485APOS 1 d471380d485apos.htm 485APOS 485APOS

AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON OCTOBER 20, 2017

No. 333-147622

No. 811-22148

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

   FORM N-1A  
   REGISTRATION STATEMENT  
   UNDER  
   THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933  
   Pre-Effective Amendment No. 334  
   REGISTRATION STATEMENT  
   UNDER  
   THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940  
   Amendment No. 335  

(Check appropriate box or boxes)

 

 

PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515

(Address of Principal Executive Office)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (800) 983-0903

Anna Paglia, Esquire

3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

 

With Copies to:

Alan P. Goldberg

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP

191 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1601

Chicago, Illinois 60606

 

Eric S. Purple

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP

1250 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 500

Washington, DC 20036

 

 

APPROXIMATE DATE OF PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING:

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

 

immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)
60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)
on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)
75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485

If appropriate, check the following box:

 

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

 

 

 


 

Subject to Completion – dated [                    ]

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

 

LOGO

 

Prospectus   

[            ]         

 

PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust

 

[ticker]

 

PowerShares Ultra Short Duration Portfolio

     NYSE Arca, Inc.  

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.


Table of Contents

 

Summary Information

     3  

Additional Information About the Fund’s Strategies and Risks

     12  

Tax Structure of ETFs

     30  

Portfolio Holdings

     30  

Management of the Fund

     30  

How to Buy and Sell Shares

     32  

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares

     33  

Dividends, Other Distributions and Taxes

     34  

Distributor

     36  

Net Asset Value

     36  

Fund Service Providers

     37  

Financial Highlights

     37  

Premium/Discount Information

     37  

Other Information

     37  

 

2


 

 

[ticker] PowerShares Ultra Short Duration Portfolio

 

 

Summary Information

Investment Objective

The PowerShares Ultra Short Duration Portfolio (the “Fund”) seeks maximum current income, consistent with preservation of capital and daily liquidity.

Fund Fees and Expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund (“Shares”). Investors may pay brokerage commissions on their purchases and sales of Shares, which are not reflected in the table or the example below.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses    

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

Management Fees

     [0.20 %] 

Other Expenses(1)

     [0.06 %] 

Interest Expenses

     [0.02 %] 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

     [0.28 %] 

Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement(2)

     [(0.01) %] 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

     [0.27 %] 

 

(1) “Other Expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
(2) [PowerShares Capital Management LLC (the “Adviser”), has agreed to waive fees and/or pay Fund expenses to the extent necessary to prevent the operating expenses of the Fund [(excluding interest expenses, brokerage commissions and other trading expenses, taxes Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if applicable, and extraordinary expenses)] from exceeding 0.27% of the Fund’s average daily net assets per year (the “Expense Cap”) until at least [    ], and neither the Adviser nor the Fund can discontinue the agreement prior to its expiration. [The expenses borne by the Adviser are subject to recapture by the Adviser for the three years from the date the expenses were incurred, but no recapture payment will be made by the Fund if it would result in the Fund exceeding its Expense Cap.]]

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.

This 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 are equal to the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement in the first year and the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses for periods thereafter. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay to buy and sell Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, your costs, based on these assumptions, would be:

 

1 Year

  3 Years
[$28]   [$87]

 

3


Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it purchases 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 Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the example, may affect the Fund’s performance. At the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and portfolio turnover data therefore is not available.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in fixed income securities and in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) and closed-end funds that invest substantially all of their assets in fixed income securities. The Fund uses a low duration strategy to seek to outperform the Barclays Capital 1-3 Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index (the “Benchmark”) in addition to providing returns in excess of those available in U.S. Treasury bills, government repurchase agreements, and money market funds, while seeking to provide preservation of capital and daily liquidity. The Fund is not a money market fund and does not seek to maintain a stable net asset value (“NAV”) of $1.00 per Share.

The Fund expects, under normal circumstances, to hold a diversified portfolio of fixed income instruments of varying maturities, but that have an average duration of less than one year. Duration is a measure of the price volatility of a debt instrument as a result of changes in interest rates, based on the weighted average timing of the instrument’s expected principal and interest payments. Duration differs from maturity in that it considers, among other characteristics, an instrument’s yield, coupon payments, principal payments and call features in addition to the amount of time until the instrument matures. As the value of an instrument changes over time, so will its duration.

The Fund may invest, without limitation, in short-term instruments such as commercial paper and/or repurchase agreements. Commercial paper includes variable amount master demand notes and asset-backed commercial paper. Commercial paper normally represents short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by banks or bank holding companies, corporations, finance companies and other issuers. Repurchase agreements are fixed-income securities in the form of agreements backed by collateral. These agreements, which may be viewed as a type of secured lending by the Fund, typically involve the acquisition by the Fund of securities from the selling institution (such as a bank or a broker-dealer), coupled with the agreement that the selling institution will repurchase the underlying securities at a specified price and at a fixed time in the future (or on demand). The Fund may accept a wide variety of underlying securities as collateral for the repurchase agreements entered into by the Fund. Such collateral may include U.S. government securities, corporate obligations, equity securities, municipal debt securities, mortgage-backed securities and convertible securities. Any such securities serving as collateral are marked-to-market daily in order to maintain full collateralization (typically purchase price plus accrued interest).

The Fund primarily invests in U.S. dollar-denominated investment grade debt securities, including U.S. Treasury securities and corporate bonds, rated Baa3 or higher by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), or equivalently rated by Standard & Poor’s Rating Group (“S&P”), Fitch Investor Services (“Fitch”), or any other nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”), or, if unrated,

 

4


determined by [Invesco Advisers, Inc. (the “Sub-Adviser”)] to be of comparable quality. The Fund may invest no more than 10% of its assets in high yield securities (which also may be known as “junk bonds”), which are debt securities that are rated below investment grade by NRSROs, or are unrated securities that the Sub-Adviser believes are of comparable quality. The Fund may invest in securities that are offered pursuant to Rule 144A (“Rule 144A”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”). Rule 144A securities are securities which, while privately placed, are eligible for purchase and resale pursuant to Rule 144A. This rule permits certain qualified institutional buyers, such as the Fund, to trade in privately placed securities even though such securities are not registered under the Securities Act. The Sub-Adviser will evaluate the liquidity of Rule 144A securities prior to investing in such securities and monitor their liquidity thereafter. The Fund will not invest in securities that are in default at the time of investment. If a security defaults subsequent to purchase by the Fund, the Sub-Adviser will determine in its discretion whether to hold or dispose of such security.

The Fund may invest in bank obligations, which include certificates of deposit, commercial paper, unsecured bank promissory notes, bankers’ acceptances, time deposits and other debt obligations. The Fund may invest in obligations issued or backed by U.S. banks when a bank has more than $1 billion in total assets at the time of purchase or is a branch or subsidiary of such a bank. In addition, the Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated obligations issued or guaranteed by foreign banks that have more than $1 billion in total assets at the time of purchase, U.S. branches of such foreign banks (Yankee obligations), foreign branches of such foreign banks and foreign branches of U.S. banks having more than $1 billion in total assets at the time of purchase. Bank obligations may be general obligations of the parent bank or may be limited to the issuing branch by the terms of the specific obligation or by U.S. government regulation.

The Fund may invest, without limitation, in U.S. dollar-denominated debt securities of foreign issuers, including emerging market issuers. The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its assets in sovereign and corporate debt securities denominated in foreign currencies. The Fund may invest in U.S. and non-U.S. dollar denominated bonds of supranational organizations. The Sub-Adviser may attempt to reduce foreign currency exchange rate risk by entering into contracts with banks, brokers or dealers to purchase or sell securities or foreign currencies at a future date (“forward contracts”). The Fund may also invest up to 25% of its assets in municipal securities. The Fund will not invest in options contracts, futures contracts or swap agreements.

The Fund currently may invest up to 20% of its assets in mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”) or in other asset-backed securities (“ABS”). This limitation does not apply to securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and/or U.S. government sponsored instrumentalities, such as the Government National Mortgage Administration (“GNMA”), the Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”), the Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”). In addition to securities issued or guaranteed by such agencies or instrumentalities, the Fund may invest in MBS or other ABS issued or guaranteed by private issuers. The MBS in which the Fund may invest may also include residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”), collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) and commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”). The ABS in which the Fund may invest include collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”). CDOs include collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) and other similarly structured securities. A CBO is a trust which is backed by a diversified pool of high risk, below investment grade fixed income securities. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans.

The Fund may obtain exposure to the securities in which it normally invests by engaging in various investment techniques, including forward purchase agreements, mortgage dollar rolls and “TBA”

 

5


mortgage trading. A mortgage dollar roll involves the sale of a MBS by the Fund and its agreement to repurchase the instrument (or one which is substantially similar) at a specified time and price. Most transactions in fixed-rate mortgage pass-through securities occur through standardized contracts for future delivery in which the exact mortgage pools to be delivered are not specified until a few days prior to settlements (a “TBA” transaction). The Fund may enter into such contracts on a regular basis. The Fund, pending settlement of such contracts, will invest its assets in high-quality, liquid short-term instruments, including shares of money market funds. The Fund will assume its pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any money market fund (or other investment company) that it may invest in, in addition to the Fund’s own fees and expenses. The Fund may also acquire interests in mortgage pools through means other than such standardized contracts for future delivery. The Fund also may invest directly in ETFs and other investment companies that provide exposure to fixed income securities similar to those securities in which the Fund may invest in directly.

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

The following summarizes the principal risks of the Fund.

The Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed, which means that investment decisions are made based on investment views. There is no guarantee that the investment views will produce the desired results or expected returns, causing the Fund to fail to meet its investment objective or underperform its benchmark index or funds with similar investment objectives and strategies. Furthermore, active trading that can accompany active management, also called “high turnover,” may have a negative impact on performance. Active trading may result in higher brokerage costs or mark-up charges, which are ultimately passed on to shareholders of the Fund. Active trading may also result in adverse tax consequences.

Asset-Backed Securities Risk. Investors in asset-backed securities, including RMBS, CMBS and other structured finance investments, generally receive payments that are part interest and part return of principal or certain asset-backed securities may be interest-only securities or principal-only securities. These payments typically depend upon the cash flows generated by an underlying pool of assets and vary based on the rate at which the underlying obligors pay off their liabilities under the underlying assets. Some asset-backed securities, including mortgage-backed securities, may have structures that make their reaction to interest rates and other factors difficult to predict, causing their prices to be volatile. These instruments are particularly subject to interest rate, credit and liquidity and valuation risks.

Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities. Home mortgage loans are typically grouped together into pools by banks and other lending institutions, and interests in these pools are then sold to investors, allowing the bank or other lending institution to have more money available to loan to home buyers. Some of these pools are guaranteed by U.S. government agencies or by government sponsored private corporations-familiarly called “Ginnie Mae,” “Fannie Mae” and “Freddie Mac.” Home mortgage loans may also be purchased and grouped together by non-lending institutions such as investment banks and hedge funds who will sell interests in such pools to investors. Mortgage-backed securities may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates given that rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of fixed-rate mortgage-backed securities. As a result, a rising interest rate environment can cause the prices of mortgage-backed securities to be increasingly volatile, which may adversely affect the Fund’s holdings of mortgage-backed securities. In light of the current interest rate environment, the Fund’s investments in these securities may be subject to heightened interest rate risk.

 

6


Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities. CMBS are collateralized by one or more commercial mortgage loans. Banks and other lending institutions typically group the loans into pools and interests in these pools are then sold to investors, allowing the lender to have more money available to loan to other commercial real estate owners. Commercial mortgage loans may be secured by office properties, retail properties, hotels, mixed use properties or multi-family apartment buildings. Investments in CMBS are subject to the risks of asset-backed securities generally and particularly subject to credit risk, interest rate risk, and liquidity and valuation risk.

Asset Class Risk. The securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform the returns of other securities or indices that track other industries, markets, asset classes or sectors.

Bank Obligations Risk. The Fund’s investments in bank obligations are subject to risks generally applicable to debt securities, but also expose the Fund to risks associated with adverse developments in or related to the banking industry. The activities of U.S. and most foreign banks are subject to comprehensive regulations, which, in the case of U.S. regulations, have undergone substantial changes in the past decade. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operations and profitability of domestic and foreign banks.

Collateralized Loan Obligations and Collateralized Debt Obligations Risk. Collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) bear many of the same risks as other forms of asset-backed securities, including interest rate risk, credit risk and default risk. As they are backed by pools of loans, CLOs also bear similar risks to investing in loans directly. CLOs issue classes or “tranches” that vary in risk and yield. CLOs may experience substantial losses attributable to loan defaults. Losses caused by defaults on underlying assets are borne first by the holders of subordinate tranches. The Fund’s investment in CLOs may decrease in market value when the CLO experiences loan defaults or credit impairment, the disappearance of a subordinate tranche, or market anticipation of defaults and investor aversion to CLO securities as a class.

Collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”) are structured similarly to CLOs and bear the same risks as CLOs including interest rate risk, credit risk and default risk. CDOs are subject to additional risks because they are backed by pools of assets other than loans including securities (such as other asset-backed securities), synthetic instruments or bonds and may be highly leveraged. Like CLOs, losses incurred by a CDO are borne first by holders of subordinate tranches. Accordingly, the risks of CDOs depend largely on the type of underlying collateral and the tranche of CDOs in which the Fund invests. For example, CDOs that obtain their exposure through synthetic investments entail the risks associated with derivative instruments.

Commercial Paper Risk. The value of the Fund’s investment in commercial paper, which is an unsecured promissory note that generally has a maturity date between one and 270 days and is issued by a U.S. or foreign entity, is susceptible to changes in the issuer’s financial condition or credit quality. Investments in commercial paper are usually discounted from their value at maturity. Commercial paper can be fixed-rate or variable rate and can be adversely affected by changes in interest rates.

Credit Risk. The Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed-income instrument or a counterparty to a transaction is unable or unwilling, or perceived to be unable or unwilling, to pay interest or repay principal on time or defaults. The issuer, guarantor or counterparty could also suffer a rapid decrease in credit quality rating, which would adversely affect the volatility of the value and liquidity of the instrument. Credit ratings may not be an accurate assestment of liquidity or credit risk.

Currency Risk. Indirect and direct exposure to foreign currencies subjects the Fund to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar, which would cause a decline in the U.S. value of

 

7


the holdings of the Fund. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the imposition of currency controls or other political, economic and tax developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund’s foreign currency hedging transactions and techniques may not be effective and, in certain cases, may adversely affect the Fund. In addition, the Fund’s ability to engage in these transactions and techniques may be limited under certain circumstances.

Dollar Roll Transaction Risk. The Fund may enter into dollar roll transactions, in which the Fund sells a mortgage-backed or other security for settlement on one date and buys back a substantially similar security for settlement at a later date. Dollar rolls involve a risk of loss if the market value of the securities that the Fund is committed to buy declines below the price of the securities the Fund has sold.

Emerging Markets Risk. Investments in or exposure to emerging markets are generally subject to a greater level of those risks associated with investing in or being exposed to developed foreign markets, as emerging markets are considered to be less developed than developing countries. Furthermore, investments in or exposure to emerging markets are generally subject to additional risks, including the risks associated with trading in smaller markets, lower volumes of trading, and being subject to lower levels of government regulation and less extensive accounting, financial and other reporting requirements.

Extension Risk. During periods of rising interest rates, an issuer may exercise its right to pay principal on an obligation later than expected, resulting in a decrease in the value of the obligation and in a decline in the Fund’s income.

Financial Sector Risk. The financial sector can be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, government regulation, the rate of defaults on corporate, consumer and government debt, the availability and cost of capital, and the impact of more stringent capital requirements. The Fund may be adversely affected by events or developments negatively impacting the financial sector.

Foreign Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in U.S. and non-U.S. dollar-denominated bonds of foreign corporations, governments, agencies and supranational agencies. Foreign securities carry unique or additional risks when compared to U.S. securities, including currency fluctuations, adverse political and economic developments, unreliable or untimely information, less liquidity and more volatility, limited legal recourse and higher transactional costs.

High Yield and Unrated Securities Risk. High yield, below investment grade and unrated high risk debt securities (which also may be known as “junk bonds”) may present additional risks because these securities may be less liquid, and therefore more difficult to value accurately and sell at an advantageous price or time, present more credit risk than investment grade bonds and subject to greater risk of default. The price of high yield securities tends to be subject to greater volatility due to issuer-specific operating results and outlook and to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions.

Income Risk. The Fund’s income may decline during a period of falling interest rates if the Fund holds floating or variable rate debt securities or when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds. The amount and rate of distributions that the Fund shareholders receive are affected by the income that the Fund receives from its portfolio holdings. If the income is reduced, distributions by the Fund to shareholders may be less.

Interest Rate Risk. Investments in fixed-income instruments are subject to the possibility that interest rates could rise sharply, causing the value of the Fund’s holdings and share price to decline. The risks associated with rising interest rates are heightened given the historically low interest rate environment as of the date of this prospectus. Interest rates may continue to rise in the future, possibly suddenly and significantly, with unpredictable effects on the financial markets and the Fund’s investments. Fixed-income instruments with longer durations are subject to more volatility than those with shorter durations.

 

8


Investment in Investment Companies Risk. Investing in other investment companies, including exchange-traded Funds (“ETFs”) and closed-end funds, subjects the Fund to those risks affecting the investment company, including the possibility that the value of the underlying securities held by the investment company could decrease or the portfolio becomes illiquid. Moreover, the Fund and its shareholders will incur its pro rata share of the underlying investment companies’ expenses, which will reduce the Fund’s performance, and the purchase of shares of some investment companies (in the case of closed-end investment companies) may sometimes require the payment of substantial premiums above the value of such companies’ portfolio securities or NAVs. In addition, investments by the Fund in an ETF are subject to, among other risks, the risk that the ETF’s shares may trade at a discount or premium relative to the NAV of the shares and the listing exchange may halt trading of the ETF’s shares.

Issuer-Specific Changes Risk. The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. The value of securities of smaller issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.

Liquidity and Valuation Risk. It may be difficult for the Fund to purchase and sell particular investments within a reasonable time at a fair price, or the price at which it has been valued by the Sub-Adviser for purposes of the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), causing the Fund to be less liquid and unable to realize what the Sub-Adviser believes should be the price of the investment. Valuation of Fund investments may be difficult, such as during periods of market turmoil or reduced liquidity, and for investments that may, for example, trade infrequently or irregularly. In these and other circumstances, an investment may be valued using fair value methodologies, which are inherently subjective, reflect good faith judgments based on available information and may not accurately estimate the price at which the Fund could sell the investment at that time. These risks may be heightened for fixed-income instruments because of the historically low interest rate environment as of the date of this prospectus.

Market Price Risk. Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca and are bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The market prices of Shares may fluctuate continuously during trading hours, in some cases materially, in response to changes in the NAV and supply and demand for Shares, among other factors. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares typically will remain closely correlated to the NAV, the market price will generally differ from the NAV because of timing reasons, supply and demand imbalances and other factors. As a result, the trading prices of Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during certain periods, especially those of market volatility. The Sub-Adviser cannot predict whether Shares will trade above (premium), below (discount) or at their NAV. Thus, an investor may pay more than NAV when buying Shares in the secondary market and receive less than NAV when selling Shares in the secondary market.

Market Risk. The value of, or income generated by, the securities held by the Fund may fluctuate rapidly and unpredictably as a result of factors affecting individual companies or changing economic, political, social or financial market conditions throughout the world. The performance of these investments may underperform the general securities markets or other types of securities.

Municipal Securities Risk. Municipal securities may be subject to credit, interest, prepayment, liquidity and valuation risks. In addition, municipal securities can be affected by unfavorable legislative or political developments and adverse changes in the economic and fiscal conditions of state and municipal issuers or the federal government in case it provides financial support to such issuers. Certain sectors of the municipal bond market have special risks that can affect them more significantly than the market as a whole. Because many municipal instruments are issued to finance similar projects, conditions in these industries can significantly affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities that are insured by an

 

9


insurer may be adversely affected by developments relevant to that particular insurer, or more general developments relevant to the market as a whole. Municipal securities can be difficult to value and be less liquid than other investments, which may affect the Fund’s performance.

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered non-diversified because it may invest a large portion of its assets in a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund is more susceptible to risks associated with those issuers and the Fund may experience greater losses and volatility than a more diversified portfolio.

Prepayment Risk. Securities subject to prepayment risk generally offer less potential for gains when interest rates decline, because issuers of the securities may be able to prepay the principal due on the securities. These securities generally offer less potential for gains when interest rates decline and may offer a greater potential for loss when interest rates rise.

Regulatory and Legal Risk. U.S. and non-U.S. governmental agencies and other regulators regularly implement additional regulations and legislators may pass new laws that affect the investments held by the Fund, the strategies used by the Fund or the level of regulation or taxation applying to the Fund. These may impact the investment strategies, performance, costs and operations of the Fund or taxation of shareholders.

Repurchase Agreements Risk. In the event of the insolvency of the counterparty to a repurchase agreement, recovery of the repurchase price owed to the Fund may be delayed.

Restricted Securities Risk. Restricted securities generally cannot be sold to the public and may involve a high degree of business, financial and liquidity risk, which may result in substantial losses to the Fund.

Risk of Cash Transactions. In certain instances, unlike most ETFs, the Fund may effect creations and redemptions for cash, rather than in-kind. As a result, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in a more conventional ETF.

To-Be-Announced (“TBA”) Transactions Risk. The Fund may enter into TBA transactions to purchase or sell mortgage-backed securities for a fixed price at a future date. TBA purchase commitments involve a risk of loss if the value of the securities to be purchased declines prior to settlement date or if the counterparty may not deliver the securities as promised. Selling a TBA involves a risk of loss if the value of the securities to be sold goes up prior to settlement date.

U.S. Government Securities Risk. U.S. government securities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. U.S. government securities are subject to the risks associated with fixed-income and debt securities, particularly interest rate risk and credit risk.

Performance

As of the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not commenced operations and therefore does not have a performance history. Once available, the Fund’s performance information will be accessible on the Fund’s website at www.powershares.com and will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund.

Management of the Fund

Investment Adviser. Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (the “Adviser”).

Investment Sub-Adviser. Invesco Advisers, Inc. (the “Sub-Adviser”).

 

10


Portfolio Managers. The following individuals are responsible jointly and primarily for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio:

 

Name    Title with Adviser/Sub-Adviser/Trust   

Date Began

Managing

the Fund

[Peter Hubbard]

   [Director of Portfolio Management of the Adviser and Vice President of the Trust]    Since Inception

[                     ]

  

[                     ]

   Since Inception

[                     ]

  

[                     ]

   Since Inception

[                     ]

  

[                     ]

   Since Inception

Purchase and Sale of Shares

The Fund will issue and redeem Shares at NAV only with APs and only in large blocks of 100,000 Shares (each block of Shares is called a “Creation Unit”), or multiples thereof (“Creation Unit Aggregations”), in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a basket of securities and/or cash. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.

Individual Shares may be purchased and sold only on a national securities exchange through brokers. Shares will be listed for trading on NYSE Arca, Inc. and because the Shares will trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at prices greater than NAV (at a premium), at NAV, or less than NAV (at a discount).

Tax Information

The Fund’s distributions will generally be taxable, typically as either ordinary income or long-term capital gain, unless you are invested through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account; in such cases, taxation will be deferred until assets are withdrawn from the plan. A sale of Shares may result in short- or long-term capital gain or loss.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund’s distributor or its related companies may pay the intermediary for certain Fund-related activities, including those that are designed to make the intermediary more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, such as the Fund, as well as for marketing, education or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Fund shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson or financial adviser to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary’s web-site for more information.

 

11


Additional Information About the Fund’s Strategies and Risks

Principal Investment Strategies

The Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (the “Trust”) may change the Fund’s investment objective and strategies at any time without shareholder approval. The Fund will provide notice to shareholders prior to, or concurrent with, any such change as required by applicable law.

The Fund’s holdings of certain types of investments cannot exceed a maximum percentage of net assets. Percentage limitations are set forth in this Prospectus and/or the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”). While the percentage limitations provide a useful level of detail about the Fund’s investment program, they should not be viewed as an accurate gauge of the potential risk of the investment. The net effect of a particular investment depends on its volatility and the size of its overall return or risk profile in relation to the performance of the Fund’s other investments. The Portfolio Managers of the Fund have considerable leeway in choosing investment strategies and selecting securities, investment vehicles and other types of instruments the Portfolio Managers believe will help the Fund achieve its objective. In seeking to meet its investment objective, the Fund may invest in any type of security or instrument permitted by applicable law or regulatory requirement and whose investment characteristics are consistent with the Fund’s investment program. Investors should be aware that the investments made by the Fund and the results achieved by the Fund at any given time are not expected to be the same as those made by other funds for which the Sub-Adviser acts as an investment adviser, including funds with names, investment objectives and policies similar to the Fund. Also, investment strategies and types of investments will evolve over time, sometimes without prior notice to shareholders.

The Fund’s investment policies, limitations and other guidelines typically apply at the time an investment is made. As a result, the Fund generally may continue to hold positions that met a particular investment policy or limitation at the time the investment was made but subsequently do not meet the investment policy or limitation.

The Fund is subject to certain investment policy limitations referred to as “fundamental policies.” The full text of the Fund’s fundamental policies is included in the SAI.

Portfolio Construction Guidelines

The Fund will be managed in accordance with the principal investment strategies stated above, subject to the following investment restrictions:

 

1. The Fund primarily will invest in (i) U.S. dollar-denominated investment grade debt securities, rated Baa3 or higher by Moody’s, or equivalently rated by S&P, Fitch or any other NRSRO or, if unrated, determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality; and (ii) ETFs and closed-end funds that invest substantially all of their assets in fixed income securities.

 

2. At least 80% of issues of corporate bonds or corporate debt held by the Fund must have $200 million or more par amount outstanding.

 

3. The Fund will not invest in non-US equity securities.

 

4. The Fund will not invest in options contracts, futures contracts or swap agreements.

The Sub-Adviser’s analysis is comprised of multiple elements including collateral and counterparty risk, structural analysis, quantitative analysis and relative value/market value at risk analysis. Evaluation is also applied to collateral, historical market data, and proprietary statistical models to evaluate specific

 

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transactions. This analysis is applied against the macroeconomic outlook, geopolitical issues as well as considerations that more directly affect the company’s industry to determine the Sub-Adviser s internal judgment as to the security’s credit quality. Sub-Adviser utilizes an active quantitative investment process in attempting to have the Fund outperform the applicable Benchmark on a risk-adjusted basis. In addition to the factors listed above, the Sub-Adviser selects securities using a rigorous portfolio construction approach to tightly control independent risk exposures such as fixed income sector weights, sector specific yield curves, credit spreads, prepayment risks, and other risk exposures the Sub-Adviser deems relevant. Within those risk constraints, the Sub-Adviser estimates the relative value of different securities to select individual securities that, in the Sub-Adviser’s judgment, may provide risk-adjusted outperformance relative to the applicable Benchmark.

The Fund will invest only in securities that the Sub-Adviser deems to be sufficiently liquid. While corporate bonds and emerging market debt generally must have $200 million or more par amount outstanding and significant par value traded to be considered as an eligible investment, at least 80% of issues of corporate bonds or corporate debt held by the Fund must have $200 million or more par amount outstanding.

The Sub-Adviser generally decides which securities to sell for the Fund based on one of three factors:

 

  The Sub-Adviser’s judgment, the relative value measure of the instrument no longer indicates that the instrument is cheap relative to similar instruments and a substitution of the instrument with a similar but cheaper instrument enhances the risk-adjusted return potential of the portfolio versus the Benchmark.

 

  The Sub-Adviser’s fundamental analysis suggests that the embedded credit risk in an instrument has increased and the instrument no longer properly compensates the holder for this increased risk.

 

  The Sub-Adviser’s fundamental sector allocation decisions result in the rebalancing of existing positions to achieve the Sub-Adviser’s desired sector exposures.

Temporary Defensive Strategies

The Fund may take a temporary defensive position and hold a portion of its assets in cash or cash equivalents and money market funds (including affiliated money market funds) if there are inadequate investment opportunities available due to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, or atypical circumstances such as unusually large cash inflows or redemptions. Doing so could help the Fund avoid losses in the event of falling market prices and provide liquidity to make additional investments, but may mean lost investment opportunities in a period of rising market prices. During these periods, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

The following provides additional information regarding certain of the principal risks identified under “Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund” in the Fund’s “Summary Information” section.

Active Management Risk

The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio, which means that investment decisions are made based on investment views. The Sub-Adviser will apply investment techniques and risk analysis in making decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results or expected returns, causing the Fund to fail to meet its

 

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investment objective or underperform funds with similar investment objectives and strategies. Also, the Sub-Adviser and its affiliates are engaged in a variety of business activities that are unrelated to managing the Fund, which may give rise to actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest in connection with making investment decisions for the Fund. The Fund and the Sub-Adviser (and its affiliates) have established various policies and procedures that are designed to minimize conflicts and prevent or limit the Fund from being disadvantaged. There can be no guarantee that these policies and procedures will be successful in every instance. In certain circumstances, these various activities may prevent the Fund from participating in an investment decision. Additionally, legislative, regulatory or tax restrictions, policies or developments may affect the investment techniques available to the Sub-Adviser in connection with managing the Fund and may also adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objectives. Active trading that can accompany active management will increase the costs the Fund incurs because of higher brokerage charges or mark-up charges, which are passed on to shareholders of the Fund and, as a result, may lower the Fund’s performance. However, the Fund is generally less likely to incur brokerage charges or mark-up charges to the extent the Fund invests in fixed-income instruments as opposed to other investments. Active trading may also result in adverse tax consequences.

Asset-Backed Securities Risk

The Fund may invest in asset-backed securities issued by legal entities that are sponsored by banks, investment banks, other financial institutions or companies, asset management firms or funds and are specifically created for the purpose of issuing such asset-backed securities. Investors in asset-backed securities receive payments that are part interest and part return of principal or certain asset-backed securities may be interest-only securities or principal-only securities. These payments typically depend upon the cash flows generated by an underlying pool of assets and vary based on the rate at which the underlying obligors pay off their liabilities under the underlying assets. The pooled assets provide cash flow to the issuer, which then makes interest and principal payments to investors.

Investments in asset-backed securities may be subject to many of the same risks that are applicable to investments in securities generally, including currency risk, geographic emphasis risk, high yield and unrated securities risk, leverage risk, prepayment risk and regulatory risk. Asset-backed securities are particularly subject to interest rate, credit and valuation risks. Asset-backed securities are also subject to liquidity risk and, therefore, may be difficult to value accurately or sell at an advantageous time or price and involve greater transaction costs and wider bid/ask spreads than certain other instruments.

In addition, investments in asset-backed securities entail additional risks relating to the underlying pools of assets, including credit risk, default risk and prepayment risk of the underlying pool or individual assets represented in the pool. With respect to a mortgage loan backing mortgage-backed securities, when an underlying obligor, such as a homeowner, makes a prepayment, an investor in the securities receives a larger portion of its principal investment back, which means that there will be a decrease in monthly interest payments and the investor may not be able to reinvest the principal it receives as a result of such prepayment in a security with a similar risk, return or liquidity profile. In addition to prepayments, the underlying assets owned by an asset-backed securities issuer are subject to the risk of defaults, and both defaults and prepayments may shorten the securities’ weighted average life and may lower their return, which may adversely affect the Fund’s investment in the asset-backed securities. The value of asset-backed securities held by the Fund also may change because of actual or perceived changes in the creditworthiness of the underlying asset obligors, the originators, the servicing agents, the financial institutions, if any, providing credit support, or swap counterparties in the case of synthetic asset-backed securities.

 

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Further, recently adopted rules implementing credit risk retention requirements for asset-backed securities may increase the costs to originators, securitizers and, in certain cases, asset managers of securitization vehicles in which the Fund may invest. Although the impact of these requirements is uncertain, certain additional costs may be passed to the Fund and the Fund’s investments in asset-backed securities may be adversely affected. Many of the other changes required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) or foreign regulatory developments could materially impact the value of the Fund’s assets, expose the Fund to additional costs and require changes to investment practices, thereby adversely affecting the Fund’s performance.

Additional risks relating to investments in asset-backed securities may arise because of the type of asset-backed securities in which the Fund invests, defined by the assets collateralizing the asset-backed securities. For example, asset-backed securities backed by aircraft loans and leases may provide the Fund with a less effective security interest in the related underlying collateral than do mortgage-related securities and, thus, it is possible that recovery on repossessed collateral might be unavailable or inadequate to support payments on these asset-backed securities. In addition to the risks inherent in asset-backed securities generally, risks associated with aircraft securitizations include but are not limited to risks related to commercial aircraft, the leasing of aircraft by commercial airlines and the commercial aviation industry generally. With respect to any one aircraft, the value of such aircraft can be affected by the particular maintenance and operating history for the aircraft or its components, the model and type of aircraft, the jurisdiction of registration (including legal risks, costs and delays in attempting to repossess and export such aircraft following any default under the related loan or lease) and regulatory risk. The Fund may invest in these and other types of asset-backed securities that may be developed in the future.

Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities: Home mortgage loans are typically grouped together into pools by banks and other lending institutions, and interests in these pools are then sold to investors, allowing the bank or other lending institution to have more money available to loan to home buyers. Some of these pools are guaranteed by U.S. government agencies or by government sponsored private corporations- familiarly called “Ginnie Mae,” “Fannie Mae” and “Freddie Mac.” Home mortgage loans may also be purchased and grouped together by non-lending institutions such as investment banks and hedge funds who will sell interests in such pools to investors. Mortgage-backed securities may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates given that rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of fixed-rate mortgage-backed securities. As a result, a rising interest rate environment can cause the prices of mortgage-backed securities to be increasingly volatile, which may adversely affect the Fund’s holdings of mortgage-backed securities. In light of the current interest rate environment, the Fund’s investments in these securities may be subject to heightened interest rate risk.

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities: Commercial mortgage backed securities (“CMBS”) are collateralized by one or more commercial mortgage loans. Banks and other lending institutions typically group the loans into pools and interests in these pools are then sold to investors, allowing the lender to have more money available to loan to other commercial real estate owners. Commercial mortgage loans may be secured by office properties, retail properties, hotels, mixed use properties or multi-family apartment buildings. Investments in CMBS are subject to the risks of asset-backed securities generally and particularly subject to credit risk, interest rate risk, and liquidity and valuation risk.

 

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Asset Class Risk

The securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform the returns of other securities or indices that track other industries, markets, asset classes or sectors. Different types of securities and indices tend to go through different performance cycles than the general securities market.

Bank Obligations Risk

The Fund’s investments in bank obligations are subject to risks generally applicable to debt securities, but also expose the Fund to risks associated with adverse developments in or related to the banking industry. The activities of U.S. and most foreign banks are subject to comprehensive regulations, which, in the case of U.S. regulations, have undergone substantial changes in the past decade. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operations and profitability of domestic and foreign banks. Significant developments in the U.S. banking industry have included increased competition from other types of financial institutions, increased acquisition activity and geographic expansion. Banks may be particularly susceptible to certain economic factors, such as interest rate changes and adverse developments in the real estate markets. Fiscal and monetary policy and general economic cycles can affect the availability and cost of funds, loan demand and asset quality and thereby impact the earnings and financial conditions of banks. Obligations of foreign banks, including Yankee obligations, are subject to the same risks that pertain to domestic issuers, notably credit risk and market risk, but are also subject to certain additional risks such as adverse foreign political and economic developments, the extent and quality of foreign government regulation of the financial markets and institutions, foreign withholding taxes and other sovereign action such as nationalization or expropriation.

Collateralized Loan Obligations and Collateralized Debt Obligations Risk

A collateralized loan obligation (“CLO”) is an asset-backed security whose underlying collateral is a pool of loans. Such loans may include domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans and subordinate corporate loans, some of which may be below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. Investments in CLOs carry the same risks as investments in loans directly, as well as other risks, including interest rate risk, credit and liquidity and valuation risks, and the risk of default. CLOs issue classes or “tranches” that vary in risk and yield. Losses caused by defaults on underlying assets are borne first by the holders of subordinate tranches. A CLO may experience substantial losses attributable to loan defaults. The Fund’s investment in a CLO may decrease in market value because of (i) loan defaults or credit impairment, (ii) the disappearance of subordinate tranches, (iii) market anticipation of defaults, and (iv) investor aversion to CLO securities as a class. These risks may be magnified depending on the tranche of CLO securities in which the Fund invests. For example, investments in a junior tranche of CLO securities will likely be more sensitive to loan defaults or credit impairment than investments in more senior tranches.

Collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”) are structured similarly to CLOs, but are backed by pools of assets that are securities rather than only loans, typically including bonds, other structured finance securities (including other asset-backed securities and other CLOs) and/or synthetic instruments. CDOs are often highly leveraged, and like CLOs, the risks of investing in CDOs may be magnified depending on the tranche of CDO securities held by the Fund. The nature of the risks of CDOs depends largely on the type and quality of the underlying collateral and the tranche of CDOs in which the Fund may invest. CDOs collateralized by pools of asset-backed securities carry the same risks as investments in asset-backed securities directly, including losses with respect to the collateral underlying those asset-backed securities. In addition, certain CDOs may not hold their underlying collateral directly, but rather, use derivatives such as swaps to create “synthetic” exposure to the collateral pool. Such CDOs entail the risks associated with derivative instruments.

 

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Commercial Paper Risk

The value of the Fund’s investment in commercial paper, which is an unsecured promissory note that generally has a maturity date between one and 270 days and is issued by a U.S. or foreign entity, is susceptible to changes in the issuer’s financial condition or credit quality. Commercial paper is typically repaid with the proceeds from the issuance of new commercial paper. Thus, investments in commercial paper are subject to the risk (commonly referred to as rollover risk) that the issuer will be unable to issue sufficient new commercial paper to meet the repayment obligations under its outstanding commercial paper. Investments in commercial paper are usually discounted from their value at maturity. Commercial paper can be fixed-rate or variable rate and can be adversely affected by changes in interest rates. As with other fixed-income securities, there is a risk that the issuer of commercial paper will default completely on its obligations. Commercial paper is generally unsecured and, thus, is subject to increased credit risk. The Fund may have limited or no recourse against the issuer of commercial paper in the event of default.

Credit Risk

The Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed-income instrument or a counterparty to a transaction (such as a repurchase agreement or a loan of portfolio securities) is unable or unwilling, or perceived to be unable or unwilling, to pay interest or repay principal on time or defaults. If an issuer fails to pay interest, the Fund’s income would likely be reduced, and if an issuer fails to repay principal, the value of the instrument likely would fall and the Fund could lose money. This risk is especially acute with respect to high yield, below investment grade and unrated high risk debt instruments (which also may be known as “junk bonds”). Also, the issuer, guarantor or counterparty may suffer adverse changes in its financial condition that could lower the credit quality (or the market’s perception of the credit quality) of an issuer or instrument, leading to greater volatility in the price of the instrument and in shares of the Fund. Although credit quality may not accurately reflect the true credit risk of an instrument, a change in the credit quality rating of an instrument or an issuer can have a rapid, adverse effect on the instrument’s liquidity and make it more difficult for the Fund to sell at an advantageous price or time. Any applicable limitation on the credit quality of an issuer or instrument in which the Fund may invest is applied at the time the Fund purchases the instrument.

The degree of credit risk depends on the particular instrument and the financial condition of the issuer, guarantor or counterparty, which are often reflected in its credit quality. Credit quality is a measure of the issuer’s expected ability to make all required interest and principal payments in a timely manner. An issuer with the highest credit rating has a very strong capacity with respect to making all payments. An issuer with the second-highest credit rating has a strong capacity to make all payments, but the degree of safety is somewhat less. An issuer with the lowest credit quality rating may be in default or have extremely poor prospects of making timely payment of interest and principal. Credit ratings assigned by rating agencies are based on a number of factors and subjective judgments and therefore do not necessarily represent an issuer’s actual financial condition or the volatility or liquidity of the security. Although higher-rated securities generally present lower credit risk as compared to lower-rated or unrated securities, an issuer with a high credit rating may in fact be exposed to heightened levels of credit or liquidity risk. See the SAI for a more complete discussion of the meaning of the different credit quality ratings.

Investment grade instruments are fixed-income instruments that have been determined by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization to have a medium to high probability of being paid (although there is always a risk of default) or if unrated, have been determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality. Investment grade instruments are designated “BBB”, “A”, “AA” or “AAA” by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group, Fitch Investors Service, Inc., DBRS Ltd., Morningstar Credit Ratings, LLC and

 

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Kroll Bond Rating Agency, Inc., “Baa”, “A”, “Aa” or “Aaa” by Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”), and “bbb”, “a”, “aa”, or “aaa” by A.M. Best Company, or an equivalent rating by any other nationally recognized statistical rating organization, or have been determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality. If nationally recognized statistical rating organizations assign different ratings to the same instrument, the Fund will use the higher rating for purposes of determining the instrument’s credit quality. The Sub-Adviser’s credit analysis includes looking at factors such as an issuer’s debt service coverage (i.e., its ability to make interest payments on its debt), the issuer’s cash flow, general economic factors and domestic and global market conditions.

Currency Risk

The Fund’s direct or indirect exposure to foreign currencies, including through ownership of securities of foreign issuers, subjects the Fund to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. Dollar, which would cause a decline in the U.S. value of the holdings of the Fund. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the imposition of currency controls or other political, economic and tax developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Sub-Adviser may attempt to reduce this risk by entering into forward contracts with banks, brokers or dealers. A foreign currency forward contract is a negotiated agreement between the contracting parties to exchange a specified amount of currency at a specified future time at a specified rate. The rate can be higher or lower than the spot rate between the currencies that are the subject of the contract. Hedging the Fund’s currency risks involves the risk of mismatching the Fund’s objectives under a forward or futures contract with the value of securities denominated in a particular currency. Furthermore, such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken. If the counterparty under the contract defaults on its obligation to make payments due from it as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays. The Sub-Adviser may in its discretion choose not to hedge against currency risk. In addition, certain market conditions may make it impossible or uneconomical to hedge against currency risk.

Dollar Roll Transaction Risk

The Fund may enter into dollar roll transactions, in which the Fund sells a mortgage-backed or other security for settlement on one date and buys back a substantially similar security (but not the same security) for settlement at a later date. The Fund gives up the principal and interest payments on the security, but may invest the sale proceeds, during the “roll period.” When the Fund enters into a dollar roll, any fluctuation in the market value of the security transferred or the securities in which the sales proceeds are invested can affect the market value of the Fund’s assets, and therefore, the Fund’s net asset value. As a result, dollar roll transactions may sometimes be considered to be the practical equivalent of borrowing and constitute a form of leverage. Dollar rolls also involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is required to deliver may decline below the agreed upon repurchase price of those securities. In addition, in the event that the Fund’s counterparty becomes insolvent, the Fund’s use of the proceeds may become restricted pending a determination as to whether to enforce the Fund’s obligation to purchase the substantially similar securities.

Emerging Markets Risk

The Fund may invest in securities in emerging markets. Investing in securities in emerging markets countries may entail greater risks than investing in securities in developed markets countries, such as increased economic, political, regulatory or other uncertainties. These risks include: (i) less social, political

 

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and economic stability; (ii) the small current size of the markets for such securities and the currently low or nonexistent volume of trading, which result in a lack of liquidity and in greater price volatility; (iii) certain national policies which may restrict the Fund’s investment opportunities, including restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; (iv) foreign taxation; (v) the absence of developed structures governing private or foreign investment or allowing for judicial redress for injury to private property; (vi) lower levels of government regulation and less extensive accounting, financial and other reporting requirements; (vii) high rates of inflation for prolonged periods; and (viii) particular sensitivity to global economic conditions, including trade, taxation and development policies. Sovereign debt of emerging countries may be in default or present a greater risk of default.

Extension Risk

An issuer may exercise its right to pay principal on an obligation later than expected, thereby effectively lengthening the maturity of the obligation and making the obligation more sensitive to interest rate changes. This may happen when there is a rise in interest rates. Under these circumstances, the value of the obligation will decrease and the Fund’s performance may suffer from its inability to invest in higher yielding securities.

Financial Sector Risk

The financial sector can be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, government regulation, the rate of defaults on corporate, consumer and government debt, the availability and cost of capital, and the impact of more stringent capital requirements. Financial services companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation which may limit both the amounts and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, the interest rates and fees they can charge, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. Profitability is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital funds, and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change or due to increased competition. The Fund may be adversely affected by events or developments negatively impacting the financial sector. For example, events in the financial sector may cause an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign, and cause certain financial services companies to incur losses.

Foreign Securities Risk

Investing in foreign investments involves certain special or additional risks, including, but not limited to: (i) unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates; (ii) adverse political and economic developments; (iii) unreliable or untimely information; (iv) limited legal recourse; (v) limited markets; (vi) higher operational expenses; and (vii) illiquidity. These investments are subject to additional risks, including: differing reporting, accounting, and auditing standards; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation; foreign currency fluctuations, currency blockage, or replacement; potential for default on sovereign debt; or diplomatic developments, which may include the imposition of economic sanctions or other measures by the U.S. or other governments and supranational organizations. These risks may even be higher in underdeveloped or emerging markets. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The Fund considers a security to be a foreign security if the issuer is organized under the laws of a foreign country or is a foreign government, or a sub-division or agency of such government, or the security is traded in markets outside the United States.

Foreign fixed-income securities may also be negatively affected by rising interest rates, which may cause an increase in funding costs for foreign issuers and make it more difficult for them to service their debt. Rising interest rates, in addition to widening credit spreads, may cause a decline in market liquidity. Foreign investments are normally issued and traded in foreign currencies. As a result, their values may

 

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be affected by changes in the exchange rates between particular foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. Foreign investments may be subject to the risks of seizure by a foreign government, imposition of restrictions on the exchange or transport of foreign currency, and tax increases. There may also be less information publicly available about a foreign company than about most U.S. companies, and foreign companies are usually not subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the United States. The legal remedies for investors in foreign investments may be more limited than those available in the United States and the Fund may have limited or no legal recourse with respect to foreign securities. Certain foreign investments may be less liquid (harder to buy and sell) and more volatile than domestic investments, which means the Fund may at times be unable to sell its foreign investments at desirable prices. For the same reason, the Fund may at times find it difficult to value its foreign investments. Brokerage commissions and other fees are generally higher for foreign investments than for domestic investments. The procedures and rules for settling foreign transactions may also involve delays in payment, delivery or recovery of money or investments. Foreign withholding taxes may reduce the amount of income available to distribute to shareholders of the Fund.

High Yield and Unrated Securities Risk

High yield debt securities in the lower rating (higher risk) categories of the recognized rating services are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.” High yield securities are debt securities that are rated below investment grade by NRSROs, or are unrated securities that the Sub-Adviser believes are of comparable quality. The total return and yield of junk bonds can be expected to fluctuate more than the total return and yield of higher-quality bonds. Junk bonds (those rated below investment grade or in default, or unrated securities determined to be of comparable quality) are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. High yield securities may be subject to greater levels of credit risk and tend to be less liquid, and therefore more difficult to value accurately and sell at an advantageous price or time and may involve greater transactions costs and wider bid/ask spreads, than higher-quality bonds. The risks associated with high yield securities are heightened during times of weakening economic conditions or rising interest rates.

Successful investment in lower-medium and lower-rated debt securities involves greater investment risk and is highly dependent on the Sub-Adviser’s credit analysis. The value of high yield securities is particularly vulnerable to changes in interest rates and a real or perceived economic downturn or higher interest rates could cause a decline in high-yield bond prices by lessening the ability of issuers to make principal and interest payments. These bonds are often thinly traded or subject to irregular trading and can be more difficult to sell and value accurately than higher-quality bonds because there tends to be less public information available about these securities. Because objective pricing data may be less available, judgment may play a greater role in the valuation process. In addition, the entire high yield bond market can experience sudden and sharp price swings due to a variety of factors, including changes in economic forecasts, stock market activity, large or sustained sales by major investors, a high-profile default, or just a change in the market’s psychology. High yield securities may be more sensitive to adverse market developments than higher-quality bonds. This type of volatility is usually associated more with stocks than bonds.

Income Risk

The Fund’s income may decline during period of falling interest rates if the Fund holds floating or variable rate debt securities or when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds. The amount and rate of distributions that the Fund shareholders receive are affected by the income that the Fund receives from its portfolio holdings. If the income is reduced, distributions by the Fund to shareholders may be less.

 

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Interest Rate Risk

Investments in fixed-income insturments are subject to the possibility that interest rates could rise (or are expected to rise) sharply, causing the value of the Fund’s holdings and share price to decline. Longer term bonds and zero coupon bonds are generally more sensitive to interest rate changes than shorter-term bonds. Generally, the longer the average duration of the bonds in the Fund, the more the Fund’s share price will fluctuate in response to interest rate changes. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security’s price to changes in interest rates that incorporates a security’s yield, coupon, final maturity and call features, among other characteristics. For example, the price of a bond fund with an average duration of eight years would be expected to fall approximately 8% if interest rates rose by one percentage point. Conversely, the price of a bond fund with an average duration of negative three years would be expected to rise approximately 3% if interest rates rose by one percentage point. However, duration may not accurately reflect the true interest rate sensitivity of instruments held by the Fund and, in turn, the Fund’s susceptibility to changes in interest rates. If an issuer calls or redeems an investment or it matures during a time of declining interest rates, the Fund might have to reinvest the proceeds in an investment offering a lower yield, and therefore might not benefit from any increase in value as a result of declining interest rates.

Securities with floating interest rates generally are less sensitive to interest rate changes, but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much or as fast as interest rates in general. In a decreasing interest rate environment, the Fund’s investment in securities with floating interest rates may prevent the Fund from taking full advantage of decreasing interest rates in a timely manner. During periods of rising interest rates, issuers of debt securities or asset-backed securities may pay principal later or more slowly than expected, which may reduce the value of the Fund’s investment in such securities and may prevent the Fund from receiving higher interest rates on proceeds reinvested.

Changing Fixed-Income Market Conditions: Although the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“Federal Reserve”) has started to raise interest rates, interest rates in the U.S. and many parts of the world, including certain European countries, remain at or near historically low levels. In addition, certain European countries have recently experienced (or currently are expected to experience) negative interest rates on certain fixed-income instruments, and similar interest rate conditions may be experienced in other regions. To the extent the Federal Reserve continues to raise interest rates, there is a risk that rates across the financial system may rise. Very low or negative interest rates may magnify the Fund’s susceptibility to interest rate risk and diminish yield and performance (e.g., during periods of very low or negative interest rates, the Fund may be unable to maintain positive returns).

Changes in fixed-income market conditions, including the recent increase and potential for future increases to the federal funds rate or interest rates falling below zero, may expose fixed-income markets to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity for certain Series investments that may be difficult to sell at favorable prices to meet fund redemption obligations, causing the value of the Fund’s investments and share price to decline. A rise in general interest rates may also result in increased redemptions from the Fund. Very low or changing interest rates may also have unpredictable effects on securities markets in general, directly or indirectly impacting the Fund’s investments, yield and performance. Thus, the Fund currently faces a heightened level of interest rate, liquidity and valuation risks.

 

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Investment in Investment Companies Risk

Investing in other investment companies, including ETFs and closed-end funds, subjects the Fund to those risks affecting the investment company, including the possibility that the value of the underlying securities held by the investment company could decrease or the portfolio becomes illiquid. Moreover, the Fund and its shareholders will incur its pro rata share of the underlying investment companies’ expenses and the purchase of shares of some investment companies (in the case of closed-end investment companies) may sometimes require the payment of substantial premiums above the value of such companies’ portfolio securities or NAVs. The Fund must continue, at the same time, to pay its own management fees and expenses with respect to all of its investments, including shares of other investment companies. The securities of other investment companies may also be leveraged and will therefore be subject to certain leverage risks.

In addition, the Fund will be subject to those risks affecting the investment company, including the effects of business and regulatory developments that affect an underlying investment company or the investment company industry generally. Shares of investment companies that trade on an exchange may trade at a discount or premium from their NAV.

An investment by the Fund in an ETF may be subject to additional risk, including: the ETF’s shares may trade at a discount or premium relative to the NAV of the shares; an active trading market may not develop for the ETF’s shares; the listing exchange may halt trading of the ETF’s shares; the ETF may fail to correctly track the referenced asset (if any); and the ETF may hold troubled securities in the referenced index or basket of investments.

Issuer-Specific Changes Risk

The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. The value of securities of smaller issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.

Liquidity and Valuation Risk

It may be difficult for the Fund to purchase and sell particular investments within a reasonable time at a favorable price. In particular, Rule 144A securities may become illiquid under adverse market or economic conditions and/or due to specific adverse changes in the condition of a particular issuer. The capacity of traditional fixed-income market makers has not kept pace with the consistent growth in the fixed- income markets over the past three decades, which has led to reduced levels in the capacity of these market makers to engage in fixed-income trading and, as a result, dealer inventories of corporate fixed-income and floating rate instruments are at or near historic lows relative to market size. These factors may apply more strongly with respect to high yield fixed-income and floating rate instruments than higher quality fixed-income instruments. Market makers tend to provide stability and liquidity to debt securities markets through their intermediary services, and their reduced capacity and number could lead to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed-income markets. The Fund’s ability to sell an instrument under favorable conditions also may be negatively impacted by, among other things, other market participants selling the same or similar instruments at the same time.

To the extent that there is not an established liquid market for instruments in which the Fund may invest, or there is a reduced number or capacity of traditional “market makers” with respect to debt instruments, trading in such instruments may be relatively inactive or irregular. In addition, during periods of reduced market liquidity, market turmoil or in the absence of readily available market quotations for particular investments in the Fund’s portfolio, the ability of the Fund to assign an accurate daily value to these investments may be difficult and the Sub-Adviser may be required to fair value the investments. Fair

 

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value determinations are inherently subjective and reflect good faith judgments based on available information. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the determination of a security’s fair value in accordance with the Fund’s valuation procedures will in fact approximate the price at which the Fund could sell that security at that time. (i.e., the sale price could differ, sometimes significantly, from the Fund’s last valuation for the security). The Fund (or the Sub-Adviser) relies on various sources of information to value investments and calculate NAV. The Fund may obtain pricing information from third parties that are believed to be reliable. In certain cases, this information may be unavailable or this information may be inaccurate because of errors by the third parties, technological issues, absence of current market data, or otherwise. As a result, the Fund’s ability to effectively value investments or calculate NAV may be adversely affected. These risks may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment and, if the Fund holds a significant percentage of fair valued or otherwise difficult to value securities, it may be particularly susceptible to the risks associated with valuation. For additional information about valuation determinations, see “Net Asset Value.” Portions of the Fund’s investments that are fair valued or difficult to value vary from time to time. When available, the Fund’s shareholder reports will contain detailed information about the Fund’s holdings that are fair valued or difficult to value, including values of these holdings as of the dates of the reports. Investors should consider consulting these reports for detailed information.

Market Price Risk

Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca and are bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The market prices of Shares may fluctuate continuously during trading hours, in some cases materially, in response to changes in the NAV and supply and demand for Shares, among other factors. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares typically will remain closely correlated to the NAV, the market price will generally differ from the NAV because of timing reasons, supply and demand imbalances and other factors. As a result, the trading prices of Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during certain periods, especially those of market volatility. Differences between secondary market prices and the value of the Fund’s holdings may be due largely to supply and demand forces in the secondary market, which may not be the same forces as those influencing prices for securities held by the Fund at a particular time. The Sub-Adviser cannot predict whether Shares will trade above (premium), below (discount) or at their NAV. Thus, an investor may pay more than NAV when buying Shares in the secondary market and receive less than NAV when selling Shares in the secondary market. Given the fact that Shares can be created and redeemed in Creation Units, the Sub-Adviser believes that large discounts or premiums to the NAV of Shares should not be sustained in the long-term. However, the Fund may have a limited number of financial institutions that may act as “Authorized Participants” or market markers. Only Authorized Participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund (as described under “How to Buy and Sell Shares”). If those Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to process creation and/or redemption orders(including in situations where Authorized Participants have limited or diminished access to capital required to post collateral), and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create and redeem in either of these cases, Shares may trade at a discount to NAV like closed-end fund shares (and may even face delisting). Similar effects may result if market makers exit the business or are unable to continue making markets in the Shares. Further, while the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that Shares normally will trade at prices closely correlated to the Fund’s next calculated NAV, disruptions to creations and redemptions, including disruptions at market makers, Authorized Participants or market participants, or during periods of significant market volatility, among other factors, may result in market prices that differ significantly from NAV. Although market makers will generally take advantage of differences between the NAV and the market price of Shares through arbitrage opportunities, there is no guarantee that they will do so. Further, the securities held by the Fund may be traded in markets that close at a different time than the NYSE Arca. Liquidity in those

 

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securities may be reduced after the applicable closing times. Accordingly, during the time when NYSE Arca is open but after the applicable market closing, fixing or settlement times, bid-ask spreads and the resulting premium or discount to the Shares’ NAV is likely to widen. In addition, secondary markets may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid-ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods, which could cause a material decline in the NAV and/or market prices for Shares. The bid-ask spread is generally larger during periods of lower than regular trading volume in Shares or reduced market liquidity and can increase significantly during periods of market disruption or steep declines, which may be the time an investor most wants to sell its Shares. During such periods, shareholders may be unable to sell Shares or may incur significant losses if Shares are sold. There are various methods by which investors can purchase and sell Shares and various orders that may be placed. Investors should consult their financial intermediary before purchasing or selling Shares. The Fund’s bid-ask spread may also be impacted by the liquidity of the underlying securities held by the Fund, particularly for newly launched or smaller funds or in instances of significant volatility of the underlying securities. The Fund’s investment results are measured based upon the daily NAV of the Shares. Investors purchasing and selling Shares in the secondary market may not experience investment results consistent with those experienced by Authorized Participants creating and redeeming directly with the Fund. In addition, transactions by large shareholders may account for a large percentage of the trading volume on NYSE Arca and may, therefore, have a material effect on the market price of the Shares.

Market Risk

The value of, or income generated by, the securities held by the Fund are subject to the possibility of rapid and unpredictable fluctuation. The value of certain securities (e.g., equity securities) tends to fluctuate more dramatically over the shorter term than do the value of other asset classes. These movements may result from factors affecting individual companies, or from broader influences, including real or perceived changes in prevailing interest rates, changes in inflation or expectations about inflation, investor confidence or economic, political, social or financial market conditions that may be temporary or last for extended periods. Different sectors, industries and security types may react differently to such developments and, when the market performs well, there is no assurance that the securities held by the Fund will increase in value along with the broader markets. For example, the value of the Fund’s investments in securities or other instruments may be particularly susceptible to changes in commodity prices. As a result, a change in commodity prices may adversely affect the Fund’s investments. Volatility of financial markets can expose the Fund to greater market risk, possibly resulting in reduced liquidity. Moreover, changing economic, political, social 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 because of the increasingly interconnected global economies and financial markets. The Sub-Adviser potentially will be prevented from executing investment decisions at an advantageous time or price as a result of any domestic or global market disruptions, particularly disruptions causing heightened market volatility and reduced market liquidity. Changes or disruptions in market conditions also may lead to increased regulation of the Fund and the instruments in which the Fund may invest, which may, in turn, affect the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment objective and the Fund’s performance. . In general, the securities or other instruments in which the Fund seeks to invest may be unavailable entirely or in the specific quantities sought by the Fund. As a result, the Fund may need to obtain the desired exposure through a less advantageous investment, forgo the investment at the time or seek to replicate the desired exposure through an investment in an investment company. This may adversely affect the Fund. The Fund is not a money market fund and does not seek to maintain a stable NAV of $1.00 per Share.

 

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Municipal Securities Risk

The Fund’s holdings of municipal securities could be significantly affected by events that affect the municipal bond market, which could include unfavorable legislative or political developments and adverse changes in the financial conditions of state or municipal issuers. Income from municipal bonds held by the Fund could be declared taxable because of changes in tax laws or interpretations by taxing authorities, or as a result of noncompliant conduct of a municipal issuer. To the extent that the Fund invests in municipal securities from a given state or geographic region, its share price and performance could be affected by local, state and regional factors, including erosion of the tax base and changes in the economic climate. Also, municipal securities backed by current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or assets can be negatively affected by the discontinuance of taxation supporting the project or assets or the inability to collect enough revenue. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance similar projects (especially those relating to education, health care, utilities and transportation), conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market, including proposed federal, state or local legislation involving the financing of, or declining markets or needs for, such projects. Certain sectors of the municipal bond market have special risks that can affect them more significantly than the market as a whole. For example, health care can be hurt by rising expenses, dependency on third party reimbursements, legislative changes and reductions in government spending; electric utilities are subject to governmental rate regulation; and private activity bonds rely on project revenues and the creditworthiness of the corporate user as opposed to governmental support. Municipalities and municipal projects that rely directly or indirectly on federal funding mechanisms may be negatively affected by current or future budgetary constraints of the federal government. Other national governmental actions, such as the elimination of tax-exempt status, also could affect performance. In addition, changes in the economic and fiscal condition of an individual municipal issuer can affect the overall municipal market, and market conditions may directly impact the liquidity, marketability and valuation of municipal securities. Also, information related to municipal securities and their risks may be provided by the municipality itself, which may not always be accurate. Investments in municipal securities can be subject to credit, interest rate, prepayment and liquidity risks and can be more volatile than other investments. In addition, certain of the issuers in which the Fund invests may have recently experienced, or may experience, significant financial difficulties and repeated credit rating downgrades.

Certain municipal securities may be insured by an insurer. Adverse developments affecting a particular insurer or, more generally, banks and financial institutions could have a negative effect on the value of the Fund’s holdings. For example, rating agency downgrades of an insurer, or other events in the credit markets that may affect the insured municipal bond market as a whole, may adversely affect the value of the insured municipal bonds held by the Fund. The Fund’s vulnerability to potential losses associated with such developments may be reduced through investing in municipal securities that feature credit enhancements (such as bond insurance).

Although insurance may reduce the credit risk of a municipal security, it does not protect against fluctuations in the value of the Fund’s shares caused by market changes. It is also important to note that, although insurance may increase the credit safety of investments held by the Fund, it decreases the Fund’s yield as the Fund may pay for the insurance directly or indirectly. In addition, while the obligation of a municipal bond insurance company to pay a claim extends over the life of an insured bond, there is no assurance that insurers will meet their claims. A higher-than-anticipated default rate on municipal bonds (or other insurance the insurer provides) could strain the insurer’s loss reserves and adversely affect its ability to pay claims to bondholders.

Municipal securities also trade rarely and their valuations may be based on assumptions or unobservable inputs. They can be difficult to liquidate quickly and transaction prices in stressed environments may ultimately be less than their valuations, which will hurt the performance of the Fund.

 

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Non-Diversification Risk

The Fund is considered non-diversified because it may invest a large portion of its assets in a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund is more susceptible to risks associated with those issuers and the Fund may experience greater losses and volatility than a more diversified portfolio.

Prepayment Risk

The issuers of securities held by the Fund may be able to prepay principal due on the securities, particularly during periods of declining interest rates. Securities subject to prepayment risk generally offer less potential for gains when interest rates decline, and may offer a greater potential for loss when interest rates rise. In addition, rising interest rates may cause prepayments to occur at a slower than expected rate, thereby effectively lengthening the maturity of the security and making the security more sensitive to interest rate changes as well as limiting the ability of the Fund to invest in securities with higher interest rates. Prepayment risk is a major risk of certain asset-backed securities, including mortgage-backed securities.

Most floating rate loans (such as syndicated bank loans) and fixed-income securities allow for prepayment of principal without penalty. Accordingly, the potential for the value of a floating rate loan or security to increase in response to interest rate declines is limited. Corporate loans or fixed-income securities purchased to replace a prepaid corporate loan or security may have lower yields than the yield on the prepaid corporate loan or security.

Regulatory and Legal Risk

U.S. and non-U.S. governmental agencies and other regulators regularly implement additional regulations and legislators pass new laws that affect the investments held by the Fund, the strategies used by the Fund or the level of regulation or taxation applying to the Fund. These regulations and laws impact the investment strategies, performance, costs and operations of the Fund, as well as the way investments in, and shareholders of, the Fund are taxed. The SEC recently adopted rules intended to limit, assess and manage liquidity risk. In the future, the rules may materially affect the securities in which the Fund invests and the Fund’s investment strategies and performance.

Repurchase Agreements Risk

In the event of the insolvency of the counterparty to a repurchase agreement, recovery of the repurchase price owed to the Fund may be delayed. Such an insolvency may result in a loss to the extent that the value of the purchased securities decreases during the delay or that value has otherwise not been maintained at an amount equal to the repurchase price. The credit, liquidity and other risks associated with repurchase agreements are magnified to the extent a repurchase agreement is secured by collateral other than cash, government securities or liquid securities or instruments issued by an issuer that has an exceptionally strong credit quality.

Restricted Securities Risk

Restricted securities cannot be sold to the public without registration under the Securities Act. Unless registered for sale, restricted securities can be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or pursuant to an exemption from registration. Restricted securities may be considered illiquid and, therefore, are subject to the Fund’s limitation on illiquid securities.

Restricted securities may involve a high degree of business and financial risk, which may result in substantial losses. The securities may be less liquid than publicly traded securities. Although these

 

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securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid by the Fund. The Fund may invest in restricted securities, including securities initially offered and sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act (“Rule 144A Securities”) and securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers initially offered and sold outside the United States without registration with the SEC pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act (“Regulation S Securities”) under the Securities Act. Rule 144A Securities and Regulation S Securities generally may be traded freely among certain qualified institutional investors, such as the Fund, and non-U.S. persons, but resale to a broader base of investors in the United States may be permitted only in significantly more limited circumstances.

Investing in Rule 144A Securities and other restricted and non-registered securities (such as privately placed securities purchased through transactions complying with the requirements in Regulation D or S under the Securities Act) could have the effect of increasing the amount of the Fund’s assets invested in illiquid securities to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become uninterested, for a time, in purchasing these securities.

Risk of Cash Transactions

In certain instances, unlike most ETFs, the Fund may effect creations and redemptions for cash, rather than in-kind. As a result, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in a more conventional ETF. ETFs generally are able to make in-kind redemptions and avoid being taxed on gain on the distributed portfolio securities at the Fund level. Because the Fund may effect redemptions for cash, rather than in-kind distributions, it may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. If the Fund recognizes gain on these sales, this generally will cause the Fund to recognize gain it might not otherwise have recognized, or to recognize such gain sooner than would otherwise be required if it were to distribute portfolio securities in-kind. The Fund generally intends to distribute these gains to shareholders to avoid being taxed on this gain at the Fund level and otherwise comply with the special tax rules that apply to it. This strategy may cause shareholders to be subject to tax on gains they would not otherwise be subject to, or at an earlier date than, if they had made an investment in a different ETF. Moreover, cash transactions may have to be carried out over several days if the securities market is relatively illiquid and may involve considerable brokerage fees and taxes. These brokerage fees and taxes, which will be higher than if the Fund sold and redeemed its Shares principally in-kind, will be passed on to purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units in the form of creation and redemption transaction fees. In addition, these factors may result in wider spreads between the bid and the offered prices of the Fund’s Shares than for more conventional ETFs.

To-Be-Announced (“TBA”) Transactions Risk

The Fund may enter into TBA commitments to purchase or sell mortgage-backed securities for a fixed price at a future date. In TBA commitments, the selling counterparty does not specify the particular securities to be delivered. Instead, the purchasing counterparty agrees to accept any security that meets specified terms. TBA purchase commitments may be considered securities in themselves and involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to settlement date, which risk is in addition to the risk of decline in the value of the Fund’s other assets. In addition, the selling counterparty may not deliver the security as promised. Selling a TBA involves a risk of loss if the value of the securities to be sold goes up prior to the settlement date.

U.S. Government Securities Risk

Different types of U.S. government securities have different relative levels of credit risk depending on the nature of the particular government support for that security. U.S. government securities may be

 

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supported by: (i) the full faith and credit of the United States government; (ii) the ability of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; (iii) the credit of the issuing agency, instrumentality or government- sponsored entity; (iv) pools of assets (e.g., mortgage-backed securities); or (v) the United States in some other way. The U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities, which may fluctuate in value and are subject to investment risks, and certain U.S. government securities may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government. The value of U.S. government obligations may be adversely affected by changes in interest rates. It is possible that the issuers of some U.S. government securities will not have the funds to timely meet their payment obligations in the future and there is a risk of default. For certain agency issued securities, there is no guarantee the U.S. government will support the agency if it is unable to meet its obligations.

In addition to the principal risks described previously, there are certain other non-principal risks applicable to the Fund. The additional risks include the following:

Convertible Securities Risk

Convertible securities may be subordinate to other securities. The total return for a convertible security depends, in part, upon the performance of the underlying security into which it can be converted. The value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase. Convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality.

Investments in Loans Risk

Investments in loans, including loan syndicates and other direct lending opportunities, involve special types of risks, including credit risk, interest rate risk, counterparty risk and prepayment risk. Loans may offer a fixed or floating interest rate. Loans are often generally below investment grade and may be unrated. The Fund’s investments in loans can be difficult to value accurately and may be more susceptible to liquidity risk than fixed-income instruments of similar credit quality and/or maturity. The Fund is also subject to the risk that the value of the collateral for the loan may be insufficient to cover the borrower’s obligations should the borrower fail to make payments or become insolvent. Participations in loans may subject the Fund to the credit risk of both the borrower and the issuer of the participation and may make enforcement of loan covenants more difficult for the Fund as legal action may have to go through the issuer of the participations. Transactions in loans are often subject to long settlement periods, thus potentially limiting the ability of the Fund to invest sale proceeds in other investments and to use proceeds to meet its current redemption obligations.

Leverage Risk

To the extent that the Fund borrows money in the limited circumstances described under “Non-Principal Investment Strategies”, it may be leveraged. Leveraging generally exaggerates the effect on NAV of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Borrowings create interest expenses and other expenses (e.g., commitment fees) for the Fund that affect the Fund’s performance. Interest expenses are excluded from applicable fee waivers or expense limitation agreements.

Non-Principal Investment Strategies

As non-principal investment strategies, the Fund may invest in bank loans (including senior and/or mezzanine loans), preferred securities, convertible securities, insurance-linked securities, structured notes (notes on which the amount of principal repayment and interest payments are based on the movement of one or more specified factors, such as the movement of a particular security or security index). The bank loans in which the Fund invests may not be rated by an NRSRO or be rated below

 

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investment grade; such investments will not count towards the Fund’s 10% limit on investments in junk bonds set forth under “Principal Investment Strategies.”

In accordance with the 1940 Act rules, the Fund has adopted a policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in fixed income securities and in ETFs and closed-end funds that invest substantially all of their assets in fixed income securities (the “80% investment policy”). The 80% investment policy is non-fundamental. The Board of the Trust may change the Fund’s 80% investment policy without shareholder approval, upon 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders.

The Fund’s investment objective and investment policies constitute non-fundamental policies that the Board of Trustees of the Trust may change at any time without shareholder approval.

The fundamental and non-fundamental policies of the Fund are set forth in the Trust’s SAI under the section “Investment Restrictions.”

Borrowing Money

The Fund may borrow money to the extent set forth in the Fund’s SAI.

Additional Risks of Investing in the Fund

The following section provides additional risk information regarding investing in the Fund.

Trading Issues

Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market may pay brokerage commissions or other charges, which may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. Moreover, trading in Shares on NYSE Arca may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of NYSE Arca, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on NYSE Arca is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to NYSE Arca’s “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of NYSE Arca necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.

Shares May Trade at Prices Different than NAV

The NAV of the Fund’s Shares generally will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of Shares generally will fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV, as well as the relative supply of and demand for the Shares on NYSE Arca. The Adviser cannot predict whether the Shares will trade below, at or above the Fund’s NAV. Price differences may be due largely to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for the Shares will be related, but not identical, to the same forces influencing the prices of the securities or other instruments, as applicable, held by the Fund, individually or in the aggregate. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions or the existence of extreme market volatility may result in trading prices that differ significantly from NAV. If a shareholder purchases at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses.

Unlike conventional ETFs, the Fund is not an index fund. The Fund is actively managed and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. Index-based ETFs generally have traded at prices that closely correspond to NAV per share. Given the high level of transparency of the Fund’s holdings, the Adviser believes that the trading experience of the Fund should be similar to that of index-based ETFs. However, there can be no assurance as to whether and/or the extent to which the Shares will trade at premiums or discounts to NAV.

 

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Tax Structure of ETFs

Unlike interests in conventional mutual funds, which typically are bought and sold only at their closing NAV per share, the Shares are traded throughout the day in the secondary market on a national securities exchange, and are issued and redeemed partially for cash and partially in-kind in Creation Units at each day’s next calculated NAV. In-kind arrangements are designed to protect shareholders from the adverse effects on the Fund’s portfolio that could arise from frequent cash creation and redemption transactions. In a conventional mutual fund, redemptions can have an adverse tax impact on taxable shareholders because of the mutual fund’s need to sell portfolio securities to obtain cash to meet such redemptions. These sales may generate taxable gains that must be distributed to the shareholders of the mutual fund, whereas the Shares’ in-kind redemption mechanism generally will not lead to a tax event for the Fund (to the extent it uses in-kind redemptions) or its shareholders. However, the tax advantages of investing in Shares may be less pronounced because the Fund is actively managed and, therefore, may have greater turnover in its portfolio securities, which could result in less tax efficiency than an investment in a fund that is not actively managed. Because the Fund intends to effect creations and redemptions partially for cash, investments in Shares of the Fund may be less tax-efficient than investments in shares of conventional ETFs that utilize an entirely in-kind redemption process.

 

 

Portfolio Holdings

A description of the Trust’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI, which is available at www.powershares.com.

 

 

Management of the Funds

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC is a registered investment adviser with its offices at 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515. The Adviser serves as the investment adviser to the Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust and PowerShares Exchange-Traded Self-Indexed Fund Trust, a family of ETFs with combined assets under management of approximately $[        ] billion as of [    ].

As the Fund’s investment adviser, the Adviser has overall responsibility for selecting and continuously monitoring the Fund’s investments, managing the Fund’s business affairs and providing certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services for the Trust and oversight of the Sub-Adviser.

[Invesco Advisers, Inc., a subsidiary of Invesco Ltd., the parent of Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC, is a registered investment adviser and serves as the Fund’s investment sub-adviser. Subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board, the Sub-Adviser is responsible for the investment management of the Fund. The Sub-Adviser’s principal business address is 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309. In addition, the Sub-Adviser serves as the investment adviser to the Invesco mutual funds with combined assets under management of approximately $[        ] as of [    ].]

