plans, the foregoing suitability standards are applicable to the beneficiary of the plan for whose account the Units are being acquired.

 

The foregoing suitability standards are regulatory minimums only. Merely because Purchaser meets such requirements does not necessarily mean that a high risk, speculative and illiquid investment such as the Units is, in fact, suitable for the Purchaser.

 

 SR-3

 

 

EXHIBIT C

 

The execution copy of the Subscription Agreement accompanies this Prospectus as a separate document.

 

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST

UNITS OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST

 

By executing this Subscription Agreement,

subscribers are not waiving any rights under the

federal securities laws.

 

 

 

SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT

 

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST
c/o Millburn Ridgefield Corporation
  Managing Owner
  411 West Putnam Avenue, Suite 305
  Greenwich, Connecticut 06830
 

Dear Sirs:

 

1. Subscription for Units. I hereby subscribe for the dollar amount of units of beneficial interest (“Units”) in such series (“Series”) in Global Macro Trust (the “Trust”) set forth in the Subscription Agreement Signature Pages (the “Signature Pages”) attached hereto (minimum $5,000; $2,000 for trustees or custodians of employee benefit plans), at a purchase price per Unit of Net Asset Value of the relevant Series. Fractional Units will be issued to three decimal places. The terms of the offering of the Units are described in the current Prospectus of the Trust (the “Prospectus”) dated [ ]. I have either (i) authorized my selling agent to debit my customer securities account in the amount of my subscription or (ii) delivered a check to my selling agent made out to “Global Macro Trust.” If I have chosen to subscribe by account debit, I acknowledge that I must have my subscription payment in such account no later than such time as required by my selling agent. My registered representative (“Registered Representative”) shall inform me of such settlement date, on which date my account will be debited and the amounts so debited will be transmitted, in the form of a selling agent check or wire transfer made out to “Global Macro Trust” directly to the Trust’s account at First Republic Bank (for wire instructions, contact Eileen Grace at 203-625-8216). Millburn Ridgefield Corporation (the “Managing Owner”) may, in its sole and absolute discretion, accept or reject this subscription in whole or in part. Subscriptions are revocable for five business days after submission. All Units are offered subject to prior sale.

 

Subscriptions generally must be submitted no later than five business days prior to the end of a month in order to be invested in the Units as of the beginning of the immediately following month.

 

 SA-1

 

 

