485APOS 1 d924028d485apos.htm WT ENHANCED COMMODITY STRATEGY FUND WT Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund
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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 16, 2020

Securities Act File No. 333-132380

Investment Company Act File No. 811-21864

 

 

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

  THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933  
  Pre-Effective Amendment No.       
  Post-Effective Amendment No. 739  
  and/or  
 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

 
  THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940  
  Amendment No. 741  

(Check appropriate box or boxes.)

 

 

WISDOMTREE TRUST

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

245 Park Avenue

35th Floor

New York, NY 10167

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

1-866-909-9473

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code)

JONATHAN STEINBERG

WISDOMTREE TRUST

245 Park Avenue

35th Floor

New York, NY 10167

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

 

Copies to:

 

W. John McGuire   Ryan Louvar
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP   WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc.
1111 Pennsylvania Avenue NW   245 Park Avenue, 35th Floor
Washington, DC 20004   New York, NY 10167

 

 

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering: As soon as practicable after the effective date of the Registration Statement.

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

On (Date) pursuant to paragraph (a) (1) of Rule 485.

 

On (Date) pursuant to paragraph (a) (2) of Rule 485.

 

On (Date) pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485.

If appropriate, check the following box:

 

 

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

 

 

 


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PROSPECTUS

[___], 2020

 

 

    

 

LOGO

 

WisdomTree Trust

 

WisdomTree Alternative ETFs*
WisdomTree Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund ([___])

* Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: [___]

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

IMPORTANT NOTE: Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the SEC, paper copies of the WisdomTree Funds’ annual and semi-annual shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, annual and semi-annual shareholder reports will be available on the WisdomTree Funds’ website (www.wisdomtree.com), and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report.

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from a Fund electronically anytime by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank).

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. Please contact your financial intermediary to request to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held in your account.

THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (“SEC”) HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.


Table of Contents

WisdomTree Trust

 

Table of Contents

 

Fund Summary   

WisdomTree Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund

     2  

Additional Information About the Fund

     11  

Additional Information About the Fund’s Investment Objective

     11  

Additional Information About the Fund’s Investment Strategies.

     11  

Non-Principal Information About the Fund’s Investment Strategies

     11  

Additional Principal Risk Information About the Fund

     11  

Additional Non-Principal Risk Information

     24  

Portfolio Holdings Information

     25  
Management      26  

Investment Adviser

     26  

Sub-Adviser

     26  

Portfolio Managers

     28  
Additional Information on Buying and Selling Fund Shares      29  

Share Trading Prices

     29  

Determination of Net Asset Value

     29  
 

 

WisdomTree Trust Prospectus      1  


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WisdomTree Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund

 

Investment Objective

The WisdomTree Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund (the “Fund”) seeks to achieve positive total returns in rising or falling markets that are not directly correlated to broad market equity or fixed income returns.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You also may be subject to additional fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below. The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average net assets.

 

   
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)     None  

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

       

Management Fees

    [—

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

    None  

Other Expenses

    [— ]1 
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses     [—

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

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund shares with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over various periods if you were to invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that you may pay to buy and sell shares of the Fund. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

 

     
     1 Year     3 Years  
             

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in a substantial amount of distributions from the Fund to be taxed as ordinary income, which may limit the tax efficiency of the Fund. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. Because the Fund is newly organized, portfolio turnover information is not yet available.

Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund

The Fund is an actively managed exchange traded fund (“ETF”) that intends to provide broad-based exposure to the following four commodity sectors: Energy, Agriculture, Industrial Metals, and Precious Metals primarily through investments in futures contracts. Within these four sectors, the Fund has the ability to invest in the following commodities: Crude Oil, Brent Crude Oil, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Crude Oil, Heating Oil, Unleaded Gasoline, Natural Gas, RBOB Gasoline, Low Sulfur Gas Oil, ULS Diesel, Live Cattle, Lean Hogs, Soybeans, Soybean Oil, Soybean Meal, Wheat, Kansas Wheat (Hard Red Wheat), Chicago SRW Wheat (Soft Red Wheat), Sugar, Corn, Coffee, Cocoa, Cotton, Copper, Tin, Aluminum, Zinc, Nickel, Lead, Gold, Platinum, and Silver. The Fund will not invest directly in physical commodities.

 

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The Fund may also invest up to 5% of its net assets in bitcoin futures contracts (“Bitcoin futures”). The Fund will invest in cash-settled Bitcoin futures traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, which is a registered futures exchange, only. The Fund will not invest in Bitcoin directly. Bitcoin is a digital asset (i.e., a cryptocurrency) whose ownership and behavior are determined by participants in an online, peer-to-peer network that connects computers that run publicly accessible, or “open source,” software that follows the rules and procedures governing the Bitcoin network. References to commodities and commodity-linked derivatives in this Prospectus include Bitcoin and Bitcoin futures, respectively.

 

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Futures contracts on commodities generally are agreements between two parties where one party agrees to buy, and the counterparty to sell, a set amount of a physical commodity (or, in some contracts, the cash equivalent) at a pre-determined future date and price. The value of commodity futures contracts is based upon the price movements of the underlying commodities.

In order to maintain exposure to a futures contract on a particular commodity, the Fund must sell the position in the expiring contract and buy a new position in a contract with a later delivery month, which is referred to as “rolling.” The Fund expects to employ an “enhanced roll” process by attempting to roll from an expiring futures contract to another futures contract in seeking to generate a greater yield for the Fund. This roll process aims to maximize the potential roll benefits in backwardated markets and minimize potential losses in contango markets by rolling to the futures contract on a particular commodity which generates the maximum implied yield. Commodity futures contracts trade either in contango, where forward month futures contracts cost more than the current month (leading to negative roll yield) or in backwardation, where forward month futures contracts trade at a discount to the current month (leading to positive roll yield). It is generally the supply and demand factor that determines whether a commodity futures contract is in contango or backwardation.

The Fund is rebalanced on a monthly basis generally. The Fund may invest in Treasury securities and other liquid short-term investments as collateral for its commodity futures contracts.

The Fund seeks to gain exposure to commodity markets, in whole or in part, through investments in a subsidiary organized in the Cayman Islands (the “WisdomTree Subsidiary”). The WisdomTree Subsidiary is wholly-owned and controlled by the Fund. The Fund’s investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets at each quarter-end of the Fund’s fiscal year. The Fund’s investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary is intended to provide the Fund with exposure to commodity returns while enabling the Fund to satisfy source-of-income requirements that apply to regulated investment companies (“RICs”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Except as noted, references to the investment strategies and risks of the Fund include the investment strategies and risks of the WisdomTree Subsidiary. References to the Fund include the WisdomTree Subsidiary.

The Fund is “non-diversified,” meaning that a relatively high percentage of its assets may be invested in a limited number of issuers.

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the risks described below. The risks are generally presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks when comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objective. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the sections in the Fund’s Prospectus titled “Additional Principal Risk Information About the Fund” and “Additional Non-Principal Risk Information.”

 

 

Commodity Risk. The value of commodities and commodity-linked derivative instruments typically is based upon the price movements of a physical commodity or an economic variable linked to such price movements. The prices of commodities and commodity-related investments may fluctuate quickly and dramatically and may not correlate to price movements in other asset classes. An active trading market may not exist for certain commodities. Prices of commodity-linked derivatives instruments have a historically low correlation with the returns of the stock and bond markets and are subject to change based on a variety of factors that may not be anticipated. In addition, the market for Bitcoin futures is relatively new and commenced trading on the Chicago

 

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Mercantile Exchange in December 2017. As a result, Bitcoin futures markets are thinly traded relative to other futures markets and may have limited liquidity. Each of these factors and events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund.

 

 

Futures Rolling Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is subject to risks related to rolling. The price of futures contracts further from expiration may be higher (a condition known as “contango”) or lower (a condition known as “backwardation”), which can impact the Fund’s returns. Because of the frequency with which the Fund expects to roll futures contracts, the impact of such contango or backwardation may be greater than the impact would be if the Fund experienced less portfolio turnover.

 

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Investment Risk. As with all investments, an investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk. Investors in the Fund could lose money, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment, over short or long periods of time.

 

 

Market Risk. The trading prices of commodities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors, such as economic, financial or political events that impact the entire market, market segments, or specific issuers. The Fund’s NAV and market price may fluctuate significantly in response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time.

 

 

Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of the Fund’s shares in the secondary market generally differ from the Fund’s daily NAV and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV (premium) or less than the NAV (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines.

 

 

Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed using proprietary investment strategies and processes. There can be no guarantee that these strategies and processes will be successful or that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

 

 

Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy will require it to redeem shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.

 

 

Counterparty and Issuer Credit Risk. The financial condition of an issuer of a debt security or other instrument or a counterparty to a derivative or other contract may cause such issuer or counterparty to default, become unable to pay interest or principal due or otherwise fail to honor its obligations or cause such issuer or counterparty to be perceived (whether by market participants, rating agencies, pricing services or otherwise) as being in such situations. The value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning in response to issuer or counterparty defaults, changes in the credit ratings of the Fund’s portfolio investments and/or perceptions related thereto.

 

 

Cyber Security Risk. The Fund and its service providers may be susceptible to operational and information security risks resulting from a breach in cyber security, including cyber-attacks. A breach in cyber security, intentional or unintentional, may adversely impact the Fund in many ways, including, but not limited to, disruption of the Fund’s operational capacity, loss of proprietary information, theft or corruption of data, denial-of-service attacks on websites or network resources, and the unauthorized release of confidential information. Cyber-attacks affecting the Fund’s third-party service providers, market makers, Authorized Participants, or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests may subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches.

 

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Derivatives Risk. The Fund invests in derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive their performance from an underlying reference asset, such as a commodity, index, interest rate or inflation rate. The return on a derivative instrument may not correlate with the return of its underlying reference asset. Derivatives are subject to a number of risks described elsewhere in the Fund’s Prospectus, such as counterparty and issuer credit risk, interest rate risk, market risk and issuer-specific risk. Derivatives can be volatile and may be less liquid than other securities. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money. In addition to the other risks associated with the use of derivatives described elsewhere in this Prospectus, there are risks associated with the Fund’s use of futures contracts. With respect to futures contracts, these risks include but are not limited to: (1) the success of the adviser’s and sub-adviser’s ability to predict movements in the prices of individual commodities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates or prices; (2) an imperfect or no correlation between the changes in market value of the commodities and the prices of futures contracts; and (3) no guarantee that an active market will exist for the futures contracts at any particular time.

 

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Geopolitical Risk. The United States has experienced security concerns, war, threats of war, aggression and/or conflict, terrorism, economic uncertainty, natural and environmental disasters, the spread of infectious illness, widespread disease or other public health issues and/or systemic market dislocations (including due to events outside of the United States) that have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally, each of which may negatively impact the Fund’s investments.

 

 

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that fixed income securities will decline in value because of an increase in interest rates and changes to other factors, such as perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness. Funds with higher durations generally are subject to greater interest rate risk. For example, the price of a security with an eight-year duration would be expected to drop by approximately 8% in response to a 1% increase in interest rates.

 

 

Issuer-Specific Risk. Issuer-specific events, including changes in the actual or perceived financial condition of an issuer, can have a negative impact on the value of the Fund.

 

 

Liquidity Risk. The Fund may invest in derivatives and other instruments that may be less liquid than other types of investments. The derivatives in which the Fund invests may not always be liquid. This could have a negative effect on the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective and may result in losses to Fund shareholders.

 

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. To the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, the Fund is subject to the risks of investing in those few issuers, and may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence. As a result, changes in the market value of a single security could cause greater fluctuations in the value of Fund shares than would occur in a diversified fund.

 

 

Subsidiary Investment Risk. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the WisdomTree Subsidiary are organized, respectively, could result in the inability of the WisdomTree Subsidiary to operate as intended and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.

 

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Tax Risk. To qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment accorded to RICs, the Fund must, among other things, derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from certain prescribed sources. The Fund may obtain exposure to the commodities markets by directly entering into commodity-linked derivative instruments, such as listed futures contracts, forward currency contracts, swaps, and structured notes. Income from certain commodity-linked derivative instruments in which the Fund invests may not be considered qualifying income under the 90% test noted above. The Fund intends to invest in such commodity-linked derivative instruments indirectly through the WisdomTree Subsidiary. The Fund’s investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax requirements of the Code for qualification as a RIC. The “Subpart F” income (defined in Section 951 of the Code to include passive income, including from commodity-linked derivatives and futures) of the Fund attributable to the Fund’s investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary is “qualifying income” to the Fund to the extent that such income is derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities or currencies. The Fund expects its “Subpart F” income attributable to its investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary to be derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities or currencies and to be to be treated as “qualifying income”. The Adviser intends to conduct the Fund’s investments in the WisdomTree Subsidiary in a manner consistent with the terms and conditions of the regulations promulgated by the U.S. Treasury, and will monitor the Fund’s investments in the WisdomTree Subsidiary to ensure that no more than 25% of the Fund’s assets are invested in the WisdomTree Subsidiary. To the extent the Fund makes a direct investment in commodity-linked derivative instruments, it will seek to restrict the resulting income from such instruments so that, when combined with its other non-qualifying income, the Fund’s non-qualifying income is less than 10% of its gross income. However, the Fund may generate more non-qualifying income than anticipated, may not be able to generate qualifying income in a particular taxable year at levels sufficient to meet the 90% test noted above, or may not be able to accurately predict the non-qualifying income from these investments. Failure to comply with this restriction would have significant negative tax consequences to Fund shareholders.

Fund Performance

The Fund is new and therefore does not have a performance history. Updated performance information for the Fund will be available online on the Fund’s website at www.wisdomtree.com.

 

WisdomTree Trust Prospectus      9  


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Management

Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser

WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. (“WisdomTree Asset Management” or the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund. Mellon Investments Corporation (the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as sub-adviser to the Fund.

Portfolio Managers

The Fund is managed by the Sub-Adviser’s Asset Allocation Portfolio Management team. The individual members of the team jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio are described below.

Vassilis Dagioglu, a Managing Director, Head of Asset Allocation Portfolio Management, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in [    ] 2020.

James Stavena, a Managing Director, Asset Allocation group, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in [ ] 2020.

Buying and Selling Fund Shares

The Fund is an ETF. This means that shares of the Fund are listed on a national securities exchange, such as [    ], and trade at market prices. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund through brokers. Because Fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the fund (ask) (the “bid-ask spread”).

The Fund issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares (“Creation Units”), which only certain institutions or large investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. Currently, Creation Units generally consist of [50,000] shares, though this may change from time to time. The Fund issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/or U.S. cash.

You may access recent information, including information on the Fund’s net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, on the fund’s website at www.wisdomtree.com.

Tax Information

The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), WisdomTree Asset Management or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Fund shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.

 

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Additional Information About the Fund

Additional Information About the Fund’s Investment Objective

Since the Fund’s investment objective has been adopted as a non-fundamental investment policy, the Fund’s investment objective may be changed without a vote of shareholders upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.

Additional Information About the Fund’s Investment Strategies.

The Fund will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in commodity and commodity-related futures contracts thereby obtaining exposure to the commodities markets. The Fund will also invest in U.S. government securities and money market instruments that taken together have economic characteristics similar or equivalent to those of the listed commodity futures contracts described herein. If, subsequent to an investment, the 80% requirement is no longer met, the Fund’s future investments will be made in a manner that will bring the Fund into compliance with this policy. The Trust will provide shareholders with sixty (60) days’ prior notice of any change to this policy for the Fund.

The Fund may invest in other investments that the Fund believes will help it achieve its investment objective, including cash and cash equivalents, as well as in shares of other investment companies (including affiliated investment companies, such as ETFs).

Unlike the Fund, the WisdomTree Subsidiary is not an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), and therefore may invest in commodities and commodity-linked derivatives to a greater extent than the Fund. The WisdomTree Subsidiary, however, is required to invest in commodity-linked derivatives in a manner consistent with the terms of its private letter ruling and certain provisions of the 1940 Act. The WisdomTree Subsidiary is otherwise subject to the same general investment policies and investment restrictions as the Fund.

Non-Principal Information About the Fund’s Investment Strategies

Temporary Defensive Strategies. The Fund reserves the right to invest in U.S. government securities, money market instruments, cash and other instruments, without limitation, as determined by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. In the event the Fund engages in temporary defensive strategies that are inconsistent with its investment strategies, the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective may be limited.

Securities Lending. The Fund may lend its portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed one third (33 1/3%) of the value of its total assets via a securities lending program through its securities lending agent, State Street Bank and Trust Company, to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions desiring to borrow securities to complete transactions and for other purposes. A securities lending program allows the Fund to receive a portion of the income generated by lending its securities and investing the respective collateral. The Fund will receive collateral for each loaned security which is at least equal to the market value of that security, marked to market each trading day. In the securities lending program, the borrower generally has the right to vote the loaned securities; however, the Fund may call loans to vote proxies if a material issue affecting the Fund’s economic interest in the investment is to be voted upon. Security loans may be terminated at any time by the Fund.

Additional Principal Risk Information About the Fund

This section provides additional information regarding the principal risks described under “Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund” in the Fund Summary. Each of the factors below could have a negative impact on Fund performance and trading prices.

 

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Active Management Risk

The Fund is actively managed using proprietary investment strategies and processes. The Fund is subject to active management or investment-selection risk and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the Sub-Adviser to select investments and to make investment decisions that are suited to achieving the Fund’s investment objective. The Sub-Adviser’s assessment of a particular investment, company, sector or country and/or assessment of broader economic, financial or other macro views, may prove incorrect, including because of factors that were not adequately foreseen, and the selection of investments may not perform as well as expected when those investments were purchased or as well as the markets generally, resulting in Fund losses or underperformance. There can be no guarantee that these strategies and processes will produce the intended results and no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective or outperform other investment strategies over the short- or long-term market cycles. This risk is exacerbated when an investment or multiple investments made as a result of such decisions are significant relative to the Fund’s net assets.

 

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Cash Redemption Risk

When the Fund’s investment strategy requires it to redeem shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds, it may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize capital gains that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind (i.e., distribute securities as payment of redemption proceeds). As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.

Commodity Risk

The value of commodities and commodity-linked derivative instruments typically is based upon the price movements of a physical commodity or an economic variable linked to such price movements. Therefore, the value of commodities and commodity-linked derivative instruments may be affected by, for example, changes in overall market movements, economic conditions, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular commodity or industry, such as production, supply, demand, drought, floods, weather, political, economic and regulatory developments. The prices of commodities and commodity-related investments may fluctuate quickly and dramatically and may not correlate to price movements in other asset classes, such as stocks, bonds and cash. An active trading market may not exist for certain commodities. These factors may impair the ability of a Fund to sell its portfolio holdings quickly or for full value. Commodity derivatives, such as commodity-linked swaps and notes, are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may default or otherwise fail to perform. Each of these factors and events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund.

In addition to the factors set forth above, each commodity has risks that are inherent in the investment in such commodity:

Metals Commodities: Price movements in commodity futures held by the Fund in metals commodities such as gold, silver, platinum and copper are affected by many specific additional factors. Some of these metal specific factors include, but are not limited to:

 

 

A change in economic conditions, such as a recession, can adversely affect the price of both industrial and precious metals. An economic downturn may have a negative impact on the usage and demand of metals, which may result in a loss for the Fund.

 

 

A sudden shift in political conditions of the world’s leading metal producers may have a negative effect on the global pricing of metals.

 

 

An increase in the hedging of precious metals may result in a decline in the price of precious metals.

 

 

Changes in global supply and demand for industrial and precious metals.

 

 

The price and quantity of imports and exports of industrial and precious metals.

 

 

Technological advances in the processing and mining of industrial and precious metals.

Agricultural Commodities: Price movements in commodity futures held by the Fund in agricultural commodities, such as wheat, corn and soybeans, are affected by many factors. Some of these agricultural specific factors include, but are not limited to:

 

 

Farmer planting decisions, and general economic, market and regulatory factors all influence the price of agricultural commodities.

 

 

Weather conditions, including hurricanes, tornadoes, storms and droughts, may have a material adverse effect on crops, live cattle, live hogs and lumber, which may result in significant fluctuations in prices in such commodities.

 

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Changes in global supply and demand for agriculture products.

 

 

The price and quantity of imports and exports of agricultural commodities.

 

 

Political conditions, including embargoes and war, in or affecting agricultural production, imports and exports.

 

 

Technological advances in agricultural production.

 

 

The price and availability of alternative agricultural commodities.

 

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Energy Commodities: Price movements in commodity futures held by the Fund in energy commodities, such as crude oil, heating oil and natural gas, are subject to risks due to frequent and often substantial fluctuations in energy commodity prices. In the past, the prices of natural gas and crude oil have been extremely volatile, and volatility is expected to continue. The markets and prices for energy commodities are affected by many factors. Some of those factors include, but are not limited to:

 

 

Changes in global supply and demand for oil and natural gas. By way of example, the oil market has recently experienced fluctuations in supply and demand, significantly impacting the price and volatility of oil,

 

 

The price and quantity of imports and exports of oil and natural gas.

 

 

Political conditions, including embargoes and war, in or affecting other oil producing activities.

 

 

The level of global oil and natural gas exploration, inventories, production or pricing.

 

 

Weather conditions.

 

 

Technological advances effecting energy consumption.

 

 

The price and availability of alternative fuels.

Bitcoin. The market for Bitcoin futures is relatively new and commenced trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in December 2017. As a result, Bitcoin futures markets are thinly traded relative to other futures markets and may have limited liquidity. These factors may increase the likelihood that the price of Bitcoin futures will be volatile and/or will deviate from the price of Bitcoin. Bitcoin futures may experience significant price volatility. Exchange-specified collateral for Bitcoin futures is substantially higher than for most other futures contracts, and collateral may be set as a percentage of the value of the contract, which means that collateral requirements for long positions can increase if the price of the contract rises. While the Bitcoin futures market has grown substantially since the futures commenced trading, there can be no assurance that it will continue to grow. This may increase the chance that the Fund will experience increased trading costs when it sells Bitcoin futures that are near expiration and purchases Bitcoin futures that are further from expiration (a process known as “rolling”).

None of these specific commodity factors can be controlled in managing the Fund. Even if current and correct information as to substantially all factors are known or thought to be known, prices still will not always react as predicted.

Counterparty and Issuer Credit Risk

To the extent that the Fund engages in investment transactions or enters into derivative or other contracts with third parties (i.e., “counterparties”) then the Fund bears the risk that the counterparty to such contracts may default on its obligations or otherwise fail to honor its obligations or cause such issuer or counterparty to be perceived (whether by market participants, rating agencies, pricing services or otherwise) as being in such situations. If a counterparty defaults on its payment obligations the Fund will lose money and the value of an investment in Fund shares may decrease. In addition, the Fund may engage in such investment transactions with a limited number of counterparties, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to counterparty credit risk. Listed futures contracts can be traded on futures exchanges without material counterparty credit. After a trade is cleared, the exchange is the ultimate counterparty for all contracts, so the counterparty risk on a listed futures contract ultimately is the creditworthiness of the exchange’s clearing corporation.

The financial condition of an issuer of a debt security or other issuer may cause it to default or become unable to pay interest or principal due on the security. A Fund cannot collect interest and principal payments on a security if the issuer defaults. Recent events in the financial sector have resulted in increased concerns about credit risk and exposure. Well-known financial institutions have experienced significant liquidity and

 

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other problems and have defaulted on their debt. The degree of credit risk for a particular debt security or other issuer may be reflected in its credit rating. A credit rating is a measure of a bond issuer’s ability to make timely payments of interest and principal. Rating agencies (such as Moody’s, S&P, or Fitch) assign letter designations typically ranging from AAA to A- (lower default risk) through CCC to C (higher default risk) or D (in default). A credit rating of BBB- or higher generally is considered “investment grade.” Credit ratings are subjective, do not remove market risk, and represent the opinions of the rating agencies as to the quality of the securities they rate. Credit ratings can change quickly and may not accurately reflect the risk of an issuer. Generally, investment risk and price volatility increase as the credit rating of a security declines. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers. The value of an investment in a Fund may change quickly and without warning in response to issuer defaults, changes in the credit ratings of the Fund’s portfolio investments and/or perceptions related thereto.

 

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Cyber Security Risk

The Fund and its service providers may be susceptible to operational and information security risks resulting from a breach in cyber security, including cyber-attacks. A breach in cyber security, intentional or unintentional, may adversely impact the Fund in many ways, including, but not limited to, disruption of the Fund’s operational capacity, loss of proprietary information, theft or corruption of data maintained online or digitally, denial-of-service attacks on websites or network resources, and the unauthorized release of confidential information. Cyber-attacks affecting the Fund’s third-party service providers, including the investment adviser, sub-adviser, administrator, custodian, and transfer agent, may subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches and adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber-attacks may impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of confidential business information, impede trading, cause the Fund to incur additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or other financial losses, and/or cause reputational damage to the Fund. Cyber security breaches of market makers, Authorized Participants, or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests could also have material adverse consequences on the Fund’s business operations and cause financial losses for the Fund and its shareholders. While the Fund and its service providers have established business continuity plans and risk management systems designed to address cyber security risks, prevent cyber-attacks and mitigate the impact of cyber security breaches, there are inherent limitations on such plans and systems. In addition, the Fund has no control over the cyber security protections put in place by its service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect the Fund or its shareholders.

Derivatives Risk

Derivatives are financial instruments that derive their performance from an underlying reference asset, such as a commodity, index, interest rate or currency exchange rate. Derivatives are subject to a number of risks described elsewhere in this Prospectus, such as counterparty and issuer credit risk, interest rate risk, market risk and issuer-specific risk. They also involve the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index, or that the counterparty to a derivative contract might default on its obligations. Derivatives can be volatile and may be less liquid than other securities. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning, and you may lose money. Derivatives include futures contracts.

 

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Futures Contracts

A futures contract may generally be described as an agreement for the future sale by one party and the purchase by another of a specified security or instrument at a specified price and time. A commodity futures contract is a contract to exchange one commodity for another at a specified date in the future at an agreed upon exchange rate. The risks of futures contracts include but are not limited to: (1) the success of the adviser’s and sub-adviser’s ability to predict movements in the prices of individual commodities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates or prices; (2) an imperfect or no correlation between the changes in market value of the commodities and the prices of futures contracts; and (3) no guarantee that an active market will exist for the contracts at any particular time.

 

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In addition, as the Fund’s futures contracts near expiration, they are replaced by contracts that have a later expiration. For example, a contract purchased and held in December 2020 may specify a February 2021 expiration. As that contract nears expiration, it may be replaced by selling the February 2021 contract and purchasing the contract expiring in April 2021. This process is referred to as “rolling.” Historically, the prices of crude oil and heating oil have frequently been higher for contracts with shorter-term expirations than for contracts with longer-term expirations, which is referred to as “backwardation.” In these circumstances, absent other factors, the sale of the February 2021 contract would take place at a price that is higher than the price at which the April 2021 contract is purchased, thereby creating a gain in connection with rolling. While crude oil and heating oil have historically exhibited consistent periods of backwardation, backwardation will likely not exist in these markets at all times. For instance, in May 2020, futures for oil to be delivered in June 2020 traded at times at approximately half of the value of futures for oil to be delivered in January 2021 – or in “contango”, as further described below. The absence of backwardation in crude oil and heating oil could adversely affect the value of the Fund.

Conversely, gold, corn, soybeans and wheat historically exhibit “contango” markets rather than backwardation. Contango markets are those in which the prices of contracts are higher in the distant delivery months than in the nearer delivery months due to the costs of long-term storage of a physical commodity prior to delivery or other factors. Although gold, corn, soybeans and wheat have historically exhibited consistent periods of contango, contango will likely not exist in these markets at all times. The persistence of contango in gold, corn, soybeans and wheat could adversely affect the value of the Fund.

Futures Rolling Risk

The Fund invests in or has exposure to commodities futures contracts and is subject to costs associated with and risks related to “rolling.” The contractual obligations of a buyer or seller holding a futures contract to expiration may be satisfied by settling in cash as designated in the contract specifications. Alternatively, futures contracts may be closed out prior to expiration by making an offsetting sale or purchase of an identical futures contract on the same or linked exchange before the designated date of settlement. Once this date is reached, the futures contract “expires.” As the futures contracts held by the Fund near expiration, they are generally closed out and replaced by contracts with a later expiration. This process is referred to as “rolling.”

When the market for these contracts is such that the prices are higher in the more distant delivery months than in the nearer delivery months, the sale during the course of the “rolling process” of the more nearby contract would take place at a price that is lower than the price of the more distant contract. This pattern of higher futures prices for longer expiration futures contracts is often referred to as “contango.” Alternatively, when the market for these contracts is such that the prices are higher in the nearer months than in the more distant months, the sale during the course of the “rolling process” of the more nearby contract would take place at a price that is higher than the price of the more distant contract. This pattern of higher futures prices for shorter expiration futures contracts is referred to as “backwardation.” The presence of contango in the relevant futures contracts at the time of rolling would be expected to adversely affect the Fund. Similarly, the presence of backwardation in certain futures contracts at the time of rolling such contracts would be expected to positively affect the Fund.

There have been extended periods in which contango or backwardation has existed in the futures contracts markets, and such periods can be expected to occur in the future. These extended periods can cause significant losses for the Fund.

Additionally, because of the frequency with which the Fund expects to roll its futures contracts, the impact of such contango or backwardation may be greater than the impact would be if the Fund experienced less portfolio turnover.

 

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Geopolitical Risk

The United States has experienced security concerns, war, threats of war, aggression and/or conflict, terrorism, economic uncertainty, natural and environmental disasters, the spread of infectious illness, widespread disease or other public health issues and/or systemic market dislocations (including due to events outside of the United States) that have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally. Such geopolitical and other events may also disrupt securities markets and, during such market disruptions, the Fund’s exposure to the other risks described herein will likely increase. For example, a market disruption may adversely affect the orderly functioning of the securities markets. Each of the foregoing may negatively impact the Fund’s investments.

 

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Interest Rate Risk

The market value of fixed income securities, and financial instruments related to fixed income securities, will change in response to changes in interest rates and may change in response to other factors, such as perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness. As interest rates rise, the value of certain fixed income securities is likely to decrease. Similarly, if interest rates decline, the value of fixed income securities is likely to increase. While securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, the prices of longer maturity securities tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates and thus subject to greater volatility than securities with shorter maturities. The “average portfolio maturity” of the Fund is the average of all the current maturities of the individual securities in the Fund’s portfolio. Average portfolio maturity is important to investors as an indication of the Fund’s sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Funds with longer portfolio maturities generally are subject to greater interest rate risk.

Investment Risk

As with all investments, an investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk. Investors in the Fund could lose money, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment, over short or long periods of time. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Issuer-Specific Risk

Changes in the actual or perceived financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular type of security or issuer, and changes in general economic or political conditions can affect a security’s or instrument’s value. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers. Issuer-specific events can have a negative impact on the value of the Fund.

Liquidity Risk

The Fund may invest in derivatives and other instruments that may be less liquid than other types of investments. Investments that are less liquid or that trade less can be more difficult or more costly to buy, or to sell, compared to other more liquid or active investments. This liquidity risk is a factor of the trading volume of a particular investment, as well as the size and liquidity of the market for such an investment. The derivatives in which the Fund invests may not always be liquid. This could have a negative effect on the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective and may result in losses to Fund shareholders.

Market Risk

The trading prices of commodities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors. These factors include events impacting the entire market or specific market segments, such as political, market and economic developments, including, but not limited to, changes in interest rates, government regulation, and the outlook for economic growth or recession, as well as events that impact specific issuers, such as changes to an issuer’s actual or perceived creditworthiness. The Fund’s NAV and market price, like commodity prices generally, may fluctuate significantly in response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time.