Portfolio Managers

Investment decisions for the Fund are made by investment management teams at the Adviser and Sub-Adviser. The Adviser and Sub-Adviser each use teams of portfolio managers, investment strategists and

 

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other investment specialists (collectively, the “Portfolio Managers”) who are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. This team approach brings together many disciplines and leverages the Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s extensive resources.

Each Portfolio Manager is responsible for various functions related to portfolio management, including investing cash flows, coordinating with other team members to focus on certain asset classes, implementing investment strategy and researching and reviewing investment strategy. Each Portfolio Manager has limitations on his or her authority for risk management and compliance purposes that the Adviser or Sub-Adviser believes to be appropriate.

[The following individuals are responsible jointly and primarily for the day-to-day management of the Fund:

 

  [Peter Hubbard has been one of the Portfolio Managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund since its inception.]

 

  [    ] is a Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and has been responsible for the management of the Fund since its inception. [    ] has been associated with the Adviser since [    ].

 

  [    ] is a Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and has been responsible for the management of the Fund since its inception. [    ] has been associated with the Adviser since [    ].

 

  [    ] is a Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and has been responsible for the management of the Fund since its inception. [    ] has been associated with the Adviser since [    ].

The Trust’s SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation structure, other accounts that the Portfolio Managers manage and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of Shares.

Advisory Fee

Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Trust (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”), the Fund pays the Adviser an advisory fee equal to [0.20%] of its average daily net assets (the “Advisory Fee”).

[The Trust and the Adviser have entered into an Excess Expense Agreement (the “Expense Agreement”) on behalf of the Fund pursuant to which the Adviser has agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse Fund expenses to the extent necessary to prevent the operating expenses of the Fund from exceeding 0.27% of its average net assets (the “Expense Cap”), at least until [            ].]

[Pursuant to the Expense Agreement, certain expenses are not covered by the Expense Cap for the Fund. The Fund’s expense Cap excludes interest expenses, [offering costs,] brokerage commissions and other trading expenses, taxes, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if applicable, and extraordinary expenses.]

[The Expense Agreement provides that the expenses borne by the Adviser are subject to recapture by the Adviser for up to three years from the date that the Adviser bore the expense, but no recapture payment will be made by the Fund if it would result in the Fund exceeding its Expense Cap. In no instance will the Adviser recapture any amounts for periods when the Fund’s total expenses exceeded the expense limit in place at the time the waiver was made.]

The Fund is responsible for all its own expenses, including, but not limited to, the investment advisory fees, costs of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with executions of portfolio transactions, any distribution fees or expenses, litigation expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if applicable, fees payable to the Trust’s Board members and officers who are not “interested persons” of the Trust or

 

31


the Adviser, expenses incurred in connection with the Board members’ services, including travel expenses and legal fees of counsel for those members of the Board who are not “interested persons” of the Trust or the Adviser and extraordinary expenses.

The Fund may invest in money market funds that are managed by affiliates of the Adviser. The indirect portion of the management fee that the Fund incurs through such investments is in addition to the Adviser’s management fee. Therefore, the Adviser has agreed to waive the fees that it receives under the management fee in an amount equal to the indirect management fees that the Fund incurs through its investments in affiliated money market funds through [                ]. There is no guarantee that the Adviser will extend the waiver of these fees past that date.

The Adviser has entered into an Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Sub-Adviser the Fund. The sub-advisory fee is paid by the Adviser to the Sub-Adviser at [    ]% of the Adviser’s compensation of the sub-advised assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Trust’s Investment Advisory Agreement and Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund will be available in the Trust’s [Annual Report to shareholders for the fiscal year ending             .]

 

 

How to Buy and Sell Shares

The Fund issues or redeems its Shares at NAV per Share only in Creation Units, or Creation Unit Aggregations.

Most investors buy and sell Shares of the Fund in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares of the Fund will be listed for trading on the secondary market on NYSE Arca. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded shares. There is no minimum investment. Although Shares generally are purchased and sold in “round lots” of 100 Shares, brokerage firms typically permit investors to purchase or sell Shares in smaller “oddlots,” at no per share price differential. When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. The Shares of the Fund trade on NYSE Arca under the following symbol: [    ].

Share prices are reported in dollars and cents per Share.

APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV per Share, only in Creation Units or Creation Unit Aggregations, and in accordance with the procedures described in the SAI.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will pay out redemption proceeds to a redeeming AP within two days after the AP’s redemption request is received, in accordance with the process set forth in the Fund’s SAI and in the agreement between the AP and the Fund’s distributor. However, the Fund reserves the right, including under stressed market conditions, to take up to seven days after the receipt of a redemption request (as discussed above) to pay an AP, all as permitted by the 1940 Act. The Fund anticipates regularly meeting redemption requests partially for cash and partially in-kind. Cash used for redemptions will be raised from the sale of portfolio assets or may come from existing holdings of cash or cash equivalents.

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

 

32


Book Entry

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

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

Share Trading Prices

The trading prices of the Shares listed on NYSE Arca may differ from the Fund’s daily NAV. Market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors may affect the trading prices of Shares.

The approximate value of Shares of the Fund, an amount representing on a per share basis the sum of the current market price of the securities accepted by the Fund in exchange for Shares of the Fund and an estimated cash component will be disseminated every 15 seconds throughout the trading day through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association. This approximate value should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV per Share of the Fund because the approximate value will not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day, generally at the end of the business day. The Fund is not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the approximate value of the Shares, and the Fund does not make any warranty as to the accuracy of the approximate value.

 

 

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares

Shares may be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund only in Creation Units by APs. The vast majority of trading in Shares of the Fund occurs on the secondary market, and does not involve the Fund directly. In-kind purchases and redemptions of Creation Units by APs and cash trades on the secondary market are unlikely to cause many of the harmful effects of frequent purchases and/or redemptions of Shares. Cash purchases and/or redemptions of Creation Units, however, can result in disruption of portfolio management, dilution to the Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective, and may lead to the realization of capital gains. These consequences may increase as the frequency of cash purchases and redemptions of Creation Units by APs increases. However, direct trading by APs is critical to ensuring that Shares trade at or close to NAV.

To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares, the Fund imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs the Fund incurs in effecting trades. In addition, the Adviser monitors trades by APs for patterns of abusive trading and the Fund reserves the right to not accept orders from APs that the Adviser has determined may be disruptive to the management of the Fund, or otherwise are not in the best interests of the Fund. In recognition of the nature of the Fund’s investments and that its Shares are purchased and redeemed in Creation Units principally for cash, the Board has adopted policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares of the Fund, which incorporate the practices described above, as well as additional trade monitoring for market timing activities.

 

33


 

Dividends, Other Distributions and Taxes

Dividends and Other Distributions

Ordinarily, dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid monthly by the Fund. The Fund also intends to distribute its net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders annually. Dividends and other distributions may be declared and paid more frequently to comply with the distribution requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and to avoid a federal excise tax imposed on regulated investment companies.

Taxes

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

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

 

  Your Fund makes distributions,

 

  You sell your Shares (including when you exchange Shares for shares of another ETF), and

 

  You purchase or redeem Creation Units.

Taxes on Distributions

As stated above, dividends from net investment income, if any, ordinarily are declared and paid monthly. The Fund also may pay a special distribution at the end of a calendar year to comply with federal tax requirements and/or to minimize or eliminate federal tax liability. In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax when they are paid, whether you take them in cash or reinvest them in Shares (if reinvestment is available from the broker through whom you purchased your Shares).

Dividends paid out of the Fund’s net investment income and net realized short-term capital gains, if any, generally are taxable as ordinary income, except that the Fund’s dividends attributable to its “qualified dividend income” generally will be subject to federal income tax for individual and certain other non-corporate shareholders (each, an “individual shareholder”) who satisfy those restrictions with respect to their Fund shares at the lower rates for long-term capital gains—a maximum of 15% (or 20% for individual shareholders with taxable income exceeding certain thresholds, which will be adjusted annually for inflation). Distributions of net long-term capital gains in excess of net short term capital losses, if any, are taxable as long-term capital gains at the rates mentioned above for individual shareholders, regardless of how long you have held your Shares.

Distributions to you in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, if any, are treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of your basis in your Shares and as capital gain thereafter. A distribution will reduce the Fund’s NAV per Share and may be taxable to you (as ordinary income or long-term capital gain) even though, from an investment standpoint, the distribution constitutes a partial return of capital.

 

34


By law, the Fund is required to withhold 28% of distributions and redemption proceeds (regardless of whether you realize a gain or loss) otherwise payable to you if you are an individual shareholder and have not provided a correct social security number or other taxpayer identification number or are otherwise subject to backup withholding.

There is a risk that the tax treatment of futures, options, 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.

Taxes on Share Sales

Any capital gain or loss you realize upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as long-term capital gain, taxable at the rates mentioned above for individual shareholders, or loss if you held the Shares for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if you held the Shares for one year or less. Your ability to deduct capital losses realized on a sale of Shares may be limited.

Taxes on Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units

To the extent that the Fund permits in-kind transactions, an AP that exchanges securities for a Creation Unit generally will recognize a capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units and the sum of the AP’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus any cash component paid. Similarly, an AP that redeems a Creation Unit in exchange for securities generally will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the AP’s basis in the Creation Unit and the aggregate market value of the securities received plus or minus an amount, if any, equal to the difference between the NAV of the redeemed Shares, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of those securities. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for a Creation Unit, or of a Creation Unit for securities, cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales” or on the ground that there has been no significant change in the AP’s economic position. An AP exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisors with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss otherwise might not be deductible.

Any capital gain or loss realized on a redemption of a Creation Unit generally is treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if they have been held for one year or less.

If you purchase or redeem one or more Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many Shares you purchased or sold and at what price.

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the more important possible consequences under current federal, state and local tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local and/or foreign tax on the Fund’s distributions and sales and/or redemptions of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor(s) about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws.

 

35


 

Distributor

Invesco Distributors, Inc. (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. The Distributor is an affiliate of the Adviser.

 

 

Net Asset Value

The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNYM”) calculates the Fund’s NAV at the close of regular trading (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) every day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open, provided that U.S. fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association announces an early closing time. The NAV for the Fund will be calculated and disseminated on each day that the NYSE is open. NAV is calculated by deducting all of the Fund’s liabilities from the total value of its assets and dividing the result by the number of Shares outstanding, rounding to the nearest cent. Generally, the portfolio securities are recorded in the NAV no later than trade date plus one day. All valuations are subject to review by the Board or its delegate.

In determining NAV, expenses are accrued and applied daily and securities and other assets for which market quotations are readily available are valued at market value. Securities listed or traded on an exchange generally are valued at the last sales price or official closing price that day as of the close of the exchange where the security is primarily traded. Investment companies are valued using such company’s NAV per share, unless the shares are exchange-traded, in which case they will be valued at the last sale or official closing price on the exchanges on which they primarily trade. Deposits, other obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. banks and financial institutions, and cash equivalents are valued at their daily account value. Options generally are valued at the closing price (and, if no closing price is available, at the mean of the last bid/ask quotations), generally from the exchange where such instruments principally trade. Futures contracts generally are valued based on quotations from a pricing vendor or market makers, all in accordance with valuation procedures approved by the Board of the Trust.

Certain securities may not be listed on an exchange; typically, those securities are bought and sold by institutional investors in individually negotiated private transactions. Such securities, as well as listed securities whose market price is not readily available, will be valued using pricing provided from independent pricing services or by another method that the Adviser, in its judgment, believes will better reflect the security’s fair value in accordance with the Trust’s valuation procedures approved by the Board.

Even when market quotations are available for portfolio securities, they may be stale or unreliable because the security is not traded frequently, trading on the security ceased before the close of the trading market or issuer specific events occurred after the security ceased trading or because of the passage of time between the close of the market on which the security trades and the close of the NYSE and when the Fund calculates its NAV. Events that may cause the last market quotation to be unreliable include a merger or insolvency, events which affect a geographical area or an industry segment, such as political events or natural disasters, or market events, such as a significant movement in the U.S. market. Where market quotations are not readily available, including where the Adviser determines that the closing price of the security is unreliable, the Adviser will value the security at fair value in good faith using procedures approved by the Board. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security. With respect to securities that primarily are listed on foreign exchanges, the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you will not be able to purchase or sell your Shares.

 

36


 

Fund Service Providers

BNYM, 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, is the administrator, custodian, transfer agent and fund accounting agent for the Fund.

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, 191 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1601, Chicago, Illinois 60606, and 1250 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20036, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.

[    ], serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. [    ] is responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Fund and performs other related audit services.

 

 

Financial Highlights

The Fund is new and has no performance history as of the date of this Prospectus. Financial information for the Fund therefore is not available.

 

 

Premium/Discount Information

Information on the daily NAV per Share for the Fund, once available, will be found at www.powershares.com. Additionally, information regarding how often the Shares of the Fund traded on NYSE Arca at a price above (at a premium) or below (at a discount) the NAV of the Fund during the prior calendar year and subsequent quarters, when available, will be found at www.powershares.com.

 

 

Other Information

Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by investment companies (and companies relying on Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act) in the securities of other investment companies. However, 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 Trust on behalf of the Fund prior to exceeding the limits imposed by Section 12(d)(1). Additionally, the Fund is permitted to invest in other registered investment companies beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in another exemptive order that the SEC has issued to the Trust. If the Fund relies on this exemptive relief, however, other investment companies may not invest in the Fund beyond the statutory provisions of Section 12(d)(1).

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, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), may occur at any point. 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.

 

37


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 characterization as an underwriter.

Broker-dealer firms also should 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(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker-dealer firms should note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with engaging in ordinary secondary market transactions), and thus dealing with the Shares that are part of an overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act only is available with respect to transactions on a national exchange.

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 the Prospectus and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you currently are enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.

For More Information

For more detailed information on the Fund and Shares, you may request a copy of the Trust’s SAI. The SAI provides detailed information about the Fund and is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. This means that the SAI legally is a part of this Prospectus. Additional information about the Fund’s investments also will appear in the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders, when available. In the Fund’s Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its most recent fiscal year. If you have questions about the Fund or Shares or you wish to obtain the SAI, Annual Report and/or Semi-Annual Report, when available, free of charge, or to make shareholder inquiries, please:

 

  Call:  

Invesco Distributors, Inc. at 1-800-983-0903

Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time

  Write:  

PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust

c/o Invesco Distributors, Inc.

11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000

Houston, Texas 77046-1173

  Visit:   www.powershares.com

 

38


Information about the Fund (including the SAI) can be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room, 100 F Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20549, and information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-551-8090. 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, or by writing the SEC’s Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520.

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.

Dealers effecting transactions in the Shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, generally are required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation of dealers to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters.

The Trust’s registration number under the 1940 Act is 811-22148.

 

39


P-[                     ]-PRO-1    LOGO

PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust

3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

  
www.powershares.com    800.983.0903      
  

 

LOGO @PowerShares

     


 

 

Subject to Completion – dated [                    ]

The information in this Statement of Additional Information is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Statement of Additional Information is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

Investment Company Act File No. 811-22148

POWERSHARES ACTIVELY MANAGED

EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND TRUST

 

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Dated [                    ]

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus dated [                    ], for the PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (the “Trust”), relating to the series of the Trust listed below, as it may be revised from time to time (the “Prospectus”).

 

Fund

  

Principal U.S. Listing Exchange

   Ticker  

PowerShares Ultra Short Duration Portfolio

   NYSE Arca, Inc.      [    

Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge by writing to the Trust’s Distributor, Invesco Distributors, Inc. (the “Distributor”), 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173, or by calling toll free 1-800-983-0903.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

General Description of the Trust and the Funds

     3  

Exchange Listing and Trading

     3  

Investment Restrictions

     4  

Investment Strategies and Risks

     5  

Portfolio Turnover

     19  

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

     20  

Management

     20  

Brokerage Transactions

     36  

Additional Information Concerning the Trust

     37  

Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations

     39  

Taxes

     49  

Determination of NAV

     53  

Dividends and Other Distributions

     54  

Miscellaneous Information

     54  

Financial Statements

     55  

Appendix A

     56  

 

2


GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND

The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on November 6, 2007 and is authorized to have 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 Trust currently consists of [eight] series. This SAI relates to the PowerShares Ultra Short Duration Portfolio (the “Fund”). The Fund is “non-diversified,” and as such, the Fund’s investments are not required to meet certain diversification requirements under the 1940 Act. The shares of the Fund are referred to herein as “Shares.”

The investment objective of the Fund is to seek to maximize current income, consistent with preservation of capital and daily liquidity. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (the “Adviser”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd., manages the Fund.

The Adviser has entered into an investment sub-advisory agreement with an affiliate to serve as investment sub-adviser to the Fund. The affiliated sub-adviser, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (“Invesco” or the “Sub-Adviser”), is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”). The Sub-Adviser is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd.

The Fund will issue and redeem Shares at net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of 100,000 Shares (each, a “Creation Unit” or a “Creation Unit Aggregation”). The Fund issues and redeems Creation Units partially in exchange for a basket of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) together with a specified cash payment (the “Cash Component”), and partially for cash calculated based on the NAV per Share, multiplied by the number of Shares representing a Creation Unit (“Deposit Cash”), plus certain transaction fees; however, the Fund also reserves the right to permit or require Creation Units to be issued and redeemed principally for Deposit Cash, or principally for the Deposit Securities and Cash Component.

To the extent that the Fund issues or redeems Creation Units in exchange for Deposit Securities, it may issue Shares in advance of receipt of such Deposit Securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to 105% of the market value of the missing Deposit Securities. To offset the added brokerage and other transaction costs the Fund incurs with using cash to purchase the requisite Deposit Securities, during each instance of cash creations or redemptions, the Fund may impose transaction fees that generally are higher than the transaction fees associated with in-kind creations or redemptions. For more information, see the section below titled “Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations.”

The Fund is expected to be approved for listing, subject to notice of issuance, on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange” or “NYSE”). Shares of the Fund will trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at or above NAV. In the event of the liquidation of a Fund, the Trust may decrease the number of Shares in a Creation Unit.

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

There can be no assurance that the Fund will continue to meet the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the Shares of the Fund from listing if (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning at the commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial owners of the Shares of the Fund for 30 or more consecutive trading days; or (ii) such other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.

As in the case of other stocks traded on the Exchange, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

 

3


The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of the Shares in the future to help 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.

In order to provide additional information regarding the indicative value of Shares of the Fund, the Exchange or a market data vendor disseminates every 15 seconds through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association or other widely disseminated means an updated “intraday indicative value” (“IIV”) for the Fund as calculated by an information provider or market data vendor. The Trust is not involved in or responsible for any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the IIVs and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the IIVs.

Shares of the Fund are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Shares of the Fund and the Exchange is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of the Shares of the Fund to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Shares are redeemable. The 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.

The Exchange makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the Trust on behalf of the Fund, owners of the Shares, or any other person or entity. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Exchange have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

The Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) has adopted as fundamental investment restrictions numbered (1) through (7) below. Except as otherwise noted below, the Fund, as a fundamental policy, may not:

(1) Invest more than 25% of the value of its net assets in securities of issuers in any one industry or group of industries. This restriction does not apply to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities.

(2) Borrow money, except the Fund may (i) borrow money to the extent permitted by (i) the 1940 Act, (ii) the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC under the 1940 Act, or (iii) an exemption or other relief applicable to the Fund from the provisions of the 1940 Act.

(3) Act as an underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.

(4) Make loans to other persons, except through (i) the purchase of debt securities permissible under the Fund’s investment policies, (ii) repurchase agreements or (iii) the lending of portfolio securities, provided that no such loan of portfolio securities may be made by the Fund if, as a result, the aggregate of such loans would exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets.

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

(6) Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prohibit the Fund from purchasing or selling securities or other instruments backed by real estate or of issuers engaged in real estate activities).

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

 

4


Except for restrictions (2), (4)(ii) and (iii) and (7), if a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of investment, a later increase in percentage resulting from a change in market value of the investment or the total assets, or the sale of a security out of the portfolio, will not constitute a violation of that restriction. With respect to restrictions (2), (4)(ii) and (iii) and (7), in the event that the Fund’s borrowings, repurchase agreements and loans of portfolio securities at any time exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the amount borrowed and collateral received) less the Fund’s liabilities (other than borrowings or loans) due to subsequent changes in the value of the Fund’s assets or otherwise, within three days (excluding Sundays and holidays), the Fund will take corrective action to reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that such borrowings, repurchase agreements and loans will not exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the amount borrowed and collateral received) less the Fund’s liabilities (other than borrowings or loans).

The foregoing fundamental investment policies cannot be changed without approval by holders of a “majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities.” As defined in the 1940 Act, this means the vote of (i) 67% or more of the Shares of a Fund present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the Shares are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the Shares, whichever is less.

In addition to the foregoing fundamental investment policies, the Fund also is subject to the following non-fundamental restrictions and policies, which may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval. The Fund may not:

(1) Sell securities short, unless the Fund owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short at no added cost, and provided that transactions in options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts or other derivative instruments are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.

(2) Purchase securities on margin, except that the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions; and provided that margin deposits in connection with futures contracts, options on futures contracts or other derivative instruments shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.

(3) Purchase securities of open-end or closed-end investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act.

(4) Invest in direct interests in oil, gas or other mineral exploration programs or leases; however, the Fund may invest in the securities of issuers that engage in these activities.

(5) Invest in illiquid securities if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid securities.

The investment objective of the Fund is a non-fundamental policy that can be changed by the Board without approval by shareholders upon 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders.

In accordance with the 1940 Act rules, the Fund has adopted a policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in fixed income securities and in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) and closed-end funds that invest substantially all of their assets in fixed income securities (the “80% investment policy”). The 80% investment policy is non-fundamental. The Board of the Trust may change the Fund’s 80% investment policy without shareholder approval, upon 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders.

INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

Investment Strategies

Unlike conventional ETFs, the Fund is “actively managed” and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objectives by investing in securities included in its investment universe.

 

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Additionally, during times of adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Fund may depart temporarily from its principal investment strategies (such as by maintaining a significant uninvested cash position) for defensive purposes. Doing so could help the Fund avoid losses, but may mean lost investment opportunities. During these periods, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

Investment Risks

A discussion of the principal risks associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Fund’s Prospectus in the “Summary Information—Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund,” “Additional Information About the Fund’s Strategies and Risks—Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds” and “—Additional Risks of Investing in the Funds” sections. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, these sections.

An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of an issuer of the portfolio securities, the value of securities in general and other factors that affect the market.

An investment in the Fund also should be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in securities, including the risk that the financial condition of the issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the securities market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the portfolio holdings and thus in the value of Shares). Securities are susceptible to general securities market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions of the companies issuing the securities change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies, inflation and interest rates, economic expansion or contraction, and global or regional political, economic or banking crises.

General Risk Factors—The NAV of the Fund is expected to fluctuate, reflecting fluctuations in the market value of its portfolio positions. The value of fixed-income instruments held by the Fund, if applicable, generally fluctuates inversely with interest rate movements. In other words, bond prices generally fall as interest rates rise and generally rise as interest rates fall. Longer term bonds held by the Fund, if applicable, are subject to greater interest rate risk.

Asset-Backed Securities—The Fund may invest in “asset-backed securities” (“ABS”), which are securities that represent an interest in a pool of assets. These include, but are not limited to, secured debt instruments collateralized by automobile loans, credit card loans, home equity loans, student loans, boat loans, mobile home loans, recreational vehicle loans, manufactured housing loans, aircraft leases, computer leases and syndicated bank loans, and other types of debt or receivables providing the source of both principal and interest. On occasion, the pool of assets may also include a swap obligation, which is used to change the cash flows on the underlying assets. As an example, a swap may be used to allow floating rate assets to back a fixed rate obligation. The credit quality of an ABS depends primarily on the quality of the underlying assets, the level of credit support, if any, provided by the issuer, and the credit quality of the swap counterparty, if any. ABS are subject to risks similar to those discussed below with respect to mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”).

Investments in ABS may be subject to many of the same risks that are applicable to investments in securities generally, including currency risk, geographic emphasis risk, high yield and unrated securities risk, leverage risk, prepayment risk and regulatory risk. ABS are particularly subject to interest rate, credit, liquidity and valuation risks. ABS are also subject to liquidity risk and, therefore, may be difficult to value accurately or sell at an advantageous time or price and involve greater transaction costs and wider bid/ask spreads than certain other instruments.

Additional risks relating to investments in ABS may arise because of the type of ABS in which the Fund invests, defined by the assets collateralizing the ABS. For example, ABS backed by aircraft loans and leases may provide the Fund with a less effective security interest in the related underlying collateral than do mortgage-related securities and, thus, it is possible that recovery on repossessed collateral might be unavailable or inadequate to support payments on these ABS. In addition to the risks inherent in ABS generally, risks associated with aircraft

 

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securitizations include but are not limited to risks related to commercial aircraft, the leasing of aircraft by commercial airlines and the commercial aviation industry generally. With respect to any one aircraft, the value of such aircraft can be affected by the particular maintenance and operating history for the aircraft or its components, the model and type of aircraft, the jurisdiction of registration (including legal risks, costs and delays in attempting to repossess and export such aircraft following any default under the related loan or lease) and regulatory risk.

Methods of Allocating Cash Flows. While many asset-backed securities are issued with only one class of security, many asset-backed securities are issued in more than one class, each with different payment terms. Multiple class asset-backed securities are issued for two main reasons. First, multiple classes may be used as a method of providing credit support. This is accomplished typically through creation of one or more classes whose right to payments on the asset-backed security is made subordinate to the right to such payments of the remaining class or classes (See “Types of Credit Support”). Second, multiple classes may permit the issuance of securities with payment terms, interest rates or other characteristics differing both from those of each other and from those of the underlying assets. Examples include so-called “strips” (asset-backed securities entitling the holder to disproportionate interests with respect to the allocation of interest and principal of the assets backing the security) and securities with a class or classes having characteristics which mimic the characteristics of non-asset-backed securities, such as floating interest rates (i.e., interest rates which adjust as a specified benchmark changes) or scheduled amortization of principal.

Asset-backed securities in which the payment streams on the underlying assets are allocated in a manner different than those described above may be issued in the future. The Fund may invest in such asset-backed securities if such investment is otherwise consistent with its investment objectives and policies and with the investment restrictions of the Fund.

Types of Credit Support. Asset-backed securities are often backed by a pool of assets representing the obligations of a number of different parties. To lessen the effect of failures by obligors on underlying assets to make payments, such securities may contain elements of credit support. Such credit support falls into two classes: liquidity protection and protection against ultimate default by an obligor on the underlying assets. Liquidity protection refers to the provision of advances, generally by the entity administering the pool of assets, to ensure that scheduled payments on the underlying pool are made in a timely fashion. Protection against ultimate default ensures ultimate payment of the obligations on at least a portion of the assets in the pool. Such protection may be provided through guarantees, insurance policies or letters of credit obtained from third parties, through various means of structuring the transaction or through a combination of such approaches. Examples of asset-backed securities with credit support arising out of the structure of the transaction include “senior-subordinated securities” (multiple class asset-backed securities with certain classes subordinate to other classes as to the payment of principal thereon, with the result that defaults on the underlying assets are borne first by the holders of the subordinated class) and asset-backed securities that have “reserve portfolios” (where cash or investments, sometimes funded from a portion of the initial payments on the underlying assets, are held in reserve against future losses) or that have been “over collateralized” (where the scheduled payments on, or the principal amount of, the underlying assets substantially exceeds that required to make payment of the asset-backed securities and pay any servicing or other fees). The degree of credit support provided on each issue is based generally on historical information respecting the level of credit risk associated with such payments. Delinquency or loss in excess of that anticipated could adversely affect the return on an investment in an asset-backed security. Additionally, if the letter of credit is exhausted, holders of asset-backed securities may also experience delays in payments or losses if the full amounts due on underlying sales contracts are not realized.

Bank Instruments—The Fund may invest in certificates of deposit (“CDs”), time deposits and bankers’ acceptances from U.S. banks. A bankers’ acceptance is a bill of exchange or time draft drawn on and accepted by a commercial bank. A CD is a negotiable interest-bearing instrument with a specific maturity. CDs are issued by banks and savings and loan institutions in exchange for the deposit of funds and normally can be traded in the secondary market prior to maturity. A time deposit is a nonnegotiable receipt issued by a bank in exchange for the deposit of funds. Like a CD, it earns a specified rate of interest over a definite period of time; however, it cannot be traded in the secondary market.

Bonds—The Fund invests in U.S. registered, dollar-denominated bonds. A bond is an interest-bearing security issued by a company, governmental unit or, in some cases, a non-U.S. entity. The issuer of a bond has a contractual

 

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obligation to pay interest at a stated rate on specific dates and to repay principal (the bond’s face value) periodically or on a specified maturity date. An issuer may have the right to redeem or “call” a bond before maturity, in which case the investor may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower market rates. Most bonds bear interest income at a “coupon” rate that is fixed for the life of the bond. The value of a fixed rate bond usually rises when market interest rates fall, and falls when market interest rates rise. Accordingly, a fixed rate bond’s yield (income as a percent of the bond’s current value) may differ from its coupon rate as its value rises or falls. Other types of bonds bear income at an interest rate that is adjusted periodically. Bonds may be senior or subordinated obligations. Senior obligations generally have the first claim on a corporation’s earnings and assets and, in the event of liquidation, are paid before subordinated obligations. Bonds may be unsecured (backed only by the issuer’s general creditworthiness) or secured (also backed by specified collateral).

Borrowing—The Fund has established a line of credit with certain banks from which it may borrow funds for temporary or emergency purposes. To the extent the Fund effects cash redemptions or partial cash redemptions, the Fund may use lines of credit to meet large or unexpected redemptions that would otherwise force the Fund to liquidate securities under circumstances which are unfavorable to the Fund’s remaining shareholders. The Fund may be required to pay fees to the banks to maintain the lines of credit, which increases the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.

Collateralized Debt Obligations (“CDOs”)—A CDO is an ABS whose underlying collateral is typically a portfolio of bonds, bank loans, commercial real estate, other structured finance securities and/or synthetic instruments. Where the underlying collateral is a portfolio of bonds, a CDO is referred to as a collateralized bond obligation (“CBO”). Where the underlying collateral is a portfolio of bank loans, a CDO is referred to as a collateralized loan obligation (“CLO”). Investors in CDOs bear the credit risk of the underlying collateral. Multiple tranches of securities are issued by the CDO, offering investors various maturity and credit risk characteristics. Tranches are categorized as senior, mezzanine, and subordinated/equity, according to their degree of risk. If there are defaults or the CDO’s collateral otherwise underperforms, scheduled payments to senior tranches take precedence over those of mezzanine tranches, and scheduled payments to mezzanine tranches take precedence over those to subordinated/equity tranches. CDOs are subject to the same risk of prepayment described with respect to certain mortgage-related and ABS below. The value of CDOs may be affected by changes in the market’s perception of the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the pool or the originator.

The Fund may invest in CLOs, which are another type of ABS. A CLO is a trust or other special purpose entity that is comprised of or collateralized by a pool of loans, including domestic and non-U.S. senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. The loans generate cash flow that is allocated among one or more classes of securities (“tranches”) that vary in risk and yield. The most senior tranche has the best credit quality and the lowest yield compared to the other tranches. The equity tranche has the highest potential yield but also has the greatest risk, as it bears the bulk of defaults from the underlying loans and helps to protect the more senior tranches from risk of these defaults. However, despite the protection from the equity and other more junior tranches, more senior tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults and decreased market value due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as aversion to CLO securities as a class.

Normally, CLOs are privately offered and sold and are not registered under state or federal securities laws. Therefore, investments in CLOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities; however, an active dealer market may exist for CLOs allowing a CLO to qualify for transactions pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act. CLOs normally charge management fees and administrative expenses, which are in addition to those of the Fund.

The riskiness of investing in CLOs depends largely on the quality and type of the collateral loans and the tranche of the CLO in which the Fund invests. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed-income securities (such as interest rate risk and credit risk), CLOs carry risks including, but are not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from the collateral will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the Fund may invest in CLO tranches that are subordinate to other tranches; and (iv) the complex structure of the CLO may not be fully understood at the time of investment or may result in the quality of the underlying collateral not being fully understood and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results. In addition, interest on certain tranches of a CLO may be

 

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paid in-kind (meaning that unpaid interest is effectively added to principal), which involves continued exposure to default risk with respect to such payments. Certain CLOs may receive credit enhancement in the form of a senior-subordinate structure, over-collateralization or bond insurance, but such enhancement may not always be present and may fail to protect the Fund against the risk of loss due to defaults on the collateral. Certain CLOs may not hold loans directly, but rather, use derivatives such as swaps to create “synthetic” exposure to the collateral pool of loans. Such CLOs entail the risks of derivative instruments.

Commercial Instruments—The Fund may invest in commercial interests, including commercial paper, asset-backed commercial paper and other short-term corporate instruments. Commercial paper normally represents short-term unsecured promissory notes issued in bearer form by banks or bank holding companies, corporations, finance companies and other issuers. Commercial paper may be traded in the secondary market after its issuance. Asset-backed commercial paper is issued by a special purpose entity that is organized to issue the commercial paper and to purchase trade receivables or other financial assets. The credit quality of asset backed commercial paper depends primarily on the quality of these assets and the level of any additional credit support.

Convertible Securities—The Fund may invest in convertible securities. Convertible securities include bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks and other securities that may be converted into a prescribed amount of common stock or other equity securities at a specified price and time. The holder of convertible securities is entitled to receive interest paid or accrued on debt, or dividends paid or accrued on preferred stock, until the security matures or is converted. The value of a convertible security depends on interest rates, the yield of similar nonconvertible securities, the financial strength of the issuer and the seniority of the security in the issuer’s capital structure. Convertible securities may be illiquid and may be required to convert at a time and at a price that is unfavorable to the Fund. To the extent that the Fund invests in convertible securities with credit ratings below investment grade, such securities may have a higher likelihood of default, although this may be somewhat offset by the convertibility feature.

Corporate Bonds—The Fund may invest in investment grade corporate bonds. The investment return of corporate bonds reflects interest on the security and changes in the market value of the security. The market value of a corporate bond may be affected by the credit rating of the corporation, the corporation’s performance and perceptions of the corporation in the market place. There is a risk that the issuers of the securities may not be able to meet their obligations on interest or principal payments at the time called for by an instrument.

Cyber Security and Operational Risk—With the increased use of technologies in the course of business, the Fund and its service providers have become potentially more susceptible to operational, information security and risks resulting from cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks are intentional actions and unintentional events that may cause operational disruptions and failures, including the theft or corruption of data maintained online or digitally, denial of service on websites, and the unauthorized release of confidential information. Successful cyber-attacks against, or cyber security breakdowns of, the Fund and/or third party service providers may adversely impact the Fund and its shareholders by, among other things, interfering with the processing of shareholder transactions, impacting the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, causing the release of private shareholder information or confidential Fund information, impeding trading, causing reputational damage, and subjecting the Fund to regulatory fines, penalties or financial losses, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and additional compliance and cyber security risk management costs. Although the Fund and its service providers may have established business continuity plans and systems designed to reduce the risks or adverse effects associated with cyber attacks, there are inherent limitations in these plans and systems, including that certain risks may not have been identified, in large part because different or unknown threats may emerge in the future. Similar types of cyber security risks also are 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 securities to lose value.

The Fund’s investments or its service providers may be negatively impacted due to operational risks arising from factors such as processing errors and human errors, inadequate or failed internal or external processes, failures in systems and technology, changes in personnel, and errors caused by third-party service providers or trading counterparties. In particular, these errors or failures as well as other technological issues may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV in a timely manner, including over a potentially extended period. Although the Fund attempts to minimize such failures through controls and oversight, it is not possible to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls that completely eliminate or mitigate the occurrence of such failures. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

 

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Delayed Delivery Transactions—The Fund may use delayed delivery transactions as an investment technique. Delayed delivery transactions, also referred to as forward commitments, involve commitments by the Fund to dealers or issuers to acquire or sell securities at a specified future date beyond the customary settlement for such securities. These commitments may fix the payment price and interest rate to be received or paid on the investment. The Fund may purchase securities on a delayed delivery basis to the extent that it can anticipate having available cash on the settlement date. Delayed delivery agreements will not be used as a speculative or leverage technique.

Investment in securities on a delayed delivery basis may increase the Fund’s exposure to market fluctuation and may increase the possibility that the Fund will incur short-term gains subject to federal taxation or short-term losses if the Fund must engage in portfolio transactions in order to honor a delayed delivery commitment. Until the settlement date, the Fund will segregate liquid assets of a dollar value sufficient at all times to make payment for the delayed delivery transactions. Such segregated liquid assets will be marked-to-market daily, and the amount segregated will be increased if necessary to maintain adequate coverage of the delayed delivery commitments.

The delayed delivery securities, which will not begin to accrue interest or dividends until the settlement date, will be recorded as an asset of the Fund and will be subject to the risk of market fluctuation. The purchase price of the delayed delivery securities is a liability of the Fund until settlement. The Fund may enter into buy/sell back transactions (a form of delayed delivery agreement). In a buy/sell back transaction, the Fund enters a trade to sell securities at one price and simultaneously enters a trade to buy the same securities at another price for settlement at a future date.

Forwards. The Fund may engage in forward contracts, including non-deliverable forwards, which are forward contracts on foreign currencies that are cash settled and that do not involve delivery of the currency specified in the contract. The forwards may not act as a perfect hedge, which could result in losses to the Fund, and the cost of using forwards may reduce the Fund’s returns. Forwards are subject to the risks associated with derivatives.

High Yield Securities —The Fund may invest in high yield securities (“junk bonds”), which are debt securities that are rated below investment grade by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations, or are unrated securities that the Sub-Adviser believes are of comparable quality. Investing in high yield debt securities involves risks that are greater than the risks of investing in higher quality debt securities. These risks include: (i) changes in credit status, including weaker overall credit conditions of issuers and risks of default; (ii) industry, market and economic risk; and (iii) greater price variability and credit risks of certain high yield securities such as zero coupon and payment-in-kind securities. While these risks provide the opportunity for maximizing return over time, they may result in greater volatility of the value of the Fund than a fund that invests in higher-rated securities.

Furthermore, the value of high yield securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic, company or industry conditions than is the case for higher quality securities. The market values of certain of these lower-rated and unrated debt securities tend to reflect individual corporate developments to a greater extent than do higher-rated securities which react primarily to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates, and tend to be more sensitive to economic conditions than are higher-rated securities. Adverse market, credit or economic conditions could make it difficult at certain times to sell certain high yield securities held by the Fund.

The secondary market on which high yield securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for higher grade securities. Less liquidity in the secondary trading market could adversely affect the price at which the Fund could sell a high yield security, and could adversely affect the daily NAV per share of the Fund. When secondary markets for high yield securities are less liquid than the market for higher grade securities, it may be more difficult to value the securities because there is less reliable, objective data available. However, when investing in high yield securities the Fund intends to invest primarily in high yield securities that the Sub-Adviser believes have greater liquidity than the broader high yield securities market as a whole.

The use of credit ratings as a principal method of selecting high yield securities can involve certain risks. For example, credit ratings evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments, not the market value risk of high yield securities. Also, credit rating agencies may fail to change credit ratings in a timely fashion to reflect events since the security was last rated.

 

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Lending of Portfolio Securities—For the purpose of realizing additional income, the Fund may make secured loans of Fund securities amounting to not more than 33 1/3% of its total assets. Securities loans are made to broker/dealers, institutional investors, or other persons pursuant to agreements requiring that the loans be continuously secured by collateral at least equal at all times to the value of the securities loaned, marked to market on a daily basis. The collateral received will consist of cash, U.S. government securities, letters of credit or such other collateral as may be permitted under its investment program. While the securities are being loaned, the Fund will continue to receive the equivalent of the interest or dividends paid by the issuer on the securities, as well as interest on the investment of the collateral or a fee from the borrower, although a portion can be payable to a collateral agent for certain services. When the Fund invests collateral, the Fund will bear the risk of loss and the risk of loss depends on the nature and type of investment made with the collateral. Costs of underlying securities lending activities are not typically reflected in the Fund’s fee and expense ratios. The Fund has a right to call each loan and obtain the securities on five business days’ notice or, in connection with securities trading on foreign markets, within such longer period of time which coincides with the normal settlement period for purchases and sales of such securities in such foreign markets. The Fund will not have the right to vote securities while they are being loaned, but it will call a loan in anticipation of any important vote. The risks in lending portfolio securities, as with other extensions of secured credit, consist of possible delay in receiving additional collateral or in the recovery of the securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Loans will only be made to persons deemed by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser, as applicable, to be of good standing and will not be made unless, in the judgment of the Adviser or Sub-Adviser, as applicable, the consideration to be earned from such loans would justify the risk.

Loans. Loans consist generally of obligations of companies and other entities (collectively, “borrowers”) incurred for the purpose of reorganizing the assets and liabilities of a borrower; acquiring another company; taking over control of a company (leveraged buyout); temporary refinancing; or financing internal growth or other general business purposes. Loans are often obligations of borrowers who have incurred a significant percentage of debt compared to equity issued and thus are highly leveraged. All or a significant portion of the loans in which the Fund will invest may be below investment grade quality.

Loans may be acquired by direct investment as a lender at the inception of the loan or by assignment of a portion of a loan previously made to a different lender or by purchase of a participation interest. If the Fund makes a direct investment in a loan as one of the lenders, it generally acquires the loan at par. This means the Fund receives a return at the full interest rate for the loan. If the Fund acquires its interest in loans in the secondary market or acquires a participation interest, the loans may be purchased or sold above, at, or below par, which can result in a yield that is below, equal to, or above the stated interest rate of the loan. The Fund will generally purchase loans from banks or other financial institutions through assignments or participations.

When the Fund acts as one of a group of lenders originating a senior loan, it may participate in structuring the senior loan and have a direct contractual relationship with the borrower, may enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement and may have rights with respect to any funds acquired by other lenders through set-offs. Lenders also have full voting and consent rights under the applicable loan agreement. Action subject to lender vote or consent generally requires the vote or consent of the holders of some specified percentage of the outstanding principal amount of the senior loan. Certain decisions, such as reducing the amount of interest on or principal of a senior loan, releasing collateral, changing the maturity of a senior loan or a change in control of the borrower, frequently require the unanimous vote or consent of all lenders affected.

When the Fund is a purchaser of an assignment, it succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the loan agreement of the assigning lender and becomes a lender under the loan agreement with the same rights and obligations as the assigning lender. These rights include the ability to vote along with the other lenders on such matters as enforcing the terms of the loan agreement (e.g., declaring defaults, initiating collection action, etc.). Taking such actions typically requires at least a vote of the lenders holding a majority of the investment in the loan and may require a vote by lenders holding two-thirds or more of the investment in the loan. Because the Fund usually does not hold a majority of the investment in any loan, it will not be able by itself to control decisions that require a vote by the lenders. Assignments may be arranged through private negotiations and the rights and obligations acquired by the purchase of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning lender.

 

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Historically, the amount of public information available about a specific loan has been less extensive than if the loan were registered or exchange-traded.

The loans in which the Fund may invest will often be secured and senior to other indebtedness of the borrower. Each loan will generally be secured by collateral such as accounts receivable, inventory, equipment, real estate, intangible assets such as trademarks, copyrights and patents, and securities of subsidiaries or affiliates. Collateral may also include guarantees or other credit support by affiliates of the borrower. The value of the collateral generally will be determined by reference to financial statements of the borrower, by an independent appraisal, by obtaining the market value of such collateral, in the case of cash or securities if readily ascertainable, or by other customary valuation techniques considered appropriate by the Sub-Adviser. The value of collateral may decline after the Fund’s investment, and collateral may be difficult to sell in the event of default. Consequently, the Fund may not receive all the payments to which it is entitled. The loan agreement may or may not require the borrower to pledge additional collateral to secure the senior loan if the value of the initial collateral declines. In certain circumstances, the loan agreement may authorize the agent to liquidate the collateral and to distribute the liquidation proceeds pro rata among the lenders. By virtue of their senior position and collateral, senior loans typically provide lenders with the first right to cash flows or proceeds from the sale of a borrower’s collateral if the borrower becomes insolvent (subject to the limitations of bankruptcy law, which may provide higher priority to certain claims such as employee salaries, employee pensions, and taxes). This means senior loans are generally repaid before unsecured bank loans, corporate bonds, subordinated debt, trade creditors, and preferred or common stockholders. To the extent that the Fund invests in unsecured loans, if the borrower defaults on such loan, there is no specific collateral on which the lender can foreclose. If the borrower defaults on a subordinated loan, the collateral may not be sufficient to cover both the senior and subordinated loans. In addition, if the loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of any collateral and could bear the costs and liabilities of owning and disposing of the collateral.

The Fund may also invest in unsecured loans. Unsecured loans expose the lenders to increased credit risk. If the borrower defaults on an unsecured loan, there is no specific collateral on which the lender can foreclose.

The Fund may purchase and retain in its portfolio senior loans of borrowers that have filed for protection under the federal bankruptcy laws or that have had involuntary bankruptcy petitions filed against them by creditors. Investing in senior loans involves investment risk, and some borrowers default on their senior loan payments.

Senior loans typically pay interest at least quarterly at rates which equal a fixed percentage spread over a base rate such as the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). For example, if LIBOR were 3% and the borrower was paying a fixed spread of 2.50%, the total interest rate paid by the borrower would be 5.50%. Although a base rate such as LIBOR can change every day, loan agreements for senior loans typically allow the borrower the ability to choose how often the base rate for its loan will change. A single loan may have multiple reset periods at the same time, with each reset period applicable to a designated portion of the loan. Such periods can range from one day to one year, with most borrowers choosing monthly or quarterly reset periods. During periods of rising interest rates, borrowers will tend to choose longer reset periods, and during periods of declining interest rates, borrowers will tend to choose shorter reset periods. The fixed spread over the base rate on a senior loan typically does not change.

On July 27, 2017, the head of the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority announced a desire to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. Due to the recency of this announcement, there remains uncertainty regarding the future utilization of LIBOR and the nature of any replacement rate. As such, the potential effect of a transition away from LIBOR on the Fund or the loans in which the Fund may invest cannot yet be determined.

Senior loans usually have mandatory and optional prepayment provisions. Because of prepayments, the actual remaining maturity of senior loans may be considerably less than their stated maturity. Senior loans generally are arranged through private negotiations between a borrower and several financial institutions represented by an agent who is usually one of the originating lenders. In larger transactions, it is common to have several agents; however, generally only one such agent has primary responsibility for ongoing administration of a senior loan. Agents are typically paid fees by the borrower for their services.

 

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The agent is primarily responsible for negotiating the loan agreement which establishes the terms and conditions of the senior loan and the rights of the borrower and the lenders. The agent is paid a fee by the borrower for its services. The agent generally is required to administer and manage the senior loan on behalf of other lenders. The agent also is responsible for monitoring collateral and for exercising remedies available to the lenders such as foreclosure upon collateral. The agent may rely on independent appraisals of specific collateral. The agent need not, however, obtain an independent appraisal of assets pledged as collateral in all cases. The agent generally is also responsible for determining that the lenders have obtained a perfected security interest in the collateral securing a senior loan. The Fund normally relies on the agent to collect principal of and interest on a senior loan. Furthermore, the Fund also relies in part on the agent to monitor compliance by the borrower with the restrictive covenants in the loan agreement and to notify the Fund (or the lender from whom the Fund has purchased a participation) of any adverse change in the borrower’s financial condition. Insolvency of the agent or other persons positioned between the Fund and the borrower could result in losses for the Fund.

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. 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 at least “Prime-2” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or “A-2” by Standard & Poor’s or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Sub-Adviser; (iv) repurchase agreements; and (v) money market mutual funds. 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.

Mortgage Pass-Through Securities—The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities. The term “U.S. agency mortgage pass-through security” refers to a category of pass-through securities backed by pools of mortgages and issued by one of several U.S. government-sponsored enterprises: GNMA, FNMA or FHLMC. In the basic mortgage pass-through structure, mortgages with similar issuer, term and coupon characteristics are collected and aggregated into a “pool” consisting of multiple mortgage loans. The pool is assigned a CUSIP number and undivided interests in the pool are traded and sold as pass-through securities. The holder of the security is entitled to a pro rata share of principal and interest payments (including unscheduled prepayments) from the pool of mortgage loans.

An investment in a specific pool of pass-through securities requires an analysis of the specific prepayment risk of mortgages within the covered pool (since mortgagors typically have the option to prepay their loans). The level of prepayments on a pool of mortgage securities is difficult to predict and can impact the subsequent cash flows and value of the mortgage pool. In addition, when trading specific mortgage pools, precise execution, delivery and settlement arrangements must be negotiated for each transaction. These factors combine to make trading in mortgage pools somewhat cumbersome.

For the foregoing and other reasons, the Fund seeks to obtain exposure to U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities primarily through the use of “to-be-announced” or “TBA transactions.” “TBA” refers to a commonly used mechanism for the forward settlement of U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities, and not to a separate type of mortgage-backed security. Most transactions in mortgage pass-through securities occur through the use of TBA transactions. TBA transactions generally are conducted in accordance with widely-accepted guidelines which establish commonly observed terms and conditions for execution, settlement and delivery. In a TBA transaction, the buyer and seller decide on general trade parameters, such as agency, settlement date, paramount, and price. The actual pools delivered generally are determined two days prior to settlement date.

Default by or bankruptcy of a counterparty to a TBA transaction would expose the Fund to possible loss because of adverse market action, expenses or delays in connection with the purchase or sale of the pools of mortgage pass-through securities specified in the TBA transaction. To minimize this risk, the Fund will enter into TBA transactions only with established counterparties (such as major broker-dealers) and the Sub-Adviser will monitor the creditworthiness of such counterparties. In addition, the Fund may accept assignments of TBA transactions from Authorized Participants (as defined below) from time to time. The Fund’s use of “TBA rolls” may cause the Fund to experience higher portfolio turnover, higher transaction costs and to pay higher capital gain distributions to shareholders (which may be taxable).

 

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Most transactions in fixed-rate mortgage pass-through securities occur through standardized contracts for future delivery in which the exact mortgage pools to be delivered are not specified until a few days prior to settlements (a “TBA” transaction). The Fund may enter into such contracts on a regular basis. The Fund, pending settlement of such contracts, will invest their assets in high-quality, liquid short-term instruments, including shares of money market funds. The Fund will assume their pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any money market fund that it may invest in, in addition to the Fund’s own fees and expenses. The Fund may also acquire interests in mortgage pools through means other than such standardized contracts for future delivery. The Fund may also invest the cash collateral it holds as part of its TBA transactions in repurchase agreements.

Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities—The Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”) and asset-backed securities (“ABS”), including non-performing loans, reperforming securitizations, and resecuritizations of existing MBS and/or ABS (“Re-Remics”). MBS are mortgage-related securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, or issued by non-government entities. Mortgage-related securities represent pools of mortgage loans assembled for sale to investors by various government agencies such as GNMA and government-related organizations such as FNMA and FHLMC, as well as by non-government issuers such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers and private mortgage insurance companies. Although certain mortgage-related securities are guaranteed by a third party or otherwise similarly secured, the market value of the security, which may fluctuate, is not so secured.

MBS include commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) and residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”). The value of both CMBS and RMBS, like all MBS, depends on national, state and local conditions. CMBS are subject to credit risks because they tend to involve relatively large underlying mortgage loans and the repayment of commercial mortgages depends on the successful operation of, and cash flows from, mortgaged properties. RMBS are subject to credit risks arising from delinquencies and defaults on underlying mortgage loans by borrowers and breaches of underlying loan documentation by loan originators and servicers.

CMOs are debt securities that are fully collateralized by a portfolio of mortgages or MBS. All interest and principal payments from the underlying mortgages are passed through to the CMOs in such a way as to create, in most cases, more definite maturities than is the case with the underlying mortgages. CMOs may pay fixed or variable rates of interest, and certain CMOs have priority over others with respect to the receipt of prepayments. Stripped mortgage securities (a type of potentially high-risk derivative) are created by separating the interest and principal payments generated by a pool of mortgage-backed securities or a CMO to create additional classes of securities.

The Fund may invest in securities known as “inverse floating obligations,” “residual interest bonds,” and “interest-only” (“IO”) and “principal-only” (“PO”) bonds, the market values of which will generally be more volatile than the market values of most MBS due to the fact that such instruments are more sensitive to interest rate changes and to the rate of principal prepayments than are most other MBS. An inverse floating obligation is a derivative adjustable rate security with interest rates that adjust or vary inversely to changes in market interest rates. The term “residual interest” bond is used generally to describe those instruments in collateral pools, such as CMOs, which receive any excess cash flow generated by the pool once all other bondholders and expenses have been paid. IOs and POs are created by separating the interest and principal payments generated by a pool of mortgage-backed bonds to create two classes of securities. Generally, one class receives interest-only payments and the other class principal-only payments. MBS have been referred to as “derivatives” because the performance of MBS is dependent upon and derived from underlying securities. Unlike with other mortgage-backed securities and POs, the value of IOs tends to move in the same direction as interest rates. The Fund can use IOs as a hedge against falling prepayment rates (interest rates are rising) and/or a bear market environment. POs can be used as a hedge against rising prepayment rates (interest rates are falling) and/or a bull market environment. IOs and POs are acutely sensitive to interest rate changes and to the rate of principal prepayments. A rapid or unexpected increase in prepayments can severely depress the price of IOs, while a rapid or unexpected decrease in prepayments could have the same effect on POs. These securities are very volatile in price and may have lower liquidity than most other mortgage-backed securities. Certain non-stripped CMOs may also exhibit these qualities, especially those that pay variable rates of interest that adjust inversely with, and more rapidly than, short-term interest rates. In addition, if

 

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interest rates rise rapidly and prepayment rates slow more than expected, certain CMOs, in addition to losing value, can exhibit characteristics of longer-term securities and become more volatile. There is no guarantee the Fund’s investment in CMOs, IOs, or POs will be successful, and the Fund’s total return could be adversely affected as a result. These securities are subject to high degrees of credit, valuation and liquidity risks.

CMOs may be issued in a variety of classes, and the Fund may invest in several CMO classes, including, but not limited to Floaters, Planned Amortization Classes (“PACs”), Scheduled Classes (“SCHs”), Sequential Pay Classes (“SEQs”), Support Classes (“SUPs”), Target Amortization Classes (“TACs”) and Accrual Classes (“Z Classes”). CMO classes vary in the rate and time at which they receive principal and interest payments. SEQs, also called plain vanilla, clean pay, or current pay classes, sequentially receive principal payments from underlying mortgage securities when the principal on a previous class has been completely paid off. During the months prior to their receipt of principal payments, SEQs receive interest payments at the coupon rate on their principal. PACs are designed to produce a stable cash flow of principal payments over a predetermined period of time. PACs guard against a certain level of prepayment risk by distributing prepayments to SUPs, also called companion classes. TACs pay a targeted principal payment schedule, as long as prepayments are not made at a rate slower than an expected constant prepayment speed. If prepayments increase, the excess over the target is paid to SUPs. SEQs may have a less stable cash flow than PACs and TACs and, consequently, have a greater potential yield. PACs generally pay a lower yield than TACs because of PACs’ lower risk. Because SUPs are directly affected by the rate of prepayment of underlying mortgages, SUPs may experience volatile cash flow behavior. When prepayment speeds fluctuate, the average life of a SUP will vary. SUPs, therefore, are priced at a higher yield than less volatile classes of CMOs. Z Classes do not receive payments, including interest payments, until certain other classes are paid off. At that time, the Z Class begins to receive the accumulated interest and principal payments. A Floater has a coupon rate that adjusts periodically (usually monthly) by adding a spread to a benchmark index subject to a lifetime maximum cap. The yield of a Floater is sensitive to prepayment rates and the level of the benchmark index.

If the Fund purchases an MBS or other ABS at a premium, that portion may be lost if there is a decline in the market value of the security whether resulting from changes in interest rates or prepayments in the underlying collateral. As with other interest-bearing securities, the prices of such securities are inversely affected by changes in interest rates. Although the value of an MBS or other ABS may decline when interest rates rise, the converse is not necessarily true, since in periods of declining interest rates the mortgages and loans underlying the securities are prone to prepayment, thereby shortening the average life of the security and shortening the period of time over which income at the higher rate is received. When interest rates are rising, the rate of prepayment tends to decrease, thereby lengthening the period of time over which income at the lower rate is received. For these and other reasons, a MBS’s or other ABS’s average maturity may be shortened or lengthened as a result of interest rate fluctuations and, therefore, it is not possible to predict accurately the security’s return.

Other ABSs are structured like MBSs, but instead of mortgage loans or interests in mortgage loans, the underlying assets may include items such as motor vehicle installment sales or installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, and receivables from credit card agreements and from sales of personal property. ABSs typically have no U.S. Government backing. Additionally, the ability of an issuer of ABSs to enforce its security interest in the underlying assets may be limited.

Municipal Securities—The Fund may invest in securities issued by states, municipalities and other political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities of states and multi-state agencies or authorities. Municipal securities share the attributes of debt/fixed income securities in general, but are generally issued by states, municipalities and other political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities of states and multi-state agencies or authorities. The municipal securities which the Fund may purchase include general obligation bonds and limited obligation bonds (or revenue bonds), including industrial development bonds issued pursuant to former federal tax law. General obligation bonds are obligations involving the credit of an issuer possessing taxing power and are payable from such issuer’s general revenues and not from any particular source. Limited obligation bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise or other specific revenue source. Tax-exempt industrial development bonds generally are also revenue bonds and thus are not payable from the issuer’s general revenues. The credit and quality of industrial development bonds are usually related to the credit of the corporate user of the facilities. Payment of interest on and repayment of principal of such bonds is the responsibility of the corporate user (and/or any guarantor). In addition, the Fund may invest in lease obligations. Lease obligations may take the form of a lease or an installment purchase contract issued by public authorities to acquire a wide variety of equipment and facilities.

 

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Participation Interests— The Fund may purchase participations in corporate loans. Participation interests generally will be acquired from a commercial bank or other financial institution (a “Lender”) or from other holders of a participation interest (a “Participant”). The purchase of a participation interest either from a Lender or a Participant will not result in any direct contractual relationship with the borrowing company (the “Borrower”). The Fund generally will have no right directly to enforce compliance by the Borrower with the terms of the credit agreement. Instead, the Fund will be required to rely on the Lender or the Participant that sold the participation interest, both for the enforcement of the Fund’s rights against the Borrower and for the receipt and processing of payments due to the Fund under the loans. Under the terms of a participation interest, the Fund may be regarded as a member of the Participant, and thus the Fund is subject to the credit risk of both the Borrower and a Participant. Participation interests are generally subject to restrictions on resale. Generally, the Fund considers participation interests to be illiquid and therefore subject to the Fund’s percentage limitation for investments in illiquid securities.

Preferred Stock—The Fund may invest in preferred stock. Preferred stock, unlike common stock, often offers a stated dividend rate payable from a corporation’s earnings. If interest rates rise, the fixed dividend on preferred stocks may be less attractive, causing the price of preferred stocks to decline. Preferred stock may have mandatory sinking fund provisions, as well as call/redemption provisions prior to maturity, a negative feature when interest rates decline. Dividends on some preferred stock may be “cumulative,” requiring all or a portion of prior unpaid dividends to be paid before dividends are paid on the issuer’s common stock. Preferred stock also generally has a preference over common stock on the distribution of a corporation’s assets in the event of liquidation of the corporation, and may be “participating,” which means that it may be entitled to a dividend exceeding the stated dividend in certain cases. In some cases an issuer may offer auction rate preferred stock, which means that the dividend to be paid is set by auction and will often be reset at stated intervals. The rights of preferred stocks on the distribution of a corporation’s assets in the event of a liquidation are generally subordinate to the rights associated with a corporation’s debt securities.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) —The Fund may invest in the securities of real estate investment trusts to the extent allowed by law, which pool investors’ funds for investments primarily in commercial real estate properties. Investment in REITs may be the most practical available means for the Fund to invest in the real estate industry. As a shareholder in a REIT, the Fund would bear its ratable share of the REIT’s expenses, including its advisory and administration fees. At the same time, the Fund would continue to pay its own investment advisory fees and other expenses, as a result of which the Fund and its shareholders in effect will be absorbing duplicate levels of fees with respect to investments in REITs.

Repurchase Agreements and Reverse Repurchase Agreements—The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements. Repurchase agreements are similar to loans in many respects. Repurchase agreements are transactions in which the purchaser buys a debt security from a bank or recognized securities dealer and simultaneously commits to resell that security to the bank or dealer at an agreed upon price, date and market rate of interest unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased security. Repurchase agreements are considered to be loans which must be fully collateralized including interest earned thereon during the entire term of the agreement. If the institution defaults on the repurchase agreement, the Fund will retain possession of the underlying securities. If bankruptcy proceedings are commenced with respect to the seller, realization on the collateral by the Fund may be delayed or limited and the Fund may incur additional costs. In such case, the Fund will be subject to risks associated with changes in market value of the collateral securities. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with (i) member banks of the Federal Reserve System having total assets in excess of $500 million and (ii) securities dealers (“Qualified Institutions”). The Sub-Adviser will monitor the continued creditworthiness of Qualified Institutions.

Repurchase agreements collateralized entirely by cash, U.S. government securities or liquid securities or instruments issued by an issuer that has an exceptionally strong credit quality (“Qualifying Collateral”) generally may be deemed to be “collateralized fully” and may be deemed to be investments in the underlying securities for certain purposes. If the Fund accepts collateral other than Qualifying Collateral, including debt securities, equity securities and high yield fixed-income instruments that are rated below investment grade or determined to be of comparable quality (“Alternative Collateral”). Repurchase agreements secured by Alternative Collateral are not deemed to be “collateralized fully” under applicable regulations and the repurchase agreement is therefore

 

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considered a separate security issued by the counterparty to the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund must include repurchase agreements that are not “collateralized fully” in its calculations of securities issued by the selling institution held by the Fund for purposes of various portfolio diversification and concentration requirements applicable to the Fund. In addition, Alternative Collateral may not qualify as permitted or appropriate investments for the Fund under the Fund’s investment strategies and limitations. Accordingly, if a counterparty to a repurchase agreement defaults and the Fund takes possession of Alternative Collateral, the Fund may need to promptly dispose of the Alternative Collateral (or other securities held by the Fund, if the Fund exceeds a limitation on a permitted investment by virtue of taking possession of the Alternative Collateral). The Alternative Collateral may be particularly illiquid, especially in times of market volatility or in the case of a counterparty insolvency or bankruptcy, which may restrict the Fund’s ability to dispose of Alternative Collateral received from the counterparty.

The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements. Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund would sell securities and agree to repurchase them at a particular price at a future date. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities retained in lieu of sale by the Fund may decline below the price of the securities the Fund has sold but is obligated to repurchase. In the event the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, such buyer or its 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.

Generally the effect of such transactions is that the Fund can recover all or most of the cash invested in the portfolio securities involved during the term of the reverse repurchase agreement, while in many cases the Fund is able to keep some of the interest income associated with those securities. Such transactions are only advantageous if the Fund has an opportunity to earn a greater rate of return on the cash derived from these transactions than the interest cost of obtaining the same amount of cash. Opportunities to realize earnings from the use of the proceeds equal to or greater than the interest required to be paid may not always be available and the Fund intends to use the reverse repurchase technique only when the Sub-Adviser believes it will be advantageous. The use of reverse repurchase agreements may exaggerate any interim increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s assets.

The Fund will segregate or earmark cash or liquid securities in an amount sufficient to cover its obligation under reverse repurchase agreements. The custodian bank will maintain a separate account for the Fund with securities having a value equal to or greater than such commitments. Under the 1940 Act, reverse repurchase agreements are considered a form of borrowing. Accordingly, the Fund may invest up to 33 1/3% of its total assets in reverse repurchase agreements, but the Fund currently expects to only invest in reverse repurchase agreements to a much more limited extent. Reverse repurchase agreements are not part of the Fund’s principal investment strategy.

Rule 144A Securities—The Fund may invest in Rule 144A securities. Rule 144A securities are securities which, while privately placed, are eligible for purchase and resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act. This rule permits certain qualified institutional buyers, such as the Fund, to trade in privately placed securities even though such securities are not registered under the Securities Act. The Sub-Adviser, under supervision of the Board, will consider whether securities purchased under Rule 144A are illiquid and thus subject to the Fund’s restriction on illiquid securities. Determination of whether a Rule 144A security is liquid or not is a question of fact. In making this determination, the Sub-Adviser will consider the trading markets for the specific security taking into account the unregistered nature of a Rule 144A security. In addition, the Sub-Adviser could consider the (i) frequency of trades and quotes; (ii) number of dealers and potential purchasers; (iii) dealer undertakings to make a market; and (iv) nature of the security and of market place trades (for example, the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer). The Sub-Adviser will also monitor the liquidity of Rule 144A securities, and if, as a result of changed conditions, the Sub-Adviser determines that a Rule 144A security is no longer liquid, the Sub-Adviser will review the Fund’s holdings of illiquid securities to determine what, if any, action is required to assure that the Fund complies with its restriction on investment of illiquid securities. Investing in Rule 144A securities could increase the amount of the Fund’s investments in illiquid securities if qualified institutional buyers are unwilling to purchase such securities.

Shares of Other Investment Companies—The Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies, which may include closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”).

 

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The investment companies in which the Fund invests may have adopted certain investment restrictions that are more or less restrictive than the Fund’s investment restrictions, which may permit the Fund to engage in investment strategies indirectly that are prohibited under the Fund’s investment restrictions. For example, to the extent the Fund invests in underlying investment companies that concentrate their investments in an industry, a corresponding portion of the Fund’s assets may be indirectly exposed to that particular industry.

The Fund may purchase securities of other investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief. It is the Fund’s policy that if Shares are purchased by another fund (including any other registered open-end investment company or registered unit investment trust advised by the Adviser or its affiliates) in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act, for so long as Shares are held by such other fund, the Fund will not purchase securities of a registered open-end investment company or registered unit investment trust in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(F) or Section 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act.

The main risk of investing in index-based investment companies is the same as investing in a portfolio of securities comprising the index. The market prices of index-based investments will fluctuate in accordance with both changes in the market value of their underlying portfolio securities and due to supply and demand for the instruments on the exchanges on which they are traded. Index-based investments may not replicate exactly the performance of their specified index because of transaction costs and because of the temporary unavailability of certain component securities of the index.

To the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies, it will incur its pro rata share of the underlying investment companies’ expenses (including, for example, investment advisory and other management fees). In addition, the Fund will be subject to the effects of business and regulatory developments that affect an underlying investment company or the investment company industry generally.

Supranational Obligations—The Fund may invest in securities or other obligations issued or backed by supranational organizations, which are international organizations that are designated or supported by government entities or banking institutions typically to promote economic reconstruction or development. These obligations are subject to the risk that the government(s) on whose support the organization depends may be unable or unwilling to provide the necessary support. The Fund may have little recourse against the supranational organization that issues or backs the obligation in the event of default. These obligations may be denominated in foreign currencies and the prices of these obligations may be more volatile than corporate debt obligations.

U.S. Government Obligations—The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in various types of U.S. Government obligations. U.S. Government obligations are a type of bond. U.S. Government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Payment of principal and interest on U.S. Government obligations (i) may be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States (as with U.S. Treasury obligations and Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”) certificates) or (ii) may be backed solely by the issuing or guaranteeing agency or instrumentality itself (as with Federal National Mortgage Association (i.e., FNMA), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”) and Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) notes. In the latter case, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment, which agency or instrumentality may be privately owned. There can be no assurance that the U.S. Government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities where it is not obligated to do so. As a general matter, the value of debt instruments, including U.S. Government obligations, declines when market interest rates increase and rises when market interest rates decrease. Certain types of U.S. Government obligations are subject to fluctuations in yield or value due to their structure or contract terms. In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality. Under these Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements (“SPAs”), the U.S. Treasury has pledged to provide up to $100 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets. In May 2009, the U.S. Treasury increased its maximum commitment to each instrumentality under the SPAs to $200 billion per instrumentality. In December 2009, the U.S. Treasury further amended the SPAs to allow the cap on the U.S. Treasury’s funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s

 

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net worth through the end of 2012. At the start of 2013, the unlimited support the U.S. Treasury extended to the two companies expired—Fannie Mae’s bailout is now capped at $125 billion and Freddie Mac has a limit of $149 billion. On August 17, 2012, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was again amending the Agreement to terminate the requirement that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac each pay a 10% dividend annually on all amounts of received under the funding commitment. Instead, they will transfer to the U.S. Treasury on a quarterly basis all profits earned during a quarter that exceed a capital reserve amount of $3 billion. It is anticipated that the new amendment would put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in a better position to service their debt.

Also in December 2009, the U.S. Treasury amended the SPAs to provide Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with some additional flexibility to meet the requirement to reduce their mortgage portfolios. The actions of the U.S. Treasury are intended to ensure that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory triggering of receivership. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Treasury initiatives will be successful.

When-Issued Securities—The Fund may purchase when-issued securities. Purchasing securities on a “when-issued” basis means that the date for delivery of and payment for the securities is not fixed at the date of purchase, but is set after the securities are issued. The payment obligation and, if applicable, the interest rate that will be received on the securities are fixed at the time the buyer enters into the commitment. The Fund will only make commitments to purchase such securities with the intention of actually acquiring such securities, but the Fund may sell these securities before the settlement date if it is deemed advisable.

Securities purchased on a when-issued basis and the securities held in the Fund’s portfolio are subject to changes in market value based upon the public’s perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and, if applicable, the changes in the level of interest rates. Therefore, if the Fund is to remain substantially fully invested at the same time that it has purchased securities on a when-issued basis, there will be a possibility that the market value of the Fund’s assets will fluctuate to a greater degree. Furthermore, when the time comes for the Fund to meet its obligations under when-issued commitments, the Fund will do so by using then available cash flow, by sale of the segregated liquid assets, by sale of other securities, or although it would not normally expect to do so, by directing the sale of when-issued securities themselves (which may have a market value greater or less than the Fund’s payment obligation).

Investment in securities on a when-issued basis may increase the Fund’s exposure to market fluctuation and may increase the possibility that the Fund will incur short-term gains subject to federal taxation or short-term losses if the Fund must sell another security in order to honor a when-issued commitment. The Fund will employ techniques designed to reduce such risks. If the Fund purchases a when-issued security, the Fund will segregate liquid assets in an amount equal to the when-issued commitment. If the market value of such segregated assets declines, additional liquid assets will be segregated on a daily basis so that the market value of the segregated assets will equal the amount of the Fund’s when-issued commitments.

Zero-Coupon and Pay-in-Kind Securities—The Fund may invest in zero-coupon or pay-in-kind securities. These securities are debt securities that do not make regular cash interest payments. Zero-coupon securities are sold at a deep discount to their face value. Pay-in-kind securities pay interest through the issuance of additional securities. Because zero-coupon and pay-in-kind securities do not pay current cash income, the price of these securities can be volatile when interest rates fluctuate. While these securities do not pay current cash income, federal tax law requires the holders of zero-coupon and pay-in-kind securities to include in income each year the portion of the original issue discount (or deemed discount) and other non-cash income on such securities accrued during that year. In order to qualify as a “regulated investment company” under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and to avoid certain excise taxes, the Fund may be required to distribute a portion of such discount and income and may be required to dispose of other portfolio securities, which could occur during periods of adverse market prices, in order to generate sufficient cash to meet these distribution requirements.

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

The Fund calculates its portfolio turnover rate by dividing the value of the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal period by the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities owned by the

 

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Fund during the fiscal period. A 100% portfolio turnover rate would occur, for example, if all of the portfolio securities (other than short-term securities) were replaced once during the fiscal period. Portfolio turnover rates will vary from year to year, depending on market conditions. At the date of this SAI, the Fund is new and has no operating history, and portfolio turnover information therefore is not available.

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

Quarterly Portfolio Schedule. The Trust is required to disclose, after its first and third fiscal quarters, the complete schedule of the Fund’s portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-Q. The Trust will also disclose a complete schedule of the Fund’s portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-CSR after its second and fourth quarters.

Form N-Qs and Form N-CSRs for the Fund will be available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Form N-Qs and Form N-CSRs, when available, also may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. and information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 202.551.8090. The Fund’s Form N-Qs and Form N-CSRs will be available without charge, upon request, by calling 630.933.9600 or 800.983.0903 or by writing to PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust at 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515.

Portfolio Holdings Policy. The Trust has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Trust’s portfolio holdings. The Board must approve all material amendments to this policy.

The Fund’s portfolio holdings are disseminated publicly each day that the Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services, including publicly accessible Internet websites. In addition, for in-kind creations, a basket composition file, which includes the security names and share quantities to deliver in exchange for Shares, together with estimates and actual cash components, is disseminated publicly each day prior to the opening of the Exchange via www.powershares.com/capitalmarkets and the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) The basket represents one Creation Unit of the Fund. The Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNYM” or the “Administrator”) will not disseminate non-public information concerning the Trust.

Access to information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings may be permitted at other times to personnel of third-party service providers, including the Fund’s custodian, transfer agent, auditors and counsel, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with such service providers’ agreements with the Trust on behalf of the Funds.

MANAGEMENT

The primary responsibility of the Board is to represent the interests of the Fund and to provide oversight of the management of the Fund. The Trust currently has eight Trustees. Six Trustees are not “interested,” as that term is defined under the 1940 Act, and have no affiliation or business connection with the Adviser or any of its affiliated persons and do not own any stock or other securities issued by the Adviser (the “Independent Trustees”). One Trustee (the “Unaffiliated Trustee”) is an officer of a company that has engaged in securities transactions with clients advised by the Sub-Adviser to one or more PowerShares ETFs (which clients do not include the Fund), but is not an affiliated person of the Adviser. The remaining Trustee (the “Interested Trustee”) is affiliated with the Adviser.

The Independent Trustees of the Trust, their term of office and length of time served, their principal business occupations during at least the past five years, the number of portfolios in the Fund Complex (defined below) that they oversee, and other directorships, if any, that they hold are shown below. The “Fund Complex” includes all open- and closed-end funds (including all of their portfolios) advised by the Adviser and any funds that have an investment adviser that is an affiliated person of the Adviser. As of the date of this SAI, the “Fund Family” consists of the Trust and four other ETF trusts advised by the Adviser.