2. Representations and Warranties of Subscriber. I have received the current Prospectus together with a recent monthly report of the Trust. I am of legal age and am legally competent to execute this Subscription Agreement. I understand that certain investor suitability standards must be met as a condition of my investment in the Units. I acknowledge that I satisfy the applicable requirements relating to net worth and annual income and, if applicable, indicated risk tolerance, as set forth in “Exhibit B — Subscription Requirements” to the Prospectus. If the undersigned is, or is acting on behalf of, an “employee benefit plan,” as defined in, and subject to the fiduciary responsibility provisions of, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), or a “plan,” as defined in, and subject to, Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) (each employee benefit plan and plan, a “Plan”), or an entity (“Plan Assets Entity”) deemed for any purpose of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code to hold the assets of any Plan (in which case, the following representations and warranties are made with respect to each Plan holding an interest in such Plan Assets Entity), the individual signing below represents and warrants as, or on behalf of, the fiduciary of the Plan responsible for purchasing Units (the “Plan Fiduciary”) that: (a) the Plan Fiduciary has considered an investment in the Trust for such Plan in light of the risks relating thereto; (b) the Plan Fiduciary has determined that, in view of such considerations, this investment in the Trust is consistent with the Plan Fiduciary’s responsibilities under ERISA; (c) the Plan’s investment in the Trust neither violates nor is inconsistent with the terms of any legal document constituting the Plan or any trust agreement thereunder; (d) the Plan’s investment in the Trust has been duly authorized and approved by all necessary parties; (e) none of the Managing Owner, Wilmington Trust Company, any selling agent, any wholesaler, any of their respective affiliates or any of their respective agents or employees (i) has investment discretion with respect to the investment of assets of the Plan used to purchase Units; (ii) has authority or responsibility to or regularly gives investment advice with respect to the assets of the Plan used to purchase Units for a fee and pursuant to an agreement or understanding that such advice will serve as a primary basis for investment decisions with respect to the Plan and that such advice will be based on the particular investment needs of the Plan; or (iii) is an employer maintaining or contributing to the Plan, except in the case of a Plan where the Managing Owner is described in this clause (e), the fees payable to the Managing Owner are waived and the purchase and holding of Units would not result in a prohibited transaction under ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code; and (f) the Plan’s Fiduciary (i) is authorized and qualified to make, and is responsible for, the decision to invest in the Trust including the determination that such investment is consistent with the requirement imposed by Section 404 of ERISA that Plan investments be diversified so as to minimize the risks of large losses and (ii) is independent of the Managing Owner, Wilmington Trust Company, each selling agent, each wholesaler, and each of their respective affiliates, except in the case of the Managing Owner where the fees payable to the Managing Owner are waived and the purchase and holding of Units would not result in a prohibited transaction under ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code. The undersigned will, at the request of the Managing Owner, furnish the Managing Owner with such information as the Managing Owner may reasonably require to establish that the purchase of Units by the Plan does not violate any provision of ERISA or the Code, including, without limitation, those provisions relating to “prohibited transactions” by “parties in interest” or “disqualified persons,” as defined therein. If subscriber is not an individual, the person signing the Subscription Agreement Signature Page on behalf of subscriber is duly authorized to execute such Signature Page and subscriber has full power and authority to purchase the Units. This subscription, if made as custodian for a minor, is a gift I have made to such minor, or if not a gift, such minor satisfies the requirements relating to net worth and annual income set forth in “Exhibit B — Subscription Requirements.” I am not required to be registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) or to be a member of the National Futures Association (the “NFA”) or, if required to be so registered, I am duly registered with the CFTC and am a member in good standing of the NFA, and I agree to provide the Managing Owner with such information as the Managing Owner may request to verify the foregoing statement. If an entity, I have indicated my CFTC/NFA status in the Subscription Pages and represent and warrant to the Managing Owner that the information set forth therein is true and accurate and may be relied upon by the Managing Owner. I understand that by submitting this Subscription Agreement, I am making the representations and warranties set forth in Exhibit B, “Subscription Requirements,” to the Prospectus with respect to the prevention of money laundering. I covenant that I will (i) provide any form, certification or other information reasonably requested by and acceptable to the Trust that is necessary for the Managing Owner or the Trust to (A) prevent withholding or qualify for a reduced rate of withholding or backup withholding in any jurisdiction from or through which the Trust receives payments; (B) satisfy reporting or other obligations under the Code and the U.S. Department of the Treasury regulations, any agreement with the U.S. Department of the Treasury or any other government division or department, or any applicable intergovernmental agreement or implementing legislation, or (C) to make payments (including of redemption proceeds) to me free of withholding or deduction, (ii) update or replace such form, certification or other information in accordance with its terms or subsequent amendments or as requested by the Trust, and (iii) otherwise comply with any reporting obligations imposed by the United States or any other jurisdiction, including reporting obligations that may be imposed by future legislation. I hereby consent to the disclosure by the Trust of the foregoing information to any governmental authority or to any person or entity from which the Trust receives payments. The information set forth on the Subscription Agreement Signature Page is correct and complete as of the date of such Subscription Agreement, and, should there be any material change in such information prior to my admission to the Trust as a Unitholder, I will immediately furnish revised or corrected information to the Managing Owner.

 

3. Acceptance of Trust Agreement. I hereby agree to each and every term of the Trust’s Fourth Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement dated August 12, 2009, as amended or supplemented from time to time (the “Trust Agreement”), a copy of which has been provided to me together with the Trust’s Prospectus. By execution of this Subscription Agreement, I agree that I shall be deemed to have executed the Trust Agreement.

