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AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright ADR ETF (Prospectus Summary) | AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright ADR ETF

ADVISORSHARES DORSEY WRIGHT ADR ETF

NYSE Arca Ticker: AADR

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright ADR ETF (the “Fund”) seeks long-term capital appreciation above international benchmarks such as the BNY Mellon Classic ADR Index, the Fund’s primary benchmark, and

the MSCI EAFE Index, the Fund’s secondary benchmark.

FUND FEES AND EXPENSES

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions when buying or selling shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the table below.

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)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright ADR ETF (Prospectus Summary)
AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright ADR ETF
AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright ADR ETF
MANAGEMENT FEES 0.75%
DISTRIBUTION (12b-1) FEES none
OTHER EXPENSES 0.68%
ACQUIRED FUND FEES AND EXPENSES 0.01% [1]
TOTAL ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES 1.44%
FEE WAIVER/EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT (0.18%) [2]
TOTAL ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES AFTER FEE WAIVER/EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT 1.26%
[1] Total Annual Operating Expenses and Total Annual Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement in this fee table may not correlate to the expense ratios in the Fund's financial highlights (and the Fund's financial statements) because the financial highlights include only the Fund's direct operating expenses and do not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, which represent the Fund's pro rata share of the fees and expenses of the exchange-traded funds in which it invests.
[2] AdvisorShares Investments, LLC (the "Advisor") has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or reimburse expenses to keep net expenses (excluding amounts payable pursuant to any plan adopted in accordance with Rule 12b-1, interest expense, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding 1.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets for at least one year from the date of this Prospectus. The expense limitation agreement may be terminated without payment of any penalty (i) by the Trust for any reason and at any time and (ii) by the Advisor, for any reason, upon ninety (90) days' prior written notice to the Trust, such termination to be effective as of the close of business on the last day of the then-current one-year period.

EXAMPLE

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the shares of the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. This Example does not take into account creation or redemption transaction fees, or the brokerage commissions that you pay when purchasing or selling shares of the Fund. If these fees and commissions were included, your costs would be higher.

 

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example
1 YEAR
3 YEARS
5 YEARS
10 YEARS
AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright ADR ETF (Prospectus Summary) | AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright ADR ETF | AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright ADR ETF | USD ($) 128 438 770 1,709

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund’s shares. During the most recent fiscal year ended June 30, 2017, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 108% of the average value of its portfolio.

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Dorsey, Wright & Associates, LLC (the “Sub-Advisor”), the sub-advisor to the Fund, seeks to achieve the Fund’s investment objective by selecting primarily a portfolio of U.S.-traded securities of non-U.S. organizations, most often American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”). Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in ADRs and in securities that have economic characteristics similar to ADRs. The Fund invests in developed and emerging markets and may invest in securities of any market capitalization. The Fund also may invest in repurchase agreements.

 

The Fund’s investment focus follows the Sub-Advisor’s core philosophy of relative strength. Relative strength investing involves buying securities that have appreciated in price more than the other securities in the investment universe and holding those securities until they underperform. The strategy is entirely based on market movement of the securities and there is no company fundamental data involved in the analysis. The Sub-Advisor’s process is systematic and removes emotion from the day-to-day decision making. In implementing the strategy, the Sub-Advisor takes into account current sector and industry group allocations in order to keep the strategy diversified. There is no consideration given to the allocation between developed and emerging markets; the strategy will allocate between the two depending on global price trends. The Fund’s strategy may frequently involve buying and selling securities, which may lead to relatively high portfolio turnover.

PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND

The Fund is subject to a number of risks, as described below, that may affect the value of its shares, including the possible loss of money. As with any fund, there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

 

American Depositary Receipt Risk. ADRs have the same currency and economic risks as the underlying non-U.S. shares they represent. They are affected by the risks associated with non-U.S. securities, such as changes in political or economic conditions of other countries, changes in the exchange rates of, or exchange control regulations associated with, foreign currencies, and differing accounting, auditing, financial reporting and legal standards and practices. In addition, investments in ADRs may be less liquid than the underlying securities in their primary trading market.