 

20


Name, Address and

Year of Birth of

Independent Trustees

  

Position(s) Held

with Trust

  

Term of

Office and

Length of

Time Served*

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During At Least the Past 5 Years

   Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Independent
Trustees
  Other
Directorships
Held by
Independent
Trustee
During the
Past 5 Years

Ronn R. Bagge —1958

c/o Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Trustee    Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Trustee since 2008    Founder and Principal, YQA Capital Management LLC (1998-Present); formerly Owner/CEO of Electronic Dynamic Balancing Co., Inc. (high-speed rotating equipment service provider).    $[    ]   None

Todd J. Barre — 1957

c/o Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Trustee    Since 2010    Assistant Professor of Business, Trinity Christian College (2010-2016); formerly Vice President and Senior Investment Strategist (2001-2008), Director of Open Architecture and Trading (2007-2008), Head of Fundamental Research (2004-2007) and Vice President and Senior Fixed Income Strategist (1994-2001), BMO Financial Group/Harris Private Bank.    $[    ]   None

Marc M. Kole — 1960

c/o Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Chairman of the Audit Committee and Trustee    Chairman of the Audit Committee and Trustee since 2008    Senior Director of Finance, By The Hand Club for Kids (2015-Present); formerly: Chief Financial Officer, Hope Network (social services) (2008-2012); Assistant Vice President and Controller, Priority Health (health insurance) (2005-2008); Senior Vice President of Finance, United Healthcare (2004-2005); Chief Accounting Officer, Senior Vice President of Finance, Oxford Health Plans (2000-2004); Audit Partner, Arthur Andersen LLP (1996-2000).    $[    ]   None

Yung Bong Lim — 1964

c/o Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Chairman of the Investment Oversight Committee and Trustee   

Chairman of the Investment Oversight Committee since 2014; Trustee

since 2013

   Managing Partner, Residential Dynamics Group LLC (2008-Present); formerly, Managing Director, Citadel Investment Group, L.L.C. (1999-2007).    $[    ]   None

 

21


Gary R. Wicker — 1961

c/o Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Trustee    Since 2013    Senior Vice President of Global Finance and Chief Financial Officer of RBC Ministries (publishing company) (2013-Present); formerly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Zondervan Publishing (a division of Harper Collins/NewsCorp) (2007-2012); Senior Vice President and Group Controller (2005-2006), Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2003-2004), Chief Financial Officer (2001-2003), Vice President, Finance and Controller (1999-2001) and Assistant Controller (1997-1999), divisions of The Thomson Corporation (information services provider).    $[    ]   None

Donald H. Wilson — 1959

c/o Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Chairman of the Board and Trustee    Chairman since 2012; Trustee since 2008    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Stone Pillar Advisors, Ltd. (2010-Present); President and Chief Executive Officer, Stone Pillar Investments, Ltd. (2016-Present); formerly, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Community Financial Shares, Inc. and Community Bank—Wheaton/Glen Ellyn (subsidiary) (2013-2015); Chief Operating Officer, AMCORE Financial, Inc. (bank holding company) (2007-2009); Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, AMCORE Financial, Inc. (2006-2007); Senior Vice President and Treasurer, Marshall & Ilsley Corp. (bank holding company) (1995-2006).    $[    ]   None

 

* This is the date the Independent Trustee began serving the Trust. He serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

 

22


The Unaffiliated Trustee, his term of office and length of time served, his principal business occupations during at least the past five years, the number of portfolios in the Fund Complex overseen by the Unaffiliated Trustee and the other directorships, if any, held by the Unaffiliated Trustee, are shown below.

 

Name, Address and Year of Birth

of Unaffiliated Trustee

  

Position(s)
Held
with Trust

   Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*
  

Principal Occupation(s)

During At Least the Past 5 Years

   Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Unaffiliated
Trustees
  Other Directorships
Held by
Unaffiliated Trustee
During the Past 5 Years

Philip M. Nussbaum—1961

c/o Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Trustee**    Since 2008    Chairman, Performance Trust Capital Partners (2004-Present).    [    ]   None

 

* This is the date the Unaffiliated Trustee began serving the Trust. He serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.
** Effective May 18, 2016, Mr. Nussbaum became an Unaffiliated Trustee.

The Interested Trustee and the executive officers of the Trust, their term of office and length of time served, their principal business occupations during at least the past five years, the number of portfolios in the Fund Complex overseen by the Interested Trustee and the other directorships, if any, held by the Interested Trustee, are shown below.

 

Name, Address and

Year of Birth of

Interested Trustee

   Position(s)
Held
with Trust
   Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*
  

Principal Occupation(s)

During At Least the Past 5 Years

   Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Interested
Trustees
  Other
Directorships
Held by
Interested
Trustee
During the
Past 5 Years

Kevin M. Carome — 1956

Invesco Ltd.

Two Peachtree Pointe

1555 Peachtree St., N.E.,

Suite 1800

Atlanta, GA 30309

   Trustee    Since 2010    Senior Managing Director, Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Ltd. (2007-Present); Director, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (2009-Present); Director, Invesco Finance PLC, and Invesco Holding Company Limited; Director and Executive Vice President, Invesco Holding Company (US), Inc., Invesco Finance, Inc., Invesco Group Services, Inc., Invesco North American Holdings, Inc. and INVESCO Asset Management (Bermuda) Ltd.; Executive Vice President; (2008-Present); Invesco Investments (Bermuda) Ltd., Manager, Horizon Flight Works LLC; Director and Secretary, Invesco Services (Bahamas) Private Limited; formerly, Director and Chairman, INVESCO Funds Group, Inc.,    [    ]   None

 

23


         Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (2003-2006); Director, Invesco Investments (Bermuda) Ltd. (2008-2016); Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Liberty Financial Companies, Inc. (2000-2001); General Counsel of certain investment management subsidiaries of Liberty Financial Companies, Inc. (1998-2000); Associate General Counsel, Liberty Financial Companies, Inc. (1993-1998); Associate, Ropes & Gray LLP.      

 

* This is the date the Interested Trustee began serving the Trust. He serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

 

Name, Address and Year of Birth

of Executive Officer

  

Position(s) Held with Trust

   Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*
  

Principal Occupation(s) During At Least Past 5 Years

Daniel E. Draper—1968

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

  

President and Principal

Executive Officer

   Since 2015    President and Principal Executive Officer, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2015-Present); Chief Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer (2016-Present) and Managing Director (2013-Present), Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC; Senior Vice President, Invesco Distributors, Inc. (2014-Present); formerly, Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2013-2015) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-2015); Managing Director, Credit Suisse Asset Management (2010-2013) and Lyxor Asset Management/Societe Generale (2007-2010).

Adam Henkel—1980

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Chief Compliance Officer    Since 2017    Chief Compliance Officer of Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2017-Present); Chief Compliance Officer of PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II,

 

24


         PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2017-Present); formerly, Senior Counsel, Invesco, Ltd. (2013-2017); and Assistant Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2010-2013).

Steven M. Hill—1964

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

  

Vice President

and Treasurer

   Since 2013    Vice President and Treasurer, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2013-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Head of Global ETF Administration, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2011-Present); Principal Financial and Accounting Officer – Investment Pools, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2015-Present); formerly, Senior Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, Destra Capital Management LLC and its subsidiaries (2010-2011); Chief Financial Officer, Destra Investment Trust and Destra Investment Trust II (2010-2011); Senior Managing Director, Claymore Securities, Inc. (2003-2010); and Chief Financial Officer, Claymore sponsored mutual funds (2003-2010).

Peter Hubbard—1981

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Vice President    Since 2009    Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2009-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Vice President and Director of Portfolio Management, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2010-Present); formerly, Vice President of Portfolio Management, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2008-2010); Portfolio Manager, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2007-2008); Research Analyst, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2005-2007); Research Analyst and Trader, Ritchie Capital, a hedge fund operator (2003-2005).

 

25


Sheri Morris—1964

Invesco Management Group, Inc.

11 Greenway Plaza,

Suite 1000

Houston, TX 77046

   Vice President    Since 2012    President and Principal Executive Officer, The Invesco Funds (2016-Present); Treasurer, The Invesco Funds (2008-Present); Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco Institutional (N.A.), Inc.) (registered investment adviser) (2009-Present) and Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2012-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); formerly, Vice President and Principal Financial Officer, The Invesco Funds (2008-2016); Treasurer, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2011-2013); Vice President, Invesco Aim Advisers, Inc., Invesco Aim Capital Management, Inc. and Invesco Aim Private Asset Management, Inc.; Assistant Vice President and Assistant Treasurer, The Invesco Funds and Assistant Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc., Invesco Aim Capital Management, Inc. and Invesco Aim Private Asset Management, Inc.

Anna Paglia—1974

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Secretary    Since 2011    Secretary, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2011-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Head of Legal (2010-Present) and Secretary (2015-Present), Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2010-Present); Manager and Assistant Secretary, Invesco Indexing LLC (2017-Present); formerly, Partner, K&L Gates LLP (formerly, Bell Boyd & Lloyd LLP) (2007-2010); Associate Counsel at Barclays Global Investors Ltd. (2004-2006).

Rudolf E. Reitmann—1971

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Vice President    Since 2013    Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2013-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Head of Global Exchange Traded Funds Services, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2013-Present).

 

26


David Warren—1957

Invesco Canada Ltd.

5140 Yonge Street,

Suite 800

Toronto, Ontario M2N 6X7

   Vice President    Since 2009    Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2009-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Managing Director—Chief Administrative Officer, Americas, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC; Senior Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (2009-Present); Director, Invesco Inc. (2009-Present); Senior Vice President, Invesco Management Group, Inc. (2007-Present); Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Invesco Canada Ltd. (formerly, Invesco Trimark Ltd.); Chief Administrative Officer, North American Retail, Invesco Ltd. (2007-Present); Director, Invesco Corporate Class Inc. (2014-Present); Director, Invesco Global Direct Real Estate Feeder GP Ltd. (2015-Present); Director, Invesco Canada Holdings Inc. (2002-Present); Director, Invesco Financial Services Ltd. / Services Financiers Invesco Ltée and Trimark Investments Ltd./Placements Trimark Ltée (2014-Present); Director, Invesco IP Holdings (Canada) Ltd. (2016-Present); Director, Invesco Global Direct Real Estate GP Ltd. (2015-Present); formerly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Invesco Inc. (2009-2015); Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Invesco Canada Ltd. (formerly, Invesco Trimark Ltd.) (2000-2011).

 

* This is the date the officer began serving the Trust. Each officer serves an indefinite term, until his or her successor is elected.

The Fund is newly established. As of the date of this SAI, none of the Trustees held equity securities in the Fund. [As of [December 31, 2016], each Trustee held in the aggregate over $100,000 in equity securities in all of the registered investment companies overseen by the Trustees.] The dollar range of Shares for Mr. Bagge, Mr. Lim and Mr. Nussbaum includes Shares of certain funds in which each of Mr. Bagge, Mr. Lim and Mr. Nussbaum is deemed to be invested pursuant to the Trust’s deferred compensation plan (“DC Plan”), which is described below.

As of the date of this SAI, as to each Independent Trustee and Unaffiliated Trustee and his immediate family members, no person owned beneficially or of record securities in an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund, or a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Funds.

Board and Committee Structure. As noted above, the Board is responsible for oversight of the Fund, including oversight of the duties performed by the Adviser for the Fund, under the investment advisory agreement (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”). The Board generally meets in regularly scheduled meetings five times a year, and may meet more often as required. During the Trust’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, the Board held [            ] meetings.

 

27


The Board has three standing committees, the Audit Committee, the Investment Oversight Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee, and has delegated certain responsibilities to those Committees.

Messrs. Kole (Chair), Wicker and Wilson currently serve as members of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee has the responsibility, among other things, to: (i) approve and recommend to the Board the selection of the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, (ii) review the scope of the independent registered public accounting firm’s audit activity, (iii) review the audited financial statements and (iv) review with such independent registered public accounting firm the adequacy and the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting. During the Trust’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, the Audit Committee held [            ] meetings.

Messrs. Bagge (Chair), Barre, Kole, Lim, Wicker and Wilson currently serve as members of the Nominating and Governance Committee. The Nominating and Governance Committee has the responsibility, among other things, to identify and recommend individuals for Board membership and evaluate candidates for Board membership. The Board will consider recommendations for trustees from shareholders. Nominations from shareholders should be in writing and sent to the Secretary of the Trust to the attention of the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee, as described below under the caption “Shareholder Communications.” During the Trust’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, the Nominating and Governance Committee held [            ] meetings.

Messrs. Bagge, Barre, Lim (Chair) and Nussbaum currently serve as members of the Investment Oversight Committee. The Investment Oversight Committee has the responsibility, among other things, (i) to review the investment performance of the Fund, (ii) to review any proposed changes to the Fund’s investment policies or comparative benchmark indices, and (iii) to review the Fund’s market trading activities and portfolio transactions. During the Trust’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, the Investment Oversight Committee held [            ] meetings.

Mr. Wilson, one of the Independent Trustees, serves as the chair of the Board (the “Independent Chair”). The Independent Chair, among other things, chairs the Board meetings, participates in the preparation of the Board agendas and serves as a liaison between, and facilitates communication among, the other Independent Trustees, the full Board, the Adviser and other service providers with respect to Board matters. The Chairs of each Committee also serve as liaisons between the Adviser and other service providers and the other Independent Trustees for matters pertaining to the respective Committee. The Board believes that its current leadership structure is appropriate taking into account the assets and number of funds overseen by the Trustees, the size of the Board and the nature of the funds’ business, as the Interested Trustees and officers of the Trust provide the Board with insight as to the daily management of the funds while the Independent Chair promotes independent oversight of the funds by the Board.

Risk Oversight. The Fund is subject to a number of risks, including operational, investment and compliance risks. The Board, directly and through its Committees, as part of its oversight responsibilities, oversees the services provided by the Adviser and the Trust’s other service providers in connection with the management and operations of the Fund, as well as its associated risks. Under the oversight of the Board, the Trust, the Adviser and other service providers have adopted policies, procedures and controls to address these risks. The Board, directly and through its Committees, receives and reviews information from the Adviser, other service providers, the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, Trust counsel and counsel to the Independent Trustees to assist it in its oversight responsibilities. This information includes, but is not limited to, reports regarding the Fund’s investments, including Fund performance and investment practices, valuation of Fund portfolio securities, and compliance. The Board also reviews, and must approve any proposed changes to, the Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions, and reviews any areas of non-compliance with the Fund’s investment policies and restrictions. The Audit Committee monitors the Trust’s accounting policies, financial reporting and internal control system and reviews any internal audit reports impacting the Trust. As part of its compliance oversight, the Board reviews the annual compliance report issued by the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer on the policies and procedures of the Trust and its service providers, proposed changes to those policies and procedures and quarterly reports on any material compliance issues that arose during the period.

 

28


Experience, Qualifications and Attributes. As noted above, the Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for identifying, evaluating and recommending trustee candidates. The Nominating and Governance Committee reviews the background and the educational, business and professional experience of trustee candidates and the candidates’ expected contributions to the Board. Trustees selected to serve on the Board are expected to possess relevant skills and experience, time availability and the ability to work well with the other Trustees. In addition to these qualities and based on each Trustee’s experience, qualifications and attributes and the Trustees’ combined contributions to the Board, following is a brief summary of the information that led to the conclusion that each Board member should serve as a Trustee.

Mr. Bagge has served as a trustee and Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee with the Fund Family since 2003. He founded YQA Capital Management, LLC in 1998 and has since served as a principal. Previously, Mr. Bagge was the owner and CEO of Electronic Dynamic Balancing Company from 1988 to 2001. He began his career as a securities analyst for institutional investors, including CT&T Asset Management and J.C. Bradford & Co. The Board considered that Mr. Bagge has served as a board member or advisor for several privately held businesses and charitable organizations and the executive, investment and operations experience that Mr. Bagge has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Barre has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2010. He served as Assistant Professor of Business at Trinity Christian College from 2010 to 2016. Previously, he served in various positions with BMO Financial Group/Harris Private Bank, including Vice President and Senior Investment Strategist (2001-2008), Director of Open Architecture and Trading (2007-2008), Head of Fundamental Research (2004-2007) and Vice President and Senior Fixed Income Strategist (1994-2001). From 1983 to 1994, Mr. Barre was with the Office of the Manager of Investments at Commonwealth Edison Co. He also was a staff accountant at Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co. from 1981 to 1983. The Board considered the executive, financial and investment experience that Mr. Barre has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Carome has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2010. He has served as the Senior Managing Director and General Counsel of Invesco Ltd. since 2006, and has held various senior executive positions with Invesco Ltd. since 2003. Previously, he served in various positions with Liberty Financial Companies, Inc., including Senior Vice President and General Counsel (2000- 2001), General Counsel of certain investment management subsidiaries (1998-2000) and Associate General Counsel (1993-1998). Prior to his employment with Liberty Financial Companies, Inc., Mr. Carome was an associate with Ropes & Gray LLP. The Board considered Mr. Carome’s senior executive position with Invesco Ltd.

Mr. Kole has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2006 and Chairman of the Audit Committee since 2008. He has been the Senior Director of Finance of By the Hand Club for Kids since 2015. Previously, he was the Chief Financial Officer of Hope Network from 2008 to 2012. He also was the Assistant Vice President and Controller at Priority Health from 2005 to 2008, Senior Vice President of Finance of United Healthcare from 2004 to 2005, Chief Accounting Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance of Oxford Health Plans from 2000 to 2004 and Audit Partner, Arthur Andersen LLP (1996-2000). The Board of the Trust has determined that Mr. Kole is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the SEC. The Board considered the executive, financial and operations experience that Mr. Kole has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Lim has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2013 and Chairman of the Investment Oversight Committee since 2014. He has been a Managing Partner of Residential Dynamics Group LLC since 2008. Previously, he was a Managing Director and the Head of the Securitized Products Group of Citadel Investment Group, L.L.C. (1999-2007). Prior to his employment with Citadel Investment Group, L.L.C., he was a Managing Director with Salomon Smith Barney. The Board considered the executive, financial and operations experience that Mr. Lim has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Nussbaum has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2003. He has served as the Chairman of Performance Trust Capital Partners since 2004 and was the Executive Vice President of Finance from 1994 to 1999. Mr. Nussbaum also served as Managing Director of the Communication Institute from 2002 to 2003. Prior to joining Performance Trust Capital Partners in 1994, he was a Vice President at Clayton Brown & Associates. Before that, he was a senior examiner with the Financial Markets Unit of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The Board considered the executive, financial, investment and operations experience that Mr. Nussbaum has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

 

29


Mr. Wicker has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2013. He has served as Senior Vice President of Global Finance and Chief Financial Officer at RBC Ministries since 2013. Previously, he was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Zondervan Publishing from 2007 to 2012. Prior to his employment with Zondervan Publishing, he held various positions with divisions of The Thomson Corporation, including Senior Vice President and Group Controller (2005-2006), Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2003-2004), Chief Financial Officer (2001-2003), Vice President, Finance and Controller (1999-2001) and Assistant Controller (1997-1999). Prior to that, Mr. Wicker was Senior Manager in the Audit and Business Advisory Services Group of Price Waterhouse (1985-1996). The Board of the Trust has determined that Mr. Wicker is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the SEC. The Board considered the executive, financial and operations experience that Mr. Wicker has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Wilson has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2006 and as the Independent Chair since 2012. He also served as lead Independent Trustee in 2011. He has served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Stone Pillar Advisors, Ltd. since 2010 and as President and Chief Executive Officer of Stone Pillar Investments, Ltd. since 2016. Previously, he was the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Community Financial Shares, Inc., and its subsidiary, Community Bank – Wheaton/Glen Ellyn (2013-2015), and was the Chief Operating Officer (2007-2009) and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2006-2007) of AMCORE Financial, Inc. Mr. Wilson also served as Senior Vice President and Treasurer of Marshall & Ilsley Corp. from 1995 to 2006. He started his career with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, serving in several roles in the bank examination division and the economic research division. The Board of the Trust has determined that Mr. Wilson is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the SEC. The Board considered the executive, financial and operations experience that Mr. Wilson has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

This disclosure is not intended to hold out any Trustee as having any special expertise and shall not impose greater duties, obligations or liabilities on the Trustees. The Trustees’ principal occupations during the past five years or more are shown in the above tables.

For his services as a Trustee of the Trust and other trusts in the Fund Family, each Independent Trustee and Unaffiliated Trustee receives an annual retainer of $250,000 (the “Retainer”). The Retainer is allocated half pro rata among all the funds in the Fund Family and the other half is allocated among all of the funds in the Fund Family based on average net assets. Mr. Wilson receives an additional $78,000 per year for his service as Independent Chair, allocated in the same manner as the Retainer. The chair of the Audit Committee receives an additional fee of $28,000 per year and the chairs of the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Investment Oversight Committee each receive an additional fee of $17,000 per year, all allocated in the same manner as the Retainer. Effective January 1, 2017, the Retainer increased to $290,000. Also effective January 1, 2017, the additional fee for the Independent Chair increased to $100,000. Each Trustee also is reimbursed for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending Board and committee meetings.

The Trust’s DC Plan allows each Independent Trustee and Unaffiliated Trustee to defer payment of all, or a portion, of the fees that the Trustee receives for serving on the Board throughout the year. Each eligible Trustee generally may elect to have deferred amounts credited with a return equal to the total return on one or more registered investment companies within the Fund Family that are offered as investment options under the DC Plan. At the Trustee’s election, distributions are either in one lump sum payment, or in the form of equal annual installments over a period of years designated by the Trustee. The rights of an eligible Trustee and the beneficiaries to the amounts held under the DC Plan are unsecured and such amounts are subject to the claims of the creditors of the Fund. The Independent Trustees and the Unaffiliated Trustee are not eligible for any pension or profit sharing plan in their capacity as Trustees.

 

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The following sets forth the fees paid to each Trustee for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017.

 

Name of Trustee

   Aggregate
Compensation From
Trust (1)
     Pension or Retirement
Benefits accrued as part of
Fund Expenses
     Total Compensation Paid
From Fund Complex (2)
 

Independent Trustees

        

Ronn R. Bagge

   $ [                  N/A      $ [            

Todd J. Barre

   $ [                  N/A      $ [            

Marc M. Kole

   $ [                  N/A      $ [            

Yung Bong Lim

   $ [                  N/A      $ [            

Gary R. Wicker

   $ [                  N/A      $ [            

Donald H. Wilson

   $ [                  N/A      $ [            

Unaffiliated Trustee

        

Philip M. Nussbaum

   $ [                  N/A      $ [            

Interested Trustee

        

Kevin M. Carome

     N/A        N/A        N/A  

 

(1) [Because the Fund had not commenced operations as of October 31, 2017, the Fund did not pay any portion of the amounts shown in this table.]
(2) The amounts shown in this column represent the aggregate compensation paid by all funds of the trusts in the Fund Family (except as noted in the prior footnote) for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017 before deferral by the Trustees under the DC Plan. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, [both Mr. Lim and Mr. Nussbaum deferred 100% of their compensation.]

As of the date of this SAI, the Trustees and officers, as a group, owned none of the Fund’s outstanding Shares.

Principal Holders and Control Persons. The Fund is new and, as of the date of this SAI, no person owned of record more than 5% of the outstanding Shares.

Shareholder Communications. Shareholders may send communications to the Trust’s Board by addressing the communications directly to the Board (or individual Board members) and/or otherwise clearly indicating in the salutation that the communication is for the Board (or individual Board members). The shareholder may send the communication to either the Trust’s office or directly to such Board members at the address specified for each Trustee. Management will review and generally respond to other shareholder communications the Trust receives that are not directly addressed and sent to the Board. Such communications will be forwarded to the Board at management’s discretion based on the matters contained therein.

Investment Adviser. The Adviser provides investment tools and portfolios for advisers and investors. The Adviser is committed to theoretically sound portfolio construction and empirically verifiable investment management approaches. Its asset management philosophy and investment discipline is rooted deeply in the application of intuitive factor analysis and model implementation to enhance investment decisions.

The Adviser acts as investment adviser for the assets of the Fund. The Adviser also oversees the Sub-Adviser and delegates to the Sub-Adviser the duties of the investment and reinvestment of the Fund’s assets. The Adviser also administers the Trust’s business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and permits any of its officers or employees to serve without compensation as Trustees or officers of the Trust if elected to such positions.

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC, organized February 7, 2003, is located at 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, IL 60515.

Invesco Ltd. is the parent company of Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC and is located at Two Peachtree Pointe, 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309. Invesco Ltd. and its subsidiaries are an independent global investment management group.

Sub-Adviser. The Sub-Adviser manages the investment and reinvestment of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis under the supervision of the Adviser. The Sub-Adviser, Invesco Advisers, Inc., is located at Two Peachtree Pointe, 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309.

 

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Portfolio Managers. The Adviser uses a team of portfolio managers (the “Portfolio Managers”), investment strategists and other investment specialists. This team approach brings together many disciplines and leverages the Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s extensive resources. [Peter Hubbard] oversees all research, portfolio management and trading operations of the Adviser. In this capacity, he oversees a team of the Portfolio Managers responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds. [Peter Hubbard] receives management assistance from [                    ].

As of October 31, 2017, [Peter Hubbard] managed [                    ] registered investment companies with a total of approximately $[        ] billion in assets, [ ] other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $[        ] billion in assets and no other accounts.

As of October 31, 2017, [                    ] managed [                    ] registered investment companies with a total of approximately $[        ] billion in assets, [                    ] other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $[        ] billion in assets and no other accounts.

The Sub-Adviser’s portfolio managers develop investment models which are used in connection with the management of the Funds. The information below reflects the other funds for which each portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities. Accounts are grouped into three categories: (i) registered investment companies, (ii) other pooled investment vehicles and (iii) other accounts. To the extent that any of these accounts pay advisory fees that are based on account performance (“performance-based fees”), information on those accounts is specifically broken out. In addition, any assets denominated in foreign currencies have been converted into U.S. dollars using the exchange rates as of the applicable date.

As of October 31, 2017, [                    ] managed [                    ] registered investment companies with a total of approximately $[        ] billion in assets, [ ] other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $[                ] million in assets and no other accounts.

As of October 31, 2017, [                    ] managed [ ] registered investment companies with a total of approximately $[        ] billion in assets, no other pooled investment vehicles and no other accounts.

Description of Compensation Structure—Adviser. The Portfolio Managers are compensated with a fixed salary amount by the Adviser. The Portfolio Managers are eligible, along with other senior employees of the Adviser, to participate in a year-end discretionary bonus pool. The Compensation Committee of the Adviser will review management bonuses and, depending upon the size, the Compensation Committee may approve the bonus in advance. There is no policy regarding, or agreement with, the Portfolio Managers or any other senior executive of the Adviser to receive bonuses or any other compensation in connection with the performance of any of the accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers.

Description of Compensation Structure—Sub-Adviser. The Sub-Adviser seeks to maintain a compensation program that is competitively positioned to attract and retain high-caliber investment professionals. The Sub-Adviser’s portfolio managers receive a base salary, an incentive bonus opportunity, and an equity compensation opportunity. Portfolio manager compensation is reviewed and may be modified each year as appropriate to reflect changes in the market, as well as to adjust the factors used to determine bonuses to promote good sustained fund performance. The Sub-Adviser evaluates competitive market compensation by reviewing compensation survey results conducted by an independent third party of investment industry compensation. Each portfolio manager’s compensation consists of the following three elements:

The Sub-Adviser’s portfolio managers are paid a base salary. In setting the base salary, the Sub-Adviser’s intention is to be competitive in light of the particular portfolio manager’s experience and responsibilities. The portfolio managers are eligible, along with other senior employees of the Sub-Adviser, to participate in a year-end discretionary bonus pool. The Compensation Committee of Invesco Ltd. reviews and approves the amount of the bonus pool available for Invesco’s investment centers. The Compensation Committee considers investment performance and financial results in its review. In addition, while having no direct impact on individual bonuses, assets under management are considered when determining the starting bonus funding levels. A portfolio manager is eligible to receive an annual cash bonus which is based on quantitative (i.e., investment performance) and non-quantitative factors (which may include, but are not limited to, individual performance, risk management and teamwork).

 

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Each portfolio manager’s compensation is linked to the pre-tax investment performance of the funds/accounts managed by the portfolio manager as described in Table 1 below.

Table 1

 

Sub-Adviser

  

Performance Time Period (1)

Invesco (2)

   One-, Three- and Five-year performance against Fund peer group.

 

(1) Rolling time periods based on calendar year end.
(2) Portfolio managers may be granted a short-term award that vests on a pro-rata basis over a four-year period and final payments are based on the performance of eligible funds selected by the portfolio manager at the time the award is granted.

High investment performance (against applicable peer group) would deliver compensation generally associated with top pay in the industry (determined by reference to the third-party provided compensation survey information) and poor investment performance (versus applicable peer group) would result in low bonus compared to the applicable peer group or no bonus at all. These decisions are reviewed and approved collectively by senior leadership which has responsibility for executing the compensation approach across the organization.

Portfolio managers may be awarded options to purchase common shares and/or granted restricted shares of Invesco stock from pools determined from time to time by the Remuneration Committee of the Invesco Ltd. Board of Directors. Awards of equity-based compensation typically vest over time, so as to create incentives to retain key talent.

Portfolio managers also participate in benefit plans and programs available generally to all employees.

Portfolio Holdings. As of the date of this SAI, the Fund has not yet commenced investment operations, and none of the Portfolio Managers beneficially own any Shares of the Fund.

Because the portfolio managers of the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser may manage assets for other investment companies, pooled investment vehicles and/or other accounts (including institutional clients, pension plans and certain high net worth individuals), there may be an incentive to favor one client over another, resulting in conflicts of interest. For instance, the Adviser or Sub-Adviser may receive fees from certain accounts that are higher than the fee it receives from the Funds, or it may receive a performance-based fee on certain accounts. In those instances, the portfolio managers may have an incentive to favor the higher and/or performance-based fee accounts over the Funds. In addition, a conflict of interest could exist to the extent that the Adviser or Sub-Adviser has proprietary investments in certain accounts, where portfolio managers have personal investments in certain accounts or when certain accounts are investment options in the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser’s employee benefits and/or deferred compensation plans. The portfolio manager may have an incentive to favor these accounts over others. If the Adviser or Sub-Adviser manages accounts that engage in short sales of securities of the type in which the Fund invests, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser could be seen as harming the performance of the Fund for the benefit of the accounts engaging in short sales if the short sales cause the market value of the securities to fall. The Adviser and Sub-Adviser have adopted trade allocation and other policies and procedures that they believe are reasonably designed to address these and other conflicts of interest.

Investment Advisory Agreement. Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Trust (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”), the Fund pays the Adviser an advisory fee equal to [0.20%] of its average daily net assets (the “Advisory Fee”).

[The Trust and the Adviser have entered into an Excess Expense Agreement (the “Expense Agreement”) on behalf of the Fund pursuant to which the Adviser has agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse Fund expenses to the extent necessary to prevent the operating expenses of the Fund from exceeding 0.27% of its average net assets (the “Expense Cap”), at least until [________].]

 

33


[Pursuant to the Expense Agreement, certain expenses are not covered by the Expense Cap for the Fund. The Fund’s expense Cap excludes interest expenses, [offering costs,] brokerage commissions and other trading expenses, taxes, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if applicable, and extraordinary expenses.]

[The Expense Agreement provides that the expenses borne by the Adviser are subject to recapture by the Adviser for up to three years from the date that the Adviser bore the expense, but no recapture payment will be made by the Fund if it would result in the Fund exceeding its Expense Cap. In no instance will the Adviser recapture any amounts for periods when the Fund’s total expenses exceeded the expense limit in place at the time the waiver was made.]

The Fund is responsible for all its own expenses, including, but not limited to, the investment advisory fees, costs of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with executions of portfolio transactions, any distribution fees or expenses, litigation expenses, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if applicable, fees payable to the Trust’s Board members and officers who are not “interested persons” of the Trust or the Adviser, expenses incurred in connection with the Board members’ services, including travel expenses and legal fees of counsel for those members of the Board who are not “interested persons” of the Trust or the Adviser and extraordinary expenses.

The Fund may invest in money market funds that are managed by affiliates of the Adviser. The indirect portion of the management fee that the Fund incurs through such investments is in addition to the Adviser’s management fee. Therefore, the Adviser has agreed to waive the fees that it receives under the management fee in an amount equal to the indirect management fees that the Fund incurs through its investments in affiliated money market funds through [                    ]. There is no guarantee that the Adviser will extend the waiver of these fees past that date.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the performance of the Investment Advisory Agreement, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its duties and obligations thereunder. The Investment Advisory Agreement continues in effect (following its initial term) only if approved annually by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Investment Advisory Agreement terminates automatically upon assignment and is terminable at any time without penalty as to the Fund by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, or by vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser, or by the Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Fund.

Sub-Advisory Agreements. The Adviser has entered into sub-advisory agreements with certain affiliates to serve as sub-advisers to the Fund (each, a “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) pursuant to which these affiliated sub-advisers may be appointed by the Adviser from time to time to provide discretionary investment management services, investment advice and/or order execution services to the Fund. These affiliated sub-advisers are:

 

    Invesco Advisers, Inc. (previously defined as “Invesco”);

 

    Invesco Asset Management Deutschland GmbH (“Invesco Deutschland”);

 

    Invesco Asset Management Limited (“Invesco Asset Management”);

 

    Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited (“Invesco Japan”);

 

    Invesco Hong Kong Limited (“Invesco Hong Kong”);

 

    Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc. (“Invesco Senior Secured”); and

 

    Invesco Canada Ltd. (“Invesco Canada”).

The Adviser and each affiliated sub-adviser listed above are indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries of Invesco Ltd. Under each Sub-Advisory Agreement, each sub-adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the performance of the Sub-Advisory Agreement,

 

34


except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of sub-adviser in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its duties and obligations thereunder. Each Sub-Advisory Agreement continues in effect (following their initial term) only if approved annually by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees.

Each Sub-Advisory Agreement terminates automatically upon assignment or termination of the Advisory Agreement and are terminable at any time without penalty as to the Fund by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, or by vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities on 60 days’ written notice to the relevant Sub-Adviser, by the Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the relevant Sub-Adviser or by the Sub-Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Trust.

Invesco currently serves as Sub-Adviser to the Fund. The Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser a fee which will be computed daily and paid as of the last day of each month equal to 40% of the Adviser’s monthly compensation with respect to the assets of the Fund for which the Sub-Adviser provides sub-advisory services. On an annual basis, the Sub-Advisory fee is equal to 40% of the Adviser’s compensation of the sub-advised assets per year.

Invesco is located at Two Peachtree Pointe, 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309.

Invesco Deutschland is located at An der Welle 5M, 1st Floor, 60322, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Invesco Asset Management is located at Perpetual Park, Perpetual Park Drive, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 1HH, United Kingdom.

Invesco Japan is located at Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 14F, P.O. Box 115, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-6114, Japan.

Invesco Hong Kong is located at 41st Floor, Champion Tower, 3 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong.

Invesco Senior Secured is located at 1166 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036.

Invesco Canada is located at 5140 Yonge Street, Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2N 6X7.

Payments to Financial Intermediaries. The Adviser may pay certain broker-dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries for participating in activities that are designed to make registered representatives and other professionals more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as participation in marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems. As of the date of this SAI, the Adviser had arrangements to make payments, other than for the educational programs and marketing activities described above, only to Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”). Pursuant to the arrangement with Schwab, Schwab has agreed to promote select exchange-traded funds advised by the Adviser to Schwab’s customers and not to charge certain of its customers any commissions when those customers purchase or sell shares of those funds. Payments to a broker-dealer or intermediary may create potential conflicts of interest between the broker-dealer or intermediary and its clients. These amounts are paid by the Adviser from its own resources and not from the assets of the Fund.

Administrator. BNYM serves as administrator for the Fund. Its principal address is 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286.

BNYM serves as Administrator for the Fund pursuant to a fund administration and accounting agreement (the “Administrative Services Agreement”) with the Trust. Under the Administrative Services Agreement, BNYM is obligated on a continuous basis to provide such administrative services as the Board reasonably deems necessary for the proper administration of the Trust and the Fund. BNYM generally will assist in many aspects of the Trust’s and the Fund’s operations, including accounting, bookkeeping and record keeping services (including, without limitation, the maintenance of such books and records as are required under the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder, except as maintained by other service providers), assisting in preparing reports to shareholders or investors; assist in the preparation and filing of tax returns; supply financial information and supporting data for reports to and filings with the SEC; and supply supporting documentation for meetings of the Board.

 

35


Pursuant to the Administrative Services Agreement, the Trust has agreed to indemnify the Administrator for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the federal securities laws, unless such loss or liability results from negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties.

Custodian, Transfer Agent and Fund Accounting Agent. BNYM, located at 101 Barclay Street New York, New York 10286, also serves as custodian for the Fund pursuant to a custodian agreement (the “Custodian Agreement”). As Custodian, BNYM holds the Fund’s assets, calculates the NAV of Shares and calculates net income and realized capital gains or losses. BNYM also serves as transfer agent for the Fund pursuant to a transfer agency agreement (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”). Further, BNYM serves as accounting agent pursuant to a fund accounting agreement (the “Fund Accounting Agreement”). BNYM may be reimbursed for its out-of-pocket expenses, and it also receives transaction fees and asset-based fees which are accrued daily and paid annually by the Adviser from the Advisory Fee.

Distributor. Invesco Distributors, Inc. (previously defined as the “Distributor”) is the distributor of the Fund’s Shares. The Distributor’s principal address is 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173. The Distributor has entered into a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”) with the Trust pursuant to which it distributes the Shares. The Fund continuously offers Shares for sale through the Distributor only in Creation Unit Aggregations, as described in the Prospectus and below under the heading “Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations.”

The Distribution Agreement provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on at least 60 days’ written notice by the Trust to the Distributor (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).

Aggregations. The Distributor does not distribute Shares in less than Creation Unit Aggregations. The Distributor will deliver a Prospectus (or a Summary 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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

The Distributor also may enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Unit Aggregations of the Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers also may be Participating Parties (as defined in “Procedures for Creation of Creation Unit Aggregations” below) and DTC Participants (as defined in “DTC Acts as Securities Depository for Shares” below).

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS

The policies of the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser regarding purchases and sales of securities is to give primary consideration to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions under the circumstances. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Adviser’s and the Sub-Adviser’s policies are to pay commissions that are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, as applicable, rely upon their experience and knowledge regarding commissions various brokers generally charge. The sale of Shares by a broker-dealer is not a factor in the selection of broker-dealers.

In seeking to implement its policies, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser, as applicable, effects transactions with those brokers and dealers that the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser believes provide the most favorable prices and are capable of providing efficient executions. The Adviser and Sub-Adviser and their affiliates currently do not participate in soft dollar transactions.

The Adviser or the Sub-Adviser, as applicable, assumes general supervision over placing orders on behalf of the Fund for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities by the Fund and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser are considered at

 

36


or about the same time, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser, as applicable, allocates transactions in such securities among the funds, the several investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable to all. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security as far as the Fund is concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower brokerage commissions will be beneficial to the Fund. The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price under the circumstances.

Affiliated Transactions. The Adviser or Sub-Adviser may place trades with Invesco Capital Markets, Inc. (“ICMI”) a broker-dealer with whom it is under common control, provided the Adviser or Sub-Adviser determines that the affiliate’s trade execution abilities and costs are at least comparable to those of non-affiliated brokerage firms with which the Adviser or Sub-Adviser could otherwise place similar trades. ICMI receives brokerage commissions in connection with effecting trades for the Fund and, therefore, use of ICMI presents a conflict of interest for the Adviser and Sub-Adviser. Trades placed through ICMI, including the brokerage commissions paid to ICMI, are subject to procedures adopted by the Board.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE TRUST

The Trust is an open-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act. The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on November 6, 2007 pursuant to the Declaration of Trust.

The Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares in one or more series or “funds.” The Trust currently is composed of [    ] series. The Board has the right to establish additional series in the future, to determine the preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges thereof and to modify such preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges without shareholder approval. The Declaration of Trust provides that the assets associated solely with any series shall be held and accounted for separately from the assets of the Trust generally or of any other series, and that liabilities belonging to a particular series shall be enforceable only against the assets belonging to that series and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against the assets belonging to any other series.

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 other distributions declared by the Board with respect to the Fund, and in the Fund’s net distributable assets 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. Should the Board establish additional series in the future, the Shares of all of the funds of the Trust, including the Funds, will vote together as a single class, except as otherwise required by the 1940 Act or if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund, and, if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, the shares of that fund will vote separately on such matter.

The Trustees may, except in limited circumstances, amend or supplement the Declaration of Trust without shareholder vote. The holders of Shares are required to disclose information on direct or indirect ownership of Shares as may be required to comply with various laws applicable to the Funds, and ownership of Shares may be disclosed by the Fund if so required by law or regulation.

The Trust is not required and does not intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Shareholders owning more than 33% of the outstanding Shares of the Trust have the right to call a special meeting to remove one or more Trustees or for any other purpose by written request provided that (1) such request shall state the purposes of such meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on, and (2) the shareholders requesting such meeting shall have paid to the Trust the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing the notice thereof, which the Secretary shall determine and specify to such shareholders.

The Trust’s bylaws require that to the fullest extent permitted by law, including Section 3804(e) of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction thereof, any other court in the State of Delaware with subject matter jurisdiction, shall be the sole

 

37


and exclusive forum for any shareholder (including a beneficial owner of shares) to bring derivatively or directly (i) any claim, suit, action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Trust, (ii) any claim, suit, action or proceeding asserting a claim for breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any Trustee, officer or employee, if any, of the Trust to the Trust or the Trust’s shareholders, (iii) any claim, suit, action or proceeding asserting a claim against the Trust, its Trustees, officers or employees, if any, arising pursuant to any provision of Delaware statutory or common law, or any federal or state securities law, in each case as amended from time to time, or the Trust’s Declaration of Trust or bylaws; or (iv) any claim, suit, action or proceeding asserting a claim against the Trust, its Trustees, officers or employees, if any, governed by the internal affairs doctrine.

The Trust does not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of Shares held by DTC Participants (as defined below).

Shareholders may make inquiries by writing to the Trust, c/o the Distributor, Invesco Distributors, Inc., 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173.

Book Entry Only System. The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Book Entry.”

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

Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records DTC maintains (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 and sale of 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, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such DTC Participant may transmit such notice, statement or communication, 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.

Fund distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall 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.

 

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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 providing its service with respect to Shares 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.

Proxy Voting. The Board believes that the voting of proxies on securities held by the Fund is an important element of the overall investment process. As such, the Board has delegated responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Fund to the Adviser. The Adviser votes such proxies in accordance with its proxy policies and procedures, which are summarized in Appendix A (for the Adviser) and in Appendix B (for the Sub-Advisers) to this SAI. The Board periodically reviews the Fund’s proxy voting record.

The Trust is required to disclose annually the Fund’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX covering the period July 1 through June 30 and file it with the SEC no later than August 31. Form N-PX for the Trust also is available at no charge upon request by calling 800-983-0903 or by writing to PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust at 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515. The Trust’s Form N-PX also will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Codes of Ethics. Pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, the Board has adopted a Code of Ethics for the Trust and approved Codes of Ethics adopted by the Adviser, Sub-Adviser and the Distributor (collectively, the “Ethics Codes”). The Ethics Codes are intended to ensure that the interests of shareholders and other clients are placed ahead of any personal interest, that no undue personal benefit is obtained from the person’s employment activities and that actual and potential conflicts of interest are avoided.

The Ethics Codes apply to the personal investing activities of Trustees and officers of the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and the Distributor (“Access Persons”). Rule 17j-1 and the Ethics Codes are designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by Access Persons. Under the Ethics Codes, Access Persons may engage in personal securities transactions, but must report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. The Ethics Codes permit personnel subject to the Ethics Codes to invest in securities subject to certain limitations, including securities that the Fund may purchase or sell. In addition, certain Access Persons must obtain approval before investing in initial public offerings or private placements. The Ethics Codes are on file with the SEC and are available to the public at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 202.942.8090. The Ethics Codes are also available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov. The Ethics Codes may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by e-mail at publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the SEC’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-0102.

CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNIT AGGREGATIONS

Creation. The Trust issues Shares of the Fund only in Creation Unit Aggregations on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at its NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined below), of an order in proper form.

A “Business Day” is any day on which the NYSE is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, the NYSE observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

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Deposit of Securities and Delivery of Cash. Creation Units of the Fund generally are sold partially in cash and partially in-kind, plus any applicable administrative or other transaction fees as discussed below. When creations principally in-kind are permitted or required, an investor must deposit the Deposit Securities per each Creation Unit Aggregation constituting a substantial replication of the securities included in the Fund (“Fund Securities”) and the Cash Component computed as described below, plus a fixed and a variable transaction fee, as discussed 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 a Fund. However, the Fund also reserves the right to permit or require Creation Units to be issued in exchange for cash (see “Cash Purchase Method” below).

The Sub-Adviser expects that the Deposit Securities should correspond pro rata, to the extent practicable, to the securities held by a Fund. In such event, the Cash Component will represent the difference between the NAV of a Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities.

The Cash Component is sometimes also referred to as the “Balancing Amount.” The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit Aggregation and the Deposit Amount (as defined below). The Cash Component is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares (per Creation Unit Aggregation) and the “Deposit Amount”—an amount equal to the market value of the Deposit Securities. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit Aggregation exceeds the Deposit Amount), the AP (as defined below) will deliver the Cash Component. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit Aggregation is less than the Deposit Amount), the AP will receive the Cash Component.

The Custodian, through the NSCC will make available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. Information on the specific names and holdings in a Fund Deposit will be available at www.powershares.com/capitalmarkets. In addition, the NSCC will make available information on the amount of cash required for a Creation Unit. Such Fund Deposit is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, to effect creations of Creation Unit Aggregations until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities is made available.

During times in which the Fund utilizes in-kind creations, the identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund will change as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected within the Fund from time to time by the Adviser, with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. In addition, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash—i.e., a “cash in lieu” amount—to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security that: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery, (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC or the Clearing Process (discussed below), if any, (iii) might not be eligible for trading by an AP (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting, or (iv) another relevant reason. Brokerage commissions incurred in connection with the acquisition of Deposit Securities not eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC, and hence not eligible for transfer through the Clearing Process (discussed below), if any, will be at the expense of the Fund and will affect the value of all Shares; however, the Adviser may adjust the transaction fee to protect ongoing shareholders. Such adjustments will reflect changes known to the Adviser or Sub-Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, resulting from certain corporate actions.

In addition to the list of names and numbers of securities constituting the current Deposit Securities of the Fund Deposit, the Custodian, through the NSCC, also makes available on each Business Day, the estimated Cash Component, effective through and including the previous Business Day, per outstanding Creation Unit Aggregation.

Creations and redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities are subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws, and the Fund reserves the right to redeem Creation Aggregations for cash to the extent that an investor could not lawfully purchase or the Fund could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities under such laws. An AP (defined below) 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. An AP (as defined below) that is not a qualified institutional buyer (“QIB”) as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act will not be able to receive, as part of a redemption, restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A.

 

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Cash Purchase Method. During periods when partial or full cash purchases of Creation Units are permitted, such purchases will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases. In the case of a partial or full cash purchase, an AP (as defined below) 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. Such cash equivalent is referred to as the “Deposit Cash.”

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 (i) a “Participating Party,” i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see the “Book Entry Only System” section), and, in each case, must have executed an agreement with the Distributor, with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Unit Aggregations (“Participant Agreement”) (discussed below). A Participating Party and DTC Participant are collectively referred to as an “AP.” Investors should contact the Distributor for the names of APs that have signed a Participant Agreement. All Shares, however created, will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of Cede & Co. for the account of a DTC Participant.

The Distributor must receive all orders to create Creation Unit Aggregations no later than the closing time of the regular trading session on the NYSE (“Closing Time”) (ordinarily 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) in each case on the date such order is placed in order for creation of Creation Unit Aggregations to be effected based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund as next determined on such date after receipt of the order in proper form. With respect to in-kind creations, a custom order may be placed by an AP when cash replaces any Deposit Security which may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or which may not be eligible for trading by such AP or the investor for which it is acting or other relevant reason. The date on which an order to create Creation Unit Aggregations (or an order to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations, as discussed below) is placed is referred to as the “Transmittal Date.” In the case of custom orders, the Distributor must receive the order no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the Transmittal Date.

On days when a listing exchange or the bond markets close earlier than normal (such as the day before a holiday), the Fund may require orders to create Creation Unit Aggregations to be placed earlier in the day on the Transmittal Date. For example, on days when the generally accepted close of the bond market occurs earlier than normal, in-kind creation orders requesting a “cash-in-lieu” amount must be received by the Distributor no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern time. Orders must be transmitted by an AP by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, as described below. Orders to create Creation Units may be placed through the Clearing Process (see “Placement of Creation Orders Using Clearing Process”) or outside the Clearing Process (see “Placement of Creation Orders Outside Clearing Process”). Severe economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an AP.

All orders from investors who are not APs to create Creation Unit Aggregations shall be placed with an AP in the form required by such AP. In addition, the AP may request the investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to create Creation Unit Aggregations have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an AP 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. 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 Cash Component (or, if applicable, the Deposit Cash).

 

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Placement of Creation Orders Using Clearing Process. The Clearing Process is the process of creating or redeeming Creation Unit Aggregations through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC. 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 to transmit through the Custodian to the 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 the NSCC, the Participating Party agrees to deliver the requisite Deposit Cash or Fund Deposit to the Trust, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor. 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.

An order to create Creation Unit Aggregations using the Clearing Process that is made in proper form but received by the Trust after Closing Time will be deemed received on the next Business Day immediately following the date that the order was placed, and it will be effected at the NAV next determined on such Business Day. That next Business Day will be deemed the Transmittal Date. The Creation Unit will be transferred no later than the third Business Day following the Transmittal Date (“T+3”).

Placement of Creation Orders Outside Clearing Process. Fund Deposits made outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through a DTC Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement pre-approved by the Adviser and the Distributor. A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order creating Creation Units 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 cash and/or securities 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 or Deposit Cash to the account of the Fund by no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern time, on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date.

A standard creation order must be placed by 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, for purchases of Shares, in order for the date the order is placed to be deemed the Transmittal Date. In the case of custom orders, the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern time to be deemed the Transmittal Date. An AP must contact the Distributor to obtain approval prior to submitting such a creation order. The Distributor will inform the Transfer Agent, the Adviser and the Custodian upon receipt of a creation order.

At times when the Fund permits in-kind creations, and in accordance with the Fund’s Participant Agreement, Creation Unit Aggregations may be issued to an AP notwithstanding the fact that the corresponding Fund Deposits have not been received in part or in whole, in reliance on the undertaking of the AP to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible. 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, the AP must deposit cash in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) 105% of the market value of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”). The Adviser may change the required percentage of the Additional Cash Deposit from time to time. Such cash collateral must be delivered no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern time, on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Fund, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Fund in an amount at least equal to 105% of the daily marked-to-market value of the missing Deposit Securities.

The amount of cash equal to the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, by the “regular way” settlement date. 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 no 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 the Custodian does not receive both the required Deposit Securities and the Cash Component by 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, respectively, by the “regular way” settlement date, such order will be canceled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current Deposit Securities and Cash Component. The delivery of Creation Unit Aggregations so created will occur no later than T+3. For more information, see the chart setting forth the timing for placement of creation and redemption orders.

 

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Additional transaction fees may be imposed with respect to transactions made in connection with the creation or redemption of Creation Units. (See “Creation and Redemption Transaction Fees” section below).

Acceptance of Orders for Creation Unit Aggregations. The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of the Fund if: (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, Deposit Cash or Fund Deposit delivered are not as designated for that date by the Custodian, as described above; (iv) acceptance of the Deposit Cash or Fund Deposit would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (v) acceptance of the Deposit Securities, Deposit Cash or 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 the Adviser, 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, the Custodian, the Distributor and the Adviser 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, the Distributor, the Adviser, DTC, NSCC, the Federal Reserve, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian or 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 AP acting on behalf of such prospective creator of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Transfer Agent 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.

A confirmation of acceptance of an order to create Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered to the AP within 15 minutes of the receipt of a submission received in good form. A creation order is deemed to be irrevocable upon the delivery of the confirmation of acceptance.

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 and Redemption Transaction Fees. APs may be required to pay an administrative fee and a variable transaction fee for purchasing or redeeming Creation Units. Creation and redemption transactions for the Fund are subject to an administrative fee of $500, payable to BNYM, irrespective of the size of the order. The administrative fee has a fixed base amount for the Fund; however, BNYM may increase the administrative fee for up to $2,000, for administration and settlement of non-standard orders requiring additional administrative processing by BNYM. Additionally, for creations or redemptions effected principally for cash, the Adviser may charge additional variable fees up to the maximum discussed above. To the extent that the Fund permits or requires APs to substitute cash in lieu of Deposit Securities, the Adviser may also set additional “cash-in-lieu fees.” The variable fees and cash-in-lieu fees will be negotiated between the Adviser and the AP and are charged to offset the transaction cost to the Fund of buying (or selling) Deposit Securities, to cover spreads and slippage costs and to protect existing shareholders against sudden movements in the prices of the portfolio investments due to market events. The variable fees and cash-in-lieu fees are payable to the Fund and will not exceed 2% of the value of the Creation Unit. From time to time, the Adviser, in its sole discretion, may adjust a Fund’s variable transaction fees or reimburse APs for all or a portion of the creation or redemption transaction fees.

Procedures for Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Unit Aggregations at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Custodian and only on a Business Day. The Fund will not redeem Shares in amounts less than Creation Unit Aggregations. Beneficial Owners must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit Aggregation in order to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit Aggregation. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit Aggregation.

 

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To the extent the Fund permits redemptions principally in-kind, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the identity of the Fund Securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as described below) on that day. Information on the specific names and holdings of Fund Securities also are available at www.powershares.com/capitalmarkets. Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities that are applicable to creations of Creation Unit Aggregations, and may be comprised of a non-typical basket of Fund Securities, including in certain circumstances, a basket comprised of one or more Fund Securities.

Unless cash redemptions are permitted or required for the Fund (see “—Cash Redemption Method” below), the redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit Aggregation consist of Fund Securities—as announced on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form—plus or minus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Redemption Cash Component”), less a redemption transaction fee as noted above (see “Creation and Redemption Transaction Fees”). In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the difference is required to be made by or through an AP by the redeeming shareholder to the Fund as compensation.

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

For in-kind redemptions, redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws, and the Fund 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 AP 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. This would specifically prohibit delivery of Fund Securities that are not registered in reliance upon Rule 144A under the Securities Act to a redeeming investor that is not a QIB, as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act.

Cash Redemption Method. During periods when partial or full cash redemptions of Creation Units are permitted, such redemptions will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions. In the case of partial or full cash redemption, an AP receives the cash equivalent of the Fund Securities it would otherwise receive through an in-kind redemption, plus the same cash amount to be paid to an in-kind redeemer (minus any redemption transaction fees imposed, as specified above) (the “Cash Redemption Amount”).

Placement of Redemption Orders Using Clearing Process. Orders to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations must be delivered through an AP that has executed a Participant Agreement. Investors other than APs are responsible for making arrangements for an order to redeem to be made through an AP. An order to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations is deemed received by the Trust on the Transmittal Date if: (i) such order is received by the Custodian not later than the Closing Time, on the Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. An order to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations using the Clearing Process made in proper form but received by the Trust after 4:00 p.m., Eastern time will be deemed received on the next Business Day immediately following the date that redemption requested was placed, and will be effected at the NAV next determined on such Business Day. The requisite Cash Redemption Amount (or for in-kind redemptions, Fund Securities and any Redemption Cash Component) will be transferred by the third NSCC Business Day following the date on which such request for redemption is deemed received (“T+3”).

 

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Placement of Redemption Orders Outside 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. A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order for redemption of 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 redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations will instead be effected through transfer of Shares directly through DTC. 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 the Transfer Agent not later than 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on such Transmittal Date; (ii) such order is accompanied or followed by the requisite number of Shares, which delivery must be made through DTC to the Custodian no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern time (for the Shares), on the next Business Day immediately following such Transmittal Date (the “DTC Cut-Off-Time”) and 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, for any Redemption Cash Component, if any owed to such Fund; 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, it will send an acceptance of the redemption order to the AP within 15 minutes of the receipt of the submission received in good form. A redemption order is deemed to be irrevocable upon the delivery of the confirmation of acceptance. The Trust will then initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Cash Redemption Amount or Fund Securities (and the Redemption Cash Component, if any, owed to the redeeming Beneficial Owner), as applicable, which are expected to be delivered to the AP on behalf of the redeeming Beneficial Owner by T+3.

A standard order for redemption must be placed by 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the Transmittal Date. In the case of custom redemptions, the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern time on the Transmittal Date. In addition, the Fund may accept redemption orders placed after 4:00 p.m. on the day prior to the Transmittal Date. An AP must contact the Distributor to obtain approval prior to submitting such a redemption order. Arrangements satisfactory to the Trust must be in place for the Participating Party to transfer the Creation Units through DTC on or before the settlement date. Should the Fund permit redemptions in-kind, such redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws, and in such instances, the Fund reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Fund could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so first without registering the Deposit Securities under such laws.

In the event that the number of Shares is insufficient on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date, the Trust may deliver the Fund Securities (and Redemption Cash Component) or the Cash Redemption Amount to the AP notwithstanding such deficiency, in reliance on the undertaking of the AP to deliver the missing Shares as soon as possible. This undertaking shall be secured by such AP’s delivery on the contractual settlement date (and subsequent maintenance) of collateral consisting of cash having a value at least equal to 105% of the value of the missing Shares. The AP’s agreement permits the Trust, acting in good faith, to purchase the missing Shares at any time and the AP will be subject to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such shares and the value of the collateral, which may be sold by the Trust at such time, and in such manner, as the Trust may determine in its sole discretion.

For in-kind redemptions, the calculation of the value of the Fund Securities and the Redemption Cash Component to be delivered or received upon redemption will be made by the Custodian 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. Therefore, if a redemption order in proper form is submitted to the Transfer Agent by a DTC Participant no later than Closing Time on the Transmittal Date, and the requisite number of Shares are delivered to the Custodian prior to the DTC Cut-Off-Time, then the value of the Fund Securities and the Redemption Cash Component to be delivered/received will be determined by the Custodian on such Transmittal Date. If, however, a redemption order is submitted to the Custodian by a DTC Participant no later than Closing Time on the Transmittal Date but either (i) the requisite number of Shares of the relevant Fund are not delivered by the DTC Cut-Off-Time, as described above, on the Transmittal Date or (ii) the redemption order is not submitted in proper form, then the redemption order will not be deemed received as of the Transmittal Date. In such case, the value of the Fund Securities and the Redemption Cash Component to be delivered/received will be computed on the Business Day that the order is received by the Trust (i.e., the Business Day on which Shares of the relevant Fund are delivered through DTC to the Custodian by the DTC Cut-Off-Time on such Business Day pursuant to a properly submitted redemption order).

 

45


Upon receipt of a redemption order in good form, the Transfer Agent will deliver an acknowledgement of receipt within 15 minutes. A redemption order is deemed to be irrevocable upon the delivery of the acknowledgement of receipt of an order.

If it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming Beneficial Owner will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the relevant 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 Fund’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities).

Additionally, to the extent that the Fund issues redemptions in-kind, the Fund also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, may provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities, or cash-in-lieu of some Fund Securities, but in no event will the total value of the securities delivered and the cash transmitted differ from the NAV. An AP 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 AP 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, beneficial ownership of shares or delivery instructions.

The chart below describes in further detail the placement of creation and redemption orders through the NSCC and outside the Clearing Process, presuming a creation or redemption settling no later than T+3.

 

    

Transmittal Date (T)

  

Next Business Day (T+1)

  

Second Business Day (T+2)

  

Third Business Day (T+3)

Creation through NSCC

           
Standard Orders   

4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the Distributor.

 

Orders received after 4:00 p.m. (ET) will be deemed received on the next business day (T+1).

   No action.    No action.    Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered.
Custom Orders (for in-kind creations)   

3:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the Distributor.

 

Orders received after 3:00 p.m. (ET) require portfolio manager approvals before acceptance. Orders may be subject to additional fees.

   No action.    No action.    Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered.

 

46


Creation Outside NSCC            
Standard Orders   

4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order in proper form must be received by the Distributor.

  

11:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Deposit Securities must be received by the Fund’s account through DTC.

 

For cash creations: Deposit Cash must be received by the Custodian.

 

2:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Cash Component must be received by the Custodian.

   No action.    Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered.
    

Transmittal Date (T)

  

Next Business Day (T+1)

  

Second Business Day (T+2)

  

Third Business Day (T+3)

Standard Orders created in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the Deposit Securities (for in-kind creations)   

4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order in proper form must be received by the Distributor.

  

11:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Available Deposit Securities must be received.

 

Cash in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) 105% of the market value of the undelivered Deposit Securities must be received.

   No action.   

Missing Deposit Securities are due to the Trust or the Trust may use cash on deposit to purchase missing Deposit Securities.

 

Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered.

Custom Orders (for in-kind creations)   

3:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order in proper form must be received by the Distributor.

 

Orders received after 3:00 p.m. (ET) require portfolio manager approvals before acceptance. Orders may be subject to additional fees.

  

11:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Deposit Securities must be received by the Fund’s account through DTC.

 

2:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Cash Component must be received by the Custodian.

   No action.    Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered.

 

47


Redemption Through NSCC            
Standard Orders   

4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the Transfer Agent.

 

Orders received after 4:00 p.m. (ET) will be deemed received on the next business day (T+1).

   No action.    No action.    Fund Securities and Redemption Cash Component will be transferred to beneficial owner (For cash redemptions, Cash Redemption Amount will be transferred).
Custom Orders (for in-kind redemptions)   

3:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the Transfer Agent.

 

Orders received after 3:00 p.m. (ET) require portfolio manager approvals before acceptance. Orders may be subject to additional fees.

   No action.    No action.    Fund Securities and Redemption Cash Component will be transferred to beneficial owner.
Redemption Outside NSCC            
Standard Orders   

4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the Transfer Agent.

 

Orders received after 4:00 p.m. (ET) will be deemed received on the next business day (T+1).

  

11:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Shares must be delivered through DTC to the Custodian.

 

2:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Redemption Cash Component, if any, is due.

 

*If the order is not in proper form or the Shares are not delivered, then the order will not be deemed received as of T.

   No action.    Fund Securities and Redemption Cash Component are delivered to the redeeming beneficial owner (For cash redemptions, Cash Redemption Amount is delivered to the redeeming beneficial owner).

 

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Transmittal Date (T)

  

Next Business Day (T+1)

  

Second Business Day (T+2)

  

Third Business Day (T+3)

Custom Orders (for in-kind redemptions)   

3:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the Transfer Agent.

 

Orders received after 3:00 p.m. (ET) require portfolio manager approvals before acceptance. Orders may be subject to additional fees.

  

11:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Shares must be delivered through DTC to the Custodian.

 

2:00 p.m. (ET) Redemption Cash Component, if any, is due.

 

*If the order is not in proper form or the Shares are not delivered, then the order will not be deemed received as of T.

   No action.    Fund Securities and Redemption Cash Component is delivered to the redeeming beneficial owner.

TAXES

The following is a summary of certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Funds and their shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning.

The following is provided as general information only and is not tax advice. All investors should consult their own tax advisors as to the federal, state, local and foreign tax provisions applicable to them.

General; Qualification as a RIC. Each Fund is treated as a separate corporation for federal tax purposes and, therefore, is considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs described herein and in the Prospectus. Losses in a Fund do not offset gains in another series of the Trust, and the requirements (other than a certain organizational requirement that the Trust satisfies) for qualifying for RIC status are determined at the Fund level rather than the Trust level.

Each Fund has elected and intends to qualify each taxable year to be treated as a RIC. If a Fund satisfies the requirements referred to in the next sentence, it will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its net investment income and net realized capital gains that it distributes to its shareholders. To qualify for that treatment, a Fund annually must distribute to its shareholders at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (which includes dividends, interest, the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss (“net short-term gain”), and net gains and losses from certain foreign currency transactions, if any, all determined without regard to any deduction for dividends paid) (“Distribution Requirement”) and must meet several other requirements, including those described below, relating to the nature of its gross income and the diversification of its assets.

Income Requirement . A Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from (1) dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities, or foreign currencies, or other income (including gains from options, futures, or forward contracts) derived from its business of investing in stock, securities, or such currencies and (2) net income derived from qualified publicly traded partnerships (“QPTPs”).

Asset Diversification Requirements. A Fund must satisfy the following asset diversification requirements at the close of each quarter of its taxable year: (1) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, Government securities, securities of other RICs, and securities of any other issuer (as to which (a) not more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is in securities of the issuer and (b) the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer); and (2) no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than Government securities or securities of other RICs) or of two or more issuers that the Fund controls and are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or, collectively, in the securities of QPTPs.

If a Fund failed to qualify for any taxable year for treatment as a RIC—either (1) by failing to satisfy the Distribution Requirement or (2) by failing to satisfy one or more of the Income and Asset Diversification Requirements and is unable, or determines not to, avail itself of Internal Revenue Code provisions that enable a RIC to cure a failure to satisfy any of those requirements as long as the failure “is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect” and the RIC pays a deductible tax calculated in accordance with those provisions and meets certain other requirements—all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular federal corporate income tax rates

 

49


without any deduction for distributions to shareholders. In addition, for federal income tax purposes (a) the Fund’s shareholders would treat all those distributions, including distributions of net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), as dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, taxable as ordinary income, except that, for individual and certain other non-corporate shareholders (each, an “individual shareholder”), the part thereof that is “qualified dividend income” (“QDI”) would be subject to federal income tax at the rates for net capital gain—a maximum of 15% (20% for certain high income individual shareholders)—and (b) all or part of those distributions might be eligible for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders that meet certain holding period and other requirements regarding their Shares. Furthermore, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying for RIC treatment.

Each Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax (“Excise Tax”) to the extent it fails to distribute to its shareholders by the end of any calendar year substantially all of its ordinary (taxable) income for the calendar year and capital gain net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of such year, plus certain other amounts. For these purposes, a Fund may defer into the next taxable year any capital loss incurred between November 1 and the end of the current taxable year as well as certain “late-year ordinary losses” incurred between January 1 and the end of the current taxable year. Generally, it is the Funds’ policy to pay sufficient dividends and make other sufficient distributions each year to avoid the imposition of the Excise Tax, but the Funds can give no assurance that all or a portion of such liability will be avoided.

The Trust has the right to reject an order to purchase Shares if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, on obtaining the ordered Shares, own 80% or more of a Fund’s outstanding Shares and if, pursuant to sections 351 and 362 of the Internal Revenue Code, a Fund would have a basis in the Deposit Securities to be received in exchange for the ordered Shares different from their market value 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.

Taxation of Shareholders. Distributions from a Fund’s net investment income and net short-term gain, if any, are generally taxable as ordinary income (except for QDI, as described below). Distributions that a shareholder reinvests in additional Shares through the means of a dividend reinvestment service will be taxable to the shareholder to the same extent as if the distributions had been received in cash. Distributions to a shareholder of net capital gain, if any, are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long the shareholder has held his or her Shares. Distributions of ordinary income and capital gains may also be subject to state and local taxes.

Distributions that a Fund declares in October, November, or December and pays to shareholders of record in one of those months during the following January are treated as having been received by the shareholders on December 31 of the year the distributions were declared.

If, for any taxable year, the total distributions that a Fund makes exceed its current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will, for federal income tax purposes, be treated as a return of capital up to the amount of a shareholder’s basis in his or her Shares and thereafter as gain from the sale of those Shares. The amount so treated as a return of capital will reduce the shareholder’s adjusted basis in his or her Shares, thereby increasing his or her potential gain or reducing his or her potential loss on the subsequent sale of those Shares.

The sale or redemption (“disposition”) of Shares may give rise to a capital gain or loss, which generally will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and otherwise as short-term capital gain or loss. Long-term capital gains of individual shareholders generally are subject to federal income tax at the 15%/20% maximum rates noted above. In addition, a Fund’s distributions to such a shareholder of QDI will qualify for federal income taxation at those rates, provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met by the Fund and the shareholder. Each Fund will report to shareholders annually the amount of any distributions taxable as ordinary income (from net investment income and net short-term gain), the amount of any distributions from net capital gain, and the portion, if any, of dividends that may qualify as QDI.

A loss realized on a disposition of Shares may be disallowed if other Shares are acquired (whether through the automatic reinvestment of distributions, if available, or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date that the Shares are disposed of. In such a case, the basis in the acquired Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. In addition, any loss on a shareholder’s disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any distribution of net capital gain received by the shareholder with respect to such Shares.

 

50


An individual is required to pay a 3.8% federal tax on the lesser of (1) the individual’s “net investment income,” which generally will include distributions a Fund pays and gains recognized from the disposition of Shares, or (2) the excess of the individual’s “modified adjusted gross income” over $200,000 for single taxpayers ($250,000 for married persons filing jointly). This tax is in addition to any other taxes due on that income. A similar tax applies to estates and trusts. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the effect, if any, that this provision may have on their investment in Shares.

A shareholder who wants to use the average basis method for determining his or her basis in Shares must elect to do so in writing (which may be electronic) with the broker through which he or she purchased the Shares. A shareholder who wishes to use a different Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”)-acceptable method for basis determination (e.g., a specific identification method) may elect to do so. Shareholders are urged to consult with their brokers regarding the application of the basis determination rules to them.

If more than 50% of the value of a Fund’s total assets at the close of any taxable year consists of securities of foreign corporations, it will be eligible to, and may, file an election for that year with the IRS that would enable it to pass through to its shareholders to benefit from any foreign tax credits or deductions available with respect to foreign taxes it pays. Pursuant to the election, the Fund would treat those taxes as dividends paid to its shareholders and each shareholder (1) would be required to include in gross income, and treat as paid by the shareholder, the shareholder’s proportionate share of those taxes, (2) would be required to treat that share of those taxes and of any dividend the Fund paid that represents income from foreign sources or U.S. possessions (“foreign-source income”) as the shareholder’s own income from those sources, and (3) could either use the foregoing information in calculating the foreign tax credit against the shareholder’s federal income tax or, alternatively, deduct the foreign taxes deemed paid by the shareholder in computing taxable income. If a Fund makes this election for a taxable year, it will report to its shareholders shortly after that year their respective shares of the foreign taxes it paid and its foreign-source income for that year.

Individual shareholders of a Fund described in the preceding paragraph who have no more than $300 ($600 for married persons filing jointly) of creditable foreign taxes included on IRS Forms 1099 and all of whose foreign source income is “qualified passive income” may elect each taxable year to be exempt from the foreign tax credit limitation for federal income tax purposes (about which shareholders may wish to consult their tax advisors), in which event they would be able to claim a foreign tax credit without having to file the detailed IRS Form 1116 that otherwise is required. A shareholder will not be entitled to credit or deduct its allocable portion of foreign taxes the Fund paid if the shareholder has not held the Fund’s shares for at least 16 days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days before the ex-distribution date for those shares. The minimum holding period will be extended if the shareholder’s risk of loss with respect to those shares is reduced by reason of holding an offsetting position. No deduction for foreign taxes may be claimed by a shareholder who does not itemize deductions. A nonresident alien individual, foreign corporation or partnership, or foreign trust or estate holding shares of the Fund (a “foreign shareholder”) may not deduct or claim a credit for foreign taxes in determining its U.S. federal income tax liability unless the Fund dividends paid to it are effectively connected with the foreign shareholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (“effectively connected”).

Distributions of ordinary income paid to a foreign shareholder that are not effectively connected generally will be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax (unless a reduced rate of withholding or a withholding exemption is provided under an applicable treaty). However, a foreign shareholder generally will not be subject to withholding or income tax on gains realized on the sale of Shares or on net capital gain distributions unless (1) the gain or distribution is effectively connected or (2) in the case of an individual, the shareholder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or distribution and certain other conditions are met. In those cases, such gains and distributions generally will be subject to federal income taxation at regular income tax rates. Foreign shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors concerning the applicability of the federal withholding tax. Nonresident alien individuals also may be subject to federal estate tax.

A Fund must withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury Department (“U.S. Treasury”) 28% of distributions of ordinary income, capital gains, and any cash received on redemption of Creation Units (regardless of the extent to

 

51


which gain or loss may be realized) otherwise payable to any individual shareholder who fails to certify that the taxpayer identification number furnished to the Fund is correct or who furnishes an incorrect number (together with the withholding described in the next sentence, “backup withholding”). Withholding at that rate also is required from the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions otherwise payable to such a shareholder who is subject to backup withholding for any other reason. Backup withholding is not an additional tax, and any amounts so withheld may be credited against a shareholder’s federal income tax liability or refunded. When establishing an account, an investor must certify under penalty of perjury that such number is correct and that the investor is not otherwise subject to backup withholding.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”). Under FATCA, “foreign financial institutions” (“FFIs”) or “non-financial foreign entities” (“NFFEs”) that are shareholders in a Fund may be subject to a generally nonrefundable 30% withholding tax on (a) income dividends, and (b) certain capital gain distributions and the proceeds of a sale (or redemption) of Shares paid after December 31, 2018. As discussed in more detail below, the FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided (1) by an FFI, if it reports certain information regarding direct and indirect ownership of financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (2) by an NFFE, if it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners and, in certain circumstances, also certified that (i) it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (ii) it does have any such owners and reports information relating to them to the withholding agent (which may be the Fund). The U.S. Treasury has negotiated intergovernmental agreements (“IGAs”) with certain countries and is in various stages of negotiations with a number of other foreign countries with respect to one or more alternative approaches to implement FATCA; an entity in one of those countries may be required to comply with the terms of an IGA instead of U.S. Treasury regulations.

An FFI can avoid FATCA withholding by becoming a “participating FFI,” which requires the FFI to enter into a tax compliance agreement with the IRS under the Internal Revenue Code. Under such an agreement, a participating FFI agrees to (1) verify and document whether it has U.S. accountholders, (2) report certain information regarding their accounts to the IRS, and (3) meet certain other specified requirements.

An FFI resident in a country that has entered into a Model I IGA with the United States must report to the government of that country (pursuant to the terms of the applicable IGA and applicable law), which will, in turn, report to the IRS. An FFI resident in a Model II IGA country generally must comply with U.S. regulatory requirements, with certain exceptions, including the treatment of recalcitrant accountholders. An FFI resident in one of those countries that complies with whichever of the foregoing applies will be exempt from FATCA withholding.