 

4. Governing Law. Subscriber hereby acknowledges and agrees that this Subscription Agreement shall be governed by and be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to principles of conflicts of laws; provided, that the foregoing choice of law shall not restrict the application of any state’s securities laws to the sale of Units to its residents or within such state.

 

5. Risks. (i) The Trust is speculative. You may lose all or substantially all of your investment in the Trust; (ii) the Trust is leveraged. Leverage magnifies the impact of both profit and loss; (iii) the performance of the Trust is expected to be volatile; (iv) you will sustain losses if the Trust is unable to generate sufficient trading profits and interest income to offset its fees and expenses; and (v) the Units are not liquid. No secondary market exists for the Units and you may redeem Units only as of a month-end. No investor should invest more than 10% of his or her net worth (exclusive of home, furnishings and automobiles) in the Trust.

 

See the section titled “The Risks You Face” in the Prospectus beginning at page 12.

 

 

 

Please complete the separate Signature Pages which accompany this prospectus carefully and ensure that your Registered Representative knows whether you are subscribing by check or account debit.

 

 SA-2

 

  

Not For Use After [   ]

GLOBAL MACRO TRUST
Units of Beneficial Interest
Subscription Agreement
Specimen Signature Page (not to be completed)
Please complete the separate Subscription Agreement Signature Pages which
accompany this prospectus.

 

The investor named below, by execution and delivery of these Signature Pages for purchase of Units in the Trust — and by either (i) enclosing a check payable to Global Macro Trust or (ii) authorizing the selling agent (“Selling Agent”) to debit investor’s securities account in the amount set forth below — hereby subscribes for the purchase of Units, at the price of the Net Asset Value per Unit.

 

The named investor further acknowledges receipt of the Prospectus together with a recent monthly report of the Trust. The Prospectus includes the Trust’s Fourth Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement, the Subscription Requirements and the Subscription Agreement, the terms of which govern the investment in the Units being subscribed for hereby.

 

By my signature below, I represent that I satisfy the requirements relating to net worth and annual income and, if applicable, indicated risk tolerance as set forth in Exhibit B to the Prospectus and acknowledge that I am making the representations in Exhibit B regarding the prevention of money laundering.

 

1) Total $ Amount ___________________________ (minimum of   2) Series of Units: ¨ Series 1 ¨ Series 2
  $5,000, except $2,000 minimum for IRAs and other qualified accounts)       ¨ Series 3 ¨ Series 4
o check here if this is an addition to an existing investment   3) Account # _____________________ (must be completed)
      o if payment is to be made by debit from investor’s securities account, check box
             

4) ¨ Taxable Investors    
  (check only one): ¨ Individual Ownership/Sole Proprietor ¨ Trust other than a Grantor or Revocable Trust
    ¨ Joint Tenants with Right of Survivorship ¨ Estate ¨ UGMA/UTMA (Minor)
    ¨ Tenants in Common ¨ Community Property ¨ Partnership    
   

¨

 

¨

Grantor or Other Revocable Trust

Other (specify)

¨

 

¨

C Corporation

 

S Corporation

¨ Limited Liability Company (Enter the tax classification (C=C Corporation, S=S Corporation, P=Partnership)  ________))
                     

  ¨ Non-Taxable Investors (check only one)
    ¨ IRA ¨ Profit Sharing ¨ Defined Benefit
    ¨ Pension ¨ SEP ¨ Other (specify)
  ¨ Exempt payee (check this box if the investor is exempt from backup withholding)
                 

5) Investor’s Name  
              Telephone No.
Social Security #   -   -     Taxpayer ID#   -  
Business Name /disregarded entity name, if different from above      
                           

 

6)  
  Additional Information (for Estates, Partnerships, LLCs, Trusts and Corporations — name and title of authorized signatures, date of trust, etc.)
7) Resident Address  
  of Investor Street (P.O. Box not acceptable) City   State Zip Code
8) Mailing Address        
  (if different) Street City   State Zip Code
9) Custodian Name  
  and Mailing Address Name Street City   State Zip Code
                 
                 

 

 SP-1

 

 

10)

CFTC/NFA STATUS (for entities only)

a. Is the investor an investment fund or commingled investment vehicle? ¨ Yes ¨ No

(If yes, continue with question b below. If no, skip the remaining questions in this Item 10.)