Non-Diversification Risk

The Fund is considered to be non-diversified. This means that the Fund may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s

 

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performance. However, the Fund intends to satisfy the asset diversification requirements under Subchapter M of the Code for qualification as a RIC. See the “Taxes – Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company” section of the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) for detail regarding the asset diversification requirements.

Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV

As with all ETFs, Fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will not materially differ from the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly, including due to timing reasons, perceptions about the NAV, supply and demand of the Fund’s shares (including disruptions in the creation/redemption process), during periods of market volatility and/or other factors. Thus, you may pay more (or less) than NAV when you buy shares of the Fund in the secondary market, and you may receive more (or less) than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary market. If an investor purchases Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the Fund’s shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the Fund’s shares, an investor may sustain losses.

 

 

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Subsidiary Investment Risk

The WisdomTree Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act and is not subject to all of the investor protections of the 1940 Act. Thus, the Fund, as an investor in the WisdomTree Subsidiary, will not have all of the protections offered to investors in registered investment companies. In addition, changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the WisdomTree Subsidiary are organized, respectively, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the WisdomTree Subsidiary to operate as intended and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.

Tax Risk

To qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment accorded to RICs, the Fund must, among other requirements detailed in the SAI, derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from certain prescribed sources. The Fund may obtain exposure to the commodities markets by directly entering into commodity-linked derivative instruments, such as listed futures contracts, forward currency contracts, swaps, and structured notes. Income from certain commodity-linked derivative instruments in which the Fund invests may not be considered qualifying income under the 90% test noted above. The Fund intends to invest in such commodity-linked derivative instruments indirectly through the WisdomTree Subsidiary. The Fund’s investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax requirements of the Code for qualification as a RIC. The “Subpart F” income (defined in Section 951 of the Code to include passive income, including from commodity-linked derivatives) of the Fund attributable to the Fund’s investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary is “qualifying income” to the Fund to the extent that such income is derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities or currencies. The Fund expects its “Subpart F” income attributable to its investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary to be derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities or currencies and to be treated as “qualifying income”. The Adviser intends to conduct the Fund’s investments in the WisdomTree Subsidiary in a manner consistent with the terms and conditions of the Treasury regulations, and will monitor the Fund’s investments in the WisdomTree Subsidiary to ensure that no more than 25% of the Fund’s assets are invested in the WisdomTree Subsidiary. To the extent the Fund makes a direct investment in commodity-linked derivative instruments, it will seek to restrict the resulting income from such instruments so that, when combined with its other non-qualifying income, the Fund’s non-qualifying income is less than 10% of its gross income. The Fund might generate more non-qualifying income than anticipated, might not be able to generate qualifying income in a particular taxable year at levels sufficient to meet the 90% test noted above, or might not be able to determine the percentage of qualifying income it derives for a taxable year until after year-end. Failure to comply with the qualifying income test would have significant negative tax consequences to Fund shareholders. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may be able to cure a failure to meet the 90% test noted above, but in order to do so the Fund may incur significant Fund-level taxes, which would effectively reduce (and could eliminate) the Fund’s returns. Important tax information is described in more detail below in the section on “Additional Tax Information.”

 

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Additional Non-Principal Risk Information

Trading. Although the Fund’s shares are listed for trading on [___] (the “Listing Exchange”) and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the Listing Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained. The trading market in the Fund’s shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund’s holdings or due to irregular trading activity in the markets. Trading in shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Listing Exchange, make trading in shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in shares on the Listing Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Listing Exchange “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Listing Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged or that Fund shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange.

 

 

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

Securities Lending. Although the Fund is indemnified by the Fund’s lending agent for losses incurred in connection with a borrower’s default with respect to a loan, the Fund bears the risk of loss of investing cash collateral and may be required to make payments to a borrower upon return of loaned securities if invested collateral has declined in value. Furthermore, because of the risks in delay of recovery, the Fund may lose the opportunity to sell the securities at a desirable price, and the Fund will generally not have the right to vote securities while they are being loaned. These events could also trigger negative tax consequences for the Fund.

Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Fund shares may trade at a prolonged and material premium or discount to NAV (or not trade at all) and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting: (i) APs exit the business, have a business disruption (including through the types of disruptions described under “Cyber Security Risk” and “Operational Risk”) or otherwise become unable or unwilling to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business, have a business disruption (including through the types of disruptions described under “Cyber Security Risk” and “Operational Risk”) or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

Operational Risk. The Fund and its service providers, including the investment adviser, sub-adviser, administrator, custodian, and transfer agent, may experience disruptions that arise from human error, processing and communications errors, counterparty or third-party errors, technology or systems failures, any of which may have an adverse impact on the Fund. Although the Fund and its service providers seek to mitigate these operational risks through their internal controls and operational risk management processes, these measures may not identify or may be inadequate to address all such risks.

Portfolio Holdings Information

Information about the Fund’s daily portfolio holdings, including the identities and quantities of such portfolio holdings, is available at www.wisdomtree.com. In addition, the Fund will disclose its complete portfolio holdings as of the end of its fiscal year (August 31) and its second fiscal quarter (February 28) in its reports to shareholders. The Fund files its complete portfolio holdings as of the end of its first and third fiscal quarters (November 30 and May 31, respectively) with the SEC in Part F of Form N-PORT no later than 60 days after the relevant fiscal period. You can find the SEC filings on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov, or by calling WisdomTree Trust at 1-866-909-WISE (9473). A summarized description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the SAI.

 

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Management

Investment Adviser

As the investment adviser, WisdomTree Asset Management has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the WisdomTree Trust (the “Trust”) and the Fund. WisdomTree Asset Management is a registered investment adviser with offices located at 245 Park Avenue, 35th Floor, New York, New York 10167, and is a leader in ETF management. As of [____], 2020, WisdomTree Asset Management had assets under management totaling approximately $[____]. WisdomTree Investments* is the parent company of WisdomTree Asset Management. WisdomTree Asset Management provides an investment program for the Fund. The Adviser provides proactive oversight of the Sub-Adviser, daily monitoring of the Sub-Adviser’s buying and selling of securities for the Fund, and regular review of the Sub-Adviser’s performance. In addition, the Adviser arranges for sub-advisory, transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending, and all other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate.

 

*

“WisdomTree” is a registered mark of WisdomTree Investments and has been licensed for use by the Trust.

For its services, WisdomTree Asset Management expects to receive fees from the Fund, based on a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets, as shown in the following table:

 

   
Name of Fund   Management Fee
WisdomTree Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund   [____]%

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement for the Fund, WisdomTree Asset Management has agreed to pay generally all expenses of the Fund, subject to certain exceptions. For a detailed description of the Investment Advisory Agreement for the Fund, please see the “Management of the Trust” section of the SAI. Pursuant to a separate contractual arrangement, WisdomTree Asset Management arranges for the provision of chief compliance officer (“CCO”) services with respect to the Fund, and is liable and responsible for, and administers, payments to the CCO, the Independent Trustees and counsel to the Independent Trustees. WisdomTree Asset Management receives a fee of up to 0.0044% of the Fund’s average daily net assets for providing such services and paying such expenses. WisdomTree Asset Management provides CCO services to the Trust.

The basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Fund’s Investment Advisory Agreements will be available in the Trust’s [Annual] Report to Shareholders for the period ending [August 31, 2020].

WisdomTree Asset Management is also responsible for the general management and administration of the Fund’s WisdomTree Subsidiary’s investment program pursuant to a separate investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the WisdomTree Subsidiary. Under the advisory agreement, the Adviser provides the WisdomTree Subsidiary with the same type of management, for the same fee and under essentially the same terms, as is provided to the Fund. The WisdomTree Subsidiary has also entered into separate contracts for the provision of custody, transfer agency, and accounting services with the same service providers that provide those services to the Fund.

Sub-Adviser

Mellon Investments Corporation (the “Sub-Adviser”) is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. The Sub-Adviser, a registered investment adviser, is a leading innovator in the investment industry and manages global quantitative-based investment strategies for institutional and private investors. Its principal office is located at One Boston Place, 201 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02108. As of [____] 2020, the Sub-Adviser had assets under management totaling approximately [____]. The Sub-Adviser is an independently operated indirect subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, a publicly traded

 

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financial holding company. The Sub-Adviser chooses the Fund’s portfolio investments and places orders to buy and sell the portfolio investments. The Sub-Adviser also serves as sub-adviser for the Fund’s WisdomTree Subsidiary and is responsible for the WisdomTree Subsidiary’s day-to-day management. The Sub-Adviser chooses the WisdomTree Subsidiary’s portfolio investments and place orders to buy and sell the WisdomTree Subsidiary’s portfolio investments. WisdomTree Asset Management pays the Sub-Adviser for providing sub-advisory services to the Fund.

The basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Sub-Advisory Agreement will be available in the Trust’s [Annual] Report to Shareholders for the period ending [August 31, 2020].

WisdomTree Asset Management, as the investment adviser for the Fund, may hire one or more sub-advisers to oversee the day-to-day activities of the Fund. The sub-advisers are subject to oversight by WisdomTree Asset Management. WisdomTree Asset Management and the Trust have received an exemptive order from the SEC that

 

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permits WisdomTree Asset Management, with the approval of the Independent Trustees of the Trust, to retain unaffiliated investment sub-advisers for the Fund, without submitting the sub-advisory agreement to a vote of the Fund’s shareholders. The Trust will notify shareholders in the event of any change in the identity of such sub-adviser or sub-advisers. WisdomTree Asset Management has ultimate responsibility for the investment performance of the Fund due to its responsibility to oversee each sub-adviser and recommend their hiring, termination and replacement. WisdomTree Asset Management is not required to disclose fees paid to any sub-adviser retained pursuant to the order.

Portfolio Managers

The Fund is managed by the Sub-Adviser’s Asset Allocation Portfolio Management team. The individual members of the team jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio are described below.

Vassilis Dagioglu is a Managing Director and the Head of Asset Allocation Portfolio Management. Mr. Dagioglu is the head of asset allocation portfolio management and oversees the team responsible for global multi-asset strategies including total return, absolute return, multi-asset income, global macro, and commodities. Previously at the firm, Mr. Dagioglu managed multi-asset portfolios in addition to developing custom portfolio solutions. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Dagioglu designed and implemented financial information systems and consulted on enterprise information application development at IBM Global Services and Sybase. Mr. Dagioglu has been in the investment industry since 1998. Mr. Dagioglu received an MBA in finance from the University of California at Berkeley.

James Stavena is a Managing Director of Mellon’s Asset Allocation Portfolio Management Team and has been with Mellon for 18 years. He received his M.B.A. from Rice University and has over 25 years of investment experience.

The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of shares in the Fund.

 

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Additional Information on Buying and Selling Fund Shares

Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund through brokers. Shares of the Fund trade on the Listing Exchange and elsewhere during the trading day and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other shares of publicly traded securities. When buying or selling shares through a broker, most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges. Shares of the Fund trade under the trading symbol listed on the cover of this Prospectus.

Share Trading Prices

Transactions in Fund shares will be priced at NAV only if you are an institutional investor (e.g., broker-dealer) that has signed an agreement with the Distributor (as defined below) and you thereafter purchase or redeem shares directly from the Fund in Creation Units. As with other types of securities, the trading prices of shares in the secondary market can be affected by market forces such as supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors. The price you pay or receive when you buy or sell your shares in the secondary market may be more or less than the NAV of such shares.

The approximate value of shares of the Fund, also known as the “indicative optimized portfolio value” or IOPV, is disseminated every 15 seconds throughout the trading day by the Listing Exchange or by other information providers. This approximate value should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the Fund’s NAV because the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once per day. The approximate value generally is determined by using current market quotations, price quotations obtained from broker-dealers that may trade in the securities and instruments held by the Fund, and/or amortized cost for securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less, based on securities and/or cash as reflected in the basket for a Creation Unit. The approximate value does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current portfolio of securities held by the Fund at a particular point in time (e.g., the securities in the basket for a Creation Unit may include securities that are not part of the Fund’s portfolio) or the precise valuation of the current portfolio. The Fund, the Adviser and their affiliates are not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the approximate value and make no warranty as to its accuracy. Further, the Fund’s dissemination of its IOPV is voluntary, and the availability of the IOPV may be modified or discontinued in the future.

Determination of Net Asset Value

The NAV of the Fund’s shares is calculated each day the national securities exchanges are open for trading as of the close of regular trading on the Listing Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. New York time (the “NAV Calculation Time”). NAV per share is calculated by dividing the Fund’s net assets by the number of Fund shares outstanding.

In calculating its NAV, the Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments.

Fair value pricing is used by the Fund when reliable market valuations are not readily available or are not deemed to reflect current market values. Securities that may be valued using “fair value” pricing may include, but are not limited to, securities for which there are no current market quotations or whose issuer is in default or bankruptcy, securities subject to corporate actions (such as mergers or reorganizations), securities subject to non-U.S. investment limits or currency controls, and securities affected by “significant events.” An example of a significant event is an event occurring after the close of the market in which a security trades but before the Fund’s next NAV Calculation Time that may materially affect the value of the Fund’s investment (e.g., government action, natural disaster, or significant market fluctuation). When fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by the Fund to calculate its NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities.

 

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Dividends and Distributions

The Fund intends to pay out dividends on a [____] basis. Nonetheless, the Fund may not make a dividend payment every [____].

The Fund intends to distribute its net realized capital gains to investors annually. The Fund occasionally may be required to make supplemental distributions at some other time during the year. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole shares only if the broker through whom you purchased shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.

Book Entry

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

 

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

Delivery of Shareholder Documents – Householding

Householding is an option available to certain investors of the Fund. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for the Fund is available through certain broker-dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares

The Fund has adopted policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Creation Units of Fund shares. Since the Fund is an ETF, only a few institutional investors (known as “Authorized Participants”) are authorized to purchase and redeem shares directly from the Fund. Because purchase and redemption transactions with Authorized Participants are an essential part of the ETF process and may help keep ETF trading prices in line with NAV, the Fund accommodates frequent purchases and redemptions by Authorized Participants. Frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase portfolio transaction costs and may lead to the realization of capital gains. Frequent in-kind creations and redemptions generally do not give rise to these concerns. The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order at any time. The Fund reserves the right to impose restrictions on disruptive, excessive, or short-term trading.

Investments by Investment Companies

Section 12(d)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 restricts investments by investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including shares of the Fund. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in the Fund beyond the limits set forth in section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in an SEC exemptive order issued to the Trust, including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the Fund.

 

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Additional Tax Information

The following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Fund. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Fund shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.

The Fund intends to qualify each year for treatment as a RIC. If it meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and consequently a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.

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

 

 

The Fund makes distributions;

 

 

You sell Fund shares; and

 

 

You purchase or redeem Creation Units (institutional investors only).

Taxes on Distributions

For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) are determined by how long the Fund owned the assets that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Fund shares. Sales of assets held by the Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by the Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of the Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are properly reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains. For non-corporate shareholders, long-term capital gains are generally subject to tax at reduced rates. Distributions of short-term capital gain will generally be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions reported by the Fund as “qualified dividend income” are generally taxed to non-corporate shareholders at rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met. “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. To the extent the Fund lends its securities and receives substitute dividend payments, such payments are not expected to generate qualified dividend income when distributed to shareholders. Since the Fund’s income is derived primarily from sources that do not pay dividends or from non-U.S. sources, it is not expected that a substantial portion of dividends paid by the Fund will qualify either for the dividends-received deduction for corporations or for any favorable U.S. federal income tax rate available to non-corporate shareholders on “qualified dividend income.”

In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, but declared by the Fund in October, November or December of the previous year, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the price you paid for your shares).

Dividends and distributions from the Fund and capital gain on the sale of Fund shares are generally taken into account in determining a shareholder’s “net investment income” for purposes of the Medicare contribution tax applicable to certain individuals, estates and trusts.

 

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The Fund may include cash when paying the redemption price for Creation Units in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities. The Fund and/or its WisdomTree Subsidiary may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause such Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, such Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment than if the in-kind redemption process was used.

Distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to individual shareholders that are neither citizens nor residents of the U.S. or to foreign entities will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest related dividend” or a “short term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met.

 

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The Fund (or financial intermediaries, such as brokers, through which shareholders own Fund shares) generally is required to withhold and to remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and the sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding.

Taxes When You Sell Fund Shares

Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund shares is generally treated as a long-term gain or loss if you held the shares you sold for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund shares held for one year or less is generally treated as a short-term gain or loss, except that any capital loss on a sale of shares held for six months or less is treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of Capital Gain Dividends paid with respect to such shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited depending on your circumstances.

Taxes on Creation and Redemption of Creation Units

An Authorized Participant having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes that exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and any amount of cash received by the Authorized Participant in the exchange and (ii) the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and any amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of the securities plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), however, may assert that a loss that is realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be permitted to be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for a person who does not mark-to-market their holdings), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

Gain or loss recognized by an Authorized Participant upon an issuance of Creation Units in exchange for non-U.S. currency will generally be treated as ordinary income or loss. Gain or loss recognized by an Authorized Participant upon an issuance of Creation Units in exchange for securities, or upon a redemption of Creation Units, may be capital or ordinary gain or loss depending on the circumstances. Any capital gain or loss realized upon an issuance of Creation Units in exchange for securities will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of a Creation Unit will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Fund shares comprising the Creation Unit have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses are treated as short-term capital gains or losses.

A person subject to U.S. federal income tax with the U.S. dollar as its functional currency who receives non-U.S. currency upon a redemption of Creation Units and does not immediately convert the non-U.S. currency into U.S. dollars may, upon a later conversion of the non-U.S. currency into U.S. dollars, recognize any gains or losses resulting from fluctuations in the value of the non-U.S. currency relative to the U.S. dollar since the date of the redemption. Any such gains or losses will generally be treated as ordinary income or loss.

Persons exchanging securities or non-U.S. currency for Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction and whether the wash sales rules apply and when a loss might be deductible. If you purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many Fund shares you purchased or redeemed and at what price.

 

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Foreign Investments by the Fund

Dividends, interest and other income received by the Fund with respect to foreign securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. The Fund may need to file special claims for refunds to secure the benefits of a reduced rate. If as of the close of a taxable year more than 50% of the total assets of the Fund consist of stock or securities of foreign corporations, the Fund intends to elect to “pass through” to investors the amount of foreign income and similar taxes (including withholding taxes) paid by the Fund during that taxable year. If the Fund elects to “pass through” such foreign taxes, then investors will be considered to have received as additional income their respective shares of such foreign taxes, but may be entitled to either a corresponding tax deduction in calculating taxable income, or, subject to certain limitations, a credit in calculating federal income tax.

 

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Commodity Investments

One of the requirements for qualification as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code is that the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from “qualifying income.” Qualifying income includes dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership (the “90% Test”).

In 2006, the IRS issued a revenue ruling which concludes that income derived from certain commodity-linked swaps is not qualifying income under Subchapter M of the Code. In a subsequent revenue ruling, the IRS provided that income from certain alternative investments that create commodity exposure, such as certain commodity index-linked or structured notes, may be considered qualifying income under Subchapter M of the Code. The Fund, however, will invest in certain commodity-linked notes only to the extent it obtains an opinion of counsel confirming that income from such investments should be qualifying income.

In addition, a RIC may gain exposure to commodities through investment in a qualified publicly traded partnership, such as an ETF that is classified as a partnership or trust and which invests in commodities, or through investment in a wholly-owned subsidiary that is treated as a controlled foreign corporation for federal income tax purposes, such as the WisdomTree Subsidiary. The Fund’s investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax requirements of the Code for qualification as a RIC. The “Subpart F” income (defined in Section 951 of the Code to include passive income, including from commodity-linked derivatives) of the Fund attributable to its investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary is “qualifying income” to the Fund to the extent that such income is derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities or currencies. The Fund expects its “Subpart F” income attributable to its investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary to be derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities or currencies and to be treated as “qualifying income”. The Adviser intends to conduct the Fund’s investments in the WisdomTree Subsidiary in a manner consistent with the terms and conditions of the regulations promulgated by the U.S. Treasury, and will monitor the Fund’s investments in the WisdomTree Subsidiary to ensure that no more than 25% of the Fund’s assets are invested in the WisdomTree Subsidiary.

Accordingly, the extent to which the Fund invests in commodities or commodity-linked derivatives directly or through the WisdomTree Subsidiary may be limited by the 90% Test, which the Fund must continue to satisfy to maintain its status as a RIC. As such, the Fund might cease to qualify as a RIC or could be required to reduce the exposure to such investments, which may result in difficulty in implementing the Fund’s investment strategy. If the Fund did not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year and certain relief provisions were not available, the Fund’s taxable income would be subject to tax at the Fund level and to a further tax at the shareholder level when such income is distributed. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC in any year, it would be required to pay out its earnings and profits accumulated in that year in order to qualify again as a RIC. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may be able to cure a failure to qualify as a RIC, but in order to do so the Fund may incur significant Fund-level taxes and may be forced to dispose of certain assets. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, the Fund would generally be required to recognize any net built-in gains with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year. A failure to qualify as a RIC could cause investors to incur higher tax liabilities than they otherwise would have incurred and could have a negative impact on Fund returns. In such event, the Fund’s Board of Trustees may determine to reorganize or close the Fund or materially change the Fund’s investment objective and strategies.

 

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Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the WisdomTree Subsidiary is organized, respectively, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the WisdomTree Subsidiary to operate as described in this Prospectus and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders. For example, Cayman Islands law does not currently impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax, estate duty, inheritance tax, gift tax or withholding tax on the WisdomTree Subsidiary. If Cayman Islands law changes such that the WisdomTree Subsidiary must pay Cayman Islands governmental authority taxes, the Fund’s shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns. There remains a risk that the tax treatment of swap agreements and other derivative instruments, such as commodity-linked notes, commodity options, futures, and options on futures, may be affected by future regulatory or legislative changes that could affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Fund’s taxable income or gains and distributions.

 

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Distribution

Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as the distributor of Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in shares of the Fund. The Distributor’s principal address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the Fund or the securities that are purchased or sold by the Fund.

Premium/Discount and NAV Information

Information regarding the Fund’s NAV and how often shares of the Fund traded on the Listing Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the Fund during the past calendar year and most recent calendar quarter is available at www.wisdomtree.com.

Additional Notices

Listing Exchange

Shares of the Fund are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Listing Exchange. The Listing Exchange is not responsible for the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of the shares of the Fund to be issued, nor the determination or calculation of the equation by which the shares are redeemable. The Listing Exchange has no obligation or liability to owners of the shares of the Fund in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the shares of the Fund.

Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Listing Exchange have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.

WisdomTree and the Fund

WisdomTree Investments and WisdomTree Asset Management (together, “WisdomTree”) and the Fund make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly. WisdomTree Investments is the licensor of trademarks, service marks and trade names of the Fund. WisdomTree Investments is not responsible for, and has not participated in, the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of shares of the Fund to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the shares of the Fund are redeemable.

Financial Highlights

The Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus and therefore does not have financial information.

 

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WisdomTree Trust

245 Park Avenue, 35th Floor

New York, NY 10167

 

LOGO

 

LOGO

 

The Fund’s current SAI provides additional detailed information about the Fund. The Trust has electronically filed the SAI with the SEC. It is incorporated by reference in this Prospectus.

Additional information about the Fund’s investments will be available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance after the first fiscal year the Funds are in operation.

To make shareholder inquiries, for more detailed information on the Fund, or to request the SAI or annual or semi-annual shareholder reports after the first fiscal year the Fund is in operations free of charge, please:

 

Call:  

1-866-909-9473

Monday through Friday

9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

(Eastern time)

   Write:  

WisdomTree Trust

c/o Foreside Fund Services, LLC

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100

Portland, Maine 04101

Visit:   www.wisdomtree.com     

Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations about the Fund and its shares not contained in this Prospectus and you should not rely on any other information. Read and keep this Prospectus for future reference.

© 2020 WisdomTree Trust

WisdomTree Funds are distributed in the U.S. by Foreside Fund Services, LLC

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100

Portland, Maine 04101

WisdomTree® is a registered mark of WisdomTree Investments, Inc.

INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE NO. 811-21864

WIS-PR-[    ]-[    ]


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WISDOMTREE® TRUST

WisdomTree Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund ([___])

Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: [_____]

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Dated [____], 2020

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the current prospectus (the “Prospectus”) for the WisdomTree Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund (the “Fund”), a separate series of WisdomTree Trust (the “Trust”), as such Prospectus may be revised from time to time.

The current Prospectus for the Fund is dated [_____], 2020. Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. The Fund’s audited financial statements for the most recent fiscal year (when available) are incorporated in this SAI by reference to the Fund’s most recent Annual Report to Shareholders (File No. 811-21864). When available, you may obtain a copy of the Fund’s Annual Report at no charge by request to the Fund at the address or phone number noted below.

THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (“SEC”) HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OF THIS SAI. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

THE INFORMATION HEREIN IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE SEC IS EFFECTIVE. THIS SAI IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

A copy of the Prospectus for the Fund may be obtained, without charge, by calling 1-866-909-9473, visiting www.wisdomtree.com, or writing to WisdomTree Trust, c/o Foreside Fund Services, LLC, Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.


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Table of Contents

 

General Description of the Trust and the Fund

     2  

Investment Strategies and Risks

     2  

General Risks

     3  

Specific Investment Strategies

     6  

Proxy Voting Policy

     16  

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Policies and Procedures

     17  

Investment Limitations

     18  

Continuous Offering

     19  

Management of the Trust

     21  

Brokerage Transactions

     32  

Additional Information Concerning the Trust

     33  

Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations

     34  

Regular Holidays and Other Settlement Matters

     39  

Taxes

     43  

Determination of NAV

     49  

Dividends and Distributions

     49

Financial Statements

     49  

Miscellaneous Information

     50  


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GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND

The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on December 15, 2005 and is authorized to issue multiple series or portfolios. The Trust is an open-end management investment company, registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The offering of the Trust’s shares is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. (“WisdomTree Asset Management” or the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. WisdomTree Investments, Inc. (“WisdomTree Investments”) is the parent company of WisdomTree Asset Management. Mellon Investments Corporation (“Mellon” or the “Sub-Adviser”) is the investment sub-adviser to the Fund. The Adviser and the Sub-Adviser may be referred to collectively as the “Advisers”. Foreside Fund Services, LLC serves as the distributor (“Distributor”) of the shares of the Fund.

The Fund is an exchange traded fund (“ETF”). The Fund issues and redeems shares at net asset value per share (“NAV”) only in large blocks of shares, typically [25,000] shares or more (“Creation Units” or Creation Unit Aggregations”). Currently, Creation Units generally consist of [50,000] shares of the Fund. These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket of securities and/or an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares of the Fund are not redeemable securities.

Shares of the Fund are listed on a national securities exchange, such as the [_____] (a “Listing Exchange”), and trade throughout the day on the Listing Exchange and other secondary markets at market prices that may be greater than (premium) or less than (discount) their NAV. As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on commission rates charged by the applicable broker.

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

“WisdomTree” is a registered mark of WisdomTree Investments and has been licensed for use by the Trust.

INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

The Fund’s investment objective, principal investment strategies and associated risks are described in the Fund’s Prospectus. The sections below supplement these principal investment strategies and risks and describe the Fund’s additional investment policies and the different types of investments that may be made by the Fund as a part of its non-principal investment strategies. With respect to the Fund’s investments, unless otherwise noted, if a percentage limitation on investment is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a subsequent increase or decrease as a result of market movement or redemption will not result in a violation of such investment limitation.

All U.S. money market securities acquired by the Fund will be rated in the upper two short-term ratings by at least two Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations (“NRSROs”) or, if unrated, deemed to be of equivalent quality. A First Tier security is (i) a rated security that has received a short-term rating from the NRSROs in the highest short-term rating category for debt obligations (within which there may be sub-categories or gradations indicating relative standing); (ii) an unrated security that is of comparable quality to a security, as determined by the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser; (iii) a security issued by a registered investment company that is a money market fund; or (iv) a security issued by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities. A Second Tier security is a rated security that has received a short-term rating other than a first tier rating from an NRSRO for debt obligations (within which there may be sub-categories or gradations indicating relative standing) or is an unrated security that is of comparable quality. The Fund intends to limit its overall exposure to Second Tier money market securities to 5% of total assets. Any security originally issued as a long-term obligation (more than 397 days from maturity at issuance) will be rated A or higher (or the equivalent) at the time of purchase by at least two NRSROs or, if unrated, deemed to be of equivalent quality.

The Fund intends to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), so that it will not be subject to federal income tax on income and gains that are timely distributed to Fund shareholders. The Fund will invest its assets, and otherwise conduct its operations, in a manner that is intended to satisfy the qualifying income, diversification and distribution requirements necessary to establish and maintain eligibility for such treatment.

The Fund is considered “non-diversified,” as such term is used in the 1940 Act.

 

 

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The Fund seeks to gain exposure to commodity markets, in whole or in part, while enabling the Fund to satisfy the source-of-income requirements that apply to RICs under the Code, through investments in a subsidiary organized in the Cayman Islands (the “WisdomTree Subsidiary”). Unlike the Fund, the WisdomTree Subsidiary is not an investment company registered under the 1940 Act, and therefore may invest in commodities and commodity-linked derivatives to a greater extent than the Fund. The WisdomTree Subsidiary, however, generally intends to invest in commodity-linked derivatives in a manner consistent with the limitations in Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act. Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act and related SEC guidance limit the amount of leverage an investment company, and in this case the WisdomTree Subsidiary, can obtain. The WisdomTree Subsidiary is otherwise subject to the same general investment policies and investment restrictions as its corresponding Fund.

GENERAL RISKS

Changing economic, political or financial market conditions in one country or geographic region could adversely affect the market value of the securities held by the Fund in a different country or geographic region due to increasingly interconnected global economies and financial markets. In addition, certain geopolitical and other events, including environmental events and public health events such as epidemics and pandemics, may have a global impact and add to instability in world economies and markets generally. As a result, whether or not the Fund invests in securities of issuers located in or with significant exposure to countries experiencing economic, political, financial and/or social difficulties, the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments may be negatively affected by such events. Such market conditions also may lead to increased regulation of the Fund and the instruments in which the Fund may invest, which may, in turn, increase the expenses incurred by the Fund and/or affect the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment objective and the Fund’s performance.

A recent outbreak of a respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread globally in a short period of time. In an organized attempt to contain and mitigate the effects of COVID-19, governments and businesses world-wide have taken aggressive measures, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines of large populations. COVID-19 has resulted in the disruption of and delays in the delivery of healthcare services and processes, the cancellation of organized events and educational institutions, the disruption of production and supply chains, a decline in consumer demand for certain goods and services, and general concern and uncertainty, all of which have contributed to increased volatility in global markets. The effects of COVID-19 have affected and are likely to continue to affect certain sectors and industries more dramatically than others, and the effects borne by some will negatively affect the value of the issuers in those sectors and industries, which may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments in those sectors or industries. COVID-19, and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, could adversely affect the economies of many nations, the global economy, individual companies and capital markets in ways that cannot be foreseen at the present time. In addition, the impact of infectious diseases in developing or emerging market countries may be greater due to limited health care resources. Political, economic and social stresses caused by COVID-19 also may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries. The duration of COVID-19 and its effects cannot be determined at this time, but the effects could be present for an extended period of time.

It is impossible to predict the effects on the Fund of these or similar events and market conditions in the future. However, it is possible that these or similar events and market conditions could have a significant and adverse effect on the NAV and/or risk profile of the Fund.