 

Currency Risk. The Fund’s direct and indirect exposure to foreign currencies subjects the Fund to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. Certain of the Fund’s investments will expose the Fund’s portfolio to the risks of investing in emerging markets. Emerging markets, which consist of countries or markets with low to middle income economies as classified by the World Bank and other countries or markets with similar characteristics as determined by the Advisor, can be subject to greater social, economic, regulatory, and political uncertainties and can be extremely volatile.

 

Equity Risk. The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result from factors affecting individual issuers, industries or the stock market as a whole. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time.

 

Foreign Investment Risk. The Fund’s investments in securities of foreign issuers, including ADRs, may involve certain risks that are greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions; changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations on currency movements and exchanges); differing accounting, auditing, financial reporting and legal standards and practices; differing securities market structures; and higher transaction costs. In addition, the securities of some foreign companies may be less liquid and, at times, more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies.

 

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk exists when particular Fund investments are difficult to purchase or sell. This can reduce the Fund’s returns because the Fund may be unable to transact at advantageous times or prices.

 

Management Risk. The Sub-Advisor continuously evaluates the Fund’s holdings, purchases and sales with a view to achieving the Fund’s investment objective. However, the achievement of the stated investment objective cannot be guaranteed. The Sub-Advisor’s judgments about the markets, the economy, or companies may not anticipate actual market movements, economic conditions or company performance, and these judgments may affect the return on your investment.

 

Market Risk. Due to market conditions, the value of the Fund’s investments may fluctuate significantly from day to day. Price fluctuations may be temporary or may last for extended periods. This volatility may cause the value of your investment in the Fund to decrease. Because of its link to the markets, an investment in the Fund may be more suitable for long-term investors who can bear the risk of short-term principal fluctuations, which at times may be significant.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may experience relatively high portfolio turnover, which may result in increased transaction costs and performance that is lower than expected.

 

Repurchase Agreement Risk. The Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties with which the Fund enters into repurchase agreements, including with respect to recovering or realizing on collateral.

 

Trading Risk. Shares of the Fund may trade above or below their net asset value (“NAV”). The trading price of the Fund’s shares may deviate significantly from their NAV during periods of market volatility and, in such instances, you may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the Fund’s shares. There can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Fund’s shares will develop or be maintained. In addition, trading in shares of the Fund may be halted because of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”), make trading in shares inadvisable.

FUND PERFORMANCE

The bar chart and table that follow show how the Fund has performed on a calendar year basis and provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The table also shows how the Fund’s performance compares to the BNY Mellon Classic ADR Index and the MSCI EAFE Index. The BNY Mellon Classic ADR Index combines the over the counter (OTC) traded ADRs with exchange-listed ADRs bringing transparency to the available universe of American Depositary Receipts, including those issued by many of the world’s premier companies. The MSCI EAFE Index is an unmanaged free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets, excluding the U.S. and Canada. Both the bar chart and the table assume the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.advisorshares.com.

Bar Chart

The Fund’s year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2017 was 38.42%.

 

Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)

 

    Return     Quarter/Year
Highest Return   11.54%     1Q/2012
Lowest Return   -17.90%     3Q/2011

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016

Average Annual Total Returns - AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright ADR ETF (Prospectus Summary) - AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright ADR ETF
Label
1 Year
5 Years
Since Inception
Inception Date
AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright ADR ETF

Return Before Taxes Based on NAV

5.58% 8.28% 8.30% Jul. 20, 2010
AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright ADR ETF | After Taxes on Distributions

Return After Taxes on Distributions

5.43% 8.21% 8.24% Jul. 20, 2010
AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright ADR ETF | After Taxes on Distributions and Sales

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

3.27% 6.59% 6.69% Jul. 20, 2010
BNY Mellon Classic ADR Index [Member]

BNY Mellon Classic ADR Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

3.12% 5.57% 4.54% Jul. 20, 2010
MSCI EAFE Index [Member]

MSCI EAFE Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

1.00% 6.53% 5.65% Jul. 20, 2010

After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown and are not relevant if you hold your shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases the return after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares may exceed other average annual total returns due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of shares at the end of the measurement period.