An NFFE that is the beneficial owner of a payment from the Fund can avoid FATCA withholding generally by certifying that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or by providing the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each such owner. The NFFE will report to the Fund or other applicable withholding agent, which will, in turn, report information to the IRS.

Those foreign shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted, or deemed compliant categories established by U.S. Treasury regulations, IGAs, and other guidance regarding FATCA. An FFI or NFFE that invests in the Fund will need to provide the Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity’s status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. The requirements imposed by FATCA are different from, and in addition to, the tax certification rules to avoid backup withholding described above. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of these requirements to their own situation and the impact thereof on their investment in a Fund.

Taxation of Fund Investments. A Fund may make investments that are subject to special federal income tax rules. Those rules can, among other things, affect the timing of the recognition of income or gain, the treatment of income as capital or ordinary, and the treatment of capital gain or loss as long-term or short-term. The application of those special rules would therefore also affect the amount, timing and character of distributions that a Fund makes and could require the Fund to borrow money or dispose of some of its investments earlier than anticipated in order to meet its distribution requirements.

Investment income received, and gains realized, by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income tax withheld at the source, and the amount of tax withheld generally will be treated as an expense of the Fund. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries that entitle the Fund

 

52


to a reduced rate of, or exemption from, tax on such income. Some countries require the filing of a tax reclaim or other form(s) to receive the benefit of the reduced tax rate; whether or when the Fund will receive a tax reclaim is within the control of the individual country. Information required on those forms may not be available, such as shareholder information; therefore, the Fund may not receive one or more reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries have conflicting and changing instructions and restrictive timing requirements that also may cause the Fund to not receive one or more reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries may subject capital gains realized by the Fund on the sale or other disposition of securities of that country to taxation. It is impossible to determine the effective rate of foreign tax in advance, since the amount of the Fund’s assets to be invested in various countries is not known.

* * * * *

The foregoing discussion is a summary only and is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Purchasers of Shares should consult their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of investing in such Shares, including under federal, state, local and other tax laws. Finally, the foregoing discussion is based on applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, regulations, judicial authority and administrative interpretations in effect on the date hereof, all of which are subject to change, which change may be retroactive. Changes in applicable authority could materially affect the conclusions discussed above, and such changes often occur.

DETERMINATION OF NAV

The following information should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Net Asset Value.” Additional information regarding the current NAV per share of the Fund can be found at www.powershares.com.

The Custodian calculates and determines the NAV per Share as of the close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that the NYSE is open, provided that U.S. fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association announces an early closing time. NAV is calculated by deducting all of the Fund’s liabilities from the total value of its assets and dividing the result by the number of Shares outstanding, rounding to the nearest cent. All valuations are subject to review by the Board or its delegate. In determining NAV, expenses are accrued and applied daily and securities and other assets for which market quotations are available are valued at market value. Securities listed or traded on an exchange generally are valued at the last sales price or official closing price of the exchange where the security primarily is traded. Investment companies are valued using such company’s NAV per share, unless the shares are exchange-traded, in which case they will be valued at the last sale or official closing price on the exchanges on which they primarily trade. Debt and securities not listed on an exchange normally are valued on the basis of prices provided by independent pricing services. The Sub-Adviser may use various pricing services or discontinue the use of any pricing service at any time. When price quotes are not readily available, securities will be valued using pricing provided from independent pricing services or by another method in accordance with the Trust’s valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board.

Even when market quotations are available for portfolio securities, they may be stale or unreliable because the security is not traded frequently, trading on the security ceased before the close of the trading market or issuer specific events occurred after the security ceased trading or because of the passage of time between the close of the market on which the security trades and the close of the NYSE and when the Fund calculates its NAV. Events that may cause the last market quotation to be unreliable include a merger or insolvency, events which affect a geographical area or an industry segment, such as political events or natural disasters, or market events, such as a significant movement in the U.S. market. Where market quotations are not readily available, including where the Adviser determines that the closing price of the security is unreliable, the Adviser will value the security at fair value in good faith using procedures approved by the Board. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments, and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security.

 

53


Intraday Indicative Value. The trading prices of the Shares in the secondary market generally differ from the Fund’s daily NAV and are affected by market forces such as the supply of and demand for ETF shares and underlying securities held by the Fund, economic conditions and other factors. Information regarding the IIV of the Shares is disseminated every 15 seconds throughout each trading day by the Exchange or by market data vendors or other information providers. However, the IIV should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the Fund’s NAV. The IIV is based on the current market value of the published basket of portfolio securities and/or cash required to be deposited in exchange for a Creation Unit and does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the Fund’s actual portfolio at a particular point in time. Moreover, the IIV is generally determined by using current market quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers and other market intermediaries and valuations based on current market rates. The IIV may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which (i) is computed only once a day, (ii) unlike the calculation of the IIV, takes into account Fund expenses, and (iii) may be subject, in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act, to fair valuation at different prices than those used in the calculations of the IIV. Therefore, the IIV may not reflect the best possible valuation of the Fund’s current portfolio. Additionally, the quotations and/or valuations of certain of the Fund’s holdings may not be updated during U.S. trading hours if such holdings do not trade in the United States, which could affect premiums and discounts between the IIV and the market price of the Shares. The Fund, the Adviser and their affiliates are not involved in, or responsible for, any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the IIV, and the Fund, the Adviser and their affiliates do not make any warranty as to the accuracy of these calculations.

DIVIDENDS AND OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Other Distributions and Taxes.”

General Policies. Ordinarily, dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid monthly by the Fund.

Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis. The Fund reserves the right to declare special distributions if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve its status as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income tax or the Excise Tax on undistributed income. Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of the Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Funds.

Dividend Reinvestment Service. No reinvestment service is provided by the Trust. Broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of Shares for reinvestment of their distributions. Beneficial Owners should contact their broker to determine the availability and costs of the service and the details of participation therein. Brokers may require Beneficial Owners to adhere to specific procedures and timetables.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

Counsel. Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, located at 191 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1601, Chicago, Illinois 60606, and 1250 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20036, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. [                    ], located at [                    ], serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. [                    ] has been retained to audit the Fund’s annual financial statements and performs other related audit services.

 

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The Fund is new and has no performance history as of the date of this SAI. Financial information therefore is not yet available. The audited financial statements for the Fund will appear in the Trust’s Annual Report to shareholders when available. You may request a copy of the Trust’s Annual Report at no charge by calling 1-800-983-0903 during normal business hours.

 

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APPENDIX A

 

LOGO

Proxy Voting Guidelines

 

Applicable to the Funds

   PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (collectively “the Trusts”)

Risk Addressed by Policy

   Breach of fiduciary duty to client under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 by placing Invesco personal interests ahead of clients best interest in voting proxies

Relevant Law

  

Investment Advisers Act of 1940

Approved/Adopted Date

  

March 7, 2017

Last reviewed by Compliance for Accuracy

  

September 10, 2015.

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (“Invesco PowerShares” or the “Adviser”) has adopted proxy voting policies with respect to securities owned by series of the PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, the PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, the PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, the PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and the PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (collectively, the “Funds”) for which it serves as investment adviser and has been delegated the authority to vote proxies. Invesco PowerShares’ proxy voting policies are designed to provide that proxies are voted in the best interests of shareholders.

Invesco Ltd, the parent to the Adviser, has adopted a global policy statement on corporate governance and proxy voting (the “Global Invesco Policy”) (see exhibit A), which details Invesco’s views on governance matters and describes the proxy administration and governance approach. The Adviser votes proxies by utilizing the procedures and mechanisms outlined in the Global Invesco Policy, while maintaining the Fund-specific guidelines described below:

1. Overlapping Securities

In instances where both the Fund and a fund advised by an Invesco Ltd entity both hold an equity security (“Overlapping Securities”), the Adviser will vote proxies in accordance with the recommendation of an Invesco Ltd adviser based on the comprehensive proxy review and under the Global Invesco Policy. The Global Invesco Policy is overseen by the Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee (“IPAC”), which also orchestrates the review and analysis of the top twenty-five proxy voting matters, measured by overall size of holdings by funds within the Invesco family. The Adviser consults with the IPAC on specific proxy votes and general proxy voting matters as it deems necessary. In addition, as part of the Global Invesco Proxy Voting Process, the IPAC oversees instances when possible conflicts of interest arise among funds. (Please see the global policy for the detailed conflict of interest approach).

In instances where the Global proxy administration team does not receive a recommendation in a timely manner, the proxy administration team will automatically vote such ballots in accordance with the Invesco’s custom guidelines established on Invesco’s global proxy voting policy and US guidelines.

 

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2. Non-Overlapping Securities

In instances where securities are held only by a Fund, and not also by an Invesco Ltd active equity entity fund, the Adviser will instruct the proxy administration team to vote proxies in accordance with said Invesco custom guidelines implemented by ISS, Invesco’s vote execution agent.

Under this Policy, the Adviser retains the power to vote contrary to the recommendation of the Invesco Voting Process (for Overlapping Securities) or Invesco’s custom guidelines for Non-Overlapping Securities) at its discretion, so long as the reasons for doing so are well documented.

Proxy Constraints

The adviser will approach proxy constraints according to the Invesco Global statement on corporate governance and proxy voting.

Special Policy

Certain Funds pursue their investment objectives by investing in other registered investment companies pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The relief granted by that order is conditioned upon complying with a number of undertakings, some of which require a Fund to vote its shares in an acquired investment company in the same proportion as other holders of the acquired fund’s shares. In instances in which a Fund is required to vote in this manner to rely on the exemptive order, the Adviser will vote shares of these acquired investment companies in compliance with the voting mechanism required by the order.

Resolving Potential Conflicts of Interest

Voting of Proxies Related to Invesco Ltd.

The adviser will approach conflicts of interest in accordance with Invesco’s Global policy statement on corporate governance and proxy voting.)

Approved June 24, 2014

Amended: March 7, 2017

Effective: March 7, 2017

 

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Exhibit A to Appendix A

 

LOGO

Invesco’s Policy Statement on Global Corporate Governance and Proxy Voting

I. Guiding Principles and Philosophy

Public companies hold shareholder meetings, attended by the company’s executives, directors, and shareholders, during which important issues, such as appointments to the company’s board of directors, executive compensation, and auditors, are addressed and where applicable, voted on. Proxy voting gives shareholders the opportunity to vote on issues that impact the company’s operations and policies without being present at the meetings.

Invesco views proxy voting as an integral part of its investment management responsibilities and believes that the right to vote proxies should be managed with the same high standards of care and fiduciary duty to its clients as all other elements of the investment process. Invesco’s proxy voting philosophy, governance structure and process are designed to ensure that proxy votes are cast in accordance with clients’ best interests, which Invesco interprets to mean clients’ best economic interests, this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of Invesco’s regional investment centers.

Invesco investment teams vote proxies on behalf of Invesco-sponsored funds and non-fund advisory clients that have explicitly granted Invesco authority in writing to vote proxies on their behalf.

The proxy voting process at Invesco, which is driven by investment professionals, focuses on maximizing long-term value for our clients, protecting clients’ rights and promoting governance structures and practices that reinforce the accountability of corporate management and boards of directors to shareholders. Invesco takes a nuanced approach to voting and, therefore, many matters to be voted upon are reviewed on a case by case basis.

Votes in favor of board or management proposals should not be interpreted as an indication of insufficient consideration by Invesco fund managers. Such votes may reflect the outcome of past or ongoing engagement and active ownership by Invesco with representatives of the companies in which we invest.

II. Applicability of this Policy

This Policy sets forth the framework of Invesco’s corporate governance approach, broad philosophy and guiding principles that inform the proxy voting practices of Invesco’s investment teams around the world. Given the different nature of these teams and their respective investment processes, as well as the significant differences in regulatory regimes and market practices across jurisdictions, not all aspects of this Policy may apply to all Invesco investment teams at all times. In the case of a conflict between this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of a regional investment center the latter will control.

III. Proxy Voting for Certain Fixed Income, Money Market Accounts and Index

For proxies held by certain client accounts managed in accordance with fixed income, money market and index strategies (including exchange traded funds), Invesco will typically vote in line with the majority holder of the active-equity shares held by Invesco outside of those strategies (“Majority Voting”). In this manner Invesco seeks to leverage the active-equity expertise and comprehensive proxy voting reviews conducted by teams employing active-equity strategies, which typically incorporate analysis of proxy issues as a core component of the investment process. Portfolio managers for accounts employing Majority Voting still retain full discretion to override Majority Voting and to vote the shares as they determine to be in the best interest of those accounts, absent certain types of conflicts of interest, which are discussed elsewhere in this Policy.

 

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IV. Conflicts of Interest

There may be occasions where voting proxies may present a real or perceived conflict of interest between Invesco, as investment manager, and one or more of Invesco’s clients or vendors. Under Invesco’s Code of Conduct, Invesco entities and individuals are strictly prohibited from putting personal benefit, whether tangible or intangible, before the interests of clients. “Personal benefit” includes any intended benefit for Invesco, oneself or any other individual, company, group or organization of any kind whatsoever, except a benefit for the relevant Invesco client.

Firm-level Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest may exist if Invesco has a material business relationship with, or is actively soliciting business from, either the company soliciting a proxy or a third party that has a material interest in the outcome of a proxy vote or that is actively lobbying for a particular outcome of a proxy vote (e.g., issuers that are distributors of Invesco’s products, or issuers that employ Invesco to manage portions of their retirement plans or treasury accounts). Invesco’s proxy governance team maintains a list of all such issuers for which a conflict of interest exists.

If the proposal that gives rise to the potential conflict is specifically addressed by this Policy or the operating guidelines and procedures of the relevant regional investment center, Invesco generally will vote the proxy in accordance therewith. Otherwise, based on a majority vote of its members, the Global IPAC (as described below) will vote the proxy.

Because this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of each regional investment center are pre-determined and crafted to be in the best economic interest of clients, applying them to vote client proxies should, in most instances, adequately resolve any potential conflict of interest. As an additional safeguard, persons from Invesco’s marketing, distribution and other customer-facing functions may not serve on the Global IPAC. For the avoidance of doubt, Invesco may not consider Invesco Ltd.’s pecuniary interest when voting proxies on behalf of clients.

Personal Conflicts of Interest

A conflict also may exist where an Invesco employee has a known personal relationship with other proponents of proxy proposals, participants in proxy contests, corporate directors, or candidates for directorships.

All Invesco personnel with proxy voting responsibilities are required to report any known personal conflicts of interest regarding proxy issues with which they are involved. In such instances, the individual(s) with the conflict will be excluded from the decision-making process relating to such issues.

Other Conflicts of Interest

In order to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest, Invesco will not vote proxies issued by, or related to matters involving, Invesco Ltd. that may be held in client accounts from time to time.11 Shares of an Invesco-sponsored fund held by other Invesco funds will be voted in the same proportion as the votes of external shareholders of the underlying fund.

V. Use of Third-Party Proxy Advisory Services

Invesco may supplement its internal research with information from third-parties, such as proxy advisory firms. However, Invesco generally retains full and independent discretion with respect to proxy voting decisions.

As part of its fiduciary obligation to clients, Invesco performs extensive initial and ongoing due diligence on the proxy advisory firms it engages. This includes reviews of information regarding the capabilities of their research staffs and internal controls, policies and procedures, including those relating to possible conflicts of interest. In addition, Invesco regularly monitors and communicates with these firms and monitors their compliance with Invesco’s performance and policy standards.

Generally speaking, Invesco does not invest for its clients in the shares of Invesco Ltd., however, limited exceptions apply in the case of funds or accounts designed to track an index that includes Invesco Ltd. as a component.

 

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VI. Global Proxy Voting Platform and Administration

Guided by its philosophy that investment teams should manage proxy voting, Invesco has created the Global Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee (“Global IPAC”). The Global IPAC is a global investments-driven committee comprised of representatives from various investment management teams and Invesco’s Global Head of Proxy Governance and Responsible Investment (“Head of Proxy Governance”). The Global IPAC provides a forum for investment teams to monitor, understand and discuss key proxy issues and voting trends within the Invesco complex. Absent a conflict of interest, the Global IPAC representatives, in consultation with the respective investment team, are responsible for voting proxies for the securities the team manages (unless such responsibility is explicitly delegated to the portfolio managers of the securities in question) In addition to the Global IPAC, for some clients, third parties (e.g., U.S. mutual fund boards) provide oversight of the proxy process. The Global IPAC and Invesco’s proxy administration and governance team, compliance and legal teams regularly communicate and review this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of each regional investment center to ensure that they remain consistent with clients’ best interests, regulatory requirements, governance trends and industry best practices.

Invesco maintains a proprietary global proxy administration platform, known as the “fund manager portal” and supported by the Head of Proxy Governance and a dedicated team of internal proxy specialists. The platform streamlines the proxy voting and ballot reconciliation processes, as well as related functions, such as share blocking and managing conflicts of interest issuers. Managing these processes internally, as opposed to relying on third parties, gives Invesco greater quality control, oversight and independence in the proxy administration process.

The platform also includes advanced global reporting and record-keeping capabilities regarding proxy matters that enable Invesco to satisfy client, regulatory and management requirements. Historical proxy voting information, including commentary by investment professionals regarding the votes they cast, where applicable, is stored to build institutional knowledge across the Invesco complex with respect to individual companies and proxy issues. Certain investment teams also use the platform to access third-party proxy research.

VII. Non-Votes

In the great majority of instances, Invesco is able to vote proxies successfully. However, in certain circumstances Invesco may refrain from voting where the economic or other opportunity costs of voting exceeds any anticipated benefits of that proxy proposal. In addition, there may be instances in which Invesco is unable to vote all of its clients’ proxies despite using commercially reasonable efforts to do so. For example:

 

  Invesco may not receive proxy materials from the relevant fund or client custodian with sufficient time and information to make an informed independent voting decision. In such cases, Invesco may choose not to vote, to abstain from voting, to vote in line with management or to vote in accordance with proxy Adviser recommendations. These matters are left to the discretion of the fund manager.

 

  If the security in question is on loan as part of a securities lending program, Invesco may determine that the benefit to the client of voting a particular proxy is outweighed by the revenue that would be lost by terminating the loan and recalling the securities.

 

  In some countries the exercise of voting rights imposes temporary transfer restrictions on the related securities (“share blocking”). Invesco generally refrains from voting proxies in share-blocking countries unless Invesco determines that the benefit to the client(s) of voting a specific proxy outweighs the client’s temporary inability to sell the security.

 

  Some companies require a representative to attend meetings in person in order to vote a proxy. In such cases, Invesco may determine that the costs of sending a representative or signing a power-of-attorney outweigh the benefit of voting a particular proxy.

VIII. Proxy Voting Guidelines

The following guidelines describe Invesco’s general positions on various common proxy voting issues. This list is not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive. As noted above, Invesco’s proxy process is investor-driven, and each fund manager retains ultimate discretion to vote proxies in the manner they deem most appropriate, consistent with Invesco’s proxy voting principles and philosophy discussed in Sections I through IV. Individual proxy votes therefore will differ from these guidelines from time to time.

 

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A. Shareholder Access and Treatment of Shareholder Proposals

Invesco reviews on a case by case basis but generally votes in favor of proposals that would increase shareholders’ opportunities to express their views to boards of directors, proposals that would lower barriers to shareholder action, and proposals to promote the adoption of generally accepted best practices in corporate governance, provided that such proposals would not require a disproportionate amount of management attention or corporate resources or otherwise that may inappropriately disrupt the company’s business and main purpose, usually set out in their reporting disclosures and business model. Likewise, Invesco reviews on a case by case basis but generally votes for shareholder proposals that are designed to protect shareholder rights if a company’s corporate governance standards indicate that such additional protections are warranted (for example, where minority shareholders’ rights are not adequately protected).

B. Environmental, Social and Corporate Responsibility Issues

Invesco believes that a company’s long-term response to environmental, social and corporate responsibility issues can significantly affect its long-term shareholder value. We recognize that to manage a corporation effectively, directors and management may consider not only the interests of shareholders, but also the interests of employees, customers, suppliers, creditors and the local community, among others. While Invesco generally affords management discretion with respect to the operation of a company’s business, Invesco will evaluate such proposals on a case by case basis and will vote proposals relating to these issues in a manner intended to maximize long-term shareholder value.

C. Capitalization Structure Issues

i. Stock Issuances

Invesco generally supports a board’s decisions about the need for additional capital stock to meet ongoing corporate needs, except where the request could adversely affect Invesco clients’ ownership stakes or voting rights. Some capitalization proposals, such as those to authorize common or preferred stock with special voting rights or to issue additional stock in connection with an acquisition, may require additional analysis. Invesco generally opposes proposals to authorize classes of preferred stock with unspecified voting, conversion, dividend or other rights (“blank check” stock) when they appear to be intended as an anti-takeover mechanism; such issuances may be supported when used for general financing purposes.

ii. Stock Splits

Invesco generally supports a board’s proposal to increase common share authorization for a stock split, provided that the increase in authorized shares would not result in excessive dilution given the company’s industry and performance in terms of shareholder returns.

iii. Share Repurchases

Invesco generally supports a board’s proposal to institute open-market share repurchase plans only if all shareholders participate on an equal basis.

D. Corporate Governance Issues

i. Board of Directors

1. Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections

Subject to the other considerations described below, in an uncontested director election for a company without a controlling shareholder, Invesco generally votes in favor of the director slate if it is comprised of at least a majority of independent directors and if the board’s key committees are fully independent, effective and balanced. Key committees include the audit, compensation/remuneration and governance/nominating committees. Invesco’s standard of independence excludes directors who, in addition to the directorship, have any material business or family relationships with the companies they serve.

 

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2. Director Nominees in Contested Elections

Invesco recognizes that short-term investment sentiments influence the corporate governance landscape and may influence companies in Invesco clients’ portfolios and more broadly across the market. Invesco recognizes that short-term investment sentiment may conflict with long-term value creation and as such looks at each proxy contest matter on a case by case basis, considering factors such as:

 

    Long-term financial performance of the company relative to its industry,

 

    Management’s track record,

 

    Background to the proxy contest,

 

    Qualifications of director nominees (both slates),

 

    Evaluation of what each side is offering shareholders as well as the likelihood that the proposed objectives and goals can be met, and

 

    Stock ownership positions in the company.

3. Director Accountability

Invesco generally withholds votes from directors who exhibit a lack of accountability to shareholders. Examples include, without limitation, poor attendance (less than 75%, absent extenuating circumstances) at meetings, failing to implement shareholder proposals that have received a majority of votes and/or by adopting or approving egregious corporate-governance or other policies. In cases of material financial restatements, accounting fraud, habitually late filings, adopting shareholder rights plan (“poison pills”) without shareholder approval, or other areas of poor performance, Invesco may withhold votes from some or all of a company’s directors. In situations where directors’ performance is a concern, Invesco may also support shareholder proposals to take corrective actions such as so-called “clawback” provisions.

4. Director Independence

Invesco generally supports proposals to require a majority of directors to be independent unless particular circumstances make this not feasible or in the best interests of shareholders. We generally vote for proposals that would require the board’s audit, compensation/remuneration, and/or governance/nominating committees to be composed exclusively of independent directors since this minimizes the potential for conflicts of interest.

5. Director Indemnification

Invesco recognizes that individuals may be reluctant to serve as corporate directors if they are personally liable for all related lawsuits and legal costs. As a result, reasonable limitations on directors’ liability can benefit a company and its shareholders by helping to attract and retain qualified directors while preserving recourse for shareholders in the event of misconduct by directors. Invesco, therefore, generally supports proposals to limit directors’ liability and provide indemnification and/or exculpation, provided that the arrangements are limited to the director acting honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the company and, in criminal matters, are limited to the director having reasonable grounds for believing the conduct was lawful.

6. Separate Chairperson and CEO

Invesco evaluates these proposals on a case by case basis, recognizing that good governance requires either an independent chair or a qualified, proactive, and lead independent director.

Voting decisions may take into account, among other factors, the presence or absence of:

 

    a designated lead director, appointed from the ranks of the independent board members, with an established term of office and clearly delineated powers and duties;

 

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    a majority of independent directors;

 

    completely independent key committees;

 

    committee chairpersons nominated by the independent directors;

 

    CEO performance reviewed annually by a committee of independent directors; and

 

    established governance guidelines.

7. Majority/Supermajority/Cumulative Voting for Directors

The right to elect directors is the single most important mechanism shareholders have to promote accountability. Invesco generally votes in favor of proposals to elect directors by a majority vote. Except in cases where required by law in the jurisdiction of incorporation or when a company has adopted formal governance principles that present a meaningful alternative to the majority voting standard, Invesco generally votes against actions that would impose any supermajority voting requirement, and generally supports actions to dismantle existing supermajority requirements.

The practice of cumulative voting can enable minority shareholders to have representation on a company’s board. Invesco generally opposes such proposals as unnecessary where the company has adopted a majority voting standard. However, Invesco generally supports proposals to institute the practice of cumulative voting at companies whose overall corporate-governance standards indicate a particular need to protect the interests of minority shareholders.

8. Staggered Boards/Annual Election of Directors

Invesco generally supports proposals to elect each director annually rather than electing directors to staggered multi-year terms because annual elections increase a board’s level of accountability to its shareholders.

9. Board Size

Invesco believes that the number of directors is an important factor to consider when evaluating the board’s ability to maximize long-term shareholder value. Invesco approaches proxies relating to board size on a case by case basis but generally will defer to the board with respect to determining the optimal number of board members, provided that the proposed board size is sufficiently large to represent shareholder interests and sufficiently limited to remain effective.

10. Term Limits for Directors

Invesco believes it is important for a board of directors to examine its membership regularly with a view to ensuring that the company continues to benefit from a diversity of director viewpoints and experience. We generally believe that an individual board’s nominating committee is best positioned to determine whether director term limits would be an appropriate measure to help achieve these goals and, if so, the nature of such limits.

ii. Audit Committees and Auditors

1. Qualifications of Audit Committee and Auditors

Invesco believes a company’s Audit Committee has a high degree of responsibility to shareholders in matters of financial disclosure, integrity of the financial statements and effectiveness of a company’s internal controls. Independence, experience and financial expertise are critical elements of a well-functioning Audit Committee. When electing directors who are members of a company’s Audit Committee, or when ratifying a company’s auditors, Invesco considers the past performance of the Audit Committee and holds its members accountable for the quality of the company’s financial statements and reports.

2. Auditor Indemnifications

A company’s independent auditors play a critical role in ensuring and attesting to the integrity of the company’s financial statements. It is therefore essential that they perform their work in accordance with the highest standards. Invesco generally opposes proposals that would limit the liability of or indemnify auditors because doing so could serve to undermine this obligation.

 

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3. Adequate Disclosure of Auditor Fees

Understanding the fees earned by the auditors is important for assessing auditor independence. Invesco’s support for the re-appointment of the auditors will take into consideration the availability of adequate disclosure concerning the amount and nature of audit versus non-audit fees. Invesco generally will support proposals that call for this disclosure if it is not already being made.

E. Remuneration and Incentives

Invesco believes properly constructed compensation plans that include equity ownership are effective in creating incentives that induce management and employees of portfolio companies to create greater shareholder wealth. Invesco generally supports equity compensation plans that promote the proper alignment of incentives with shareholders’ long-term interests, and generally votes against plans that are overly dilutive to existing shareholders, plans that contain objectionable structural features, and plans that appear likely to reduce the value of the client’s investment.

i. Independent Compensation/Remuneration Committee

Invesco believes that an independent, experienced and well-informed compensation/remuneration committee is critical to ensuring that a company’s remuneration practices align with shareholders’ interests and, therefore, generally supports proposals calling for a compensation/remuneration committee to be comprised solely of independent directors.

ii. Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation

Invesco believes that an independent compensation/remuneration committee of the board, with input from management, is generally best positioned to determine the appropriate components and levels of executive compensation, as well as the appropriate frequency of related shareholder advisory votes. This is particularly the case where shareholders have the ability to express their views on remuneration matters through annual votes for or against the election of the individual directors who comprise the compensation/remuneration committee. Invesco, therefore, generally will support management’s recommendations with regard to the components and levels of executive compensation and the frequency of shareholder advisory votes on executive compensation. However, Invesco will vote against such recommendations where Invesco determines that a company’s executive remuneration policies are not properly aligned with shareholder interests or may create inappropriate incentives for management.

iii. Equity Based Compensation Plans

Invesco generally votes against plans that contain structural features that would impair the alignment of incentives between shareholders and management. Such features include, without limitation, the ability to reprice or reload options without shareholder approval, the ability to issue options below the stock’s current market price, or the ability to replenish shares automatically without shareholder approval.

iv. Severance Arrangements

Invesco considers proposed severance arrangements (sometimes known as “golden parachute” arrangements) on a case-by-case basis due to the wide variety among their terms. Invesco acknowledges that in some cases such arrangements, if reasonable, may be in shareholders’ best interests as a method of attracting and retaining high quality executive talent. Invesco generally votes in favor of proposals requiring advisory shareholder ratification of senior executives’ severance agreements while generally opposing proposals that require such agreements to be ratified by shareholders in advance of their adoption.

 

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v. “Claw Back” Provisions

Invesco generally supports so called “claw back” policies intended to recoup remuneration paid to senior executives based upon materially inaccurate financial reporting (as evidenced by later restatements) or fraudulent accounting or business practices.

vi. Employee Stock Purchase Plans

Invesco generally supports employee stock purchase plans that are reasonably designed to provide proper incentives to a broad base of employees, provided that the price at which employees may acquire stock represents a reasonable discount from the market price.

F. Anti-Takeover Defenses; Reincorporation

Measures designed to protect a company from unsolicited bids can adversely affect shareholder value and voting rights, and they have the potential to create conflicts of interests among directors, management and shareholders. Such measures include adopting or renewing shareholder rights plans (“poison pills”), requiring supermajority voting on certain corporate actions, classifying the election of directors instead of electing each director to an annual term, or creating separate classes of common or preferred stock with special voting rights. In determining whether to support a proposal to add, eliminate or restrict anti-takeover measures, Invesco will examine the particular elements of the proposal to assess the degree to which it would adversely affect shareholder rights of adopted. Invesco generally supports shareholder proposals directing companies to subject their anti-takeover provisions to a shareholder vote. Invesco generally opposes payments by companies to minority shareholders intended to dissuade such shareholders from pursuing a takeover or other changes (sometimes known as “greenmail”) because these payments result in preferential treatment of some shareholders over others.

Reincorporation involves re-establishing the company in a different legal jurisdiction. Invesco generally will vote for proposals to reincorporate a company provided that the board and management have demonstrated sound financial or business reasons for the move. Invesco generally will oppose proposals to reincorporate if they are solely part of an anti-takeover defense or intended to limit directors’ liability.

 

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APPENDIX B

 

LOGO

PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES

 

Applicable to    All Advisory Clients, including the Invesco Funds
Risk Addressed by the Guidelines    Breach of fiduciary duty to client under Investment Advisers Act of 1940 by placing Invesco’s interests ahead of client’s best interests in voting proxies
Relevant Law and Other Sources    U.S. Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended

Last

☒ Reviewed ☒ Revised

 

by Compliance for Accuracy

   April 19, 2016
Guideline Owner    U.S. Compliance and Legal
Policy Approver    Invesco Advisers, Inc., Invesco Funds Board
Approved/Adopted Date    May 3-4, 2016

The following guidelines apply to all institutional and retail funds and accounts that have explicitly authorized Invesco Advisers, Inc. (“Invesco”) to vote proxies associated with securities held on their behalf (collectively, “Clients”).

 

A. INTRODUCTION

 

 

Invesco Ltd. (“IVZ”), the ultimate parent company of Invesco, has adopted a global policy statement on corporate governance and proxy voting (the “Invesco Global Proxy Policy”). The policy describes IVZ’s views on governance matters and the proxy administration and governance approach. Invesco votes proxies by using the framework and procedures set forth in the Invesco Global Proxy Policy, while maintaining the Invesco-specific guidelines described below.

 

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B. PROXY VOTING OVERSIGHT: THE MUTUAL FUNDS’ BOARD OF TRUSTEES

 

 

In addition to the Global Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee, the Invesco mutual funds’ board of trustees provides oversight of the proxy process through quarterly reporting and an annual in-person presentation by Invesco’s Global Head of Proxy Governance and Responsible Investment.

 

C. USE OF THIRD PARTY PROXY ADVISORY SERVICES

 

 

Invesco has direct access to third-party proxy advisory analyses and recommendations (currently provided by Glass Lewis (“GL”) and Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (“ISS”)), among other research tools, and uses the information gleaned from those sources to make independent voting decisions.

Invesco’s proxy administration team performs extensive initial and ongoing due diligence on the proxy advisory firms that it engages. When deemed appropriate, representatives from the proxy advisory firms are asked to deliver updates directly to the mutual funds’ board of trustees. Invesco conducts semi-annual, in-person policy roundtables with key heads of research from ISS and GL to ensure transparency, dialogue and engagement with the firms. These meetings provide Invesco with an opportunity to assess the firms’ capabilities, conflicts of interest and service levels, as well as provide investment professionals with direct insight into the advisory firms’ stances on key governance and proxy topics and their policy framework/methodologies. Invesco’s proxy administration team also reviews the annual SSAE 16 reports for, and the periodic proxy guideline updates published by, each proxy advisory firm to ensure that their guidelines remain consistent with Invesco’s policies and procedures. Furthermore, each proxy advisory firm completes an annual due diligence questionnaire submitted by Invesco, and Invesco conducts on-site due diligence at each firm, in part to discuss their responses to the questionnaire.

If Invesco becomes aware of any material inaccuracies in the information provided by ISS or GL, Invesco’s proxy administration team will investigate the matter to determine the cause, evaluate the adequacy of the proxy advisory firm’s control structure and assess the efficacy of the measures instituted to prevent further errors.

ISS and GL provide updates to previously issued proxy reports when necessary to incorporate newly available information or to correct factual errors. ISS also has a Feedback Review Board, which provides a mechanism for stakeholders to communicate with ISS about issues related to proxy voting and policy formulation, research, and the accuracy of data contained in ISS reports.

 

D. PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES

 

 

The following guidelines describe Invesco’s general positions on various common proxy issues. The guidelines are not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive. Invesco’s proxy process is investor-driven, and each portfolio manager retains ultimate discretion to vote proxies in the manner that he or she deems to be the most appropriate, consistent with the proxy voting principles and philosophy discussed in the Invesco Global Proxy Policy. Individual proxy votes therefore will differ from these guidelines from time to time.

 

  I. Corporate Governance

Management teams of companies are accountable to the boards of directors and directors of publicly held companies are accountable to shareholders. Invesco endeavors to vote the proxies of companies in a manner that will reinforce the notion of a board’s accountability. Consequently, Invesco generally votes against any actions that would impair the rights of shareholders or would reduce shareholders’ influence over the board.

The following are specific voting issues that illustrate how Invesco applies this principle of accountability.

 

67


Elections of directors

In uncontested director elections for companies that do not have a controlling shareholder, Invesco generally votes in favor of slates if they are comprised of at least a majority of independent directors and if the boards’ key committees are fully independent. Key committees include the audit, compensation and governance or nominating Committees. Invesco’s standard of independence excludes directors who, in addition to the directorship, have any material business or family relationships with the companies they serve. Contested director elections are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Director performance

Invesco generally withholds votes from directors who exhibit a lack of accountability to shareholders, either through their level of attendance at meetings or by adopting or approving egregious corporate-governance or other policies. In cases of material financial restatements, accounting fraud, habitually late filings, adopting shareholder rights plan (“poison pills”) without shareholder approval, or other areas of poor performance, Invesco may withhold votes from some or all of a company’s directors. In situations where directors’ performance is a concern, Invesco may also support shareholder proposals to take corrective actions, such as so-called “clawback” provisions.

Auditors and Audit Committee members

Invesco believes a company’s audit committee has a high degree of responsibility to shareholders in matters of financial disclosure, integrity of the financial statements and effectiveness of a company’s internal controls. Independence, experience and financial expertise are critical elements of a well-functioning audit committee. When electing directors who are members of a company’s audit committee, or when ratifying a company’s auditors, Invesco considers the past performance of the committee and holds its members accountable for the quality of the company’s financial statements and reports.

Majority standard in director elections

The right to elect directors is the single most important mechanism shareholders have to promote accountability. Invesco supports the nascent effort to reform the U.S. convention of electing directors, and generally votes in favor of proposals to elect directors by a majority vote.

Staggered Boards/Annual Election of Directors

Invesco generally supports proposals to elect each director annually rather than electing directors to staggered multi-year terms because annual elections increase a board’s level of accountability to its shareholders.

Supermajority voting requirements

Unless required by law in the state of incorporation, Invesco generally votes against actions that would impose any supermajority voting requirement, and generally supports actions to dismantle existing supermajority requirements.

Responsiveness of Directors

Invesco generally withholds votes for directors who do not adequately respond to shareholder proposals that were approved by a majority of votes cast the prior year.

Cumulative voting

The practice of cumulative voting can enable minority shareholders to have representation on a company’s board. Invesco generally supports proposals to institute the practice of cumulative voting at companies whose overall corporate-governance standards indicate a particular need to protect the interests of minority shareholders.

 

68


Proxy access

Invesco generally supports shareholders’ nominations of directors in the proxy statement and ballot because it increases the accountability of the board to shareholders. Invesco will generally consider the proposed minimum period of ownership (e.g., three years), minimum ownership percentage (e.g., three percent), limitations on a proponent’s ability to aggregate holdings with other shareholders and the maximum percentage of directors who can be nominated when determining how to vote on proxy access proposals.

Shareholder access

On business matters with potential financial consequences, Invesco generally votes in favor of proposals that would increase shareholders’ opportunities to express their views to boards of directors, proposals that would lower barriers to shareholder action and proposals to promote the adoption of generally accepted best practices in corporate governance. Furthermore, Invesco generally votes for shareholder proposals that are designed to protect shareholder rights if a company’s corporate governance standards indicate that such additional protections are warranted.

Exclusive Forum

Invesco generally supports proposals that would designate a specific jurisdiction in company bylaws as the exclusive venue for certain types of shareholder lawsuits in order to reduce costs arising out of multijurisdictional litigation.

 

  II. Compensation and Incentives

Invesco believes properly constructed compensation plans that include equity ownership are effective in creating incentives that induce management and employees of companies to create greater shareholder wealth. Invesco generally supports equity compensation plans that promote the proper alignment of incentives with shareholders’ long-term interests, and generally votes against plans that are overly dilutive to existing shareholders, plans that contain objectionable structural features, and plans that appear likely to reduce the value of the Client’s investment.

Following are specific voting issues that illustrate how Invesco evaluates incentive plans.

Executive compensation

Invesco evaluates executive compensation plans within the context of the company’s performance under the executives’ tenure. Invesco believes independent compensation committees are best positioned to craft executive-compensation plans that are suitable for their company-specific circumstances. Invesco views the election of independent compensation committee members as the appropriate mechanism for shareholders to express their approval or disapproval of a company’s compensation practices. Therefore, Invesco generally does not support shareholder proposals to limit or eliminate certain forms of executive compensation. In the interest of reinforcing the notion of a compensation committee’s accountability to shareholders, Invesco generally supports proposals requesting that companies subject each year’s compensation record to an advisory shareholder vote, or so-called “say on pay” proposals.

Equity-based compensation plans

Invesco generally votes against plans that contain structural features that would impair the alignment of incentives between shareholders and management. Such features include the ability to reprice or reload options without shareholder approval, the ability to issue options below the stock’s current market price, or the ability automatically to replenish shares without shareholder approval.

Employee stock-purchase plans

Invesco generally supports employee stock-purchase plans that are reasonably designed to provide proper incentives to a broad base of employees, provided that the price at which employees may acquire stock is at most a 15 percent discount from the market price.

 

69


Severance agreements

Invesco generally votes in favor of proposals requiring advisory shareholder ratification of executives’ severance agreements. However, Invesco generally opposes proposals requiring such agreements to be ratified by shareholders in advance of their adoption. Given the vast differences that may occur in these agreements, some severance agreements are evaluated on an individual basis.

 

  III. Capitalization

Examples of management proposals related to a company’s capital structure include authorizing or issuing additional equity capital, repurchasing outstanding stock, or enacting a stock split or reverse stock split. On requests for additional capital stock, Invesco analyzes the company’s stated reasons for the request. Except where the request could adversely affect the Client’s ownership stake or voting rights, Invesco generally supports a board’s decisions on its needs for additional capital stock. Some capitalization proposals require a case-by-case analysis. Examples of such proposals include authorizing common or preferred stock with special voting rights, or issuing additional stock in connection with an acquisition.

 

  IV. Mergers, Acquisitions and Other Corporate Actions

Issuers occasionally require shareholder approval to engage in certain corporate actions such as mergers, acquisitions, name changes, dissolutions, reorganizations, divestitures and reincorporations and the votes for these types of corporate actions are generally determined on a case-by-case basis.

 

  V. Anti-Takeover Measures

Practices designed to protect a company from unsolicited bids can adversely affect shareholder value and voting rights, and they potentially create conflicts of interests among directors, management and shareholders. Except under special issuer-specific circumstances, Invesco generally votes to reduce or eliminate such measures. These measures include adopting or renewing “poison pills”, requiring supermajority voting on certain corporate actions, classifying the election of directors instead of electing each director to an annual term, or creating separate classes of common or preferred stock with special voting rights. Invesco generally votes against management proposals to impose these types of measures, and generally votes for shareholder proposals designed to reduce such measures. Invesco generally supports shareholder proposals directing companies to subject their anti-takeover provisions to a shareholder vote.

 

  VI. Environmental, Social and Corporate Responsibility Issues

Invesco believes that a company’s response to environmental, social and corporate responsibility issues and the risks attendant to them can have a significant effect on its long-term shareholder value. Invesco recognizes that to manage a corporation effectively, directors and management must consider not only the interest of shareholders, but also the interests of employees, customers, suppliers and creditors, among others. While Invesco generally affords management discretion with respect to the operation of a company’s business, Invesco will evaluate such proposals on a case-by-case basis and will vote proposals relating to these issues in a manner intended to maximize long-term shareholder value.

 

  VII. Routine Business Matters

Routine business matters rarely have the potential to have a material effect on the economic prospects of Clients’ holdings, so Invesco generally supports a board’s discretion on these items. However, Invesco generally votes against proposals where there is insufficient information to make a decision about the nature of the proposal. Similarly, Invesco generally votes against proposals to conduct other unidentified business at shareholder meetings.

 

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E. EXCEPTIONS

 

 

Client Maintains Right to Vote Proxies

In the case of institutional or sub-advised Clients, Invesco will vote the proxies in accordance with these guidelines and the Invesco Global Proxy Policy, unless the Client retains in writing the right to vote or the named fiduciary of a Client (e.g., the plan sponsor of an ERISA Client) retains in writing the right to direct the plan trustee or a third party to vote proxies.

Voting for Certain Investment Strategies

For cash sweep investment vehicles selected by a Client but for which Invesco has proxy voting authority over the account and where no other Client holds the same securities, Invesco will vote proxies based on ISS recommendations.

Funds of Funds

Some Invesco Funds offering diversified asset allocation within one investment vehicle own shares in other Invesco Funds. A potential conflict of interest could arise if an underlying Invesco Fund has a shareholder meeting with any proxy issues to be voted on, because Invesco’s asset-allocation funds or target-maturity funds may be large shareholders of the underlying fund. In order to avoid any potential for a conflict, the asset-allocation funds and target maturity funds vote their shares in the same proportion as the votes of the external shareholders of the underlying fund.

 

F. POLICIES AND VOTE DISCLOSURE

 

 

A copy of these guidelines, the Invesco Global Proxy Policy and the voting record of each Invesco Retail Fund are available on Invesco’s web site, www.invesco.com. In accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission regulations, all Invesco Funds file a record of all proxy-voting activity for the prior 12 months ending June 30th. That filing is made on or before August 31st of each year. In the case of institutional and sub-advised Clients, Clients may contact their client service representative to request information about how Invesco voted proxies on their behalf. Absent specific contractual guidelines, such requests may be made on a semi-annual basis.

 

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Subject to Completion – dated [                    ]

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

 

LOGO

 

Prospectus   

[            ]         

 

PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust

 

[ticker]

 

PowerShares Total Return Bond Portfolio

     NYSE Arca, Inc.  

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.


Table of Contents

 

Summary Information

     3  

Additional Information About the Fund’s Strategies and Risks

     12  

Tax Structure of ETFs

     32  

Portfolio Holdings

     33  

Management of the Fund

     33  

How to Buy and Sell Shares

     34  

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares

     35  

Dividends, Other Distributions and Taxes

     36  

Distributor

     37  

Net Asset Value

     37  

Fund Service Providers

     38  

Financial Highlights

     38  

Premium/Discount Information

     38  

Other Information

     39  

 

2


 

 

[ticker] PowerShares Total Return Bond Portfolio

 

 

Summary Information

Investment Objective

The PowerShares Total Return Bond Portfolio (the “Fund”) seeks maximum total return, comprised of income and capital appreciation.

Fund Fees and Expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund (“Shares”). Investors may pay brokerage commissions on their purchases and sales of Shares, which are not reflected in the table or the example below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

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

Management Fees

     [0.50 ]%

Other Expenses(1)

     [0.00 ]% 

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(2)

     [0.01 ]% 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

     [0.51 ]% 

Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement(3)

     [0.01 ]% 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

     [0.50 ]% 

 

(1) “Other Expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
(2)  “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other investment companies. Please note that the amount of Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses shown in the above table may differ from the ratio of expenses to average net assets included in the “Financial Highlights” section of this Prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include indirect expenses such as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
(3)  [Through [            ], Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (the “Adviser”) has contractually agreed to waive a portion of the Fund’s management fee in an amount equal to 100% of the net advisory fees an affiliate of the Adviser receives that are attributable to certain of the Fund’s investments in funds managed by that affiliate. This waiver will have the effect of reducing the Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses that are indirectly borne by the Fund. The Adviser cannot discontinue this waiver prior to its expiration.]

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.

This 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 are equal to the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement in the first year and the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses for periods thereafter. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay to buy and sell Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, your costs, based on these assumptions, would be:

 

1 Year

  3 Years
$[50]   $[211]

 

3


Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it purchases 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 Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the example, may affect the Fund’s performance. At the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and portfolio turnover data therefore is not available.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund will normally invest in a portfolio of fixed income instruments of varying maturities and of any credit quality. The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in fixed income instruments, which may be represented by certain derivative instruments as discussed below, and also include exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) and closed-end funds (“CEFs”) that invest substantially all of their assets in fixed income instruments (which may include ETFs and CEFs affiliated with the Fund). The fixed income instruments in which the Fund will invest include corporate debt securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers, including corporate bonds, and other similar instruments, such as Treasury securities, collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”), mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”) and asset-backed securities (“ABS”), issued by various U.S. and non-U.S. public- or private-sector entities, and municipal securities, which are debt securities issued by states or local governments and their agencies, authorities and other government sponsored enterprises (“municipal bonds”). Under normal circumstances, [Invesco Advisers, Inc. (the “Sub-Adviser”)] seeks to invest at least 75% of the Fund’s investments in corporate debt securities in issuances that have at least $100 million par amount outstanding in developed countries or at least $200 million par amount outstanding in emerging market countries. The Fund may invest up to 33 1/3% of its total assets in high yield debt securities (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”), which are debt securities that are rated below investment grade by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations, or are unrated securities that the Sub-Adviser believes are of comparable below investment grade quality. The Fund may invest in defaulted or distressed securities. If a security defaults or is downgraded subsequent to purchase by the Fund, the Sub-Adviser will determine in its discretion whether to hold or dispose of such security based on the Sub-Adviser’s assessment of the amount the Fund could expect to receive after holding the security for a longer term.

The fixed income instruments in which the Fund will invest also include participations in, or assignments of, bank loans or corporate loans. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in these instruments (and certain other instruments in which the Fund currently intends to invest to a much more limited extent), which are generally mezzanine secured loans issued by banks and other financial entities to highly-leveraged companies, including floating rate revolving credit facilities, unfunded bridge loans and other similar types of loans. These investments may include participations in, or assignments of, floating rate bank loans that meet certain liquidity standards and will provide for interest rate adjustments at least every 397 days and which may be secured by real estate or other assets. These participations may be interests in, or assignments of, the loan and may be acquired from banks or brokers that have made the loan or members of the lending syndicate.

The Fund’s fixed income instruments may include obligations of non-U.S. governments and their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises, as well as obligations of international agencies or supranational entities. The Fund may invest without limitation in securities denominated in foreign currencies and in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers. The Sub-Adviser may attempt to reduce foreign currency exchange rate risk by entering into contracts with banks, brokers or dealers to purchase or sell foreign currencies at a future dates (“forward contracts”). A foreign currency forward contract is a negotiated agreement between the contracting parties to exchange a specified amount of currency at a specified future time at a specified rate. The rate can be higher or lower than the spot rate between the currencies that are the subject of the contract. The Fund may invest without limitation in debt securities and instruments that are economically tied to emerging market countries. Generally, the Fund considers an instrument to be economically tied to an emerging market country

 

4


through consideration of some or all of the following factors: (i) whether the issuer is the government of the emerging market country (or any political subdivision, agency, authority or instrumentality of such government), or is organized under the laws of the emerging market country; (ii) amount of the issuer’s revenues that are attributable to the emerging market country; (iii) the location of the issuer’s management; (iv) if the security is secured or collateralized, the country in which the security or collateral is located; and/or (v) the currency in which the instrument is denominated or currency fluctuations to which the issuer is exposed.

The Fund may invest in MBS issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and/or U.S. government sponsored instrumentalities, such as the Government National Mortgage Administration (“GNMA”), the Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”), the Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”). In addition to securities issued or guaranteed by such agencies or instrumentalities, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in MBS or other ABS issued or guaranteed by private issuers and in asset-backed commercial paper. The MBS in which the Fund may invest may also include residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”), collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) and commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”). The ABS in which the Fund may invest include collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”). The Fund may invest in equity and/or junior debt securities issued by CDOs, which are subordinated to more senior debt issued by CDOs. CDOs include collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), CLOs and other similarly structured securities. A CBO is a trust which is backed by a diversified pool of high risk, below investment grade fixed income securities. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans.

The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis and may engage in short sales. The Fund may invest in short-term instruments such as commercial paper, repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements and short-term investment funds which invest in cash or cash-equivalents (including U.S. Treasury bills) and other high quality short-term investments. The Fund may invest in money market instruments (including money market funds).

Repurchase agreements are fixed-income securities in the form of agreements backed by collateral. These agreements, which may be viewed as a type of secured lending by the Fund, typically involve the acquisition by the Fund of securities from the selling institution (such as a bank or a broker-dealer), coupled with the agreement that the selling institution will repurchase the underlying securities at a specified price and at a fixed time in the future (or on demand). The Fund may accept a wide variety of underlying securities as collateral for the repurchase agreements entered into by the Fund. Such collateral may include U.S. government securities, corporate obligations, equity securities, municipal debt securities, MBS and convertible securities. Any such securities serving as collateral are marked-to-market daily in order to maintain full collateralization (typically purchase price plus accrued interest).

The Fund may, without limitation, seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as buy backs or dollar rolls).

The Fund also may seek certain exposures through derivative transactions, including foreign exchange forward contracts; exchange-traded futures on securities, indices, currencies and other investments; exchange-traded and/or over-the-counter (“OTC”) options; exchange-traded and/or OTC options on futures contracts; exchange-traded and/or OTC interest rate swaps, cross-currency swaps, total return swaps, inflation swaps and credit default swaps; and options on such swaps. These derivative transactions may also create economic leverage in the Fund. The Fund may engage in derivative transactions for speculative purposes to enhance total return, to seek to hedge against fluctuations in securities prices, interest rates or currency rates, to change the effective duration of its portfolio, to manage certain investment risks and/or as a substitute for the purchase or sale of securities or currencies. The Fund may use leverage to the extent permitted by applicable law by entering into reverse repurchase agreements and borrowing transactions (principally lines of credit) for investment purposes.

In managing the Fund, the Sub-Adviser uses a process for selecting securities for purchase and sale that is based on intensive credit research and involves extensive due diligence on each issuer, region and sector. The Sub-Adviser also considers macroeconomic outlook and geopolitical issues. The Sub-Adviser

 

5


maintains targets with respect to portfolio maturity and duration. These targets are reviewed continually by various teams including the portfolio management team. These targets are set based on the interest rate outlook, the macro environment, and can be either absolute or relative to a portfolio’s positioning to a benchmark.

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

The following summarizes the principal risks of the Fund.

The Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed, which means that investment decisions are made based on investment views. There is no guarantee that the investment views will produce the desired results or expected returns, which may cause the Fund to fail to meet its investment objective or to underperform its benchmark index or funds with similar investment objectives and strategies. Furthermore, active trading that can accompany active management, also called “high turnover,” may have a negative impact on performance. Active trading may result in higher brokerage costs or mark-up charges, which are ultimately passed on to shareholders of the Fund. Active trading may also result in adverse tax consequences.

Asset-Backed Securities Risk. Investors in ABS, including MBS and structured finance investments, generally receive payments that are part interest and part return of principal. These payments may vary based on the rate at which the underlying borrowers pay off their loans. Some ABS, including MBS, may have structures that make their reaction to interest rates and other factors difficult to predict, causing their prices to be volatile. These instruments are particularly subject to interest rate, credit and liquidity and valuation risks.

Asset Class Risk. The securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform the returns of other securities or indices that track other industries, markets, asset classes or sectors.

Collateralized Loan Obligations and Collateralized Debt Obligations Risk. CLOs bear many of the same risks as other forms of ABS, including interest rate risk, credit risk and default risk. As they are backed by pools of loans, CLOs also bear similar risks to investing in loans directly. CLOs issue classes or “tranches” that vary in risk and yield. CLOs may experience substantial losses attributable to loan defaults. Losses caused by defaults on underlying assets are borne first by the holders of subordinate tranches. The Fund’s investment in CLOs may decrease in market value when the CLO experiences loan defaults or credit impairment, the disappearance of a subordinate tranche, or market anticipation of defaults and investor aversion to CLO securities as a class.

CDOs are structured similarly to CLOs and bear the same risks as CLOs including interest rate risk, credit risk and default risk. CDOs are subject to additional risks because they are backed by pools of assets other than loans including securities (such as other ABS), synthetic instruments or bonds and may be highly leveraged. Like CLOs, losses incurred by a CDO are borne first by holders of subordinate tranches. Accordingly, the risks of CDOs depend largely on the type of underlying collateral and the tranche of CDOs in which the Fund invests. For example, CDOs that obtain their exposure through synthetic investments entail the risks associated with derivative instruments.

Commercial Paper Risk. The value of the Fund’s investment in commercial paper, which is an unsecured promissory note that generally has a maturity date between one and 270 days and is issued by a U.S. or foreign entity, is susceptible to changes in the issuer’s financial condition or credit quality. Investments in commercial paper are usually discounted from their value at maturity. Commercial paper can be fixed-rate or variable rate and can be adversely affected by changes in interest rates.

Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities may be subordinate to other securities. The total return for a convertible security depends, in part, upon the performance of the underlying security into which it can be converted. The value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase. Convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality.

 

6


Counterparty Credit Risk. The Fund makes investments in financial instruments and OTC-traded derivatives involving counterparties to gain exposure to a particular group of securities, index, asset class or other reference asset without actually purchasing those securities or investments, or to hedge a position. Through these investments, the Fund is exposed to credit risks that the counterparty may be unwilling or unable to make timely payments to meet its contractual obligations. If the counterparty becomes bankrupt or defaults on (or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling to perform) its payment obligations to the Fund, the Fund may not receive the full amount that it is entitled to receive or may experience delays in recovering the collateral held by, or on behalf of, the counterparty. If this occurs, the value of your shares in the Fund will decrease.

Credit Risk. The Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed-income instrument or a counterparty to a derivatives transaction or other transaction is unable or unwilling, or perceived to be unable or unwilling, to pay interest or repay principal on time or defaults. The issuer, guarantor or counterparty could also suffer a rapid decrease in credit quality rating, which would adversely affect the volatility of the value and liquidity of the instrument. Credit ratings may not be an accurate assessment of liquidity or credit risk.

Currency Risk. Indirect and direct exposure to foreign currencies subjects the Fund to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar, which would cause a decline in the U.S. value of the holdings of the Fund. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the imposition of currency controls or other political, economic and tax developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund’s foreign currency hedging transactions and techniques may not be effective and, in certain cases, may adversely affect the Fund. In addition, the Fund’s ability to engage in these transactions and techniques may be limited under certain circumstances.

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may pose risks in addition to and greater than those associated with investing directly in securities, currencies or other investments, including risks relating to leverage, imperfect correlations with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, high price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty credit, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions. Their use is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. If the Sub-Adviser is incorrect about its expectations of market conditions, the use of derivatives could also result in a loss, which in some cases may be unlimited. Some of the derivatives in which the Fund invests are traded (and privately negotiated) in the OTC market. OTC derivatives are subject to heightened credit, liquidity and valuation risks. Certain risks also are specific to the derivatives in which the Fund invests.

Swap Agreements Risk. Swap agreements are contracts among the Fund and a counterparty to exchange the return of the pre-determined underlying investment (such as the rate of return of the underlying index). Swap agreements may be negotiated bilaterally and traded OTC between two parties or, in some instances, must be transacted through a futures commission merchant and cleared through a clearinghouse that serves as a central counterparty. Risks associated with the use of swap agreements are different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions, due in part to the fact they could be considered illiquid and many swaps trade on the OTC market. Swaps are particularly subject to counterparty credit, correlation, valuation, liquidity and leveraging risks. Certain standardized swaps are subject to mandatory central clearing. Central clearing is intended to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity, but central clearing does not make swap transactions risk-free.

Futures Contracts Risk. Futures contracts are typically exchange-traded contracts that call for the future delivery of an asset at a certain price and date, or cash settlement of the terms of the contract. Risks of futures contracts may be caused by an imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the instruments and the price of the underlying securities. In addition, there is the risk that the Fund may not be able to enter into a closing transaction because of an illiquid market. Exchanges can limit the number of positions that can be held or controlled by the Fund or the Sub-Adviser, thus limiting the ability to implement the Fund’s strategies. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”). Futures are also subject to leverage risks and to liquidity risk.

 

7


Options Risk. Options or options on futures contracts give the holder of the option the right to buy (or to sell) a position in a security or in a contract to the writer of the option, at a certain price. They are subject to correlation risk because there may be an imperfect correlation between the options and the securities markets that cause a given transaction to fail to achieve its objectives. The successful use of options depends on the Sub-Adviser’s ability to predict correctly future price fluctuations and the degree of correlation between the options and securities markets. Exchanges can limit the number of positions that can be held or controlled by the Fund or the Sub-Adviser, thus limiting the ability to implement the Fund’s strategies. Options are also particularly subject to leverage risk and can be subject to liquidity risk.

Dollar Roll Transaction Risk. The Fund may enter into dollar roll transactions, in which the Fund sells a mortgage-backed or other security for settlement on one date and buys back a substantially similar security for settlement at a later date. Dollar rolls involve a risk of loss if the market value of the securities that the Fund is committed to buy declines below the price of the securities the Fund has sold.

Emerging Markets Risk. Investments in or exposure to emerging markets are generally subject to a greater level of those risks associated with investing in or being exposed to developed foreign markets, as emerging markets are considered to be less developed than developing countries. Furthermore, investments in or exposure to emerging markets are generally subject to additional risks, including the risks associated with trading in smaller markets, lower volumes of trading, and being subject to lower levels of government regulation and less extensive accounting, financial and other reporting requirements.

Extension Risk. During periods of rising interest rates, an issuer may exercise its right to pay principal on an obligation later than expected, resulting in a decrease in the value of the obligation and in a decline in the Fund’s income.

Foreign Securities and Currency Risk. Foreign securities carry unique or additional risks when compared to U.S. securities, including currency fluctuations, adverse political and economic developments, unreliable or untimely information, less liquidity and more volatility, limited legal recourse and higher transactional costs.

Hedging Risk. The Fund may, but is not required to, engage in various investments or transactions that are designed to hedge a position that the Fund holds. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging investments or transactions will be effective. Hedging investments or transactions involve costs and may reduce gains or result in losses, which may adversely affect the Fund.

High Yield and Unrated Securities Risk. High yield, below investment grade and unrated high risk debt securities (which also may be known as “junk bonds”) may present additional risks because these securities may be less liquid, and therefore more difficult to value accurately and sell at an advantageous price or time, present more credit risk than investment grade bonds and subject to greater risk of default. The price of high yield securities tends to be subject to greater volatility due to issuer-specific operating results and outlook and to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions.

Income Risk. The Fund’s income may decline during period of falling interest rates or when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds. The amount and rate of distributions that the Fund’s shareholders receive are affected by the income that the Fund receives from its portfolio holdings. If the income is reduced, distributions by the Fund to shareholders may be less.

Interest Rate Risk. Investments in fixed-income instruments are subject to the possibility that interest rates could rise sharply, causing the value of the Fund’s holdings and share price to decline. The risks associated with rising interest rates are heightened given the historically low interest rate environment as of the date of this prospectus. Interest rates may continue to rise in the future, possibly suddenly and significantly, with unpredictable effects on the financial markets and the Fund’s investments. Fixed-income instruments with longer durations are subject to more volatility than those with shorter durations.

Investment in Investment Companies Risk. Investing in other investment companies, including ETFs and closed-end funds, subjects the Fund to those risks affecting the investment company, including the possibility that the value of the underlying securities held by the investment company could decrease or the portfolio becomes illiquid. Moreover, the Fund and its shareholders will incur its pro rata share of the

 

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underlying investment companies’ expenses, which will reduce the Fund’s performance, and the purchase of shares of some investment companies (in the case of closed-end investment companies) may sometimes require the payment of substantial premiums above the value of such companies’ portfolio securities or NAVs. In addition, investments by the Fund in another ETF are subject to, among other risks, the risk that the ETF’s shares may trade at a discount or premium relative to the NAV of the shares and the listing exchange may halt trading of the ETF’s shares.

Investments in Loans Risk. Investments in loans, including loan syndicates and other direct lending opportunities, involve special types of risks, including credit risk, interest rate risk, counterparty risk and prepayment risk. Loans may offer a fixed or floating interest rate. Loans are often generally below investment grade and may be unrated. The Fund’s investments in loans can be difficult to value accurately and may be more susceptible to liquidity risk than fixed-income instruments of similar credit quality and/or maturity. The Fund is also subject to the risk that the value of the collateral for the loan may be insufficient to cover the borrower’s obligations should the borrower fail to make payments or become insolvent. Participations in loans may subject the Fund to the credit risk of both the borrower and the issuer of the participation and may make enforcement of loan covenants more difficult for the Fund as legal action may have to go through the issuer of the participations. Transactions in loans are often subject to long settlement periods, thus potentially limiting the ability of the Fund to invest sale proceeds in other investments and to use proceeds to meet its current redemption obligations. Thus, to the extent the Fund effects redemptions in cash, the Fund is subject to the risk of selling other investments or taking other actions necessary to raise cash to meet its redemption obligations.

Issuer-Specific Changes Risk. The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. The value of securities of smaller issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.

Leverage Risk. The Fund’s use of leverage, through borrowings or instruments such as derivatives, may cause the Fund to be more volatile and riskier than if it had not been leveraged.

Liquidity and Valuation Risk. In certain circumstances, it may be difficult for the Fund to purchase and sell particular investments within a reasonable time at a fair price, or the price at which it has been valued by the Sub-Adviser for purposes of the Fund’s net asset value, causing the Fund to be less liquid and unable to realize what the Sub-Adviser believes should be the price of the investment.

Market Price Risk. Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) and are bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The market prices of Shares may fluctuate continuously during trading hours, in some cases materially, in response to changes in the NAV and supply and demand for Shares, among other factors. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares typically will remain closely correlated to the NAV, the market price will generally differ from the NAV because of timing reasons, supply and demand imbalances and other factors. As a result, the trading prices of Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during certain periods, especially those of market volatility. The Sub-Adviser cannot predict whether Shares will trade above (premium), below (discount) or at their NAV. Thus, an investor may pay more than NAV when buying Shares in the secondary market and receive less than NAV when selling Shares in the secondary market.

Market Risk. The value of, or income generated by, the securities held by the Fund may fluctuate rapidly and unpredictably as a result of factors affecting individual companies or changing economic, political, social or financial market conditions throughout the world. The performance of these investments may underperform the general securities markets or other types of securities.

Municipal Securities Risk. Municipal securities may be subject to credit, interest, prepayment, liquidity and valuation risks. In addition, municipal securities can be affected by unfavorable legislative or political developments and adverse changes in the economic and fiscal conditions of state and municipal issuers or the federal government in case it provides financial support to such issuers. Certain sectors of the municipal bond market have special risks that can affect them more significantly than the market as a whole. Because many municipal instruments are issued to finance similar projects, conditions in these industries can significantly affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities that are insured by an insurer may be adversely affected by developments relevant to that particular insurer, or more general developments relevant to the market as a whole. Municipal securities can be difficult to value and be less liquid than other investments, which may affect the Fund’s performance.

 

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Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered non-diversified because it may invest a large portion of its assets in a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund is more susceptible to risks associated with those issuers and the Fund may experience greater losses and volatility than a more diversified portfolio.

Preferred Securities Risk. A company’s preferred stock generally pays dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred stock will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects.

Prepayment Risk. Securities subject to prepayment risk generally offer less potential for gains when interest rates decline, because issuers of the securities may be able to prepay the principal due on the securities. These securities generally offer less potential for gains when interest rates decline and may offer a greater potential for loss when interest rates rise.

Real Estate Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in securities of real estate companies and companies related to the real estate industry, including real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), which are subject to the same risks as direct investments in real estate. The real estate industry is particularly sensitive to economic downturns.

Regulatory and Legal Risk. U.S. and non-U.S. governmental agencies and other regulators may implement additional regulations and legislators may pass new laws that affect the investments held by the Fund, the strategies used by the Fund or the level of regulation applying to the Fund. These may impact the investment strategies, performance, costs and operations of the Fund.

Repurchase Agreements and Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk. In the event of the insolvency of the counterparty to a repurchase agreement or reverse repurchase agreement, recovery of the repurchase price owed to the Fund or, in the case of a reverse repurchase agreement, the securities sold by the Fund, may be delayed. Because reverse repurchase agreements may be considered to be the practical equivalent of borrowing funds, they constitute a form of leverage. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of a reverse repurchase agreement at a rate lower than the cost of the agreement, entering into the agreement will lower the Fund’s yield.

Restricted Securities Risk. Restricted securities generally cannot be sold to the public and may involve a high degree of business, financial and liquidity risk, which may result in substantial losses to the Fund.

Risk of Cash Transactions. Unlike most ETFs, the Fund will generally effect creations and redemptions for cash, rather than in-kind. As a result, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in a more conventional ETF.

Short Sale and Short Exposure Risk. Short selling a security involves selling a borrowed security with the expectation that the value of that security will decline so that the security may be purchased at a lower price when returning the borrowed security. A short exposure through a derivative exposes the Fund to counterparty credit risk and leverage risk. The risk for loss on a short sale or other short exposure is greater than a direct investment in the security itself because the price of the borrowed security may rise, thereby increasing the price at which the security must be purchased. The risk of loss through a short sale or other short exposure may in some cases be theoretically unlimited. Government actions also may affect the Fund’s ability to engage in short selling.

Sovereign Debt Risk. The debt securities issued by sovereign entities may decline as a result of default or other adverse credit event resulting from a sovereign debtor’s unwillingness or inability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner, which may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject. Sovereign debt risk is increased for emerging market issuers.

Special Situation Investments/Securities in Default Risk. Investments in the securities and debt of distressed issuers or issuers in default involve far greater risk than investing in issuers whose debt

 

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obligations are being met and whose debt trade at or close to its “par” or full value because the investments are highly speculative with respect to the issuer’s ability to make interest payments and/or to pay its principal obligations in full and/or on time.

U.S. Government Securities Risk. U.S. government securities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. U.S. government securities are subject to the risks associated with fixed-income and debt securities, particularly interest rate risk and credit risk.

Performance

As of the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not commenced operations and therefore does not have a performance history. Once available, the Fund’s performance information will be accessible on the Fund’s website at www.powershares.com and will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund.

Management of the Fund

Investment Adviser. Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (the “Adviser”).

Investment Sub-Adviser. Invesco Advisers, Inc. (the “Sub-Adviser”).

Portfolio Managers. The following individuals are responsible jointly and primarily for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio:

 

Name    Title with Adviser/Sub-Adviser/Trust   

Date Began

Managing

the Fund

[Peter Hubbard]

   [Director of Portfolio Management of the Adviser and Vice President of the Trust]    Since Inception

[                     ]

  

[                     ]

   Since Inception

[                     ]

  

[                     ]

   Since Inception

[                     ]

  

[                     ]

   Since Inception

Purchase and Sale of Shares

The Fund will issue and redeem Shares at NAV only with APs and only in large blocks of 50,000 Shares (each block of Shares is called a “Creation Unit”), or multiples thereof (“Creation Unit Aggregations”), in exchange for the deposit or delivery of cash. However, the Fund also reserves the right to permit or require Creation Units to be issued in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a basket of securities. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.

Individual Shares may be purchased and sold only on a national securities exchange through brokers. Shares will be listed for trading on NYSE Arca, Inc. and because the Shares will trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at prices greater than NAV (at a premium), at NAV, or less than NAV (at a discount).

Tax Information

The Fund’s distributions will generally be taxable, typically as either ordinary income or long-term capital gain, unless you are invested through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account; in such cases, taxation will be deferred until assets are withdrawn from the plan. A sale of Shares may result in short- or long-term capital gain or loss.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund’s distributor or its related companies may pay the intermediary for certain Fund-related activities, including those that are designed to make the intermediary more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, such as the Fund, as well as for marketing, education or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Fund shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson or financial adviser to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary’s web-site for more information.

 

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Additional Information About the Fund’s Strategies and Risks

Principal Investment Strategies

The Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (the “Trust”) may change the Fund’s investment objective and strategies at any time without shareholder approval. The Fund will provide notice to shareholders prior to, or concurrent with, any such change as required by applicable law.

The Sub-Adviser’s analysis of a fixed-income security’s credit quality is comprised of multiple elements, including, but not limited to: (i) sector analysis, including regulatory developments and sector health, (ii) collateral, business, and counterparty risk, which includes payment history, collateral performance, and borrower credit profile, (iii) structural analysis, which includes securitization structure review and forms of credit enhancement, and (iv) stress analysis, including historical collateral performance during extreme market stress and identifying tail risks. This analysis is applied against the macroeconomic outlook, geopolitical issues as well as considerations that more directly affect the company’s industry to determine the Sub-Adviser’s internal judgment as to the security’s credit quality. In addition to the process described above, the Sub-Adviser selects securities using a rigorous portfolio construction approach to tightly control independent risk exposures such as fixed income sector weights, sector specific yield curves, credit spreads, prepayment risks, and other risk exposures the Sub-Adviser deems relevant. Within those risk constraints, the Sub-Adviser estimates the relative value of different securities to select individual securities that, in the Sub-Adviser’s judgment, may provide risk-adjusted outperformance.

The Sub-Adviser’s process for determining whether to buy a security is a collaborative effort between various groups including: (i) economic research, which focus on key economic themes and trends, regional and country-specific analysis, and assessments of event-risk and policy impacts on asset prices, (ii) the Portfolio Construction Group, which utilize proprietary portfolio construction and risk modeling tools to determine allocation of assets among a variety of sectors, (iii) its Sector Specialists, who are responsible for security selection within these sectors and for implementing securities transactions, including the structuring of certain securities directly with the issuers or with investment banks and dealers involved in the origination of such securities, and (iv) portfolio managers, who determine which securities best fit the Fund based on the Fund’s investment objective and top-down sector allocations. In managing the Fund, the Sub-Adviser uses a process for selecting securities for purchase and sale that is based on intensive credit research and involves extensive due diligence on each issuer, region and sector. The Sub-Adviser also considers macroeconomic outlook and geopolitical issues. The Sub-Adviser maintains targets with respect to portfolio maturity and duration. These targets are reviewed continually by various teams including the portfolio management team. These targets are set based on the interest rate outlook, the macro environment, and can be either absolute or relative to a portfolio’s positioning to a benchmark.

The Sub-Adviser generally decides which securities to sell for the Fund based on one of three factors:

 

    In the Sub-Adviser’s judgment, the relative value measure of the instrument no longer indicates that the instrument is cheap relative to similar instruments and a substitution of the instrument with a similar but cheaper instrument enhances the risk-adjusted return potential of the portfolio.

 

    The Sub-Adviser’s fundamental analysis suggests that the embedded credit risk in an instrument has increased and the instrument no longer properly compensates the holder for this increased risk.

 

    The Sub-Adviser’s fundamental sector allocation decisions result in the rebalancing of existing positions to achieve the Sub-Adviser’s desired sector exposures.

Temporary Defensive Strategies

The Fund may take a temporary defensive position and hold a portion of its assets in cash or cash equivalents and money market funds (including affiliated money market funds) if there are inadequate investment opportunities available due to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, or

 

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atypical circumstances such as unusually large cash inflows or redemptions. Doing so could help the Fund avoid losses in the event of falling market prices and provide liquidity to make additional investments, but may mean lost investment opportunities in a period of rising market prices. During these periods, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

The following provides additional information regarding certain of the principal risks identified under “Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund” in the Fund’s “Summary Information” section.

Active Management Risk

The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio, which means that investment decisions are made based on investment views. The Sub-Adviser will apply investment techniques and risk analysis in making decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results or expected returns, which may cause the Fund to fail to meet its investment objective or to underperform funds with similar investment objectives and strategies. Also, the Sub-Adviser and its affiliates are engaged in a variety of business activities that are unrelated to managing the Fund, which may give rise to actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest in connection with making investment decisions for the Fund. The Fund and the Adviser (and its affiliates) have established various policies and procedures that are designed to minimize conflicts and prevent or limit the Fund from being disadvantaged. There can be no guarantee that these policies and procedures will be successful in every instance. In certain circumstances, these various activities may prevent the Fund from participating in an investment decision. Additionally, legislative, regulatory or tax restrictions, policies or developments may affect the investment techniques available to the Sub-Adviser in connection with managing the Fund and may also adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective. Active trading that can accompany active management will increase the costs the Fund incurs because of higher brokerage charges or mark-up charges, which are passed on to shareholders of the Fund and, as a result, may lower the Fund’s performance. However, the Fund is generally less likely to incur brokerage charges or mark-up charges to the extent the Fund invests in fixed-income instruments as opposed to other investments. Active trading may also result in adverse tax consequences.