An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular security or issuer and changes in general economic or political conditions. The Fund may not outperform other investment strategies over short- or long-term market cycles and the Fund may decline in value. Fund shares may trade above or below their NAV. An investor in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods of time. The price of the securities and other investments held by the Fund and thus the value of the Fund’s portfolio is expected to fluctuate in accordance with general economic conditions, interest rates, political events, and other factors.

Investor perceptions may also impact the value of Fund investments and the value of an investment in Fund shares. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies, inflation and interest rates, economic expansion or contraction, and global or regional political, economic or banking crises.

In addition, an investment in the Fund should be made with the understanding that although the Fund attempts to invest in liquid securities and instruments, there can be no guarantee that a liquid market for such securities and instruments will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which holdings may be sold and the value of the Fund’s shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio holdings are limited or absent, or if bid/ask spreads are wide.

 

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Issuer-specific conditions may also affect the value of the Fund’s investments. The financial condition of an issuer of a security or counterparty to a contract may cause it to default or become unable to pay interest or principal due on the security or contract. The Fund cannot collect interest and principal payments if the issuer or counterparty defaults. Accordingly, the value of an investment in the Fund may change in response to issuer or counterparty defaults and changes in the credit ratings of the Fund’s portfolio securities. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of the Fund’s shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid/ask spreads are wide.

Events in the financial sector have resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign. Domestic and foreign fixed income and equity markets experienced extreme volatility and turmoil starting in late 2008 and volatility has continued to be experienced in the markets. Issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected, and well-known financial institutions have experienced significant liquidity and other problems. Some of these institutions have declared bankruptcy or defaulted on their debt. It is uncertain whether or for how long these conditions will continue. These events and possible continuing market turbulence may have an adverse effect on Fund performance.

The Fund may be included in model portfolios developed by WisdomTree Asset Management for use by financial advisors and/or investors. The market price of shares of the Fund, costs of purchasing or selling shares of the Fund, including the bid/ask spread, and liquidity of the Fund may be impacted by purchases and sales of the Fund by one or more model-driven investment portfolios.

Authorized Participants should refer to the section herein entitled “Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations” for additional information that may impact them.

BORROWING. Although the Fund does not intend to borrow money as part of its principal investment strategies, the Fund may do so to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund may borrow up to 33% of its net assets, but under normal market conditions, the Fund does not expect to borrow greater than 10% of the Fund’s net assets. The Fund will borrow only for short-term or emergency purposes.

Borrowing will tend to exaggerate the effect on NAV of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs that may or may not be recovered by earnings on the securities purchased. The Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with a borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.

CAPITAL CONTROLS AND SANCTIONS RISK. Economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events, military action and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to government intervention (including intervention by the U.S. government with respect to foreign governments, economic sectors, foreign companies and related securities and interests) and the imposition of capital controls and/or sanctions, which may also include retaliatory actions of one government against another government, such as seizure of assets. Capital controls and/or sanctions include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to own or transfer currency, securities or other assets, which may potentially include derivative instruments related thereto. Countries use these controls to, among other reasons restrict movements of capital entering (inflows) and exiting (outflows) their country to respond to certain economic or political conditions. By way of example, such controls may be applied to short-term capital transactions to counter speculative flows that threaten to undermine the stability of the exchange trade and deplete foreign exchange reserves. Levies may be placed on profits repatriated by foreign entities (such as the Fund). Capital controls and/or sanctions may also impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell, transfer, receive, deliver (i.e., create and redeem Creation Units) or otherwise obtain exposure to, foreign securities or currency, negatively impact the value and/or liquidity of such instruments, adversely affect the trading market and price for shares of the Fund (e.g., cause the Fund to trade at prices materially different from its NAV), and cause the Fund to decline in value. The Fund may change its creation and/or redemption procedures without notice in response to the imposition of capital controls or sanctions. There can be no assurance a country in which the Fund invests or the U.S. will not impose a form of capital control or sanction to the possible detriment of the Fund and its shareholders.

COMMODITY RISK. The value of commodities and commodity-linked derivative instruments typically is based upon the price movements of a physical commodity or an economic variable linked to such price movements. Therefore, the value of commodities and commodity-linked derivative instruments may be affected by, for example, changes in overall market movements, economic conditions, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular commodity or industry, such as production, supply, demand, drought, floods, weather, political, economic and regulatory developments. The prices of commodities and commodity-related investments may fluctuate quickly and dramatically and may not correlate to price movements in other asset classes, such as stocks, bonds and cash. An active trading market may not exist for certain commodities. These factors may impair the ability of the Fund to sell its portfolio holdings quickly or for full value. The Fund may also invest in bitcoin futures contracts (“Bitcoin futures”). The Fund will invest in cash-settled Bitcoin futures traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, which is a registered futures exchange, only. The Fund will not invest in Bitcoin directly. Bitcoin is a digital asset (i.e., a cryptocurrency) whose ownership and behavior are determined by participants in an online, peer-to-peer network that connects computers that run publicly accessible, or “open source,” software that follows the rules and procedures governing the Bitcoin network. References to commodities and commodity-linked derivatives in this SAI include Bitcoin and Bitcoin futures, respectively. In addition, the market for Bitcoin futures is relatively new and commenced trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in December 2017. As a result, Bitcoin futures markets are thinly traded

 

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relative to other futures markets and may have limited liquidity. Each of these factors and events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATE RISK. Investments denominated in non-U.S. currencies and investments in securities or derivatives that provide exposure to such currencies, currency exchange rates or interest rates are subject to non-U.S. currency risk. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Fund shares. Because the Fund’s NAV is determined on the basis of U.S. dollars, the U.S. dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go down if the value of the local currency of the non-U.S. markets in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar. This is true even if the local currency value of securities in the Fund’s holdings goes up. Conversely, the U.S. dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go up if the value of the local currency appreciates against the U.S. dollar.

The value of the U.S. dollar measured against other currencies is influenced by a variety of factors. These factors include interest rates, national debt levels and trade deficits, changes in balances of payments and trade, domestic and foreign interest and inflation rates, global or regional political, economic or financial events, monetary policies of governments, actual or potential government intervention, and global energy prices. Political instability, the possibility of government intervention and restrictive or opaque business and investment policies may also reduce the value of a country’s currency. Government monetary policies and the buying or selling of currency by a country’s government may also influence exchange rates.

Currencies of emerging or developing market countries may be subject to significantly greater risks than currencies of developed countries. Many developing market countries have experienced steady declines or even sudden devaluations of their currencies relative to the U.S. dollar. Some non-U.S. market currencies may not be traded internationally, may be subject to strict limitations on foreign investment and may be subject to frequent and unannounced government intervention. Government intervention and currency controls can decrease the value and significantly increase the volatility of an investment in non-U.S. currency. Although the currencies of some developing market countries may be convertible into U.S. dollars, the achievable rates may differ from those experienced by domestic investors because of foreign investment restrictions, withholding taxes, lack of liquidity or other reasons.

CYBER SECURITY RISK. Investment companies, such as the Fund, and its service providers may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber-attacks affecting the Fund or the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, accountant, custodian, transfer agent, market makers, Authorized Participants and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber-attacks may interfere with the processing of Authorized Participant transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential company information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses, and cause reputational damage. The Fund could incur extraordinary expenses for cyber security risk management purposes, prevention and/or resolution. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause the Fund’s investment in such portfolio companies to lose value.

FOREIGN SECURITIES RISK. The Fund may invest in non-U.S. securities and instruments, or in instruments that provide exposure to such securities and instruments. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks (including restrictions on the transfers of securities). With respect to certain countries, there is the possibility of government intervention and expropriation or nationalization of assets. Because legal systems differ, there is also the possibility that it will be difficult to obtain or enforce legal judgments in certain countries. Since foreign exchanges may be open on days when the Fund does not price its shares, the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares. Conversely, Fund shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are closed. Each of these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments and may be heightened in connection with investments in developing or emerging market countries. Foreign securities also include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) which are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts representing shares of foreign-based corporations. ADRs are issued by U.S. banks or trust companies and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares. Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), which are similar to ADRs, represent shares of foreign-based corporations and are generally issued by international banks in one or more markets around the world. Investments in ADRs and GDRs may be less liquid and more volatile than underlying shares in their primary trading markets. In addition, the Fund may change its creation or redemption procedures without notice in connection with restrictions on the transfer of securities. For more information on creation and redemption procedures, see “Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations” herein.

 

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LACK OF DIVERSIFICATION. The Fund is considered to be “non-diversified.” A “non-diversified” classification means that the Fund is not limited by the 1940 Act with regard to the percentage of its total assets that may be invested in the securities of a single issuer. As a result, the Fund may invest more of its total assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were classified as a diversified fund. Therefore, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a small number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely, which may have a greater impact on the Fund’s volatility and performance.

TAX RISK. To qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment accorded to RICs, the Fund must, among other requirements detailed under “Taxes—Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company”, derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from certain prescribed sources. The Fund may obtain exposure to the commodities markets by directly entering into commodity-linked derivative instruments, such as listed futures contracts, forward currency contracts, swaps, and structured notes. Income from certain commodity-linked derivative instruments in which the Fund invests may not be considered qualifying income under the 90% test noted above. The Fund intends to invest in such commodity-linked derivative instruments indirectly through the WisdomTree Subsidiary. The Fund’s investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax requirements of the Code for qualification as a RIC. The “Subpart F” income (defined in Section 951 of the Code to include passive income, including from commodity-linked derivatives) of the Fund attributable to its investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary is “qualifying income” to the Fund to the extent that such income is derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities or currencies. The Fund expects its “Subpart F” income attributable to its investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary to be derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities or currencies and to be treated as “qualifying income”. The Adviser intends to conduct the Fund’s investments in the WisdomTree Subsidiary in a manner consistent with the terms and conditions of the Treasury regulations, and will monitor the Fund’s investments in the WisdomTree Subsidiary to ensure that no more than 25% of the Fund’s assets are invested in the WisdomTree Subsidiary.

To the extent the Fund makes a direct investment in commodity-linked derivative instruments, it will seek to restrict the resulting income from such instruments so that, when combined with its other non-qualifying income, the Fund’s non-qualifying income is less than 10% of its gross income. However, the Fund may generate more non-qualifying income than anticipated, may not be able to generate qualifying income in a particular taxable year at levels sufficient to meet the 90% test noted above, or may not be able to accurately predict the non-qualifying income from these investments. Failure to comply with this restriction would have significant negative tax consequences to Fund shareholders. Please refer to the section of this SAI entitled “Taxes—Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company” for a more detailed explanation of the tax risks associated with the Fund’s commodity investments.

A discussion of some of the other risks associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Fund’s Prospectus.

SPECIFIC INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

A description of certain investment strategies and types of investments that may be used by the Fund is set forth below.

BANK DEPOSITS AND OBLIGATIONS. The Fund may invest in deposits and other obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. banks and financial institutions. Deposits and obligations of banks and financial institutions include certificates of deposit, time deposits, and bankers’ acceptances. Certificates of deposit and time deposits represent an institution’s obligation to repay funds deposited with it that earn a specified interest rate. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates, while time deposits are non-negotiable deposits. A banker’s acceptance is a time draft drawn on and accepted by a bank that becomes a primary and unconditional liability of the bank upon acceptance. Investments in obligations of non-U.S. banks and financial institutions may involve risks that are different from investments in obligations of U.S. banks. These risks include future unfavorable political and economic developments, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions that might affect the payment of principal or interest on the securities held in the Fund.

COMMERCIAL PAPER. The Fund may invest in commercial paper. Commercial paper is an unsecured short-term promissory note with a fixed maturity of no more than 270 days issued by corporations, generally to finance short-term business needs. The commercial paper purchased by the Fund generally will be rated in the upper two short-term ratings by at least two Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations (“NRSROs”) or, if unrated, deemed to be of equivalent quality by the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser. If a security satisfies the rating requirement upon initial purchase and is subsequently downgraded, the Fund is not required to dispose of the security. In the event of such an occurrence, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser will determine what action, including potential sale, is in the best interest of the Fund. The Fund may also purchase unrated commercial paper provided that such paper is determined to be of comparable quality by the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser. Commercial paper issuers in which the Fund may invest include securities issued by corporations without registration under the Securities Act in reliance on the exemption from such registration afforded by Section 3(a)(3) thereof, and commercial paper issued in reliance on the so-called “private placement” exemption from registration, which is afforded by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act (“Section 4(2) paper”). Section 4(2) paper is restricted as to disposition under the federal securities laws in that any resale must similarly be made in an exempt transaction. Section 4(2) paper is normally resold to other institutional investors through or with the assistance of investment dealers who make a market in Section 4(2) paper, thus providing liquidity.

 

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CORPORATE DEBT OBLIGATIONS. The Fund may invest in corporate debt obligations. Corporate debt obligations are interest bearing securities in which the corporate issuer has a contractual obligation to pay interest at a stated rate on specific dates and to repay principal periodically or on a specified maturity date. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities. The primary differences between the different types of corporate debt securities are their maturities and secured or un-secured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and is usually unsecured.

Corporate debt may be issued by domestic or foreign companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. Corporate debt may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and may carry variable or floating rates of interest.

Because of the wide range of types, and maturities, of corporate debt obligations, as well as the range of creditworthiness of its issuers, corporate debt obligations have widely varying potentials for return and risk profiles. For example, commercial paper issued by a large established domestic corporation that is rated investment-grade may have a modest return on principal, but carries relatively limited risk. On the other hand, a long-term corporate note issued by a small foreign corporation from an emerging market country that has not been rated may have the potential for relatively large returns on principal, but carries a relatively high degree of risk.

Like most fixed income securities, corporate debt obligations carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of certain corporate debt securities will tend to fall when interest rates rise. In general, corporate debt securities with longer terms tend to fall more in value when interest rates rise than corporate debt securities with shorter terms. Funds with higher durations generally are subject to greater interest rate risk. For example, the value of a fund with a portfolio duration of ten years would be expected to drop by 10% for every 1% increase in interest rates. The Fund’s actual portfolio duration may be longer or shorter depending upon market conditions.

CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS. The Fund may enter into foreign currency forward and foreign currency futures contracts, including to facilitate local securities settlements or to protect against currency exposure.

Foreign Currency Futures Contracts. A foreign currency futures contract is a contract involving an obligation to deliver or acquire the specified amount of a specific currency, at a specified price and at a specified future time. Futures contracts may be settled on a net cash payment basis rather than by the sale and delivery of the underlying currency.

Forward Foreign Currency Contracts. A forward foreign currency exchange contract (“forward contract”) involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are principally traded in the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. Forward contracts are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make a payment to the other party (the counterparty) based on the market value or level of a specified currency. In return, the counterparty agrees to make payment to the first party based on the return of a different specified currency. A forward contract generally has no margin deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades. These contracts typically are settled by physical delivery of the underlying currency or currencies in the amount of the full contract value to the extent they are not agreed to be carried forward to another expiration date (i.e., rolled over).

A non-deliverable forward contract is a forward contract where there is no physical settlement of two currencies at maturity. Non-deliverable forward contracts will usually be done on a net basis, with the Fund receiving or paying only the net amount of the two payments. The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each non-deliverable forward contract is accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or liquid securities having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess is maintained to cover such obligations. The risk of loss with respect to non-deliverable forward contracts generally is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make or receive.

Currency exchange transactions involve a significant degree of risk and the markets in which currency exchange transactions are effected are highly volatile, highly specialized and highly technical. Significant changes, including changes in liquidity and prices, can occur in such markets within very short periods of time, often within minutes. Currency exchange trading risks include, but are not limited to, exchange rate risk, maturity gap, interest rate risk, and potential interference by foreign governments through regulation of local exchange markets, foreign investment or particular transactions in foreign currency. If the Fund utilizes foreign currency transactions at an inappropriate time, such transactions may not serve their intended purpose and may lower the Fund’s return. The Fund could experience losses if the value of any currency forwards and futures positions is poorly correlated with its other investments or if it could not close out its positions because of an illiquid market. Such contracts are subject to the risk that the counterparty will default on its obligations. In addition, the Fund will incur transaction costs, including trading commissions, in connection with certain foreign currency transactions.

 

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DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS. To the extent the Fund invests in stocks of foreign corporations, the Fund’s investment in such stocks may be in the form of Depositary Receipts or other similar securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. Depositary Receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by an American bank or trust company that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) are receipts issued in Europe that evidence a similar ownership arrangement. GDRs are receipts issued throughout the world that evidence a similar arrangement. Non-Voting Depository Receipts (“NVDRs”) are receipts issued in Thailand that evidence a similar arrangement. Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, and EDRs, in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities markets. GDRs are tradable both in the United States and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world. NVDRs are tradable on the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

The Fund will not generally invest in any unlisted Depositary Receipts or any Depositary Receipt that WisdomTree Asset Management or the Sub-Adviser deems to be illiquid or for which pricing information is not readily available. In addition, all Depositary Receipts generally must be sponsored; however, the Fund may invest in unsponsored Depositary Receipts under certain limited circumstances. The issuers of unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States, and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts.

DERIVATIVES. The Fund will use derivative instruments as part of its investment strategy. The Fund will not use derivatives to increase leverage, and the Fund will provide margin or collateral, as applicable, with respect to investments in derivatives in such amounts as determined under applicable law, regulatory guidance, or related interpretations.

Generally, derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index, and may relate to bonds, interest rates, currencies, commodities, and related indexes. Examples of derivative instruments include forward currency contracts, currency and interest rate swaps, currency options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, swap agreements and credit-linked notes.

With respect to certain kinds of derivative transactions that involve obligations to make future payments to third parties, including, but not limited to, futures contracts, forward contracts, swap contracts, the purchase of securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, or reverse repurchase agreements, under applicable federal securities laws, rules, and interpretations thereof, the Fund must “set aside” (referred to sometimes as “asset segregation”) liquid assets, or engage in other measures to “cover” open positions with respect to such transactions in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act, specifically sections 8 and 18 thereunder. In complying with such requirements, the Fund will include assets of any wholly-owned subsidiary in which the Fund invests on an aggregate basis.

For example, with respect to forward contracts and futures contracts that are not contractually required to “cash-settle,” the Fund must cover its open positions by having available liquid assets equal to the contracts’ full notional value. The Fund treats deliverable forward contracts for currencies that are liquid as the equivalent of “cash-settled” contracts. As such, the Fund may have available liquid assets in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market (net) obligation (i.e., the Fund’s daily net liability, if any) rather than the full notional amount under such deliverable forward contracts. Similarly, with respect to futures contracts that are contractually required to “cash-settle” the Fund may have available liquid assets in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market (net) obligation rather than the notional value. The Fund reserves the right to modify these policies in the future.

Forwards, swaps and certain other derivatives are subject to regulation under The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) in the U.S. and certain non-U.S. jurisdictions. Physically-settled forwards entered into between eligible contract participants, such as the Fund, are generally subject to fewer regulatory requirements in the U.S. than non-deliverable forwards. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, non-deliverable forwards are regulated as swaps and are subject to rules requiring central clearing and mandatory trading on an exchange or facility that is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”). Under the Dodd-Frank Act, non-deliverable forwards, swaps and certain other derivatives traded in the OTC market may become subject to initial and variation margin requirements as early as March 1, 2017. The Fund’s counterparties may be subject to additional regulatory requirements and/or apply the regulatory requirements more broadly than is required for administrative and other reasons, including, for example, by (i) applying the stricter regulatory requirements to physically-settled forwards that are applicable to non-deliverable forwards even though the stricter rules are not technically applicable to such physically-settled forwards; and (ii) applying smaller thresholds for the delivery of variation margin than required. As such, the Fund may need to hold more cash, which may include raising cash by selling securities and/or obtaining cash through other arrangements in order to meet margin requirements, which may, among other potential consequences, cause an increase in expense ratio, lead to the realization of taxable gains, increase costs to the Fund of trading or otherwise affect returns to investors in the Fund.

With regard to the Fund and the WisdomTree Subsidiary, WisdomTree Asset Management is registered with the CFTC as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”) under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). The CFTC has adopted amendments to its regulations of commodity pool operators (“CPOs”) managing funds registered under the 1940 Act that “harmonize” the SEC’s and the CFTC’s regulatory schemes. The adopted amendments to the CFTC regulations allow CPOs to registered investment companies to satisfy certain recordkeeping, reporting and disclosure requirements that would otherwise apply to them under Part 4 of the CFTC’s regulations by continuing to comply with comparable SEC requirements. To the extent that the CFTC recordkeeping, disclosure and reporting requirements deviate from the comparable SEC requirements, such deviations are not expected to materially adversely affect the ability of the Fund to continue to operate and achieve its investment objective. If, however, these requirements or future regulatory

 

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changes result in the Fund having difficulty in achieving its investment objective, the Trust may determine to reorganize or close the Fund, materially change the Fund’s investment objective and strategies, or operate the Fund as a regulated commodity pool pursuant to WisdomTree Asset Management’s CPO registration.

Structured Notes. The Fund may invest in notes, sometimes called “structured notes,” linked to the performance of commodities or commodity indexes. Commodity-linked structured notes provide exposure, which may include long and/or short exposure, to the investment returns of commodities markets without investing directly in the underlying physical commodities. The performance of these notes is determined by the price movement of the commodities underlying the note. These notes are subject to the credit risk of the issuing party and may be less liquid than other types of securities. This means that the Fund may lose money if the issuer of the note defaults and that the Fund may not be able to readily close out its investment in such notes without incurring losses. The Fund may not invest more than 30% of its net assets in swap transactions and structured notes.

Forward Foreign Currency Contracts. A forward foreign currency exchange contract (“forward contract”) involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are principally traded in the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. Forward contracts are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make a payment to the other party (the counterparty) based on the market value or level of a specified currency. In return, the counterparty agrees to make payment to the first party based on the return of a different specified currency. A forward contract generally has no margin deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades. These contracts typically are settled by physical delivery of the underlying currency or currencies in the amount of the full contract value to the extent they are not agreed to be carried forward to another expiration date (i.e., rolled over).

A non-deliverable forward contract is a forward contract where there is no physical settlement of two currencies at maturity. Non-deliverable forward contracts will usually be done on a net basis, with the Fund receiving or paying only the net amount of the two payments. The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each non-deliverable forward contract is accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or liquid securities having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess is maintained to cover such obligations. The risk of loss with respect to non-deliverable forward contracts generally is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make or receive.

Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts. The Fund will use futures contracts and may use related options: (i) to attempt to gain exposure to foreign currencies, and (ii) to attempt to gain exposure to a particular market, instrument or index. To the extent the Fund uses futures and options, it will do so only in accordance with applicable requirements of the CEA and the rules thereunder.

Futures Contracts. A futures contract is a standardized contract traded on a recognized exchange in which two parties agree to exchange either a specified financial asset or the cash equivalent of said asset of standardized quantity and quality for a price agreed to today (the futures price or the strike price) with delivery occurring at a specified future date. The Fund’s investments in listed futures contracts will be backed by investments in liquid assets in an amount equal to the exposure of such contracts. The Fund may take long or short positions in listed futures contracts.

The Fund may transact in listed currency futures contracts and listed U.S. Treasury futures contracts. When the Fund purchases a listed futures contract, it agrees to purchase a specified reference asset (i.e., currency or Treasury security) at a specified future date. When the Fund sells a listed futures contract, it agrees to sell a specified reference asset (i.e., currency or Treasury security) at a specified future date. The price at which the purchase and sale will take place is fixed when the Fund enters into the contract. The exchange clearing corporation is the ultimate counterparty for all exchange listed contracts, so credit risk is limited to the creditworthiness of the exchange’s clearing corporation. Margin deposits are posted as performance bonds with the clearing broker and, in turn, with the exchange clearing corporation.

The Fund may buy and sell index futures contracts with respect to any index traded on a recognized exchange or board of trade. An index futures contract is a bilateral agreement pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to a specified dollar amount times the difference between the index value at the close of trading of the contract and the price at which the futures contract is originally struck. No physical delivery of the securities comprising the index is made. Instead, settlement in cash must occur upon the termination of the contract, with the settlement being the difference between the contract price, and the actual level of the stock index at the expiration of the contract. Generally, contracts are closed out prior to the expiration date of the contract.

When the Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, the Fund will segregate its assets as described above.

There are significant risks associated with the Fund’s use of futures contracts, including the following: (1) the success of a strategy may depend on the Adviser’s ability to predict movements in the prices of individual securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) there may be an imperfect or no correlation between the changes in market value of the securities and the prices of futures contracts; (3) although the Fund intends to enter into futures contracts only if there is an active market for such contracts, there is no assurance that an active market will exist for the contracts at any particular time;

 

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(4) trading restrictions or limitations may be imposed by an exchange; and (5) government regulations may restrict trading in futures contracts.

Risks Associated with Commodity Futures Contracts. There are additional risks associated with transactions in commodity futures that are not applicable to other types of futures contracts.

 

   

Storage. Unlike the financial futures markets, in the commodity futures markets there are costs of physical storage associated with purchasing the underlying commodity. The price of the commodity futures contract will reflect the storage costs of purchasing the physical commodity, including the time value of money invested in the physical commodity. To the extent that the storage costs for an underlying commodity change while the Fund is invested in futures contracts on that commodity, the value of the futures contracts may change proportionately. The Fund intends to “roll out” of futures contracts prior to settlement and does not intend to deliver or accept physical commodities upon settlement of such transactions.

 

   

Reinvestment. In the commodity futures markets, producers of the underlying commodity may decide to hedge the price risk of selling the commodity by selling futures contracts today to lock in the price of the commodity at delivery tomorrow. In order to induce speculators to purchase the other side of the same futures contract, the commodity producer generally must sell the futures contract at a lower price than the expected future spot price. Conversely, if most hedgers in the futures market are purchasing futures contracts to hedge against a rise in prices, then speculators will only sell the other side of the futures contract at a higher futures price than the expected future spot price of the commodity. The changing nature of the hedgers and speculators in the commodity markets will influence whether futures prices are above or below the expected future spot price, which can have significant implications for the Fund. If the nature of hedgers and speculators in futures markets has shifted when it is time for the Fund to reinvest the proceeds of a maturing contract in a new futures contract, the Fund might reinvest at higher or lower futures prices, or choose to pursue other investments.

 

   

Other Economic Factors. The commodities which underlie commodity futures contracts may be subject to additional economic and non-economic variables, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments. These factors may have a larger impact on commodity prices and commodity-linked instruments, including futures contracts, than on traditional securities. Certain commodities are also subject to limited pricing flexibility because of supply and demand factors. Others are subject to broad price fluctuations as a result of the volatility of the prices for certain raw materials and the instability of supplies of other materials. These additional variables may create additional investment risks which subject the Fund’s investments to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities.

Options Contracts. The Fund reserves the right to buy or sell options on listed futures contracts. An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in exchange for payment of a premium, to assume a position in a futures contract at a specified exercise price during the term of the option. A put option gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and the writer of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying security or instrument at any time during the option period. A call option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer of the option the obligation to sell, the underlying security or instrument at any time during the option period. A premium is paid to the writer of an option as consideration for undertaking the obligation in the contract.

The Fund may purchase and write options on an exchange or over the counter (“OTC”). OTC options differ from exchange-traded options in several respects. They are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation, and therefore entail the risk of non-performance by the dealer. OTC options are available for a greater variety of securities and for a wider range of expiration dates and exercise prices than are available for exchange-traded options. Because OTC options are not traded on an exchange, pricing is done normally by reference to information from a market maker. It is the SEC’s position that OTC options are generally illiquid.

When the Fund purchases or sells an options contract, the Fund will segregate its assets as described above.

There are significant risks associated with the Fund’s use of options contracts, including the following: (1) the success of a strategy may depend on the Adviser’s ability to predict movements in the prices of individual or securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) there may be an imperfect or no correlation between the changes in market value of the securities and the price of options; (3) although the Fund intends to enter into options contracts only if there is an active market for such contracts, there is no assurance that an active market will exist for the contracts at any particular time; (4) trading restrictions or limitations may be imposed by an exchange; and (5) government regulations may restrict trading in options contracts.

Currency Options. The Fund may buy or sell put and call options on foreign currencies either on exchanges or in the over-the-counter market. A put option on a foreign currency gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell a foreign currency at the exercise price until the option expires. A call option on a foreign currency gives the purchaser of the option the right to purchase the currency at the exercise price until the option expires.

 

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Swap Agreements and Options on Swap Agreements. The Fund may enter into swap agreements, including interest rate swaps, credit default swaps, inflation-linked swaps and total return swaps. A typical interest rate swap involves the exchange of a floating interest rate payment for a fixed interest payment. A typical credit default swap (“CDS”) involves an agreement to make a series of payments by the buyer in exchange for receipt of payment by the seller if the loan defaults. In the event of default the buyer of the CDS receives compensation (usually the face value of the loan), and the seller of the CDS takes possession of the defaulted loan. In the event that the Fund acts as a protection seller of a CDS, the Fund will segregate assets equivalent to the full notional value of the CDS. In the event that the Fund acts as a protection buyer of a CDS, the Fund will cover the total amount of required premium payments plus the pre-payment penalty. Total return swaps and commodity index swaps involve the exchange of payments based on the value of an index or total return on an underlying reference asset. The total return includes appreciation or depreciation on the reference asset, plus any interest or dividend payments. Inflation-linked swaps are typically an agreement between two parties to exchange payments at a future date based on the difference between a fixed payment and a payment linked to the inflation rate at a future date. Swap agreements can be structured to provide for periodic payments over the term of the swap contract or a single payment at maturity (also known as a “bullet swap”). Swap agreements may be used to hedge or achieve exposure to, for example, interest rates, and money market securities without actually purchasing such securities. The Fund may use swap agreements to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of the underlying securities in circumstances in which direct investment is restricted for legal reasons or is otherwise impracticable. Swap agreements will tend to shift the Fund’s investment exposure from one type of investment to another or from one payment stream to another.

Depending on their structure, swap agreements may increase or decrease the Fund’s exposure to long- or short-term interest rates (in the United States or abroad), foreign currencies, corporate borrowing rates, or other factors, and may increase or decrease the overall volatility of the Fund’s investments and its share price. When the Fund purchases or sells a swap contract, the Fund is required to “cover” its position in order to limit the risk associated with the use of leverage and other related risks. To cover its position, the Fund will maintain with its custodian bank (and mark-to-market on a daily basis) a segregated account consisting of cash or liquid securities that, when added to any amounts deposited as margin, are equal to the market value of the swap contract or otherwise “cover” its position in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder. If the Fund continues to engage in the described securities trading practices and properly segregates assets, the segregated account will function as a practical limit on the amount of leverage which the Fund may undertake and on the potential increase in the speculative character of the Fund’s outstanding portfolio securities. Additionally, such segregated accounts will generally ensure the availability of adequate funds to meet the obligations of the Fund arising from such investment activities.

The Fund may also enter into options with respect to swap agreements (“swaptions”). A swaption is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, on specified terms at a designated future time. Depending on the particular terms, the Fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes (sells) a swaption than it will incur when it purchases a swaption. When the Fund purchases a swaption, it risks losing the amount of premium paid should the option expire unexercised, but when the Fund writes a swaption, upon exercise of the swaption the Fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement.