 

b. Is the investor’s operator (e.g., its sponsor, general partner, managing member, etc.) an NFA member registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”)?

¨ Yes, and the CPO’s NFA Membership Number is _______________. (If yes, skip the remaining questions in this Item 10.)

¨ No (If no, continue with question c below.)

 

c. Please indicate the exemption from registration with the CFTC and membership in NFA on which the investor’s operator is relying:

¨ Investor is a benefit plan excluded from the definition of “pool” under CFTC Rule 4.5(a)(4)(i)-(v).

¨ CFTC Rule 4.5 (registered investment company satisfying the criteria of 4.5(c)(2)(iii), insurance company separate account, bank acting as a fiduciary, other employee, other employee benefit plan) — Notice of eligibility has been filed with the NFA and is current.

¨ CFTC Rule 4.13(a)(3) (commodity pool which trades a minimal amount of commodity interests) — Notice of exemption has been filed with the NFA and is current.

¨ Family office and CPO has filed a notice with the CFTC pursuant to CFTC No-Action Letter 12-37.

¨ Exempt because the CPO and the investor are located outside the United States, its territories and possessions and no beneficial owner of the investor is a U.S. person (within the meaning of CFTC Rule 4.7).

¨ Other reason for not being registered:_______________________________________________________________________.

11)

o The CFTC requires the Trust to provide you with annual audited financial statements and unaudited interim account statements, and to provide other investor notices as well. I hereby consent to have the required annual audited financial statements and unaudited interim account statements (as well as such other required investor notices) made available to me via e-mail (at the address provided below) or at the Managing Owner’s secure website (at such time as secure website access is available) rather than in hardcopy. I understand that my consent shall be effective until revoked and that I may revoke this consent and receive such statements in hardcopy at any time by written notice to the Managing Owner. This consent does not apply to IRS Form 1065, Schedule K-1. My e-mail address is __________________________________________________.

 

12) If the investor is making an investment in the Trust as part of the investor’s participation in a registered investment adviser’s asset-based fee or fixed fee advisory program through which the investor’s investment adviser recommended a portfolio allocation to the Trust, the investor must provide the name and address of the investor’s investment adviser.  The investor will accordingly be issued Series 2 or Series 3 Units.
  Adviser Name  
  and Mailing Address Name Street City   State Zip Code

United States investors should cross out the language under the heading “NON-UNITED STATES INVESTORS ONLY,” below. Non-United States investors should cross out the language under the heading “UNITED STATES INVESTORS ONLY,” below.

 

UNITED STATES INVESTORS ONLY

I certify that: (1) The number shown on this form is my correct taxpayer identification number (or I am waiting for a number to be issued to me), and (2) I am not subject to backup withholding because: (a) I am exempt from backup withholding, or (b) I have not been notified by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) that I am subject to backup withholding as a result of a failure to report all interest or dividends, or (c) the IRS has notified me that I am no longer subject to backup withholding, (3) I am a U.S. citizen or other U.S. person (defined in the instructions), and (4) I have properly completed IRS Form W-9 (available at irs.gov).

 

You must cross out item (2) above if you have been notified by the IRS that you are currently subject to backup withholding because you have failed to report all interest and dividends on your tax return.

 

NON-UNITED STATES INVESTORS ONLY

 

I hereby certify that (a) I am a non-resident alien individual, foreign corporation, foreign trust or foreign estate that is not a United States person (as those terms are defined in the Code and Treasury regulations issued thereunder) for purposes of U.S. federal income taxation, and (b) I have properly completed the appropriate IRS Form W-8 (available at irs.gov).

 

SIGNATURE(S) — Do not sign without familiarizing yourself with the information in the Prospectus, including: (i) the fundamental risks and financial hazards of this investment, including the risk of losing your entire investment; (ii) the Trust’s substantial charges; (iii) the Trust’s highly leveraged trading activities; (iv) the lack of liquidity of the Units; (v) the existence of actual and potential conflicts of interest in the structure and operation of the Trust; (vi) that unitholders may not take part in the management of the Trust; and (vii) the tax consequences of an investment in the Trust.