Asset-Backed Securities Risk

The Fund may invest in ABS issued by legal entities that are sponsored by banks, investment banks, other financial institutions or companies, asset management firms or funds and are specifically created for the purpose of issuing such ABS. Investors in ABS receive payments that are part interest and part return of principal or certain ABS may be interest-only securities or principal-only securities. These payments typically depend upon the cash flows generated by an underlying pool of assets and vary based on the rate at which the underlying obligors pay off their liabilities under the underlying assets. The pooled assets provide cash flow to the issuer, which then makes interest and principal payments to investors.

Investments in ABS may be subject to many of the same risks that are applicable to investments in securities generally, including currency risk, geographic emphasis risk, high yield and unrated securities risk, leverage risk, prepayment risk and regulatory risk. ABS are particularly subject to interest rate, credit and valuation risks. ABS are also subject to liquidity risk and, therefore, may be difficult to value accurately or sell at an advantageous time or price and involve greater transaction costs and wider bid/ask spreads than certain other instruments.

In addition, investments in ABS entail additional risks relating to the underlying pools of assets, including credit risk, default risk and prepayment risk of the underlying pool or individual assets represented in the pool. With respect to a mortgage loan backing MBS, when an underlying obligor, such as a homeowner, makes a prepayment, an investor in the securities receives a larger portion of its principal investment back, which means that there will be a decrease in monthly interest payments and the investor may not be able to reinvest the principal it receives as a result of such prepayment in a security with a similar risk, return or liquidity profile. In addition to prepayments, the underlying assets owned by an ABS issuer are subject to the risk of defaults, and both defaults and prepayments may shorten the securities’ weighted average life and may lower their return, which may adversely affect the Fund’s investment in the ABS.

 

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The value of ABS held by the Fund also may change because of actual or perceived changes in the creditworthiness of the underlying asset obligors, the originators, the servicing agents, the financial institutions, if any, providing credit support, or swap counterparties in the case of synthetic ABS.

Further, recently adopted rules implementing credit risk retention requirements for ABS may increase the costs to originators, securitizers and, in certain cases, asset managers of securitization vehicles in which the Fund may invest. Although the impact of these requirements is uncertain, certain additional costs may be passed to the Fund and the Fund’s investments in ABS may be adversely affected. Many of the other changes required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) or foreign regulatory developments could materially impact the value of the Fund’s assets, expose the Fund to additional costs and require changes to investment practices, thereby adversely affecting the Fund’s performance.

Additional risks relating to investments in ABS may arise because of the type of ABS in which the Fund invests, defined by the assets collateralizing the ABS. For example, ABS backed by aircraft loans and leases may provide the Fund with a less effective security interest in the related underlying collateral than do mortgage-related securities and, thus, it is possible that recovery on repossessed collateral might be unavailable or inadequate to support payments on these ABS. In addition to the risks inherent in ABS generally, risks associated with aircraft securitizations include but are not limited to risks related to commercial aircraft, the leasing of aircraft by commercial airlines and the commercial aviation industry generally. With respect to any one aircraft, the value of such aircraft can be affected by the particular maintenance and operating history for the aircraft or its components, the model and type of aircraft, the jurisdiction of registration (including legal risks, costs and delays in attempting to repossess and export such aircraft following any default under the related loan or lease) and regulatory risk. The Fund may invest in these and other types of ABS that may be developed in the future.

Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities

Home mortgage loans are typically grouped together into pools by banks and other lending institutions, and interests in these pools are then sold to investors, allowing the bank or other lending institution to have more money available to loan to home buyers. Some of these pools are guaranteed by U.S. government agencies or by government sponsored private corporations-familiarly called “Ginnie Mae,” “Fannie Mae” and “Freddie Mac.” Home mortgage loans may also be purchased and grouped together by non-lending institutions such as investment banks and hedge funds who will sell interests in such pools to investors. MBS may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates given that rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of fixed-rate MBS. As a result, a rising interest rate environment can cause the prices of MBS to be increasingly volatile, which may adversely affect the Fund’s holdings of MBS. In light of the current interest rate environment, the Fund’s investments in these securities may be subject to heightened interest rate risk.

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities

CMBS are collateralized by one or more commercial mortgage loans. Banks and other lending institutions typically group the loans into pools and interests in these pools are then sold to investors, allowing the lender to have more money available to loan to other commercial real estate owners. Commercial mortgage loans may be secured by office properties, retail properties, hotels, mixed use properties or multi-family apartment buildings. Investments in CMBS are subject to the risks of ABS generally and particularly subject to credit risk, interest rate risk, and liquidity and valuation risk.

Asset Class Risk

The securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform the returns of other securities or indices that track other industries, markets, asset classes or sectors. Different types of securities and indices tend to go through different performance cycles than the general securities market.

 

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Collateralized Loan Obligations and Collateralized Debt Obligations Risk

A CLO is an ABS whose underlying collateral is a pool of loans. Such loans may include domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans and subordinate corporate loans, some of which may be below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. Investments in CLOs carry the same risks as investments in loans directly, as well as other risks, including interest rate risk, credit and liquidity and valuation risks, and the risk of default. CLOs issue classes or “tranches” that vary in risk and yield. Losses caused by defaults on underlying assets are borne first by the holders of subordinate tranches. A CLO may experience substantial losses attributable to loan defaults. The Fund’s investment in a CLO may decrease in market value because of (i) loan defaults or credit impairment, (ii) the disappearance of subordinate tranches, (iii) market anticipation of defaults, and (iv) investor aversion to CLO securities as a class. These risks may be magnified depending on the tranche of CLO securities in which the Fund invests. For example, investments in a junior tranche of CLO securities will likely be more sensitive to loan defaults or credit impairment than investments in more senior tranches.

CDOs are structured similarly to CLOs, but are backed by pools of assets that are securities rather than only loans, typically including bonds, other structured finance securities (including other ABS and other CLOs) and/or synthetic instruments. CDOs are often highly leveraged, and like CLOs, the risks of investing in CDOs may be magnified depending on the tranche of CDO securities held by the Fund. The nature of the risks of CDOs depends largely on the type and quality of the underlying collateral and the tranche of CDOs in which the Fund may invest. CDOs collateralized by pools of ABS carry the same risks as investments in ABS directly, including losses with respect to the collateral underlying those ABS. In addition, certain CDOs may not hold their underlying collateral directly, but rather, use derivatives such as swaps to create “synthetic” exposure to the collateral pool. Such CDOs entail the risks associated with derivative instruments.

Commercial Paper Risk

The value of the Fund’s investment in commercial paper, which is an unsecured promissory note that generally has a maturity date between one and 270 days and is issued by a U.S. or foreign entity, is susceptible to changes in the issuer’s financial condition or credit quality. Commercial paper is typically repaid with the proceeds from the issuance of new commercial paper. Thus, investments in commercial paper are subject to the risk (commonly referred to as rollover risk) that the issuer will be unable to issue sufficient new commercial paper to meet the repayment obligations under its outstanding commercial paper. Investments in commercial paper are usually discounted from their value at maturity. Commercial paper can be fixed-rate or variable rate and can be adversely affected by changes in interest rates. As with other fixed-income securities, there is a risk that the issuer of commercial paper will default completely on its obligations. Commercial paper is generally unsecured and, thus, is subject to increased credit risk. The Fund may have limited or no recourse against the issuer of commercial paper in the event of default.

Convertible Securities Risk

Convertible securities, debt or preferred equity securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, equity securities, are generally preferred stocks and other securities, including fixed-income securities and warrants that are convertible into or exercisable for common stock. They generally participate in the appreciation or depreciation of the underlying stock into which they are convertible, but to a lesser degree. In recent years, convertible securities have been developed which combine higher or lower current income with options and other features. Warrants are options to buy a stated number of shares of common stock at a specified price anytime during the life of the warrants (generally, two or more years). Convertible securities may be lower-rated securities subject to greater levels of credit risk. A convertible security may be converted before it would otherwise be most appropriate, which may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

“Synthetic” convertible securities are selected based on the similarity of their economic characteristics to those of a traditional convertible security due to the combination of separate securities that possess the two principal characteristics of a traditional convertible security, i.e., an income-producing security (“income-producing component”) and the right to acquire an equity security (“convertible component”). The income-producing component is achieved by investing in non-convertible, income-producing securities such as bonds, preferred stocks and money market instruments, which may be represented by derivative instruments.

 

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The convertible component is achieved by investing in securities or instruments such as warrants or options to buy common stock at a certain exercise price, or options on a stock index. A simple example of a synthetic convertible security is the combination of a traditional corporate bond with a warrant to purchase equity securities of the issuer of the bond. The Fund may also purchase synthetic securities created by other parties, typically investment banks, including convertible structured notes. The income-producing and convertible components of a synthetic convertible security may be issued separately by different issuers and at different times.

Counterparty Credit Risk

The Fund may invest in financial instruments and OTC-traded derivatives (including equity index swap agreements) involving counterparties for the purpose of gaining exposure to a particular group of securities, index, asset class or reference asset without actually purchasing those securities or investments, or to hedge a position. Such financial instruments may include, among others, total return, index, interest rate, and credit default swap agreements. The Fund may use short-term counterparty agreements to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized in particular predetermined investments or instruments. Through these investments, the Fund is exposed to credit risks that the counterparty may be unwilling or unable to make timely payments to meet its contractual obligations. If the counterparty becomes bankrupt or defaults on (or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling to perform) its payment obligations to the Fund, the Fund may not receive the full amount that it is entitled to receive or may experience delays in recovering the collateral held by, or on behalf of, the counterparty . If this occurs, the value of your shares in the Fund will decrease.

The Fund bears the risk that counterparties may be adversely affected by legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions, increased competition, and/or wide scale credit losses resulting from financial difficulties or borrowers affecting counterparties.

Credit Risk

The Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed-income instrument or a counterparty to a derivatives transaction or other transaction (such as a repurchase agreement or a loan of portfolio securities) is unable or unwilling, or perceived to be unable or unwilling, to pay interest or repay principal on time or defaults. If an issuer fails to pay interest, the Fund’s income would likely be reduced, and if an issuer fails to repay principal, the value of the instrument likely would fall and the Fund could lose money. This risk is especially acute with respect to high yield, below investment grade and unrated high risk debt securities (which also may be known as “junk bonds”). Also, the issuer, guarantor or counterparty may suffer adverse changes in its financial condition that could lower the credit quality (or the market’s perception of the credit quality) of an issuer or instrument, leading to greater volatility in the price of the instrument and in shares of the Fund. Although credit quality may not accurately reflect the true credit risk of an instrument, a change in the credit quality rating of an instrument or an issuer can have a rapid, adverse effect on the instrument’s liquidity and make it more difficult for the Fund to sell at an advantageous price or time. Any applicable limitation on the credit quality of an issuer or instrument in which the Fund may invest is applied at the time the Fund purchases the instrument.

The degree of credit risk depends on the particular instrument and the financial condition of the issuer, guarantor or counterparty, which are often reflected in its credit quality. Credit quality is a measure of the issuer’s expected ability to make all required interest and principal payments in a timely manner. An issuer with the highest credit rating has a very strong capacity with respect to making all payments. An issuer with the second-highest credit rating has a strong capacity to make all payments, but the degree of safety is somewhat less. An issuer with the lowest credit quality rating may be in default or have extremely poor prospects of making timely payment of interest and principal. Credit ratings assigned by rating agencies are based on a number of factors and subjective judgments and therefore do not necessarily represent an issuer’s actual financial condition or the volatility or liquidity of the security. The credit risk is greater to the extent the Fund uses leverage or derivatives in connection with the management of the Fund. Although higher-rated securities generally present lower credit risk as

 

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compared to lower-rated or unrated securities, an issuer with a high credit rating may in fact be exposed to heightened levels of credit or liquidity risk. See Appendix A of the SAI for a more complete discussion of the meaning of the different credit quality ratings.

Investment grade instruments are fixed-income instruments that have been determined by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization to have a medium to high probability of being paid (although there is always a risk of default) or if unrated, have been determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality. Investment grade instruments are designated “BBB”, “A”, “AA” or “AAA” by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group, Fitch Investors Service, Inc., DBRS Ltd., Morningstar Credit Ratings, LLC and Kroll Bond Rating Agency, Inc., “Baa”, “A”, “Aa” or “Aaa” by Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”), and “bbb”, “a”, “aa”, or “aaa” by A.M. Best Company, or an equivalent rating by any other nationally recognized statistical rating organization, or have been determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality. If nationally recognized statistical rating organizations assign different ratings to the same instrument, the Fund will use the higher rating for purposes of determining the instrument’s credit quality. The Sub-Adviser’s credit analysis includes looking at factors such as an issuer’s debt service coverage (i.e., its ability to make interest payments on its debt), the issuer’s cash flow, general economic factors and domestic and global market conditions.

The loans and corporate debt instruments in which the Fund may invest are generally either (i) rated lower than investment grade credit quality, e.g., rated lower than “Baa” category by Moody’s or “BBB” category by Standard & Poor’s Corporation (“S&P”), or have been issued by issuers who have issued other debt instruments which, if rated, would be rated lower than investment grade credit quality or (ii) unrated but the borrowers and their other loans typically are rated below investment grade. Investment decisions will be based largely on the credit risk analysis performed by the Investment Manager and not on rating agency evaluations. This analysis may be difficult to perform. Information about many loans and their issuers generally is not available in the public domain because many issuers of loans have not issued securities to the public and are not subject to reporting requirements under federal securities laws. Thus, little public information typically exists about these companies. Generally, however, these issuers are required to provide certain financial information to lenders, and certain information may be available from other participants or agents in the loan marketplace.

Currency Risk

The Fund’s direct or indirect exposure to foreign currencies, including through ownership of securities of foreign issuers, subjects the Fund to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. Dollar, which would cause a decline in the U.S. value of the holdings of the Fund. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the imposition of currency controls or other political, economic and tax developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Sub-Adviser may attempt to reduce this risk by entering into forward contracts with banks, brokers or dealers. A foreign currency forward contract is a negotiated agreement between the contracting parties to exchange a specified amount of currency at a specified future time at a specified rate. The rate can be higher or lower than the spot rate between the currencies that are the subject of the contract. Hedging the Fund’s currency risks involves the risk of mismatching the Fund’s objectives under a forward or futures contract with the value of securities denominated in a particular currency. Furthermore, such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken. If the counterparty under the contract defaults on its obligation to make payments due from it as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays. The Sub-Adviser may in its discretion choose not to hedge against currency risk. In addition, certain market conditions may make it impossible or uneconomical to hedge against currency risk.

Derivatives Risk

The Fund may invest a percentage of its assets in derivatives, such as swaps, futures contracts and options contracts and other instruments described in the Fund’s principal investment strategies, to pursue its investment objective and to create economic leverage in the Fund, to enhance total return, to seek to hedge against fluctuations in securities prices, interest rates, currency rates, etc., to change the effective

 

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duration of the Fund’s portfolio, to manage certain investment risks, and/or as a substitute for the purchase or sale of securities or currencies. The use of such derivatives may expose the Fund to risks in addition to and greater than those associated with investing directly in the securities underlying those derivatives, including risks relating to leverage, imperfect correlations with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, high price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty credit, credit, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions. The use of such derivatives may also expose the Fund to the performance of securities that the Fund does not own. For derivatives traded on an exchange or through a central counterparty, the Fund is subject to the credit risk of the clearing broker or clearinghouse. Certain derivatives are subject to mandatory exchange trading and/or clearing. Central clearing is intended to reduce counterparty credit risk and is intended to increase liquidity but does not make derivatives transactions risk-free. The skills necessary to successfully execute derivatives strategies may be different from those for more traditional portfolio management techniques, and if the Sub-Adviser is incorrect about its expectations of market conditions, the use of derivatives could also result in a loss, which in some cases may be unlimited. Use of derivatives may also cause the Fund to be subject to additional regulations, which may generate additional Fund expenses. These practices also entail transactional expenses and may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital gains than if the Fund had not engaged in such transactions. The markets for certain derivative instruments, and those located in foreign countries, are relatively new and still developing, which may expose the Fund to increased counterparty and liquidity risk. Certain risks also are specific to the derivatives in which the Fund invests.

Certain of the derivatives in which the Fund invests are traded (and privately negotiated) in the OTC market. OTC derivatives are complex and often valued subjectively. Improper valuations can result in increased cash payment requirements to counterparties or a loss of value to the Fund. In addition, OTC derivative instruments are often highly customized and tailored to meet the needs of the Fund and its trading counterparties. If a derivative transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price. As a result and similar to other privately negotiated contracts, the Fund is subject to counterparty credit risk with respect to such derivative contracts.

Swap Agreements Risk

Swap agreements are contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from one day to more than one year and may be negotiated bilaterally and traded OTC between two parties or, in some instances, must be transacted through a futures commission merchant and cleared through a clearinghouse that serves as a central counterparty. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. The Fund may enter into swap agreements, including, but not limited to total return swaps, index swaps, interest rate swaps, municipal market data rate locks, and credit default swaps. The Fund may utilize swap agreements in an attempt to gain exposure to certain securities without purchasing those securities, which is speculative, or to hedge a position. Risks associated with the use of swap agreements are different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions, due to the fact they could be considered illiquid and many swaps currently trade on the OTC market. Swaps are particularly subject to counterparty credit, correlation, valuation, liquidity and leveraging risks.

Certain standardized swaps are subject to mandatory central clearing. Central clearing is expected to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity, but central clearing does not make swap transactions risk-free. The Dodd-Frank Act and related regulatory developments will ultimately require the clearing and exchange-trading of many OTC derivative instruments that the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“ CFTC”) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) recently defined as “swaps.” Mandatory exchange-trading and clearing will occur on a phased-in basis based on the type of market participant and CFTC approval of contracts for central clearing. The Sub-Adviser will continue to monitor developments in this area, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect the Fund’s ability to enter into swap agreements.

 

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Futures Contracts Risk

Futures contracts are typically exchange-traded contracts that call for the future delivery of an asset at a certain price and date, or cash settlement (payment of the gain or loss on the contract). Futures are often used to manage or hedge risk because they enable the investor to buy or sell an asset in the future at an agreed-upon price and for other reasons such as to manage exposure to changes in interest rates and bond prices; as an efficient means of adjusting overall exposure to certain markets; in an effort to enhance income; to protect the value of portfolio securities; and to adjust portfolio duration. Risks of futures contracts may be caused by an imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the instruments and the price of the underlying securities. In addition, there is the risk that the Fund may not be able to enter into a closing transaction because of an illiquid market. Futures markets can be highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Exchanges can limit the number of options that can be held or controlled by the Fund or the Sub-Adviser, thus limiting the ability to implement the Fund’s strategies. Futures are also subject to leveraging risk and can be subject to liquidity risk.

Options Contracts Risk

The buyer of an option acquires the right to buy (a call option) or sell (a put option) a certain quantity of a security (the underlying security) or instrument, including a futures contract or swap, at a certain price up to a specified point in time. The seller or writer of an option is obligated to sell (a call option) or buy (a put option) the underlying instrument. Options are often used to manage or hedge risk because they enable the investor to buy or sell an asset in the future at an agreed-upon price and for other reasons such as to manage exposure to changes in interest rates and bond prices; as an efficient means of adjusting overall exposure to certain markets; in an effort to enhance income; to protect the value of portfolio securities; and to adjust portfolio duration.

Options are subject to correlation risks. The writing and purchase of options is a highly specialized activity as the successful use of options depends on the Sub-Adviser’s ability to predict correctly future price fluctuations and the degree of correlation between the markets for options and the underlying instruments. Exchanges can limit the number of futures options that can be held or controlled by the Fund or the Sub-Adviser, thus limiting the ability to implement the Fund’s strategies. Options are also particularly subject to leverage risk and can be subject to liquidity risk. Because option premiums paid or received by the Fund are small in relation to the market value of the investments underlying the options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that buying and selling put and call options can be more speculative than investing directly in securities.

The Fund may also purchase or sell call and put options on a “covered” basis. A call option is “covered” if the Fund owns the security underlying the call or has an absolute right to acquire the security without additional cash consideration (or, if additional cash consideration is required, cash or cash equivalents in such amount are segregated by the Fund’s custodian). As a seller of covered call options, the Fund faces the risk that it will forgo the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the security covering the call option during an option’s life.

Hybrid Securities

Hybrid instruments combine the characteristics of securities, futures and options. Typically, a hybrid instrument combines a traditional stock, bond or commodity with an option or forward contract. Generally, the principal amount, amount payable upon maturity or redemption, or interest rate of a hybrid is tied to the price of some security, commodity, currency or securities index, or another interest rate or some other economic factor. Hybrid instruments can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging and increased total return.

The risks of such investments would reflect the risks of investing in futures, options and securities, including volatility and illiquidity. Such securities may bear interest or pay dividends at below market (or even relatively nominal) rates. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of such an investment could be zero.

 

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Dollar Roll Transaction Risk

The Fund may enter into dollar roll transactions, in which the Fund sells a mortgage-backed or other security for settlement on one date and buys back a substantially similar security (but not the same security) for settlement at a later date. The Fund gives up the principal and interest payments on the security, but may invest the sale proceeds, during the “roll period.” When the Fund enters into a dollar roll, any fluctuation in the market value of the security transferred or the securities in which the sales proceeds are invested can affect the market value of the Fund’s assets, and therefore, the Fund’s net asset value. As a result, dollar roll transactions may sometimes be considered to be the practical equivalent of borrowing and constitute a form of leverage. Dollar rolls also involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is required to deliver may decline below the agreed upon repurchase price of those securities. In addition, in the event that the Fund’s counterparty becomes insolvent, the Fund’s use of the proceeds may become restricted pending a determination as to whether to enforce the Fund’s obligation to purchase the substantially similar securities.

Emerging Markets Risk

The Fund may invest in securities in emerging markets. Investing in securities in emerging markets countries may entail greater risks than investing in securities in developed market countries, such as increased economic, political, regulatory or other uncertainties. These risks include: (i) less social, political and economic stability; (ii) the small current size of the markets for such securities and the currently low or nonexistent volume of trading, which result in a lack of liquidity and in greater price volatility; (iii) certain national policies which may restrict the Fund’s investment opportunities, including restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; (iv) foreign taxation; (v) the absence of developed structures governing private or foreign investment or allowing for judicial redress for injury to private property; (vi) lower levels of government regulation and less extensive accounting, financial and other reporting requirements; (vii) high rates of inflation for prolonged periods; and (viii) particular sensitivity to global economic conditions. Sovereign debt of emerging countries may be in default or present a greater risk of default.

Extension Risk

An issuer may exercise its right to pay principal on an obligation later than expected, thereby effectively lengthening the maturity of the obligation and making the obligation more sensitive to interest rate changes. This may happen when there is a rise in interest rates. Under these circumstances, the value of the obligation will decrease and the Fund’s performance may suffer from its inability to invest in higher yielding securities.

Foreign Securities and Currency Risk

Investing in foreign investments, including investing in foreign securities through depositary receipts, involves certain special or additional risks, including, but not limited to:(i) unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates; (ii) adverse political and economic developments; (iii) unreliable or untimely information; (iv) limited legal recourse; (v) limited markets; (vi) higher operational expenses; and (vii) illiquidity. These investments are subject to additional risks, including: differing reporting, accounting, and auditing standards; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation; foreign currency fluctuations, currency blockage, or replacement; potential for default on sovereign debt; or diplomatic developments, which may include the imposition of economic sanctions or other measures by the U.S. or other governments and supranational organizations. These risks may even be higher in underdeveloped or emerging markets. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The Fund considers a security to be a foreign security if the issuer is organized under the laws of a foreign country or is a foreign government, or a sub-division or agency of such government, or the security is traded in markets outside the United States.

Foreign fixed-income securities may also be negatively affected by rising interest rates, which may cause an increase in funding costs for foreign issuers and make it more difficult for them to service their debt. Rising interest rates, in addition to widening credit spreads, may cause a decline in market liquidity. Foreign investments are normally issued and traded in foreign currencies. As a result, their values may

 

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be affected by changes in the exchange rates between particular foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. Foreign investments may be subject to the risks of seizure by a foreign government, imposition of restrictions on the exchange or transport of foreign currency, and tax increases. There may also be less information publicly available about a foreign company than about most U.S. companies, and foreign companies are usually not subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the United States. The legal remedies for investors in foreign investments may be more limited than those available in the United States and the Fund may have limited or no legal recourse with respect to foreign securities. Certain foreign investments may be less liquid (harder to buy and sell) and more volatile than domestic investments, which means the Fund may at times be unable to sell its foreign investments at desirable prices. For the same reason, the Fund may at times find it difficult to value its foreign investments. Brokerage commissions and other fees are generally higher for foreign investments than for domestic investments. The procedures and rules for settling foreign transactions may also involve delays in payment, delivery or recovery of money or investments. Foreign withholding taxes may reduce the amount of income available to distribute to shareholders of the Fund.

Hedging Risk

The Fund may, but is not required to, engage in various investments or transactions that are designed to hedge a position that the Fund holds. A hedge is an investment, transaction or strategy designed to reduce the risk and impact of adverse market movements or changes in the price or value of a portfolio security or other investment. Hedging may be ineffective as a result of unexpected changes in the market, changes in the prices or values of the related instrument, or changes in the correlation of the instrument and the Fund’s hedging investment or transaction. Hedging investments or transactions involve costs and may reduce gains or result in losses, which may adversely affect the Fund.

High Yield and Unrated Securities Risk

High yield debt securities in the lower rating (higher risk) categories of the recognized rating services are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.” High yield securities are debt securities that have been determined by a rating agency to have a lower probability of being paid and have a credit rating of “BB” category or lower by Standard & Poor’s Corporation and Fitch Investors Service, Inc. or “Ba” category or lower by Moody’s Investors Service or have been determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality. The total return and yield of junk bonds can be expected to fluctuate more than the total return and yield of higher-quality bonds. Junk bonds (those rated below investment grade or in default, or unrated securities determined to be of comparable quality) are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. High yield securities may be subject to greater levels of credit risk and tend to be less liquid, and therefore more difficult to value accurately and sell at an advantageous price or time and may involve greater transactions costs and wider bid/ask spreads, than higher-quality bonds. The risks associated with high yield securities are heightened during times of weakening economic conditions or rising interest rates.

Successful investment in lower-medium and lower-rated debt securities involves greater investment risk and is highly dependent on the Sub-Adviser’s credit analysis. The value of high yield securities is particularly vulnerable to changes in interest rates and a real or perceived economic downturn or higher interest rates could cause a decline in high-yield bond prices by lessening the ability of issuers to make principal and interest payments. These bonds are often thinly traded or subject to irregular trading and can be more difficult to sell and value accurately than higher-quality bonds because there tends to be less public information available about these securities. Because objective pricing data may be less available, judgment may play a greater role in the valuation process. In addition, the entire high yield bond market can experience sudden and sharp price swings due to a variety of factors, including changes in economic forecasts, stock market activity, large or sustained sales by major investors, a high-profile default, or just a change in the market’s psychology. High yield securities may be more sensitive to adverse market developments than higher-quality bonds. This type of volatility is usually associated more with stocks than bonds.

 

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Income Risk

The Fund’s income may decline during period of falling interest rates or when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds. The amount and rate of distributions that the Fund shareholders receive are affected by the income that the Fund receives from its portfolio holdings. If the income is reduced, distributions by the Fund to shareholders may be less.

Interest Rate Risk

Investments in fixed-income instruments are subject to the possibility that interest rates could rise (or are expected to rise) sharply, causing the value of the Fund’s holdings and share price to decline. Longer term bonds and zero coupon bonds are generally more sensitive to interest rate changes than shorter-term bonds. Generally, the longer the average duration of the bonds in the Fund, the more the Fund’s share price will fluctuate in response to interest rate changes. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security’s price to changes in interest rates that incorporates a security’s yield, coupon, final maturity and call features, among other characteristics. For example, the price of a bond fund with an average duration of eight years would be expected to fall approximately 8% if interest rates rose by one percentage point. Conversely, the price of a bond fund with an average duration of negative three years would be expected to rise approximately 3% if interest rates rose by one percentage point. However, duration may not accurately reflect the true interest rate sensitivity of instruments held by the Fund and, in turn, the Fund’s susceptibility to changes in interest rates. If an issuer calls or redeems an investment during a time of declining interest rates, the Fund might have to reinvest the proceeds in an investment offering a lower yield, and therefore might not benefit from any increase in value as a result of declining interest rates.

Securities with floating interest rates, such as syndicated bank loans, generally are less sensitive to interest rate changes, but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much or as fast as interest rates in general. In a decreasing interest rate environment, the Fund’s investment in securities with floating interest rates may prevent the Fund from taking full advantage of decreasing interest rates in a timely manner. During periods of rising interest rates, issuers of debt securities or ABS may pay principal later or more slowly than expected, which may reduce the value of the Fund’s investment in such securities and may prevent the Fund from receiving higher interest rates on proceeds reinvested.

Changing Fixed-Income Market Conditions

Although the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“Federal Reserve”) has started to raise interest rates, interest rates in the U.S. and many parts of the world, including certain European countries, remain at or near historically low levels. In addition, certain European countries have recently experienced (or currently are expected to experience) negative interest rates on certain fixed-income instruments, and similar interest rate conditions may be experienced in other regions. To the extent the Federal Reserve continues to raise interest rates, there is a risk that rates across the financial system may rise. Very low or negative interest rates may magnify the Fund’s susceptibility to interest rate risk and diminish yield and performance (e.g., during periods of very low or negative interest rates, the Fund may be unable to maintain positive returns).

Changes in fixed-income market conditions, including the recent increase and potential for future increases to the federal funds rate or interest rates falling below zero, may expose fixed-income markets to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity for certain Fund investments that may be difficult to sell at favorable prices to meet fund redemption obligations, causing the value of the Fund’s investments and share price to decline. A rise in general interest rates may also result in increased redemptions from the Fund. Very low or changing interest rates may also have unpredictable effects on securities markets in general, directly or indirectly impacting the Fund’s investments, yield and performance. Thus, the Fund currently faces a heightened level of interest rate, liquidity and valuation risks.

 

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Investment in Investment Companies Risk

Investing in other investment companies, including ETFs and closed-end funds, subjects the Fund to those risks affecting the investment company, including the possibility that the value of the underlying securities held by the investment company could decrease or the portfolio becomes illiquid. Moreover, the Fund and its shareholders will incur its pro rata share of the underlying investment companies’ expenses and the purchase of shares of some investment companies (in the case of closed-end investment companies) may sometimes require the payment of substantial premiums above the value of such companies’ portfolio securities or NAVs. The Fund must continue, at the same time, to pay its own management fees and expenses with respect to all of its investments, including shares of other investment companies. The securities of other investment companies may also be leveraged and will therefore be subject to certain leverage risks.

In addition, the Fund will be subject to those risks affecting the investment company, including the effects of business and regulatory developments that affect an underlying investment company or the investment company industry generally. Shares of investment companies that trade on an exchange may trade at a discount or premium from their NAV.

An investment by the Fund in another ETF may be subject to additional risk, including: the ETF’s shares may trade at a discount or premium relative to the NAV of the shares; an active trading market may not develop for the ETF’s shares; the listing exchange may halt trading of the ETF’s shares; the ETF may fail to correctly track the referenced asset (if any); and the ETF may hold troubled securities in the referenced index or basket of investments.

Investments in Loans Risk

Loans, such as syndicated bank loans and other direct lending opportunities, senior floating rate loans, secured and unsecured loans, second lien or more junior loans, bridge loans, revolving credit facilities and unfunded commitments, may incur some of the same risks as other debt securities, such as prepayment risk, credit risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk and risks found with high yield securities. Although some loans are secured by collateral, the collateral may be difficult to liquidate and the value of the collateral can decline or be insufficient or unavailable to meet the obligation of the borrower. The Fund could also have its interest subordinated to other indebtedness of the obligor. As a result, a loan may not be fully collateralized and can decline significantly in value, which may result in the Fund not receiving payments to which it is entitled.

Loans may offer a fixed rate or floating rate of interest. Loans may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much or as fast as interest rates in general.

Loans are subject to the risk that the scheduled interest or principal payments will not be paid. Lower-rated loans and debt securities (those of less than investment grade quality) involve greater risk of default on interest and principal payments than higher-rated loans and securities. In the event that a non-payment occurs, the value of that obligation likely will decline. Debt securities rated below “BBB” category by S&P or “Baa” category by Moody’s are considered to have speculative characteristics and are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.” Junk bonds entail default and other risks greater than those associated with higher-rated securities.

Loans are vulnerable to market sentiment such that economic conditions or other events may reduce the demand for loans and cause their value to decline rapidly and unpredictably. Furthermore, while the resale, or secondary, market for loans is growing, it is currently limited. There is no organized exchange or board of trade on which loans are traded. Loans often trade in large denominations (typically $1 million and higher), and trades can be infrequent. The market has limited transparency so that information about actual trades may be difficult to obtain. Accordingly, some of the loans in which the Fund may invest will be relatively illiquid and difficult to value. Loans are often subject to restrictions on resale or assignment. The Fund may have difficulty in disposing of loans in a favorable or timely fashion, which could result in losses to the Fund. Transactions in loans are often subject to long settlement periods (in excess of the standard T+2 days settlement cycle for most securities and often longer than seven days). As a result, sale proceeds potentially will not be available to the Fund to make additional investments.

 

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Loans may be issued in connection with highly leveraged transactions, such as restructurings, leveraged buyouts, leveraged recapitalizations and acquisition financing. In such highly leveraged transactions, the borrower assumes large amounts of debt in order to have the financial resources to attempt to achieve its business objectives. As such, such loans may be part of highly leveraged transactions and involve a significant risk that the borrower may default or go into bankruptcy, thereby limiting the Fund’s rights to any collateral.

The Fund values its assets daily. However, because the secondary market for loans is limited and trading may be irregular, they may be difficult to value and may involve high transaction costs. Market quotations may not be readily available for some loans or may be volatile and/or subject to large spreads between bid and ask prices, and valuation may require more research than for other securities. In addition, elements of judgment may play a greater role in valuation than for securities with a more active secondary market, because there is less reliable, objective market value data available.

In certain circumstances, the Sub-Adviser or its affiliates (including on behalf of clients other than the Fund) or the Fund may be in possession of material non-public information about a borrower as a result of its ownership of a loan and/or corporate debt security of a borrower. Because U.S. laws and regulations generally prohibit trading in securities of issuers while in possession of material, non-public information, the Fund might be unable to trade securities or other instruments issued by the borrower when it would otherwise be advantageous to do so and, as such, could incur a loss. In circumstances when the Sub-Adviser or the Fund determines not to receive non-public information about a borrower for loan investments, the Fund may be disadvantaged relative to other investors and the Fund may not take advantage of other investment opportunities that it may otherwise have. In addition, loans and other similar instruments may not be considered “securities” and, as a result, the Fund may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections under the federal securities laws and instead may have to resort to state law and direct claims.

The Sub-Adviser or its affiliates may participate in the primary and secondary market for loans or other transactions with possible borrowers. As a result, the Fund may be legally restricted from acquiring some loans and from participating in a restructuring of a loan or other similar instrument.

Issuer-Specific Changes Risk

The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. The value of securities of smaller issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.

Leverage Risk

The use of derivatives, reverse repurchase agreements, unfunded commitments, tender option bonds and borrowings may create leveraging risk. For example, because of the low margin deposits required, futures trading involves an extremely high degree of leverage. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in an immediate and substantial impact on the net asset value of the Fund. Leveraging may cause the Fund to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged. To mitigate leveraging risk and otherwise comply with regulatory requirements, the Fund must segregate or earmark liquid assets to meet its obligations under, or otherwise cover, the transactions that may give rise to this risk. Applicable law limits the Fund from borrowing in an amount greater than 33 1/3% of its assets.

The Fund is permitted to borrow money for certain purposes. To the extent that the Fund purchases securities while it has outstanding borrowings, it is using leverage, i.e., using borrowed funds for investment. Leveraging will exaggerate the effect on the net asset value of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio. Money borrowed for leveraging will be subject to interest costs that may or may not be recovered by appreciation of the securities purchased. Borrowings create interest expenses and other expenses (e.g., commitment fees) for the Fund that affect the Fund’s performance. Borrowing expenses are excluded from the Fund expenses borne by the Sub-Adviser under the unitary management fee.

Real estate companies may use leverage (and some may be highly leveraged), which increases investment risk and the risks normally associated with debt financing and could adversely affect a real

 

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estate company’s operations and market value in periods of rising interest rates. Financial covenants related to a real estate company’s leveraging may affect the ability of the real estate company to operate effectively. In addition, real property may be subject to the quality of credit extended and defaults by borrowers and tenants. If the properties do not generate sufficient income to meet operating expenses, including, where applicable, debt service, ground lease payments, tenant improvements, third-party leasing commissions and other capital expenditures, the income and ability of a real estate company to make payments of any interest and principal on its debt securities will be adversely affected. These risks are especially applicable in conditions of declining real estate values.

Liquidity and Valuation Risk

In certain circumstances, it may be difficult for the Fund to purchase and sell particular investments within a reasonable time at a fair price. In particular, securities initially offered and sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144A (“Rule 144A Securities”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) may become illiquid under adverse market or economic conditions and/or due to specific adverse changes in the condition of a particular issuer. To the extent that there is not an established liquid market for instruments in which the Fund may invest, or there is a reduced number or capacity of traditional “market makers” with respect to fixed-income instruments, trading in such instruments may be relatively inactive. In addition, during periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for particular investments in the Fund’s portfolio, the ability of the Fund to assign an accurate daily value to these investments may be difficult and the Sub-Adviser may be required to fair value the investments. Fair value determinations are inherently subjective and reflect good faith judgments based on available information. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the determination of a security’s fair value in accordance with the Fund’s valuation procedures will in fact approximate the price at which the Fund could sell that security at that time. These risks may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment and Funds that hold a significant percentage of fair valued securities may be particularly susceptible to the risks associated with fair valuation. The Fund’s ability to value its investments may be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third party service providers. For additional information about fair valuation determinations, see “Net Asset Value.” When available, the Fund’s shareholder reports will contain detailed information about the Fund’s holdings that are fair valued, including values of these holdings as of the dates of the reports. Investors should consider consulting these reports for detailed information.

The capacity of traditional fixed-income market makers has not kept pace with the consistent growth in the fixed-income markets over the past three decades, which has led to reduced levels in the capacity of these market makers to engage in fixed-income trading and, as a result, dealer inventories of corporate fixed-income instruments are at or near historic lows relative to market size. These factors may apply more strongly with respect to high yield fixed-income instruments than higher quality fixed-income instruments. Market makers tend to provide stability and liquidity to fixed-income markets through their intermediary services, and their reduced capacity and number could lead to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed-income markets.

Market Price Risk

Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca and are bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The market prices of Shares may fluctuate continuously during trading hours, in some cases materially, in response to changes in the NAV and supply and demand for Shares, among other factors. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares typically will remain closely correlated to the NAV, the market price will generally differ from the NAV because of timing reasons, supply and demand imbalances and other factors. As a result, the trading prices of Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during certain periods, especially those of market volatility. The Sub-Adviser cannot predict whether Shares will trade above (premium), below (discount) or at their NAV. Thus, an investor may pay more than NAV when buying Shares in the secondary market and receive less than NAV when selling Shares in the secondary market. Given the fact that Shares can be created and redeemed in Creation Units, the Sub-Adviser believes that large discounts or premiums to the NAV of Shares should not be sustained in the long-term. However, the Fund may have a limited number of financial institutions that may act as “Authorized Participants” or market markers. Only Authorized Participants who have entered into

 

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agreements with the Fund’s distributor may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund (as described under “How to Buy and Sell Shares”). If some or all of these Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to process creation and/or redemption orders, and no other Authorized Participant is able to create and redeem in either of these cases, Shares may trade at a discount to NAV like closed-end fund shares (and may even face delisting). Similar effects may result if market makers exit the business or are unable to continue making markets in the Shares. Further, while the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that Shares normally will trade at prices closely correlated to the Fund’s next calculated NAV, disruptions to creations and redemptions, including disruptions at market makers, Authorized Participants or market participants, or during periods of significant market volatility, among other factors, may result in market prices that differ significantly from NAV. Although market makers will generally take advantage of differences between the NAV and the market price of Shares through arbitrage opportunities, there is no guarantee that they will do so. Further, the securities held by the Fund may be traded in markets that close at a different time than the NYSE Arca. Liquidity in those securities may be reduced after the applicable closing times. Accordingly, during the time when NYSE Arca is open but after the applicable market closing, fixing or settlement times, bid-ask spreads and the resulting premium or discount to the Shares’ NAV is likely to widen. In addition, secondary markets may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid-ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods, which could cause a material decline in the NAV and/or market prices for Shares. The bid-ask spread is generally larger during periods of lower than regular trading volume in Shares or reduced market liquidity and can increase significantly during periods of market disruption or steep declines, which may be the time an investor most wants to sell its Shares. The Fund’s bid-ask spread may also be impacted by the liquidity of the underlying securities held by the Fund, particularly for newly launched or smaller funds or in instances of significant volatility of the underlying securities. The Fund’s investment results are measured based upon the daily NAV of the Shares. Investors purchasing and selling Shares in the secondary market may not experience investment results consistent with those experienced by Authorized Participants creating and redeeming directly with the Fund.

Market Risk

The value of, or income generated by, the securities held by the Fund are subject to the possibility of rapid and unpredictable fluctuation. The value of certain securities ( e.g., equity securities) tends to fluctuate more dramatically over the shorter term than do the value of other asset classes. These movements may result from factors affecting individual companies, or from broader influences, including real or perceived changes in prevailing interest rates, changes in inflation or expectations about inflation, investor confidence or economic, political, social or financial market conditions that may be temporary or last for extended periods. Different sectors, industries and security types may react differently to such developments and, when the market performs well, there is no assurance that the securities held by the Fund will increase in value along with the broader markets. For example, the value of the Fund’s investments in securities or other instruments may be particularly susceptible to changes in commodity prices. As a result, a change in commodity prices may adversely affect the Fund’s investments. Volatility of financial markets can expose the Fund to greater market risk, possibly resulting in reduced liquidity. Moreover, changing economic, political, social 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 because of the increasingly interconnected global economies and financial markets. The Sub-Adviser potentially will be prevented from executing investment decisions at an advantageous time or price as a result of any domestic or global market disruptions, particularly disruptions causing heightened market volatility and reduced market liquidity. Changes or disruptions in market conditions also may lead to increased regulation of the Fund and the instruments in which the Fund may invest, which may, in turn, affect the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment objective and the Fund’s performance. In general, the securities or other instruments in which the Fund’s portfolio managers believe represent an attractive investment opportunity or in which the Fund seeks to invest may be unavailable entirely or in the specific quantities sought by the Fund. As a result, the Fund may need to obtain the desired exposure through a less advantageous investment or forgo the investment at the time. This may adversely affect the Fund.

 

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Municipal Securities Risk

the Fund’s holdings of municipal securities will be significantly affected by events that affect the municipal bond market, which could include unfavorable legislative or political developments and adverse changes in the financial conditions of state and municipal issuers. Income from municipal bonds held by the Fund could be declared taxable because of changes in tax laws or interpretations by taxing authorities, or noncompliant conduct of a municipal issuer. To the extent that the Fund invests in municipal securities from a given state or geographic region, its share price and performance could be affected by local, state and regional factors, including erosion of the tax base and changes in the economic climate. Also, municipal securities backed by current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or assets can be negatively affected by the discontinuance of taxation supporting the project or assets or the inability to collect enough revenue. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance similar projects (especially those relating to education, health care, utilities and transportation), conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market, including proposed federal, state or local legislation involving the financing of, or declining markets or needs for, such projects. Certain sectors of the municipal bond market have special risks that can affect them more significantly than the market as a whole. For example, health care can be hurt by rising expenses, dependency on third party reimbursements, legislative changes and reductions in government spending; electric utilities are subject to governmental rate regulation; and private activity bonds rely on project revenues and the creditworthiness of the corporate user as opposed to governmental support. Municipalities and municipal projects that rely directly or indirectly on federal funding mechanisms may be negatively affected by current or future budgetary constraints of the federal government. Other national governmental actions, such as the elimination of tax-exempt status, also could affect performance. In addition, changes in the economic and fiscal condition of an individual municipal issuer can affect the overall municipal market, and market conditions may directly impact the liquidity, marketability and valuation of municipal securities. Also, information related to municipal securities and their risks may be provided by the municipality itself, which may not always be accurate. Investments in municipal securities can be subject to credit, interest rate, prepayment and liquidity risks and can be more volatile than other investments. In addition, certain of the issuers in which the Fund invests may have recently experienced, or may experience, significant financial difficulties and repeated credit rating downgrades.

Certain municipal securities may be insured by an insurer. Adverse developments affecting a particular insurer or, more generally, banks and financial institutions could have a negative effect on the value of the Fund’s holdings. For example, rating agency downgrades of an insurer, or other events in the credit markets that may affect the insured municipal bond market as a whole, may adversely affect the value of the insured municipal bonds held by the Fund. The Fund’s vulnerability to potential losses associated with such developments may be reduced through investing in municipal securities that feature credit enhancements (such as bond insurance).

Although insurance may reduce the credit risk of a municipal security, it does not protect against fluctuations in the value of the Fund’s shares caused by market changes. It is also important to note that, although insurance may increase the credit safety of investments held by the Fund, it decreases the Fund’s yield as the Fund may pay for the insurance directly or indirectly. In addition, while the obligation of a municipal bond insurance company to pay a claim extends over the life of an insured bond, there is no assurance that insurers will meet their claims. A higher-than-anticipated default rate on municipal bonds (or other insurance the insurer provides) could strain the insurer’s loss reserves and adversely affect its ability to pay claims to bondholders.

Municipal securities also trade rarely and their valuations may be based on assumptions or unobservable inputs. They can be difficult to liquidate quickly and transaction prices in stressed environments may ultimately be less than their valuations, which will hurt the performance of the Fund.

Non-Diversification Risk

The Fund is considered non-diversified because it may invest a large portion of its assets in a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund is more susceptible to risks associated with those issuers and the Fund may experience greater losses and volatility than a more diversified portfolio.

 

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Preferred Securities Risk

Preferred stock represents an equity interest in a company that generally entitles the holder to receive, in preference to the holders of other stocks such as common stocks, dividends and a fixed share of the proceeds resulting from a liquidation of the company. Preferred stocks may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred stock is subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. In addition, a company’s preferred stock generally pays dividends (if declared) only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred stock will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects.

Preferred stock has properties of both an equity and a debt instrument and is generally considered a hybrid instrument. Preferred stock is senior to common stock, but is subordinate to bonds in terms of claims or rights to their share of the assets of the company.

Prepayment Risk

The issuers of securities held by the Fund may be able to prepay principal due on the securities, particularly during periods of declining interest rates. Securities subject to prepayment risk generally offer less potential for gains when interest rates decline, and may offer a greater potential for loss when interest rates rise. In addition, rising interest rates may cause prepayments to occur at a slower than expected rate, thereby effectively lengthening the maturity of the security and making the security more sensitive to interest rate changes as well as limiting the ability of the Fund to invest in securities with higher interest rates. Prepayment risk is a major risk of certain ABS, including MBS.

Most floating rate loans (such as syndicated bank loans) and fixed-income securities allow for prepayment of principal without penalty. Accordingly, the potential for the value of a floating rate loan or security to increase in response to interest rate declines is limited. Corporate loans or fixed-income securities purchased to replace a prepaid corporate loan or security may have lower yields than the yield on the prepaid corporate loan or security.

Real Estate Securities Risk

The Fund may invest in securities of real estate companies and companies related to the real estate industry, including REITs, which are subject to the same risks as direct investments in real estate. These risks include: losses from casualty or condemnation; changes in national, state and local economic conditions (such as the turmoil experienced during 2007 through 2009 in the residential and commercial real estate market); changes in real estate values and rental income, rising interest rates (which could result in higher costs of capital); changes in building, environmental, zoning and other laws; regulatory limitations on rents; property taxes; operating expenses; overbuilding; extended vacancies of properties due to economic conditions and tenant bankruptcies; and catastrophic events such as earthquakes, hurricanes and terrorist acts. Investments in real estate companies and companies related to the real estate industry are also subject to risks associated with the management skill, insurance coverage and credit worthiness of the issuer. Real estate companies tend to have micro-, small- or mid-capitalization, making their securities more volatile and less liquid than those of companies with larger-capitalizations. In addition, the real estate industry has historically been cyclical and particularly sensitive to economic downturns.

Real estate income and values also may be greatly affected by demographic trends, such as population shifts or changing tastes and values, or increasing vacancies or declining rents resulting from legal, cultural, technological, global or local economic developments.

The value or price of real estate company securities may drop because of, among other adverse events, the failure of borrowers to repay their loans and the inability to obtain financing either on favorable terms or at all. If real estate properties do not generate sufficient income to meet operating expenses, including, where applicable, debt service, ground lease payments, tenant improvements, third-party leasing commissions and other capital expenditures, the income and ability (or perceived ability) of a real estate company to make payments of interest and principal on their loans will be adversely affected, which, as a result, may adversely affect the Fund. Many real estate companies utilize leverage, which increases investment risk and could adversely affect a company’s operations and market value in periods of rising interest rates.

 

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Regulatory and Legal Risk

U.S. and non-U.S. governmental agencies and other regulators may implement additional regulations and legislators may pass new laws that affect the investments held by the Fund, the strategies used by the Fund or the level of regulation applying to the Fund. These may impact the investment strategies, performance, costs and operations of the Fund.

Repurchase Agreements and Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk

In the event of the insolvency of the counterparty to a repurchase agreement or reverse repurchase agreement, recovery of the repurchase price owed to the Fund or, in the case of a reverse repurchase agreement, the securities sold by the Fund, may be delayed. In a repurchase agreement, such an insolvency may result in a loss to the extent that the value of the purchased securities decreases during the delay or that value has otherwise not been maintained at an amount equal to the repurchase price. In a reverse repurchase agreement, the counterparty’s insolvency may result in a loss equal to the amount by which the value of the securities sold by the Fund exceeds the repurchase price payable by the Fund; if the value of the purchased securities increases during such a delay, that loss may also be increased. When the Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, any fluctuations in the market value of either the securities transferred to another party or the securities in which the proceeds may be invested would affect the market value of the Fund’s assets. As a result, such transactions may increase fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund’s shares. Because reverse repurchase agreements may be considered to be the practical equivalent of borrowing funds, they constitute a form of leverage. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of a reverse repurchase agreement at a rate lower than the cost of the agreement, entering into the agreement will lower the Fund’s yield. The credit, liquidity and other risks associated with repurchase agreements are magnified to the extent a repurchase agreement is secured by collateral other than cash, government securities or liquid securities or instruments issued by an issuer that has an exceptionally strong credit quality.

Restricted Securities Risk

Restricted securities cannot be sold to the public without registration under the Securities Act. Unless registered for sale, restricted securities can be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or pursuant to an exemption from registration. Restricted securities may be considered illiquid and, therefore, are subject to the Fund’s limitation on illiquid securities.

Restricted securities may involve a high degree of business and financial risk, which may result in substantial losses. The securities may be less liquid than publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid by the Fund. The Fund may invest in restricted securities, including Rule 144A Securities and securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers initially offered and sold outside the United States without registration with the SEC pursuant to Regulation S (“Regulation S Securities”) under the Securities Act. Rule 144A Securities and Regulation S Securities generally may be traded freely among certain qualified institutional investors, such as the Fund, and non-U.S. persons, but resale to a broader base of investors in the United States may be permitted only in significantly more limited circumstances.

Investing in Rule 144A Securities and other restricted and non-registered securities (such as privately placed securities purchased through transactions complying with the requirements in Regulation D or Regulation S under the Securities Act) could have the effect of increasing the amount of the Fund’s assets invested in illiquid securities to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become uninterested, for a time, in purchasing these securities.

Risk of Cash Transactions

Unlike most ETFs, the Fund will generally effect creations and redemptions for cash, rather than in-kind. As a result, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in a more conventional ETF. ETFs generally are able to make in-kind redemptions and avoid being taxed on gain

 

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on the distributed portfolio securities at the Fund level. Because the Fund will generally effect redemptions for cash, rather than in-kind distributions, it may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. If the Fund recognizes gain on these sales, this generally will cause the Fund to recognize gain it might not otherwise have recognized, or to recognize such gain sooner than would otherwise be required if it were to distribute portfolio securities in-kind. The Fund generally intends to distribute these gains to shareholders to avoid being taxed on this gain at the Fund level and otherwise comply with the special tax rules that apply to it. This strategy may cause shareholders to be subject to tax on gains they would not otherwise be subject to, or at an earlier date than, if they had made an investment in a different ETF. Moreover, cash transactions may have to be carried out over several days if the securities market is relatively illiquid and may involve considerable brokerage fees and taxes. These brokerage fees and taxes, which will be higher than if the Fund sold and redeemed its Shares principally in-kind, will be passed on to purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units in the form of creation and redemption transaction fees. In addition, these factors may result in wider spreads between the bid and the offered prices of the Fund’s Shares than for more conventional ETFs.

Short Sale and Short Exposure Risk

Short selling a security involves selling a borrowed security with the expectation that the value of that security will decline, so that the security may be purchased at a lower price when returning the borrowed security. A short exposure through a derivative exposes the Fund to counterparty credit risk and leverage risk. The risk for loss on a short sale or other short exposure is greater than a direct investment in the security itself because the price of the borrowed security may rise, thereby increasing the price at which the security must be purchased. The Fund may not always be able to close out a short position at a particular time or at an acceptable price. A lender may request that borrowed securities be returned to it on short notice, and the Fund may have to buy the borrowed securities at an unfavorable price, resulting in a loss. Short sales also subject the Fund to risks related to the lender (such as bankruptcy risks) or the general risk that the lender does not comply with its obligations. The risk of loss through a short sale or other short exposure may in some cases be theoretically unlimited. The use of short sales may cause the Fund to have higher expenses than those of funds that do not engage in short sales, including the cost of paying the lender an amount equal to any dividends on the borrowed securities. Government actions also may affect the Fund’s ability to engage in short selling.

Sovereign Debt Risk

Investments in sovereign debt securities involve special risks, including the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, and the government debtor’s policy towards the International Monetary Fund and the political constraints to which a government debtor may be subject. The governmental authority that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may be unwilling or unable to repay the principal and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such securities due to the extent of its foreign reserves. If an issuer of sovereign debt defaults on payments of principal and/or interest, the Fund may have limited legal recourse against the issuer and/or guarantor. In certain cases, remedies must be pursued in the courts of the defaulting party itself, and the Fund’s ability to obtain recourse may be limited.

Certain issuers of sovereign debt may be dependent on disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and others abroad to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. Such disbursements may be conditioned upon a debtor’s implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of such debtor’s obligations. A failure on the part of the debtor to implement such reforms, achieve such levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of such third parties’ commitments to lend funds to the government debtor, which may impair the debtor’s ability to service its debts on a timely basis. As a holder of government debt, the Fund may be requested to participate in the rescheduling of such debt and to extend further loans to government debtors.

Special Situation Investments/Securities in Default Risk

Investments in the securities and debt of distressed issuers or issuers in default (“Special Situation Investments”) involves a far greater level of risk than investing in issuers whose debt obligations are

 

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being met and whose debt trades at or close to its “par” or full value. While offering an opportunity for capital appreciation, Special Situation Investments are highly speculative with respect to the issuer’s ability to make interest payments and/or to pay its principal obligations in full and/or on time. Special Situation Investments can be very difficult to properly value, making them susceptible to a high degree of price volatility and potentially rendering them less liquid than performing debt obligations. Those Special Situation Investments involved in a bankruptcy proceeding can be subject to a high degree of uncertainty with regard to both the timing and the amount of the ultimate settlement. Special Situation Investments may also include debtor-in-possession financing, sub-performing real estate loans and mortgages, privately placed senior, mezzanine, subordinated and junior debt, letters of credit, trade claims, convertible bonds, and preferred and common stocks.

U.S. Government Securities Risk

Different types of U.S. government securities have different relative levels of credit risk depending on the nature of the particular government support for that security. U.S. government securities may be supported by: (i) the full faith and credit of the United States government; (ii) the ability of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; (iii) the credit of the issuing agency, instrumentality or government-sponsored entity; (iv) pools of assets (e.g., MBS); or (v) the United States in some other way. The U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities, which may fluctuate in value and are subject to investment risks, and certain U.S. government securities may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government. The value of U.S. government obligations may be adversely affected by changes in interest rates. It is possible that the issuers of some U.S. government securities will not have the funds to timely meet their payment obligations in the future and there is a risk of default. For certain agency issued securities, there is no guarantee the U.S. government will support the agency if it is unable to meet its obligations.

Non-Principal Investment Strategies

As non-principal investment strategies, the Fund may invest in U.S. exchange-listed and foreign equity securities, insurance-linked securities and structured notes (notes on which the amount of principal repayment and interest payments are based on the movement of one or more specified factors, such as the movement of a particular security or security index).

In accordance with the 1940 Act rules, the Fund has adopted a policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in fixed income instruments, which may be represented by certain derivative instruments, and also include ETFs and CEFs that invest substantially all of their assets in fixed income instruments (which may include ETFs and CEFs affiliated with the Fund) (the “80% investment policy”). The 80% investment policy is non-fundamental. The Board of the Trust may change the Fund’s 80% investment policy without shareholder approval, upon 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders.

The Fund’s investment objective and investment policies constitute non-fundamental policies that the Board of Trustees of the Trust may change at any time without shareholder approval.

The fundamental and non-fundamental policies of the Fund are set forth in the Trust’s SAI under the section “Investment Restrictions.”

Borrowing Money

The Fund may borrow money to the extent set forth in the Fund’s SAI.

Additional Risks of Investing in the Fund

The following section provides additional risk information regarding investing in the Fund.

Trading Issues

Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market may pay brokerage commissions or other charges, which may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small

 

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amounts of Shares. Moreover, trading in Shares on NYSE Arca may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of NYSE Arca, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on NYSE Arca is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to NYSE Arca’s “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of NYSE Arca necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.

Shares May Trade at Prices Different than NAV

The NAV of the Fund’s Shares generally will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of Shares generally will fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV, as well as the relative supply of and demand for the Shares on NYSE Arca. The Adviser cannot predict whether the Shares will trade below, at or above the Fund’s NAV. Price differences may be due largely to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for the Shares will be related, but not identical, to the same forces influencing the prices of the securities, futures contracts or other instruments, as applicable, held by the Fund, individually or in the aggregate. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions or the existence of extreme market volatility may result in trading prices that differ significantly from NAV. If a shareholder purchases at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses.

Unlike conventional ETFs, the Fund is not an index fund. The Fund is actively managed and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. Index-based ETFs generally have traded at prices that closely correspond to NAV per share. Given the high level of transparency of the Fund’s holdings, the Adviser believes that the trading experience of the Fund should be similar to that of index-based ETFs. However, there can be no assurance as to whether and/or the extent to which the Shares will trade at premiums or discounts to NAV.

Equity Securities Risk

The prices of equity securities generally fluctuate in value more than fixed-income investments, may rise or fall rapidly or unpredictably and may reflect real or perceived changes in the issuing company’s financial condition and changes in the overall market or economy. A decline in the value of equity securities held by the Fund will adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Common stocks generally represent the riskiest investment in a company and dividend payments (if declared) to preferred stockholders generally rank junior to payments due to a company’s debtholders. The Fund may lose a substantial part, or even all, of its investment in a company’s stock.

 

 

Tax Structure of ETFs

Unlike interests in conventional mutual funds, which typically are bought and sold only at their closing NAV per share, the Shares are traded throughout the day in the secondary market on a national securities exchange and are issued and redeemed principally for cash in Creation Units at each day’s next calculated NAV. In-kind arrangements are designed to protect shareholders from the adverse effects on the Fund’s portfolio that could arise from frequent cash creation and redemption transactions. In a conventional mutual fund, redemptions can have an adverse tax impact on taxable shareholders because of the mutual fund’s need to sell portfolio securities to obtain cash to meet such redemptions. These sales may generate taxable gains that must be distributed to the shareholders of the mutual fund, whereas the Shares’ in-kind redemption mechanism generally will not lead to a tax event for the Fund (to the extent it uses in-kind redemptions) or its shareholders. However, the tax advantages of investing in Shares may be less pronounced because the Fund is actively managed and, therefore, may have greater turnover in its portfolio securities, which could result in less tax efficiency than an investment in a fund that is not actively managed.

Because the Fund intends to effect creations and redemptions principally for cash, investments in Shares of the Fund may be less tax-efficient than investments in shares of conventional ETFs that utilize an entirely in-kind redemption process.

 

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Portfolio Holdings

A description of the Trust’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI, which is available at www.powershares.com.

 

 

Management of the Funds

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC is a registered investment adviser with its offices at 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515. The Adviser serves as the investment adviser to the Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust and PowerShares Exchange-Traded Self-Indexed Fund Trust, a family of ETFs with combined assets under management of approximately $[        ] billion as of [    ].

As the Fund’s investment adviser, the Adviser has overall responsibility for selecting and continuously monitoring the Fund’s investments, managing the Fund’s business affairs and providing certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services for the Trust and oversight of the Sub-Adviser.

[Invesco Advisers, Inc., a subsidiary of Invesco Ltd., the parent of Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC, is a registered investment adviser and serves as the Fund’s investment sub-adviser. Subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board, the Sub-Adviser is responsible for the investment management of the Fund. The Sub-Adviser’s principal business address is 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309. In addition, the Sub-Adviser serves as the investment adviser to the Invesco mutual funds with combined assets under management of approximately $[    ] as of [    ].]

Portfolio Managers

Investment decisions for the Fund are made by investment management teams at the Adviser and Sub-Adviser. The Adviser and Sub-Adviser each use teams of portfolio managers, investment strategists and other investment specialists (collectively, the “Portfolio Managers”) who are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. This team approach brings together many disciplines and leverages the Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s extensive resources.

Each Portfolio Manager is responsible for various functions related to portfolio management, including investing cash flows, coordinating with other team members to focus on certain asset classes, implementing investment strategy and researching and reviewing investment strategy. Each Portfolio Manager has limitations on his or her authority for risk management and compliance purposes that the Adviser or Sub-Adviser believes to be appropriate.

[The following individuals are responsible jointly and primarily for the day-to-day management of the Fund:

 

  [Peter Hubbard has been one of the Portfolio Managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund since its inception.]

 

  [    ] is a Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and has been responsible for the management of the Fund since its inception. [    ] has been associated with the Adviser since [    ].

 

  [    ] is a Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and has been responsible for the management of the Fund since its inception. [    ] has been associated with the Adviser since [    ].

 

  [    ] is a Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and has been responsible for the management of the Fund since its inception. [    ] has been associated with the Adviser since [    ].

The Trust’s SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation structure, other accounts that the Portfolio Managers manage and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of Shares.

 

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Advisory Fee

Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Trust (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”), the Fund pays the Adviser an annual unitary management fee equal to [0.50]% of its average daily net assets (the “Advisory Fee”).

[Out of the unitary management fee, the Adviser pays substantially all expenses of the Fund, including payments to the Sub-Adviser, the costs of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services, except for advisory fees, distribution fees, if any, brokerage expenses, taxes, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any, interest, litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses.]

The Fund may invest in money market funds that are managed by affiliates of the Adviser. The indirect portion of the management fee that the Fund incurs through such investments is in addition to the Adviser’s unitary management fee. Therefore, the Adviser has agreed to waive the management fees that it receives in an amount equal to the indirect management fees that the Fund incurs through its investments in affiliated money market funds through [     ]. There is no guarantee that the Adviser will extend the waiver of the fees past that date.

The Adviser has entered into an Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Sub-Adviser the Fund. The sub-advisory fee is paid by the Adviser to the Sub-Adviser at [    ]% of the Adviser’s compensation of the sub-advised assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Trust’s Investment Advisory Agreement and Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund will be available in the Trust’s [Annual Report to shareholders for the fiscal year ending             .]

 

 

How to Buy and Sell Shares

The Fund issues or redeems its Shares at NAV per Share only in Creation Units, or Creation Unit Aggregations.

Most investors buy and sell Shares of the Fund in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares of the Fund will be listed for trading on the secondary market on NYSE Arca. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded shares. There is no minimum investment. Although Shares generally are purchased and sold in “round lots” of 100 Shares, brokerage firms typically permit investors to purchase or sell Shares in smaller “oddlots,” at no per share price differential. When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. The Shares of the Fund trade on NYSE Arca under the following symbol: [    ].

Share prices are reported in dollars and cents per Share.

APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV per Share, only in Creation Units or Creation Unit Aggregations, and in accordance with the procedures described in the SAI.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will pay out redemption proceeds to a redeeming AP within two days after the AP’s redemption request is received, in accordance with the process set forth in the Fund’s SAI and in the agreement between the AP and the Fund’s distributor. However, the Fund reserves the right, including under stressed market conditions, to take up to seven days after the receipt of a redemption request (as discussed above) to pay an AP, all as permitted by the 1940 Act. The Fund anticipates regularly meeting redemption requests primarily in cash. However, the Fund reserves the right to pay redemption proceeds to an AP through in-kind redemptions, consistent with the Trust’s exemptive relief. Cash used for redemptions will be raised from the sale of portfolio assets or may come from existing holdings of cash or cash equivalents.

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

 

34


Book Entry

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

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

Share Trading Prices

The trading prices of the Shares listed on NYSE Arca may differ from the Fund’s daily NAV. Market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors may affect the trading prices of Shares.

The approximate value of Shares of the Fund, an amount representing on a per share basis the sum of the current market price of the securities accepted by the Fund in exchange for Shares of the Fund and an estimated cash component will be disseminated every 15 seconds throughout the trading day through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association. This approximate value should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV per Share of the Fund because the approximate value will not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day, generally at the end of the business day. The Fund is not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the approximate value of the Shares, and the Fund does not make any warranty as to the accuracy of the approximate value.

 

 

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares

Shares may be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund only in Creation Units by APs. The vast majority of trading in Shares of the Fund occurs on the secondary market, and does not involve the Fund directly. In-kind purchases and redemptions of Creation Units by APs and cash trades on the secondary market are unlikely to cause many of the harmful effects of frequent purchases and/or redemptions of Shares. Cash purchases and/or redemptions of Creation Units, however, can result in disruption of portfolio management, dilution to the Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective, and may lead to the realization of capital gains. These consequences may increase as the frequency of cash purchases and redemptions of Creation Units by APs increases. However, direct trading by APs is critical to ensuring that Shares trade at or close to NAV.

To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares, the Fund imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs the Fund incurs in effecting trades. In addition, the Adviser monitors trades by APs for patterns of abusive trading and the Fund reserves the right to not accept orders from APs that the Adviser has determined may be disruptive to the management of the Fund, or otherwise are not in the best interests of the Fund. In recognition of the nature of the Fund’s investments and that its Shares are purchased and redeemed in Creation Units principally for cash, the Board has adopted policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares of the Fund, which incorporate the practices described above, as well as additional trade monitoring for market timing activities.

 

35


 

Dividends, Other Distributions and Taxes

Dividends and Other Distributions

Ordinarily, dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid monthly by the Fund. The Fund also intends to distribute its net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders annually. Dividends and other distributions may be declared and paid more frequently to comply with the distribution requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and to avoid a federal excise tax imposed on regulated investment companies.

Taxes

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

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

 

  Your Fund makes distributions,

 

  You sell your Shares (including when you exchange Shares for shares of another ETF), and

 

  You purchase or redeem Creation Units.

Taxes on Distributions

As stated above, dividends from net investment income, if any, ordinarily are declared and paid monthly. The Fund also may pay a special distribution at the end of a calendar year to comply with federal tax requirements and/or to minimize or eliminate federal tax liability. In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax when they are paid, whether you take them in cash or reinvest them in Shares (if reinvestment is available from the broker through whom you purchased your Shares).

Dividends paid out of the Fund’s net investment income and net realized short-term capital gains, if any, generally are taxable as ordinary income, except that the Fund’s dividends attributable to its “qualified dividend income” generally will be subject to federal income tax for individual and certain other non-corporate shareholders (each, an “individual shareholder”) who satisfy those restrictions with respect to their Fund shares at the lower rates for long-term capital gains—a maximum of 15% (or 20% for individual shareholders with taxable income exceeding certain thresholds, which will be adjusted annually for inflation). Distributions of net long-term capital gains in excess of net short term capital losses, if any, are taxable as long-term capital gains at the rates mentioned above for individual shareholders, regardless of how long you have held your Shares.

Distributions to you in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, if any, are treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of your basis in your Shares and as capital gain thereafter. A distribution will reduce the Fund’s NAV per Share and may be taxable to you (as ordinary income or long-term capital gain) even though, from an investment standpoint, the distribution constitutes a partial return of capital.

By law, the Fund is required to withhold 28% of distributions and redemption proceeds (regardless of whether you realize a gain or loss) otherwise payable to you if you are an individual shareholder and have not provided a correct social security number or other taxpayer identification number or are otherwise subject to backup withholding.

 

36


There is a risk that the tax treatment of futures, options, 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.

Taxes on Share Sales

Any capital gain or loss you realize upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as long-term capital gain, taxable at the rates mentioned above for individual shareholders, or loss if you held the Shares for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if you held the Shares for one year or less. Your ability to deduct capital losses realized on a sale of Shares may be limited.

Taxes on Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units

To the extent that the Fund permits in-kind transactions, an AP that exchanges securities for a Creation Unit generally will recognize a capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units and the sum of the AP’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus any cash component paid. Similarly, an AP that redeems a Creation Unit in exchange for securities generally will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the AP’s basis in the Creation Unit and the aggregate market value of the securities received plus or minus an amount, if any, equal to the difference between the NAV of the redeemed Shares, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of those securities. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for a Creation Unit, or of a Creation Unit for securities, cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales” or on the ground that there has been no significant change in the AP’s economic position. An AP exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisors with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss otherwise might not be deductible.

Any capital gain or loss realized on a redemption of a Creation Unit generally is treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if they have been held for one year or less.

If you purchase or redeem one or more Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many Shares you purchased or sold and at what price.

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the more important possible consequences under current federal, state and local tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local and/or foreign tax on the Fund’s distributions and sales and/or redemptions of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor(s) about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws.

 

 

Distributor

Invesco Distributors, Inc. (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. The Distributor is an affiliate of the Adviser.

 

 

Net Asset Value

The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNYM”) calculates the Fund’s NAV at the close of regular trading (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) every day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open, provided that U.S. fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association announces an early closing time. The NAV for the Fund will be calculated and disseminated on each day that the NYSE is open. NAV is calculated by deducting all of the Fund’s liabilities from the total value of its assets and dividing the result by the number of Shares outstanding, rounding to the nearest cent. Generally, the portfolio securities are recorded in the NAV no later than trade date plus one day. All valuations are subject to review by the Board or its delegate.

 

37


In determining NAV, expenses are accrued and applied daily and securities and other assets for which market quotations are readily available are valued at market value. Securities listed or traded on an exchange generally are valued at the last sales price or official closing price that day as of the close of the exchange where the security is primarily traded. Investment companies are valued using such company’s NAV per share, unless the shares are exchange-traded, in which case they will be valued at the last sale or official closing price on the exchanges on which they primarily trade. Deposits, other obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. banks and financial institutions, and cash equivalents are valued at their daily account value. Options generally are valued at the closing price (and, if no closing price is available, at the mean of the last bid/ask quotations), generally from the exchange where such instruments principally trade. Futures contracts generally are valued based on quotations from a pricing vendor or market makers, all in accordance with valuation procedures approved by the Board of the Trust.

Certain securities may not be listed on an exchange; typically, those securities are bought and sold by institutional investors in individually negotiated private transactions. Such securities, as well as listed securities whose market price is not readily available, will be valued using pricing provided from independent pricing services or by another method that the Adviser, in its judgment, believes will better reflect the security’s fair value in accordance with the Trust’s valuation procedures approved by the Board.

Even when market quotations are available for portfolio securities, they may be stale or unreliable because the security is not traded frequently, trading on the security ceased before the close of the trading market or issuer specific events occurred after the security ceased trading or because of the passage of time between the close of the market on which the security trades and the close of the NYSE and when the Fund calculates its NAV. Events that may cause the last market quotation to be unreliable include a merger or insolvency, events which affect a geographical area or an industry segment, such as political events or natural disasters, or market events, such as a significant movement in the U.S. market. Where market quotations are not readily available, including where the Adviser determines that the closing price of the security is unreliable, the Adviser will value the security at fair value in good faith using procedures approved by the Board. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security. With respect to securities that primarily are listed on foreign exchanges, the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you will not be able to purchase or sell your Shares.

 

 

Fund Service Providers

BNYM, 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, is the administrator, custodian, transfer agent and fund accounting agent for the Fund.

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, 191 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1601, Chicago, Illinois 60606, and 1250 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20036, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.

[    ], serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. [    ] is responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Fund and performs other related audit services.

 

 

Financial Highlights

The Fund is new and has no performance history as of the date of this Prospectus. Financial information for the Fund therefore is not available.

 

 

Premium/Discount Information

Information on the daily NAV per Share for the Fund, once available, will be found at www.powershares.com. Additionally, information regarding how often the Shares of the Fund traded on NYSE Arca at a price above (at a premium) or below (at a discount) the NAV of the Fund during the prior calendar year and subsequent quarters, when available, will be found at www.powershares.com.

 

38


 

Other Information

Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by investment companies (and companies relying on Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act) in the securities of other investment companies. However, 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 Trust on behalf of the Fund prior to exceeding the limits imposed by Section 12(d)(1). Additionally, the Fund is permitted to invest in other registered investment companies beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in another exemptive order that the SEC has issued to the Trust. If the Fund relies on this exemptive relief, however, other investment companies may not invest in the Fund beyond the statutory provisions of Section 12(d)(1).

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, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), may occur at any point. 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 characterization as an underwriter.

Broker-dealer firms also should 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(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker-dealer firms should note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with engaging in ordinary secondary market transactions), and thus dealing with the Shares that are part of an overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act only is available with respect to transactions on a national exchange.

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 the Prospectus and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you currently are enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.