Credit-Linked Notes. The Fund may invest in credit-linked notes. A credit-linked note is a type of structured note whose value is linked to an underlying reference asset. Credit-linked notes typically provide periodic payments of interest as well as payment of principal upon maturity. The value of the periodic payments and the principal amount payable upon maturity are tied (positively or negatively) to a reference asset, such as an index, government bond, interest rate or currency exchange rate. The ongoing payments and principal upon maturity typically will increase or decrease depending on increases or decreases in the value of the reference asset. A credit-linked note typically is issued by a special purpose trust or similar entity and is a direct obligation of the issuing entity. The entity, in turn, invests in bonds or derivative contracts in order to provide the exposure set forth in the credit-linked note. The periodic interest payments and principal obligations payable under the terms of the note typically are conditioned upon the entity’s receipt of payments on its underlying investment. If the underlying investment defaults, the periodic payments and principal received by the Fund will be reduced or eliminated. The buyer of a credit-linked note assumes the risk of default by the issuer and the underlying reference asset or entity. Generally, investors in credit-linked notes assume the risk of default by the issuer and the reference entity in return for a potentially higher yield on their investment or access to an investment that they could not otherwise obtain. In the event the issuer defaults or there is a credit event that relates to the reference asset, the recovery rate is generally less than the Fund’s initial investment and the Fund may lose money.

EXCHANGE TRADED PRODUCTS. The Fund may invest in exchange traded products (“ETPs”), which include exchange traded funds registered under the 1940 Act, exchange traded commodity trusts and exchange traded notes. The Adviser may receive management or other fees from the ETPs in which the Fund may invest (“Affiliated ETPs”), as well as a management fee for managing the Fund. It is possible that a conflict of interest among the Fund and Affiliated ETPs could affect how the Adviser fulfills its fiduciary duties to the Fund and the Affiliated ETPs. Although the Adviser takes steps to address the conflicts of interest, it is possible that the conflicts could impact the Fund. The Fund may invest in new ETPs or ETPs that have not yet established a deep trading market at the time of investment. Shares of such ETPs may experience limited trading volume and less liquidity, in which case the spread (the difference between bid price and ask price) may be higher.

 

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Exchange Traded Funds. The Fund may invest in ETFs. ETFs are investment companies that trade like stocks on a securities exchange at market prices rather than NAV. As a result, ETF shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). The Fund, if investing in an ETF, indirectly bears fees and expenses charged by the ETF in addition to the Fund’s direct fees and expenses. Investments in ETFs are also subject to brokerage and other trading costs that could result in greater expenses for the Fund.

Exchange Traded Commodity Trusts. An exchange traded commodity trust is a pooled trust that invests in physical commodities or commodity futures, and issues shares that trade on a securities exchange at a discount or premium to the value of the trust’s holdings. Investments in exchange traded commodity trusts are also subject to brokerage and other trading costs, which could result in greater expenses to the Fund. Exchange traded commodity trusts are not investment companies registered under the 1940 Act. As a result, in connection with any such investments, the Fund will not have the protections associated with ownership of shares in an investment company registered under the 1940 Act. Investments in exchange traded commodity trusts, like investments in other commodities, may increase the risk that the Fund may not qualify as a “regulated investment company” under the Code. If the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company, the Fund will be subject to tax, which will reduce returns to shareholders. Such a failure will also alter the treatment of distributions to its shareholders.

Exchange Traded Notes. The Fund may invest in exchange traded notes (“ETNs”). ETNs generally are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities issued by a sponsor, such as an investment bank. ETNs are traded on exchanges and the returns are linked to the performance of market indexes. In addition to trading ETNs on exchanges, investors may redeem ETNs directly with the issuer on a periodic basis, typically in a minimum amount of 50,000 units, or hold the ETNs until maturity. The value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in the underlying market, changes in the applicable interest rates, and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the referenced market. Because ETNs are debt securities, they are subject to credit risk. If the issuer has financial difficulties or goes bankrupt, the Fund may not receive the return it was promised. If a rating agency lowers an issuer’s credit rating, the value of the ETN may decline and a lower credit rating reflects a greater risk that the issuer will default on its obligation. There may be restrictions on the Fund’s right to redeem its investment in an ETN. There are no periodic interest payments for ETNs, and principal is not protected. The Fund’s decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market.

FINANCIAL SECTOR INVESTMENTS. The Fund may engage in transactions with or invest in companies that are considered to be in the financial sector, including commercial banks, brokerage firms, diversified financial services, a variety of firms in all segments of the insurance industry (such as multi-line, property and casualty, and life insurance) and real estate-related companies. There can be no guarantee that these strategies may be successful. The Fund may lose money as a result of defaults or downgrades within the financial sector.

Events in the financial sector have resulted in increased concerns about credit risk and exposure. Well-known financial institutions have experienced significant liquidity and other problems and have defaulted on their debt obligations. Issuers that have exposure to real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected. It is uncertain whether or how long these conditions will continue. These events and possible continuing market turbulence may have an adverse effect on Fund performance.

Rule 12d3-1 under the 1940 Act limits the extent to which the Fund may invest in the securities of any one company that derives more than 15% of its revenues from brokerage, underwriting or investment management activities. The Fund may purchase securities of an issuer that derived more than 15% of its gross revenues in its most recent fiscal year from securities-related activities, subject to the following conditions: (1) the purchase cannot cause more than 5% of the fund’s total assets to be invested in securities of that issuer;

(2) for any equity security, the purchase cannot result in the fund owning more than 5% of the issuer’s outstanding securities in that class; and (3) for a debt security, the purchase cannot result in the fund owning more than 10% of the outstanding principal amount of the issuer’s debt securities.

In applying the gross revenue test, an issuer’s own securities-related activities must be combined with its ratable share of securities-related revenues from enterprises in which it owns a 20% or greater voting or equity interest. All of the above percentage limitations, as well as the issuer’s gross revenue test, are applicable at the time of purchase. With respect to warrants, rights, and convertible securities, a determination of compliance with the above limitations shall be made as though such warrant, right, or conversion privilege had been exercised. The Fund will not be required to divest its holdings of a particular issuer when circumstances subsequent to the purchase cause one of the above conditions to not be met. The purchase of a general partnership interest in a securities-related business is prohibited.

FIXED INCOME SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in fixed income securities, such as corporate debt, notes and bonds. Fixed income securities change in value in response to interest rate changes and other factors, such as the perception of the issuer’s creditworthiness. For example, the value of fixed income securities will generally decrease when interest rates rise, which may cause the value of the Fund to decrease. In addition, investments in fixed income securities with longer maturities will generally fluctuate

 

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more in response to interest rate changes. The capacity of traditional dealers to engage in fixed income trading has not kept pace with the bond market’s growth and dealer inventories of bonds are at or near historic lows relative to market size. Because market makers provide stability to fixed income markets, the significant reduction in dealer inventories could lead to decreased liquidity and increased volatility, which may become exacerbated during periods of economic or political stress. In addition, liquidity risk may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment in which investor redemptions (or selling of fund shares in the secondary market) from fixed income funds may be higher than normal.

FLOATING AND ADJUSTABLE RATE NOTES. The Fund may purchase floating-rate and adjustable rate obligations, such as demand notes, bonds, and commercial paper. Variable- and floating-rate securities generally are less sensitive to interest rate changes but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Conversely, floating-rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline. When the Fund holds variable- or floating-rate securities, a decrease (or, in the case of inverse floating-rate securities, an increase) in market interest rates will adversely affect the income received from such securities and the NAV of the Fund’s shares.

These securities may bear interest at a rate that resets based on standard money market indices or are remarketed at current market rates. They may permit the holder to demand payment of principal at any time or at specified intervals not exceeding 397 days. The issuer of such obligations may also have the right to prepay, in its discretion, the principal amount of the obligations plus any accrued interest. The “reset date” of securities held by the Fund may not be longer than 397 days (and therefore would be considered to be within the Fund’s general maturity restriction of 397 days). Given that most floating-rate securities reset their interest rates prior to their final maturity date, the Fund uses the period to the next reset date to calculate the securities contribution to the average portfolio maturity of the Fund.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS. The Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) may, in the future, authorize the Fund to invest in securities contracts and investments other than those listed in this SAI and in the Fund’s Prospectus, provided they are consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and do not violate any investment restrictions or policies.

ILLIQUID INVESTMENTS. Although the Fund does not intend to do so, as a matter of policy, the Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments, as such term is defined in Rule 22e-4 of the 1940 Act. The Fund may not invest in illiquid investments if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid investments. Illiquid investments include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets to the extent the Adviser or Sub-Adviser has not deemed such securities to be liquid. The inability of the Fund to dispose of illiquid or not readily marketable investments readily or at a reasonable price could impair the Fund’s ability to raise cash for redemptions or other purposes. The liquidity of securities purchased by the Fund which are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act, except for certain 144A bonds, will be monitored by the Fund on an ongoing basis. In the event that more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets are invested in illiquid investments, the Fund, in accordance with Rule 22e-4(b)(1)(iv) of the 1940 Act, will report the occurrence to both the Board and the SEC and seek to reduce its holdings of illiquid investments within a reasonable period of time.

INFLATION-LINKED BONDS. The Fund may invest in inflation-indexed bonds. Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds. However, the current market value of the bonds is not guaranteed, and will fluctuate with market conditions. Investments in other inflation-linked bonds may not provide a similar guarantee and the principal amount repaid could be less than the original principal if inflation falls over the period.

The value of inflation-indexed bonds is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates in turn are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. Therefore, if the rise in inflation exceeds the rise in nominal rates, real rates are likely to decline, leading to an increase in the market value of the bonds. Conversely, if the rise in nominal interest rates outpaces the pickup in the rate of inflation, real interest might rise, generating a decline in the market value of the inflation-linked security.

The periodic adjustment of U.S. inflation-indexed bonds generally is tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (“CPI-U”), which is calculated monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI-U is a measurement of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy. Inflation-indexed bonds issued by a foreign government are generally adjusted to reflect a comparable country or regional inflation measure calculated by that government. There can be no assurance that the CPI-U or any foreign inflation index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a foreign country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though investors do not receive their principal until maturity.

 

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Inflation-linked bonds held by the Fund may experience an increase in original issue value due to inflation-linked adjustments. The inflation-linked growth in the value of these bonds may be reflected in the Fund’s gross income. While inflation-adjusted growth does not result in cash payments to the Fund, the Fund may be required to make distributions to shareholders for any increase in value in excess of the cash actually received by the Fund during the taxable year. The Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities to make these distribution payments. This may lead to higher transaction costs, losses from sale during unfavorable market conditions and higher capital gains taxes. If deflation-linked adjustments decrease the value of inflation-linked bonds held by the Fund, income distributions previously made by the Fund during the taxable year may be deemed a return of capital.

INVESTMENT COMPANY SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies (including money market funds and certain ETPs). The 1940 Act generally prohibits the Fund from acquiring more than 3% of the outstanding voting shares of an investment company and limits such investments to no more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets in any single investment company and no more than 10% in any combination of two or more investment companies although the Fund may invest in excess of these limits in affiliated ETPs and to the extent it enters into agreements and abides by certain conditions of the exemptive relief issued to non-affiliated ETPs. The Fund may purchase or otherwise invest in shares of affiliated ETFs and affiliated money market funds.

INVESTMENT IN THE WISDOMTREE SUBSIDIARY. The Fund intends to achieve commodity exposure through investment in its WisdomTree Subsidiary. The Fund’s investment in its WisdomTree Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets at each quarter-end of the Fund’s fiscal year. The WisdomTree Subsidiary will invest in derivatives including futures, forwards, option and swap contracts, notes, and other investments intended to serve as margin or collateral or otherwise support the WisdomTree Subsidiary’s derivatives positions. The WisdomTree Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act. The Fund, as the sole shareholder of its WisdomTree Subsidiary, will not have all of the protections offered to investors in registered investment companies. However, because the Fund wholly owns and maintains voting control over its WisdomTree Subsidiary, and the Fund and the WisdomTree Subsidiary are managed by the Adviser and a Sub-Adviser together, it is unlikely that the WisdomTree Subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund or the Fund’s shareholders. The Board has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Fund, including its investment in its WisdomTree Subsidiary, and the Fund’s role as the sole shareholder of its WisdomTree Subsidiary.

Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the WisdomTree Subsidiary are organized, respectively, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the WisdomTree Subsidiary to operate as described in this SAI and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders. For example, the Cayman Islands does not currently impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax, estate duty, inheritance tax, gift tax or withholding tax on the WisdomTree Subsidiary. If Cayman Islands law changes such that the WisdomTree Subsidiary must pay Cayman Islands taxes, Fund shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns.

MONEY MARKET INSTRUMENTS. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in high-quality money market instruments on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. The instruments in which the Fund may invest include: (i) short-term obligations issued by the U.S. government; (ii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances of U.S. and foreign banks and similar institutions; (iii) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1+” or “A-1” by S&P or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser; and (iv) repurchase agreements. CDs are short-term negotiable obligations of commercial banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Banker’s acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.

NON-U.S. SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in non-U.S. fixed income securities. Investments in non-U.S. fixed income securities involve certain risks that may not be present in investments in U.S. securities. For example, non-U.S. securities may be subject to currency risks or to foreign government taxes. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than about a U.S. issuer, and a foreign issuer may or may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the U.S. Other risks of investing in such securities include political or economic instability in the country involved, the difficulty of predicting international trade patterns and the possibility of imposition of exchange controls. The prices of such securities may be more volatile than those of domestic securities. With respect to certain foreign countries, there is a possibility of expropriation of assets or nationalization, imposition of withholding taxes on dividend or interest payments, difficulty in obtaining and enforcing judgments against foreign entities or diplomatic developments which could affect investment in these countries. Losses and other expenses may be incurred in converting between various currencies in connection with purchases and sales of foreign securities.

Non-U.S. stock markets may not be as developed or efficient as, and may be more volatile than, those in the U.S. While the volume of shares traded on non-U.S. stock markets generally has been growing, such markets usually have substantially less volume than U.S. markets. Therefore, the Fund’s investment in non-U.S. equity securities may be less liquid and subject to more rapid and erratic price movements than comparable securities listed for trading on U.S. exchanges. Non-U.S. equity securities may trade at price/earnings multiples higher than comparable U.S. securities and such levels may not be sustainable. There may be less government supervision and regulation of foreign stock exchanges, brokers, banks and listed companies abroad than in the U.S. Moreover, settlement practices

 

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for transactions in foreign markets may differ from those in U.S. markets. Such differences may include delays beyond periods customary in the U.S. and practices, such as delivery of securities prior to receipt of payment, that increase the likelihood of a failed settlement, which can result in losses to the Fund. The value of non-U.S. investments and the investment income derived from them may also be affected unfavorably by changes in currency exchange control regulations. Foreign brokerage commissions, custodial expenses and other fees are also generally higher than for securities traded in the U.S. This may cause the Fund to incur higher portfolio transaction costs than domestic equity funds. Fluctuations in exchange rates may also affect the earning power and asset value of the foreign entity issuing a security, even one denominated in U.S. dollars. Dividend and interest payments may be repatriated based on the exchange rate at the time of disbursement, and restrictions on capital flows may be imposed.

REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with counterparties that are deemed to present acceptable credit risks. A repurchase agreement is a transaction in which the Fund purchases securities or other obligations from a bank or securities dealer (or its affiliate) and simultaneously commits to resell them to a counterparty at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased obligations. This is designed to result in a fixed rate of return for the Fund insulated from market fluctuations during the holding period. Because they are collateralized by securities, including mortgage-backed securities, repurchase agreements are subject to market and credit risk. As discussed herein, the Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. A repurchase agreement maturing in more than seven days may be considered an illiquid security. The Fund maintains custody of the underlying obligations prior to their repurchase, either through its regular custodian or through a special “tri-party” custodian or sub-custodian that maintains separate accounts for both the Fund and its counterparty. Thus, the obligation of the counterparty to pay the repurchase price on the date agreed to or upon demand is, in effect, secured by such obligations.

Repurchase agreements carry certain risks not associated with direct investments in securities, including a possible decline in the market value of the underlying obligations. If their value becomes less than the repurchase price, plus any agreed-upon additional amount, the counterparty must provide additional collateral so that at all times the collateral is at least equal to the repurchase price plus any agreed-upon additional amount. The difference between the total amount to be received upon repurchase of the obligations and the price that was paid by the Fund upon acquisition is accrued as interest and included in its net investment income. Repurchase agreements involving obligations other than U.S. government securities (such as commercial paper and corporate bonds) may be subject to special risks and may not have the benefit of certain protections in the event of the counterparty’s insolvency. If the seller or guarantor becomes insolvent, the Fund may suffer delays, costs and possible losses in connection with the disposition of collateral.

REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities held by the Fund subject to its agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest. Reverse repurchase agreements are subject to the Fund’s limitation on borrowings and may be entered into only with banks or securities dealers or their affiliates. While a reverse repurchase agreement is outstanding, the Fund will maintain the segregation, either on its records or with the Trust’s custodian, of cash or other liquid securities, marked to market daily, in an amount at least equal to its obligations under the reverse repurchase agreement.

Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the buyer of the securities sold by the Fund might be unable to deliver them when the Fund seeks to repurchase. If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the buyer or trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce the Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities, and the Fund’s use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision.

SECURITIES LENDING. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain creditworthy borrowers, including the Fund’s securities lending agent. Loans of portfolio securities provide the Fund with the opportunity to earn additional income on the Fund’s portfolio securities. All securities loans will be made pursuant to agreements requiring the loans to be continuously secured by collateral in cash, or money market instruments, money market funds or U.S. government securities at least equal at all times to the market value of the loaned securities. The borrower pays to the Fund an amount equal to any dividends or interest received on loaned securities. The Fund retains all or a portion of the interest received on investment of cash collateral or receive a fee from the borrower. Lending portfolio securities involves risks of delay in recovery of the loaned securities or in some cases loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Furthermore, because of the risks of delay in recovery, the Fund may lose the opportunity to sell the securities at a desirable price. The Fund will generally not have the right to vote securities while they are being loaned.

SHORT SALE TRANSACTIONS. The Fund may engage in “short sale” transactions. A short sale involves the sale by the Fund of a listed futures contract, security or commodity that it does not own at a specified price on a future date. Entering into a short sale transaction, the Fund would generally expect the trading price of the subject listed futures contract, security or commodity to be lower on the specified future date than the price at which it agreed to sell the security or commodity. The Fund would hope to acquire the listed futures contract, security or commodity at a lower price on such date, thereby realizing a gain equal to the difference in the acquisition price and the sale price (less any costs). The Fund may also enter into a short derivative position through a futures contract or swap agreement. If the price of the listed futures contract, security, commodity or derivative subject to a short sale transaction

 

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increases during the period covered by the contract, then the Fund will incur a loss equal to the increase in price from the time that the short sale was entered (plus any costs). Because it requires little or no money to enter into a short sale transaction, the Fund could potentially lose more money than the actual cost of entering into the transaction.

Also, there is the risk that the third party to the short sale may fail to honor its contract terms, causing a loss to the Fund. Engaging in short sale transactions may be subject to expenses related to short sales that are not typically associated with investing in securities directly, such as costs of borrowing and margin account maintenance costs associated with the Fund’s open short positions. These expenses negatively impact the performance of the Fund. The Fund’s investment performance may also suffer if the Fund is required to close out a short position earlier than it had intended. The Fund is required to segregate cash and other assets on its books to cover its short sale obligations. This means that such cash and other assets may not be available to meet the Fund’s needs for immediate cash or other liquidity.

SOVEREIGN DEBT OBLIGATIONS. The Fund may invest in sovereign debt obligations. Sovereign debt obligations involve special risks that are not present in corporate debt obligations. The foreign issuer of the sovereign debt or the foreign governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due, and the Fund may have limited recourse in the event of a default. During periods of economic uncertainty, the market prices of sovereign debt, and the Fund’s NAV, to the extent it invests in such securities, may be more volatile than prices of debt obligations of U.S. issuers. In the past, certain foreign countries have encountered difficulties in servicing their debt obligations, withheld payments of principal and interest and declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on their sovereign debt. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign currency reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange, the relative size of the debt service burden, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward principal international lenders and local political constraints. Sovereign debtors may also be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and other entities to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The failure of a sovereign debtor to implement economic reforms, achieve specified levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of third party commitments to lend funds to the sovereign debtor, which may further impair such debtor’s ability or willingness to service its debts.

SUPRANATIONAL SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in securities issued by supranational entities. A supranational entity is formed by two or more central governments to promote economic development for the member countries. Supranational entities finance their activities by issuing bond debt and are usually considered part of the sub-sovereign debt market. Some well-known examples of supranational entities are the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, European Investment Bank, Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and other regional multilateral development banks. These securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk and interest rate risk.

U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or the agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government. Such obligations may be short-, intermediate- or long-term. The Fund may also purchase intermediate and long-term obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or the agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government. U.S. government securities are obligations of, or guaranteed by, the U.S. government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises. U.S. government securities are subject to market and interest rate risk, and may be subject to varying degrees of credit risk. U.S. government securities include inflation-indexed fixed income securities, such as U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS). U.S. government securities include zero coupon securities, which tend to be subject to greater market risk than interest-paying securities of similar maturities.

PROXY VOTING POLICY

The Trust has adopted as its proxy voting policies for the Fund the proxy voting guidelines of the Fund’s Sub-Adviser. The Trust has delegated to the Sub-Adviser the authority and responsibility for voting proxies on the portfolio securities held by the Fund. The remainder of this section discusses the Fund’s proxy voting guidelines and the Sub-Adviser’s role in implementing such guidelines.

As a registered investment adviser, Mellon is often entrusted with the fiduciary responsibility to vote proxies for shares of corporate stock held on behalf of its clients. Proxy voting is an integral part of the management of the investment in those shares. In voting proxies, Mellon takes into account long term economic value as it evaluates issues relating to corporate governance, including structures and practices, the nature of long-term business plans, including sustainability policies and practices to address environmental and social factors that are likely to have an impact on shareholder value, and other financial and non-financial measures of corporate performance.

For clients that have delegated proxy authority, Mellon will make every reasonable effort to ensure that proxies are received and are voted in accordance with this policy and related procedures. To assist Mellon in that process, it retains Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”) to provide various services related to proxy voting, such as research, analysis, voting services, proxy vote tracking, recordkeeping, and reporting. In addition, Mellon also retains Glass Lewis for research services only.

 

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Mellon seeks to avoid potential material conflicts of interest through its participation on The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation’s (“BNY Mellon”) Proxy Voting and Governance Committee (“Committee”). As such, Mellon has adopted and implemented BNY Mellon’s Proxy Voting Policy and proxy voting guidelines. The guidelines are applied to all client accounts for which Mellon has been delegated the authority to vote in a consistent manner and without consideration of any client relationship factors.

Under this policy, the Committee permits member firms (such as Mellon) to consider specific interests and issues and cast votes differently from the collective vote of the Committee where the member firm determines that a different vote is in the best interests of the affected account(s).

Mellon will furnish a copy of its Proxy Voting Policy and its proxy voting guidelines upon request to each advisory client that has delegated voting authority.

Voting BNY Mellon Stock. It is the policy of Mellon not to vote or make recommendations on how to vote shares of BNY Mellon stock, even where Mellon has the legal power to do so under the relevant governing instrument. In order to avoid any appearance of conflict relating to voting BNY Mellon stock, Mellon has contracted with an independent fiduciary (ISS) to direct all voting of BNY Mellon Stock held by any Mellon accounts on any matter in which shareholders of BNY Mellon Stock are required or permitted to vote.

Proxy Voting Disclosure. Clients who have delegated proxy voting authority to Mellon may obtain the proxy voting records for their account upon written or verbal request.

Oversight Activities. Mellon performs periodic oversight of the operational and voting processes implemented on behalf of clients to ensure that proxy ballots are voted in accordance with established guidelines. These activities may include, but are not limited to, monthly account reconciliation between the voting agent and Mellon records and forensic testing of the application of vote instruction in relation to policy vote recommendations at the ballot level. These efforts are completed as a component of Mellon’s Rule 206(4)-7 compliance program.

A complete copy of the Sub-Adviser’s proxy voting policy may be obtained by calling 1-866-909-9473 or by writing to: WisdomTree Trust, c/o Foreside Fund Services, LLC, Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

The Trust is required to disclose annually the Fund’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX covering the period from July 1 of one year through June 30 of the next year and to file Form N-PX with the SEC no later than August 31 of each year. The current Form N-PX for the Fund may be obtained at no charge upon request by calling 1-866-909-9473 or by visiting the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

The Trust has adopted a Portfolio Holdings Policy (the “Policy”) designed to govern the disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings and the use of material non-public information about Fund holdings. The Policy applies to all officers, employees, and agents of the Fund, including the Advisers. The Policy is designed to ensure that the disclosure of information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings is consistent with applicable legal requirements and otherwise in the best interest of the Fund.

As an ETF, information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings is made available each Business Day in accordance with the provisions of any Order of the SEC applicable to the Fund, regulations of the Listing Exchange and other applicable SEC regulations, orders and no-action relief. A “Business Day” with respect to the Fund is any day on which its Listing Exchange is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, the Listing Exchange observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. This information is used in connection with the creation and redemption process and is disseminated on a daily basis through the facilities of the Listing Exchange, the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) and/or third-party service providers.

Daily access to the Fund’s portfolio holdings with no lag time is permitted to personnel of the Advisers, the Distributor and the Fund’s administrator (the “Administrator”), custodian and accountant and other agents or service providers of the Trust who have need of such information in connection with the ordinary course of their respective duties to the Fund. The Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) may authorize disclosure of portfolio holdings.

On each Business Day, before the commencement of trading in its shares on the Exchange, the Fund will disclose online at www.wisdomtree.com the following information for each of its portfolio holdings that will form the basis of its next NAV calculation: (i) ticker symbol, (ii) CUSIP or other identifier, (iii) description of the holding, (iv) quantity of each security or other asset held, and (v) percentage weight of the holding in the portfolio. Online disclosure of such holdings is publicly available at no charge.

The Fund also will disclose its complete portfolio holdings schedule in public filings with the SEC on a quarterly basis, based on the Fund’s fiscal year, within sixty (60) days of the end of the quarter, and will provide that information to shareholders, as required by federal securities laws and regulations thereunder.

 

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No person is authorized to disclose the Fund’s portfolio holdings or other investment positions except in accordance with the Policy. The Board reviews the implementation of the Policy on a periodic basis.

INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS

The following fundamental investment policies and limitations supplement those set forth in the Fund’s Prospectus. Unless otherwise noted, whenever a fundamental investment policy or limitation states a maximum percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding quality standards, such standard or percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of the Fund’s acquisition of such security or other asset. Accordingly, other than with respect to the Fund’s limitations on borrowings, any subsequent change in values, net assets, or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether the investment complies with the Fund’s investment policies and limitations.

The Fund’s fundamental investment policies cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities as defined under the 1940 Act. The Fund, however, may change the non-fundamental investment policies described below, and its investment objective, without a shareholder vote, provided that it obtains Board approval and notifies its shareholders with at least sixty (60) days’ prior written notice of any such change.

Fundamental Policies. The following investment policies and limitations are fundamental and may NOT be changed without shareholder approval.

The Fund, as a fundamental investment policy, may not:

Senior Securities

Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act.

Borrowing

Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act.

Underwriting

Act as an underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in the disposition of portfolio securities.

Concentration

Purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, or any non-U.S. government, or their respective agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry.

Real Estate

Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business).

Commodities

Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).

Loans

Lend any security or make any other loan except as permitted under the 1940 Act. This means that no more than 33 1/3% of the Fund’s total assets would be lent to other parties. This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments, permissible under the Fund’s investment policies.

 

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Non-Fundamental Policies. The following investment policy is not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval. Prior to any change in the Fund’s 80% policy, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days’ notice.

The Fund has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in commodity and commodity-related futures contracts thereby obtaining exposure to the commodities markets. The Fund will also invest in U.S. government securities and money market instruments, that taken together have economic characteristics similar or equivalent to those of the listed commodity futures contracts described herein and in the Fund’s Prospectus.

If, subsequent to an investment, the 80% requirement for the Fund is no longer met, the Fund’s future investments will be made in a manner that will bring the Fund into compliance with this policy

CONTINUOUS OFFERING

The method by which Creation Unit Aggregations of shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Unit Aggregations of shares are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability provisions of the Securities Act.

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

Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of shares, generally are required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to shares of the Fund are reminded that, pursuant to Rule 153 under the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with the sale on the Listing Exchange is satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available at the Listing Exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.

WisdomTree Investments or its affiliates (the “Selling Shareholder”) may purchase Creation Unit Aggregations through a broker-dealer to “seed” (in whole or in part) Funds as they are launched or thereafter, or may purchase shares from broker-dealers or other investors that have previously provided “seed” for Funds when they were launched or otherwise in secondary market transactions, and because the Selling Shareholder may be deemed an affiliate of such Funds, the shares are being registered to permit the resale of these shares from time to time after purchase. The Fund will not receive any of the proceeds from the resale by the Selling Shareholders of these shares.

The Selling Shareholder intends to sell all or a portion of the shares owned by it and offered hereby from time to time directly or through one or more broker-dealers, and may also hedge such positions. The shares may be sold on any national securities exchange on which the shares may be listed or quoted at the time of sale, in the over-the-counter market or in transactions other than on these exchanges or systems at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. These sales may be effected in transactions, which may involve crosses or block transactions. The Selling Shareholder may use any one or more of the following methods when selling shares:

 

   

ordinary brokerage transactions through brokers or dealers (who may act as agents or principals) or directly to one or more purchasers;

 

   

privately negotiated transactions;

 

   

through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether such options are listed on an options exchange or otherwise; and

 

   

any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law.

The Selling Shareholder may also loan or pledge shares to broker-dealers that in turn may sell such shares, to the extent permitted by applicable law. The Selling Shareholder may also enter into options or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or the creation of one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of shares, which shares such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell.

 

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The Selling Shareholder and any broker-dealer or agents participating in the distribution of shares may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(11) of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. In such event, any commissions paid to any such broker-dealer or agent and any profit on the resale of the shares purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. The Selling Shareholder who may be deemed an “underwriter” within the meaning of Section 2(11) of the Securities Act will be subject to the applicable prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act.

The Selling Shareholder has informed the Fund that it is not a registered broker-dealer and does not have any written or oral agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the shares. Upon the Fund being notified in writing by the Selling Shareholder that any material arrangement has been entered into with a broker-dealer for the sale of shares through a block trade, special offering, exchange distribution or secondary distribution or a purchase by a broker or dealer, a supplement to this SAI will be filed, if required, pursuant to Rule 497 under the Securities Act, disclosing (i) the name of each Selling Shareholder and of the participating broker-dealer(s), (ii) the number of shares involved, (iii) the price at which such shares were sold, (iv) the commissions paid or discounts or concessions allowed to such broker-dealer(s), where applicable, (v) that such broker-dealer(s) did not conduct any investigation to verify the information set out or incorporated by reference in the Fund’s Prospectus and SAI, and (vi) other facts material to the transaction.

The Selling Shareholder and any other person participating in such distribution will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including, without limitation, to the extent applicable, Regulation M of the Exchange Act, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of the shares by the Selling Shareholder and any other participating person. To the extent applicable, Regulation M may also restrict the ability of any person engaged in the distribution of the shares to engage in market-making activities with respect to the shares. All of the foregoing may affect the marketability of the shares and the ability of any person or entity to engage in market-making activities with respect to the shares. There is a risk that the Selling Shareholder may redeem its investments in the Fund or otherwise sell its shares to a third party that may redeem. As with redemptions by other large shareholders, such redemptions could have a significant negative impact on the Fund.

 

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MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST

Board Responsibilities. The Board is responsible for overseeing the management and affairs of the Fund and the Trust. The Board has considered and approved contracts, as described herein, under which certain companies provide essential management and administrative services to the Trust. Like most ETFs, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the day-to-day management of risk, is performed by third-party service providers, such as the Advisers, Distributor and Administrator. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, has oversight responsibility with respect to the risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and eliminate or mitigate the potential effects of risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Trust or the Fund. Under the overall supervision of the Board and the Audit Committee (discussed in more detail below), the service providers to the Fund employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify risks relevant to the operations of the Trust and the Fund to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business (e.g., the Advisers are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that activity.