 

The IRS does not require your consent to any provision of this document other than the certifications required to avoid backup withholding.

 
INVESTOR(S) MUST SIGN
13)    
     
X       X  
Signature of Investor Date   Signature of Joint Investor (if any) Date
 
Executing and delivering this Subscription Agreement shall in no respect be deemed to constitute a waiver of any rights under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
           
             

 

 SP-2

 

 

 

REGISTERED REPRESENTATIVE MUST SIGN
14)  
 
I hereby certify that I have informed the investor of all pertinent facts relating to the:  risks; tax consequences; liquidity and marketability; management; and control of the Managing Owner with respect to an investment in the Units, as set forth in the Prospectus.  I have also informed the investor of the unlikelihood of a public trading market developing for the Units.  I do not have discretionary authority over the account of the investor.
 
I have reasonable grounds to believe, based on information obtained from the investor concerning his/her investment objectives, other investments, financial situation and needs and any other information known by me, that an investment in the Trust is suitable for such investor in light of his/her financial position, net worth and other suitability characteristics.
 
The Registered Representative MUST sign below in order to substantiate compliance with FINRA Rule 2310.
 
  X     X  
  Registered Representative Signature Date Office Manager Signature Date
      (if required by Selling Agent procedures)  
         
         

15)        
Selling Agent  
Registered Representative  
Name (please print)  
    First M.I. Last Reg. Rep. Number
           
           
Registered Representative  
Address  
(for confirmations) Street (P.O. Box not acceptable) City State Zip Code
Registered Representative  
Phone and E-Mail    
  Phone Number E-Mail Address
               
                       

 

 SP-3

 

 

No dealer, salesman or any other person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representation not contained in this Prospectus, and, if given or made, such other information or representation must not be relied upon as having been authorized by Millburn Ridgefield Corporation or any other person. This Prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities offered hereby to any person or by anyone in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation may not be lawfully made. The delivery of this Prospectus at any time does not imply that the information contained herein is correct as of any time subsequent to the date of its issue.

 

All selling agents must deliver to prospective investors any supplemented or amended Prospectus issued by Global Macro Trust during the ongoing offering period.

 

 

 

  

PART II

 

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

 

The following is an estimate of the costs incurred in connection with preparing and filing this Registration Statement. Such costs to be borne by the Trust.

 

   Approximate
Amount
 
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Filing Fee  $500*
Printing Expenses  $291,000 
Fees of Certified Public Accountants  $60,000 
Blue Sky Expenses (Excluding Legal Fees)  $150,000 
Fees of Counsel  $300,000 
      
Total  $ 801,500 

 

 

*Actual, not estimated.

 

Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

Section 17 of the Trust’s Fourth Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement (a form of which is attached as Exhibit A to the Prospectus which forms a part of this Registration Statement), as may be amended from time to time, provides for the indemnification of the Managing Owner, certain of its affiliates and certain of its directors, officers and controlling persons by the registrant (the “Registrant”) in certain circumstances. Such indemnification is limited to claims sustained by such persons in connection with the Registrant; provided that such claims were not the result of negligence or misconduct on the part of a Managing Owner or its affiliates, directors, officers and controlling persons. The Registrant is prohibited from incurring the cost of any insurance covering any indemnification prohibited by the Fourth Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement. Advances of Registrant funds to cover legal expenses and other costs incurred as a result of any legal action initiated against the Managing Owner by a Unitholder are prohibited.

 

Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

 

There have been no sales of unregistered securities of the Registrant within the past three years.

 

Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

 

The following documents (unless indicated) are filed herewith and made a part of this Registration Statement.

 

(a)          Exhibits.

 

Exhibit
Number
  Description of Document
1.01   Form of Selling Agreement
     
3.01   Certificate of Trust of Registrant (included as Schedule A to Exhibit A to the Prospectus).
     
3.03   Fourth Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement of Registrant (included as Exhibit A to the Prospectus).
     