 

39


For More Information

For more detailed information on the Fund and Shares, you may request a copy of the Trust’s SAI. The SAI provides detailed information about the Fund and is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. This means that the SAI legally is a part of this Prospectus. Additional information about the Fund’s investments also will appear in the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders, when available. In the Fund’s Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its most recent fiscal year. If you have questions about the Fund or Shares or you wish to obtain the SAI, Annual Report and/or Semi-Annual Report, when available, free of charge, or to make shareholder inquiries, please:

 

  Call:  

Invesco Distributors, Inc. at 1-800-983-0903

Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time

  Write:  

PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust

c/o Invesco Distributors, Inc.

11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000

Houston, Texas 77046-1173

  Visit:   www.powershares.com

Information about the Fund (including the SAI) can be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room, 100 F Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20549, and information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-551-8090. 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, or by writing the SEC’s Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520.

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.

Dealers effecting transactions in the Shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, generally are required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation of dealers to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters.

The Trust’s registration number under the 1940 Act is 811-22148.

 

40


P-[                     ]-PRO-1    LOGO

PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust

3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

  
www.powershares.com    800.983.0903      
  

 

LOGO @PowerShares

     


 

Subject to Completion – dated [                         ]

The information in this Statement of Additional Information is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Statement of Additional Information is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

Investment Company Act File No. 811-22148

POWERSHARES ACTIVELY MANAGED

EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND TRUST

 

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Dated [     ]

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus dated [    ], for the PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (the “Trust”), relating to the series of the Trust listed below, as it may be revised from time to time (the “Prospectus”).

 

Fund

   Principal U.S. Listing Exchange      Ticker  

PowerShares Total Return Bond Portfolio

     NYSE Arca, Inc.        [    

Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge by writing to the Trust’s Distributor, Invesco Distributors, Inc. (the “Distributor”), 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173, or by calling toll free 1-800-983-0903.

 

1


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

General Description of the Trust and the Funds

     3  

Exchange Listing and Trading

     3  

Investment Restrictions

     4  

Investment Strategies and Risks

     5  

Portfolio Turnover

     29  

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

     29  

Management

     29  

Brokerage Transactions

     45  

Additional Information Concerning the Trust

     46  

Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations

     48  

Taxes

     57  

Determination of NAV

     62  

Dividends and Other Distributions

     63  

Miscellaneous Information

     63  

Financial Statements

     63  

Appendix A

     64  

 

2


GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND

The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on November 6, 2007 and is authorized to have 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 Trust currently consists of [eight] series. This SAI relates to the PowerShares Total Return Bond Portfolio (the “Fund”). The Fund is “non-diversified,” and as such, the Fund’s investments are not required to meet certain diversification requirements under the 1940 Act. The shares of the Fund are referred to herein as “Shares.”

The investment objective of the Fund is to seek to maximize current income, consistent with preservation of capital and daily liquidity. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (the “Adviser”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd., manages the Fund.

The Adviser has entered into an investment sub-advisory agreement with an affiliate to serve as investment sub-adviser to the Fund. The affiliated sub-adviser, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (“Invesco” or the “Sub-Adviser”), is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”). The Sub-Adviser is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd.

The Fund will issue and redeem Shares at net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of 50,000 Shares (each, a “Creation Unit” or a “Creation Unit Aggregation”). The Fund issues and redeems Creation Units principally for cash calculated based on the NAV per Share, multiplied by the number of Shares representing a Creation Unit (“Deposit Cash”), plus certain transaction fees; however, the Fund also reserves the right to permit or require Creation Units to be issued or redeemed in exchange for a basket of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) together with a specified cash payment (the “Cash Component”).

To the extent that the Fund issues or redeems Creation Units in exchange for Deposit Securities, it may issue Shares in advance of receipt of such Deposit Securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to 105% of the market value of the missing Deposit Securities. To offset the added brokerage and other transaction costs the Fund incurs with using cash to purchase the requisite Deposit Securities, during each instance of cash creations or redemptions, the Fund may impose transaction fees that generally are higher than the transaction fees associated with in-kind creations or redemptions. For more information, see the section below titled “Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations.”

The Fund is expected to be approved for listing, subject to notice of issuance, on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange” or “NYSE”). Shares of the Fund will trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at or above NAV. In the event of the liquidation of a Fund, the Trust may decrease the number of Shares in a Creation Unit.

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

There can be no assurance that the Fund will continue to meet the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the Shares of the Fund from listing if (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning at the commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial owners of the Shares of the Fund for 30 or more consecutive trading days; or (ii) such other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.

As in the case of other stocks traded on the Exchange, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

 

3


The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of the Shares in the future to help 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.

In order to provide additional information regarding the indicative value of Shares of the Fund, the Exchange or a market data vendor disseminates every 15 seconds through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association or other widely disseminated means an updated “intraday indicative value” (“IIV”) for the Fund as calculated by an information provider or market data vendor. The Trust is not involved in or responsible for any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the IIVs and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the IIVs.

Shares of the Fund are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Shares of the Fund and the Exchange is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of the Shares of the Fund to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Shares are redeemable. The 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.

The Exchange makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the Trust on behalf of the Fund, owners of the Shares, or any other person or entity. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Exchange have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

The Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) has adopted as fundamental investment restrictions numbered (1) through (7) below. Except as otherwise noted below, the Fund, as a fundamental policy, may not:

(1) Invest more than 25% of the value of its net assets in securities of issuers in any one industry or group of industries. This restriction does not apply to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities.

(2) Borrow money, except the Fund may (i) borrow money to the extent permitted by (i) the 1940 Act, (ii) the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC under the 1940 Act, or (iii) an exemption or other relief applicable to the Fund from the provisions of the 1940 Act.

(3) Act as an underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.

(4) Make loans to other persons, except through (i) the purchase of debt securities permissible under the Fund’s investment policies, (ii) repurchase agreements or (iii) the lending of portfolio securities, provided that no such loan of portfolio securities may be made by the Fund if, as a result, the aggregate of such loans would exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets.

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

(6) Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prohibit the Fund from purchasing or selling securities or other instruments backed by real estate or of issuers engaged in real estate activities).

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

 

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Except for restrictions (2), (4)(ii) and (iii) and (7), if a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of investment, a later increase in percentage resulting from a change in market value of the investment or the total assets, or the sale of a security out of the portfolio, will not constitute a violation of that restriction. With respect to restrictions (2), (4)(ii) and (iii) and (7), in the event that the Fund’s borrowings, repurchase agreements and loans of portfolio securities at any time exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the amount borrowed and collateral received) less the Fund’s liabilities (other than borrowings or loans) due to subsequent changes in the value of the Fund’s assets or otherwise, within three days (excluding Sundays and holidays), the Fund will take corrective action to reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that such borrowings, repurchase agreements and loans will not exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the amount borrowed and collateral received) less the Fund’s liabilities (other than borrowings or loans).

The foregoing fundamental investment policies cannot be changed without approval by holders of a “majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities.” As defined in the 1940 Act, this means the vote of (i) 67% or more of the Shares of a Fund present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the Shares are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the Shares, whichever is less.

In addition to the foregoing fundamental investment policies, the Fund also is subject to the following non-fundamental restrictions and policies, which may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval. The Fund may not:

(1) Sell securities short, unless the Fund owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short at no added cost, and provided that transactions in options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts or other derivative instruments are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.

(2) Purchase securities on margin, except that the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions; and provided that margin deposits in connection with futures contracts, options on futures contracts or other derivative instruments shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.

(3) Purchase securities of open-end or closed-end investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act.

(4) Invest in direct interests in oil, gas or other mineral exploration programs or leases; however, the Fund may invest in the securities of issuers that engage in these activities.

(5) Invest in illiquid securities if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid securities.

The investment objective of the Fund is a non-fundamental policy that can be changed by the Board without approval by shareholders upon 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders.

In accordance with the 1940 Act rules, the Fund has adopted a policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in fixed income instruments, which may be represented by certain derivative instruments, and also include exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) and closed-end funds (“CEFs”) that invest substantially all of their assets in fixed income instruments (which may include ETFs and CEFs affiliated with the Fund) (the “80% investment policy”). The 80% investment policy is non-fundamental. The Board of the Trust may change the Fund’s 80% investment policy without shareholder approval, upon 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders.

INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

Investment Strategies

Unlike conventional ETFs, the Fund is “actively managed” and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objectives by investing in securities included in its investment universe.

 

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Additionally, during times of adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Fund may depart temporarily from its principal investment strategies (such as by maintaining a significant uninvested cash position) for defensive purposes. Doing so could help the Fund avoid losses, but may mean lost investment opportunities. During these periods, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

Investment Risks

A discussion of the principal risks associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Fund’s Prospectus in the “Summary Information—Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund,” “Additional Information About the Fund’s Strategies and Risks—Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds” and “—Additional Risks of Investing in the Funds” sections. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, these sections.

An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of an issuer of the portfolio securities, the value of securities in general and other factors that affect the market.

An investment in the Fund also should be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in securities, including the risk that the financial condition of the issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the securities market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the portfolio holdings and thus in the value of Shares). Securities are susceptible to general securities market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions of the companies issuing the securities change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies, inflation and interest rates, economic expansion or contraction, and global or regional political, economic or banking crises.

Bonds. The Fund invests in bonds. A bond is an interest-bearing security issued by a company, governmental unit or, in some cases, a non-U.S. entity. The issuer of a bond has a contractual obligation to pay interest at a stated rate on specific dates and to repay principal (the bond’s face value) periodically or on a specified maturity date. An issuer may have the right to redeem or “call” a bond before maturity, in which case the investor may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower market rates. Most bonds bear interest income at a “coupon” rate that is fixed for the life of the bond. The value of a fixed rate bond usually rises when market interest rates fall, and falls when market interest rates rise. Accordingly, a fixed rate bond’s yield (income as a percent of the bond’s current value) may differ from its coupon rate as its value rises or falls. Other types of bonds bear income at an interest rate that is adjusted periodically. Because of their adjustable interest rates, the value of “floating-rate” or “variable-rate” bonds may fluctuate much less in response to market interest rate movements than the value of fixed rate bonds. The Fund may treat some of these bonds as having a shorter maturity for purposes of calculating the weighted average maturity of its investment portfolio. Bonds may be senior or subordinated obligations. Senior obligations generally have the first claim on a corporation’s earnings and assets and, in the event of liquidation, are paid before subordinated obligations. Bonds may be unsecured (backed only by the issuer’s general creditworthiness) or secured (also backed by specified collateral).

Corporate Bonds. The Fund may invest in investment grade corporate bonds. The investment return of corporate bonds reflects interest on the security and changes in the market value of the security. The market value of a corporate bond may be affected by the credit rating of the corporation, the corporation’s performance and perceptions of the corporation in the market place. There is a risk that the issuers of the securities may not be able to meet their obligations on interest or principal payments at the time called for by an instrument.

High Yield Securities. The Fund may invest in high yield securities (“junk bonds”), which are debt securities that are rated below investment grade by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations, or are unrated securities that the Sub-Adviser believes are of comparable quality. Investing in high yield debt securities involves risks that are greater than the risks of investing in higher quality debt securities. These risks include: (i) changes in credit status, including weaker overall credit conditions of issuers and risks of default; (ii) industry, market and economic risk; and (iii) greater price variability and credit risks of certain high yield securities such as zero coupon and payment-in-kind securities. While these risks provide the opportunity for maximizing return over time, they may result in greater volatility of the value of the Fund than a fund that invests in higher-rated securities.

 

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Furthermore, the value of high yield securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic, company or industry conditions than is the case for higher quality securities. The market values of certain of these lower-rated and unrated debt securities tend to reflect individual corporate developments to a greater extent than do higher-rated securities which react primarily to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates, and tend to be more sensitive to economic conditions than are higher-rated securities. Adverse market, credit or economic conditions could make it difficult at certain times to sell certain high yield securities held by the Fund.

The secondary market on which high yield securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for higher grade securities. Less liquidity in the secondary trading market could adversely affect the price at which the Fund could sell a high yield security, and could adversely affect the daily NAV per share of the Fund. When secondary markets for high yield securities are less liquid than the market for higher grade securities, it may be more difficult to value the securities because there is less reliable, objective data available. However, when investing in high yield securities the Fund intends to invest primarily in high yield securities that the Sub-Adviser believes have greater liquidity than the broader high yield securities market as a whole.

The use of credit ratings as a principal method of selecting high yield securities can involve certain risks. For example, credit ratings evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments, not the market value risk of high yield securities. Also, credit rating agencies may fail to change credit ratings in a timely fashion to reflect events since the security was last rated.

Collateralized Debt Obligations (“CDOs”). A CDO is an asset-backed security (“ABS”) whose underlying collateral is typically a portfolio of bonds, bank loans, commercial real estate, other structured finance securities and/or synthetic instruments. Where the underlying collateral is a portfolio of bonds, a CDO is referred to as a collateralized bond obligation (“CBO”). Where the underlying collateral is a portfolio of bank loans, a CDO is referred to as a collateralized loan obligation (“CLO”). Investors in CDOs bear the credit risk of the underlying collateral. Multiple tranches of securities are issued by the CDO, offering investors various maturity and credit risk characteristics. Tranches are categorized as senior, mezzanine, and subordinated/equity, according to their degree of risk. If there are defaults or the CDO’s collateral otherwise underperforms, scheduled payments to senior tranches take precedence over those of mezzanine tranches, and scheduled payments to mezzanine tranches take precedence over those to subordinated/equity tranches. CDOs are subject to the same risk of prepayment described with respect to certain mortgage-related securities and ABS below. The value of CDOs may be affected by changes in the market’s perception of the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the pool or the originator.

The Fund may invest in CLOs, which are another type of ABS. A CLO is a trust or other special purpose entity that is comprised of or collateralized by a pool of loans, including domestic and non-U.S. senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. The loans generate cash flow that is allocated among one or more classes of securities (“tranches”) that vary in risk and yield. The most senior tranche has the best credit quality and the lowest yield compared to the other tranches. The equity tranche has the highest potential yield but also has the greatest risk, as it bears the bulk of defaults from the underlying loans and helps to protect the more senior tranches from risk of these defaults. However, despite the protection from the equity and other more junior tranches, more senior tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults and decreased market value due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as aversion to CLO securities as a class.

Normally, CLOs are privately offered and sold and are not registered under state or federal securities laws. Therefore, investments in CLOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities; however, an active dealer market may exist for CLOs allowing a CLO to qualify for transactions pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act. CLOs normally charge management fees and administrative expenses, which are in addition to those of the Fund.

The riskiness of investing in CLOs depends largely on the quality and type of the collateral loans and the tranche of the CLO in which the Fund invests. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed-income securities (such as interest rate risk and credit risk), CLOs carry risks including, but are not limited to: (i) the

 

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possibility that distributions from the collateral will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the Fund may invest in CLO tranches that are subordinate to other tranches; and (iv) the complex structure of the CLO may not be fully understood at the time of investment or may result in the quality of the underlying collateral not being fully understood and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results. In addition, interest on certain tranches of a CLO may be paid in-kind (meaning that unpaid interest is effectively added to principal), which involves continued exposure to default risk with respect to such payments. Certain CLOs may receive credit enhancement in the form of a senior-subordinate structure, over-collateralization or bond insurance, but such enhancement may not always be present and may fail to protect the Fund against the risk of loss due to defaults on the collateral. Certain CLOs may not hold loans directly, but rather, use derivatives such as swaps to create “synthetic” exposure to the collateral pool of loans. Such CLOs entail the risks of derivative instruments.

Convertible Securities. The Fund may invest in convertible securities. Convertible securities include bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks and other securities that may be converted into a prescribed amount of common stock or other equity securities at a specified price and time. The holder of convertible securities is entitled to receive interest paid or accrued on debt, or dividends paid or accrued on preferred stock, until the security matures or is converted. The value of a convertible security depends on interest rates, the yield of similar nonconvertible securities, the financial strength of the issuer and the seniority of the security in the issuer’s capital structure. Convertible securities may be illiquid and may be required to convert at a time and at a price that is unfavorable to the Fund. To the extent that the Fund invests in convertible securities with credit ratings below investment grade, such securities may have a higher likelihood of default, although this may be somewhat offset by the convertibility feature.

U.S. Government Obligations. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in various types of U.S. Government obligations. U.S. Government obligations are a type of bond. U.S. Government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Payment of principal and interest on U.S. Government obligations (i) may be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States (as with U.S. Treasury obligations and Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”) certificates) or (ii) may be backed solely by the issuing or guaranteeing agency or instrumentality itself (as with Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”) and Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) notes. In the latter case, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment, which agency or instrumentality may be privately owned. There can be no assurance that the U.S. Government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities where it is not obligated to do so. As a general matter, the value of debt instruments, including U.S. Government obligations, declines when market interest rates increase and rises when market interest rates decrease. Certain types of U.S. Government obligations are subject to fluctuations in yield or value due to their structure or contract terms. In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality. Under these Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements (“SPAs”), the U.S. Treasury has pledged to provide up to $100 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets. In May 2009, the U.S. Treasury increased its maximum commitment to each instrumentality under the SPAs to $200 billion per instrumentality. In December 2009, the U.S. Treasury further amended the SPAs to allow the cap on the U.S. Treasury’s funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s net worth through the end of 2012. At the start of 2013, the unlimited support the U.S. Treasury extended to the two companies expired — Fannie Mae’s bailout is now capped at $125 billion and Freddie Mac has a limit of $149 billion. On August 17, 2012, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was again amending the Agreement to terminate the requirement that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac each pay a 10% dividend annually on all amounts of received under the funding commitment. Instead, they will transfer to the U.S. Treasury on a quarterly basis all profits earned during a quarter that exceed a capital reserve amount of $3 billion. It is anticipated that the new amendment would put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in a better position to service their debt.

Also in December 2009, the U.S. Treasury amended the SPAs to provide Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with some additional flexibility to meet the requirement to reduce their mortgage portfolios. The actions of the U.S. Treasury are intended to ensure that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory triggering of receivership. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Treasury initiatives will be successful.

 

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Municipal Securities. The Fund may invest in securities issued by states, municipalities and other political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities of states and multi-state agencies or authorities. Municipal securities share the attributes of debt/fixed income securities in general, but are generally issued by states, municipalities and other political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities of states and multi-state agencies or authorities. The municipal securities which the Fund may purchase include general obligation bonds and limited obligation bonds (or revenue bonds), including industrial development bonds issued pursuant to former federal tax law. General obligation bonds are obligations involving the credit of an issuer possessing taxing power and are payable from such issuer’s general revenues and not from any particular source. Limited obligation bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise or other specific revenue source. Tax-exempt industrial development bonds generally are also revenue bonds and thus are not payable from the issuer’s general revenues. The credit and quality of industrial development bonds are usually related to the credit of the corporate user of the facilities. Payment of interest on and repayment of principal of such bonds is the responsibility of the corporate user (and/or any guarantor). In addition, the Fund may invest in lease obligations. Lease obligations may take the form of a lease or an installment purchase contract issued by public authorities to acquire a wide variety of equipment and facilities.

Preferred Stock. The Fund may invest in preferred stock. Preferred stock, unlike common stock, often offers a stated dividend rate payable from a corporation’s earnings. If interest rates rise, the fixed dividend on preferred stocks may be less attractive, causing the price of preferred stocks to decline. Preferred stock may have mandatory sinking fund provisions, as well as call/redemption provisions prior to maturity, a negative feature when interest rates decline. Dividends on some preferred stock may be “cumulative,” requiring all or a portion of prior unpaid dividends to be paid before dividends are paid on the issuer’s common stock. Preferred stock also generally has a preference over common stock on the distribution of a corporation’s assets in the event of liquidation of the corporation, and may be “participating,” which means that it may be entitled to a dividend exceeding the stated dividend in certain cases. In some cases an issuer may offer auction rate preferred stock, which means that the dividend to be paid is set by auction and will often be reset at stated intervals. The rights of preferred stocks on the distribution of a corporation’s assets in the event of a liquidation are generally subordinate to the rights associated with a corporation’s debt securities.

Bank Capital Securities. The Fund may invest in bank capital securities. Bank capital securities are issued by banks to help fulfill their regulatory capital requirements. There are two common types of bank capital: Tier I and Tier II. Bank capital is generally, but not always, of investment grade quality. Tier I securities often take the form of common and non-cumulative preferred stock. Tier II securities are commonly thought of as hybrids of debt and preferred stock, are often perpetual (with no maturity date), callable and, under certain conditions, allow for the issuer bank to withhold payment of interest until a later date. Subject to certain regulatory requirements, both Tier I and Tier II securities may include trust preferred securities. As a general matter, trust preferred securities are being phased out as Tier I and Tier II capital of banking organizations unless they qualify for grandfather treatment.

Trust Preferred Securities. The Fund may invest in trust preferred securities. Trust preferred securities have the characteristics of both subordinated debt and preferred stock. Generally, trust preferred securities are issued by a trust that is wholly-owned by a financial institution or other corporate entity, typically a bank holding company. The financial institutional creates the trust and owns the trust’s common securities. The trust uses the sale proceeds of its common securities to purchase subordinated debt issued by the financial institution. The financial institution uses the proceeds from the subordinated debt sale to increase its capital while the trust receives periodic interest payments from the financial institution for holding the subordinated debt. The trust uses the funds receive to make dividend payments to the holders of the trust preferred securities. The primary advantage of this structure is that the trust preferred securities are generally treated by the financial institution as debt securities for tax purposes and as equity for the calculation of capital requirements.

Trust preferred securities typically bear a market rate coupon comparable to interest rates available on debt of a similarly rated issuer. Typical characteristics include long-term maturities, early redemption by the issuer, periodic fixed or variable interest payments, and maturities at face value. Holders of trust preferred securities have limited voting rights to control the activities of the trust and no voting rights with respect to the financial institution. The

 

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market value of trust preferred securities may be more volatile than those of conventional debt securities. Trust preferred securities may be issued in reliance on Rule 144A under the 1933 Act and subject to restrictions on resale. There can be no assurance as to the liquidity of trust preferred securities and the ability of holders, such as the Fund, to sell their holdings. In identifying the risks of the trust preferred securities, the Sub-Adviser will look to the condition of the financial institution as the trust typically has no business operations other than to issue the trust preferred securities. If the financial institution defaults on interest payments to the trust, the trust will not be able to make dividend payments to holders of its securities, such as the Fund.

As a result of trust preferred securities being phased out of Tier I and Tier II capital of banking organizations, the Fund’s ability to invest in trust preferred securities may be limited. This may impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities. The Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”) and ABS, including non-performing loans, reperforming securitizations, and resecuritizations of existing MBS and/or ABS (“Re-Remics”). MBS are mortgage-related securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, or issued by non-government entities. Mortgage-related securities represent pools of mortgage loans assembled for sale to investors by various government agencies such as GNMA and government-related organizations such as FNMA and FHLMC, as well as by non-government issuers such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers and private mortgage insurance companies. Although certain mortgage-related securities are guaranteed by a third party or otherwise similarly secured, the market value of the security, which may fluctuate, is not so secured.

MBS include commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) and residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”). The value of both CMBS and RMBS, like all MBS, depends on national, state and local conditions. CMBS are subject to credit risks because they tend to involve relatively large underlying mortgage loans and the repayment of commercial mortgages depends on the successful operation of, and cash flows from, mortgaged properties. RMBS are subject to credit risks arising from delinquencies and defaults on underlying mortgage loans by borrowers and breaches of underlying loan documentation by loan originators and servicers.

Collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) are debt securities that are fully collateralized by a portfolio of mortgages or MBS. All interest and principal payments from the underlying mortgages are passed through to the CMOs in such a way as to create, in most cases, more definite maturities than is the case with the underlying mortgages. CMOs may pay fixed or variable rates of interest, and certain CMOs have priority over others with respect to the receipt of prepayments. Stripped mortgage securities (a type of potentially high-risk derivative) are created by separating the interest and principal payments generated by a pool of MBS or a CMO to create additional classes of securities.

The Fund may invest in securities known as “inverse floating obligations,” “residual interest bonds,” and “interest-only” (“IO”) and “principal-only” (“PO”) bonds, the market values of which will generally be more volatile than the market values of most MBS due to the fact that such instruments are more sensitive to interest rate changes and to the rate of principal prepayments than are most other MBS. An inverse floating obligation is a derivative adjustable rate security with interest rates that adjust or vary inversely to changes in market interest rates. The term “residual interest” bond is used generally to describe those instruments in collateral pools, such as CMOs, which receive any excess cash flow generated by the pool once all other bondholders and expenses have been paid. IOs and POs are created by separating the interest and principal payments generated by a pool of mortgage-backed bonds to create two classes of securities. Generally, one class receives interest-only payments and the other class principal-only payments. MBS have been referred to as “derivatives” because the performance of MBS is dependent upon and derived from underlying securities. Unlike with other mortgage-backed securities and POs, the value of IOs tends to move in the same direction as interest rates. The Fund can use IOs as a hedge against falling prepayment rates (interest rates are rising) and/or a bear market environment. POs can be used as a hedge against rising prepayment rates (interest rates are falling) and/or a bull market environment. IOs and POs are acutely sensitive to interest rate changes and to the rate of principal prepayments. A rapid or unexpected increase in prepayments can severely depress the price of IOs, while a rapid or unexpected decrease in prepayments could have the same effect on POs. These securities are very volatile in price and may have lower liquidity than most other MBS. Certain non-stripped CMOs may also exhibit these qualities, especially those that pay variable rates of interest that adjust inversely with, and more rapidly than, short-term interest rates. In addition, if interest rates rise rapidly and prepayment rates slow

 

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more than expected, certain CMOs, in addition to losing value, can exhibit characteristics of longer-term securities and become more volatile. There is no guarantee the Fund’s investment in CMOs, IOs, or POs will be successful, and the Fund’s total return could be adversely affected as a result. These securities are subject to high degrees of credit, valuation and liquidity risks.

CMOs may be issued in a variety of classes, and the Fund may invest in several CMO classes, including, but not limited to Floaters, Planned Amortization Classes (“PACs”), Scheduled Classes (“SCHs”), Sequential Pay Classes (“SEQs”), Support Classes (“SUPs”), Target Amortization Classes (“TACs”) and Accrual Classes (“Z Classes”). CMO classes vary in the rate and time at which they receive principal and interest payments. SEQs, also called plain vanilla, clean pay, or current pay classes, sequentially receive principal payments from underlying mortgage securities when the principal on a previous class has been completely paid off. During the months prior to their receipt of principal payments, SEQs receive interest payments at the coupon rate on their principal. PACs are designed to produce a stable cash flow of principal payments over a predetermined period of time. PACs guard against a certain level of prepayment risk by distributing prepayments to SUPs, also called companion classes. TACs pay a targeted principal payment schedule, as long as prepayments are not made at a rate slower than an expected constant prepayment speed. If prepayments increase, the excess over the target is paid to SUPs. SEQs may have a less stable cash flow than PACs and TACs and, consequently, have a greater potential yield. PACs generally pay a lower yield than TACs because of PACs’ lower risk. Because SUPs are directly affected by the rate of prepayment of underlying mortgages, SUPs may experience volatile cash flow behavior. When prepayment speeds fluctuate, the average life of a SUP will vary. SUPs, therefore, are priced at a higher yield than less volatile classes of CMOs. Z Classes do not receive payments, including interest payments, until certain other classes are paid off. At that time, the Z Class begins to receive the accumulated interest and principal payments. A Floater has a coupon rate that adjusts periodically (usually monthly) by adding a spread to a benchmark index subject to a lifetime maximum cap. The yield of a Floater is sensitive to prepayment rates and the level of the benchmark index.

If the Fund purchases MBS or other ABS at a premium, that portion may be lost if there is a decline in the market value of the security whether resulting from changes in interest rates or prepayments in the underlying collateral. As with other interest-bearing securities, the prices of such securities are inversely affected by changes in interest rates. Although the value of an MBS or other ABS may decline when interest rates rise, the converse is not necessarily true, since in periods of declining interest rates the mortgages and loans underlying the securities are prone to prepayment, thereby shortening the average life of the security and shortening the period of time over which income at the higher rate is received. When interest rates are rising, the rate of prepayment tends to decrease, thereby lengthening the period of time over which income at the lower rate is received. For these and other reasons, a MBS’s or other ABS’s average maturity may be shortened or lengthened as a result of interest rate fluctuations and, therefore, it is not possible to predict accurately the security’s return.

Other ABS are structured like MBS, but instead of mortgage loans or interests in mortgage loans, the underlying assets may include items such as motor vehicle installment sales or installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, and receivables from credit card agreements and from sales of personal property. ABS typically have no U.S. Government backing. Additionally, the ability of an issuer of ABS to enforce its security interest in the underlying assets may be limited.

Methods of Allocating Cash Flows. While many ABS are issued with only one class of security, many ABS are issued in more than one class, each with different payment terms. Multiple class ABS are issued for two main reasons. First, multiple classes may be used as a method of providing credit support. This is accomplished typically through creation of one or more classes whose right to payments on the ABS is made subordinate to the right to such payments of the remaining class or classes (See “Types of Credit Support”). Second, multiple classes may permit the issuance of securities with payment terms, interest rates or other characteristics differing both from those of each other and from those of the underlying assets. Examples include so-called “strips” (ABS entitling the holder to disproportionate interests with respect to the allocation of interest and principal of the assets backing the security) and securities with a class or classes having characteristics which mimic the characteristics of non-ABS, such as floating interest rates (i.e., interest rates which adjust as a specified benchmark changes) or scheduled amortization of principal.

 

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ABS in which the payment streams on the underlying assets are allocated in a manner different than those described above may be issued in the future. The Fund may invest in such ABS if such investment is otherwise consistent with its investment objective and policies and with the investment restrictions of the Fund.

Types of Credit Support. ABS are often backed by a pool of assets representing the obligations of a number of different parties. To lessen the effect of failures by obligors on underlying assets to make payments, such securities may contain elements of credit support. Such credit support falls into two classes: liquidity protection and protection against ultimate default by an obligor on the underlying assets. Liquidity protection refers to the provision of advances, generally by the entity administering the pool of assets, to ensure that scheduled payments on the underlying pool are made in a timely fashion. Protection against ultimate default ensures ultimate payment of the obligations on at least a portion of the assets in the pool. Such protection may be provided through guarantees, insurance policies or letters of credit obtained from third parties, through various means of structuring the transaction or through a combination of such approaches. Examples of ABS with credit support arising out of the structure of the transaction include “senior-subordinated securities” (multiple class ABS with certain classes subordinate to other classes as to the payment of principal thereon, with the result that defaults on the underlying assets are borne first by the holders of the subordinated class) and ABS that have “reserve portfolios” (where cash or investments, sometimes funded from a portion of the initial payments on the underlying assets, are held in reserve against future losses) or that have been “over collateralized” (where the scheduled payments on, or the principal amount of, the underlying assets substantially exceeds that required to make payment of the ABS and pay any servicing or other fees). The degree of credit support provided on each issue is based generally on historical information respecting the level of credit risk associated with such payments. Delinquency or loss in excess of that anticipated could adversely affect the return on an investment in an ABS. Additionally, if the letter of credit is exhausted, holders of ABS may also experience delays in payments or losses if the full amounts due on underlying sales contracts are not realized.

Automobile Receivable Securities. ABS may be backed by receivables from motor vehicle installment sales contracts or installment loans secured by motor vehicles (“Automobile Receivable Securities”). Since installment sales contracts for motor vehicles or installment loans related thereto (“Automobile Contracts”) typically have shorter durations and lower incidences of prepayment, Automobile Receivable Securities generally will exhibit a shorter average life and are less susceptible to prepayment risk.

Most entities that issue Automobile Receivable Securities create an enforceable interest in their respective Automobile Contracts only by filing a financing statement and by having the servicer of the Automobile Contracts, which is usually the originator of the Automobile Contracts, take custody thereof. In such circumstances, if the servicer of the Automobile Contracts were to sell the same Automobile Contracts to another party, in violation of its obligation not to do so, there is a risk that such party could acquire an interest in the Automobile Contracts superior to that of the holders of Automobile Receivable Securities. Although most Automobile Contracts grant a security interest in the motor vehicle being financed, in most states the security interest in a motor vehicle must be noted on the certificate of title to create an enforceable security interest against competing claims of other parties. Due to the large number of vehicles involved, however, the certificate of title to each vehicle financed, pursuant to the Automobile Contracts underlying the Automobile Receivable Security, usually is not amended to reflect the assignment of the seller’s security interest for the benefit of the holders of the Automobile Receivable Securities. Therefore, there is the possibility that recoveries on repossessed collateral may not, in some cases, be available to support payments on the securities. In addition, various state and federal securities laws give the motor vehicle owner the right to assert against the holder of the owner’s Automobile Contract certain defenses such owner would have against the seller of the motor vehicle. The assertion of such defenses could reduce payments on the Automobile Receivable Securities.

Credit Card Receivable Securities. ABS may be backed by receivables from revolving credit card agreements (“Credit Card Receivable Securities”). Credit balances on revolving credit card agreements (“Accounts”) are generally paid down more rapidly than are Automobile Contracts. Most of the Credit Card Receivable Securities issued publicly to date have been pass-through certificates. In order to lengthen the maturity of Credit Card Receivable Securities, most such securities provide for a fixed period during which only interest payments on the underlying Accounts are passed through to the security holder, and principal payments received on such Accounts are used to fund the transfer to the pool of assets supporting the related Credit Card Receivable Securities of additional credit card charges made on an Account. The initial fixed period usually may be shortened upon the

 

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occurrence of specified events which signal a potential deterioration in the quality of the assets backing the security, such as the imposition of a cap on interest rates. The ability of the issuer to extend the life of an issue of Credit Card Receivable Securities thus depends upon the continued generation of additional principal amounts in the underlying accounts during the initial period and the non-occurrence of specified events. An acceleration in cardholders’ payment rates or any other event that shortens the period during which additional credit card charges on an Account may be transferred to the pool of assets supporting the related Credit Card Receivable Security could shorten the weighted average life and yield of the Credit Card Receivable Security.

Credit cardholders are entitled to the protection of a number of state and federal consumer credit laws, many of which give such holders the right to set off certain amounts against balances owed on the credit card, thereby reducing amounts paid on Accounts. In addition, unlike most other ABS, Accounts are unsecured obligations of the cardholder.

Mortgage Pass-Through Securities. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities. The term “U.S. agency mortgage pass-through security” refers to a category of pass-through securities backed by pools of mortgages and issued by one of several U.S. government-sponsored enterprises: GNMA, FNMA or FHLMC. In the basic mortgage pass-through structure, mortgages with similar issuer, term and coupon characteristics are collected and aggregated into a “pool” consisting of multiple mortgage loans. The pool is assigned a CUSIP number and undivided interests in the pool are traded and sold as pass-through securities. The holder of the security is entitled to a pro rata share of principal and interest payments (including unscheduled prepayments) from the pool of mortgage loans.

An investment in a specific pool of pass-through securities requires an analysis of the specific prepayment risk of mortgages within the covered pool (since mortgagors typically have the option to prepay their loans). The level of prepayments on a pool of mortgage securities is difficult to predict and can impact the subsequent cash flows and value of the mortgage pool. In addition, when trading specific mortgage pools, precise execution, delivery and settlement arrangements must be negotiated for each transaction. These factors combine to make trading in mortgage pools somewhat cumbersome.

For the foregoing and other reasons, the Fund seeks to obtain exposure to U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities primarily through the use of “to-be-announced” or “TBA transactions.” “TBA” refers to a commonly used mechanism for the forward settlement of U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities, and not to a separate type of MBS. Most transactions in mortgage pass-through securities occur through the use of TBA transactions. TBA transactions generally are conducted in accordance with widely-accepted guidelines which establish commonly observed terms and conditions for execution, settlement and delivery. In a TBA transaction, the buyer and seller decide on general trade parameters, such as agency, settlement date, par amount, and price. The actual pools delivered generally are determined two days prior to settlement date.

Default by or bankruptcy of a counterparty to a TBA transaction would expose the Fund to possible loss because of adverse market action, expenses or delays in connection with the purchase or sale of the pools of mortgage pass-through securities specified in the TBA transaction. To minimize this risk, the Fund will enter into TBA transactions only with established counterparties (such as major broker-dealers) and the Sub-Adviser will monitor the creditworthiness of such counterparties. In addition, the Fund may accept assignments of TBA transactions from Authorized Participants (as defined below) from time to time. The Fund’s use of “TBA rolls” may cause the Fund to experience higher portfolio turnover, higher transaction costs and to pay higher short-term capital gain distributions to shareholders (which would generally be taxable as ordinary income). The Fund intends to invest cash pending settlement of any TBA transactions in money market instruments, repurchase agreements, commercial paper (including asset-backed commercial paper) or other high-quality, liquid short-term instruments, which may include money market funds affiliated with the Sub-Adviser.

Most transactions in fixed-rate mortgage pass-through securities occur through standardized contracts for future delivery in which the exact mortgage pools to be delivered are not specified until a few days prior to settlements (a “TBA” transaction). The Fund may enter into such contracts on a regular basis. The Fund, pending settlement of such contracts, will invest its assets in high-quality, liquid short-term instruments, including shares of money market funds. The Fund will assume its pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any money market fund that it may invest in, in addition to the Fund’s own fees and expenses. The Fund may also acquire interests in mortgage pools through means other than such standardized contracts for future delivery. The Fund may also invest the cash collateral it holds as part of its TBA transactions in repurchase agreements.

 

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Inflation-Linked Securities. The Fund may invest in inflation-linked securities. Inflation-linked securities are income-generating instruments whose interest and principal payments are adjusted for inflation, a sustained increase in prices that erodes the purchasing power of money. TIPS, or Treasury inflation-protected securities, are inflation-linked securities issued by the U.S. government. Inflation-linked bonds are also issued by corporations, U.S. government agencies, states, and foreign countries. The inflation adjustment, which is typically applied monthly to the principal of the bond, follows a designated inflation index, such as the consumer price index (CPI). A fixed coupon rate is applied to the inflation-adjusted principal so that as inflation rises, both the principal value and the interest payments increase. This can provide investors with a hedge against inflation, as it helps preserve the purchasing power of your investment. Because of this inflation-adjustment feature, inflation-protected bonds typically have lower yields than conventional fixed-rate bonds. Municipal inflation bonds generally have a fixed principal amount, and the inflation component is reflected in the nominal coupon.

Inflation-protected bonds normally will decline in price when real interest rates rise. A real interest rate is calculated by subtracting the inflation rate from a nominal interest rate. For example, if a 10-year Treasury note is yielding 5% and rate of inflation is 2%, the real interest rate is 3%. If inflation is negative, the principal and income of an inflation-protected bond will decline and could result in losses.

Bank Instruments. The Fund may invest in certificates of deposit (“CDs”), time deposits and bankers’ acceptances from U.S. banks. A bankers’ acceptance is a bill of exchange or time draft drawn on and accepted by a commercial bank. A CD is a negotiable interest-bearing instrument with a specific maturity. CDs are issued by banks and savings and loan institutions in exchange for the deposit of funds and normally can be traded in the secondary market prior to maturity. A time deposit is a non-negotiable receipt issued by a bank in exchange for the deposit of funds. Like a CD, it earns a specified rate of interest over a definite period of time; however, it cannot be traded in the secondary market.

Loans. Loans consist generally of obligations of companies and other entities (collectively, “borrowers”) incurred for the purpose of reorganizing the assets and liabilities of a borrower; acquiring another company; taking over control of a company (leveraged buyout); temporary refinancing; or financing internal growth or other general business purposes. Loans are often obligations of borrowers who have incurred a significant percentage of debt compared to equity issued and thus are highly leveraged. All or a significant portion of the loans in which the Fund will invest may be below investment grade quality.

Loans may be acquired by direct investment as a lender at the inception of the loan or by assignment of a portion of a loan previously made to a different lender or by purchase of a participation interest. If the Fund makes a direct investment in a loan as one of the lenders, it generally acquires the loan at par. This means the Fund receives a return at the full interest rate for the loan. If the Fund acquires its interest in loans in the secondary market or acquires a participation interest, the loans may be purchased or sold above, at, or below par, which can result in a yield that is below, equal to, or above the stated interest rate of the loan. The Fund will generally purchase loans from banks or other financial institutions through assignments or participations.

When the Fund acts as one of a group of lenders originating a senior loan, it may participate in structuring the senior loan and have a direct contractual relationship with the borrower, may enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement and may have rights with respect to any funds acquired by other lenders through set-offs. Lenders also have full voting and consent rights under the applicable loan agreement. Action subject to lender vote or consent generally requires the vote or consent of the holders of some specified percentage of the outstanding principal amount of the senior loan. Certain decisions, such as reducing the amount of interest on or principal of a senior loan, releasing collateral, changing the maturity of a senior loan or a change in control of the borrower, frequently require the unanimous vote or consent of all lenders affected.

When the Fund is a purchaser of an assignment, it succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the loan agreement of the assigning lender and becomes a lender under the loan agreement with the same rights and obligations as the assigning lender. These rights include the ability to vote along with the other lenders on such matters as enforcing the terms of the loan agreement (e.g., declaring defaults, initiating collection action, etc.).

 

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Taking such actions typically requires at least a vote of the lenders holding a majority of the investment in the loan and may require a vote by lenders holding two-thirds or more of the investment in the loan. Because the Fund usually does not hold a majority of the investment in any loan, it will not be able by itself to control decisions that require a vote by the lenders. Assignments may be arranged through private negotiations and the rights and obligations acquired by the purchase of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning lender.

Historically, the amount of public information available about a specific loan has been less extensive than if the loan were registered or exchange-traded.

The loans in which the Fund may invest will often be secured and senior to other indebtedness of the borrower. Each loan will generally be secured by collateral such as accounts receivable, inventory, equipment, real estate, intangible assets such as trademarks, copyrights and patents, and securities of subsidiaries or affiliates. Collateral may also include guarantees or other credit support by affiliates of the borrower. The value of the collateral generally will be determined by reference to financial statements of the borrower, by an independent appraisal, by obtaining the market value of such collateral, in the case of cash or securities if readily ascertainable, or by other customary valuation techniques considered appropriate by the Sub-Adviser. The value of collateral may decline after the Fund’s investment, and collateral may be difficult to sell in the event of default.

Consequently, the Fund may not receive all the payments to which it is entitled. The loan agreement may or may not require the borrower to pledge additional collateral to secure the senior loan if the value of the initial collateral declines. In certain circumstances, the loan agreement may authorize the agent to liquidate the collateral and to distribute the liquidation proceeds pro rata among the lenders. By virtue of their senior position and collateral, senior loans typically provide lenders with the first right to cash flows or proceeds from the sale of a borrower’s collateral if the borrower becomes insolvent (subject to the limitations of bankruptcy law, which may provide higher priority to certain claims such as employee salaries, employee pensions, and taxes). This means senior loans are generally repaid before unsecured bank loans, corporate bonds, subordinated debt, trade creditors, and preferred or common stockholders. To the extent that the Fund invests in unsecured loans, if the borrower defaults on such loan, there is no specific collateral on which the lender can foreclose. If the borrower defaults on a subordinated loan, the collateral may not be sufficient to cover both the senior and subordinated loans. In addition, if the loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of any collateral and could bear the costs and liabilities of owning and disposing of the collateral.

The Fund may also invest in unsecured loans. Unsecured loans expose the lenders to increased credit risk. If the borrower defaults on an unsecured loan, there is no specific collateral on which the lender can foreclose.

The Fund may purchase and retain in its portfolio senior loans of borrowers that have filed for protection under the federal bankruptcy laws or that have had involuntary bankruptcy petitions filed against them by creditors. Investing in senior loans involves investment risk, and some borrowers default on their senior loan payments.

Senior loans typically pay interest at least quarterly at rates which equal a fixed percentage spread over a base rate such as the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). For example, if LIBOR were 3% and the borrower was paying a fixed spread of 2.50%, the total interest rate paid by the borrower would be 5.50%. Although a base rate such as LIBOR can change every day, loan agreements for senior loans typically allow the borrower the ability to choose how often the base rate for its loan will change. A single loan may have multiple reset periods at the same time, with each reset period applicable to a designated portion of the loan. Such periods can range from one day to one year, with most borrowers choosing monthly or quarterly reset periods. During periods of rising interest rates, borrowers will tend to choose longer reset periods, and during periods of declining interest rates, borrowers will tend to choose shorter reset periods. The fixed spread over the base rate on a senior loan typically does not change.

On July 27, 2017, the head of the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority announced a desire to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. Due to the recency of this announcement, there remains uncertainty regarding the future utilization of LIBOR and the nature of any replacement rate. As such, the potential effect of a transition away from LIBOR on the Fund or the loans in which the Fund may invest cannot yet be determined.

 

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Senior loans usually have mandatory and optional prepayment provisions. Because of prepayments, the actual remaining maturity of senior loans may be considerably less than their stated maturity. Senior loans generally are arranged through private negotiations between a borrower and several financial institutions represented by an agent who is usually one of the originating lenders. In larger transactions, it is common to have several agents; however, generally only one such agent has primary responsibility for ongoing administration of a senior loan. Agents are typically paid fees by the borrower for their services.

The agent is primarily responsible for negotiating the loan agreement which establishes the terms and conditions of the senior loan and the rights of the borrower and the lenders. The agent is paid a fee by the borrower for its services. The agent generally is required to administer and manage the senior loan on behalf of other lenders. The agent also is responsible for monitoring collateral and for exercising remedies available to the lenders such as foreclosure upon collateral. The agent may rely on independent appraisals of specific collateral. The agent need not, however, obtain an independent appraisal of assets pledged as collateral in all cases. The agent generally is also responsible for determining that the lenders have obtained a perfected security interest in the collateral securing a senior loan. The Fund normally relies on the agent to collect principal of and interest on a senior loan. Furthermore, the Fund also relies in part on the agent to monitor compliance by the borrower with the restrictive covenants in the loan agreement and to notify the Fund (or the lender from whom the Fund has purchased a participation) of any adverse change in the borrower’s financial condition. Insolvency of the agent or other persons positioned between the Fund and the borrower could result in losses for the Fund.

Additional Information concerning Syndicated Bank Loans and Other Senior Loans. Syndicated bank loans and other senior loans generally hold one or the most senior positions in the capital structure of a borrower and are usually secured by liens on the assets of the borrowers.

Additional Information concerning Junior Loans. Junior loans include secured and unsecured loans, such as subordinated loans, second lien and more junior loans, and bridge loans. Second lien and more junior loans are generally second or further in line in terms of repayment priority. In addition, junior loans may have a claim on the same collateral pool as the first lien or other more senior liens, or may be secured by a separate set of assets. Junior loans generally give investors priority over general unsecured creditors and stockholders in the event of an asset sale.

Additional Information concerning Bridge Loans. Bridge loans are short-term loan arrangements (e.g., maturities that are generally less than one year) typically made by a borrower following the failure of the borrower to secure other intermediate-term or long-term permanent financing. A bridge loan remains outstanding until more permanent financing, often in the form of high yield notes, can be obtained. Most bridge loans have a step-up provision under which the interest rate increases incrementally the longer the loan remains outstanding so as to incentivize the borrower to refinance as quickly as possible. In exchange for entering into a bridge loan, the Fund typically will receive a commitment fee and interest payable under the bridge loan and may also have other expenses reimbursed by the borrower. Liquid assets are maintained to cover bridge loan commitments to avoid “senior securities” concerns. Bridge loans may be subordinate to other debt and generally are unsecured. They also often are illiquid and difficult to value.

Additional Information concerning Unfunded Commitments. Unfunded commitments are contractual obligations pursuant to which the Fund agrees in writing to make one or more loans up to a specified amount at one or more future dates. The underlying loan documentation sets out the terms and conditions of the lender’s obligation to make the loans as well as the economic terms of such loans. Loan commitments are made pursuant to a term loan, a revolving credit line or a combination thereof. A term loan is generally a loan in a fixed amount that borrowers repay in a scheduled series of repayments or a lump-sum payment at maturity. A revolving credit line permits borrowers to draw down, repay, and reborrow specified amounts on demand. The portion of the amount committed by a lender that the borrower has not drawn down is referred to as “unfunded.” Loan commitments may be traded in the secondary market through dealer desks at large commercial and investment banks although these markets are generally not considered liquid. They also are difficult to value. Borrowers pay various fees in connection with loans and related commitments, and typically the Fund receives a commitment fee for amounts that remain unfunded under its commitment.

 

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Unfunded loan commitments expose lenders to credit risk. A lender typically is obligated to advance the unfunded amount of a loan commitment at the borrower’s request, subject to satisfaction of certain contractual conditions, such as the absence of a material adverse change. Borrowers with deteriorating creditworthiness may continue to satisfy their contractual conditions and therefore be eligible to borrow at times when the lender might prefer not to lend. In addition, a lender may have assumptions as to when a borrower may draw on an unfunded loan commitment when the lender enters into the commitment. If the borrower does not draw as expected, the commitment may not prove as attractive an investment as originally anticipated.

Additional Information concerning Revolving Credit Facilities. Revolving credit facilities (“revolvers”) are borrowing arrangements in which the lender agrees to make loans up to a maximum amount upon demand by the borrower during a specified term. As the borrower repays the loan, an amount equal to the repayment may be borrowed again during the term of the revolver. Revolvers usually provide for floating or variable rates of interest.

Revolvers may expose a lender to credit and liquidity risk. Revolvers have the effect of requiring a lender to increase its investment in a company at a time when it might not otherwise decide to do so (including at a time when the company’s financial condition makes it unlikely that such amounts will be repaid). Revolvers may be subject to restrictions on transfer, and only limited opportunities may exist to resell such instruments. As a result, the Fund may be unable to sell such investments at an opportune time or may have to resell them at less than fair market value.

When the Fund has a contractual obligation to lend money on short notice (under a bridge loan or unfunded commitment, for example), it will maintain liquid assets in an amount at least equal in value to the amount of the loan or commitment. Liquid assets are maintained to cover “senior securities transactions” which may include, but are not limited to, a bridge loan or unfunded loan commitment. The value of “senior securities” holdings is marked-to-market daily to ensure proper coverage.

Participation Interests. The Fund may purchase participations in corporate loans. Participation interests generally will be acquired from a commercial bank or other financial institution (a “Lender”) or from other holders of a participation interest (a “Participant”). The purchase of a participation interest either from a Lender or a Participant will not result in any direct contractual relationship with the borrowing company (the “Borrower”). The Fund generally will have no right directly to enforce compliance by the Borrower with the terms of the credit agreement. Instead, the Fund will be required to rely on the Lender or the Participant that sold the participation interest, both for the enforcement of the Fund’s rights against the Borrower and for the receipt and processing of payments due to the Fund under the loans. Under the terms of a participation interest, the Fund may be regarded as a member of the Participant, and thus the Fund is subject to the credit risk of both the Borrower and a Participant. Participation interests are generally subject to restrictions on resale. Generally, the Fund considers participation interests to be illiquid and therefore subject to the Fund’s percentage limitation for investments in illiquid securities.

Commercial Instruments. The Fund may invest in commercial interests, including commercial paper, master notes, asset-backed commercial paper and other short-term corporate instruments. Commercial paper normally represents short-term unsecured promissory notes issued in bearer form by banks or bank holding companies, corporations, finance companies and other issuers. Commercial paper may be traded in the secondary market after its issuance. Master notes are demand notes that permit the investment of fluctuating amounts of money at varying rates of interest pursuant to arrangements with issuers who meet the quality criteria of the Fund. The interest rate on a master note may fluctuate based upon changes in specified interest rates, be reset periodically according to a prescribed formula or be a set rate. Although there is no secondary market in master demand notes, if such notes have a demand future, the payee may demand payment of the principal amount of the note upon relatively short notice. Master notes are generally illiquid and therefore subject to the Fund’s percentage limitations for investments in illiquid securities. Asset-backed commercial paper is issued by a special purpose entity that is organized to issue the commercial paper and to purchase trade receivables or other financial assets. The credit quality of asset backed commercial paper depends primarily on the quality of these assets and the level of any additional credit support.

Variable or Floating Rate Instruments. The Fund may invest in variable or floating rate instruments and variable rate demand instruments, including variable amount master demand notes. These instruments will normally involve industrial development or revenue bonds that provide that the rate of interest is set as a specific percentage of a designated base rate (such as the prime rate) at a major commercial bank. In addition, the interest rate on these

 

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securities may be reset daily, weekly or on some other reset period and may have a floor or ceiling on interest rate changes. The Fund can demand payment of the obligation at all times or at stipulated dates on short notice (not to exceed 30 days) at par plus accrued interest.

Debt instruments purchased by the Fund may be structured to have variable or floating interest rates. These instruments may include variable amount master demand notes that permit the indebtedness to vary in addition to providing for periodic adjustments in the interest rates.

Other variable and floating rate instruments include but are not limited to certain corporate debt securities, ABS, MBS, CMBS, CMOs, government and agency securities. The Sub-Adviser will consider the earning power, cash flows and other liquidity ratios of the issuers and guarantors of such instruments and, if the instrument is subject to a demand feature, will continuously monitor their financial ability to meet payment on demand. Where necessary to ensure that a variable or floating rate instrument is equivalent to the quality standards applicable to the Fund’s fixed income investments, the issuer’s obligation to pay the principal of the instrument will be backed by an unconditional bank letter or line of credit, guarantee or commitment to lend. Any bank providing such a bank letter, line of credit, guarantee or loan commitment will meet the Fund’s investment quality standards relating to investments in bank obligations. The Sub-Adviser will also continuously monitor the creditworthiness of issuers of such instruments to determine whether the Fund should continue to hold the investments.

The absence of an active secondary market for certain variable and floating rate notes could make it difficult to dispose of the instruments, and the Fund could suffer a loss if the issuer defaults or during periods in which the Fund is not entitled to exercise its demand rights.

Variable and floating rate instruments held by the Fund will be subject to the Fund’s limitation on investments in illiquid securities when a reliable trading market for the instruments does not exist and the Fund may not demand payment of the principal amount of such instruments within seven days.

Zero-Coupon and Pay-in-Kind Securities. The Fund may invest in zero-coupon or pay-in-kind securities. These securities are debt securities that do not make regular cash interest payments. Zero-coupon securities are sold at a deep discount to their face value. Pay-in-kind securities pay interest through the issuance of additional securities. Because zero-coupon and pay-in-kind securities do not pay current cash income, the price of these securities can be volatile when interest rates fluctuate. While these securities do not pay current cash income, federal tax law requires the holders of zero-coupon and pay-in-kind securities to include in income each year the portion of the original issue discount (or deemed discount) and other non-cash income on such securities accrued during that year. In order to qualify as a “regulated investment company” under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and to avoid certain excise taxes, the Fund may be required to distribute a portion of such discount and income and may be required to dispose of other portfolio securities, which could occur during periods of adverse market prices, in order to generate sufficient cash to meet these distribution requirements.

Delayed Delivery Transactions. The Fund may use delayed delivery transactions as an investment technique. Delayed delivery transactions, also referred to as forward commitments, involve commitments by the Fund to dealers or issuers to acquire or sell securities at a specified future date beyond the customary settlement for such securities. These commitments may fix the payment price and interest rate to be received or paid on the investment. The Fund may purchase securities on a delayed delivery basis to the extent that it can anticipate having available cash on the settlement date. Delayed delivery agreements will not be used as a speculative or leverage technique. Investment in securities on a delayed delivery basis may increase the Fund’s exposure to market fluctuation and may increase the possibility that the Fund will incur short-term gains subject to federal taxation or short-term losses if the Fund must engage in portfolio transactions in order to honor a delayed delivery commitment. Until the settlement date, the Fund will segregate liquid assets of a dollar value sufficient at all times to make payment for the delayed delivery transactions. Such segregated liquid assets will be marked-to-market daily, and the amount segregated will be increased if necessary to maintain adequate coverage of the delayed delivery commitments. The delayed delivery securities, which will not begin to accrue interest or dividends until the settlement date, will be recorded as an asset of the Fund and will be subject to the risk of market fluctuation. The purchase price of the delayed delivery securities is a liability of the Fund until settlement. The Fund may enter into buy/sell back transactions (a form of delayed delivery agreement). In a buy/sell back transaction, the Fund enters a trade to sell securities at one price and simultaneously enters a trade to buy the same securities at another price for settlement at a future date.

 

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When-Issued Securities. The Fund may purchase when-issued securities. Purchasing securities on a “when-issued” basis means that the date for delivery of and payment for the securities is not fixed at the date of purchase, but is set after the securities are issued. The payment obligation and, if applicable, the interest rate that will be received on the securities are fixed at the time the buyer enters into the commitment. The Fund will only make commitments to purchase such securities with the intention of actually acquiring such securities, but the Fund may sell these securities before the settlement date if it is deemed advisable. Securities purchased on a when-issued basis and the securities held in the Fund’s portfolio are subject to changes in market value based upon the public’s perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and, if applicable, the changes in the level of interest rates. Therefore, if the Fund is to remain substantially fully invested at the same time that it has purchased securities on a when-issued basis, there will be a possibility that the market value of the Fund’s assets will fluctuate to a greater degree. Furthermore, when the time comes for the Fund to meet its obligations under when-issued commitments, the Fund will do so by using then available cash flow, by sale of the segregated liquid assets, by sale of other securities, or although it would not normally expect to do so, by directing the sale of when-issued securities themselves (which may have a market value greater or less than the Fund’s payment obligation). Investment in securities on a when-issued basis may increase the Fund’s exposure to market fluctuation and may increase the possibility that the Fund will incur short-term gains subject to federal taxation or short-term losses if the Fund must sell another security in order to honor a when-issued commitment. The Fund will employ techniques designed to reduce such risks. If the Fund purchases a when-issued security, the Fund will segregate liquid assets in an amount equal to the when-issued commitment. If the market value of such segregated assets declines, additional liquid assets will be segregated on a daily basis so that the market value of the segregated assets will equal the amount of the Fund’s when-issued commitments.

Restricted Securities. The Fund may invest in restricted securities. Restricted securities cannot be sold to the public without registration under the 1933 Act. Unless registered for sale, restricted securities can be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or pursuant to an exemption from registration. Restricted securities may be considered illiquid and, therefore, are subject to the Fund’s limitation on illiquid securities.

Restricted securities may involve a high degree of business and financial risk which may result in substantial losses. The securities may be less liquid than publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid for by the Fund. The Fund may invest in restricted securities, including securities initially offered and sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act (“Rule 144A Securities”) and securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers initially offered and sold outside the United States without registration with the SEC pursuant to Regulation S (“Regulation S Securities”) under the 1933 Act. Rule 144A Securities and Regulation S Securities generally may be traded freely among certain qualified institutional investors, such as the Fund, and non-U.S. persons, but resale to a broader based of investors in the United States may be permitted only in significantly more limited circumstances. A qualified institutional investor is defined by Rule 144A generally as an institution, acting for its own account or for the accounts of other qualified institutional investors, that in the aggregate owns and invests on a discretionary basis at least $100 million in securities of issuers not affiliated with the institution. A dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“1934 Act”), acting for its own account or the accounts of other qualified institutional investors, that in the aggregate owns and invests on a discretionary basis at least $10 million in securities of issuers not affiliated with the dealer may also qualify as a qualified institutional investor, as well as a 1934 Act registered dealer acting in a riskless principal transaction on behalf of a qualified institutional investor.

The Sub-Adviser, under supervision of the Board, will consider whether restricted securities are illiquid and thus subject to the Fund’s restriction on illiquid securities. Determination of whether a restricted security is liquid or not is a question of fact. In making the determination regarding the liquidity of restricted securities, the Sub-Adviser, as applicable, will consider the trading markets for the specific security taking into account the unregistered nature of a restricted security. In addition, the Sub-Adviser, as applicable, may consider: (1) the frequency of trades and quotes; (2) the number of dealers and potential purchasers; (3) dealer undertakings to make a market; and (4) the nature of the security and of the market place trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer). Investing in restricted securities could have the effect of increasing the amount of the Fund’s assets invested in illiquid securities to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become uninterested, for a time, in purchasing these securities.

 

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Repurchase Agreements and Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements. Repurchase agreements are similar to loans in many respects. Repurchase agreements are transactions in which the purchaser buys a debt security from a bank or recognized securities dealer and simultaneously commits to resell that security to the bank or dealer at an agreed upon price, date and market rate of interest unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased security. Repurchase agreements are considered to be loans which must be fully collateralized including interest earned thereon during the entire term of the agreement. If the institution defaults on the repurchase agreement, the Fund will retain possession of the underlying securities. If bankruptcy proceedings are commenced with respect to the seller, realization on the collateral by the Fund may be delayed or limited and the Fund may incur additional costs. In such case, the Fund will be subject to risks associated with changes in market value of the collateral securities. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with (i) member banks of the Federal Reserve System having total assets in excess of $500 million and (ii) securities dealers (“Qualified Institutions”). The Sub-Adviser will monitor the continued creditworthiness of Qualified Institutions.

Repurchase agreements collateralized entirely by cash, U.S. government securities or liquid securities or instruments issued by an issuer that has an exceptionally strong credit quality (“Qualifying Collateral”) generally may be deemed to be “collateralized fully” and may be deemed to be investments in the underlying securities for certain purposes. If the Fund accepts collateral other than Qualifying Collateral, including debt securities, equity securities and high yield fixed-income instruments that are rated below investment grade or determined to be of comparable quality (“Alternative Collateral”). Repurchase agreements secured by Alternative Collateral are not deemed to be “collateralized fully” under applicable regulations and the repurchase agreement is therefore considered a separate security issued by the counterparty to the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund must include repurchase agreements that are not “collateralized fully” in its calculations of securities issued by the selling institution held by the Fund for purposes of various portfolio diversification and concentration requirements applicable to the Fund. In addition, Alternative Collateral may not qualify as permitted or appropriate investments for the Fund under the Fund’s investment strategies and limitations. Accordingly, if a counterparty to a repurchase agreement defaults and the Fund takes possession of Alternative Collateral, the Fund may need to promptly dispose of the Alternative Collateral (or other securities held by the Fund, if the Fund exceeds a limitation on a permitted investment by virtue of taking possession of the Alternative Collateral). The Alternative Collateral may be particularly illiquid, especially in times of market volatility or in the case of a counterparty insolvency or bankruptcy, which may restrict the Fund’s ability to dispose of Alternative Collateral received from the counterparty.

The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements. Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund would sell securities and agree to repurchase them at a particular price at a future date. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities retained in lieu of sale by the Fund may decline below the price of the securities the Fund has sold but is obligated to repurchase. In the event the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, such buyer or its 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.

Generally the effect of such transactions is that the Fund can recover all or most of the cash invested in the portfolio securities involved during the term of the reverse repurchase agreement, while in many cases the Fund is able to keep some of the interest income associated with those securities. Such transactions are only advantageous if the Fund has an opportunity to earn a greater rate of return on the cash derived from these transactions than the interest cost of obtaining the same amount of cash. Opportunities to realize earnings from the use of the proceeds equal to or greater than the interest required to be paid may not always be available and the Fund intends to use the reverse repurchase technique only when the Sub-Adviser believes it will be advantageous. The use of reverse repurchase agreements may exaggerate any interim increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s assets.

The Fund will segregate or earmark cash or liquid securities in an amount sufficient to cover its obligation under reverse repurchase agreements. The custodian bank will maintain a separate account for the Fund with securities having a value equal to or greater than such commitments. Under the 1940 Act, reverse repurchase agreements are considered a form of borrowing. Accordingly, the Fund may invest up to 33 1/3% of its total assets in reverse repurchase agreements, but the Fund currently expects to only invest in reverse repurchase agreements to a much more limited extent. Reverse repurchase agreements are not part of the Fund’s principal investment strategy.

 

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Investment Companies.    The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies (including money market funds, closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”)). Under the 1940 Act, or as otherwise permitted by the SEC, the Fund’s investment in investment companies is limited to, subject to certain exceptions, (i) 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any one investment company, (ii) 5% of the Fund’s total assets with respect to any one investment company and (iii) 10% of the Fund’s total assets of investment companies in the aggregate.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”).    The Fund may invest in the securities of real estate investment trusts to the extent allowed by law, which pool investors’ funds for investments primarily in commercial real estate properties. Investment in REITs may be the most practical available means for the Fund to invest in the real estate industry. As a shareholder in a REIT, the Fund would bear its ratable share of the REIT’s expenses, including its advisory and administration fees. At the same time, the Fund would continue to pay its own investment advisory fees and other expenses, as a result of which the Fund and its shareholders in effect will be absorbing duplicate levels of fees with respect to investments in REITs.

Illiquid Securities.    The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets.

Futures and Options. The Fund may utilize exchange-traded futures and options contracts and swap agreements.

Futures contracts generally provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified commodity at a specified future time and at a specified price. Index futures contracts are settled daily with a payment by one party to the other of a cash amount based on the difference between the level of the index specified in the contract from one day to the next. Futures contracts are standardized as to maturity date and underlying instrument and are traded on futures exchanges.

Futures traders are required to make a good faith margin deposit in cash or U.S. government securities with a broker or custodian to initiate and maintain open positions in futures contracts. A margin deposit is intended to assure completion of the contract (delivery or acceptance of the underlying commodity or payment of the cash settlement amount) if it is not terminated prior to the specified delivery date. Brokers may establish deposit requirements which are higher than the exchange minimums. Futures contracts are customarily purchased and sold on margin deposits which may range upward from less than 5% of the value of the contract being traded.

After a futures contract position is opened, the value of the contract is marked to market daily. If the futures contract price changes to the extent that the margin on deposit does not satisfy margin requirements, payment of additional “variation” margin will be required. Conversely, change in the contract value may reduce the required margin, resulting in a repayment of excess margin to the contract holder. Variation margin payments are made to and from the futures broker for as long as the contract remains open. In such case, the Fund would expect to earn interest income on its margin deposits. Closing out an open futures position is done by taking an opposite position (“buying” a contract which has previously been “sold,” or “selling” a contract previously “purchased”) in an identical contract to terminate the position. Brokerage commissions are incurred when a futures contract position is opened or closed.

An option on a futures contract, as contrasted with the direct investment in such a contract, gives the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in the underlying futures contract at a specified exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option in the case of an American option, or only upon the expiration date in the case of a European option. Upon exercise of an option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer’s futures margin account that represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option on the futures contract. The potential for loss related to the purchase of an option on a futures contract is limited to the premium paid for the option plus transaction costs. Because the value of the option is fixed at the point of purchase, there are no daily cash payments by the purchaser to reflect changes in the value of the underlying contract; however, the value of the option changes daily and that change would be reflected in the NAV of the Fund. The potential for loss related to writing call options on fixed income securities or indices is unlimited. The potential for loss related to writing put options is limited only by the aggregate strike price of the put option less the premium received.

 

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The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on futures contracts that are traded on a U.S. exchange as a hedge against changes in value of its portfolio securities, or in anticipation of the purchase of securities, and may enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate existing positions. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be effected.

[Restrictions on the Use of Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts. Pursuant to a claim for exemption filed with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) on behalf of the Fund, neither the Fund nor the Trust is deemed to be a “commodity pool” or “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”), respectively, under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”), and they are not subject to registration or regulation as such under the CEA. Neither the Adviser nor Sub-Adviser are deemed to be a “commodity trading advisor” with respect to its services as an investment adviser to the Fund. In February 2012, the CFTC adopted certain regulatory changes that may subject the Adviser or Sub-Adviser to register with the CFTC as a CPO if the Fund is unable to comply with certain trading and marketing limitations on its investments in futures and certain other instruments. With respect to investments in swap transactions, commodity futures, commodity options or certain other derivatives used for purposes other than bona fide hedging purposes, the Fund must meet one of the following tests under the amended regulations in order to claim an exemption from being considered a “commodity pool” or CPO. First, the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish the Fund’s positions in such investments may not exceed five percent (5%) of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such investments). Alternatively, the aggregate net notional value of such instruments, determined at the time of the most recent position established, may not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of the foregoing trading limitations, the Fund may not market itself as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps and derivatives markets. In the event that the Adviser or Sub-Adviser is required to register as a CPO with respect to the Fund, the disclosure and operations of the Fund would need to comply with all applicable CFTC regulations. Compliance with these additional registration and regulatory requirements would increase operational expenses.]

Options. The Fund may purchase and write (sell) put and call options on securities, stock indices and currencies listed on national securities exchanges or traded in the over-the-counter (“OTC”) market for the purpose of realizing the Fund’s investment objective and except as restricted by the Fund’s investment restrictions. A put option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and the writer of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying security at any time during the option period or on expiration, depending on the terms. 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 at any time during the option period or on expiration, depending on the terms. The premium paid to the writer is the consideration for undertaking the obligations under the option contract.

The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on foreign currencies (traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges or OTC markets) to manage its exposure to exchange rates.

Put and call options on indices are similar to options on securities except that options on an index give the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the underlying index is greater than (or less than, in the case of puts) the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option, expressed in dollars multiplied by a specified number. Thus, unlike options on individual securities, all settlements are in cash, and gain or loss depends on price movements in the particular market represented by the index generally, rather than the price movements in individual securities.

All options written on indices or securities must be covered. If the Fund writes an option on a security, an index or a foreign currency, it will earmark or segregate cash or liquid securities in an amount at least equal to the market value of the option and will maintain the account while the option is open or will otherwise cover the transaction. Call options on foreign currency written by the Fund will be “covered,” which means that the Fund will earmark or segregate an equal amount of the underlying foreign currency.

 

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The initial purchase (sale) of an option contract is an “opening transaction.” In order to close out an option position prior to expiration, the Fund may enter into a “closing transaction,” which is simply the sale (purchase) of an option contract on the same security with the same exercise price and expiration date as the option contract originally opened. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to an option it has written, it will not be able to sell the underlying security until the option expires or the Fund delivers the security upon exercise.

The Fund may purchase put and call options on securities to protect against a decline in the market value of the securities in its portfolio or to anticipate an increase in the market value of securities that the Fund may seek to purchase in the future. The Fund purchasing put and call options pays a premium; therefore, if price movements in the underlying securities are such that exercise of the options would not be profitable for the Fund, loss of the premium paid may be offset by an increase in the value of the Fund’s securities or by a decrease in the cost of acquisition of securities by the Fund.

The Fund may write covered call options on securities as a means of increasing the yield on its assets and as a means of providing limited protection against decreases in its market value. When the Fund writes an option, if the underlying securities do not increase or decrease to a price level that would make the exercise of the option profitable to the holder thereof, the option generally will expire without being exercised and the Fund will realize as profit the premium received for such option. When a call option of which the Fund is the writer is exercised, the Fund will be required to sell the underlying securities to the option holder at the strike price, and will not participate in any increase in the price of such securities above the strike price. When a put option of which the Fund is the writer is exercised, the Fund will be required to purchase the underlying securities at a price in excess of the market value of such securities.

The Fund may purchase and write options on an exchange or over-the-counter. 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.

The market value of an option generally reflects the market price of an underlying security. Other principal factors affecting market value include supply and demand, interest rates, the pricing volatility of the underlying security and the time remaining until the expiration date.

Swap Agreements. The Fund may enter into swap agreements, including, but not limited to, total return swaps, index swaps, interest rate swaps, and credit default swaps. The Fund may utilize swap agreements in an attempt to gain exposure to the securities in a market without actually purchasing those securities, or to hedge a position. Swap agreements are contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a day to more than one-year and may be negotiated bilaterally and traded OTC between two parties or, in some instances, must be transacted through a futures commission merchant and cleared through a clearinghouse that serves as a central counterparty. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e. , the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested in a “basket” of securities or ETFs. Forms of swap agreements include (i) interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate, or “cap,” (ii) interest rate floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified level, or “floor,” and (iii) interest rate dollars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.

Another form of swap agreement is a credit default swap. A credit default swap enables the Fund to buy or sell protection against a defined credit event of an issuer or a basket of securities or ETFs. Generally, the seller of credit protection against an issuer or basket of securities receives a periodic payment to compensate against potential default events. If a default event occurs, the seller must pay the buyer the full notional value of the reference obligation in exchange for the reference obligation. If no default occurs, the counterparty will pay the stream of payments and have no further obligations to the Fund selling the credit protection.

 

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In contrast, the buyer of a credit default swap would have the right to deliver a referenced debt obligation and receive the par (or other agreed-upon) value of such debt obligation from the counterparty in the event of a default or other credit event (such as a credit downgrade) by the reference issuer, such as a U.S. or foreign corporation, with respect to its debt obligations. In return, the buyer of the credit protection would pay the counterparty a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default has occurred. If no default occurs, the counterparty would keep the stream of payments and would have no further obligations to the Fund purchasing the credit protection.

The Fund also may enhance income by selling credit protection or attempt to mitigate credit risk by buying protection. Credit default swaps could result in losses if the creditworthiness of an issuer or a basket of securities is not accurately evaluated.

Most swap agreements (but generally not credit default swaps) that the Fund might enter into require the parties to calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a “net basis.” Swap agreements may not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets. Consequently, the Fund’s obligations (or rights) and risk of loss under such a swap agreement would generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”). Other swap agreements, such as credit default swaps, may require initial premium (discount) payments as well as periodic payments (receipts) related to the interest leg of the swap or to the default of a reference obligation.

The Fund is required to cover its swaps positions in order to limit the risk associated with the use of leverage and other related risks. The Fund’s obligations under a swap agreement would be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owing to the Fund) and any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty would be covered by segregating assets determined to be liquid. Obligations under swap agreements so covered would not be construed to be “senior securities” for purposes of the Fund’s investment restriction concerning senior securities and, accordingly, would not treat them as subject to the Fund’s borrowing restrictions. For swaps that are not cash settled, the Fund will earmark or segregate cash or liquid assets with a value at least equal to the full notional amount of the swaps (minus any amounts owed to the Fund) or enter into offsetting transactions. For swaps that are cash settled, the Fund may designate or segregate on its records cash or liquid assets equal to the Fund’s next daily marked-to-market net obligations under the swaps, if any, rather than the full notional amount.

Such segregation will ensure that the Fund has assets available to satisfy its obligations with respect to the transaction and will limit any potential leveraging of the Fund’s portfolio. By earmarking or designating assets equal to only its net obligation under cash-settled swaps, the Fund will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund were required to earmark or segregate assets equal to the full notional amount of such swaps.

Because they may be two party contracts and because they may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid for the Fund’s illiquid investment limitations. The Fund would not enter into any swap agreement unless the Sub-Adviser believes that the other party to the transaction is creditworthy. The Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty, or in the case of a credit default swap in which the Fund is selling credit protection, the default of a third party issuer.