The Board’s role in risk management oversight begins before the inception of the Fund, at which time the Fund’s Adviser presents the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies and risks of the Fund. Additionally, the Fund’s Adviser and Sub-Adviser provide the Board periodically with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board oversees the risk management of the Fund’s operations, in part, by requesting periodic reports from and otherwise communicating with various personnel of the Fund and its service providers, including the Trust’s CCO and the Fund’s independent accountants. The Board and, with respect to identified risks that relate to its scope of expertise, the Audit Committee, oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the Fund may be exposed.

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

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

The Board receives reports from the Trust’s service providers regarding operational risks, portfolio valuation and other matters. Annually, an independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Fund’s internal controls.

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, despite the periodic reports the Board receives and the Board’s discussions with the service providers to the Fund, it may not be made aware of all of the relevant information related to a particular risk. Most of the Trust’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Fund’s Adviser, Sub-Adviser and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Trust’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s risk management oversight is subject to substantial limitations.

Members of the Board and Officers of the Trust. Set forth below are the names, birth years, positions with the Trust, term of office, number of portfolios overseen, and principal occupations and other directorships held during the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as members of the Board and as Executive Officers of the Trust. Also included below is the term of office for each of the Executive Officers of the Trust. The members of the Board serve as Trustees for the life of the Trust or until retirement, removal, or their office is terminated pursuant to the Trust’s Declaration of Trust. The address of each Trustee and Officer is c/o WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., 245 Park Avenue, 35th Floor, New York, New York 10167.

 

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The Chairman of the Board, Victor Ugolyn, is not an interested person of the Fund as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. The Board is composed of a super-majority (83.3%) of Trustees who are not interested persons of the Fund (i.e., “Independent Trustees”). There is an Audit Committee, Governance, Nominating and Compliance Committee, Contracts Review Committee, and Investment Committee of the Board, each of which is chaired by an Independent Trustee or co-chaired by two Independent Trustees and comprised solely of Independent Trustees. The Committee chair or co-chairs for each is/are responsible for running the Committee meetings, formulating agendas for those meetings, and coordinating with management to serve as a liaison between the Committee members and management on matters within the scope of the responsibilities of the Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The Fund has determined that this leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Fund. The Fund made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Independent Trustees of the Fund constitute a super-majority of the Board, the assets under management of the Fund, the number of Funds overseen by the Board, the total number of Trustees on the Board, and the fact that an Independent Trustee serves as Chairman of the Board.

 

Name and Year of
Birth of Trustee/Officer

  

Position(s) Held with

the Trust, Term of

Office and Length of

Time Served

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

   Number of
Portfolios in
Fund Complex
Overseen by
Trustee/
Officer+
 

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustee

During Past 5 Years

Trustees Who Are Interested Persons of the Trust
Jonathan Steinberg
(1964)
   Trustee,
2005 – present; President, 2005-present
   Chief Executive Officer, WisdomTree Investments, Inc. and WisdomTree Asset Management since 2005; President, WisdomTree Investments, Inc. and WisdomTree Asset Management from 2012 to 2019.    [68]   Director, WisdomTree Investments, Inc. and WisdomTree Asset Management.
Trustees Who Are Not Interested Persons of the Trust
David G. Chrencik*
(1948)
   Trustee, 2014-present    Chief Financial Officer of Sarus Indochina Select LP (hedge fund) since 2012; Chief Financial Officer of GeoGreen BioFuels, Inc. (biodiesel fuel producer) from 2010 to 2014; Audit Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (public accounting firm) from 1972 to 2009 (includes positions prior to becoming Audit Partner and predecessor firms).    [68]   Trustee, Vericimetry Funds (2011 to 2014); Director, Bennett Group of Funds (2011 to 2013); Trustee, del Rey Global Investors Funds (2011 to 2012).
Joel Goldberg**, ***
(1945)
   Trustee, 2012-present    Attorney, Partner at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP from 2010 to 2018; Attorney, Partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP from 2006 to 2010.    [68]   Director, Better Business Bureau (Metropolitan New York, Long Island and the Mid-Hudson Region).
Toni Massaro***
(1955)
   Trustee, 2006-present    Dean Emerita at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law (“Rogers College of Law”) since 2009 (distinguished Emerita in July 2009); Dean of the Rogers College of Law from 1999 to 2009; Regents’ Professor since 2006; Milton O. Riepe Chair in Constitutional Law since 1997; Professor at the Rogers College of Law since 1990.    [68]   None

Melinda A. 
Raso Kirstein****

(1955)

   Trustee, 2014-present    Retired since 2004, Merrill Lynch Investment Management, Vice President; Senior Portfolio Manager, Fixed Income Management; Director, Tax Exempt Fund Management.    [68]   Associate Alumnae of Douglass College, Chair of Investment Committee.

 

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Name and Year of
Birth of Trustee/Officer

  

Position(s) Held with

the Trust, Term of

Office and Length of

Time Served

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

   Number of
Portfolios in
Fund Complex
Overseen by
Trustee/
Officer+
 

Other

Directorships

Held by Trustee

During Past 5 Years

Victor Ugolyn
(1947)
   Trustee, 2006-present; Chairman of the Board, 2006-present    Private Investor, from 2005 to present; President and Chief Executive Officer of William D. Witter, Inc. from 2005 to 2006; Consultant to AXA Enterprise in 2004; Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Capital Management (subsidiary of The MONY Group, Inc.) and Enterprise Group of Funds, Chairman of MONY Securities Corporation, and Chairman of the Fund Board of Enterprise Group of Funds from 1991 to 2004.    [68]   Member of the Board of Governors of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2001-2016).
Officers of the Trust

Jonathan 
Steinberg*****

(1964)

  

President, 2005-

present; Trustee, 2005-present

   Chief Executive Officer, WisdomTree Investments, Inc. and WisdomTree Asset Management since 2005; President, WisdomTree Investments, Inc. and WisdomTree Asset Management from 2012 to 2019.    [68]
 

David Castano*****

(1971)

   Treasurer, 2013-present    Director of Fund Accounting & Administration, WisdomTree Asset Management, since 2011.    [68]  

Terry Jane Feld*****

(1960)

   Chief Compliance Officer, 2012-present    Chief Compliance Officer WisdomTree Asset Management since 2012; Senior Compliance Officer, WisdomTree Asset Management since 2011.    [68]  

Ryan Louvar*****

(1972)

   Secretary and Chief Legal Officer, 2013-present    General Counsel, WisdomTree Asset Management since 2013; Vice President and Senior Managing Counsel, State Street, 2005 to 2013.    [68]  

Joanne Antico*****

(1975)

  

Assistant Secretary,

2018-present

   Assistant General Counsel, WisdomTree Asset Management since 2016; Executive Director and Assistant Secretary, Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., 2005 to 2016.    [68]  

Clint Martin*****

(1977)

   Assistant Treasurer, 2015-present    Fund Manager, Fund Accounting & Administration, WisdomTree Asset Management, since 2012.    [68]  

 

 

*

Chair of the Audit Committee.

**

Chair of the Contracts Review Committee.

***

co-Chair of the Governance, Nominating and Compliance Committee.

****

Chair of the Investment Committee.

*****

Elected by and serves at the pleasure of the Board.

+

As of [__], 2020.

Audit Committee. Ms. Raso Kirstein and Messrs. Chrencik and Ugolyn, each an Independent Trustee, are members of the Board’s Audit Committee. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee are the appointment, compensation and oversight of the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, including the resolution of disagreements regarding financial reporting between Trust management and such independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee’s responsibilities include, without limitation, to (i) oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Trust and to receive reports regarding the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting; (ii) oversee the quality and integrity of the Fund’s financial statements and the independent audits thereof; (iii) oversee, or, as appropriate, assist Board oversight of, the Trust’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Trust’s accounting and financial reporting, and independent audits; (iv) approve prior to appointment the engagement of the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm and, in connection therewith, to review and evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm; and (v) act as a liaison between the Trust’s independent auditors and the full Board. The Independent Trustees’ independent legal counsel assists the Audit Committee in connection with these duties. The Board has adopted a written charter for the Audit Committee. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 , the Audit Committee held seven meetings.

 

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Governance, Nominating and Compliance Committee. Ms. Massaro and Messrs. Goldberg and Ugolyn, each an Independent Trustee, are members of the Board’s Governance, Nominating and Compliance Committee. The principal responsibilities of the Governance, Nominating and Compliance Committee are to (i) provide assistance to the Board in fulfilling its responsibility with respect to the oversight of appropriate and effective governance of the Trust; (ii) identify individuals qualified to serve as Independent Trustees of the Trust and to recommend its nominees for consideration by the full Board; and (iii) provide assistance to the Board in fulfilling its responsibility with respect to overseeing the CCO and overseeing compliance matters involving the Fund and their service providers as reported to the Board. While the Governance, Nominating and Compliance Committee is solely responsible for the selection and nomination of the Trust’s Independent Trustees, the Governance, Nominating and Compliance Committee may consider nominations for the office of Trustee made by Trust shareholders as it deems appropriate. The Governance, Nominating and Compliance Committee considers nominees recommended by shareholders if such nominees are submitted in accordance with Rule 14a-8 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”), in conjunction with a shareholder meeting to consider the election of Trustees. Trust shareholders who wish to recommend a nominee should send nominations to the Secretary of the Trust that include biographical information and set forth the qualifications of the proposed nominee. The Board has adopted a written charter for the Governance, Nominating and Compliance Committee. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 , the Governance, Nominating and Compliance Committee held six meetings.

Contracts Review Committee. Ms. Massaro and Messrs. Goldberg and Ugolyn, each an Independent Trustee, are members of the Board’s Contracts Review Committee. The principal responsibilities of the Contracts Review Committee are to provide assistance to the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities under Section 15 of the 1940 Act, and other applicable Sections, rules and interpretative guidance related thereto, with respect to reviewing the performance of, and reasonableness of fees paid to, the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, and core service providers for each series of the Trust, and to make recommendations to the Board regarding the contractual arrangements for such services. On March 12, 2014, the Board created the Contracts Review Committee. The Board has adopted a written charter for the Contracts Review Committee. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Contracts Review Committee held five meetings.

Investment Committee. Ms. Raso Kirstein and Messrs. Goldberg and Ugolyn, each an Independent Trustee, are members of the Board’s Investment Committee. The principal responsibilities of the Investment Committee are to support, oversee and organize on behalf of the Board the process for overseeing Fund performance and related matters (it being the intention of the Board that the ultimate oversight of Fund performance shall remain with the full Board), address such other matters that the Board shall determine and provide recommendations to the Board as needed in respect of the foregoing matters. On December 11, 2015, the Board created the Investment Committee. The Board has adopted a written charter for the Investment Committee. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Investment Committee held seven meetings.

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

The Board has concluded that Mr. Steinberg is qualified to serve as Trustee of the Fund because of the experience he has gained as President, Chief Executive Officer and director of WisdomTree Investments and the Adviser, his knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as President and Trustee of the Trust since 2005.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Chrencik is qualified to serve as Trustee of the Fund because of the experience he gained as an audit partner of a public accounting firm as well as his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, including his service as the chief financial officer of a hedge fund and his prior service as a board member of several other investment funds, and the experience he has gained serving as an Independent Trustee of the Trust since 2014.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Goldberg is qualified to serve as Trustee of the Fund because of the experience he has gained as a member of the staff of the SEC, including his service as Director of the SEC’s Division of Investment Management, his experience as legal counsel for many mutual funds, investment advisers, and independent directors as well as the experience he has gained serving as an Independent Trustee of the Trust since 2012.

The Board has concluded that Ms. Massaro is qualified to serve as Trustee of the Fund because of the experience she has gained as a law professor, dean and advisor at various universities, and the experience she has gained serving as Independent Trustee of the Trust since 2006.

 

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The Board has concluded that Ms. Raso Kirstein is qualified to serve as Trustee of the Fund because of her experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, including her service as a vice president, senior portfolio manager of fixed income management and director of tax exempt fund research of an investment advisory firm, as well as the experience she has gained serving as an Independent Trustee of the Trust since 2014.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Ugolyn is qualified to serve as Trustee of the Fund because of the experience he gained as chief executive officer of a firm specializing in financial services, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, his experience as a member of the Board of Directors of The New York Society of Security Analysts, Inc., his service as chairman for another mutual fund family, and the experience he has gained serving as an Independent Trustee and Chairman of the Board of the Trust since 2006.

Fund Shares Owned by Board Members. The following table shows the dollar amount range of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of shares of the Fund and each series of the Trust as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act. The Trustees and officers of the Trust collectively own less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Trust.

 

Name of Trustee

    

Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in the Fund*

    

Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities
in All Registered Investment  Companies

Overseen by Trustee in Family of

Investment Companies**

Interested Trustee          

Jonathan L. Steinberg

     None      Over $100,000
Independent Trustees          

David G. Chrencik

     None      Over $100,000

Joel H. Goldberg

     None      Over $100,000

Melinda Raso Kirstein

     None      Over $100,000

Toni M. Massaro

     None      Over $100,000

Victor Ugolyn

     None      $50,001-$100,000

 

*

Values based on Trustees’ ownership as of the date of this SAI.

**

These values are based on the Trustees’ ownership as of December 31, 2019.

Board Compensation. The following table sets forth the compensation paid by the Trust to each Trustee for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Name of Trustee

   Aggregate
Compensation
from the Trust
     Pension or Retirement
Benefits Accrued as

Part of Trust’s
Expenses
     Estimated Annual
Benefits Upon
Retirement
     Total Compensation
from the Fund and
Fund Complex*
 
Interested Trustee

 

Jonathan L. Steinberg

     $0        None        None        $0  
Independent Trustees            

David Chrencik

     $323,097.50        None        None        $323,097.50  

Melinda Raso Kirstein

     $323,097.50        None        None        $323,097.50  

Joel Goldberg

     $330,433.76        None        None        $330,433.76  

Toni M. Massaro

     $315,761.26        None        None        $315,761.26  

Victor Ugolyn

     $440,587.50        None        None        $440,587.50  

 

*

The Trust is the only trust in the “Fund Complex.”

Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities. Because the Fund is new, the Fund has not received information concerning the ownership of shares held in the names of DTC Participants.

 

 

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Table of Contents

Certain officers, employees, accounts or affiliates of WisdomTree Asset Management (such as WisdomTree Investments, 245 Park Avenue, 35th Floor, New York, NY), including other funds advised by WisdomTree Asset Management or third parties, may from time to time own a substantial amount of the Fund’s shares, including as an initial or seed investor. Such positions may be held for a limited period of time, including to facilitate commencement of the Fund, to facilitate the Fund’s achieving size or scale or in seeking to track model portfolios of ETFs developed and maintained by the Adviser. Such shareholders, individually and/or collectively, could at times be considered to control the Fund (i.e., own greater than 25% of the Fund shares) and may purchase or sell shares, including large blocks of shares, at any given time. There can be no assurance that any such entity or person would not redeem or sell its investment, that the size of the Fund would be maintained at such levels or that the Fund would continue to meet applicable listing requirements, which could negatively impact the Fund and its shares. In addition, such transactions may account for a large percentage of secondary market trading volume and may, therefore, not be sustainable and/or may have a material upward or downward effect on the market price of the Shares.

Investment Adviser. WisdomTree Asset Management serves as investment adviser to the Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Trust and WisdomTree Asset Management (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”). WisdomTree Asset Management is a Delaware corporation registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), and has offices located at 245 Park Avenue, 35th Floor, New York, New York 10167.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, WisdomTree Asset Management is responsible for the overall management and administration of the Trust. WisdomTree Asset Management provides an investment program for the Fund. The Adviser also provides proactive oversight of the Sub-Adviser’s daily monitoring of the Sub-Adviser’s buying and selling of securities for the Fund, and regular review of the Sub-Adviser’s performance. In addition, the Adviser arranges for, and oversees, sub-advisory, transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending, and all other non-distribution-related services necessary for the Fund to operate. The Adviser furnishes to the Trust all office facilities, equipment, services and executive and administrative personnel necessary for managing the investment program of the Trust for the Fund, including:

 

   

Overseeing the Trust’s insurance program;

 

   

Overseeing and coordinating all governance matters for the Trust;

 

   

Coordinating meetings of the Board of Trustees;

 

   

Devoting time and resources to maintaining an efficient market for the Fund’s shares;

 

   

Coordinating with outside counsel on all Trust related legal matters;

 

   

Coordinating the preparation of the Trust’s financial statements;

 

   

Coordinating all regulatory filings and shareholder reporting;

 

   

Overseeing the Fund’s tax status and tax filings;

 

   

Maintaining and updating a website for certain required disclosures; and

 

   

Providing shareholders with additional information about the Fund.

The Fund pays WisdomTree Asset Management the Management Fee, based on a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets, indicated below.

 

Fund

   Advisory
Fee
Rate
 

Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund

     [___]%  

Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement on behalf of the Fund, WisdomTree Asset Management has agreed to pay all expenses of the Fund, except for: (i) brokerage expenses and other fees, charges, taxes, levies or expenses (such as stamp taxes) incurred in connection with the execution of portfolio transactions or in connection with creation and redemption transactions (including without limitation any fees, charges, taxes, levies or expenses related to the purchase or sale of an amount of any currency, or the patriation or repatriation of any security or other asset, related to the execution of portfolio transactions or any creation or redemption transactions); (ii) legal fees or expenses in connection with any arbitration, litigation or pending or threatened arbitration or litigation, including any settlements in connection therewith; (iii) compensation and expenses of each Independent Trustee; (iv) compensation and expenses of counsel to the Independent Trustees; (v) compensation and expenses of the Trust’s CCO; (vi) extraordinary expenses (in each case as determined by a majority of the Independent Trustees); (vii) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act; (viii) interest and taxes of any kind or nature (including, but not limited to, income, excise, transfer and withholding taxes); (ix) fees and expenses related to the provision of securities lending services; and (x) the advisory fee payable to WisdomTree Asset Management. The internal expenses of pooled investment vehicles in which the Fund may invest (acquired fund fees and expenses) are not expenses of the Fund and are not paid by WisdomTree Asset Management.

 

 

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Pursuant to a separate contractual arrangement, WisdomTree Asset Management arranges for the provision of CCO services with respect to the Fund and is liable and responsible for, and administers, payments to the CCO, the Independent Trustees and counsel to the Independent Trustees. WisdomTree Asset Management receives a fee of up to 0.0044% of the Fund’s average daily net assets for providing such services and paying such expenses. WisdomTree Asset Management provides CCO services to the Trust.

WisdomTree Asset Management is also responsible for the general management and administration of the WisdomTree Subsidiary pursuant to a separate investment advisory agreement with the WisdomTree Subsidiary. Under the advisory agreement, WisdomTree Asset Management provides the WisdomTree Subsidiary with the same type of management services, for the same fee and under essentially the same terms, as are provided for the Fund.

The Adviser, from its own resources, including profits from advisory fees received from the Fund, provided such fees are legitimate and not excessive, may make payments to broker-dealers and other financial institutions for their expenses in connection with the distribution of Fund shares, and otherwise currently pays all distribution costs for Fund shares.

The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund continues in effect for two years from its effective date, and thereafter is subject to annual approval by (i) the Board or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, provided that in either event such continuance also is approved by a vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. If the shareholders of the Fund fail to approve the Investment Advisory Agreement, WisdomTree Asset Management may continue to serve in the manner and to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and rules and regulations thereunder.

The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund is terminable without any penalty, by vote of the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, or by WisdomTree Asset Management, in each case on not less than thirty (30) days’ nor more than sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to the other party; provided that a shorter notice period shall be permitted for the Fund in the event its shares are no longer listed on a national securities exchange. The Investment Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically and immediately in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).

Sub-Adviser. Mellon serves as sub-adviser to, and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Mellon, a registered investment adviser, manages global quantitative-based investment strategies for institutional and private investors. Its principal office is located at One Boston Place, 201 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02108. MBC Investments Corporation owns between 80% and 100% of Mellon, with up to 20% owned by certain Mellon employees through authorized employee class restricted shares. MBC Investments Corporation is 100% owned by BNY Mellon IHC, LLC, which is 100% owned by The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation. Mellon manages the Fund’s portfolio investments and places orders to buy and sell the Fund’s portfolio investments. WisdomTree Asset Management pays Mellon for providing sub-advisory services to the Fund.

Mellon believes that it may perform sub-advisory and related services for the Trust without violating applicable banking laws or regulations. However, the legal requirements and interpretations about the permissible activities of banks and their affiliates may change in the future. These changes could prevent Mellon from continuing to perform services for the Trust. If this happens, the Board would consider selecting other qualified firms.

The Sub-Advisory Agreement, with respect to the Fund, continues in effect for two years from its effective date, and thereafter is subject to annual approval by (i) the Board or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the applicable Fund, provided that in either event such continuance is also approved by a vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. If the shareholders of the Fund fail to approve the Fund’s Sub-Advisory Agreement, WisdomTree Asset Management may continue to serve in the manner and to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and rules and regulations thereunder. The Sub-Advisory Agreement is terminable without any penalty, by vote of the Board of or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, or by WisdomTree Asset Management, in each case on not less than thirty (30) days’ nor more than sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to the other party; provided that a shorter notice period shall be permitted for the Funds in the event its shares are no longer listed on a national securities exchange. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically and immediately in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).

Portfolio Managers.

Mellon utilizes a team of investment professionals acting together to manage the Fund’s assets. The Fund is managed by Mellon’s Asset Allocation Team. The team meets regularly to review portfolio holdings and to discuss purchase and sale activity. The team adjusts holdings in the Fund’s portfolio as it deems appropriate in the pursuit of the Fund’s investment objective.

The individual members of the investment team who are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio are Vassilis Dagioglu and James Stavena.

As of ______________, 2020, the Asset Allocation Team managed [ ] registered investment companies with approximately $[ ] billion in assets; [ ] pooled investment vehicles with approximately $[ ] billion in assets; and [ ] other accounts with approximately $[ ] billion in assets.

 

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Table of Contents

Portfolio Manager Fund Ownership. As of [_____], none of the portfolio managers owned shares of the Fund.

Portfolio Manager Compensation.

Mellon’s rewards program is designed to be market-competitive and align Mellon’s compensation with the goals of its clients. This alignment is achieved through an emphasis on deferred awards, which incentivizes Mellon’s investment personnel to focus on long-term alpha generation.

Mellon’s incentive model is designed to compensate for quantitative and qualitative objectives achieved during the performance year. An individual’s final annual incentive award is tied to Mellon’s overall performance, the team’s investment performance, as well as individual performance.

Awards are paid in cash on an annual basis; however, some portfolio managers may receive a portion of their annual incentive award in deferred vehicles. Annual incentive as a percentage of fixed pay varies with the profitability of Mellon and the product team.

The following factors encompass Mellon’s investment professional rewards program.

 

   

Base salary

 

   

Annual cash incentive

 

   

Long-Term Incentive Plan

 

 

Deferred cash for investment

 

 

BNY Mellon restricted stock units and/or

 

 

Mellon equity

Awards for selected senior portfolio managers are based on a two-stage model: an opportunity range based on the current level of business and an assessment of long-term business value. A significant portion of the opportunity awarded is structured and based upon the performance of the portfolio manager’s accounts relative to the performance of appropriate peers, with longer-term performance more heavily weighted.

Description of Material Conflicts of Interest.

It is the policy of Mellon to make business decisions free from conflicting outside influences. Mellon’s objective is to recognize potential conflicts of interest and work to eliminate or control and disclose such conflicts as they are identified. Mellon’s business decisions are based on its duty to its clients, and not driven by any personal interest or gain. As an asset manager operating in a number of different jurisdictions with a diverse client base in a variety of strategies, conflicts of interest are inherent. Furthermore, as an indirect subsidiary of BNY Mellon, potential conflicts may also arise between Mellon and other BNY Mellon companies.

Mellon will take steps to provide reasonable assurance that no client or group of clients is advantaged at the expense of any other client. As such, it has adopted a Code of Ethics and compliance policy manual to address such conflicts. These potential and inherent conflicts include but are not limited to: the allocation of investment opportunities, side by side management, execution of portfolio transactions, brokerage conflicts, compensation conflicts, related party arrangements, personal interests, and other investment and operational conflicts of interest. Mellon’s compliance policies are designed to ensure that all client accounts are treated equitably over time. Additionally, it has structured compensation of investment personnel to reasonably safeguard client accounts from being adversely impacted by any potential or related conflicts.    

All material conflicts of interest are presented in greater detail within Part 2A of Mellon’s Form ADV.

Mellon’s manages numerous accounts with a variety of interests. This necessarily creates potential conflicts of interest for us. For example, Mellon or an affiliate may cause multiple accounts to invest in the same investment. Such accounts may have conflicting interests and objectives in connection with such investment, including differing views on the operations or activities of the portfolio company, the targeted returns for the transaction, and the timeframe for and method of exiting the investment. Conflicts may also arise in cases where multiple Mellon and/or affiliate client accounts are invested in different parts of an issuer’s capital structure. For example, one of Mellon’s client accounts could acquire debt obligations of a company while an affiliate’s client account acquires an equity investment. In negotiating the terms and conditions of any such investments, Mellon may find that the interests of the debt-holding client accounts and the equity-holding client accounts may conflict. If that issuer encounters financial problems, decisions over the terms of the workout could raise conflicts of interest (including, for example, conflicts over proposed waivers and amendments to debt covenants). For example, debt holding accounts may be better served by a liquidation of an issuer in which it could be paid in full, while equity holding accounts might prefer a reorganization of the issuer that would have the potential to retain value for the equity holders. As another example, holders of an issuer’s senior securities may be able to act to direct cash flows away from junior security holders, and both the junior and senior security holders may be Mellon client accounts. Any of the foregoing conflicts of interest will be discussed and resolved on a case-by-case basis. Any such discussions will factor in the interests of the relevant parties and applicable laws.

 

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Mellon has a fiduciary duty to manage all client accounts in a fair and equitable manner. To accomplish this, Mellon has adopted various policies and procedures including, but not limited to, policies relating to trading operations, best execution, trade order aggregation and allocation, short sales, cross-trading, code of conduct, personal securities trading, and purchases of securities from affiliated underwriters. These procedures are intended to help employees identify and mitigate potential side-by-side conflicts of interest such as those described above. Mellon has also developed a conflicts matrix listing potential side-by-side conflicts, the compliance policies and procedures reasonably designed to mitigate such potential conflicts of interest, and the corresponding compliance testing program established with the goal of confirming Mellon’s adherence to such policies and procedures.

Performance Fees. The portfolio managers have entered into performance-based fee arrangements for certain client accounts and funds. Most of these arrangements provide for an asset-based management fee, based on the market value of the account at month end, quarter end or based on average market value, plus a performance fee based on the portfolio’s net return in excess of a specified benchmark and/or hurdle rate during a designated period of time. The performance is based on both realized and unrealized gains and losses. Some performance fee calculations include a high water mark, which keeps track of the highest level of performance on which a performance fee has been paid and which must be exceeded in order for an additional performance fee to be assessed. For more detailed information on how performance fees are calculated, please see the applicable private placement memorandum or your investment management agreement.

Side-by-Side Management. “Side-by-side management” refers to a portfolio manager’s simultaneous management of multiple types of client accounts/investment products. For example, the portfolio managers manage separate accounts, managed accounts/wrap-fee programs, and pooled investment vehicles for clients at the same time. The portfolio managers’ clients have a variety of investment objectives, policies, strategies, limitations, and restrictions. Side-by-side management gives rise to a variety of potential and actual conflicts of interest for the portfolio managers. Below is a discussion of the conflicts that the portfolio managers face when engaging in side-by-side management and how they deal with them. Note that certain of Mellon’s employees are also officers or employees of one or more Mellon affiliates (“dual officers”). These dual officers undertake investment management duties for the affiliates of which they are officers. When the portfolio managers concurrently manage client accounts/ investment products, and in particular when dual officers or dual employees are involved, this presents the same conflicts as described below. Note that portfolio managers manage their accounts consistent with applicable laws, and they follow procedures that are reasonably designed to treat clients fairly and to prevent any client or group of clients from being systematically favored or disadvantaged.

Conflicts of Interest Relating to Side-by-Side Management of Discretionary and Non-Discretionary Accounts. In limited circumstances, portfolio managers may provide to a third party for which they provide non-discretionary advisory services the same model portfolio used to manage certain of the portfolio managers’ clients’ accounts. In those cases where portfolio managers are implementing the model results for only a portion of the assets affected (for example, only the assets over which portfolio managers have discretionary management authority) and therefore, they cannot apply their internal trade allocation procedures, portfolio managers will (i) use reasonable efforts to agree on procedures with such non-discretionary clients designed to prevent one group of clients from receiving preferential trading treatment over another group, or (ii) determine that, due to the nature of the assets to be traded or the market on which they are traded, no client would likely be adversely affected if such procedures are not established.

Conflicts of Interest Relating to Performance-Based Fees When Engaging in Side-by-Side Management. Portfolio managers manage accounts that are charged a performance-based fee and other accounts that are charged a different type of fee, such as a flat asset-based fee. Portfolio managers have a financial incentive to favor accounts with performance-based fees because they (and Mellon’s employees and supervised persons) may have an opportunity to earn greater fees on such accounts as compared to client accounts without performance-based fees. Thus, portfolio managers have an incentive to direct their best investment ideas to client accounts that pay performance-based fees, and to allocate, aggregate, or sequence trades in favor of such accounts. Portfolio managers also have an incentive to give accounts with performance-based fees better execution and better brokerage commissions.

Conflicts of Interest Relating to Accounts with Different Strategies. Portfolio managers manage numerous accounts with a variety of strategies, which may present conflicts of interest. For example, a long/short position in two client accounts simultaneously can result in a loss to one client based on a decision to take a gain in the other. Taking concurrent conflicting positions in certain derivative instruments can likewise cause a loss to one client and a gain to another. Portfolio managers also may face conflicts of interest when they have uncovered option strategies and significant positions in illiquid securities in side-by-side accounts.

Conflicts of Interest Relating to the Management of Multiple Client Accounts. Portfolio managers perform investment advisory services for various clients. Portfolio managers may give advice and take action in the performance of their duties with respect to any of their other clients which may differ from the advice given, or the timing or nature of action taken, with respect another client. Portfolio managers have no obligation to purchase or sell for a client any security or other property which they purchase or sell for their own account or for the account of any other client, if they believe it is undesirable or impractical to take such action. Portfolio managers may give advice or take action in the performance of their duties with respect to any of their clients which may differ from the advice given, or the timing or nature of action taken, by their affiliates on behalf of their clients.

 

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Conflicts of Interest Relating to Investment in Affiliated Accounts. To the extent permissible under applicable law, the portfolio managers may decide to invest some or all of their temporary investments in money market or similar accounts advised or managed by a Mellon affiliate. In addition, the portfolio managers may invest client accounts in affiliated pooled vehicles. The portfolio managers have an incentive to allocate investments to these types of affiliated accounts in order to generate additional fees for themselves or their affiliates. In certain instances, portfolio managers may enter into revenue sharing arrangements with affiliates where they may receive a portion of the fee, or bill the full fee to the client and reimburse the affiliate. Portfolio managers may also enter into wholesale arrangements with affiliates where they receive only a portion of the client fee. For certain accounts with affiliates, some of the fees, such as custody fees, may be waived or rebated.