5.01   Opinion of Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. relating to the legality of the Units.
     
8.01   Opinion of Sidley Austin LLP with respect to Federal Income Tax Aspects.
     
10.01   Form of Subscription Agreement (included as Exhibit C to the Prospectus).
     
10.02   Form of Services Agreement
     
23.01 (a) Consent of Sidley Austin LLP (included in Exhibit 8.01).
     
23.01 (b) Consent of Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. (included in Exhibit 5.01).

 

 II-1

 

 

23.02   Consent of Arthur F. Bell, Jr. & Associates, L.L.C.
     
23.03   Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
     
101.INS  

XBRL Instance Document

 

101.SCH  

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

 

101.CAL  

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

 

101.DEF  

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

 

101.LAB

 

  XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

101.PRE 

  XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

 

Item 17. Undertakings.

 

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

(a)          (1)         To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post effective amendment to this registration statement;

 

(i)          To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

 

(ii)         To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high and of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement.

 

(iii)        To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.

 

(A) Paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) of this section do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-8, and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Securities Exchange Act of 1934”) (15 U.S.C. 78m or 78o(d)) that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement; and

 

(B) Paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form F-3 and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

 

 II-2

 

 

(2)         That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”) each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(3)         To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

(4)         That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each Prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than Prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or Prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or Prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or Prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.

 

(5)         That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:

 

(ii)         If the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.

 

(6)         That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities: The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

(i)          Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

 

(ii)         Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

 

(iii)        The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

 

(iv)        Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

 

(b)          The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:

 

(1)         For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4), or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

 

 II-3

 

 

(2)         For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(c)          Insofar as indemnification for liabilities under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions described in Item 14 above, or otherwise, the Registrant had been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any such 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 Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

 II-4

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Managing Owner of the Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Greenwich in the State of Connecticut on the 9th day of February, 2016.

 

  GLOBAL MACRO TRUST  
     
  By: Millburn Ridgefield Corporation  
    Managing Owner  
       
  By /s/ HARVEY BEKER  
    Harvey Beker  
    Co-Chairman (Director)  

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of Millburn Ridgefield Corporation, Managing Owner of the Registrant, in the capacities and on the date indicated.

 

  /s/ GEORGE E. CRAPPLE Co-Chairman (Director) February 9, 2016
  George E. Crapple    
       
  /s/ BARRY GOODMAN Co-Chief Executive Officer February 9, 2016
  Barry Goodman (Principal Executive Officer)  
       
  /s/ GRANT N. SMITH Co-Chief Executive Officer February 9, 2016
  Grant N. Smith (Principal Executive Officer)  
       
  /s/ GREGG R. BUCKBINDER President February 9, 2016
  Gregg R. Buckbinder (Principal Financial Officer)  
       
  /s/ MICHAEL W. CARTER Vice President February 9, 2016
  Michael W. Carter (Principal Accounting Officer)  

 

(Being the principal executive officers, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer and a majority of the directors of Millburn Ridgefield Corporation.)

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit Number   Description of Document
1.01   Form of Selling Agreement.
     
3.01   Certificate of Trust of Registrant (included as Schedule A to Exhibit A to the Prospectus).
     
3.03   Fourth Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement of Registrant (included as Exhibit A to the Prospectus).
     
5.01   Opinion of Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. relating to the legality of the Units.
     
8.01   Opinion of Sidley Austin LLP with respect to Federal Income Tax Aspects.
     
10.01   Form of Subscription Agreement (included as Exhibit C to the Prospectus).
     
10.02   Form of Services Agreement.
     
23.01 (a) Consent of Sidley Austin LLP (included in Exhibit 8.01).
     
23.01 (b) Consent of Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A (included in Exhibit 5.01).
     
23.02   Consent of Arthur F. Bell, Jr. & Associates, L.L.C.
     
23.03   Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
     
101.INS  

XBRL Instance Document

 

101.SCH  

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

 

101.CAL  

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

 

101.DEF  

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

 

101.LAB

 

  XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document