The Fund may enter into 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. The counterparty to any swap agreement would typically be a bank, investment banking firm or broker-dealer or, in the case of a cleared swap, the clearinghouse. The counterparty would generally agree to pay the Fund the amount, if any, by which the notional amount of the swap agreement would have increased in value had it been invested in the particular stocks, plus the dividends that would have been received on those stocks. The Fund would agree to pay to the counterparty a floating rate of interest on the notional amount of the swap agreement plus the amount, if any, by which the notional amount would have decreased in value had it been invested in such stocks. Therefore, the return to the Fund on any swap agreement should be the gain or loss on the notional amount plus dividends on the stocks less the interest paid by the Fund on the notional amount.

 

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Swap agreements typically are settled on a net basis (but generally not credit default swaps), which means that the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Payments may be made at the conclusion of a swap agreement or periodically during its term. Other swap agreements, such as credit default swaps, may require initial premium (discount) payments as well as periodic payments (receipts) related to the interest leg of the swap or to the default of a reference obligation. The Fund would earmark and reserve assets necessary to meet any accrued payment obligations when it is the buyer of a credit default swap. In cases where the Fund is the seller of a credit default swap, if the credit default swap provides for physical settlement, the Fund would be required to earmark and reserve the full notional amount of the credit default swap.

The swap market has grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid in comparison with the markets for other similar instruments that are traded in the OTC market. The Sub-Adviser under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, is responsible for determining and monitoring the liquidity of Fund transactions in swap agreements.

Certain standardized swaps are subject to mandatory central clearing. Central clearing is expected to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity, but central clearing does not make swap transactions risk-free. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and related regulatory developments will ultimately require the clearing and exchange-trading of many OTC derivative instruments that the CFTC and SEC recently defined as “swaps.” Mandatory exchange-trading and clearing will occur on a phased-in basis based on the type of market participant and CFTC approval of contracts for central clearing. The Sub-Adviser will continue to monitor developments in this area, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect the Fund’s ability to enter into swap agreements. Depending on the Fund’s size and other factors, the margin required under the rules of the clearinghouse and by the clearing member may be in excess of the collateral required to be posted by the Fund to support its obligations under a similar bilateral swap. However, regulators are expected to adopt rules imposing certain margin requirements, including minimums, on uncleared swaps in the near future, which could change this comparison. Regulators are in the process of developing rules that would require trading and execution of most liquid swaps on trading facilities. Moving trading to an exchange-type system may increase market transparency and liquidity but may require the Fund to incur increased expenses to access the same types of swaps. Rules adopted in 2012 also require centralized reporting of detailed information about many types of cleared and uncleared swaps. Reporting of swap data may result in greater market transparency, but may subject the Fund to additional administrative burdens and the safeguards established to protect trader anonymity may not function as expected.

The use of swap agreements, including credit default swaps, is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. If a counterparty’s creditworthiness declines, the value of the swap would likely decline. Moreover, there is no guarantee that the Fund could eliminate its exposure under an outstanding swap agreement by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same or another party.

Hybrid Instruments. The Fund may invest in hybrid instruments. A hybrid instrument is a type of potentially high-risk derivative that combines a traditional stock, bond, or commodity with an option or forward contract. Generally, the principal amount, amount payable upon maturity or redemption, or interest rate of a hybrid is tied (positively or negatively) to the price of some commodity, currency or securities index or another interest rate or some other economic factor (“underlying benchmark”). The interest rate or (unlike most fixed income securities) the principal amount payable at maturity of a hybrid security may be increased or decreased, depending on changes in the value of the underlying benchmark. An example of a hybrid could be a bond issued by an oil company that pays a small base level of interest with additional interest that accrues in correlation to the extent to which oil prices exceed a certain predetermined level. Such a hybrid instrument would be a combination of a bond and a call option on oil.

Hybrids can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, and increased total return. Hybrids may not bear interest or pay dividends. The value of a hybrid or its interest rate may be a multiple of the underlying benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the underlying benchmark. These underlying benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events, such as commodity shortages and currency devaluations, which cannot be readily

 

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foreseen by the purchaser of a hybrid. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero. Thus, an investment in a hybrid may entail significant market risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional, U.S. dollar-denominated bond that has a fixed principal amount and pays a fixed rate or floating rate of interest. The purchase of hybrids also exposes the Fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the hybrids. These risks may cause significant fluctuations in the NAV of the Fund.

Certain hybrid instruments may provide exposure to the commodities markets. These are derivative securities with one or more commodity-linked components that have payment features similar to commodity futures contracts, commodity options, or similar instruments. Commodity-linked hybrid instruments may be either equity or debt securities, and are considered hybrid instruments because they have both security and commodity-like characteristics. A portion of the value of these instruments may be derived from the value of a commodity, futures contract, index or other economic variable. The Fund would only invest in commodity-linked hybrid instruments that qualify, under applicable rules of the CFTC, for an exemption from the provisions of the CEA.

Certain issuers of structured products such as hybrid instruments may be deemed to be investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, the Fund’s investments in these products may be subject to limits applicable to investments in investment companies and other restrictions contained in the 1940 Act.

Structured Notes. The Fund is permitted to invest in structured notes, which are debt obligations that also contain an embedded derivative component with characteristics that adjust the obligation’s risk/return profile. Generally, the performance of a structured note will track that of the underlying debt obligation and the derivative embedded within it. The Fund has the right to receive periodic interest payments from the issuer of the structured notes at an agreed-upon interest rate and a return of the principal at the maturity date.

Structured notes are typically privately negotiated transactions between two or more parties. The Fund bears the risk that the issuer of the structured note would default or become bankrupt which may result in the loss of principal investment and periodic interest payments expected to be received for the duration of its investment in the structured notes.

In the case of structured notes on credit default swaps the Fund would be subject to the credit risk of the corporate credit instruments underlying the credit default swaps. If one of the underlying corporate credit instruments defaults, the Fund may receive the security or credit instrument that has defaulted, or alternatively a cash settlement may occur, and the Fund’s principal investment in the structured note would be reduced by the corresponding face value of the defaulted security.

The market for structured notes may be, or suddenly can become, illiquid. The other parties to the transaction may be the only investors with sufficient understanding of the derivative to be interested in bidding for it. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid, and unpredictable changes in the prices for structured notes. In certain cases, a market price for a credit-linked security may not be available. The collateral for a structured note may be one or more credit default swaps, which are subject to additional risks.

Credit-Linked Notes. The Fund may invest in credit-linked notes, which is a type of structured note. The difference between a credit default swap and a credit-linked note is that the seller of a credit-linked note receives the principal payment from the buyer at the time the contract is originated. Through the purchase of a credit-linked note, the buyer assumes the risk of the reference asset and funds this exposure through the purchase of the note. The buyer takes on the exposure to the seller to the full amount of the funding it has provided. The seller has hedged its risk on the reference asset without acquiring any additional credit exposure. The Fund has the right to receive periodic interest payments from the issuer of the credit-linked note at an agreed-upon interest rate and a return of principal at the maturity date.

Credit-linked notes are subject to the credit risk of the corporate credits referenced by the note. If one of the underlying corporate credits defaults, the Fund may receive the security that has defaulted, and the Fund’s principal investment would be reduced by the difference between the original face value of the reference security and the current value of the defaulted security. Credit-linked notes are typically privately negotiated transactions between two or more parties. The Fund bears the risk that the issuer of the credit-linked note will default or become bankrupt. The Fund bears the risk of loss of its principal investment, and the periodic interest payments expected to be received for the duration of its investment in the credit-linked note.

 

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Risk-Linked Securities (“RLS”). Risk-linked securities (“RLS”) are a form of derivative issued by insurance companies and insurance-related special purpose vehicles that apply securitization techniques to catastrophic property and casualty damages. RLS are typically debt obligations for which the return of principal and the payment of interest are contingent on the non-occurrence of a pre-defined “trigger event.” Depending on the specific terms and structure of the RLS, this trigger could be the result of a hurricane, earthquake or some other catastrophic event. Insurance companies securitize this risk to transfer to the capital markets the truly catastrophic part of the risk exposure. A typical RLS provides for income and return of capital similar to other fixed-income investments, but would involve full or partial default if losses resulting from a certain catastrophe exceeded a predetermined amount. RLS typically have relatively high yields compared with similarly rated fixed-income securities, and also have low correlation with the returns of traditional securities. Investments in RLS may be linked to a broad range of insurance risks, which can be broken down into three major categories: natural risks (such as hurricanes and earthquakes), weather risks (such as insurance based on a regional average temperature) and non-natural events (such as aerospace and shipping catastrophes). Although property-casualty RLS have been in existence for over a decade, significant developments have started to occur in securitizations done by life insurance companies. In general, life insurance industry securitizations could fall into a number of categories. Some are driven primarily by the desire to transfer risk to the capital markets, such as the transfer of extreme mortality risk (mortality bonds). Others, while also including the element of risk transfer, are driven by other considerations. For example, a securitization could be undertaken to relieve the capital strain on life insurance companies caused by the regulatory requirements of establishing very conservative reserves for some types of products. Another example is the securitization of the stream of future cash flows from a particular block of business, including the securitization of embedded values of life insurance business or securitization for the purpose of funding acquisition costs.

The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the “Non-Principal Investment Strategies” section of the Prospectus.

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. 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 at least “Prime-2” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or “A-2” by Standard & Poor’s or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Sub-Adviser; (iv) repurchase agreements; and (v) money market mutual funds. CDs are short-term negotiable obligations of commercial banks. Time deposits are nonnegotiable 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.

Commodity Exposure. The Fund may gain exposure to commodities, which may include investments in ETFs and exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”). Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. Commodities are subject to substantial price fluctuations over short periods of time and may be affected by unpredictable economic, political and environmental events. Factors that may significantly affect the prices of commodities include, but are not limited to: global supply and demand; domestic and international interest rates and investors’ expectations of interest rates; inflation rates and investors’ expectations of inflation rates; the investment and trading activities of commodity futures contracts; political, economic, or financial events, both globally and regionally. Investments in commodities entail the risk that the Fund may not qualify as a “regulated investment company” under the Code, and its income may become subject to federal income taxes, reducing returns to shareholders.

ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange during normal trading hours. However, investors can also hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the day’s market benchmark or strategy factor. ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy

 

27


remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When the Fund invests in ETNs, it will bear their proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. The Fund’s decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. ETNs are also subject to tax risk. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and Congress are considering proposals that would change the timing and character of income and gains from ETNs. There may be times when an ETN share trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy.

[Borrowing. The Fund has established a line of credit with certain banks from which it may borrow funds for temporary or emergency purposes. To the extent the Fund effects cash redemptions or partial cash redemptions, the Fund may use lines of credit to meet large or unexpected redemptions that would otherwise force the Fund to liquidate securities under circumstances which are unfavorable to the Fund’s remaining shareholders. The Fund may be required to pay fees to the banks to maintain the lines of credit, which increases the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.]

Cyber Security and Operational Risk. With the increased use of technologies in the course of business, the Fund and its service providers have become potentially more susceptible to operational, information security and risks resulting from cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks are intentional actions and unintentional events that may cause operational disruptions and failures, including the theft or corruption of data maintained online or digitally, denial of service on websites, and the unauthorized release of confidential information. Successful cyber-attacks against, or cyber security breakdowns of, the Fund and/or third party service providers may adversely impact the Fund and its shareholders by, among other things, interfering with the processing of shareholder transactions, impacting the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, causing the release of private shareholder information or confidential Fund information, impeding trading, causing reputational damage, and subjecting the Fund to regulatory fines, penalties or financial losses, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and additional compliance and cyber security risk management costs. Although the Fund and its service providers may have established business continuity plans and systems designed to reduce the risks or adverse effects associated with cyber-attacks, there are inherent limitations in these plans and systems, including that certain risks may not have been identified, in large part because different or unknown threats may emerge in the future. Similar types of cyber security risks also are 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 securities to lose value.

The Fund’s investments or its service providers may be negatively impacted due to operational risks arising from factors such as processing errors and human errors, inadequate or failed internal or external processes, failures in systems and technology, changes in personnel, and errors caused by third-party service providers or trading counterparties. In particular, these errors or failures as well as other technological issues may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV in a timely manner, including over a potentially extended period. Although the Fund attempts to minimize such failures through controls and oversight, it is not possible to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls that completely eliminate or mitigate the occurrence of such failures. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

20% Limit on Certain Investments. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in the aggregate in MBS and ABS that are privately issued, non-agency and non-government sponsored entity (“Private MBS/ABS”), and in asset-backed commercial paper. Such holdings are subject to the respective limitations on the Fund’s investments in illiquid assets and high yield securities.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in the aggregate in participations in and assignments of bank loans or corporate loans, which loans include syndicated bank loans, junior loans, bridge loans, unfunded commitments, revolvers and participation interests (but specifically do not include senior loans), in structured notes, in credit-linked notes, in risk-linked securities, in OTC REITs, and in OTC hybrid instruments. Such holdings are subject to the respective limitations on the Fund’s investments in illiquid assets and high yield securities.

 

28


PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

The Fund calculates its portfolio turnover rate by dividing the value of the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal period by the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities owned by the Fund during the fiscal period. A 100% portfolio turnover rate would occur, for example, if all of the portfolio securities (other than short-term securities) were replaced once during the fiscal period. Portfolio turnover rates will vary from year to year, depending on market conditions. At the date of this SAI, the Fund is new and has no operating history, and portfolio turnover information therefore is not available.

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

Quarterly Portfolio Schedule. The Trust is required to disclose, after its first and third fiscal quarters, the complete schedule of the Fund’s portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-Q. The Trust will also disclose a complete schedule of the Fund’s portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-CSR after its second and fourth quarters.

Form N-Qs and Form N-CSRs for the Fund will be available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Form N-Qs and Form N-CSRs, when available, also may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. and information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 202.551.8090. The Fund’s Form N-Qs and Form N-CSRs will be available without charge, upon request, by calling 630.933.9600 or 800.983.0903 or by writing to PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust at 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515.

Portfolio Holdings Policy. The Trust has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Trust’s portfolio holdings. The Board must approve all material amendments to this policy.

The Fund’s portfolio holdings are disseminated publicly each day that the Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services, including publicly accessible Internet websites. In addition, for in-kind creations, a basket composition file, which includes the security names and share quantities to deliver in exchange for Shares, together with estimates and actual cash components, is disseminated publicly each day prior to the opening of the Exchange via www.powershares.com/capitalmarkets and the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) The basket represents one Creation Unit of the Fund. The Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNYM” or the “Administrator”) will not disseminate non-public information concerning the Trust.

Access to information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings may be permitted at other times to personnel of third-party service providers, including the Fund’s custodian, transfer agent, auditors and counsel, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with such service providers’ agreements with the Trust on behalf of the Funds.

MANAGEMENT

The primary responsibility of the Board is to represent the interests of the Fund and to provide oversight of the management of the Fund. The Trust currently has eight Trustees. Six Trustees are not “interested,” as that term is defined under the 1940 Act, and have no affiliation or business connection with the Adviser or any of its affiliated persons and do not own any stock or other securities issued by the Adviser (the “Independent Trustees”). One Trustee (the “Unaffiliated Trustee”) is an officer of a company that has engaged in securities transactions with clients advised by the Sub-Adviser to one or more PowerShares ETFs (which clients do not include the Fund), but is not an affiliated person of the Adviser. The remaining Trustee (the “Interested Trustee”) is affiliated with the Adviser.

The Independent Trustees of the Trust, their term of office and length of time served, their principal business occupations during at least the past five years, the number of portfolios in the Fund Complex (defined below) that they oversee, and other directorships, if any, that they hold are shown below. The “Fund Complex” includes all open- and closed-end funds (including all of their portfolios) advised by the Adviser and any funds that have an investment adviser that is an affiliated person of the Adviser. As of the date of this SAI, the “Fund Family” consists of the Trust and four other ETF trusts advised by the Adviser.

 

29


Name, Address and

Year of Birth of

Independent Trustees

   Position(s) Held
with Trust
   Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*
  

Principal Occupation(s)

During At Least the Past 5 Years

   Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Independent
Trustees
  Other
Directorships
Held by
Independent
Trustee
During the
Past 5 Years

Ronn R. Bagge —1958

c/o Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Chairman of the
Nominating and
Governance
Committee and
Trustee
   Chairman of the
Nominating and
Governance
Committee and
Trustee since
2008
   Founder and Principal, YQA Capital Management LLC (1998-Present); formerly Owner/CEO of Electronic Dynamic Balancing Co., Inc. (high-speed rotating equipment service provider).    [    ]   None

Todd J. Barre — 1957

c/o Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Trustee    Since 2010    Assistant Professor of Business, Trinity Christian College (2010-2016); formerly Vice President and Senior Investment Strategist (2001-2008), Director of Open Architecture and Trading (2007-2008), Head of Fundamental Research (2004-2007) and Vice President and Senior Fixed Income Strategist (1994-2001), BMO Financial Group/Harris Private Bank.    [    ]   None

Marc M. Kole — 1960

c/o Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Chairman of the
Audit Committee
and Trustee
   Chairman of the
Audit
Committee and
Trustee
since 2008
   Senior Director of Finance, By The Hand Club for Kids (2015-Present); formerly: Chief Financial Officer, Hope Network (social services) (2008-2012); Assistant Vice President and Controller, Priority Health (health insurance) (2005-2008); Senior Vice President of Finance, United Healthcare (2004-2005); Chief Accounting Officer, Senior Vice President of Finance, Oxford Health Plans (2000-2004); Audit Partner, Arthur Andersen LLP (1996-2000).    [    ]   None

Yung Bong Lim — 1964

c/o Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Chairman of the
Investment
Oversight
Committee and
Trustee
   Chairman of the
Investment
Oversight
Committee
since 2014;
Trustee

since 2013

   Managing Partner, Residential Dynamics Group LLC (2008-Present); formerly, Managing Director, Citadel Investment Group, L.L.C. (1999-2007).    [    ]   None

 

30


Gary R. Wicker — 1961

c/o Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Trustee    Since 2013    Senior Vice President of Global Finance and Chief Financial Officer of RBC Ministries (publishing company) (2013-Present); formerly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Zondervan Publishing (a division of Harper Collins/NewsCorp) (2007-2012); Senior Vice President and Group Controller (2005-2006), Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2003-2004), Chief Financial Officer (2001-2003), Vice President, Finance and Controller (1999-2001) and Assistant Controller (1997-1999), divisions of The Thomson Corporation (information services provider).    [    ]   None

Donald H. Wilson — 1959

c/o Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Chairman of
the Board and
Trustee
   Chairman
since 2012;
Trustee since
2008
   Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Stone Pillar Advisors, Ltd. (2010-Present); President and Chief Executive Officer, Stone Pillar Investments, Ltd. (2016-Present); formerly, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Community Financial Shares, Inc. and Community Bank—Wheaton/Glen Ellyn (subsidiary) (2013-2015); Chief Operating Officer, AMCORE Financial, Inc. (bank holding company) (2007-2009); Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, AMCORE Financial, Inc. (2006-2007); Senior Vice President and Treasurer, Marshall & Ilsley Corp. (bank holding company) (1995-2006).    [    ]   None

 

* This is the date the Independent Trustee began serving the Trust. He serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

 

31


The Unaffiliated Trustee, his term of office and length of time served, his principal business occupations during at least the past five years, the number of portfolios in the Fund Complex overseen by the Unaffiliated Trustee and the other directorships, if any, held by the Unaffiliated Trustee, are shown below.

 

Name, Address and Year of Birth

of Unaffiliated Trustee

   Position(s)
Held
with Trust
  Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*
  

Principal Occupation(s)

During At Least the Past 5 Years

   Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Unaffiliated
Trustees
  Other Directorships
Held by
Unaffiliated Trustee
During the Past 5 Years

Philip M. Nussbaum—1961

c/o Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Trustee**   Since 2008    Chairman, Performance Trust Capital Partners (2004-Present).    [    ]   None

 

* This is the date the Unaffiliated Trustee began serving the Trust. He serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.
** Effective May 18, 2016, Mr. Nussbaum became an Unaffiliated Trustee.

The Interested Trustee and the executive officers of the Trust, their term of office and length of time served, their principal business occupations during at least the past five years, the number of portfolios in the Fund Complex overseen by the Interested Trustee and the other directorships, if any, held by the Interested Trustee, are shown below.

 

Name, Address and

Year of Birth of

Interested Trustee

   Position(s)
Held
with Trust
   Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*
  

Principal Occupation(s)

During At Least the Past 5 Years

   Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Interested
Trustees
  Other
Directorships
Held by
Interested
Trustee
During the
Past 5 Years

Kevin M. Carome — 1956

Invesco Ltd.

Two Peachtree Pointe

1555 Peachtree St., N.E.,

Suite 1800

Atlanta, GA 30309

   Trustee    Since 2010    Senior Managing Director, Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Ltd. (2007-Present); Director, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (2009-Present); Director, Invesco Finance PLC, and Invesco Holding Company Limited; Director and Executive Vice President, Invesco Holding Company (US), Inc., Invesco Finance, Inc., Invesco Group Services, Inc., Invesco North American Holdings, Inc. and INVESCO Asset Management (Bermuda) Ltd.; Executive Vice President; (2008-Present); Invesco Investments (Bermuda) Ltd., Manager, Horizon Flight Works LLC; Director and Secretary, Invesco Services (Bahamas) Private Limited; formerly, Director and Chairman, INVESCO Funds Group, Inc., Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (2003-2006); Director, Invesco Investments (Bermuda) Ltd. (2008-2016); Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Liberty Financial Companies, Inc. (2000-2001); General Counsel of certain investment management subsidiaries of Liberty Financial Companies, Inc. (1998-2000); Associate General Counsel, Liberty Financial Companies, Inc. (1993-1998); Associate, Ropes & Gray LLP.    [    ]   None

 

* This is the date the Interested Trustee began serving the Trust. He serves an indefinite term, until his successor is elected.

 

32


Name, Address and Year of Birth

of Executive Officer

   Position(s) Held with Trust    Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served*
  

Principal Occupation(s) During At Least Past 5 Years

Daniel E. Draper—1968

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   President and Principal

Executive Officer

   Since 2015    President and Principal Executive Officer, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2015-Present); Chief Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer (2016-Present) and Managing Director (2013-Present), Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC; Senior Vice President, Invesco Distributors, Inc. (2014-Present); formerly, Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2013-2015) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-2015); Managing Director, Credit Suisse Asset Management (2010-2013) and Lyxor Asset Management/Societe Generale (2007-2010).

 

33


Adam Henkel—1980

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Chief
Compliance
Officer
   Since 2017    Chief Compliance Officer of Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2017-Present); Chief Compliance Officer of PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2017-Present); formerly, Senior Counsel, Invesco, Ltd. (2013-2017); and Assistant Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2010-2013).

Steven M. Hill—1964

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Vice President

and Treasurer

   Since 2013    Vice President and Treasurer, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2013-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Head of Global ETF Administration, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2011-Present); Principal Financial and Accounting Officer – Investment Pools, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2015-Present); formerly, Senior Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, Destra Capital Management LLC and its subsidiaries (2010-2011); Chief Financial Officer, Destra Investment Trust and Destra Investment Trust II (2010-2011); Senior Managing Director, Claymore Securities, Inc. (2003-2010); and Chief Financial Officer, Claymore sponsored mutual funds (2003-2010).

Peter Hubbard—1981

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Vice President    Since 2009    Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2009-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Vice President and Director of Portfolio Management, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2010-Present); formerly, Vice President of Portfolio Management, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2008-2010); Portfolio Manager, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2007-2008); Research Analyst, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2005-2007); Research Analyst and Trader, Ritchie Capital, a hedge fund operator (2003-2005).

 

34


Sheri Morris—1964

Invesco Management Group, Inc.

11 Greenway Plaza,

Suite 1000

Houston, TX 77046

   Vice President    Since 2012    President and Principal Executive Officer, The Invesco Funds (2016-Present); Treasurer, The Invesco Funds (2008-Present); Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (formerly known as Invesco Institutional (N.A.), Inc.) (registered investment adviser) (2009-Present) and Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2012-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); formerly, Vice President and Principal Financial Officer, The Invesco Funds (2008-2016); Treasurer, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2011-2013); Vice President, Invesco Aim Advisers, Inc., Invesco Aim Capital Management, Inc. and Invesco Aim Private Asset Management, Inc.; Assistant Vice President and Assistant Treasurer, The Invesco Funds and Assistant Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc., Invesco Aim Capital Management, Inc. and Invesco Aim Private Asset Management, Inc.

Anna Paglia—1974

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Secretary    Since 2011    Secretary, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2011-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Head of Legal (2010-Present) and Secretary (2015-Present), Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2010-Present); Manager and Assistant Secretary, Invesco Indexing LLC (2017-Present); formerly, Partner, K&L Gates LLP (formerly, Bell Boyd & Lloyd LLP) (2007-2010); Associate Counsel at Barclays Global Investors Ltd. (2004-2006).

Rudolf E. Reitmann—1971

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road,

Suite 700

Downers Grove, IL 60515

   Vice President    Since 2013    Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2013-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Head of Global Exchange Traded Funds Services, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (2013-Present).

 

35


David Warren—1957

Invesco Canada Ltd.

5140 Yonge Street,

Suite 800

Toronto, Ontario M2N 6X7

   Vice
President
   Since 2009    Vice President, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (2009-Present) and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (2014-Present); Managing Director—Chief Administrative Officer, Americas, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC; Senior Vice President, Invesco Advisers, Inc. (2009-Present); Director, Invesco Inc. (2009-Present); Senior Vice President, Invesco Management Group, Inc. (2007-Present); Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Invesco Canada Ltd. (formerly, Invesco Trimark Ltd.); Chief Administrative Officer, North American Retail, Invesco Ltd. (2007-Present); Director, Invesco Corporate Class Inc. (2014-Present); Director, Invesco Global Direct Real Estate Feeder GP Ltd. (2015-Present); Director, Invesco Canada Holdings Inc. (2002-Present); Director, Invesco Financial Services Ltd. / Services Financiers Invesco Ltée and Trimark Investments Ltd./Placements Trimark Ltée (2014-Present); Director, Invesco IP Holdings (Canada) Ltd. (2016-Present); Director, Invesco Global Direct Real Estate GP Ltd. (2015-Present); formerly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Invesco Inc. (2009-2015); Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Invesco Canada Ltd. (formerly, Invesco Trimark Ltd.) (2000-2011).

 

* This is the date the officer began serving the Trust. Each officer serves an indefinite term, until his or her successor is elected.

The Fund is newly established. As of the date of this SAI, none of the Trustees held equity securities in the Fund. [As of [December 31, 2016], each Trustee held in the aggregate over $100,000 in equity securities in all of the registered investment companies overseen by the Trustees.] The dollar range of Shares for Mr. Bagge, Mr. Lim and Mr. Nussbaum includes Shares of certain funds in which each of Mr. Bagge, Mr. Lim and Mr. Nussbaum is deemed to be invested pursuant to the Trust’s deferred compensation plan (“DC Plan”), which is described below.

As of the date of this SAI, as to each Independent Trustee and Unaffiliated Trustee and his immediate family members, no person owned beneficially or of record securities in an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund, or a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Funds.

 

36


Board and Committee Structure. As noted above, the Board is responsible for oversight of the Fund, including oversight of the duties performed by the Adviser for the Fund, under the investment advisory agreement (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”). The Board generally meets in regularly scheduled meetings five times a year, and may meet more often as required. During the Trust’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, the Board held [    ] meetings.

The Board has three standing committees, the Audit Committee, the Investment Oversight Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee, and has delegated certain responsibilities to those Committees.

Messrs. Kole (Chair), Wicker and Wilson currently serve as members of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee has the responsibility, among other things, to: (i) approve and recommend to the Board the selection of the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, (ii) review the scope of the independent registered public accounting firm’s audit activity, (iii) review the audited financial statements and (iv) review with such independent registered public accounting firm the adequacy and the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting. During the Trust’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, the Audit Committee held [    ] meetings.

Messrs. Bagge (Chair), Barre, Kole, Lim, Wicker and Wilson currently serve as members of the Nominating and Governance Committee. The Nominating and Governance Committee has the responsibility, among other things, to identify and recommend individuals for Board membership and evaluate candidates for Board membership. The Board will consider recommendations for trustees from shareholders. Nominations from shareholders should be in writing and sent to the Secretary of the Trust to the attention of the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee, as described below under the caption “Shareholder Communications.” During the Trust’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, the Nominating and Governance Committee held [    ] meetings.

Messrs. Bagge, Barre, Lim (Chair) and Nussbaum currently serve as members of the Investment Oversight Committee. The Investment Oversight Committee has the responsibility, among other things, (i) to review the investment performance of the Fund, (ii) to review any proposed changes to the Fund’s investment policies or comparative benchmark indices, and (iii) to review the Fund’s market trading activities and portfolio transactions. During the Trust’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, the Investment Oversight Committee held [    ] meetings.

Mr. Wilson, one of the Independent Trustees, serves as the chair of the Board (the “Independent Chair”). The Independent Chair, among other things, chairs the Board meetings, participates in the preparation of the Board agendas and serves as a liaison between, and facilitates communication among, the other Independent Trustees, the full Board, the Adviser and other service providers with respect to Board matters. The Chairs of each Committee also serve as liaisons between the Adviser and other service providers and the other Independent Trustees for matters pertaining to the respective Committee. The Board believes that its current leadership structure is appropriate taking into account the assets and number of funds overseen by the Trustees, the size of the Board and the nature of the funds’ business, as the Interested Trustees and officers of the Trust provide the Board with insight as to the daily management of the funds while the Independent Chair promotes independent oversight of the funds by the Board.

Risk Oversight. The Fund is subject to a number of risks, including operational, investment and compliance risks. The Board, directly and through its Committees, as part of its oversight responsibilities, oversees the services provided by the Adviser and the Trust’s other service providers in connection with the management and operations of the Fund, as well as its associated risks. Under the oversight of the Board, the Trust, the Adviser and other service providers have adopted policies, procedures and controls to address these risks. The Board, directly and through its Committees, receives and reviews information from the Adviser, other service providers, the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, Trust counsel and counsel to the Independent Trustees to assist it in its oversight responsibilities. This information includes, but is not limited to, reports regarding the Fund’s investments, including Fund performance and investment practices, valuation of Fund portfolio securities, and compliance. The Board also reviews, and must approve any proposed changes to, the Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions, and reviews any areas of non-compliance with the Fund’s investment policies and restrictions. The Audit Committee monitors the Trust’s accounting policies, financial reporting and internal control system and reviews any internal audit reports impacting the Trust. As part of its compliance oversight, the Board reviews the annual compliance report issued by the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer on the policies and procedures of the Trust and its service providers, proposed changes to those policies and procedures and quarterly reports on any material compliance issues that arose during the period.

 

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Experience, Qualifications and Attributes. As noted above, the Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for identifying, evaluating and recommending trustee candidates. The Nominating and Governance Committee reviews the background and the educational, business and professional experience of trustee candidates and the candidates’ expected contributions to the Board. Trustees selected to serve on the Board are expected to possess relevant skills and experience, time availability and the ability to work well with the other Trustees. In addition to these qualities and based on each Trustee’s experience, qualifications and attributes and the Trustees’ combined contributions to the Board, following is a brief summary of the information that led to the conclusion that each Board member should serve as a Trustee.

Mr. Bagge has served as a trustee and Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee with the Fund Family since 2003. He founded YQA Capital Management, LLC in 1998 and has since served as a principal. Previously, Mr. Bagge was the owner and CEO of Electronic Dynamic Balancing Company from 1988 to 2001. He began his career as a securities analyst for institutional investors, including CT&T Asset Management and J.C. Bradford & Co. The Board considered that Mr. Bagge has served as a board member or advisor for several privately held businesses and charitable organizations and the executive, investment and operations experience that Mr. Bagge has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Barre has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2010. He served as Assistant Professor of Business at Trinity Christian College from 2010 to 2016. Previously, he served in various positions with BMO Financial Group/Harris Private Bank, including Vice President and Senior Investment Strategist (2001-2008), Director of Open Architecture and Trading (2007-2008), Head of Fundamental Research (2004-2007) and Vice President and Senior Fixed Income Strategist (1994-2001). From 1983 to 1994, Mr. Barre was with the Office of the Manager of Investments at Commonwealth Edison Co. He also was a staff accountant at Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co. from 1981 to 1983. The Board considered the executive, financial and investment experience that Mr. Barre has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Carome has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2010. He has served as the Senior Managing Director and General Counsel of Invesco Ltd. since 2006, and has held various senior executive positions with Invesco Ltd. since 2003. Previously, he served in various positions with Liberty Financial Companies, Inc., including Senior Vice President and General Counsel (2000- 2001), General Counsel of certain investment management subsidiaries (1998-2000) and Associate General Counsel (1993-1998). Prior to his employment with Liberty Financial Companies, Inc., Mr. Carome was an associate with Ropes & Gray LLP. The Board considered Mr. Carome’s senior executive position with Invesco Ltd.

Mr. Kole has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2006 and Chairman of the Audit Committee since 2008. He has been the Senior Director of Finance of By the Hand Club for Kids since 2015. Previously, he was the Chief Financial Officer of Hope Network from 2008 to 2012. He also was the Assistant Vice President and Controller at Priority Health from 2005 to 2008, Senior Vice President of Finance of United Healthcare from 2004 to 2005, Chief Accounting Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance of Oxford Health Plans from 2000 to 2004 and Audit Partner, Arthur Andersen LLP (1996-2000). The Board of the Trust has determined that Mr. Kole is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the SEC. The Board considered the executive, financial and operations experience that Mr. Kole has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Lim has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2013 and Chairman of the Investment Oversight Committee since 2014. He has been a Managing Partner of Residential Dynamics Group LLC since 2008. Previously, he was a Managing Director and the Head of the Securitized Products Group of Citadel Investment Group, L.L.C. (1999-2007). Prior to his employment with Citadel Investment Group, L.L.C., he was a Managing Director with Salomon Smith Barney. The Board considered the executive, financial and operations experience that Mr. Lim has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Nussbaum has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2003. He has served as the Chairman of Performance Trust Capital Partners since 2004 and was the Executive Vice President of Finance from 1994 to 1999.

 

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Mr. Nussbaum also served as Managing Director of the Communication Institute from 2002 to 2003. Prior to joining Performance Trust Capital Partners in 1994, he was a Vice President at Clayton Brown & Associates. Before that, he was a senior examiner with the Financial Markets Unit of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The Board considered the executive, financial, investment and operations experience that Mr. Nussbaum has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Wicker has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2013. He has served as Senior Vice President of Global Finance and Chief Financial Officer at RBC Ministries since 2013. Previously, he was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Zondervan Publishing from 2007 to 2012. Prior to his employment with Zondervan Publishing, he held various positions with divisions of The Thomson Corporation, including Senior Vice President and Group Controller (2005-2006), Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2003-2004), Chief Financial Officer (2001-2003), Vice President, Finance and Controller (1999-2001) and Assistant Controller (1997-1999). Prior to that, Mr. Wicker was Senior Manager in the Audit and Business Advisory Services Group of Price Waterhouse (1985-1996). The Board of the Trust has determined that Mr. Wicker is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the SEC. The Board considered the executive, financial and operations experience that Mr. Wicker has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

Mr. Wilson has served as a trustee with the Fund Family since 2006 and as the Independent Chair since 2012. He also served as lead Independent Trustee in 2011. He has served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Stone Pillar Advisors, Ltd. since 2010 and as President and Chief Executive Officer of Stone Pillar Investments, Ltd. since 2016. Previously, he was the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Community Financial Shares, Inc., and its subsidiary, Community Bank – Wheaton/Glen Ellyn (2013-2015), and was the Chief Operating Officer (2007-2009) and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2006-2007) of AMCORE Financial, Inc. Mr. Wilson also served as Senior Vice President and Treasurer of Marshall & Ilsley Corp. from 1995 to 2006. He started his career with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, serving in several roles in the bank examination division and the economic research division. The Board of the Trust has determined that Mr. Wilson is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the SEC. The Board considered the executive, financial and operations experience that Mr. Wilson has gained over the course of his career and through his financial industry experience.

This disclosure is not intended to hold out any Trustee as having any special expertise and shall not impose greater duties, obligations or liabilities on the Trustees. The Trustees’ principal occupations during the past five years or more are shown in the above tables.

For his services as a Trustee of the Trust and other trusts in the Fund Family, each Independent Trustee and Unaffiliated Trustee receives an annual retainer of $250,000 (the “Retainer”). The Retainer is allocated half pro rata among all the funds in the Fund Family and the other half is allocated among all of the funds in the Fund Family based on average net assets. Mr. Wilson receives an additional $78,000 per year for his service as Independent Chair, allocated in the same manner as the Retainer. The chair of the Audit Committee receives an additional fee of $28,000 per year and the chairs of the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Investment Oversight Committee each receive an additional fee of $17,000 per year, all allocated in the same manner as the Retainer. Effective January 1, 2017, the Retainer increased to $290,000. Also effective January 1, 2017, the additional fee for the Independent Chair increased to $100,000. Each Trustee also is reimbursed for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending Board and committee meetings.

The Trust’s DC Plan allows each Independent Trustee and Unaffiliated Trustee to defer payment of all, or a portion, of the fees that the Trustee receives for serving on the Board throughout the year. Each eligible Trustee generally may elect to have deferred amounts credited with a return equal to the total return on one or more registered investment companies within the Fund Family that are offered as investment options under the DC Plan. At the Trustee’s election, distributions are either in one lump sum payment, or in the form of equal annual installments over a period of years designated by the Trustee. The rights of an eligible Trustee and the beneficiaries to the amounts held under the DC Plan are unsecured and such amounts are subject to the claims of the creditors of the Fund. The Independent Trustees and the Unaffiliated Trustee are not eligible for any pension or profit sharing plan in their capacity as Trustees.

 

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The following sets forth the fees paid to each Trustee for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017.

 

Name of Trustee

   Aggregate
Compensation From
Trust (1)
    Pension or Retirement
Benefits accrued as part of
Fund Expenses
     Total Compensation Paid
From Fund Complex (2)
 

Independent Trustees

       

Ronn R. Bagge

   $ [         N/A      $ [    

Todd J. Barre

   $ [         N/A      $ [    

Marc M. Kole

   $ [         N/A      $ [    

Yung Bong Lim

   $ [         N/A      $ [    

Gary R. Wicker

   $ [         N/A      $ [    

Donald H. Wilson

   $ [         N/A      $ [    

Unaffiliated Trustee

       

Philip M. Nussbaum

   $ [         N/A      $ [    

Interested Trustee

       

Kevin M. Carome

     NA       N/A        N/A  

 

(1) [Because the Fund had not commenced operations as of October 31, 2017, the Fund did not pay any portion of the amounts shown in this table.]

 

(2) The amounts shown in this column represent the aggregate compensation paid by all funds of the trusts in the Fund Family (except as noted in the prior footnote) for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017 before deferral by the Trustees under the DC Plan. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, [both Mr. Lim and Mr. Nussbaum deferred 100% of their compensation.]

As of the date of this SAI, the Trustees and officers, as a group, owned none of the Fund’s outstanding Shares.

Principal Holders and Control Persons. The Fund is new and, as of the date of this SAI, no person owned of record more than 5% of the outstanding Shares.

Shareholder Communications. Shareholders may send communications to the Trust’s Board by addressing the communications directly to the Board (or individual Board members) and/or otherwise clearly indicating in the salutation that the communication is for the Board (or individual Board members). The shareholder may send the communication to either the Trust’s office or directly to such Board members at the address specified for each Trustee. Management will review and generally respond to other shareholder communications the Trust receives that are not directly addressed and sent to the Board. Such communications will be forwarded to the Board at management’s discretion based on the matters contained therein.

Investment Adviser. The Adviser provides investment tools and portfolios for advisers and investors. The Adviser is committed to theoretically sound portfolio construction and empirically verifiable investment management approaches. Its asset management philosophy and investment discipline is rooted deeply in the application of intuitive factor analysis and model implementation to enhance investment decisions.

The Adviser acts as investment adviser for the assets of the Fund. The Adviser also oversees the Sub-Adviser and delegates to the Sub-Adviser the duties of the investment and reinvestment of the Fund’s assets. The Adviser also administers the Trust’s business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and permits any of its officers or employees to serve without compensation as Trustees or officers of the Trust if elected to such positions.

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC, organized February 7, 2003, is located at 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, IL 60515.

Invesco Ltd. is the parent company of Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC and is located at Two Peachtree Pointe, 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309. Invesco Ltd. and its subsidiaries are an independent global investment management group.

 

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Sub-Adviser. The Sub-Adviser manages the investment and reinvestment of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis under the supervision of the Adviser. The Sub-Adviser, Invesco Advisers, Inc., is located at Two Peachtree Pointe, 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309.

Portfolio Managers. The Adviser uses a team of portfolio managers (the “Portfolio Managers”), investment strategists and other investment specialists. This team approach brings together many disciplines and leverages the Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s extensive resources. [Peter Hubbard] oversees all research, portfolio management and trading operations of the Adviser. In this capacity, he oversees a team of the Portfolio Managers responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds. [Peter Hubbard] receives management assistance from [                        ].

As of October 31, 2017, [Peter Hubbard] managed [    ] registered investment companies with a total of approximately $[    ] billion in assets, [ ] other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $[    ] billion in assets and no other accounts.

As of October 31, 2017, [                        ] managed [    ] registered investment companies with a total of approximately $[    ] billion in assets, [    ] other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $[    ] billion in assets and no other accounts.

The Sub-Adviser’s portfolio managers develop investment models which are used in connection with the management of the Funds. The information below reflects the other funds for which each portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities. Accounts are grouped into three categories: (i) registered investment companies, (ii) other pooled investment vehicles and (iii) other accounts. To the extent that any of these accounts pay advisory fees that are based on account performance (“performance-based fees”), information on those accounts is specifically broken out. In addition, any assets denominated in foreign currencies have been converted into U.S. dollars using the exchange rates as of the applicable date.

As of October 31, 2017, [                        ] managed [    ] registered investment companies with a total of approximately $[    ] billion in assets, [ ] other pooled investment vehicles with approximately $[            ] million in assets and no other accounts.

As of October 31, 2017, [                        ] managed [    ] registered investment companies with a total of approximately $[    ] billion in assets, no other pooled investment vehicles and no other accounts.

Description of Compensation Structure—Adviser. The Portfolio Managers are compensated with a fixed salary amount by the Adviser. The Portfolio Managers are eligible, along with other senior employees of the Adviser, to participate in a year-end discretionary bonus pool. The Compensation Committee of the Adviser will review management bonuses and, depending upon the size, the Compensation Committee may approve the bonus in advance. There is no policy regarding, or agreement with, the Portfolio Managers or any other senior executive of the Adviser to receive bonuses or any other compensation in connection with the performance of any of the accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers.

Description of Compensation Structure—Sub-Adviser. The Sub-Adviser seeks to maintain a compensation program that is competitively positioned to attract and retain high-caliber investment professionals. The Sub-Adviser’s portfolio managers receive a base salary, an incentive bonus opportunity, and an equity compensation opportunity. Portfolio manager compensation is reviewed and may be modified each year as appropriate to reflect changes in the market, as well as to adjust the factors used to determine bonuses to promote good sustained fund performance. The Sub-Adviser evaluates competitive market compensation by reviewing compensation survey results conducted by an independent third party of investment industry compensation. Each portfolio manager’s compensation consists of the following three elements:

The Sub-Adviser’s portfolio managers are paid a base salary. In setting the base salary, the Sub-Adviser’s intention is to be competitive in light of the particular portfolio manager’s experience and responsibilities. The portfolio managers are eligible, along with other senior employees of the Sub-Adviser, to participate in a year-end discretionary bonus pool. The Compensation Committee of Invesco Ltd. reviews and approves the amount of the bonus pool available for Invesco’s investment centers. The Compensation Committee considers investment performance and financial results in its review. In addition, while having no direct impact on individual bonuses,

 

41


assets under management are considered when determining the starting bonus funding levels. A portfolio manager is eligible to receive an annual cash bonus which is based on quantitative (i.e., investment performance) and non-quantitative factors (which may include, but are not limited to, individual performance, risk management and teamwork).

Each portfolio manager’s compensation is linked to the pre-tax investment performance of the funds/accounts managed by the portfolio manager as described in Table 1 below.

Table 1

 

Sub-Adviser

  

Performance Time Period (1)

Invesco (2)

  

One-, Three- and Five-year performance against Fund peer group.

 

(1) Rolling time periods based on calendar year end.
(2) Portfolio managers may be granted a short-term award that vests on a pro-rata basis over a four-year period and final payments are based on the performance of eligible funds selected by the portfolio manager at the time the award is granted.

High investment performance (against applicable peer group) would deliver compensation generally associated with top pay in the industry (determined by reference to the third-party provided compensation survey information) and poor investment performance (versus applicable peer group) would result in low bonus compared to the applicable peer group or no bonus at all. These decisions are reviewed and approved collectively by senior leadership which has responsibility for executing the compensation approach across the organization.

Portfolio managers may be awarded options to purchase common shares and/or granted restricted shares of Invesco stock from pools determined from time to time by the Remuneration Committee of the Invesco Ltd. Board of Directors. Awards of equity-based compensation typically vest over time, so as to create incentives to retain key talent.

Portfolio managers also participate in benefit plans and programs available generally to all employees.

Portfolio Holdings. As of the date of this SAI, the Fund has not yet commenced investment operations, and none of the Portfolio Managers beneficially own any Shares of the Fund.

Because the portfolio managers of the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser may manage assets for other investment companies, pooled investment vehicles and/or other accounts (including institutional clients, pension plans and certain high net worth individuals), there may be an incentive to favor one client over another, resulting in conflicts of interest. For instance, the Adviser or Sub-Adviser may receive fees from certain accounts that are higher than the fee it receives from the Funds, or it may receive a performance-based fee on certain accounts. In those instances, the portfolio managers may have an incentive to favor the higher and/or performance-based fee accounts over the Funds. In addition, a conflict of interest could exist to the extent that the Adviser or Sub-Adviser has proprietary investments in certain accounts, where portfolio managers have personal investments in certain accounts or when certain accounts are investment options in the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser’s employee benefits and/or deferred compensation plans. The portfolio manager may have an incentive to favor these accounts over others. If the Adviser or Sub-Adviser manages accounts that engage in short sales of securities of the type in which the Fund invests, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser could be seen as harming the performance of the Fund for the benefit of the accounts engaging in short sales if the short sales cause the market value of the securities to fall. The Adviser and Sub-Adviser have adopted trade allocation and other policies and procedures that they believe are reasonably designed to address these and other conflicts of interest.

Investment Advisory Agreement. Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Trust (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”), the Fund pays the Adviser an annual unitary management fee equal to [0.50]% of its average daily net assets (the “Advisory Fee”).

 

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[Out of the unitary management fee, the Adviser pays substantially all expenses of the Fund, including payments to the Sub-Adviser, the costs of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services, except for advisory fees, distribution fees, if any, brokerage expenses, taxes, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any, interest, litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses.]

The Fund may invest in money market funds that are managed by affiliates of the Adviser. The indirect portion of the management fee that the Fund incurs through such investments is in addition to the Adviser’s unitary management fee. Therefore, the Adviser has agreed to waive the management fees that it receives in an amount equal to the indirect management fees that the Fund incurs through its investments in affiliated money market funds through [                         ]. There is no guarantee that the Adviser will extend the waiver of the fees past that date.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the performance of the Investment Advisory Agreement, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its duties and obligations thereunder. The Investment Advisory Agreement continues in effect (following its initial term) only if approved annually by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Investment Advisory Agreement terminates automatically upon assignment and is terminable at any time without penalty as to the Fund by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, or by vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser, or by the Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Fund.

Sub-Advisory Agreements. The Adviser has entered into sub-advisory agreements with certain affiliates to serve as sub-advisers to the Fund (each, a “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) pursuant to which these affiliated sub-advisers may be appointed by the Adviser from time to time to provide discretionary investment management services, investment advice and/or order execution services to the Fund. These affiliated sub-advisers are:

 

    Invesco Advisers, Inc. (previously defined as “Invesco”);

 

    Invesco Asset Management Deutschland GmbH (“Invesco Deutschland”);

 

    Invesco Asset Management Limited (“Invesco Asset Management”);

 

    Invesco Asset Management (Japan) Limited (“Invesco Japan”);

 

    Invesco Hong Kong Limited (“Invesco Hong Kong”);

 

    Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc. (“Invesco Senior Secured”); and

 

    Invesco Canada Ltd. (“Invesco Canada”).

The Adviser and each affiliated sub-adviser listed above are indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries of Invesco Ltd. Under each Sub-Advisory Agreement, each sub-adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the performance of the Sub-Advisory Agreement, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of sub-adviser in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its duties and obligations thereunder. Each Sub-Advisory Agreement continues in effect (following their initial term) only if approved annually by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees.

Each Sub-Advisory Agreement terminates automatically upon assignment or termination of the Advisory Agreement and are terminable at any time without penalty as to the Fund by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, or by vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities on 60 days’ written notice to the relevant Sub-Adviser, by the Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the relevant Sub-Adviser or by the Sub-Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Trust.

Invesco currently serves as Sub-Adviser to the Fund. The Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser a fee which will be computed daily and paid as of the last day of each month equal to 40% of the Adviser’s monthly compensation with respect to the assets of the Fund for which the Sub-Adviser provides sub-advisory services. On an annual basis, the Sub-Advisory fee is equal to 40% of the Adviser’s compensation of the sub-advised assets per year.

 

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Invesco is located at Two Peachtree Pointe, 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309.

Invesco Deutschland is located at An der Welle 5M, 1st Floor, 60322, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Invesco Asset Management is located at Perpetual Park, Perpetual Park Drive, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 1HH, United Kingdom.

Invesco Japan is located at Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 14F, P.O. Box 115, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-6114, Japan.

Invesco Hong Kong is located at 41st Floor, Champion Tower, 3 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong.

Invesco Senior Secured is located at 1166 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036.

Invesco Canada is located at 5140 Yonge Street, Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2N 6X7.

Payments to Financial Intermediaries. The Adviser may pay certain broker-dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries for participating in activities that are designed to make registered representatives and other professionals more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as participation in marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems. As of the date of this SAI, the Adviser had arrangements to make payments, other than for the educational programs and marketing activities described above, only to Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”). Pursuant to the arrangement with Schwab, Schwab has agreed to promote select exchange-traded funds advised by the Adviser to Schwab’s customers and not to charge certain of its customers any commissions when those customers purchase or sell shares of those funds. Payments to a broker-dealer or intermediary may create potential conflicts of interest between the broker-dealer or intermediary and its clients. These amounts are paid by the Adviser from its own resources and not from the assets of the Fund.

Administrator. BNYM serves as administrator for the Fund. Its principal address is 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286.

BNYM serves as Administrator for the Fund pursuant to a fund administration and accounting agreement (the “Administrative Services Agreement”) with the Trust. Under the Administrative Services Agreement, BNYM is obligated on a continuous basis to provide such administrative services as the Board reasonably deems necessary for the proper administration of the Trust and the Fund. BNYM generally will assist in many aspects of the Trust’s and the Fund’s operations, including accounting, bookkeeping and record keeping services (including, without limitation, the maintenance of such books and records as are required under the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder, except as maintained by other service providers), assisting in preparing reports to shareholders or investors; assist in the preparation and filing of tax returns; supply financial information and supporting data for reports to and filings with the SEC; and supply supporting documentation for meetings of the Board.

Pursuant to the Administrative Services Agreement, the Trust has agreed to indemnify the Administrator for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the federal securities laws, unless such loss or liability results from negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties.

Custodian, Transfer Agent and Fund Accounting Agent. BNYM, located at 101 Barclay Street New York, New York 10286, also serves as custodian for the Fund pursuant to a custodian agreement (the “Custodian Agreement”). As Custodian, BNYM holds the Fund’s assets, calculates the NAV of Shares and calculates net income and realized capital gains or losses. BNYM also serves as transfer agent for the Fund pursuant to a transfer agency agreement (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”). Further, BNYM serves as accounting agent pursuant to a fund accounting agreement (the “Fund Accounting Agreement”). BNYM may be reimbursed for its out-of-pocket expenses, and it also receives transaction fees and asset-based fees which are accrued daily and paid annually by the Adviser from the Advisory Fee.

 

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Distributor. Invesco Distributors, Inc. (previously defined as the “Distributor”) is the distributor of the Fund’s Shares. The Distributor’s principal address is 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173. The Distributor has entered into a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”) with the Trust pursuant to which it distributes the Shares. The Fund continuously offers Shares for sale through the Distributor only in Creation Unit Aggregations, as described in the Prospectus and below under the heading “Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations.”

The Distribution Agreement provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on at least 60 days’ written notice by the Trust to the Distributor (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).

Aggregations. The Distributor does not distribute Shares in less than Creation Unit Aggregations. The Distributor will deliver a Prospectus (or a Summary 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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

The Distributor also may enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Unit Aggregations of the Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers also may be Participating Parties (as defined in “Procedures for Creation of Creation Unit Aggregations” below) and DTC Participants (as defined in “DTC Acts as Securities Depository for Shares” below).

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS

The policies of the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser regarding purchases and sales of securities is to give primary consideration to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions under the circumstances. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Adviser’s and the Sub-Adviser’s policies are to pay commissions that are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, as applicable, rely upon their experience and knowledge regarding commissions various brokers generally charge. The sale of Shares by a broker-dealer is not a factor in the selection of broker-dealers.

In seeking to implement its policies, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser, as applicable, effects transactions with those brokers and dealers that the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser believes provide the most favorable prices and are capable of providing efficient executions. The Adviser and Sub-Adviser and their affiliates currently do not participate in soft dollar transactions.

The Adviser or the Sub-Adviser, as applicable, assumes general supervision over placing orders on behalf of the Fund for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities by the Fund and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser are considered at or about the same time, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser, as applicable, allocates transactions in such securities among the funds, the several investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable to all. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security as far as the Fund is concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower brokerage commissions will be beneficial to the Fund. The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price under the circumstances.

Affiliated Transactions. The Adviser or Sub-Adviser may place trades with Invesco Capital Markets, Inc. (“ICMI”) a broker-dealer with whom it is under common control, provided the Adviser or Sub-Adviser determines that the affiliate’s trade execution abilities and costs are at least comparable to those of non-affiliated brokerage firms with which the Adviser or Sub-Adviser could otherwise place similar trades. ICMI receives brokerage commissions in connection with effecting trades for the Fund and, therefore, use of ICMI presents a conflict of interest for the Adviser and Sub-Adviser. Trades placed through ICMI, including the brokerage commissions paid to ICMI, are subject to procedures adopted by the Board.

 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE TRUST

The Trust is an open-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act. The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on November 6, 2007 pursuant to the Declaration of Trust.

The Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares in one or more series or “funds.” The Trust currently is composed of [        ] series. The Board has the right to establish additional series in the future, to determine the preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges thereof and to modify such preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges without shareholder approval. The Declaration of Trust provides that the assets associated solely with any series shall be held and accounted for separately from the assets of the Trust generally or of any other series, and that liabilities belonging to a particular series shall be enforceable only against the assets belonging to that series and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against the assets belonging to any other series.

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 other distributions declared by the Board with respect to the Fund, and in the Fund’s net distributable assets 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. Should the Board establish additional series in the future, the Shares of all of the funds of the Trust, including the Funds, will vote together as a single class, except as otherwise required by the 1940 Act or if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund, and, if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, the shares of that fund will vote separately on such matter.

The Trustees may, except in limited circumstances, amend or supplement the Declaration of Trust without shareholder vote. The holders of Shares are required to disclose information on direct or indirect ownership of Shares as may be required to comply with various laws applicable to the Funds, and ownership of Shares may be disclosed by the Fund if so required by law or regulation.

The Trust is not required and does not intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Shareholders owning more than 33% of the outstanding Shares of the Trust have the right to call a special meeting to remove one or more Trustees or for any other purpose by written request provided that (1) such request shall state the purposes of such meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on, and (2) the shareholders requesting such meeting shall have paid to the Trust the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing the notice thereof, which the Secretary shall determine and specify to such shareholders.

The Trust’s bylaws require that to the fullest extent permitted by law, including Section 3804(e) of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction thereof, any other court in the State of Delaware with subject matter jurisdiction, shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any shareholder (including a beneficial owner of shares) to bring derivatively or directly (i) any claim, suit, action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Trust, (ii) any claim, suit, action or proceeding asserting a claim for breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any Trustee, officer or employee, if any, of the Trust to the Trust or the Trust’s shareholders, (iii) any claim, suit, action or proceeding asserting a claim against the Trust, its Trustees, officers or employees, if any, arising pursuant to any provision of Delaware statutory or common law, or any federal or state securities law, in each case as amended from time to time, or the Trust’s Declaration of Trust or bylaws; or (iv) any claim, suit, action or proceeding asserting a claim against the Trust, its Trustees, officers or employees, if any, governed by the internal affairs doctrine.

The Trust does not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of Shares held by DTC Participants (as defined below).

 

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Shareholders may make inquiries by writing to the Trust, c/o the Distributor, Invesco Distributors, Inc., 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173.

Book Entry Only System. The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Book Entry.”

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

Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records DTC maintains (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 and sale of 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, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such DTC Participant may transmit such notice, statement or communication, 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.

Fund distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall 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 providing its service with respect to Shares 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.

 

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Proxy Voting. The Board believes that the voting of proxies on securities held by the Fund is an important element of the overall investment process. As such, the Board has delegated responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Fund to the Adviser. The Adviser votes such proxies in accordance with its proxy policies and procedures, which are summarized in Appendix A (for the Adviser) and in Appendix B (for the Sub-Advisers) to this SAI. The Board periodically reviews the Fund’s proxy voting record.

The Trust is required to disclose annually the Fund’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX covering the period July 1 through June 30 and file it with the SEC no later than August 31. Form N-PX for the Trust also is available at no charge upon request by calling 800-983-0903 or by writing to PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust at 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515. The Trust’s Form N-PX also will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Codes of Ethics. Pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, the Board has adopted a Code of Ethics for the Trust and approved Codes of Ethics adopted by the Adviser, Sub-Adviser and the Distributor (collectively, the “Ethics Codes”). The Ethics Codes are intended to ensure that the interests of shareholders and other clients are placed ahead of any personal interest, that no undue personal benefit is obtained from the person’s employment activities and that actual and potential conflicts of interest are avoided.

The Ethics Codes apply to the personal investing activities of Trustees and officers of the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and the Distributor (“Access Persons”). Rule 17j-1 and the Ethics Codes are designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by Access Persons. Under the Ethics Codes, Access Persons may engage in personal securities transactions, but must report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. The Ethics Codes permit personnel subject to the Ethics Codes to invest in securities subject to certain limitations, including securities that the Fund may purchase or sell. In addition, certain Access Persons must obtain approval before investing in initial public offerings or private placements. The Ethics Codes are on file with the SEC and are available to the public at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 202.942.8090. The Ethics Codes are also available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov. The Ethics Codes may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by e-mail at publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the SEC’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-0102.

CREA TION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNIT AGGREGATIONS

Creation. The Trust issues Shares of the Fund only in Creation Unit Aggregations on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at its NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined below), of an order in proper form.

A “Business Day” is any day on which the NYSE is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, the NYSE observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Deposit of Securities and Delivery of Cash. Creation Units of the Fund generally are sold principally in cash, plus any applicable administrative or other transaction fees as discussed below. When creations principally in-kind are permitted or required, an investor must deposit the Deposit Securities per each Creation Unit Aggregation constituting a substantial replication of the securities included in the Fund (“Fund Securities”) and the Cash Component computed as described below, plus a fixed and a variable transaction fee, as discussed 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 a Fund. However, the Fund also reserves the right to permit or require Creation Units to be issued in exchange for cash (see “Cash Purchase Method” below).

The Sub-Adviser expects that the Deposit Securities should correspond pro rata, to the extent practicable, to the securities held by a Fund. In such event, the Cash Component will represent the difference between the NAV of a Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities.

 

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The Cash Component is sometimes also referred to as the “Balancing Amount.” The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit Aggregation and the Deposit Amount (as defined below). The Cash Component is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares (per Creation Unit Aggregation) and the “Deposit Amount”—an amount equal to the market value of the Deposit Securities. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit Aggregation exceeds the Deposit Amount), the AP (as defined below) will deliver the Cash Component. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit Aggregation is less than the Deposit Amount), the AP will receive the Cash Component.

The Custodian, through the NSCC will make available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. Information on the specific names and holdings in a Fund Deposit will be available at www.powershares.com/capitalmarkets. In addition, the NSCC will make available information on the amount of cash required for a Creation Unit. Such Fund Deposit is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, to effect creations of Creation Unit Aggregations until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities is made available.

During times in which the Fund utilizes in-kind creations, the identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund will change as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected within the Fund from time to time by the Adviser, with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. In addition, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash—i.e., a “cash in lieu” amount—to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security that: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery, (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC or the Clearing Process (discussed below), if any, (iii) might not be eligible for trading by an AP (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting, or (iv) another relevant reason. Brokerage commissions incurred in connection with the acquisition of Deposit Securities not eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC, and hence not eligible for transfer through the Clearing Process (discussed below), if any, will be at the expense of the Fund and will affect the value of all Shares; however, the Adviser may adjust the transaction fee to protect ongoing shareholders. Such adjustments will reflect changes known to the Adviser or Sub-Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, resulting from certain corporate actions.

In addition to the list of names and numbers of securities constituting the current Deposit Securities of the Fund Deposit, the Custodian, through the NSCC, also makes available on each Business Day, the estimated Cash Component, effective through and including the previous Business Day, per outstanding Creation Unit Aggregation.

Creations and redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities are subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws, and the Fund reserves the right to redeem Creation Aggregations for cash to the extent that an investor could not lawfully purchase or the Fund could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities under such laws. An AP (defined below) 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. An AP (as defined below) that is not a qualified institutional buyer (“QIB”) as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act will not be able to receive, as part of a redemption, restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A.

Cash Purchase Method. During periods when partial or full cash purchases of Creation Units are permitted, such purchases will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases. In the case of a partial or full cash purchase, an AP (as defined below) 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. Such cash equivalent is referred to as the “Deposit Cash.”

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 (i) a “Participating Party,” i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see the “Book Entry Only System” section), and, in each case, must have executed an agreement with the Distributor, with respect


to creations and redemptions of Creation Unit Aggregations (“Participant Agreement”) (discussed below). A Participating Party and DTC Participant are collectively referred to as an “AP.” Investors should contact the Distributor for the names of APs that have signed a Participant Agreement. All Shares, however created, will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of Cede & Co. for the account of a DTC Participant.

The Distributor must receive all orders to create Creation Unit Aggregations no later than the closing time of the regular trading session on the NYSE (“Closing Time”) (ordinarily 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) in each case on the date such order is placed in order for creation of Creation Unit Aggregations to be effected based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund as next determined on such date after receipt of the order in proper form. With respect to in-kind creations, a custom order may be placed by an AP when cash replaces any Deposit Security which may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or which may not be eligible for trading by such AP or the investor for which it is acting or other relevant reason. The date on which an order to create Creation Unit Aggregations (or an order to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations, as discussed below) is placed is referred to as the “Transmittal Date.” In the case of custom orders, the Distributor must receive the order no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the Transmittal Date.

On days when a listing exchange or the bond markets close earlier than normal (such as the day before a holiday), the Fund may require orders to create Creation Unit Aggregations to be placed earlier in the day on the Transmittal Date. For example, on days when the generally accepted close of the bond market occurs earlier than normal, in-kind creation orders requesting a “cash-in-lieu” amount must be received by the Distributor no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern time. Orders must be transmitted by an AP by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, as described below. Orders to create Creation Units may be placed through the Clearing Process (see “Placement of Creation Orders Using Clearing Process”) or outside the Clearing Process (see “Placement of Creation Orders Outside Clearing Process”). Severe economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an AP.

All orders from investors who are not APs to create Creation Unit Aggregations shall be placed with an AP in the form required by such AP. In addition, the AP may request the investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to create Creation Unit Aggregations have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an AP 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. 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 Cash Component (or, if applicable, the Deposit Cash).

Placement of Creation Orders Using Clearing Process. The Clearing Process is the process of creating or redeeming Creation Unit Aggregations through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC. 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 to transmit through the Custodian to the 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 the NSCC, the Participating Party agrees to deliver the requisite Deposit Cash or Fund Deposit to the Trust, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor. 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.

An order to create Creation Unit Aggregations using the Clearing Process that is made in proper form but received by the Trust after Closing Time will be deemed received on the next Business Day immediately following the date that the order was placed, and it will be effected at the NAV next determined on such Business Day. That next Business Day will be deemed the Transmittal Date. The Creation Unit will be transferred no later than the third Business Day following the Transmittal Date (“T+3”).

 

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Placement of Creation Orders Outside Clearing Process. Fund Deposits made outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through a DTC Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement pre-approved by the Adviser and the Distributor. A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order creating Creation Units 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 cash and/or securities 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 or Deposit Cash to the account of the Fund by no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern time, on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date.

A standard creation order must be placed by 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, for purchases of Shares, in order for the date the order is placed to be deemed the Transmittal Date. In the case of custom orders, the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern time to be deemed the Transmittal Date. An AP must contact the Distributor to obtain approval prior to submitting such a creation order. The Distributor will inform the Transfer Agent, the Adviser and the Custodian upon receipt of a creation order.

At times when the Fund permits in-kind creations, and in accordance with the Fund’s Participant Agreement, Creation Unit Aggregations may be issued to an AP notwithstanding the fact that the corresponding Fund Deposits have not been received in part or in whole, in reliance on the undertaking of the AP to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible. 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, the AP must deposit cash in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) 105% of the market value of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”). The Adviser may change the required percentage of the Additional Cash Deposit from time to time. Such cash collateral must be delivered no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern time, on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Fund, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Fund in an amount at least equal to 105% of the daily marked-to-market value of the missing Deposit Securities.

The amount of cash equal to the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, by the “regular way” settlement date. 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 no 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 the Custodian does not receive both the required Deposit Securities and the Cash Component by 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, respectively, by the “regular way” settlement date, such order will be canceled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current Deposit Securities and Cash Component. The delivery of Creation Unit Aggregations so created will occur no later than T+3. For more information, see the chart setting forth the timing for placement of creation and redemption orders.

Additional transaction fees may be imposed with respect to transactions made in connection with the creation or redemption of Creation Units. (See “Creation and Redemption Transaction Fees” section below).

Acceptance of Orders for Creation Unit Aggregations. The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of the Fund if: (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, Deposit Cash or Fund Deposit delivered are not as designated for that date by the Custodian, as described above; (iv) acceptance of the Deposit Cash or Fund Deposit would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (v) acceptance of the Deposit Securities, Deposit Cash or 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 the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of Beneficial Owners; or (vii) in the event that

 

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circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Distributor and the Adviser 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, the Distributor, the Adviser, DTC, NSCC, the Federal Reserve, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian or 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 AP acting on behalf of such prospective creator of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Transfer Agent 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.

A confirmation of acceptance of an order to create Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered to the AP within 15 minutes of the receipt of a submission received in good form. A creation order is deemed to be irrevocable upon the delivery of the confirmation of acceptance.

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 and Redemption Transaction Fees. APs may be required to pay an administrative fee and a variable transaction fee for purchasing or redeeming Creation Units. Creation and redemption transactions for the Fund are subject to an administrative fee of $500, payable to BNYM, irrespective of the size of the order. The administrative fee has a fixed base amount for the Fund; however, BNYM may increase the administrative fee for up to $2,000, for administration and settlement of non-standard orders requiring additional administrative processing by BNYM. Additionally, for creations or redemptions effected principally for cash, the Adviser may charge additional variable fees up to the maximum discussed above. To the extent that the Fund permits or requires APs to substitute cash in lieu of Deposit Securities, the Adviser may also set additional “cash-in-lieu fees.” The variable fees and cash-in-lieu fees will be negotiated between the Adviser and the AP and are charged to offset the transaction cost to the Fund of buying (or selling) Deposit Securities, to cover spreads and slippage costs and to protect existing shareholders against sudden movements in the prices of the portfolio investments due to market events. The variable fees and cash-in-lieu fees are payable to the Fund and will not exceed 2% of the value of the Creation Unit. From time to time, the Adviser, in its sole discretion, may adjust a Fund’s variable transaction fees or reimburse APs for all or a portion of the creation or redemption transaction fees.

Procedures for Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Unit Aggregations at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Custodian and only on a Business Day. The Fund will not redeem Shares in amounts less than Creation Unit Aggregations. Beneficial Owners must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit Aggregation in order to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit Aggregation. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit Aggregation.

To the extent the Fund permits redemptions principally in-kind, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the identity of the Fund Securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as described below) on that day. Information on the specific names and holdings of Fund Securities also are available at www.powershares.com/capitalmarkets. Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities that are applicable to creations of Creation Unit Aggregations, and may be comprised of a non-typical basket of Fund Securities, including in certain circumstances, a basket comprised of one or more Fund Securities.

Unless cash redemptions are permitted or required for the Fund (see “—Cash Redemption Method” below), the redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit Aggregation consist of Fund Securities—as announced on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form—plus or minus cash in an amount equal to the difference

 

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between the NAV of the Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Redemption Cash Component”), less a redemption transaction fee as noted above (see “Creation and Redemption Transaction Fees”). In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the difference is required to be made by or through an AP by the redeeming shareholder to the Fund as compensation.

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

For in-kind redemptions, redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws, and the Fund 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 AP 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. This would specifically prohibit delivery of Fund Securities that are not registered in reliance upon Rule 144A under the Securities Act to a redeeming investor that is not a QIB, as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act.

Cash Redemption Method. During periods when partial or full cash redemptions of Creation Units are permitted, such redemptions will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions. In the case of partial or full cash redemption, an AP receives the cash equivalent of the Fund Securities it would otherwise receive through an in-kind redemption, plus the same cash amount to be paid to an in-kind redeemer (minus any redemption transaction fees imposed, as specified above) (the “Cash Redemption Amount”).

Placement of Redemption Orders Using Clearing Process. Orders to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations must be delivered through an AP that has executed a Participant Agreement. Investors other than APs are responsible for making arrangements for an order to redeem to be made through an AP. An order to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations is deemed received by the Trust on the Transmittal Date if: (i) such order is received by the Custodian not later than the Closing Time, on the Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. An order to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations using the Clearing Process made in proper form but received by the Trust after 4:00 p.m., Eastern time will be deemed received on the next Business Day immediately following the date that redemption requested was placed, and will be effected at the NAV next determined on such Business Day. The requisite Cash Redemption Amount (or for in-kind redemptions, Fund Securities and any Redemption Cash Component) will be transferred by the third NSCC Business Day following the date on which such request for redemption is deemed received (“T+3”).

Placement of Redemption Orders Outside 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. A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order for redemption of 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 redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations will instead be effected through transfer of Shares directly through DTC. 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 the Transfer Agent not later than 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on such Transmittal Date; (ii) such order is accompanied or followed by the requisite number of Shares, which delivery must be made through DTC to the Custodian no later than 11:00 a.m., Eastern time (for the Shares), on the next Business Day immediately following such Transmittal Date (the “DTC Cut-Off-Time”) and 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, for any Redemption Cash Component, if any owed to such Fund; 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, it will send an acceptance of the redemption order to the AP within 15 minutes of the receipt of the submission received in good form. A redemption order is deemed to be irrevocable upon the delivery of the confirmation of acceptance. The Trust will then initiate

 

53


procedures to transfer the requisite Cash Redemption Amount or Fund Securities (and the Redemption Cash Component, if any, owed to the redeeming Beneficial Owner), as applicable, which are expected to be delivered to the AP on behalf of the redeeming Beneficial Owner by T+3.

A standard order for redemption must be placed by 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the Transmittal Date. In the case of custom redemptions, the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern time on the Transmittal Date. In addition, the Fund may accept redemption orders placed after 4:00 p.m. on the day prior to the Transmittal Date. An AP must contact the Distributor to obtain approval prior to submitting such a redemption order. Arrangements satisfactory to the Trust must be in place for the Participating Party to transfer the Creation Units through DTC on or before the settlement date. Should the Fund permit redemptions in-kind, such redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws, and in such instances, the Fund reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Fund could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so first without registering the Deposit Securities under such laws.

In the event that the number of Shares is insufficient on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date, the Trust may deliver the Fund Securities (and Redemption Cash Component) or the Cash Redemption Amount to the AP notwithstanding such deficiency, in reliance on the undertaking of the AP to deliver the missing Shares as soon as possible. This undertaking shall be secured by such AP’s delivery on the contractual settlement date (and subsequent maintenance) of collateral consisting of cash having a value at least equal to 105% of the value of the missing Shares. The AP’s agreement permits the Trust, acting in good faith, to purchase the missing Shares at any time and the AP will be subject to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such shares and the value of the collateral, which may be sold by the Trust at such time, and in such manner, as the Trust may determine in its sole discretion.

For in-kind redemptions, the calculation of the value of the Fund Securities and the Redemption Cash Component to be delivered or received upon redemption will be made by the Custodian 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. Therefore, if a redemption order in proper form is submitted to the Transfer Agent by a DTC Participant no later than Closing Time on the Transmittal Date, and the requisite number of Shares are delivered to the Custodian prior to the DTC Cut-Off-Time, then the value of the Fund Securities and the Redemption Cash Component to be delivered/received will be determined by the Custodian on such Transmittal Date. If, however, a redemption order is submitted to the Custodian by a DTC Participant no later than Closing Time on the Transmittal Date but either (i) the requisite number of Shares of the relevant Fund are not delivered by the DTC Cut-Off-Time, as described above, on the Transmittal Date or (ii) the redemption order is not submitted in proper form, then the redemption order will not be deemed received as of the Transmittal Date. In such case, the value of the Fund Securities and the Redemption Cash Component to be delivered/received will be computed on the Business Day that the order is received by the Trust (i.e., the Business Day on which Shares of the relevant Fund are delivered through DTC to the Custodian by the DTC Cut-Off-Time on such Business Day pursuant to a properly submitted redemption order).

Upon receipt of a redemption order in good form, the Transfer Agent will deliver an acknowledgement of receipt within 15 minutes. A redemption order is deemed to be irrevocable upon the delivery of the acknowledgement of receipt of an order.

If it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming Beneficial Owner will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the relevant 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 Fund’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities).

Additionally, to the extent that the Fund issues redemptions in-kind, the Fund also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, may provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities, or cash-in-lieu of some Fund Securities, but in no event will the total value of

 

54


the securities delivered and the cash transmitted differ from the NAV. An AP 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 AP 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, beneficial ownership of shares or delivery instructions.