Conflicts of Interest Relating to the Discretion to Redeem from and Invest in Pooled Investment Vehicles. The portfolio manager’s clients may give them discretion to allocate client assets to, and/or redeem client assets from, certain pooled investment vehicles they manage or sub-advise. Sometimes, such discretionary authority is restricted by asset allocation parameters which may limit the portfolio manager’s discretion to allocate to a percentage range of the value of a client’s account. When a client grants portfolio managers that discretion, a conflict could arise with respect to such client, and also with respect to other investors in such pooled investment vehicle. The portfolio managers may, for example, have an incentive to maintain a larger percentage of a client’s assets in the Fund in order for such assets to act as seed capital, to increase the fund’s assets under management and thus, to make investment by other investors more attractive, or to maintain the continuity of a performance record if the client is the sole remaining investor. Likewise, as the manager or sub-adviser, they will have information that investors will not have about the investments held by the Fund and about other investors’ intentions to invest or redeem. Such information could potentially be used to favor one investor over another.

Conflicts of Interest Relating to “Proprietary Accounts”. The portfolio managers, and Mellon’s existing and future employees may from time to time invest in products managed by Mellon and they or related persons may establish “seeded” funds or accounts for the purpose of developing new investment strategies and products (collectively, “Proprietary Accounts”). Investment by Mellon, or its employees in Proprietary Accounts that invest in the same securities as other client accounts may create conflicts of interest. Portfolio managers have an incentive to favor these Proprietary Accounts by directing their best investment ideas to these accounts or allocating, aggregating, or sequencing trades in favor of such accounts, to the disadvantage of other accounts. Portfolio managers also have an incentive to dedicate more time and attention to their Proprietary Accounts and to give them better execution and brokerage commissions than their other client accounts. The portfolio managers also may waive fees for Proprietary Accounts or for certain affiliated persons who invest in such Proprietary Accounts.

Valuations. A majority of Mellon’s fees are based on the valuations provided by clients’ custodians or pooled accounts’ administrators. However, a conflict of interest may arise in overseeing the valuation of investments in the limited situations where Mellon is involved in the determination of the valuation of an investment. In such circumstances, Mellon requires, to the extent possible, pricing from an independent third party pricing vendor. If vendor pricing is unavailable, Mellon then looks to other observable inputs for the valuations. In the event that a vendor price or other observable inputs are unavailable or deemed unreliable, Mellon has established a Securities Pricing Committee to make a reasonable determination of a security’s fair value.

Other Conflicts of Interest. As noted previously, portfolio managers manage numerous accounts with a variety of interests. This necessarily creates potential conflicts of interest for the portfolio managers. For example, portfolio managers may cause multiple accounts to invest in the same investment. Such accounts may have conflicting interests and objectives in connection with such investment, including differing views on the operations or activities of the portfolio company, the targeted returns for the transaction, and the timeframe for and method of exiting the investment. Conflicts may also arise in cases where multiple Mellon and/or affiliate client accounts are invested in different parts of an issuer’s capital structure. For example, one of the portfolio manager’s client accounts could acquire debt obligations of a company while an affiliate’s client account acquires an equity investment. In negotiating the terms and conditions of any such investments, portfolio managers may find that the interests of the debt-holding client accounts and the equity-holding client accounts may conflict. If that issuer encounters financial problems, decisions over the terms of the workout could raise conflicts of interest (including, for example, conflicts over proposed waivers and amendments to debt covenants). For example, debt holding accounts may be better served by a liquidation of an issuer in which it could be paid in full, while equity holding accounts might prefer a reorganization of the issuer that would have the potential to retain value for the equity holders. As another example, holders of an issuer’s senior securities may be able to act to direct cash flows away from junior security holders, and both the junior and senior security holders may be Mellon client accounts. Any of the foregoing conflicts of interest will be discussed and resolved on a case-by-case basis. Any such discussions will factor in the interests of the relevant parties and applicable laws.

Addressing Conflicts of Interest. Portfolio managers have a fiduciary duty to manage all client accounts in a fair and equitable manner. To accomplish this, Mellon has adopted various policies and procedures (including, but not limited to, policies relating to trading operations, best execution, trade order aggregation and allocation, short sales, cross-trading, code

 

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of conduct, personal securities trading, and purchases of securities from affiliated underwriters). These procedures are intended to help employees identify and mitigate potential side-by-side conflicts of interest such as those described above. Mellon has also developed a conflicts matrix listing potential side-by-side conflicts, the compliance policies and procedures reasonably designed to mitigate such potential conflicts of interest and the corresponding compliance testing program established with the goal of confirming Mellon’s adherence to such policies and procedures.

Codes of Ethics. The Trust, the Advisers and the Distributor have each adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act, where applicable. Each Code of Ethics permits personnel subject to that Code of Ethics to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, subject to certain limitations, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund. Each Code of Ethics is on public file with, and is available from, the SEC.

Administrator, Custodian, Transfer Agent and Securities Lending Agent. State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”) serves as administrator, custodian, transfer agent and securities lending agent for the Fund. State Street’s principal address is One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. Under the Fund Administration Agreement with the Trust, State Street provides certain administrative, legal, tax, and financial reporting services for the maintenance and operations of the Trust and the Fund. Under the Master Custodian Agreement with the Trust, State Street acts as custodian of assets of the Trust, including securities which the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, desires to be held in places within the United States and securities it desires to be held outside the United States, and provides accounting and other services. State Street is required, upon the order of the Trust, to deliver securities held by State Street and to make payments for securities purchased by the Trust and for the Fund. Also, under the Master Custodian Agreement, State Street is authorized to appoint certain foreign custodians or foreign custody managers for Fund investments outside the United States. Pursuant to a Transfer Agency and Service Agreement with the Trust, State Street acts as transfer agent for the authorized and issued shares of beneficial interest for the Fund, and as dividend disbursing agent of the Trust. State Street also provides services, as applicable, for any wholly-owned subsidiary of a WisdomTree Fund. As compensation for the foregoing services, State Street receives certain out-of-pocket costs, transaction fees and asset-based fees which are accrued daily and paid monthly. State Street also serves as the Fund’s securities lending agent. As compensation for providing such services, State Street receives a portion of the income earned by the Fund in connection with the lending program. With respect to the foregoing agreements, the Trust has agreed to limitation of liability for State Street and/or to indemnify State Street for certain liabilities.

Securities Lending Activities. State Street serves as securities lending agent to the Trust. As securities lending agent, State Street is responsible for the implementation and administration of the securities lending program pursuant to the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement (“Securities Lending Agreement”). State Street acts as agent to the Trust to lend available securities with any person on its list of approved borrowers, including State Street Bank and Trust Company and any affiliate thereof. State Street determines whether a loan shall be made and negotiates and establishes the terms and conditions of the loan with the borrower. State Street ensures that all substitute interest, dividends, and other distributions paid with respect to loan securities is credited to the Fund’s relevant account on the date such amounts are delivered by the borrower to State Street. State Street receives and holds, on the Fund’s behalf, collateral from borrowers to secure obligations of borrowers with respect to any loan of available securities. State Street marks loaned securities and collateral to their market value each business day based upon the market value of the collateral and loaned securities at the close of business employing the most recently available pricing information and receives and delivers collateral in order to maintain the value of the collateral at no less than 100% of the market value of the loaned securities. At the termination of the loan, State Street returns the collateral to the borrower upon the return of the loaned securities to State Street. State Street invests cash collateral in accordance with the Securities Lending Agreement. State Street maintains such records as are reasonably necessary to account for loans that are made and the income derived therefrom and makes available to the Fund a monthly statement describing the loans made, and the income derived from the loans, during the period. State Street performs compliance monitoring and testing of the securities lending program and, on a monthly basis, State Street will make available to the Trust’s Board of Trustees a statement describing the outstanding loans and income made on such loans during the period.

Distributor. Foreside Fund Services, LLC serves as Distributor for the Trust and its principal address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101. The Distributor has entered into a Distribution Agreement with the Trust pursuant to which it distributes shares of the Fund. The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Fund through the Distributor only in Creation Unit Aggregations, as described in the Prospectus and below in the Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations section. Shares in less than Creation Unit Aggregations are not distributed by the Distributor. The Distributor will deliver the Prospectus and, upon request, this SAI to persons purchasing Creation Unit Aggregations and will maintain records of both orders placed with it and confirmations of acceptance furnished by it. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). The Distributor is not affiliated with WisdomTree Investments, WisdomTree Asset Management, or any stock exchange.

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

 

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The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Unit Aggregations of shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as defined below) or DTC Participants (as defined below).

Intermediary Compensation. WisdomTree Asset Management or its affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of Fund assets (i.e., without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders), may pay or otherwise assist certain broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, banks, other financial intermediaries and platforms (“Intermediaries”) for certain activities and/or services related to the Fund, other WisdomTree Funds and/or model portfolios that include WisdomTree Funds, including for making Funds available such as without a commission or transaction fee (or to otherwise offset such commissions or fees), for participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries and investors more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, for other activities, such as marketing and educational training or support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications), for data, for platform development and/or access, for technology support, for co-marketing and cross-promotional efforts, or to otherwise facilitate education, relationships and/or investment. Payments made pursuant to such arrangements are expected to vary in any year, can be different for different Intermediaries and third parties, and can be subject to certain minimum payment levels. Any such payments or other consideration are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of the Fund’s Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of the Fund’s shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of Fund shares. Information regarding certain Intermediaries receiving such payments can be found by visiting www.wisdomtree.com.

The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professionals if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm. WisdomTree Asset Management or its affiliates intend to engage with, and make payments to, other Intermediaries and third parties in the future. Please contact your adviser, broker, other investment professional or other type of Intermediary and ask whether they have any such arrangements with WisdomTree Asset Management or its affiliates and/or to receive more information regarding any payments such firm may receive. Any payments made by WisdomTree Asset Management or its affiliates to an Intermediary may create the incentive for an Intermediary to encourage customers to buy shares of WisdomTree Funds.

If you have any additional questions, please call 1-866-909-9473.

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS

The Sub-Adviser assumes general supervision over placing orders on behalf of the Fund for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities. In selecting the brokers or dealers for any transaction in portfolio securities, the Sub-Adviser’s policy is to make such selection based on factors deemed relevant, including but not limited to, the breadth of the market in the security; the price of the security; the reasonableness of the commission or mark-up or mark-down, if any; execution capability; settlement capability; back office efficiency; and the financial condition of the broker or dealer, both for the specific transaction and on a continuing basis. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid is evaluated by the Sub-Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services. Brokers may also be selected because of their ability to handle special or difficult executions, such as if they may be involved in large block trades, less liquid or foreign securities, broad distributions, or other circumstances. The Sub-Adviser does not consider the provision or value of research, products or services a broker or dealer may provide, if any, as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer or the determination of the reasonableness of commissions paid in connection with portfolio transactions. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of the Fund’s shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or a dealer to execute its portfolio transactions. To the extent creation or redemption transactions are conducted on a cash or “cash in lieu” basis, the Fund may contemporaneously transact with broker-dealers for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities in connection with such transactions (see “Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations” herein). Such orders may be placed with an Authorized Participant in its capacity as broker-dealer or with an affiliated broker-dealer of such Authorized Participant.

Brokerage Commissions

The Fund is new and had not paid any brokerage commissions as of the fiscal year ended [_____], 2020.

Affiliated Brokers

The Fund is new and had not paid any commissions to any affiliated brokers as of the fiscal year ended [_____], 2020.

 

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Regular Broker-Dealers

The Fund is new and did not acquire securities of its regular brokers or dealers (as defined in the 1940 Act) or of their parents during the fiscal year ended [_____], 2020.

Portfolio Turnover

Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Sub-Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by the other institutional investors for comparable services.

The Fund is new and therefore did not have a portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal year ended [_____], 2020.    

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE TRUST

Shares. The Trust was established as a Delaware statutory trust on December 15, 2005, and consists of multiple series “funds”. The Fund issues shares of beneficial interest, with $0.001 par value. The Board may establish additional funds. The Trust is registered with the SEC as an open-end management investment company.

Each share issued by the Fund has a pro rata interest in the assets of the Fund. Shares have no preemptive, exchange, subscription or conversion rights and are freely transferable. Each share is entitled to participate equally in dividends and distributions declared by the Board of Trustees with respect to the Fund, and in the net distributable assets of the Fund on liquidation.

Each share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all Funds within the Trust vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund, or if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter.

Under Delaware law, the Trust is not required to hold an annual meeting of shareholders unless required to do so under the 1940 Act. The policy of the Trust is not to hold an annual meeting of shareholders unless required to do so under the 1940 Act. All shares have non-cumulative voting rights for the Board. Under Delaware law, Trustees of the Trust may be removed by vote of the shareholders.

Following the creation of the initial Creation Unit Aggregation(s) of shares of the Fund and immediately prior to the commencement of trading in the Fund’s shares, a holder of shares may be a “control person” of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act. The Fund cannot accurately predict the length of time for which one or more shareholders may remain a control person or persons of the Fund.

Shareholders may make inquiries by writing to the Trust, c/o Foreside Fund Services, LLC, Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

Absent an applicable exemption or other relief from the SEC or its staff, beneficial owners of more than 5% of the shares of the Fund may be subject to the reporting provisions of Section 13 of the 1934 Act and the SEC’s rules promulgated thereunder. In addition, absent an applicable exemption or other relief from the SEC staff, officers and Trustees of the Fund and beneficial owners of 10% of the shares of the Fund (“Insiders”) may be subject to the insider reporting, short-swing profit and short-sale provisions of Section 16 of the 1934 Act and the SEC’s rules promulgated thereunder. Beneficial owners and Insiders should consult with their own legal counsel concerning their obligations under Sections 13 and 16 of the 1934 Act.

Termination of the Trust or the Fund. The Trust or the Fund may be terminated by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees or the affirmative vote of a super majority of the holders of the Trust or the Fund entitled to vote on termination. Although the shares are not automatically redeemable upon the occurrence of any specific event, the Trust’s organizational documents provide that the Board will have the unrestricted power to alter the number of shares in a Creation Unit Aggregation. In the event of a termination of the Trust or the Fund, the Board, in its sole discretion, could determine to permit the shares to be redeemable in aggregations smaller than Creation Unit Aggregations or to be individually redeemable. In such circumstances, the Trust may make redemptions in kind, for cash, or for a combination of cash and securities.

Role of the Depositary Trust Company (“DTC”). DTC acts as Securities Depository for the shares of the Trust. Shares of the Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.

DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants (“DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities’ certificates. DTC

 

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Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of which (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of DTC Participants and by the NYSE and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (“Indirect Participants”).

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

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

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

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

CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNIT AGGREGATIONS

Creation. The Trust issues and sells shares of the Fund only in Creation Unit Aggregations on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at the NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day, of an order in proper form.

Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of Creation Unit Aggregations of the Fund generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) and/or an amount of cash denominated in U.S. dollars (the “Cash Component”) computed as described below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit Aggregation of the Fund.

The Fund or Advisers may permit or require the submission of a basket securities and other instruments, non-U.S. currency or cash denominated in U.S. dollars that differs from the composition of the published basket(s). The Fund or Advisers may permit or require the consideration for Creation Unit Aggregations to consist solely of cash or non-U.S. currency. The Fund or Advisers reserve the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash denominated in U.S. dollars or non-U.S. currency (i.e., a “cash in lieu” amount) to be added, at its discretion, to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. For example, cash may be substituted to replace any Deposit Security that may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or that may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC or through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”). The Trust or Advisers reserve the right to permit or require a “cash in lieu” amount where the delivery of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant (as described below) would be prohibited or restricted under applicable securities laws, or in certain other situations at the sole discretion of the Trust or Adviser. All such baskets will be created or accepted in compliance with procedures adopted by the Board, which generally require that any such basket be in the best interest of the Fund.

 

 

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The portion of the Cash Component that does not serve to replace a Deposit Security is sometimes also referred to as the “Balancing Amount.” The Balancing Amount is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares (per Creation Unit Aggregation) and the value of Deposit Securities. If the Balancing Amount is a positive number, the Authorized Participant will deliver the Balancing Amount. If the Balancing Amount is a negative number, the Authorized Participant will receive the Balancing Amount. The Balancing Amount does not include any stamp duty tax or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities. These are the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant.

The Fund, through the NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, immediately prior to the opening of business on the Listing Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security and/or applicable Cash Component that may be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund.

Such Deposit Securities are applicable, subject to any adjustments as described herein, in order to effect creations of Creation Unit Aggregations of the Fund until such time as the next or otherwise announced composition of the Deposit Securities is made available.

The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund changes from time to time based on various factors.

Procedures for Creation of Creation Unit Aggregations. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor and to create a Creation Unit Aggregation of the Fund, an entity must be a “Participating Party,” i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant of a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC. Such entity also must have executed an agreement with the Distributor with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Unit Aggregations (a “Participant Agreement”). A Participating Party that has entered a Participant Agreement is referred to as an “Authorized Participant.” Investors should contact the Distributor for the names of Authorized Participants that have signed a Participant Agreement. All shares of the Fund, however created, will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of Cede & Co.

All orders to create shares must be placed for one or more Creation Unit Aggregations. All orders to create Creation Unit Aggregations must be received by the Distributor by the designated closing time, which is no later than the closing time of the regular trading session on the Listing Exchange (“Closing Time”) (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on the date such orders are placed in order to receive that day’s NAV. All orders must be received in proper form. The date on which an order to create Creation Unit Aggregations is placed is referred to as the “Transmittal Date.” Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone, online portal or other transmission method acceptable to State Street and the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, as described below, which procedures may change from time to time without notice at the discretion of the Trust or Adviser. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede the ability to reach State Street and the Distributor or an Authorized Participant. On days when the Listing Exchange or U.S. or non-U.S. markets close earlier than normal, the Fund may require purchase orders to be placed earlier in the day. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities and/or Cash Component to be delivered, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities, will be determined by the Trust or Advisers, whose determination shall be final and binding.

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

Those placing orders for Creation Unit Aggregations through the Clearing Process should afford sufficient time to permit proper submission of the order to the Distributor prior to the Closing Time on the Transmittal Date. Orders for Creation Unit Aggregations that are effected outside the Clearing Process are likely to require transmittal by the DTC Participant earlier on the Transmittal Date than orders effected using the Clearing Process. Those persons placing orders outside the Clearing Process should ascertain the deadlines applicable to DTC and the Federal Reserve Bank wire system by contacting the operations department of the broker or depository institution effectuating such transfer of Deposit Securities and the Cash Component.

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

 

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Placement of Creation Orders Outside the Clearing Process. Fund Deposits made outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through a DTC Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order creating Creation Unit Aggregations to be effected outside the Clearing Process does not need to be a Participating Party, but such orders must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that the creation of Creation Unit Aggregations will instead be effected through a transfer of securities and cash directly through DTC. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the DTC Participant on the Transmittal Date in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities through DTC to the account of the Fund by no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern time(or such other time as specified), on or before the “Settlement Date.” The Settlement Date is typically the second Business Day following the Transmittal Date. The Fund reserves the right to settle transactions on a basis other than “T” plus two Business Days (i.e., days on which the NYSE is open) (“T+2”). In certain cases Authorized Participants will create and redeem Creation Unit Aggregations of the same Fund on the same trade date. In these instances, the Trust reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis.

On days when the Listing Exchange or U.S. markets close earlier than normal, the Fund may require purchase orders to be placed earlier in the day. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities and/or Cash Component to be delivered, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities, will be determined by the Trust or Advisers, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash equal to the Cash Component must be transferred directly to State Street through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by State Street no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern time on or before the Settlement Date (or such other time as specified). An order to create Creation Unit Aggregations outside the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Distributor on the Transmittal Date if: (i) such order is received by the Distributor not later than the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. However, if State Street does not receive both the required Deposit Securities and the Cash Component by the specified time on or before the Settlement Date, the Trust may cancel or revoke acceptance of such order. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled or revoked order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then-current NAV of the Fund, subject to any adjustments as described herein. The delivery of Creation Unit Aggregations so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.

Creation Unit Aggregations may be created in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below, in the sole discretion of the Trust or Advisers. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, U.S. cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) generally between 102%-110%, as directed by the Trust or Advisers, which the Trust or Advisers may change from time to time, of the market value of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”) with the Fund pending delivery of any missing Deposit Securities.

If an Additional Cash Deposit is allowed as collateral for any undelivered Deposit Securities, the Authorized Participant must deposit with State Street the appropriate amount of federal funds by 2:00 p.m., Eastern time (or such other time as specified), on or before the Settlement Date. If the Authorized Participant does not place its purchase order by the closing time or State Street does not receive federal funds in the appropriate amount by the designated time, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with State Street, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount generally between 102%-110%, as directed by the Trust or Advisers, which the Trust or Advisers may change from time to time, of the daily marked-to-market value of the missing Deposit Securities. To the extent that missing Deposit Securities are not received by the specified time on or before the Settlement Date, or in the event a marked-to-market payment is not made within one Business Day following notification by the Distributor that such a payment is required, the Trust may use the Additional Cash Deposit to purchase the missing Deposit Securities. The Trust also requires delivery of Deposit Securities and/or an Additional Cash Deposit prior to settlement date by the Authorized Participant in relation to certain international markets.

The Authorized Participant will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the market value of such Deposit Securities on the Transmittal Date plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by State Street or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a Transaction Fee, as listed below, will be charged in all cases. The delivery of Creation Unit Aggregations so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date. In no event will an Authorized Participant receive or be entitled to interest or other consideration associated with or in relation to the Additional Cash Deposit.

Cash Purchases. When, in the sole discretion of the Trust or Advisers, cash purchases of Creation Unit Aggregations of shares are available or specified for the Fund, such purchases shall be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases thereof. In the case of a cash purchase, the Authorized Participant must pay the cash equivalent of the Deposit Securities it would otherwise be required to provide through an in-kind purchase, plus the same Cash Component required to be paid by an in-kind purchaser. In addition, to offset brokerage and other costs associated with using cash to purchase the requisite Deposit Securities, the Authorized Participant must pay the Transaction Fees required by the Fund. If the Authorized Participant acts as a broker for the Fund in connection with the purchase of Deposit Securities, the Authorized Participant will also be required to pay certain brokerage commissions, taxes, and transaction and market impact costs as discussed under the heading “Brokerage Transactions” herein.

 

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Acceptance of Orders for Creation Unit Aggregations. The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject or revoke acceptance of a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor with respect to the Fund. Orders may be rejected and acceptance may be revoked if, for example: (i) the order is not in proper form; (ii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (iii) the Deposit Securities delivered are not the same as those disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Fund as described above; (iv) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (v) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (vi) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or WisdomTree Asset Management, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; or (vii) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, State Street, the Distributor or WisdomTree Asset Management make it for all practical purposes impossible to process creation orders. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God; public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, WisdomTree Asset Management, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC, State Street or a sub-custodian or any other participant in the creation process and similar extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit Aggregation of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, State Street, a sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. To the extent creations are rejected or may be otherwise limited or suspended, Fund shares could trade at a significant premium or discount to NAV and the Fund could experience substantial redemptions.

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

Creation/Redemption Transaction Fee. The Fund imposes a “Transaction Fee” or “CU Fee” on investors purchasing or redeeming Creation Units. The purpose of the Transaction Fee is to protect the existing shareholders of the Fund from the dilutive costs associated with the purchase and redemption of Creation Units. Where the Fund permits cash creations (or redemptions) or cash in lieu of depositing one or more Deposit Securities, the purchaser (or redeemer) may be assessed a higher Transaction Fee to offset the transaction cost to the Fund of buying (or selling) those particular Deposit Securities. Transaction Fees for the Fund will differ from Transaction Fees for other WisdomTree Funds, depending on the transaction expenses related to the Fund’s portfolio securities, and will be limited to amounts that have been determined by WisdomTree Asset Management to be appropriate. The maximum Transaction Fee, as set forth in the table below for the Fund, may be charged in cases where the Fund permits cash or cash in lieu of Deposit Securities. Investors purchasing or redeeming through the DTC process generally will pay a higher Transaction Fee than will investors doing so through the NSCC process. Also, investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services, in addition to the Transaction Fee imposed by the Fund.

The following table sets forth the standard and maximum creation and redemption Transaction Fees for the Fund. These fees may be changed by the Trust.

 

Fund

   CU Fee*     Maximum
CU Fee
 

Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund

   $ [___   $ [___

 

*

The Fund may charge, either in lieu of or in addition to the Transaction Fees, in the sole discretion of the Trust or as determined by the Adviser, a variable fee for creations and redemptions in order to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses related to the execution of trades resulting from such transaction, up to any applicable legal limits. The Adviser may pay out of its own resources and not out of Fund assets, such Transaction Fees or variable fees from time to time in its sole discretion. Any such fees and/or payments by the Adviser may impact bid/ask spreads.

Placement of Redemption Orders for Using the Clearing Process. Orders to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations through the Clearing Process must be delivered through a Participating Party that has executed the Participant Agreement. Except as described herein, an order to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations using the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Trust on the Transmittal Date if: (i) such order is received by State Street (in its capacity as Transfer Agent) not later than the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date, and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. Such order will be effected based on the NAV of the Fund as next determined. The consideration for redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations of the Fund generally consists of (i) a portfolio of securities (the “Fund Securities”) and/or (ii) an amount of cash denominated in U.S. dollars (the “Cash Redemption Amount”) as described below. The requisite Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount generally will be transferred by the second NSCC Business Day following the date on which such request for redemption is deemed received.

 

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Placement of Redemption Orders Outside the Clearing Process. Orders to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through a DTC Participant that has executed the Participant Agreement. An order to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations outside the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Trust on the Transmittal Date if: (i) such order is received by State Street (in its capacity as Transfer Agent) not later than the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date; (ii) such order is accompanied or followed by the requisite number of shares of the Fund specified in such order, which delivery must be made through DTC to State Street no later than instructed, which is typically one day after Transmittal Date (presuming T+2 settlement); and (iii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. After the Trust has deemed an order for redemption outside the Clearing Process received, the Trust will initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Fund Securities which are expected to be delivered within two Business Days and the Cash Redemption Amount to the Authorized Participant on behalf of the redeeming Beneficial Owner by the Settlement Date. In certain cases Authorized Participants will redeem and create Creation Unit Aggregations of the same Fund on the same trade date. In these instances, the Trust reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis.

If the requisite number of shares of the Fund is not delivered as described above or an Additional Cash Deposit is not made, as applicable, in the sole discretion of the Trust or Advisers, in no event will an Authorized Participant receive or be entitled to interest or other consideration associated with or in relation to the Additional Cash Deposit, the Fund may reject or revoke acceptance of the redemption request because the Authorized Participant has not satisfied all of the settlement requirements.

The current procedures for collateralization of missing shares require, among other things, that any Additional Cash Deposit shall be in the form of U.S. dollars in immediately available funds and shall be held by State Street and marked-to-market daily, and that the fees of State Street and any sub-custodians in respect of the delivery, maintenance and redelivery of the Additional Cash Deposit shall be payable by the Authorized Participant. The Authorized Participant’s agreement will permit the Trust, on behalf of the affected Fund, to purchase the missing shares or acquire the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component underlying such shares at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such shares, Deposit Securities or Cash Component and the value of the collateral.

The calculation of the value of the Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered upon redemption will be made by State Street according to the procedures set forth under “Determination of NAV” computed on the Business Day on which a redemption order is deemed received by the Trust.

The Fund or the Advisers may also, in their sole discretion, upon request of an Authorized Participant, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.

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

Because the portfolio securities of the Fund may trade on the relevant exchange(s) on days that the Listing Exchange is closed or that are otherwise not Business Days for the Fund, stockholders may not be able to redeem their shares of the Fund, or to purchase and sell shares of the Fund on the Listing Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant foreign markets.

Cash Redemptions. The Fund may pay out the proceeds of redemptions of Creation Unit Aggregations solely in cash or through any combination of cash, securities or other instruments. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its shares based on the NAV of shares of the Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). Proceeds will be paid to the Authorized Participant redeeming shares on behalf of the redeeming investor as soon as practicable after the date of redemption. If the Authorized Participant acts as a broker for the Fund in connection with the sale of Fund Securities, the Authorized Participant will also be required to pay certain brokerage commissions, taxes, and transaction and market impact costs as discussed under the heading “Brokerage Transactions” herein.

Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws.

 

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In-Kind Redemptions. The ability of the Trust to effect in-kind creations and redemptions is subject, among other things, to the condition that, within the time period from the date of the order to the date of delivery of the securities, there are no days that are holidays in the applicable foreign market. For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable foreign market that are not holidays observed in the U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle may be extended by the number of such intervening holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in a foreign market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering securities within the normal settlement period. The Fund will not suspend or postpone redemption beyond seven days, except as permitted under Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act or the Trust’s exemptive relief. Section 22(e) provides that the right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (1) for any period during which the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the NYSE is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the shares of the Fund’s portfolio securities or determination of its NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.

REGULAR HOLIDAYS AND OTHER SETTLEMENT MATTERS

The Fund generally intends to effect deliveries of Creation Unit Aggregations and portfolio securities on a basis of T+2. The Fund may effect deliveries of Creation Unit Aggregations and portfolio securities on a basis other than T+2 in order to accommodate local holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of security delivery practices and/or dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates, or under certain other circumstances. The ability of the Trust to effect creations and redemptions within two Business Days of receipt of an order in good form is subject, among other things, to the condition that, within the time period from the date of the order to the date of delivery of the redemption proceeds, there are no days that are holidays in the applicable foreign market. For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable foreign market that are not holidays observed in the U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle will be extended by the number of such intervening holidays. New or special holidays, treatment by market participants of certain days as “informal holidays” (e.g., days on which no or limited securities transactions occur, as a result of substantially shortened trading hours), the elimination of existing holidays or changes in local securities delivery practices (including lengthening settlement cycles, which may also occur in connection with a security sale and its settlement, with limitations or delays in the settlement itself and/or the convertibility or repatriation of the local proceeds associated therewith), could impede the Fund’s ability to satisfy redemption requests in a timely manner. In addition, other unforeseeable closings or changes in a foreign market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering redemption proceeds within the normal settlement period or in a timely manner.

The securities delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring portfolio securities to redeeming investors, coupled with foreign market holiday schedules, will require a delivery process longer than seven calendar days for some funds, in certain circumstances. In such cases, the Fund will deliver portfolio securities to redeeming investors as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 days after the acceptance of the redemption order. The holidays applicable to the Fund during such periods are listed below, as are instances where more than seven days will be needed to deliver redemption proceeds. Although certain holidays may occur on different dates in subsequent years, the number of days required to deliver redemption proceeds in any given year is not expected to exceed the maximum number of days listed below for the Fund. The proclamation of new holidays, the treatment by market participants of certain days as “informal holidays” (e.g., days on which no or limited securities transactions occur, as a result of substantially shortened trading hours), the elimination of existing holidays, or changes in local securities delivery practices could affect the accuracy of information set forth herein.

Redemptions. The longest redemption cycle for the Fund is a function of the longest redemption cycle among the countries whose securities comprise the Fund. In calendar year 2020, the dates of regular holidays affecting the following securities markets present the worst-case redemption cycles* for the Fund as follows:

 

2020

Country

   Trade
Date
   Settlement
Date
   Number of
Days to Settle

Australia

   12/21/20    12/29/20    8
   12/22/20    12/30/20    8
   12/23/20    01/04/21    12

Bangladesh

   05/18/20    05/26/20    8

 

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   05/19/20    05/27/20    8
   05/20/20    05/28/20    8

China

   01/21/20    01/31/20    10
   01/22/20    02/03/20    12
   01/23/20    02/04/20    12
   04/28/20    05/06/20    8
   04/29/20    05/07/20    8
   04/30/20    05/08/20    8
   09/28/20    10/09/20    11
   09/29/20    10/12/20    13
   09/30/20    10/13/20    13

China Connect – Stock Connect

   01/23/20    01/31/20    8
   04/28/20    05/06/20    8
   09/30/20    10/09/20    9

Eswatini

   04/03/20    04/14/20    11
   04/06/20    04/15/20    9
   04/07/20    04/16/20    9
   04/08/20    04/17/20    9
   04/09/20    04/21/20    12
   04/14/20    04/22/20    8
   04/15/20    04/23/20    8
   04/16/20    04/24/20    8
   04/17/20    04/27/20    10
   04/24/20    05/04/20    10
   04/27/20    05/05/20    8
   04/28/20    05/06/20    8
   04/29/20    05/07/20    8
   04/30/20    05/08/20    8
   05/14/20    05/22/20    8
   05/15/20    05/25/20    10
   05/18/20    05/26/20    8
   05/19/20    05/27/20    8
   05/20/20    05/28/20    8
   07/15/20    07/23/20    8
   07/16/20    07/24/20    8
   07/17/20    07/27/20    10
   07/20/20    07/28/20    8
   07/21/20    07/29/20    8
   08/31/20    09/08/20    8
   09/01/20    09/09/20    8
   09/02/20    09/10/20    8
   09/03/20    09/11/20    8
   09/04/20    09/14/20    10
   12/18/20    12/29/20    11
   12/21/20    12/30/20    9
   12/22/20    12/31/20    9
   12/23/20    01/04/20    12
   12/24/20    01/05/21    12

Ghana

   07/28/20    08/05/20    8
   07/29/20    08/06/20    8

 

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Indonesia

   05/19/20    05/28/20    9
   05/20/20    05/29/20    9

Ireland

   12/22/20    12/30/20    8
   12/23/20    01/04/21    12

Israel

   04/06/20    04/16/20    10
   04/07/20    04/19/20    12
   09/30/20    10/11/20    11
   10/01/20    10/12/20    11

Kuwait

   05/19/20    05/27/20    8
   05/20/20    05/28/20    8
   05/21/20    05/31/20    10
   07/27/20    08/04/20    8
   07/28/20    08/05/20    8
   07/29/20    08/06/20    8

Malawi

   01/08/20    01/16/20    8
   01/09/20    01/17/20    8
   01/10/20    01/20/20    10
   01/13/20    01/21/20    8
   01/14/20    01/22/20    8
   02/25/20    03/04/20    8
   02/26/20    03/05/20    8
   02/27/20    03/06/20    8
   02/28/20    03/09/20    10
   03/02/20    03/10/20    8
   04/03/20    04/14/20    11
   04/06/20    04/15/20    9
   04/07/20    04/16/20    9
   04/08/20    04/17/20    9
   04/09/20    04/20/20    11
   04/24/20    05/04/20    10
   04/27/20    05/05/20    8
   04/28/20    05/06/20    8
   04/29/20    05/07/20    8
   04/30/20    05/08/20    8
   05/07/20    05/15/20    8
   05/08/20    05/18/20    10
   05/11/20    05/19/20    8
   05/12/20    05/20/20    8
   05/13/20    05/21/20    8
   05/18/20    05/26/20    8
   05/19/20    05/27/20    8
   05/20/20    05/28/20    8
   05/21/20    05/29/20    8
   05/22/20    06/01/20    10
   06/29/20    07/07/20    8
   06/30/20    07/08/20    8
   07/01/20    07/09/20    8
   07/02/20    07/10/20    8
   07/03/20    07/13/20    10
   10/08/20    10/16/20    8
   10/09/20    10/19/20    10
   10/12/20    10/20/20    8
   10/13/20    10/21/20    8
   10/14/20    10/22/20    8

 

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   12/18/20    12/28/20    10
   12/21/20    12/29/20    8
   12/22/20    12/30/20    8
   12/23/20    12/31/20    8
   12/24/20    01/04/21    11

Namibia

   04/03/20    04/14/20    11
   04/06/20    04/15/20    9
   04/07/20    04/16/20    9
   04/08/20    04/17/20    9
   04/09/20    04/20/20    11
   04/24/20    05/05/20    11
   04/27/20    05/06/20    9
   04/28/20    05/07/20    9
   04/29/20    05/08/20    9
   04/30/20    05/11/20    11
   05/14/20    05/22/20    8
   05/15/20    05/26/20    11
   05/18/20    05/27/20    9
   05/19/20    05/28/20    9
   05/20/20    05/29/20    9
   05/22/20    06/01/20    10
   08/19/20    08/27/20    8
   08/20/20    08/28/20    8
   08/21/20    08/31/20    10
   08/24/20    09/01/20    8
   08/25/20    09/02/20    8
   12/03/20    12/11/20    10
   12/04/20    12/14/20    8
   12/07/20    12/15/20    8
   12/08/20    12/16/20    8
   12/09/20    12/17/20    10
   12/18/20    12/28/20    8
   12/21/20    12/29/20    8
   12/22/20    12/30/20    8
   12/23/20    12/31/20    11
   12/24/20    01/04/21    8

Norway

   04/06/20    04/14/20    8
   04/07/20    04/15/20    8

Pakistan

   05/20/20    05/28/20    8
   05/21/20    05/29/20    8

Qatar

   05/19/20    05/27/20    8
   05/20/20    05/28/20    8
   05/21/20    05/31/20    10

Russia

   04/28/20    05/06/20    8
   04/29/20    05/07/20    8
   04/30/20    05/08/20    8

Saudi Arabia

   05/20/20    05/31/20    11
   05/21/20    06/01/20    11
   07/28/20    08/06/20    9
   07/29/20    08/09/20    11

 

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Sri Lanka

   04/06/20    04/15/20    9
   04/08/20    04/16/20    8
   04/09/20    04/17/20    8

Taiwan

   01/21/20    01/30/20    9
   01/22/20    01/31/20    9

Tanzania

   04/06/20    04/14/20    8

Vietnam

   01/21/20    01/30/20    9
   01/22/20    01/31/20    9

 

*

These worst-case redemption cycles are based on information regarding regular holidays, which may be out of date. Based on changes in holidays, longer (worse) redemption cycles are possible.

TAXES

The following discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of investing in the Fund is based on the Code, U.S. Treasury regulations thereunder, and other applicable authority, all as in effect as of the date of the filing of this SAI. These authorities are subject to change by legislative or administrative action, possibly with retroactive effect. The following discussion is only a summary of some of the important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Fund. There may be other tax considerations applicable to particular shareholders. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding their particular situation and the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.

Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company. The Fund intends to elect to be treated, and intends to qualify each year, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded RICs and their shareholders, the Fund must, among other things:

(a) derive at least 90% of its gross income each year from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and (ii) net income derived from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as defined below);

(b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of its taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s total assets consists of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with investments in such other securities limited with respect to any one issuer to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is invested, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more or more voting stock interest, in (1) the securities (other than those of the U.S. government or other RICs) of any one issuer or two or more issuers that are controlled by the Fund and that are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses or (2) the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships; and

(c) distribute with respect to each taxable year an amount equal to or greater than the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code without regard to the deduction for dividends paid – generally taxable ordinary income and the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income.

In general, for purposes of the 90% qualifying income test described in (a) above, income derived from a partnership will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by the Fund. However, 100% of the net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” (generally, a partnership (i) interests in which are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, and (ii) that generally derives less than 90% of its income from the qualifying income described in clause (a)(i) of the description of the 90% qualifying income test applicable to RICs, above ) will be treated as qualifying income.

In 2006, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) issued a revenue ruling which concludes that income derived from certain commodity-linked swaps is not qualifying income under Subchapter M of the Code. In a subsequent revenue ruling, the IRS provided that income from certain alternative investments that create commodity exposure, such as certain commodity index-linked or structured notes, may be considered qualifying income under Subchapter M of the Code. The Fund, however, will invest directly in certain commodity-linked notes only to the extent it obtains an opinion of counsel confirming that income from such investments should be qualifying income.

 

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In addition, a RIC may gain exposure to commodities through investment in a qualified publicly traded partnership, such as an ETF that is classified as a partnership or trust and which invests in commodities, or through investment in a wholly-owned subsidiary that is treated as a controlled foreign corporation (“CFC”) for federal income tax purposes, such as a WisdomTree Subsidiary. The Fund’s investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax requirements of the Code. The “Subpart F” income (defined in Section 951 of the Code to include passive income, including from commodity-linked derivatives) of the Fund attributable to its investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary is “qualifying income” to the Fund to the extent that such income is derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities or currencies. The Fund expects its “Subpart F” income attributable to its investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary to be derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities or currencies and to be treated as “qualifying income”. Nonetheless, the extent to which the Fund invests in commodities or commodity-linked derivatives directly or through its WisdomTree Subsidiary may be limited by the 90% Test, which the Fund must continue to satisfy to maintain its status as a RIC. As such, the Fund might cease to qualify as RICs or could be required to reduce its exposure to such investments which may result in difficulty in implementing the Fund’s respective investment strategies.

Taxation of the Fund. If the Fund qualifies for treatment as a RIC, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on income and gains that are distributed in a timely manner to its shareholders in the form of dividends.

If, for any taxable year, the Fund was to fail to qualify as a RIC or was to fail to meet the distribution requirement described above, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income. In addition, the Fund’s distributions, to the extent derived from the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, including any distributions of net long-term capital gains, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary dividend income for federal income tax purposes. However, such dividends would be eligible, subject to any generally applicable limitations, (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. Moreover, the Fund would be required to pay out its earnings and profits accumulated in that year in order to qualify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent year. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may be able to cure a failure to qualify as a RIC, but in order to do so the Fund may incur significant Fund-level taxes and may be forced to dispose of certain assets. If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, the Fund would generally be required to recognize any net built-in gains with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year.

The Fund intends to distribute at least annually to its shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction) and its net capital gain (the excess of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain over its net short-term capital loss). Investment income that is retained by the Fund will generally be subject to tax at the regular 21% corporate rate. If the Fund retains any net capital gain, that gain will be subject to tax at the corporate rate, but the Fund may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who (i) will be required to include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their shares of such undistributed amount, (ii) will be deemed to have paid their proportionate shares of the tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities, if any, and (iii) will be entitled to claim refunds on a properly filed U.S. tax returns to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of that Fund will be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder’s gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder.

If the Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for such year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 of such year, plus any retained amount from the prior year, the Fund will be subject to a non-deductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amount. For these purposes, the Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to corporate income tax for the taxable year ending within the calendar year. The Fund intends to declare and pay dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.

The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. A “qualified late year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, and certain other late-year losses.

The treatment of capital loss carryovers for the Fund is similar to the rules that apply to capital loss carryovers of individuals, which provide that such losses are carried over indefinitely. If the Fund has a “net capital loss” (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains), the excess of the Fund’s net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss

 

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arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund’s net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if the Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.

Fund Distributions. Distributions are generally taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. Moreover, distributions on the Fund’s shares are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they do not exceed the Fund’s realized income and gains, even though such distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder’s investment. Investors may therefore wish to avoid purchasing shares at a time when the Fund’s NAV reflects gains that are either unrealized, or realized but not distributed. Realized income and gains must generally be distributed even when the Fund’s NAV also reflects unrealized losses.

Dividends and other distributions by the Fund are generally treated under the Code as received by the shareholders at the time the dividend or distribution is made. However, if any dividend or distribution is declared by the Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to its shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month but is actually paid during the following January, such dividend or distribution will be deemed to have been received by each shareholder on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.

Distributions by the Fund of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund owned the assets that generated those gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Fund shares. Sales of assets held by the Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by the Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions from the Fund’s net capital gain that are properly reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains. For individuals, long-term capital gains are subject to tax at reduced maximum tax rates. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income.

For non-corporate shareholders, distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from “qualified dividend income” will be taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and Fund level. In order for some portion of the dividends received by the Fund shareholder to be “qualified dividend income,” the Fund making the distribution must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund’s shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level) (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date that is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before the ex-dividend date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment income for purposes of the limitation on deductibility of investment interest, or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation that is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company.

In general, distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual, provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the Fund’s shares. If the aggregate qualified dividend income received by the Fund during any taxable year represents 95% or more of its gross income (excluding net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), then 100% of the Fund’s dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends) will be eligible to be reported as qualified dividend income. The Fund’s investment strategies may limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. To the extent that the Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders.

Since the Fund’s income is derived primarily from sources that do not pay dividends or from non-U.S. sources, it is not expected that a substantial portion of dividends paid by the Fund will qualify either for the dividends-received deduction for corporations or for any favorable U.S. federal income tax rate available to non-corporate shareholders on “qualified dividend income.”

To the extent that the Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders.

 

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Dividends and distributions from the Fund and capital gain on the sale of Fund shares are generally taken into account in determining a shareholder’s “net investment income” for purposes of the Medicare contribution tax applicable to certain individuals, estates and trusts.

If the Fund makes distributions in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution to each shareholder will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholder’s tax basis in its shares, and will reduce the shareholder’s tax basis in its shares. After the shareholder’s basis has been reduced to zero, any such distributions will result in a capital gain, assuming the shareholder holds his or her shares as capital assets. A reduction in a shareholder’s tax basis in its shares, will reduce any loss or increase any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares.

Sale or Exchange of Shares. A sale or exchange of shares in the Fund may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if substantially identical shares of the Fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

Backup Withholding. The Fund (or financial intermediaries, such as brokers, through which a shareholder holds Fund shares) generally is required to withhold and to remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding. The backup withholding tax rate is 24%. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS.

Federal Tax Treatment of Certain Fund Investments. Transactions of the Fund in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, swap agreements, straddles and foreign currencies may be subject to various special and complex tax rules, including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules. These rules could affect the Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC, affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to the Fund, or defer the Fund’s ability to recognize losses. These rules may in turn affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to shareholders by the Fund.

The Fund is required, for federal income tax purposes, to mark to market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses as of the end of such year on certain regulated futures contracts, foreign currency contracts and options under Code Section 1256 (“Section 1256 Contract”) in addition to the gains and losses actually realized with respect to such contracts during the year. Except as described below under “Certain Foreign Currency Tax Issues,” gain or loss from Section 1256 Contracts that are required to be marked to market annually will generally be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders. To the extent the Fund invests in Section 1256 Contracts in its WisdomTree Subsidiary, the 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss character of such investments will not pass through to the Fund and accordingly will not pass through to shareholders of the Fund.

If the Fund holds shares in a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”), it may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the Fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the Fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains.

The Fund may be eligible to treat a PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” (or “QEF”) under the Code in which case, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, such Fund will be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the qualified electing fund, even if not distributed to the Fund, and such amounts will be subject to the 90% and excise tax distribution requirements described above. In order to make this election, the Fund would be required to obtain certain annual information from the PFICs in which it invests, which may be difficult or impossible to obtain. Alternatively, the Fund may make a mark-to-market election that will result in such Fund being treated as if it had sold and repurchased its PFIC stock at the end of each year. In such case, the Fund would report any gains resulting from such deemed sales as ordinary income and would deduct any losses resulting from such deemed sales as ordinary losses to the extent of previously recognized gains. The election must be made separately for each PFIC owned by the Fund and, once made, is effective for all subsequent taxable years, unless revoked with the consent of the IRS. By making the election, the Fund could potentially ameliorate the adverse tax consequences with respect to its ownership of shares in a PFIC, but in any particular year may be required to recognize income in excess of the distributions it receives from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock. The Fund may have to distribute this excess income to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement and to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax. In order to distribute this income and avoid a tax at the Fund level, the Fund might be required to liquidate portfolio securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold, potentially resulting in additional taxable gain or loss. Amounts included in income each year by the Fund arising from a QEF election will be “qualifying income” under the 90% income test (as described above) even if not distributed to the Fund, if the Fund derives such income from its business of investing in stock, securities or currencies.

 

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Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Under current law, income of a RIC that would be treated as unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) if earned directly by a tax-exempt entity generally will not be attributed as UBTI to a tax-exempt entity that is a shareholder in the RIC. Notwithstanding this “blocking” effect, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in the Fund if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b) or if the Fund invests in REITs that hold residual interests in REMICs. Tax-exempt entities are not permitted to offset losses from one trade or business against the income or gain of another trade or business. Certain net losses incurred prior to January 1, 2018 are permitted to offset gain and income created by an unrelated trade or business, if otherwise available.

The Fund’s shares held in a tax-qualified retirement account will generally not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distributions from the Fund until a shareholder begins receiving payments from their retirement account. Because each shareholder’s tax situation is different, shareholders should consult their tax advisor about the tax implications of an investment in the Funds.

Non-U.S. Shareholders. In general, dividends, other than Capital Gain Dividends, paid by the Fund to a shareholder that is not a “U.S. person” within the meaning of the Code are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest related dividend” or a “short term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax.

A beneficial holder of shares who is a non-U.S. person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a U.S. income tax deduction for losses) realized on a sale of shares of the Fund or on Capital Gain Dividends unless (i) such gain or dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States or (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or the receipt of the Capital Gain Dividend and certain other conditions are met.

Under legislation generally known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Fund is required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends it pays to shareholders that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements. In general, no such withholding will be required with respect to a U.S. person or non-U.S. person that timely provides the certifications required by the Fund or its agent on a valid IRS Form W-9 or applicable IRS Form W-8, respectively. Shareholders potentially subject to withholding include foreign financial institutions (“FFIs”), such as non-U.S. investment funds, and non-financial foreign entities (“NFFEs”). To avoid withholding under FATCA, an FFI generally must enter into an information sharing agreement with the IRS in which it agrees to report certain identifying information (including name, address, and taxpayer identification number) with respect to its U.S. account holders (which, in the case of an entity shareholder, may include its direct and indirect U.S. owners), and an NFFE generally must identify and provide other required information to the Fund or other withholding agent regarding its U.S. owners, if any. Such non-U.S. shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by regulations and other guidance. A non-U.S. shareholder resident or doing business in a country that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.

In order for a non-U.S. investor to qualify for an exemption from backup withholding, described above, the non-U.S. investor must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Non-U.S. investors in the Fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard.

A beneficial holder of shares who is a non-U.S. person may be subject to state and local tax and to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the federal income tax consequences referred to above. If a shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any income or gain effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the shareholder in the United States.

Creation and Redemption of Creation Units. An Authorized Participant having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes that exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and any cash received by the Authorized Participant in the exchange and (ii) the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities or non-U.S. currency surrendered and any cash paid for such Creation Units. All or a portion of any gain or loss recognized by an Authorized Participant exchanging a currency other than its functional currency for Creation Units may be treated as ordinary income or loss. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and

 

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the sum of the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of any securities or non-U.S. currency received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss that is realized by an Authorized Participant upon an exchange of securities or non-U.S. currency for Creation Units may not be currently deducted, under the rules governing “wash sales,” (for an Authorized Participant that does not mark-to-market its holdings), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. All or some portion of any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units in exchange for securities will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year.

Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses.

A person subject to U.S. federal income tax with the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes who receives non-U.S. currency upon a redemption of Creation Units and does not immediately convert the non-U.S. currency into U.S. dollars may, upon a later conversion of the non-U.S. currency into U.S. dollars, or upon the use of the non-U.S. currency to pay expenses or acquire assets, recognize as ordinary gains or losses any gains or losses resulting from fluctuations in the value of the non-U.S. currency relative to the U.S. dollar since the date of the redemption.

Persons exchanging securities or non-U.S. currency for Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction and whether the wash sales rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

Section 351. The Trust on behalf of the Fund has the right to reject an order for a purchase of shares of the Fund if the purchaser (or any group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, that Fund would have a basis in the securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.

Certain Reporting Regulations. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, generally, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Significant penalties may be imposed for the failure to comply with the reporting regulations. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Cost Basis Reporting. The cost basis of shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.

Tax Implications of Investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary. The Fund intends to invest up to 25% of its assets in its WisdomTree Subsidiary, which is intended to provide the Fund with exposure to the commodity and currency markets within the limitations of the federal tax requirement under Subchapter M of the Code.

The WisdomTree Subsidiary is expected to be classified as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A foreign corporation, such as the WisdomTree Subsidiary, will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation unless it is deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. It is expected that the WisdomTree Subsidiary will conduct its activities in a manner so as to meet the requirements of a safe harbor under Section 864(b)(2) of the Code (the “Safe Harbor”) pursuant to which the WisdomTree Subsidiary, provided it is not a dealer in stocks, securities or commodities, may engage in the following activities without being deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business: (1) trading in stocks or securities (including contracts or options to buy or sell securities) for its own account; and (2) trading, for its own account, in commodities that are “of a kind customarily dealt in on an organized commodity exchange” if the transaction is of a kind customarily consummated at such place. Thus, the WisdomTree Subsidiary’s securities and commodities trading activities are not expected to constitute a U.S. trade or business. However, if certain of the WisdomTree Subsidiary’s activities were determined not to be of the type described in the Safe Harbor or if the WisdomTree Subsidiary’s gains were attributable to investments in securities that constitute U.S. real property interests (which is not expected), then the activities of the WisdomTree Subsidiary may constitute a U.S. trade or business, or be taxed as such.

 

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In general, a foreign corporation that does not conduct a U.S. trade or business is nonetheless subject to tax at a flat rate of 30 percent, generally payable through withholding, on the gross amount of certain U.S.-source income that is not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. Income subject to such a flat tax includes dividends and certain interest income from U.S. sources.

A U.S. person who owns (directly, indirectly or constructively) 10 percent or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock or 10 percent or more of the total value of shares of all classes of stock of a foreign corporation is a “U.S. Shareholder” for purposes of the CFC provisions of the Code.

The Fund intends to wholly own the WisdomTree Subsidiary. Because the Fund is a U.S. person that will own all of the stock of the WisdomTree Subsidiary, the Fund will be a “U.S. Shareholder” and the WisdomTree Subsidiary is expected to be a CFC. As a “U.S. Shareholder,” the Fund will be required to include in its gross income for United States federal income tax purposes its WisdomTree Subsidiary’s “subpart F income” (described below), whether or not such income is distributed by the WisdomTree Subsidiary. It is expected that all of the WisdomTree Subsidiary’s income will be “subpart F income.” The Fund’s recognition of its WisdomTree Subsidiary’s “subpart F income” will increase the Fund’s tax basis in its WisdomTree Subsidiary. Distributions by the WisdomTree Subsidiary to the Fund will be tax-free, to the extent of its previously undistributed “subpart F income,” and will correspondingly reduce the Fund’s tax basis in the WisdomTree Subsidiary. “Subpart F income” is generally treated as ordinary income, regardless of the character of the WisdomTree Subsidiary’s underlying income.

In general, each “U.S. Shareholder” is required to file IRS Form 5471 with its U.S. federal income tax (or information) returns providing information about its ownership of the CFC. In addition, a “U.S. Shareholder” may in certain circumstances be required to report a disposition of shares in the WisdomTree Subsidiary by attaching IRS Form 5471 to its U.S. federal income tax (or information) return that it would normally file for the taxable year in which the disposition occurs. Please refer to the section of this SAI entitled “Taxes – Foreign Investments” for a more detailed explanation of the CFC reporting rules.

General Considerations. The federal income tax discussion set forth above is for general information only. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the specific federal income tax consequences of purchasing, holding and disposing of shares of the Fund, as well as the effect of state, local and foreign tax law and any proposed tax law changes.

DETERMINATION OF NAV

The NAV of the Fund’s shares is calculated each day the Fund is open for business as of the regularly scheduled close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (the “NAV Calculation Time”). NAV per share is calculated by dividing the Fund’s net assets by the number of Fund shares outstanding.

In calculating the Fund’s NAV, Fund investments generally are valued using market valuations. The Fund generally values: (i) equity securities (including preferred stock) traded on any recognized U.S. or non-U.S. exchange at the last sale price or official closing price on the exchange or system on which they are principally traded; (ii) unlisted equity securities (including preferred stock) at the last quoted sale price or, if no sale price is available, at the mean between the highest bid and lowest ask price; and (iii) short-term debt securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less at current market quotations or mean prices obtained from broker-dealers or independent pricing service providers. The values of any assets or liabilities of the Fund that are denominated in a currency other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars using an exchange rate deemed appropriate by the Fund. In addition, the Fund may invest in money market funds which are valued at their NAV per share and affiliated ETFs which are valued at their last sale or official closing price on the exchange on which they are principally traded.

In certain instances, such as when reliable market valuations are not readily available or are not deemed to reflect current market values, the Fund’s investments will be valued in accordance with the Fund’s pricing policy and procedures. Securities that may be valued using “fair value” pricing may include, but are not limited to, securities for which there are no current market quotations or whose issuer is in default or bankruptcy, securities subject to corporate actions (such as mergers or reorganizations), securities subject to non-U.S. investment limits or currency controls, and securities affected by “significant events.” An example of a significant event is an event occurring after the close of the market in which a security trades but before the Fund’s next NAV Calculation Time that may materially affect the value of the Fund’s investment (e.g., government action, natural disaster, or significant market fluctuation). Price movements in U.S. markets that are deemed to affect the value of foreign securities, or reflect changes to the value of such securities, also may cause securities to be “fair valued.”

The sale price the Fund could receive for a security or other asset may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the security or other asset, particularly for securities or other assets that trade in low volume or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value methodology. When fair value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by the Fund to calculate its NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities. In addition, particularly for the Fund holding foreign securities or assets, the value of the securities or other assets in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days or during time periods when shareholders will not be able to

 

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purchase or sell the Fund’s shares. As a result, the price received upon the sale of an investment may be less than the value ascribed by the Fund, and the Fund could realize a greater than expected loss or lesser than expected gain upon the sale of the investment. The Fund’s ability to value its investment may also be impacted by technological issues, pricing methodology issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers. Fund shares are purchased or sold on a national securities exchange at market prices, which may be higher or lower than NAV. No secondary sales will be made to brokers or dealers at a concession by the Distributor or by the Fund. Purchases and sales of shares in the secondary market, which will not involve the Fund, will be subject to customary brokerage commissions and charges. Transactions in Fund shares will be priced at NAV only if you purchase or redeem shares directly from the Fund in Creation Units.

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

The Fund intends to pay out dividends, if any, on [a quarterly] basis.

The Fund intends to distribute its net realized capital gains, if any, to investors annually. The Fund may occasionally be required to make supplemental distributions at some other time during the year. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole shares only if the broker through whom you purchased shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.

The Trust reserves the right to declare special distributions if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of the Fund as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Financial Statements and Annual Reports will be available after the Fund has completed a fiscal year of operations. When available, you may request a copy of the Trust’s Annual Report at no charge by calling 866-909-9473 or through the Trust’s website at www.wisdomtree.com.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

Counsel. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, with offices located at 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. [_____], with offices located at [_____], serves as the independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust.

WIS-SAI-[____]-[____]

 

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PART C. Other Information

Item 28. Exhibits

 

(a)(1)   Trust Instrument of WisdomTree Trust (the “Trust” or the “Registrant”) dated December  15, 2005 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)  of the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 13, 2006.
          (2)   Schedule A, as last revised March 13, 2020, to the Trust Instrument dated December  15, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(2) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 732 filing, as filed with the SEC on March 13, 2020.
          (3)   Revised Schedule A, reflecting the addition of WisdomTree Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund to the Trust Instrument dated December 15, 2005, to be filed by amendment.
          (4)   Certificate of Trust, as filed with the State of Delaware on December  15, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(2) of the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on March 13, 2006.
(b)   Registrant’s By-Laws, as amended June  16, 2016, are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (b) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 563 filing, as filed with the SEC on July 28, 2016.
(c)   Portions of the Registrant’s Trust Instrument and By-Laws defining the rights of holders of shares of the Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Article II, Sections 2, 3 and 8, and Articles III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX and X of the Registrant’s Trust Instrument dated December 15, 2005, filed as Exhibit (a)(1) to the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on March  13, 2006; and to Articles I, V, and VI of the Registrant’s By-Laws, filed as Exhibit (b)  to the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with SEC on March 13, 2006.
(d)(1)   Investment Advisory Agreement dated November  20, 2012 between the Registrant and WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(1) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 filing, as filed with the SEC on December  28, 2012.
          (2)   Schedule A, dated January 31, 2013, as updated March 13, 2020 (effective March  16, 2020), to the Investment Advisory Agreement dated November  20, 2012 between the Registrant and WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(2) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 732 filing, as filed with the SEC on March  13, 2020.
          (3)   Investment Advisory Agreement dated March  26, 2013 between the Registrant and WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(3) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 198 filing, as filed with the SEC on July  29, 2013.
          (4)   Schedule A, as last amended March 13, 2020 (effective March  16, 2020), to the Investment Advisory Agreement dated March  26, 2013 between the Registrant and WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(4) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 732 filing, as filed with the SEC on March  13, 2020.
          (5)   Revised Schedule A to the Investment Advisory Agreement dated March 26, 2013 between the Registrant and WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., reflecting the addition of WisdomTree Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund, to be filed by amendment.
          (6)   Amended and Restated Sub-Advisory Agreement dated January  1, 2013 between WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. and Mellon Investments Corporation is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(6) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  144 filing, as filed with the SEC on January 11, 2013.
          (7)   Appendix A, as last amended May  29, 2020, to the Amended and Restated Sub-Advisory Agreement dated January  1, 2013 between WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. and Mellon Investments Corporation, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(6) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  738 filing, as filed with the SEC on June 1, 2020.

 

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          (8)   Sub-Advisory Agreement dated April  4, 2016 between WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. and Voya Investment Management Co., LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(10) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  541 filing, as filed with the SEC on April 14, 2016.
          (9)   Amendment dated August 15, 2017 to the Sub-Advisory Agreement dated April  4, 2017 between WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., and Voya Investment Management Co., LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(9) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  612 filing, as filed with the SEC on December 21, 2017.
        (10)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., on behalf of the WisdomTree Mortgage Plus Bond Fund, and Voya Investment Management Co., LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(10) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 696 filing, as filed with the SEC on April 18, 2019.
        (11)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., on behalf of the WisdomTree Interest Rate Hedged High Yield Bond Fund, and Voya Investment Management Co., LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(10) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 738 filing, as filed with the SEC on June 1, 2020.
        (12)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., on behalf of the WisdomTree 90/60 U.S. Balanced Fund, and Mellon Investments Corporation, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(11) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 625, as filed with the SEC on July 2, 2018.
        (13)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., on behalf of the WisdomTree Emerging Markets Multifactor Fund, and Mellon Investments Corporation is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(12) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 635 filing, as filed with the SEC on July 30, 2018.
        (14)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., on behalf of the WisdomTree International Multifactor Fund, and Mellon Investments Corporation is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(13) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 636 filing, as filed with the SEC on July 30, 2018.
        (15)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., on behalf of the WisdomTree India ex-State Owned Enterprises Fund, and Mellon Investments Corporation is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(14) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 679 filing, as filed with the SEC on February 5, 2019.
        (16)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., on behalf of the WisdomTree Modern Tech Platforms Fund, and Mellon Investments Corporation, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(16) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 704 filing, as filed with the SEC on May 17, 2019.
        (17)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., on behalf of the WisdomTree Cloud Computing Fund, and Mellon Investments Corporation, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(18) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 721 filing, as filed with the SEC on October 28, 2019.
        (18)   Appendix A, as last amended [ ], 2020, to the Amended and Restated Sub-Advisory Agreement dated January 1, 2013 between WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. and Mellon Investments Corporation, to be filed by amendment.
        (19)   Investment Advisory Agreement dated February  19, 2008 between WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. and WisdomTree India Investment Portfolio, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(7) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  14 filing, as filed with the SEC on April 4, 2008.