The chart below describes in further detail the placement of creation and redemption orders through the NSCC and outside the Clearing Process, presuming a creation or redemption settling no later than T+3.

 

    

Transmittal Date (T)

  

Next Business Day (T+1)

  

Second Business Day (T+2)

  

Third Business Day (T+3)

Creation through NSCC

           
Standard Orders   

4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the Distributor.

 

Orders received after 4:00 p.m. (ET) will be deemed received on the next business day (T+1).

   No action.    No action.    Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered.
Custom Orders (for in-kind creations)   

3:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the Distributor.

 

Orders received after 3:00 p.m. (ET) require portfolio manager approvals before acceptance. Orders may be subject to additional fees.

   No action.    No action.    Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered.
Creation Outside NSCC            
Standard Orders   

4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order in proper form must be received by the Distributor.

  

11:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Deposit Securities must be received by the Fund’s account through DTC.

 

For cash creations: Deposit Cash must be received by the Custodian.

 

2:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Cash Component must be received by the Custodian.

   No action.    Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered.

 

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Transmittal Date (T)

  

Next Business Day (T+1)

  

Second Business Day (T+2)

  

Third Business Day (T+3)

Standard Orders created in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the Deposit Securities (for in-kind creations)   

4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order in proper form must be received by the Distributor.

  

11:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Available Deposit Securities must be received.

 

Cash in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) 105% of the market value of the undelivered Deposit Securities must be received.

   No action.   

Missing Deposit Securities are due to the Trust or the Trust may use cash on deposit to purchase missing Deposit Securities.

 

Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered.

Custom Orders (for in-kind creations)   

3:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order in proper form must be received by the Distributor.

 

Orders received after 3:00 p.m. (ET) require portfolio manager approvals before acceptance. Orders may be subject to additional fees.

  

11:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Deposit Securities must be received by the Fund’s account through DTC.

 

2:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Cash Component must be received by the Custodian.

   No action.    Creation Unit Aggregations will be delivered.

Redemption Through NSCC

Standard Orders   

4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the Transfer Agent.

 

Orders received after 4:00 p.m. (ET) will be deemed received on the next business day (T+1).

   No action.    No action.    Fund Securities and Redemption Cash Component will be transferred to beneficial owner (For cash redemptions, Cash Redemption Amount will be transferred).
Custom Orders (for in-kind redemptions)   

3:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the Transfer Agent.

 

Orders received after 3:00 p.m. (ET) require portfolio manager approvals before acceptance. Orders may be subject to additional fees.

   No action.    No action.    Fund Securities and Redemption Cash Component will be transferred to beneficial owner.

 

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Redemption Outside NSCC

Standard Orders   

4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the Transfer Agent.

 

Orders received after 4:00 p.m. (ET) will be deemed received on the next business day (T+1).

  

11:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Shares must be delivered through DTC to the Custodian.

 

2:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Redemption Cash Component, if any, is due.

 

*If the order is not in proper form or the Shares are not delivered, then the order will not be deemed received as of T.

   No action.    Fund Securities and Redemption Cash Component are delivered to the redeeming beneficial owner (For cash redemptions, Cash Redemption Amount is delivered to the redeeming beneficial owner).
    

Transmittal Date (T)

  

Next Business Day (T+1)

  

Second Business Day (T+2)

  

Third Business Day (T+3)

Custom Orders (for in-kind redemptions)   

3:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Order must be received by the Transfer Agent.

 

Orders received after 3:00 p.m. (ET) require portfolio manager approvals before acceptance. Orders may be subject to additional fees.

  

11:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Shares must be delivered through DTC to the Custodian.

 

2:00 p.m. (ET) Redemption Cash Component, if any, is due.

 

*If the order is not in proper form or the Shares are not delivered, then the order will not be deemed received as of T.

   No action.    Fund Securities and Redemption Cash Component is delivered to the redeeming beneficial owner.

TAXES

The following is a summary of certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Funds and their shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning.

 

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The following is provided as general information only and is not tax advice. All investors should consult their own tax advisors as to the federal, state, local and foreign tax provisions applicable to them.

General; Qualification as a RIC. Each Fund is treated as a separate corporation for federal tax purposes and, therefore, is considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs described herein and in the Prospectus. Losses in a Fund do not offset gains in another series of the Trust, and the requirements (other than a certain organizational requirement that the Trust satisfies) for qualifying for RIC status are determined at the Fund level rather than the Trust level.

Each Fund has elected and intends to qualify each taxable year to be treated as a RIC. If a Fund satisfies the requirements referred to in the next sentence, it will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its net investment income and net realized capital gains that it distributes to its shareholders. To qualify for that treatment, a Fund annually must distribute to its shareholders at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (which includes dividends, interest, the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss (“net short-term gain”), and net gains and losses from certain foreign currency transactions, if any, all determined without regard to any deduction for dividends paid) (“Distribution Requirement”) and must meet several other requirements, including those described below, relating to the nature of its gross income and the diversification of its assets.

Income Requirement . A Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from (1) dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities, or foreign currencies, or other income (including gains from options, futures, or forward contracts) derived from its business of investing in stock, securities, or such currencies and (2) net income derived from qualified publicly traded partnerships (“QPTPs”).

Asset Diversification Requirements. A Fund must satisfy the following asset diversification requirements at the close of each quarter of its taxable year: (1) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, Government securities, securities of other RICs, and securities of any other issuer (as to which (a) not more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is in securities of the issuer and (b) the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer); and (2) no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than Government securities or securities of other RICs) or of two or more issuers that the Fund controls and are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or, collectively, in the securities of QPTPs.

If a Fund failed to qualify for any taxable year for treatment as a RIC—either (1) by failing to satisfy the Distribution Requirement or (2) by failing to satisfy one or more of the Income and Asset Diversification Requirements and is unable, or determines not to, avail itself of Internal Revenue Code provisions that enable a RIC to cure a failure to satisfy any of those requirements as long as the failure “is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect” and the RIC pays a deductible tax calculated in accordance with those provisions and meets certain other requirements—all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular federal corporate income tax rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders. In addition, for federal income tax purposes (a) the Fund’s shareholders would treat all those distributions, including distributions of net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), as dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, taxable as ordinary income, except that, for individual and certain other non-corporate shareholders (each, an “individual shareholder”), the part thereof that is “qualified dividend income” (“QDI”) would be subject to federal income tax at the rates for net capital gain—a maximum of 15% (20% for certain high income individual shareholders)—and (b) all or part of those distributions might be eligible for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders that meet certain holding period and other requirements regarding their Shares. Furthermore, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying for RIC treatment.

Each Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax (“Excise Tax”) to the extent it fails to distribute to its shareholders by the end of any calendar year substantially all of its ordinary (taxable) income for the calendar year and capital gain net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of such year, plus certain other amounts. For these purposes, a Fund may defer into the next taxable year any capital loss incurred between November 1 and the end of the current taxable year as well as certain “late-year ordinary losses” incurred between January 1 and the end of the current taxable year. Generally, it is the Funds’ policy to pay sufficient dividends and make other sufficient distributions each year to avoid the imposition of the Excise Tax, but the Funds can give no assurance that all or a portion of such liability will be avoided.

 

58


The Trust has the right to reject an order to purchase Shares if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, on obtaining the ordered Shares, own 80% or more of a Fund’s outstanding Shares and if, pursuant to sections 351 and 362 of the Internal Revenue Code, a Fund would have a basis in the Deposit Securities to be received in exchange for the ordered Shares different from their market value 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.

Taxation of Shareholders. Distributions from a Fund’s net investment income and net short-term gain, if any, are generally taxable as ordinary income (except for QDI, as described below). Distributions that a shareholder reinvests in additional Shares through the means of a dividend reinvestment service will be taxable to the shareholder to the same extent as if the distributions had been received in cash. Distributions to a shareholder of net capital gain, if any, are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long the shareholder has held his or her Shares. Distributions of ordinary income and capital gains may also be subject to state and local taxes.

Distributions that a Fund declares in October, November, or December and pays to shareholders of record in one of those months during the following January are treated as having been received by the shareholders on December 31 of the year the distributions were declared.

If, for any taxable year, the total distributions that a Fund makes exceed its current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will, for federal income tax purposes, be treated as a return of capital up to the amount of a shareholder’s basis in his or her Shares and thereafter as gain from the sale of those Shares. The amount so treated as a return of capital will reduce the shareholder’s adjusted basis in his or her Shares, thereby increasing his or her potential gain or reducing his or her potential loss on the subsequent sale of those Shares.

The sale or redemption (“disposition”) of Shares may give rise to a capital gain or loss, which generally will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and otherwise as short-term capital gain or loss. Long-term capital gains of individual shareholders generally are subject to federal income tax at the 15%/20% maximum rates noted above. In addition, a Fund’s distributions to such a shareholder of QDI will qualify for federal income taxation at those rates, provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met by the Fund and the shareholder. Each Fund will report to shareholders annually the amount of any distributions taxable as ordinary income (from net investment income and net short-term gain), the amount of any distributions from net capital gain, and the portion, if any, of dividends that may qualify as QDI.

A loss realized on a disposition of Shares may be disallowed if other Shares are acquired (whether through the automatic reinvestment of distributions, if available, or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date that the Shares are disposed of. In such a case, the basis in the acquired Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. In addition, any loss on a shareholder’s disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any distribution of net capital gain received by the shareholder with respect to such Shares.

An individual is required to pay a 3.8% federal tax on the lesser of (1) the individual’s “net investment income,” which generally will include distributions a Fund pays and gains recognized from the disposition of Shares, or (2) the excess of the individual’s “modified adjusted gross income” over $200,000 for single taxpayers ($250,000 for married persons filing jointly). This tax is in addition to any other taxes due on that income. A similar tax applies to estates and trusts. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the effect, if any, that this provision may have on their investment in Shares.

A shareholder who wants to use the average basis method for determining his or her basis in Shares must elect to do so in writing (which may be electronic) with the broker through which he or she purchased the Shares. A shareholder who wishes to use a different Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”)-acceptable method for basis determination (e.g., a specific identification method) may elect to do so. Shareholders are urged to consult with their brokers regarding the application of the basis determination rules to them.

 

59


If more than 50% of the value of a Fund’s total assets at the close of any taxable year consists of securities of foreign corporations, it will be eligible to, and may, file an election for that year with the IRS that would enable it to pass through to its shareholders to benefit from any foreign tax credits or deductions available with respect to foreign taxes it pays. Pursuant to the election, the Fund would treat those taxes as dividends paid to its shareholders and each shareholder (1) would be required to include in gross income, and treat as paid by the shareholder, the shareholder’s proportionate share of those taxes, (2) would be required to treat that share of those taxes and of any dividend the Fund paid that represents income from foreign sources or U.S. possessions (“foreign-source income”) as the shareholder’s own income from those sources, and (3) could either use the foregoing information in calculating the foreign tax credit against the shareholder’s federal income tax or, alternatively, deduct the foreign taxes deemed paid by the shareholder in computing taxable income. If a Fund makes this election for a taxable year, it will report to its shareholders shortly after that year their respective shares of the foreign taxes it paid and its foreign-source income for that year.

Individual shareholders of a Fund described in the preceding paragraph who have no more than $300 ($600 for married persons filing jointly) of creditable foreign taxes included on IRS Forms 1099 and all of whose foreign source income is “qualified passive income” may elect each taxable year to be exempt from the foreign tax credit limitation for federal income tax purposes (about which shareholders may wish to consult their tax advisors), in which event they would be able to claim a foreign tax credit without having to file the detailed IRS Form 1116 that otherwise is required. A shareholder will not be entitled to credit or deduct its allocable portion of foreign taxes the Fund paid if the shareholder has not held the Fund’s shares for at least 16 days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days before the ex-distribution date for those shares. The minimum holding period will be extended if the shareholder’s risk of loss with respect to those shares is reduced by reason of holding an offsetting position. No deduction for foreign taxes may be claimed by a shareholder who does not itemize deductions. A nonresident alien individual, foreign corporation or partnership, or foreign trust or estate holding shares of the Fund (a “foreign shareholder”) may not deduct or claim a credit for foreign taxes in determining its U.S. federal income tax liability unless the Fund dividends paid to it are effectively connected with the foreign shareholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (“effectively connected”).

Distributions of ordinary income paid to a foreign shareholder that are not effectively connected generally will be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax (unless a reduced rate of withholding or a withholding exemption is provided under an applicable treaty). However, a foreign shareholder generally will not be subject to withholding or income tax on gains realized on the sale of Shares or on net capital gain distributions unless (1) the gain or distribution is effectively connected or (2) in the case of an individual, the shareholder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or distribution and certain other conditions are met. In those cases, such gains and distributions generally will be subject to federal income taxation at regular income tax rates. Foreign shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors concerning the applicability of the federal withholding tax. Nonresident alien individuals also may be subject to federal estate tax.

A Fund must withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury Department (“U.S. Treasury”) 28% of distributions of ordinary income, capital gains, and any cash received on redemption of Creation Units (regardless of the extent to which gain or loss may be realized) otherwise payable to any individual shareholder who fails to certify that the taxpayer identification number furnished to the Fund is correct or who furnishes an incorrect number (together with the withholding described in the next sentence, “backup withholding”). Withholding at that rate also is required from the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions otherwise payable to such a shareholder who is subject to backup withholding for any other reason. Backup withholding is not an additional tax, and any amounts so withheld may be credited against a shareholder’s federal income tax liability or refunded. When establishing an account, an investor must certify under penalty of perjury that such number is correct and that the investor is not otherwise subject to backup withholding.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”). Under FATCA, “foreign financial institutions” (“FFIs”) or “non-financial foreign entities” (“NFFEs”) that are shareholders in a Fund may be subject to a generally nonrefundable 30% withholding tax on (a) income dividends, and (b) certain capital gain distributions and the proceeds of a sale (or redemption) of Shares paid after December 31, 2018. As discussed in more detail below, the FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided (1) by an FFI, if it reports certain information regarding direct and indirect ownership of financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (2) by an NFFE, if it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners and, in certain circumstances, also certified that (i) it has no substantial U.S.

 

60


persons as owners or (ii) it does have any such owners and reports information relating to them to the withholding agent (which may be the Fund). The U.S. Treasury has negotiated intergovernmental agreements (“IGAs”) with certain countries and is in various stages of negotiations with a number of other foreign countries with respect to one or more alternative approaches to implement FATCA; an entity in one of those countries may be required to comply with the terms of an IGA instead of U.S. Treasury regulations.

An FFI can avoid FATCA withholding by becoming a “participating FFI,” which requires the FFI to enter into a tax compliance agreement with the IRS under the Internal Revenue Code. Under such an agreement, a participating FFI agrees to (1) verify and document whether it has U.S. accountholders, (2) report certain information regarding their accounts to the IRS, and (3) meet certain other specified requirements.

An FFI resident in a country that has entered into a Model I IGA with the United States must report to the government of that country (pursuant to the terms of the applicable IGA and applicable law), which will, in turn, report to the IRS. An FFI resident in a Model II IGA country generally must comply with U.S. regulatory requirements, with certain exceptions, including the treatment of recalcitrant accountholders. An FFI resident in one of those countries that complies with whichever of the foregoing applies will be exempt from FATCA withholding.

An NFFE that is the beneficial owner of a payment from the Fund can avoid FATCA withholding generally by certifying that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or by providing the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each such owner. The NFFE will report to the Fund or other applicable withholding agent, which will, in turn, report information to the IRS.

Those foreign shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted, or deemed compliant categories established by U.S. Treasury regulations, IGAs, and other guidance regarding FATCA. An FFI or NFFE that invests in the Fund will need to provide the Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity’s status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. The requirements imposed by FATCA are different from, and in addition to, the tax certification rules to avoid backup withholding described above. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of these requirements to their own situation and the impact thereof on their investment in a Fund.

Taxation of Fund Investments. A Fund may make investments that are subject to special federal income tax rules. Those rules can, among other things, affect the timing of the recognition of income or gain, the treatment of income as capital or ordinary, and the treatment of capital gain or loss as long-term or short-term. The application of those special rules would therefore also affect the amount, timing and character of distributions that a Fund makes and could require the Fund to borrow money or dispose of some of its investments earlier than anticipated in order to meet its distribution requirements.

Investment income received, and gains realized, by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income tax withheld at the source, and the amount of tax withheld generally will be treated as an expense of the Fund. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries that entitle the Fund to a reduced rate of, or exemption from, tax on such income. Some countries require the filing of a tax reclaim or other form(s) to receive the benefit of the reduced tax rate; whether or when the Fund will receive a tax reclaim is within the control of the individual country. Information required on those forms may not be available, such as shareholder information; therefore, the Fund may not receive one or more reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries have conflicting and changing instructions and restrictive timing requirements that also may cause the Fund to not receive one or more reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries may subject capital gains realized by the Fund on the sale or other disposition of securities of that country to taxation. It is impossible to determine the effective rate of foreign tax in advance, since the amount of the Fund’s assets to be invested in various countries is not known.

* * * * *

The foregoing discussion is a summary only and is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Purchasers of Shares should consult their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of investing in such Shares, including under federal, state, local and other tax laws. Finally, the foregoing discussion is based on applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, regulations, judicial authority and administrative interpretations in effect on the date hereof, all of which are subject to change, which change may be retroactive. Changes in applicable authority could materially affect the conclusions discussed above, and such changes often occur.

 

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DETERMINATION OF NAV

The following information should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Net Asset Value.” Additional information regarding the current NAV per share of the Fund can be found at www.powershares.com.

The Custodian calculates and determines the NAV per Share as of the close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that the NYSE is open, provided that U.S. fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association announces an early closing time. NAV is calculated by deducting all of the Fund’s liabilities from the total value of its assets and dividing the result by the number of Shares outstanding, rounding to the nearest cent. All valuations are subject to review by the Board or its delegate. In determining NAV, expenses are accrued and applied daily and securities and other assets for which market quotations are available are valued at market value. Securities listed or traded on an exchange generally are valued at the last sales price or official closing price of the exchange where the security primarily is traded. Investment companies are valued using such company’s NAV per share, unless the shares are exchange-traded, in which case they will be valued at the last sale or official closing price on the exchanges on which they primarily trade. Debt and securities not listed on an exchange normally are valued on the basis of prices provided by independent pricing services. The Sub-Adviser may use various pricing services or discontinue the use of any pricing service at any time. When price quotes are not readily available, securities will be valued using pricing provided from independent pricing services or by another method in accordance with the Trust’s valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board.

Even when market quotations are available for portfolio securities, they may be stale or unreliable because the security is not traded frequently, trading on the security ceased before the close of the trading market or issuer specific events occurred after the security ceased trading or because of the passage of time between the close of the market on which the security trades and the close of the NYSE and when the Fund calculates its NAV. Events that may cause the last market quotation to be unreliable include a merger or insolvency, events which affect a geographical area or an industry segment, such as political events or natural disasters, or market events, such as a significant movement in the U.S. market. Where market quotations are not readily available, including where the Adviser determines that the closing price of the security is unreliable, the Adviser will value the security at fair value in good faith using procedures approved by the Board. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments, and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security.

Intraday Indicative Value. The trading prices of the Shares in the secondary market generally differ from the Fund’s daily NAV and are affected by market forces such as the supply of and demand for ETF shares and underlying securities held by the Fund, economic conditions and other factors. Information regarding the IIV of the Shares is disseminated every 15 seconds throughout each trading day by the Exchange or by market data vendors or other information providers. However, the IIV should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the Fund’s NAV. The IIV is based on the current market value of the published basket of portfolio securities and/or cash required to be deposited in exchange for a Creation Unit and does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the Fund’s actual portfolio at a particular point in time. Moreover, the IIV is generally determined by using current market quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers and other market intermediaries and valuations based on current market rates. The IIV may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which (i) is computed only once a day, (ii) unlike the calculation of the IIV, takes into account Fund expenses, and (iii) may be subject, in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act, to fair valuation at different prices than those used in the calculations of the IIV. Therefore, the IIV may not reflect the best possible valuation of the Fund’s current portfolio. Additionally, the quotations and/or valuations of certain of the Fund’s holdings may not be updated during U.S. trading hours if such holdings do not trade in the United States, which could affect premiums and discounts between the IIV and the market price of the Shares. The Fund, the Adviser and their affiliates are not involved in, or responsible for, any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the IIV, and the Fund, the Adviser and their affiliates do not make any warranty as to the accuracy of these calculations.

 

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DIVIDENDS AND OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Other Distributions and Taxes.”

General Policies. Ordinarily, dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid monthly by the Fund.

Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis. The Fund reserves the right to declare special distributions if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve its status as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income tax or the Excise Tax on undistributed income. Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of the Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Funds.

Dividend Reinvestment Service. No reinvestment service is provided by the Trust. Broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of Shares for reinvestment of their distributions. Beneficial Owners should contact their broker to determine the availability and costs of the service and the details of participation therein. Brokers may require Beneficial Owners to adhere to specific procedures and timetables.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

Counsel. Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, located at 191 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1601, Chicago, Illinois 60606, and 1250 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20036, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. [    ], located at [ ], serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. [] has been retained to audit the Fund’s annual financial statements and performs other related audit services.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The Fund is new and has no performance history as of the date of this SAI. Financial information therefore is not yet available. The audited financial statements for the Fund will appear in the Trust’s Annual Report to shareholders when available. You may request a copy of the Trust’s Annual Report at no charge by calling 1-800-983-0903 during normal business hours.

 

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APPENDIX A

 

LOGO

Proxy Voting Guidelines

 

Applicable to the Funds

   PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (collectively “the Trusts”)

Risk Addressed by Policy

   Breach of fiduciary duty to client under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 by placing Invesco personal interests ahead of clients best interest in voting proxies

Relevant Law

   Investment Advisers Act of 1940

Approved/Adopted Date

   March 7, 2017

Last reviewed by Compliance for Accuracy

   September 10, 2015.

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (“Invesco PowerShares” or the “Adviser”) has adopted proxy voting policies with respect to securities owned by series of the PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, the PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, the PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, the PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and the PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust (collectively, the “Funds”) for which it serves as investment adviser and has been delegated the authority to vote proxies. Invesco PowerShares’ proxy voting policies are designed to provide that proxies are voted in the best interests of shareholders.

Invesco Ltd, the parent to the Adviser, has adopted a global policy statement on corporate governance and proxy voting (the “Global Invesco Policy”) (see exhibit A), which details Invesco’s views on governance matters and describes the proxy administration and governance approach. The Adviser votes proxies by utilizing the procedures and mechanisms outlined in the Global Invesco Policy, while maintaining the Fund-specific guidelines described below:

1. Overlapping Securities

In instances where both the Fund and a fund advised by an Invesco Ltd entity both hold an equity security (“Overlapping Securities”), the Adviser will vote proxies in accordance with the recommendation of an Invesco Ltd adviser based on the comprehensive proxy review and under the Global Invesco Policy. The Global Invesco Policy is overseen by the Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee (“IPAC”), which also orchestrates the review and analysis of the top twenty-five proxy voting matters, measured by overall size of holdings by funds within the Invesco family. The Adviser consults with the IPAC on specific proxy votes and general proxy voting matters as it deems necessary. In addition, as part of the Global Invesco Proxy Voting Process, the IPAC oversees instances when possible conflicts of interest arise among funds. (Please see the global policy for the detailed conflict of interest approach).

In instances where the Global proxy administration team does not receive a recommendation in a timely manner, the proxy administration team will automatically vote such ballots in accordance with the Invesco’s custom guidelines established on Invesco’s global proxy voting policy and US guidelines.

 

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2. Non-Overlapping Securities

In instances where securities are held only by a Fund, and not also by an Invesco Ltd active equity entity fund, the Adviser will instruct the proxy administration team to vote proxies in accordance with said Invesco custom guidelines implemented by ISS, Invesco’s vote execution agent.

Under this Policy, the Adviser retains the power to vote contrary to the recommendation of the Invesco Voting Process (for Overlapping Securities) or Invesco’s custom guidelines for Non-Overlapping Securities) at its discretion, so long as the reasons for doing so are well documented.

Proxy Constraints

The adviser will approach proxy constraints according to the Invesco Global statement on corporate governance and proxy voting.

Special Policy

Certain Funds pursue their investment objectives by investing in other registered investment companies pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The relief granted by that order is conditioned upon complying with a number of undertakings, some of which require a Fund to vote its shares in an acquired investment company in the same proportion as other holders of the acquired fund’s shares. In instances in which a Fund is required to vote in this manner to rely on the exemptive order, the Adviser will vote shares of these acquired investment companies in compliance with the voting mechanism required by the order.

Resolving Potential Conflicts of Interest

Voting of Proxies Related to Invesco Ltd.

The adviser will approach conflicts of interest in accordance with Invesco’s Global policy statement on corporate governance and proxy voting.)

Approved June 24, 2014

Amended: March 7, 2017

Effective: March 7, 2017

 

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Exhibit A to Appendix A

 

LOGO

Invesco’s Policy Statement on Global Corporate Governance and Proxy Voting

I. Guiding Principles and Philosophy

Public companies hold shareholder meetings, attended by the company’s executives, directors, and shareholders, during which important issues, such as appointments to the company’s board of directors, executive compensation, and auditors, are addressed and where applicable, voted on. Proxy voting gives shareholders the opportunity to vote on issues that impact the company’s operations and policies without being present at the meetings.

Invesco views proxy voting as an integral part of its investment management responsibilities and believes that the right to vote proxies should be managed with the same high standards of care and fiduciary duty to its clients as all other elements of the investment process. Invesco’s proxy voting philosophy, governance structure and process are designed to ensure that proxy votes are cast in accordance with clients’ best interests, which Invesco interprets to mean clients’ best economic interests, this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of Invesco’s regional investment centers.

Invesco investment teams vote proxies on behalf of Invesco-sponsored funds and non-fund advisory clients that have explicitly granted Invesco authority in writing to vote proxies on their behalf.

The proxy voting process at Invesco, which is driven by investment professionals, focuses on maximizing long-term value for our clients, protecting clients’ rights and promoting governance structures and practices that reinforce the accountability of corporate management and boards of directors to shareholders. Invesco takes a nuanced approach to voting and, therefore, many matters to be voted upon are reviewed on a case by case basis.

Votes in favor of board or management proposals should not be interpreted as an indication of insufficient consideration by Invesco fund managers. Such votes may reflect the outcome of past or ongoing engagement and active ownership by Invesco with representatives of the companies in which we invest.

II. Applicability of this Policy

This Policy sets forth the framework of Invesco’s corporate governance approach, broad philosophy and guiding principles that inform the proxy voting practices of Invesco’s investment teams around the world. Given the different nature of these teams and their respective investment processes, as well as the significant differences in regulatory regimes and market practices across jurisdictions, not all aspects of this Policy may apply to all Invesco investment teams at all times. In the case of a conflict between this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of a regional investment center the latter will control.

III. Proxy Voting for Certain Fixed Income, Money Market Accounts and Index

For proxies held by certain client accounts managed in accordance with fixed income, money market and index strategies (including exchange traded funds), Invesco will typically vote in line with the majority holder of the active-equity shares held by Invesco outside of those strategies (“Majority Voting”). In this manner Invesco seeks to leverage the active-equity expertise and comprehensive proxy voting reviews conducted by teams employing active-equity strategies, which typically incorporate analysis of proxy issues as a core component of the investment process. Portfolio managers for accounts employing Majority Voting still retain full discretion to override Majority Voting and to vote the shares as they determine to be in the best interest of those accounts, absent certain types of conflicts of interest, which are discussed elsewhere in this Policy.

 

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IV. Conflicts of Interest

There may be occasions where voting proxies may present a real or perceived conflict of interest between Invesco, as investment manager, and one or more of Invesco’s clients or vendors. Under Invesco’s Code of Conduct, Invesco entities and individuals are strictly prohibited from putting personal benefit, whether tangible or intangible, before the interests of clients. “Personal benefit” includes any intended benefit for Invesco, oneself or any other individual, company, group or organization of any kind whatsoever, except a benefit for the relevant Invesco client.

Firm-level Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest may exist if Invesco has a material business relationship with, or is actively soliciting business from, either the company soliciting a proxy or a third party that has a material interest in the outcome of a proxy vote or that is actively lobbying for a particular outcome of a proxy vote (e.g., issuers that are distributors of Invesco’s products, or issuers that employ Invesco to manage portions of their retirement plans or treasury accounts). Invesco’s proxy governance team maintains a list of all such issuers for which a conflict of interest exists.

If the proposal that gives rise to the potential conflict is specifically addressed by this Policy or the operating guidelines and procedures of the relevant regional investment center, Invesco generally will vote the proxy in accordance therewith. Otherwise, based on a majority vote of its members, the Global IPAC (as described below) will vote the proxy.

Because this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of each regional investment center are pre-determined and crafted to be in the best economic interest of clients, applying them to vote client proxies should, in most instances, adequately resolve any potential conflict of interest. As an additional safeguard, persons from Invesco’s marketing, distribution and other customer-facing functions may not serve on the Global IPAC. For the avoidance of doubt, Invesco may not consider Invesco Ltd.’s pecuniary interest when voting proxies on behalf of clients.

Personal Conflicts of Interest

A conflict also may exist where an Invesco employee has a known personal relationship with other proponents of proxy proposals, participants in proxy contests, corporate directors, or candidates for directorships.

All Invesco personnel with proxy voting responsibilities are required to report any known personal conflicts of interest regarding proxy issues with which they are involved. In such instances, the individual(s) with the conflict will be excluded from the decision-making process relating to such issues.

Other Conflicts of Interest

In order to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest, Invesco will not vote proxies issued by, or related to matters involving, Invesco Ltd. that may be held in client accounts from time to time.11 Shares of an Invesco-sponsored fund held by other Invesco funds will be voted in the same proportion as the votes of external shareholders of the underlying fund.

V. Use of Third-Party Proxy Advisory Services

Invesco may supplement its internal research with information from third-parties, such as proxy advisory firms. However, Invesco generally retains full and independent discretion with respect to proxy voting decisions.

As part of its fiduciary obligation to clients, Invesco performs extensive initial and ongoing due diligence on the proxy advisory firms it engages. This includes reviews of information regarding the capabilities of their research staffs and internal controls, policies and procedures, including those relating to possible conflicts of interest. In addition, Invesco regularly monitors and communicates with these firms and monitors their compliance with Invesco’s performance and policy standards.

Generally speaking, Invesco does not invest for its clients in the shares of Invesco Ltd., however, limited exceptions apply in the case of funds or accounts designed to track an index that includes Invesco Ltd. as a component.

 

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VI. Global Proxy Voting Platform and Administration

Guided by its philosophy that investment teams should manage proxy voting, Invesco has created the Global Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee (“Global IPAC”). The Global IPAC is a global investments-driven committee comprised of representatives from various investment management teams and Invesco’s Global Head of Proxy Governance and Responsible Investment (“Head of Proxy Governance”). The Global IPAC provides a forum for investment teams to monitor, understand and discuss key proxy issues and voting trends within the Invesco complex. Absent a conflict of interest, the Global IPAC representatives, in consultation with the respective investment team, are responsible for voting proxies for the securities the team manages (unless such responsibility is explicitly delegated to the portfolio managers of the securities in question) In addition to the Global IPAC, for some clients, third parties (e.g., U.S. mutual fund boards) provide oversight of the proxy process. The Global IPAC and Invesco’s proxy administration and governance team, compliance and legal teams regularly communicate and review this Policy and the operating guidelines and procedures of each regional investment center to ensure that they remain consistent with clients’ best interests, regulatory requirements, governance trends and industry best practices.

Invesco maintains a proprietary global proxy administration platform, known as the “fund manager portal” and supported by the Head of Proxy Governance and a dedicated team of internal proxy specialists. The platform streamlines the proxy voting and ballot reconciliation processes, as well as related functions, such as share blocking and managing conflicts of interest issuers. Managing these processes internally, as opposed to relying on third parties, gives Invesco greater quality control, oversight and independence in the proxy administration process.

The platform also includes advanced global reporting and record-keeping capabilities regarding proxy matters that enable Invesco to satisfy client, regulatory and management requirements. Historical proxy voting information, including commentary by investment professionals regarding the votes they cast, where applicable, is stored to build institutional knowledge across the Invesco complex with respect to individual companies and proxy issues. Certain investment teams also use the platform to access third-party proxy research.

VII. Non-Votes

In the great majority of instances, Invesco is able to vote proxies successfully. However, in certain circumstances Invesco may refrain from voting where the economic or other opportunity costs of voting exceeds any anticipated benefits of that proxy proposal. In addition, there may be instances in which Invesco is unable to vote all of its clients’ proxies despite using commercially reasonable efforts to do so. For example:

 

  Invesco may not receive proxy materials from the relevant fund or client custodian with sufficient time and information to make an informed independent voting decision. In such cases, Invesco may choose not to vote, to abstain from voting, to vote in line with management or to vote in accordance with proxy Adviser recommendations. These matters are left to the discretion of the fund manager.

 

  If the security in question is on loan as part of a securities lending program, Invesco may determine that the benefit to the client of voting a particular proxy is outweighed by the revenue that would be lost by terminating the loan and recalling the securities.

 

  In some countries the exercise of voting rights imposes temporary transfer restrictions on the related securities (“share blocking”). Invesco generally refrains from voting proxies in share-blocking countries unless Invesco determines that the benefit to the client(s) of voting a specific proxy outweighs the client’s temporary inability to sell the security.

 

  Some companies require a representative to attend meetings in person in order to vote a proxy. In such cases, Invesco may determine that the costs of sending a representative or signing a power-of-attorney outweigh the benefit of voting a particular proxy.

VIII. Proxy Voting Guidelines

The following guidelines describe Invesco’s general positions on various common proxy voting issues. This list is not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive. As noted above, Invesco’s proxy process is investor-driven, and each fund manager retains ultimate discretion to vote proxies in the manner they deem most appropriate, consistent with Invesco’s proxy voting principles and philosophy discussed in Sections I through IV. Individual proxy votes therefore will differ from these guidelines from time to time.

 

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A. Shareholder Access and Treatment of Shareholder Proposals

Invesco reviews on a case by case basis but generally votes in favor of proposals that would increase shareholders’ opportunities to express their views to boards of directors, proposals that would lower barriers to shareholder action, and proposals to promote the adoption of generally accepted best practices in corporate governance, provided that such proposals would not require a disproportionate amount of management attention or corporate resources or otherwise that may inappropriately disrupt the company’s business and main purpose, usually set out in their reporting disclosures and business model. Likewise, Invesco reviews on a case by case basis but generally votes for shareholder proposals that are designed to protect shareholder rights if a company’s corporate governance standards indicate that such additional protections are warranted (for example, where minority shareholders’ rights are not adequately protected).

B. Environmental, Social and Corporate Responsibility Issues

Invesco believes that a company’s long-term response to environmental, social and corporate responsibility issues can significantly affect its long-term shareholder value. We recognize that to manage a corporation effectively, directors and management may consider not only the interests of shareholders, but also the interests of employees, customers, suppliers, creditors and the local community, among others. While Invesco generally affords management discretion with respect to the operation of a company’s business, Invesco will evaluate such proposals on a case by case basis and will vote proposals relating to these issues in a manner intended to maximize long-term shareholder value.

C. Capitalization Structure Issues

i. Stock Issuances

Invesco generally supports a board’s decisions about the need for additional capital stock to meet ongoing corporate needs, except where the request could adversely affect Invesco clients’ ownership stakes or voting rights. Some capitalization proposals, such as those to authorize common or preferred stock with special voting rights or to issue additional stock in connection with an acquisition, may require additional analysis. Invesco generally opposes proposals to authorize classes of preferred stock with unspecified voting, conversion, dividend or other rights (“blank check” stock) when they appear to be intended as an anti-takeover mechanism; such issuances may be supported when used for general financing purposes.

ii. Stock Splits

Invesco generally supports a board’s proposal to increase common share authorization for a stock split, provided that the increase in authorized shares would not result in excessive dilution given the company’s industry and performance in terms of shareholder returns.

iii. Share Repurchases

Invesco generally supports a board’s proposal to institute open-market share repurchase plans only if all shareholders participate on an equal basis.

D. Corporate Governance Issues

i. Board of Directors

1. Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections

Subject to the other considerations described below, in an uncontested director election for a company without a controlling shareholder, Invesco generally votes in favor of the director slate if it is comprised of at least a majority of independent directors and if the board’s key committees are fully independent, effective and balanced. Key committees include the audit, compensation/remuneration and governance/nominating committees. Invesco’s standard of independence excludes directors who, in addition to the directorship, have any material business or family relationships with the companies they serve.

 

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2. Director Nominees in Contested Elections

Invesco recognizes that short-term investment sentiments influence the corporate governance landscape and may influence companies in Invesco clients’ portfolios and more broadly across the market. Invesco recognizes that short-term investment sentiment may conflict with long-term value creation and as such looks at each proxy contest matter on a case by case basis, considering factors such as:

 

    Long-term financial performance of the company relative to its industry,

 

    Management’s track record,

 

    Background to the proxy contest,

 

    Qualifications of director nominees (both slates),

 

    Evaluation of what each side is offering shareholders as well as the likelihood that the proposed objectives and goals can be met, and

 

    Stock ownership positions in the company.

3. Director Accountability

Invesco generally withholds votes from directors who exhibit a lack of accountability to shareholders. Examples include, without limitation, poor attendance (less than 75%, absent extenuating circumstances) at meetings, failing to implement shareholder proposals that have received a majority of votes and/or by adopting or approving egregious corporate-governance or other policies. In cases of material financial restatements, accounting fraud, habitually late filings, adopting shareholder rights plan (“poison pills”) without shareholder approval, or other areas of poor performance, Invesco may withhold votes from some or all of a company’s directors. In situations where directors’ performance is a concern, Invesco may also support shareholder proposals to take corrective actions such as so-called “clawback” provisions.

4. Director Independence

Invesco generally supports proposals to require a majority of directors to be independent unless particular circumstances make this not feasible or in the best interests of shareholders. We generally vote for proposals that would require the board’s audit, compensation/remuneration, and/or governance/nominating committees to be composed exclusively of independent directors since this minimizes the potential for conflicts of interest.

5. Director Indemnification

Invesco recognizes that individuals may be reluctant to serve as corporate directors if they are personally liable for all related lawsuits and legal costs. As a result, reasonable limitations on directors’ liability can benefit a company and its shareholders by helping to attract and retain qualified directors while preserving recourse for shareholders in the event of misconduct by directors. Invesco, therefore, generally supports proposals to limit directors’ liability and provide indemnification and/or exculpation, provided that the arrangements are limited to the director acting honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the company and, in criminal matters, are limited to the director having reasonable grounds for believing the conduct was lawful.

6. Separate Chairperson and CEO

Invesco evaluates these proposals on a case by case basis, recognizing that good governance requires either an independent chair or a qualified, proactive, and lead independent director.

Voting decisions may take into account, among other factors, the presence or absence of:

 

    a designated lead director, appointed from the ranks of the independent board members, with an established term of office and clearly delineated powers and duties;

 

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    a majority of independent directors;

 

    completely independent key committees;

 

    committee chairpersons nominated by the independent directors;

 

    CEO performance reviewed annually by a committee of independent directors; and

 

    established governance guidelines.

7. Majority/Supermajority/Cumulative Voting for Directors

The right to elect directors is the single most important mechanism shareholders have to promote accountability. Invesco generally votes in favor of proposals to elect directors by a majority vote. Except in cases where required by law in the jurisdiction of incorporation or when a company has adopted formal governance principles that present a meaningful alternative to the majority voting standard, Invesco generally votes against actions that would impose any supermajority voting requirement, and generally supports actions to dismantle existing supermajority requirements.

The practice of cumulative voting can enable minority shareholders to have representation on a company’s board. Invesco generally opposes such proposals as unnecessary where the company has adopted a majority voting standard. However, Invesco generally supports proposals to institute the practice of cumulative voting at companies whose overall corporate-governance standards indicate a particular need to protect the interests of minority shareholders.

8. Staggered Boards/Annual Election of Directors

Invesco generally supports proposals to elect each director annually rather than electing directors to staggered multi-year terms because annual elections increase a board’s level of accountability to its shareholders.

9. Board Size

Invesco believes that the number of directors is an important factor to consider when evaluating the board’s ability to maximize long-term shareholder value. Invesco approaches proxies relating to board size on a case by case basis but generally will defer to the board with respect to determining the optimal number of board members, provided that the proposed board size is sufficiently large to represent shareholder interests and sufficiently limited to remain effective.

10. Term Limits for Directors

Invesco believes it is important for a board of directors to examine its membership regularly with a view to ensuring that the company continues to benefit from a diversity of director viewpoints and experience. We generally believe that an individual board’s nominating committee is best positioned to determine whether director term limits would be an appropriate measure to help achieve these goals and, if so, the nature of such limits.

ii. Audit Committees and Auditors

1. Qualifications of Audit Committee and Auditors

Invesco believes a company’s Audit Committee has a high degree of responsibility to shareholders in matters of financial disclosure, integrity of the financial statements and effectiveness of a company’s internal controls. Independence, experience and financial expertise are critical elements of a well-functioning Audit Committee. When electing directors who are members of a company’s Audit Committee, or when ratifying a company’s auditors, Invesco considers the past performance of the Audit Committee and holds its members accountable for the quality of the company’s financial statements and reports.

2. Auditor Indemnifications

A company’s independent auditors play a critical role in ensuring and attesting to the integrity of the company’s financial statements. It is therefore essential that they perform their work in accordance with the highest standards. Invesco generally opposes proposals that would limit the liability of or indemnify auditors because doing so could serve to undermine this obligation.

 

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3. Adequate Disclosure of Auditor Fees

Understanding the fees earned by the auditors is important for assessing auditor independence. Invesco’s support for the re-appointment of the auditors will take into consideration the availability of adequate disclosure concerning the amount and nature of audit versus non-audit fees. Invesco generally will support proposals that call for this disclosure if it is not already being made.

E. Remuneration and Incentives

Invesco believes properly constructed compensation plans that include equity ownership are effective in creating incentives that induce management and employees of portfolio companies to create greater shareholder wealth. Invesco generally supports equity compensation plans that promote the proper alignment of incentives with shareholders’ long-term interests, and generally votes against plans that are overly dilutive to existing shareholders, plans that contain objectionable structural features, and plans that appear likely to reduce the value of the client’s investment.

i. Independent Compensation/Remuneration Committee

Invesco believes that an independent, experienced and well-informed compensation/remuneration committee is critical to ensuring that a company’s remuneration practices align with shareholders’ interests and, therefore, generally supports proposals calling for a compensation/remuneration committee to be comprised solely of independent directors.

ii. Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation

Invesco believes that an independent compensation/remuneration committee of the board, with input from management, is generally best positioned to determine the appropriate components and levels of executive compensation, as well as the appropriate frequency of related shareholder advisory votes. This is particularly the case where shareholders have the ability to express their views on remuneration matters through annual votes for or against the election of the individual directors who comprise the compensation/remuneration committee. Invesco, therefore, generally will support management’s recommendations with regard to the components and levels of executive compensation and the frequency of shareholder advisory votes on executive compensation. However, Invesco will vote against such recommendations where Invesco determines that a company’s executive remuneration policies are not properly aligned with shareholder interests or may create inappropriate incentives for management.

iii. Equity Based Compensation Plans

Invesco generally votes against plans that contain structural features that would impair the alignment of incentives between shareholders and management. Such features include, without limitation, the ability to reprice or reload options without shareholder approval, the ability to issue options below the stock’s current market price, or the ability to replenish shares automatically without shareholder approval.

iv. Severance Arrangements

Invesco considers proposed severance arrangements (sometimes known as “golden parachute” arrangements) on a case-by-case basis due to the wide variety among their terms. Invesco acknowledges that in some cases such arrangements, if reasonable, may be in shareholders’ best interests as a method of attracting and retaining high quality executive talent. Invesco generally votes in favor of proposals requiring advisory shareholder ratification of senior executives’ severance agreements while generally opposing proposals that require such agreements to be ratified by shareholders in advance of their adoption.

 

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v. “Claw Back” Provisions

Invesco generally supports so called “claw back” policies intended to recoup remuneration paid to senior executives based upon materially inaccurate financial reporting (as evidenced by later restatements) or fraudulent accounting or business practices.

vi. Employee Stock Purchase Plans

Invesco generally supports employee stock purchase plans that are reasonably designed to provide proper incentives to a broad base of employees, provided that the price at which employees may acquire stock represents a reasonable discount from the market price.

F. Anti-Takeover Defenses; Reincorporation

Measures designed to protect a company from unsolicited bids can adversely affect shareholder value and voting rights, and they have the potential to create conflicts of interests among directors, management and shareholders. Such measures include adopting or renewing shareholder rights plans (“poison pills”), requiring supermajority voting on certain corporate actions, classifying the election of directors instead of electing each director to an annual term, or creating separate classes of common or preferred stock with special voting rights. In determining whether to support a proposal to add, eliminate or restrict anti-takeover measures, Invesco will examine the particular elements of the proposal to assess the degree to which it would adversely affect shareholder rights of adopted. Invesco generally supports shareholder proposals directing companies to subject their anti-takeover provisions to a shareholder vote. Invesco generally opposes payments by companies to minority shareholders intended to dissuade such shareholders from pursuing a takeover or other changes (sometimes known as “greenmail”) because these payments result in preferential treatment of some shareholders over others.

Reincorporation involves re-establishing the company in a different legal jurisdiction. Invesco generally will vote for proposals to reincorporate a company provided that the board and management have demonstrated sound financial or business reasons for the move. Invesco generally will oppose proposals to reincorporate if they are solely part of an anti-takeover defense or intended to limit directors’ liability.

 

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APPENDIX B

 

LOGO

PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES

 

Applicable to

   All Advisory Clients, including the Invesco Funds

Risk Addressed by the Guidelines

   Breach of fiduciary duty to client under Investment Advisers Act of 1940 by placing Invesco’s interests ahead of client’s best interests in voting proxies

Relevant Law and Other Sources

   U.S. Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended

Last

    ☒ Reviewed ☒ Revised

 

by Compliance for Accuracy

   April 19, 2016

Guideline Owner

   U.S. Compliance and Legal

Policy Approver

   Invesco Advisers, Inc., Invesco Funds Board

Approved/Adopted Date

   May 3-4, 2016

The following guidelines apply to all institutional and retail funds and accounts that have explicitly authorized Invesco Advisers, Inc. (“Invesco”) to vote proxies associated with securities held on their behalf (collectively, “Clients”).

A. INTRODUCTION

 

 

Invesco Ltd. (“IVZ”), the ultimate parent company of Invesco, has adopted a global policy statement on corporate governance and proxy voting (the “Invesco Global Proxy Policy”). The policy describes IVZ’s views on governance matters and the proxy administration and governance approach. Invesco votes proxies by using the framework and procedures set forth in the Invesco Global Proxy Policy, while maintaining the Invesco-specific guidelines described below.

 

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B. PROXY VOTING OVERSIGHT: THE MUTUAL FUNDS’ BOARD OF TRUSTEES

 

 

In addition to the Global Invesco Proxy Advisory Committee, the Invesco mutual funds’ board of trustees provides oversight of the proxy process through quarterly reporting and an annual in-person presentation by Invesco’s Global Head of Proxy Governance and Responsible Investment.

C. USE OF THIRD PARTY PROXY ADVISORY SERVICES

 

 

Invesco has direct access to third-party proxy advisory analyses and recommendations (currently provided by Glass Lewis (“GL”) and Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (“ISS”)), among other research tools, and uses the information gleaned from those sources to make independent voting decisions.

Invesco’s proxy administration team performs extensive initial and ongoing due diligence on the proxy advisory firms that it engages. When deemed appropriate, representatives from the proxy advisory firms are asked to deliver updates directly to the mutual funds’ board of trustees. Invesco conducts semi-annual, in-person policy roundtables with key heads of research from ISS and GL to ensure transparency, dialogue and engagement with the firms. These meetings provide Invesco with an opportunity to assess the firms’ capabilities, conflicts of interest and service levels, as well as provide investment professionals with direct insight into the advisory firms’ stances on key governance and proxy topics and their policy framework/methodologies. Invesco’s proxy administration team also reviews the annual SSAE 16 reports for, and the periodic proxy guideline updates published by, each proxy advisory firm to ensure that their guidelines remain consistent with Invesco’s policies and procedures. Furthermore, each proxy advisory firm completes an annual due diligence questionnaire submitted by Invesco, and Invesco conducts on-site due diligence at each firm, in part to discuss their responses to the questionnaire.

If Invesco becomes aware of any material inaccuracies in the information provided by ISS or GL, Invesco’s proxy administration team will investigate the matter to determine the cause, evaluate the adequacy of the proxy advisory firm’s control structure and assess the efficacy of the measures instituted to prevent further errors.

ISS and GL provide updates to previously issued proxy reports when necessary to incorporate newly available information or to correct factual errors. ISS also has a Feedback Review Board, which provides a mechanism for stakeholders to communicate with ISS about issues related to proxy voting and policy formulation, research, and the accuracy of data contained in ISS reports.

D. PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES

 

 

The following guidelines describe Invesco’s general positions on various common proxy issues. The guidelines are not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive. Invesco’s proxy process is investor-driven, and each portfolio manager retains ultimate discretion to vote proxies in the manner that he or she deems to be the most appropriate, consistent with the proxy voting principles and philosophy discussed in the Invesco Global Proxy Policy. Individual proxy votes therefore will differ from these guidelines from time to time.

I. Corporate Governance

Management teams of companies are accountable to the boards of directors and directors of publicly held companies are accountable to shareholders. Invesco endeavors to vote the proxies of companies in a manner that will reinforce the notion of a board’s accountability. Consequently, Invesco generally votes against any actions that would impair the rights of shareholders or would reduce shareholders’ influence over the board.

The following are specific voting issues that illustrate how Invesco applies this principle of accountability.

 

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Elections of directors

In uncontested director elections for companies that do not have a controlling shareholder, Invesco generally votes in favor of slates if they are comprised of at least a majority of independent directors and if the boards’ key committees are fully independent. Key committees include the audit, compensation and governance or nominating Committees. Invesco’s standard of independence excludes directors who, in addition to the directorship, have any material business or family relationships with the companies they serve. Contested director elections are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Director performance

Invesco generally withholds votes from directors who exhibit a lack of accountability to shareholders, either through their level of attendance at meetings or by adopting or approving egregious corporate-governance or other policies. In cases of material financial restatements, accounting fraud, habitually late filings, adopting shareholder rights plan (“poison pills”) without shareholder approval, or other areas of poor performance, Invesco may withhold votes from some or all of a company’s directors. In situations where directors’ performance is a concern, Invesco may also support shareholder proposals to take corrective actions, such as so-called “clawback” provisions.

Auditors and Audit Committee members

Invesco believes a company’s audit committee has a high degree of responsibility to shareholders in matters of financial disclosure, integrity of the financial statements and effectiveness of a company’s internal controls. Independence, experience and financial expertise are critical elements of a well-functioning audit committee. When electing directors who are members of a company’s audit committee, or when ratifying a company’s auditors, Invesco considers the past performance of the committee and holds its members accountable for the quality of the company’s financial statements and reports.

Majority standard in director elections

The right to elect directors is the single most important mechanism shareholders have to promote accountability. Invesco supports the nascent effort to reform the U.S. convention of electing directors, and generally votes in favor of proposals to elect directors by a majority vote.

Staggered Boards/Annual Election of Directors

Invesco generally supports proposals to elect each director annually rather than electing directors to staggered multi-year terms because annual elections increase a board’s level of accountability to its shareholders.

Supermajority voting requirements

Unless required by law in the state of incorporation, Invesco generally votes against actions that would impose any supermajority voting requirement, and generally supports actions to dismantle existing supermajority requirements.

Responsiveness of Directors

Invesco generally withholds votes for directors who do not adequately respond to shareholder proposals that were approved by a majority of votes cast the prior year.

Cumulative voting

The practice of cumulative voting can enable minority shareholders to have representation on a company’s board. Invesco generally supports proposals to institute the practice of cumulative voting at companies whose overall corporate-governance standards indicate a particular need to protect the interests of minority shareholders.

 

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Proxy access

Invesco generally supports shareholders’ nominations of directors in the proxy statement and ballot because it increases the accountability of the board to shareholders. Invesco will generally consider the proposed minimum period of ownership (e.g., three years), minimum ownership percentage (e.g., three percent), limitations on a proponent’s ability to aggregate holdings with other shareholders and the maximum percentage of directors who can be nominated when determining how to vote on proxy access proposals.

Shareholder access

On business matters with potential financial consequences, Invesco generally votes in favor of proposals that would increase shareholders’ opportunities to express their views to boards of directors, proposals that would lower barriers to shareholder action and proposals to promote the adoption of generally accepted best practices in corporate governance. Furthermore, Invesco generally votes for shareholder proposals that are designed to protect shareholder rights if a company’s corporate governance standards indicate that such additional protections are warranted.

Exclusive Forum

Invesco generally supports proposals that would designate a specific jurisdiction in company bylaws as the exclusive venue for certain types of shareholder lawsuits in order to reduce costs arising out of multijurisdictional litigation.

II. Compensation and Incentives

Invesco believes properly constructed compensation plans that include equity ownership are effective in creating incentives that induce management and employees of companies to create greater shareholder wealth. Invesco generally supports equity compensation plans that promote the proper alignment of incentives with shareholders’ long-term interests, and generally votes against plans that are overly dilutive to existing shareholders, plans that contain objectionable structural features, and plans that appear likely to reduce the value of the Client’s investment.

Following are specific voting issues that illustrate how Invesco evaluates incentive plans.

Executive compensation

Invesco evaluates executive compensation plans within the context of the company’s performance under the executives’ tenure. Invesco believes independent compensation committees are best positioned to craft executive-compensation plans that are suitable for their company-specific circumstances. Invesco views the election of independent compensation committee members as the appropriate mechanism for shareholders to express their approval or disapproval of a company’s compensation practices. Therefore, Invesco generally does not support shareholder proposals to limit or eliminate certain forms of executive compensation. In the interest of reinforcing the notion of a compensation committee’s accountability to shareholders, Invesco generally supports proposals requesting that companies subject each year’s compensation record to an advisory shareholder vote, or so-called “say on pay” proposals.

Equity-based compensation plans

Invesco generally votes against plans that contain structural features that would impair the alignment of incentives between shareholders and management. Such features include the ability to reprice or reload options without shareholder approval, the ability to issue options below the stock’s current market price, or the ability automatically to replenish shares without shareholder approval.

Employee stock-purchase plans

Invesco generally supports employee stock-purchase plans that are reasonably designed to provide proper incentives to a broad base of employees, provided that the price at which employees may acquire stock is at most a 15 percent discount from the market price.

 

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Severance agreements

Invesco generally votes in favor of proposals requiring advisory shareholder ratification of executives’ severance agreements. However, Invesco generally opposes proposals requiring such agreements to be ratified by shareholders in advance of their adoption. Given the vast differences that may occur in these agreements, some severance agreements are evaluated on an individual basis.

III. Capitalization

Examples of management proposals related to a company’s capital structure include authorizing or issuing additional equity capital, repurchasing outstanding stock, or enacting a stock split or reverse stock split. On requests for additional capital stock, Invesco analyzes the company’s stated reasons for the request. Except where the request could adversely affect the Client’s ownership stake or voting rights, Invesco generally supports a board’s decisions on its needs for additional capital stock. Some capitalization proposals require a case-by-case analysis. Examples of such proposals include authorizing common or preferred stock with special voting rights, or issuing additional stock in connection with an acquisition.

IV. Mergers, Acquisitions and Other Corporate Actions

Issuers occasionally require shareholder approval to engage in certain corporate actions such as mergers, acquisitions, name changes, dissolutions, reorganizations, divestitures and reincorporations and the votes for these types of corporate actions are generally determined on a case-by-case basis.

V. Anti-Takeover Measures

Practices designed to protect a company from unsolicited bids can adversely affect shareholder value and voting rights, and they potentially create conflicts of interests among directors, management and shareholders. Except under special issuer-specific circumstances, Invesco generally votes to reduce or eliminate such measures. These measures include adopting or renewing “poison pills”, requiring supermajority voting on certain corporate actions, classifying the election of directors instead of electing each director to an annual term, or creating separate classes of common or preferred stock with special voting rights. Invesco generally votes against management proposals to impose these types of measures, and generally votes for shareholder proposals designed to reduce such measures. Invesco generally supports shareholder proposals directing companies to subject their anti-takeover provisions to a shareholder vote.

VI. Environmental, Social and Corporate Responsibility Issues

Invesco believes that a company’s response to environmental, social and corporate responsibility issues and the risks attendant to them can have a significant effect on its long-term shareholder value. Invesco recognizes that to manage a corporation effectively, directors and management must consider not only the interest of shareholders, but also the interests of employees, customers, suppliers and creditors, among others. While Invesco generally affords management discretion with respect to the operation of a company’s business, Invesco will evaluate such proposals on a case-by-case basis and will vote proposals relating to these issues in a manner intended to maximize long-term shareholder value.

VII. Routine Business Matters

Routine business matters rarely have the potential to have a material effect on the economic prospects of Clients’ holdings, so Invesco generally supports a board’s discretion on these items. However, Invesco generally votes against proposals where there is insufficient information to make a decision about the nature of the proposal. Similarly, Invesco generally votes against proposals to conduct other unidentified business at shareholder meetings.

 

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E. EXCEPTIONS

 

 

Client Maintains Right to Vote Proxies

In the case of institutional or sub-advised Clients, Invesco will vote the proxies in accordance with these guidelines and the Invesco Global Proxy Policy, unless the Client retains in writing the right to vote or the named fiduciary of a Client (e.g., the plan sponsor of an ERISA Client) retains in writing the right to direct the plan trustee or a third party to vote proxies.

Voting for Certain Investment Strategies

For cash sweep investment vehicles selected by a Client but for which Invesco has proxy voting authority over the account and where no other Client holds the same securities, Invesco will vote proxies based on ISS recommendations.

Funds of Funds

Some Invesco Funds offering diversified asset allocation within one investment vehicle own shares in other Invesco Funds. A potential conflict of interest could arise if an underlying Invesco Fund has a shareholder meeting with any proxy issues to be voted on, because Invesco’s asset-allocation funds or target-maturity funds may be large shareholders of the underlying fund. In order to avoid any potential for a conflict, the asset-allocation funds and target maturity funds vote their shares in the same proportion as the votes of the external shareholders of the underlying fund.

F. POLICIES AND VOTE DISCLOSURE

 

 

A copy of these guidelines, the Invesco Global Proxy Policy and the voting record of each Invesco Retail Fund are available on Invesco’s web site, www.invesco.com. In accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission regulations, all Invesco Funds file a record of all proxy-voting activity for the prior 12 months ending June 30th. That filing is made on or before August 31st of each year. In the case of institutional and sub-advised Clients, Clients may contact their client service representative to request information about how Invesco voted proxies on their behalf. Absent specific contractual guidelines, such requests may be made on a semi-annual basis.

 

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POWERSHARES ACTIVELY MANAGED EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND TRUST

PART C. OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 28. Exhibits.

 

(a) Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Registrant dated November 7, 2007. (*)

 

(b) Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Registrant. (6)

 

(c) Not applicable.

 

(d)

 

  (1) Amended and Restated Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and PowerShares Capital Management LLC, for unitary fee Funds. (*)

 

  (2) Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and PowerShares Capital Management LLC, for non-unitary fee Funds. (*)

 

  (3) Amended and Restated Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Sub-Advisers and Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC. (6)

 

  (a) Acknowledgement and Waiver of Notice of Termination, dated January 14, 2015, on behalf of Invesco Australia for Amended and Restated Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement. (5)

 

  (4) Excess Expense Agreement between the Registrant and Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC. (*)

 

  (5) Amended and Restated Memorandum of Agreement between the Registrant and Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC. (*)

 

(e) Amended and Restated Master Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and Invesco Distributors, Inc. (*)

 

(f) Not applicable.

 

(g) Amended and Restated Custody Agreement between the Registrant and the Bank of New York. (*)

 

(h)

 

  (1) Amended and Restated Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement between the Registrant and The Bank of New York. (*)

 

  (2) Form of Participant Agreement between Invesco Distributors, Inc. and the Participant. (*)

 

  (3) Amended and Restated Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York. (*)

 

  (4) Form of Sublicense Agreement between Registrant and Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC. (7)

 

  (5) Management Services Agreement between Registrant and Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC. (4)

 

(i) Opinion and Consent of Counsel.(*)

 

(j) Not applicable.


(k) Not applicable.

 

(l) Not applicable.

 

(m) Not applicable.

 

(n) Not applicable.

 

(o) Not applicable.

 

(p)

 

  (1) Code of Ethics of the Registrant and Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC. (6)

 

  (2) Code of Ethics of Invesco Advisers, Inc. and Invesco Distributors, Inc. (6)

 

(q)

 

  (1) Powers of Attorney for Messrs. Bagge, Barre, Carome, Kole, Nussbaum and Wilson. (2)

 

  (2) Powers of Attorney for Messrs. Lim and Wicker. (3)

 

(1) Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed on March 24, 2008.
(2) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 to the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed on January 13, 2012.
(3) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 89 to the Trust’s Registration Statement on From N-1A, filed on April 3, 2013.
(4) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 117 to the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed on October 1, 2013.
(5) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 183 to the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed on February 26, 2015.
(6) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 294 to the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed on February 15, 2017.
(7) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 298 to the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed on February 23, 2017.
(*) To be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

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

None.

 

Item. 30. Indemnification.

The Registrant (also, the “Trust”) is organized as a Delaware statutory trust and is operated pursuant to a Declaration of Trust, dated November 7, 2007 (the “Declaration of Trust”).

Reference is made to Article IX of the Registrant’s Declaration of Trust:

Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in Section 9.5, every person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, or employee of the Trust, including persons who serve at the request of the Trust as directors, trustees, officers, employees or agents of another organization in which the Trust has an interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise (hereinafter referred to as a “Covered Person”), shall be indemnified by the Trust to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him or 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 such a Trustee, director, officer, employee or agent and against amounts paid or incurred by him in settlement thereof.

No indemnification shall be provided hereunder to a Covered Person to the extent such indemnification is prohibited by applicable federal law.

The rights of indemnification herein provided may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust, shall be severable, shall not affect any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled, shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be such a Covered Person and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.


Subject to applicable federal law, expenses of preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit or proceeding subject to a claim for indemnification under this Section 9.5 shall be advanced by the Trust prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the recipient to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to indemnification under this Section 9.5.

To the extent that any determination is required to be made as to whether a Covered Person engaged in conduct for which indemnification is not provided as described herein, or as to whether there is reason to believe that a Covered Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification, the Person or Persons making the determination shall afford the Covered Person a rebuttable presumption that the Covered Person has not engaged in such conduct and that there is reason to believe that the Covered Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification. As used in this Section 9.5, the words “claim,” “action,” “suit” or “proceeding” shall apply to all claims, demands, actions, suits, investigations, regulatory inquiries, proceedings or any other occurrence of a similar nature, whether actual or threatened and whether civil, criminal, administrative or other, including appeals, and the words “liability” and “expenses” shall include without limitation, attorneys’ fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties and other liabilities.

Further Indemnification.

Nothing contained herein shall affect any rights to indemnification to which any Covered Person or other Person may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law or prevent the Trust from entering into any contract to provide indemnification to any Covered Person or other Person. Without limiting the foregoing, the Trust may, in connection with the acquisition of assets subject to liabilities pursuant to Section 4.2 hereof or a reorganization or consolidation pursuant to Section 10.2 hereof, assume the obligation to indemnify any Person including a Covered Person or otherwise contract to provide such indemnification, and such indemnification shall not be subject to the terms of this Article IX.

Amendments and Modifications.

Without limiting the provisions of Section 11.1(b) hereof, in no event will any amendment, modification or change to the provisions of this Declaration or the By-laws adversely affect in any manner the rights of any Covered Person to (a) indemnification under Section 9.5 hereof in connection with any proceeding in which such Covered Person becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of being or having been a Trustee, officer or employee of the Trust or (b) any insurance payments under policies maintained by the Trust, in either case with respect to any act or omission of such Covered Person that occurred or is alleged to have occurred prior to the time such amendment, modification or change to this Declaration or the By-laws.

 

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

Reference is made to the caption “Management of the Funds” in the Prospectus constituting Part A, which is included in this Registration Statement, and “Management” in the Statement of Additional Information constituting Part B, which is included in this Registration Statement.

The information as to the directors and executive officers of Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC as set forth in Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC’s Form ADV, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2017 (and as amended through the date hereof) is incorporated herein by reference.

The information as to the directors and executive officers of Invesco Advisers, Inc. as set forth in Invesco Advisers, Inc.’s Form ADV, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2017 (and as amended through the date hereof) is incorporated herein by reference.


Item 32. Principal Underwriters.

 

(a) Invesco Distributors, Inc. is the Registrant’s sole principal underwriter, as well as serves as the principal underwriter for the following other investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:

AIM COUNSELOR SERIES TRUST (Invesco Counselor Series Trust)

Invesco American Franchise Fund

Invesco California Tax-Free Income Fund

Invesco Core Plus Bond Fund

Invesco Equally-Weighted S&P 500 Fund

Invesco Equity and Income Fund

Invesco Floating Rate Fund

Invesco Global Real Estate Income Fund

Invesco Growth and Income Fund

Invesco Low Volatility Equity Yield Fund

Invesco Pennsylvania Tax Free Income Fund

Invesco S&P 500 Index Fund

Invesco Short Duration High Yield Municipal Fund

Invesco Small Cap Discovery Fund

Invesco Strategic Real Return Fund

AIM EQUITY FUNDS (Invesco Equity Funds)

Invesco Charter Fund

Invesco Diversified Dividend Fund

Invesco Summit Fund

AIM FUNDS GROUP (Invesco Funds Group)

Invesco European Small Company Fund

Invesco Global Core Equity Fund

Invesco International Small Company Fund

Invesco Small Cap Equity Fund

AIM GROWTH SERIES (Invesco Growth Series)

Invesco Alternative Strategies Fund

Invesco Balanced-Risk Retirement Now Fund

Invesco Balanced-Risk Retirement 2020 Fund

Invesco Balanced-Risk Retirement 2030 Fund

Invesco Balanced-Risk Retirement 2040 Fund

Invesco Balanced-Risk Retirement 2050 Fund

Invesco Conservative Allocation Fund

Invesco Convertible Securities Fund

Invesco Global Low Volatility Equity Yield Fund

Invesco Growth Allocation Fund

Invesco Income Allocation Fund

Invesco International Allocation Fund

Invesco Mid Cap Core Equity Fund

Invesco Moderate Allocation Fund

Invesco Multi-Asset Inflation Fund

Invesco Small Cap Growth Fund

Invesco Quality Income Fund

AIM INTERNATIONAL MUTUAL FUNDS (Invesco International Mutual Funds)

Invesco Asia Pacific Growth Fund

Invesco European Growth Fund

Invesco Global Growth Fund

Invesco Global Opportunities Fund

Invesco Global Small & Mid Cap Growth Fund

Invesco Global Responsibility Equity Fund

Invesco International Companies Fund

Invesco International Core Equity Fund

Invesco International Growth Fund

Invesco Select Opportunities Fund


AIM INVESTMENT FUNDS (Invesco Investment Funds)

Invesco All Cap Market Neutral Fund

Invesco Balanced-Risk Allocation Fund

Invesco Balanced-Risk Commodity Strategy Fund

Invesco Developing Markets Fund

Invesco Emerging Markets Flexible Bond Fund

Invesco Emerging Markets Equity Fund

Invesco Endeavor Fund

Invesco Global Health Care Fund

Invesco Global Infrastructure Fund

Invesco Global Market Neutral Fund

Invesco Global Targeted Returns Fund

Invesco Greater China Fund

Invesco Long/Short Equity Fund

Invesco Low Volatility Emerging Markets Fund

Invesco Macro Allocation Strategy Fund

Invesco MLP Fund

Invesco Multi-Asset Income Fund

Invesco Pacific Growth Fund

Invesco Select Companies Fund

Invesco World Bond Fund

AIM INVESTMENT SECURITIES FUNDS (Invesco Investment Securities Funds)

Invesco Corporate Bond Fund

Invesco Global Real Estate Fund

Invesco Government Money Market Fund

Invesco High Yield Fund

Invesco Real Estate Fund

Invesco Short Duration Inflation Protected Fund

Invesco Short Term Bond Fund

Invesco U.S. Government Fund

AIM SECTOR FUNDS (Invesco Sector Funds)

Invesco American Value Fund

Invesco Comstock Fund

Invesco Dividend Income Fund

Invesco Energy Fund

Invesco Gold & Precious Metals Fund

Invesco Mid Cap Growth Fund

Invesco Small Cap Value Fund

Invesco Technology Fund

Invesco Technology Sector Fund

Invesco Value Opportunities Fund

AIM TAX-EXEMPT FUNDS (Invesco Tax-Exempt Funds)

Invesco High Yield Municipal Fund

Invesco Intermediate Term Municipal Income Fund

Invesco Limited Term Municipal Income Fund

Invesco Municipal Income Fund

Invesco New York Tax Free Income Fund

Invesco Tax-Exempt Cash Fund

AIM TREASURER’S SERIES TRUST (Invesco Treasurer’s Series Trust)

Premier Portfolio

Premier Tax-Exempt Portfolio

Premier U.S. Government Money Portfolio


AIM VARIABLE INSURANCE FUNDS (Invesco Variable Insurance Funds)

Invesco V.I. American Franchise Fund

Invesco V.I. American Value Fund

Invesco V.I. Balanced-Risk Allocation Fund

Invesco V.I. Comstock Fund

Invesco V.I. Core Equity Fund

Invesco V.I. Core Plus Bond Fund

Invesco V.I. Diversified Dividend Fund

Invesco V.I. Equally-Weighted S&P 500 Fund

Invesco V.I. Equity and Income Fund

Invesco V.I. Global Core Equity Fund

Invesco V.I. Global Health Care Fund

Invesco V.I. Global Real Estate Fund

Invesco V.I. Government Money Market Fund

Invesco V.I. Government Securities Fund

Invesco V.I. Growth and Income Fund

Invesco V.I. High Yield Fund

Invesco V.I. International Growth Fund

Invesco V.I. Managed Volatility Fund

Invesco V.I. Mid Cap Core Equity Fund

Invesco V.I. Mid Cap Growth Fund

Invesco V.I. S&P 500 Index Fund

Invesco V.I. Small Cap Equity Fund

Invesco V.I. Technology Fund

Invesco V.I. Value Opportunities Fund

Invesco Senior Loan Fund

Invesco Management Trust

Invesco Conservative Income Fund

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS TRUST

Government & Agency Portfolio

Liquid Assets Portfolio

STIC Prime Portfolio

Tax-Free Cash Reserve Portfolio

Treasury Obligations Portfolio

Treasury Portfolio

PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust

PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust

PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II

PowerShares Exchange-Traded Self-Indexed Fund Trust

PowerShares India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust

Please note that PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust is also distributed by Invesco Distributors, Inc., but it is not included in this list because it is the registrant filing the N-1A.


(b) The following are the Officers and Managers of Invesco Distributors, Inc., the Registrant’s underwriter.

 

NAME AND PRINCIPAL

BUSINESS ADDRESS*

  POSITIONS AND OFFICES
WITH REGISTRANT
  POSITIONS AND OFFICES
WITH UNDERWRITER
Peter Gallagher   None   Director & President
Eric P. Johnson   None   Executive Vice President
Ben Utt   None   Executive Vice President
Dan Draper   President and Principal Executive Officer   Senior Vice President
Eliot Honaker   None   Senior Vice President
Greg J. Murphy   None   Senior Vice President
David J. Nardecchia   None   Senior Vice President, Director of
Marketing Communications
Miranda O’Keefe   None   Senior Vice President &

Chief Compliance Officer

Gary K. Wendler   None   Senior Vice President, Director of
Marketing Research & Analysis
John M. Zerr   Chief Legal Officer   Senior Vice President & Secretary
Annette J. Lege   None   Treasurer
Mark Gregson   None   Chief Financial Officer
Crissie M. Wisdom   Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer   Anti-Money Laundering Compliance
Officer

 

* The principal business address for all directors and executive officers is Invesco Distributors, Inc., 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77046-1173.

 

(c) Not applicable.

 

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records.

All accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder, are held in physical possession at the offices, as applicable, of: (1) the Registrant, (2) the Registrant’s investment adviser, (3) the Registrant’s custodian, and (4) the Registrant’s administrator.

 

1. PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Trust

3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700

Downers Grove, Illinois 60515

 

2. Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC

3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700

Downers Grove, Illinois 60515

 

3. The Bank of New York

101 Barclay Street

New York, New York 10286

 

4. The Bank of New York

101 Barclay Street

New York, New York 10286

 

Item 34. Management Services.

Not applicable.

 

Item 35. Undertakings.

None


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Downers Grove and State of Illinois, on the 20th day of October, 2017.

 

PowerShares Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust
By:  

/s/ Daniel Draper

  Daniel Draper
Title:   President

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

SIGNATURE

  

TITLE

 

DATE

/s/ Daniel Draper

   President   October 20, 2017
Daniel Draper     

/s/ Steven M. Hill

   Treasurer   October 20, 2017
Steven M. Hill     

/s/ Anna Paglia

   Secretary   October 20, 2017
Anna Paglia     

*/s/ Ronn R. Bagge

   Trustee   October 20, 2017
Ronn R. Bagge     

*/s/ Todd J. Barre

   Trustee   October 20, 2017
Todd J. Barre     

*/s/ Kevin M. Carome

   Trustee   October 20, 2017
Kevin M. Carome     

*/s/ Marc M. Kole

   Trustee   October 20, 2017
Marc M. Kole     

*/s/ Yung Bong Lim

   Trustee   October 20, 2017
Yung Bong Lim     

*/s/ Philip M. Nussbaum

   Trustee   October 20, 2017
Philip M. Nussbaum     

*/s/ Gary R. Wicker

   Trustee   October 20, 2017
Gary R. Wicker     

*/s/ Donald H. Wilson

   Chairman and Trustee   October 20, 2017
Donald H. Wilson     


*By: /s/ Anna Paglia

     October 20, 2017
Anna Paglia     
Attorney-In-Fact     

 

* Anna Paglia signs on behalf of the powers of attorney filed with Post-Effective Amendments No. 27 and No. 89 to the Trust’s Registration Statement and incorporated by reference herein.