 

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        (20)   Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement dated November  20, 2012 between WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., on behalf of the WisdomTree India Investment Portfolio Inc., and Mellon Investments Corporation is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(10) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 filing, as filed with the SEC on December 28, 2012.
        (21)   Fee Waiver Agreement dated March  13, 2020 between the Registrant, on behalf of the WisdomTree U.S. Corporate Bond Fund (f/k/a WisdomTree Fundamental U.S. Corporate Bond Fund), WisdomTree U.S. Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund (f/k/a WisdomTree Fundamental U.S. Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund), WisdomTree U.S. High Yield Corporate Bond Fund (f/k/a WisdomTree Fundamental U.S. High Yield Corporate Bond Fund), WisdomTree U.S. Short-Term High Yield Corporate Bond Fund (f/k/a WisdomTree Fundamental U.S. Short-Term High Yield Corporate Bond Fund), WisdomTree Dynamic Currency Hedged International SmallCap Equity Fund and WisdomTree Dynamic Currency Hedged International Equity Fund, and WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(19) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 732 filing, as filed with the SEC on March 13, 2020.
        (22)   Fee Waiver Agreement dated July  26, 2019 between the Registrant, on behalf of the WisdomTree International Quality Dividend Growth Fund, WisdomTree Emerging Markets Quality Dividend Growth Fund, WisdomTree Emerging Markets ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund and WisdomTree China ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund, and WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(25) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 711 filing, as filed with the SEC on July 30, 2019.
        (23)   Fee Waiver Agreement dated December  12, 2019 between the Registrant, on behalf of the WisdomTree Yield Enhanced U.S. Aggregate Bond Fund, WisdomTree Managed Futures Strategy Fund and WisdomTree Yield Enhanced U.S Short-Term Aggregate Bond Fund and WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(25) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 725 filing, as filed with the SEC on December 19, 2019.
(e)(1)   Distribution Agreement dated May  31, 2017 between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(1) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 634 filing, as filed with the SEC on July 27, 2018.
          (2)   Exhibit A, dated March 19, 2020, to the Distribution Agreement dated May  31, 2017 between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(2) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 738 filing, as filed with the SEC on June 1, 2020.
          (3)   Form of Authorized Participant Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(2) of the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed with the SEC on March 13, 2006.
(f)   Not applicable.
(g)(1)   Master Custodian Agreement dated September  27, 2013 between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(1) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 346 filing, as filed with the SEC on March  31, 2014.
          (2)   Appendix A, as last revised August  29, 2019, to the Master Custodian Agreement, Administration Agreement and Transfer Agency Service Agreement, each dated September  27, 2013, between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(2) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 716 filing, as filed with the SEC on August  29, 2019.
          (3)   Revised Appendix A, reflecting the addition of the WisdomTree Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund to the Master Custodian Agreement dated September 27, 2013 between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, to be filed by amendment.
(h)(1)   Administration Agreement dated September  27, 2013 between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 346 filing, as filed with the SEC on March  31, 2014.

 

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          (2)   Transfer Agency and Service Agreement dated September  27, 2013 between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(3) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 346 filing, as filed with the SEC on March  31, 2014.
          (3)   Schedule A, as last revised August  29, 2019, to the Administration Agreement and Transfer Agency and Service Agreement, each dated September  27, 2013, between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(3) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 716 filing, as filed with the SEC on August  29, 2019.
          (4)   Revised Schedule A, reflecting the addition of the WisdomTree Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund to the Administration Agreement and Transfer Agency and Service Agreement, each dated September 27, 2013, between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, to be filed by amendment.
          (5)   License Agreement dated March  21, 2006 between the Registrant and WisdomTree Investments, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(3) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 filing, as filed with the SEC on September  29, 2006.
          (6)   Exhibit A, as last revised June 1, 2020, to the License Agreement dated March  21, 2006 between the Registrant and WisdomTree Investments, Inc., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 738 filing, as filed with the SEC on June 1, 2020.
          (7)   Securities Lending Authorization Agreement dated September  27, 2013 between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(8) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 346 filing, as filed with the SEC on March  31, 2014.
          (8)   Tenth Amendment dated November 3, 2016 to the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement dated September  27, 2013 between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(8) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 577 filing, as filed with the SEC on December  22, 2016.
          (9)   Twelfth Amendment and revised Schedule B dated April  27, 2017 to the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement dated September  27, 2013 between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(9) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 596 filing, as filed with the SEC on July  28, 2017.
        (10)   Thirteenth Amendment and revised Schedule B dated October  23, 2017 to the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement dated September  27, 2013 between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(10) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  616 filing, as filed with the SEC on February 20, 2018.
        (11)   Fourteenth Amendment dated December 19, 2017 to the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement dated September  27, 2013 between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(11) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  616 filing, as filed with the SEC on February 20, 2018.
        (12)   Sixteenth Amendment and revised Schedule B dated April  16, 2018 to the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement dated September  27, 2013 between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(13) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 622 filing, as filed with the SEC on May  29, 2018.
        (13)   Seventeenth Amendment and revised Schedule B dated August  1, 2018 to the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement dated September  27, 2013 between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, reflecting the addition of the WisdomTree 90/60 U.S. Balanced Fund, WisdomTree Emerging Markets Multifactor Fund, and WisdomTree International Multifactor Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(14) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 641 filing, as filed with the SEC on September 19, 2018.

 

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        (14)   Nineteenth Amendment and revised Schedule B dated June  12, 2019 to the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement dated September  27, 2013 between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(16) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 716 filing, as filed with the SEC on August  29, 2019.
        (15)   Twenty-First Amendment and revised Schedule B dated August  29, 2019 to the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement dated September  27, 2013 between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, reflecting the addition of the WisdomTree Modern Tech Platforms Fund and WisdomTree Cloud Computing Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(18) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 721 filing, as filed with the SEC on October 28, 2019.
        (16)   Amendment and revised Schedule B to the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement dated September 27, 2013 between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, reflecting the addition of the WisdomTree Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund, to be filed by amendment.
        (17)   Chief Compliance Officer Services Agreement dated October  1, 2009 between the Registrant and WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(10) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 filing, as filed with the SEC on October  15, 2009.
        (18)   Exhibit C, as last revised August 29, 2019, to the Chief Compliance Officer Services Agreement dated October  1, 2009 between the Registrant and WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(19) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 716 filing, as filed with the SEC on August  29, 2019.
        (19)   Revised Exhibit C, reflecting the addition of WisdomTree Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund to the Chief Compliance Officer Services Agreement dated October 1, 2009 between the Registrant and WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., to be filed by amendment.
        (20)   Fund Services Agreement dated June  15, 2009 between the Registrant and WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(11) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 131 filing, as filed with the SEC on September  10, 2012.
        (21)   Exhibit A, as last revised August 29, 2019, to the Fund Services Agreement dated June  15, 2009 between the Registrant and WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(22) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 716 filing, as filed with the SEC on August  29, 2019.
        (22)   Revised Exhibit A, reflecting the addition of WisdomTree Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund to the Fund Services Agreement dated June 15, 2009 between the Registrant and WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc., to be filed by amendment.
        (23)   WisdomTree Rules-Based Core Equity Methodology (formerly, the WisdomTree Rules-Based Earnings-Weighted Methodology ), dated March 2019 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(23) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 711 filing, as filed with the SEC on July 30, 2019.
        (24)   WisdomTree Rules-Based Methodology (Domestic and International Dividend Indexes), dated April 2019 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(26) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 721 filing, as filed with the SEC on October 28, 2019.
        (25)   WisdomTree Rules-Based Methodology (Global Dividend Indexes), dated November 2018 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(27) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 721 filing, as filed with the SEC on October 28, 2019.
        (26)   WisdomTree Rules-Based Methodology (India Earnings Index), dated February 2017 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(25) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 634 filing, as filed with the SEC on July 27, 2018.
        (27)   WisdomTree Rules-Based Methodology (Global ex-US Quality Dividend Growth Index), dated September 2017 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(26) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 634 filing, as filed with the SEC on July 27, 2018.

 

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        (28)   WisdomTree Rules-Based Methodology (ex-State Owned Enterprises Indexes), dated April 2019 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(31) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 721 filing, as filed with the SEC on October 28, 2019.
        (29)   WisdomTree Rules-Based Methodology (Hedged and Unhedged Equity Indexes), dated April 2019 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(32) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 721 filing, as filed with the SEC on October 28, 2019.
        (30)   WisdomTree Rules-Based Methodology (Emerging Market Dividend Indexes), dated November 2018 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(33) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 721 filing, as filed with the SEC on October 28, 2019.
        (31)   WisdomTree Index Methodology (Dynamic Hedged/Unhedged Equity Indexes: Dynamic Currency Hedged International SmallCap Equity Index, and Dynamic Currency Hedged International Equity Index, dated April 2019 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(35) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 721 filing, as filed with the SEC on October 28, 2019.
        (32)   WisdomTree Index Methodology (U.S. High Yield Corporate Bond Index Family), dated March 2020 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(31) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 738 filing, as filed with the SEC on June 1, 2020.
        (33)   WisdomTree Index Methodology (U.S. Corporate Bond Index Family: U.S. Corporate Bond Index and U.S. Short-term Corporate Bond Index) dated September 2019, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(37) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 721 filing, as filed with the SEC on October 28, 2019.
        (34)   WisdomTree Index Methodology (Managed Futures Index) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(38) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 577 filing, as filed with the SEC on December 22, 2016.
        (35)   WisdomTree Index Methodology (U.S. Multifactor Index), dated April 2019 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(39) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 721 filing, as filed with the SEC on October 28, 2019.
        (36)   WisdomTree Rules-Based Methodology (WisdomTree Modern Tech Platforms Index), dated May 2019, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(41) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 721 filing, as filed with the SEC on October 28, 2019.
(i)(1)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree CBOE S&P 500 Put Write Strategy Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(21) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  433 filing, as filed with the SEC on June 24, 2015.
          (2)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree International Hedged Equity Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(22) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  434 filing, as filed with the SEC on June 24, 2015.
          (3)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree Dynamic Currency Hedged International SmallCap Equity Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(16) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  501 filing, as filed with the SEC on January 5, 2016.
          (4)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree Dynamic Currency Hedged International Equity Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(17) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  502 filing, as filed with the SEC on January 5, 2016.
          (5)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree International Quality Dividend Growth Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(20) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  539 filing, as filed with the SEC on April 4, 2016.

 

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          (6)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree Emerging Markets ESG Fund (F/K/A Wisdom Tree Emerging Markets Dividend Fund), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(21) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 540 filing, as filed with the SEC on April 4, 2016.
          (7)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree U.S. Corporate Bond Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(22) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 541 filing, as filed with the SEC on April  14, 2016.
          (8)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree U.S. Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(23) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  542 filing, as filed with the SEC on April 14, 2016.
          (9)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree U.S. High Yield Corporate Bond Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(24) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  543 filing, as filed with the SEC on April 14, 2016.
        (10)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree U.S. Short-Term High Yield Corporate Bond Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(25) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  544 filing, as filed with the SEC on April 14, 2016.
        (11)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree International ESG Fund (f/k/a WisdomTree Dynamic Currency Hedged International Quality Dividend Growth Fund), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(30) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 571 filing, as filed with the SEC on October 28, 2016.
        (12)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree Yield Enhanced U.S. Short-Term Aggregate Bond Fund LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(31) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  587 filing, as filed with the SEC on May 11, 2017.
        (13)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree U.S. Multifactor Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(32) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 592 filing, as filed with the SEC on June  26, 2017.
        (14)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree 90/60 U.S. Balanced Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(29) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 625, as filed with the SEC on July 2, 2018.
        (15)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree Emerging Markets Multifactor Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(28) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  635 filing, as filed with the SEC on July 30, 2018.
        (16)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree International Multifactor Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(29) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  636 filing, as filed with the SEC on July 30, 2018.
        (17)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree India ex-State Owned Enterprises Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(36) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  679 filing, as filed with the SEC on February 5, 2019.
        (18)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree Mortgage Plus Bond Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(37) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 696 filing, as filed with the SEC on April  18, 2019.
        (19)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree Modern Tech Platforms Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(37) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 704 filing, as filed with the SEC on May  17, 2019.

 

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        (20)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree Cloud Computing Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(35) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 716 filing, as filed with the SEC on August  29, 2019.
        (21)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree U.S. Equity Funds and WisdomTree International Equity Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(36) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  711 filing, as filed with the SEC on July 30, 2019.
        (22)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree International Equity, Fixed Income, Alternative and Asset Allocation Funds is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(33) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No.  721 filing, as filed with the SEC on October 28, 2019.
        (23)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis  & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree Currency Income Funds, WisdomTree Fixed Income Funds and WisdomTree Alternative Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(34) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 725 filing, as filed with the SEC on December 19, 2019.
        (24)   Opinion of counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the WisdomTree Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund, to be filed by amendment.
(j)   Not applicable.
(k)   Not applicable.
(l)   Form of Letter of Representations between the Registrant and The Depository Trust Company is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (l) of the Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 filing, as filed with the SEC on June 9, 2006.
(m)   Not applicable.
(n)   Not applicable.
(o)   Not applicable.
(p)(1)   Code of Ethics of the Registrant is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(1) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 filing, as filed with the SEC on October 15, 2009.
          (2)   Code of Ethics of WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(2) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 124 filing, as filed with the SEC on July 27, 2012.
          (3)   Code of Ethics of Mellon Investments Corporation is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(3) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 634 filing, as filed with the SEC on July 27, 2018.
          (4)   Code of Ethics of Voya Investment Management Co., LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(5) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 541 filing, as filed with the SEC on April 14, 2016.
(q)(1)   Powers of Attorney dated June  13, 2017 for David Castano, David Chrencik, Joel Goldberg, Melinda Raso Kirstein, Toni Massaro, Jonathan Steinberg and Victor Ugolyn are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (q)(1) of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 596 filing, as filed with the SEC on July 28, 2017.
          (2)   Secretary’s Certificate related to certain signatory authority is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (r)  of the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 222 filing, as filed with the SEC on September 24, 2013.

 

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

As of the date of this Registration Statement, the Registrant, through the WisdomTree Managed Futures Strategy Fund, owns 100% of the WisdomTree Managed Futures Portfolio I. WisdomTree Managed Futures Portfolio I is an exempted company organized under Cayman Islands law.

As of the date of this Registration Statement, the Registrant, through the WisdomTree India Earnings Fund, owns 100% of the WisdomTree India Investment Portfolio, Inc., an exempted company organized under the laws of the Republic of Mauritius.

As of the date of this Registration Statement, the Registrant, through the WisdomTree Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund, owns 100% of the WisdomTree [                ]. WisdomTree [                 ] is an exempted company organized under Cayman Islands law.

Item 30. Indemnification

Reference is made to Article IX of the Registrant’s Trust Instrument included as Exhibit (a)(1) to this Registration Statement with respect to the indemnification of the Registrant’s trustees and officers, which is set forth below:

Section 1. Limitation of Liability.

All Persons contracting with or having any claim against the Trust or a particular Series shall look only to the assets of the Trust or Assets belonging to such Series, respectively, for payment under such contract or claim; and neither the Trustees nor any of the Trust’s officers, employees, or agents, whether past, present, or future, shall be personally liable therefor. Every written instrument or obligation on behalf of the Trust or any Series shall contain a statement to the foregoing effect, but the absence of such statement shall not operate to make any Trustee or officer of the Trust liable thereunder. Provided they have exercised reasonable care and have acted under the reasonable belief that their actions are in the best interest of the Trust, the Trustees and officers of the Trust shall not be responsible or liable for any act or omission or for neglect or wrongdoing of them or any officer, agent, employee, Investment Adviser, or independent contractor of the Trust, but nothing contained in this Trust Instrument or in the Delaware Act shall protect any Trustee or officer of the Trust against liability to the Trust or to Shareholders to which he would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.

Section 2. Indemnification.

(a) Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in subsection (b) below:

(i) every Person who is, or has been, a Trustee or an officer, employee, or agent of the Trust (“Covered Person”) shall be indemnified by the Trust or the appropriate Series (out of Assets belonging to that Series) to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him in connection with any claim, action, suit, or proceeding in which he becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his being or having been a Covered Person and against amounts paid or incurred by him in the settlement thereof; provided that the transfer agent of the Trust or any Series shall not be considered an agent for these purposes unless expressly deemed to be such by the Trustees in a resolution referring to this Article.

(ii) as used herein, the words “claim,” “action,” “suit,” or “proceeding” shall apply to all claims, actions, suits, or proceedings (civil, criminal, or other, including appeals), actual or threatened, and the words “liability” and “expenses” shall include attorney’s fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties, and other liabilities.

(b) No indemnification shall be provided hereunder to a Covered Person:

(i) who has been adjudicated by a court or body before which the proceeding was brought:

(A) to be liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office or

(B) not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his action was in the best interest of the Trust; or

 

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(ii) in the event of a settlement, unless there has been a determination that such Covered Person did not engage in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office (A) by the court or other body approving the settlement, (B) by at least a majority of those Trustees who are neither Interested Persons of the Trust nor are parties to the matter based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry), or (C) by written opinion of independent legal counsel based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry).

(c) The rights of indemnification herein provided may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust, shall be severable, shall not be exclusive of or affect any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled, and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors, and administrators of a Covered Person.

(d) To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, expenses in connection with the preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit, or proceeding of the character described in subsection (a) of this Section shall be paid by the Trust or applicable Series from time to time prior to final disposition thereof on receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person that such amount will be paid over by him to the Trust or applicable Series if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to indemnification under this Section, provided that either (i) such Covered Person has provided appropriate security for such undertaking, (ii) the Trust is insured against losses arising out of any such advance payments, or (iii) either a majority of the Trustees who are neither Interested Persons of the Trust nor parties to the matter, or independent legal counsel in a written opinion, has determined, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry) that there is reason to believe that such Covered Person will not be disqualified from indemnification under this Section.

(e) Any repeal or modification of this Article IX by the Shareholders, or adoption or modification of any other provision of this Trust Instrument or the By-laws inconsistent with this Article, shall be prospective only, to the extent that such repeal, modification, or adoption would, if applied retrospectively, adversely affect any limitation on the liability of any Covered Person or indemnification available to any Covered Person with respect to any act or omission that occurred prior to such repeal, modification, or adoption.

Reference is made to Article VI of the Registrant’s By-Laws included as Exhibit (b) to this Registration Statement with respect to the indemnification of the Registrant’s trustees and officers, which is set forth below:

Section 6.2. Limitation of Liability.

The Declaration refers to the Trustees as Trustees, but not as individuals or personally; and no Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust shall be held to any personal liability, nor shall resort be had to their private property for the satisfaction of any obligation or claim or otherwise in connection with the affairs of the Trust; provided, that nothing contained in the Declaration or the By-Laws shall protect any Trustee or officer of the Trust from any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders to which he would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.

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

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser

WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. (“WTAM”), 245 Park Avenue, 35th Floor, New York, NY 10167, a wholly-owned subsidiary of WisdomTree Investments, Inc., is a registered investment adviser and serves as investment adviser for each series of the Trust. The description of WTAM under the caption of “Management-Investment Adviser” in the Prospectus and under the caption “Management of the Trust” in the Statement of Additional Information constituting Parts A and B, respectively, of this Registration Statement are incorporated herein by reference.

 

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Each of the directors and officers of WTAM will also generally have substantial responsibilities (as noted below) as directors and/or officers of WisdomTree Investments, Inc., 245 Park Avenue, 35th Floor, New York, NY 10167. To the knowledge of the Registrant, except as set forth below or otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus or Statement of Additional Information as noted above, none of the directors or executive officers of WTAM is or has been at any time during the past two fiscal years engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature.

 

Name

  

Position with WTAM

  

Principal Business(es)

During Last Two Fiscal Years

Jonathan Steinberg    Chief Executive Officer and Director    Dual officer/director of WisdomTree Investments, Inc.
Peter Ziemba    EVP – Senior Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Administrative Officer, and Director    Dual officer of WisdomTree Investments, Inc.
Amit Muni    Chief Financial Officer, EVP of Finance, Treasurer and Director    Dual officer of WisdomTree Investments, Inc.
Marci Frankenthaler    EVP, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary    Dual officer of WisdomTree Investments, Inc.
Stuart Bell    EVP, Chief Operating Officer, and Director    EVP of WisdomTree Investments, Inc.
R. Jarrett Lilien    President    President and Chief Operating Officer of WisdomTree Investments, Inc.
Jeremy Schwartz    EVP and Global Head of Research    Dual officer of WisdomTree Investments, Inc.
Terry Feld    Chief Compliance Officer    None
Ryan Louvar    General Counsel    None

WTAM, with the approval of the Trust’s Board of Trustees, selects the sub-adviser for each of the Trust’s series, as applicable. Voya Investment Management Co., LLC serves as sub-adviser for the WisdomTree U.S. Corporate Bond Fund, WisdomTree U.S. Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund, WisdomTree U.S. High Yield Corporate Bond Fund, WisdomTree U.S. Short-Term High Yield Corporate Bond Fund, WisdomTree Yield Enhanced U.S. Short-Term Aggregate Bond Fund, WisdomTree Emerging Markets Corporate Bond Fund, WisdomTree Mortgage Plus Bond Fund and WisdomTree Interest Rate Hedged High Yield Bond Fund. Mellon Investments Corporation serves as sub-adviser for each other series of the Trust. To the knowledge of the Registrant, except as set forth below, none of the directors or executive officers of the sub-advisers is or has been at any time during the past two fiscal years engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature.

 

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Mellon Investments Corporation

 

Name

  

Position Held with Mellon Investments Corporation

  

Principal Business(es)

During the Last Two Fiscal Years

Thomas Loeb    Board of Directors & Chairman Emeritus    Dual officer of The Bank of New York
Linda Lillard    Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Board of Directors    Dual officer of The Bank of New York
Jeff Zhang    Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer – Multi-Asset and Multi-Factor and Index, Board of Directors    Dual officer of The Bank of New York, employee of The Dreyfus Corporation
Gregory Brisk    Board of Directors    Head of Investment Management Governance, Mellon Investments Corporation
Alexander Over    Board of Directors, Global Head of Distribution    Dual officer of The Bank of New York
Adam Joffe    Board of Directors, Chief Business Officer    Dual officer of The Bank of New York
Michael Germano    Board of Directors, Head of Strategy    International Strategy Group, The Bank of New York
David Leduc    Board of Directors, Chief Investment Officer – Active Fixed Income    Dual officer of The Bank of New York
David Daglio    Board of Directors, Chief Investment Officer – Active Equity    Dual officer of The Bank of New York
Jamie Lewin    Board of Directors    Manager Research, The Bank of New York
Matthew Oomen    Board of Directors    IM EMEA Head of Distribution, Global Distribution Admin, The Bank of New York
Edward Ladd    Board of Directors    Director, Standish Mellon Asset Management
James Desmond Mac Intyre    President, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board of Directors    Head of Investment Process Oversight, Bridgewater Associates
Jennifer Cassedy    Chief Compliance Officer    Dual officer of The Bank of New York
John Shea    Chief Financial Officer    Finance, The Bank of New York

Voya Investment Management Co., LLC

 

Name

  

Position Held with Voya

Investment Management Co., LLC

  

Principal Business(es)

During the Last Two Fiscal Years*

Gerald Thomas Lins    Managing Director and General Counsel    Managing Director and General Counsel of VIM and VAAM.
Mark Donald Weber    Senior Managing Director    Director and Senior Managing Director of VIM; Senior Managing Director of VAAM.
Shaun Patrick Mathews    Senior Managing Director    Director and Senior Managing Director of VIM.
Christopher Francis Corapi    Chief Investment Officer of Equities and Senior Managing Director    Chief Investment Officer of Equities and Senior Managing Director of VAAM.

 

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Name

  

Position Held with Voya

Investment Management Co., LLC

  

Principal Business(es)

During the Last Two Fiscal Years*

Christine Lynn Hurtsellers    Chief Executive Officer    Chief Investment Officer of Fixed Income & Proprietary Investments and Senior Managing Director of VIM; Chief Investment Officer of Fixed Income & Proprietary Investments and Senior Managing Director of VAAM.
Michael Bruce Pytosh    Co-Head of U.S. Equity Platform and Senior Managing Director    Co-Head of U.S. Equity Platform and Senior Managing Director of VIM; Co-Head of U.S. Equity Platform and Senior Managing Director of VAAM.
Paul Zemsky    Senior Managing Director    Senior Managing Director of VIM and VAAM.
Deborah Ann Hammalian    Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer    Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of VIM and VAAM.
Amir Sahibzada    Chief Risk Officer and Managing Director    Chief Risk Officer of VIM and VAAM.
Michael Allyn Bell    Chief Financial Officer and Managing Director    Chief Financial Officer and Managing Director of VIM and VAAM.
Matthew Toms    Chief Investment Officer of Fixed Income & Proprietary Investments and Senior Managing Director    Managing Director and Head of U.S. Public Investments

 

*

Voya Investment Management LLC (“VIM”), Voya Alternative Asset Management LLC (“VAAM”).

Item 32. Foreside Fund Services, LLC

 

  (a)

Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:

1. ABS Long/Short Strategies Fund

2. Absolute Shares Trust

3. AdvisorShares Trust

4. American Century ETF Trust

5. Amplify ETF Trust

6. ARK ETF Trust

7. Bluestone Community Development Fund (f/k/a The 504 Fund)

8. Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust

9. Bridgeway Funds, Inc.

10. Brinker Capital Destinations Trust

11. Center Coast Brookfield MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund

12. Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund

13. CornerCap Group of Funds

14. Davis Fundamental ETF Trust

15. Direxion Shares ETF Trust

16. Eaton Vance NextShares Trust

17. Eaton Vance NextShares Trust II

18. EIP Investment Trust

19. Ellington Income Opportunities Fund

20. EntrepreneurShares Series Trust

21. Evanston Alternative Opportunities Fund

22. EventShares U.S. Policy Alpha ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust (f/k/a Active Weighting Funds ETF Trust)

23. Exchange Listed Funds Trust (f/k/a Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II)

24. Fiera Capital Series Trust

25. FlexShares Trust

 

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26. Forum Funds

27. Forum Funds II

28. FQF Trust

29. Friess Small Cap Growth Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

30. GraniteShares ETF Trust

31. Guinness Atkinson Funds

32. Infinity Core Alternative Fund

33. Innovator ETFs Trust

34. Innovator ETFs Trust II (f/k/a Elkhorn ETF Trust)

35. Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC

36. Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC

37. IVA Fiduciary Trust

38. John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust

39. Manor Investment Funds

40. Miller/Howard Funds Trust

41. Miller/Howard High Income Equity Fund

42. Moerus Worldwide Value Fund, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV

43. Morningstar Funds Trust

44. Pickens Morningstar® Renewable Energy Response ETF

45. OSI ETF Trust

46. Overlay Shares Core Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust

47. Overlay Shares Foreign Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust

48. Overlay Shares Large Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust

49. Overlay Shares Municipal Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust

50. Overlay Shares Small Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust

51. Pacific Global ETF Trust

52. Palmer Square Opportunistic Income Fund

53. Partners Group Private Income Opportunities, LLC

54. PENN Capital Funds Trust

55. Performance Trust Mutual Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

56. Plan Investment Fund, Inc.

57. PMC Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

58. Point Bridge GOP Stock Tracker ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

59. Quaker Investment Trust

60. Renaissance Capital Greenwich Funds

61. RMB Investors Trust (f/k/a Burnham Investors Trust)

62. Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust

63. Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust

64. Roundhill BITKRAFT Esports & Digital Entertainment ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust

65. Salient MF Trust

66. SharesPost 100 Fund

67. Six Circles Trust

68. Sound Shore Fund, Inc.

69. Steben Alternative Investment Funds

70. Strategy Shares

71. Syntax ETF Trust

72. Tactical Income ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust

73. The Chartwell Funds

74. The Community Development Fund

75. The Relative Value Fund

76. Third Avenue Trust

77. Third Avenue Variable Series Trust

78. Tidal ETF Trust

79. TIFF Investment Program

80. Timothy Plan High Dividend Stock ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan

81. Timothy Plan International ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan

82. Timothy Plan US Large Cap Core ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan

83. Timothy Plan US Small Cap Core ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan

84. Transamerica ETF Trust

 

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85. U.S. Global Investors Funds

86. Variant Alternative Income Fund

87. VictoryShares Developed Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

88. VictoryShares Dividend Accelerator ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

89. VictoryShares Emerging Market High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

90. VictoryShares Emerging Market Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

91. VictoryShares International High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

92. VictoryShares International Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

93. VictoryShares US 500 Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

94. VictoryShares US 500 Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

95. VictoryShares US Discovery Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

96. VictoryShares US EQ Income Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

97. VictoryShares US Large Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

98. VictoryShares US Multi-Factor Minimum Volatility ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

99. VictoryShares US Small Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

100. VictoryShares US Small Cap Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

101. VictoryShares USAA Core Intermediate-Term Bond ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

102. VictoryShares USAA Core Short-Term Bond ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

103. VictoryShares USAA MSCI Emerging Markets Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

104. VictoryShares USAA MSCI International Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

105. VictoryShares USAA MSCI USA Small Cap Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

106. VictoryShares USAA MSCI USA Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

107. Vivaldi Opportunities Fund

108. West Loop Realty Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust (f/k/a Chilton Realty Income & Growth Fund)

109. WisdomTree Trust

110. WST Investment Trust

111. XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Term Trust

 

  (b)

The following are the Officers and Manager of the Distributor, the Registrant’s underwriter. The Distributor’s main business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

 

Name

  

Address

  

Position with

Underwriter

  

Position with

Registrant

Richard J. Berthy    Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101    President, Treasurer and Manager    None

Mark A. Fairbanks

 

 

Jennifer K. DiValerio

  

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101

 

899 Cassatt Road, 400 Berwyn Park, Suite 110, Berwyn, PA 19312

  

Vice President

 

 

 

Vice President

  

None

 

 

None

Nanette K. Chern    Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101    Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer    None
Jennifer E. Hoopes    Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101    Secretary    None

 

  (c)

Not applicable.

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

 

  (a)

The Registrant maintains accounts, books and other documents required by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules thereunder (collectively, “Records”) at its offices at 245 Park Avenue, 35th Floor, New York, NY 10167.

 

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  (b)

WTAM maintains all Records relating to its services as investment adviser to the Registrant at 245 Park Avenue, 35th Floor, New York, New York 10167.

 

  (c)

Mellon Investments Corporation maintains all Records relating to its services as sub-adviser at 50 Fremont Street, Suite 3900, San Francisco, California 94105.

 

  (d)

Voya Investment Management Co., LLC maintains all Records relating to its services as sub-adviser at 230 Park Avenue New York, New York 10169.

 

  (e)

Foreside Fund Services, LLC maintains all Records relating to its services as Distributor of the Registrant at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

 

  (f)

State Street Bank and Trust Company maintains all Records relating to its services as administrator, transfer agent and custodian of the Registrant at 1200 Crown Colony Drive, Quincy, Massachusetts 02189.

Item 34. Management Services

Not applicable.

Item 35. Undertakings

Not applicable.

 

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 739 to Registration Statement No. 333-132380 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York, on the 16th day of June, 2020.

 

WISDOMTREE TRUST
(Registrant)
By:  

/s/ Jonathan Steinberg

Jonathan Steinberg
President (Principal Executive Officer)

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 739 to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacity and on the dates indicated.

 

Signatures

  

Title

  

Date

/s/ Jonathan Steinberg

Jonathan Steinberg

   President (Principal Executive Officer) and Trustee    June 16, 2020

/s/ David Castano*

David Castano

   Treasurer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)    June 16, 2020

/s/ David Chrencik*

David Chrencik

   Trustee    June 16, 2020

/s/ Joel Goldberg*

Joel Goldberg

   Trustee    June 16, 2020

/s/ Toni Massaro*

Toni Massaro

   Trustee    June 16, 2020

/s/ Melinda Raso Kirstein*

Melinda Raso Kirstein

   Trustee    June 16, 2020

/s/ Victor Ugolyn*

Victor Ugolyn

   Trustee    June 16, 2020

 

*By:   /s/ Ryan Louvar
  Ryan Louvar
  (Attorney-in-Fact)

 

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