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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 26, 2024

 

Securities Act File No. 333-183489

Investment Company Act File No. 811-22739

 

 

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.

Post-Effective Amendment No. 121

 

and/or

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940

Amendment No. 127

 

NEW YORK LIFE INVESTMENTS ACTIVE ETF TRUST 

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

51 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10010 

(Address of Principal Executive Office) 

 

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (888) 474-7725

 

Matthew V. Curtin, Esq.

New York Life Investment Management LLC 

51 Madison Avenue 

New York, NY 10010

 

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

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

On August 28, 2024 pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485.

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

On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a) of Rule 485.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New York Life Investments Active ETF Trust

Prospectus

 

NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF (IQRA)

NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF (MMIT)

(formerly IQ CBRE Real Assets ETF)

(formerly IQ MacKay Municipal Intermediate ETF)

NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF (ESGB)

NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF (MMCA)

(formerly IQ MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF)

(formerly IQ MacKay California Municipal Intermediate ETF)

NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF (IQHI)

NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF (IWLG)

(formerly IQ MacKay ESG High Income ETF)

(formerly IQ Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF)

NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF (MMIN)

NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF (IWFG)

(formerly IQ MacKay Municipal Insured ETF)

(formerly IQ Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF)

 

NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

Not FDIC Insured | May Lose Value | No Bank Guarantee

August 28, 2024

New York Life Investments Active ETF Trust (the “Trust”) is a registered investment company that consists of separate investment portfolios called “Funds”. This Prospectus relates to the following Funds:

Name

CUSIP

Symbol

Exchange

NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF

45409F710

IQRA

NYSE Arca

NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF

45409F785

ESGB

NYSE Arca

NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF

45409F736

IQHI

NYSE Arca

NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF

45409F843

MMIN

NYSE Arca

NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF

45409F827

MMIT

NYSE Arca

NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF

45409F777

MMCA

NYSE Arca

NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF

45409F769

IWLG

NYSE Arca

NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF

45409F751

IWFG

NYSE Arca

Each Fund is an exchange-traded fund (“ETF”). This means that shares of the Funds are listed on a national securities exchange (the “Exchange”) and trade at market prices. The market price for a Fund’s shares may be different from its net asset value per share (the “NAV”). Each Fund has its own CUSIP number and exchange trading symbol.

3

Table of Contents

NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF

4

NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF

12

NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF

24

NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF

35

NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF

43

NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF

51

NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF

60

NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF

67

Overview

74

Description of the Principal Strategies of the Funds

74

Additional Investment Strategies

76

Additional Information About Risks

76

Buying and Selling Shares in the Secondary Market

97

Management

98

Other Service Providers

104

Frequent Trading

104

Distribution and Service Plan

105

Determination of Net Asset Value (NAV)

105

Premium/Discount Information

106

Dividends, Distributions and Taxes

106

Code of Ethics

111

Fund Website and Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

111

Other Information

112

Financial Highlights

113

4

Summary Information

NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF
(prior to August 28, 2024, named IQ CBRE Real Assets ETF)

Investment Objective

The NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF (the “Fund”) seeks total return through capital growth and current income.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). Investors may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example set forth below.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment):

None

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

Management Fee

0.65

%

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

0.00

%

Other Expenses

1.38

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

2.03

%

Expense Waiver/Reimbursement(a)

1.38

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Waiver/Reimbursement

0.65

%

 

(a) New York Life Investment Management LLC(“New York Life Investments” or “Advisor”) has contractually agreed to waive or reduce its management fee and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund in an amount that limits “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” (exclusive of interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, dividend payments on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) to not more than 0.65% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The agreement will remain in effect permanently unless terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Fund.

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain at current levels. The return of 5% and estimated expenses are for illustration purposes only, and should not be considered indicators of expected Fund expenses or performance, which may be greater or less than the estimates. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

$66

$208

$362

$810

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rates was 68% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of the portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Shares.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its assets (net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes) in securities issued by real assets companies. The Fund’s Subadvisor, CBRE Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC (“CBRE” or the “Subadvisor”) defines a real assets company, as a company that derives a majority of its revenues from activities related to the ownership, operation, and development of infrastructure assets (an “infrastructure company”) and real estate (a “real estate company”).

5

The Fund’s Subadvisor defines an infrastructure company as a company that derives at least 50% of its revenues or profits from, or devotes at least 50% of its assets to, the ownership, management, development, construction, renovation, enhancement, or operation of infrastructure assets or the provision of services to companies engaged in such activities. Examples of infrastructure assets include transportation assets (such as toll roads, bridges, railroads, airports, and seaports), utility assets (such as electric transmission and distribution lines, gas distribution pipelines, water pipelines and treatment facilities, and sewer facilities), energy assets (such as oil and gas pipelines, storage facilities, and other facilities used for gathering, processing, or transporting hydrocarbon products as well as contracted renewable power assets), and communications assets (such as communications towers, data centers, fiber networks, and satellites). The Subadvisor defines a real estate company as a company that derives at least 50% of its total revenue or earnings from owning, operating, leasing, developing, managing, brokering and/or selling real estate, or has at least 50% of its assets invested in real estate. Companies principally engaged in the real estate industry may include real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), real estate owners, real estate managers, real estate brokers, real estate dealers, and companies with substantial real estate holdings.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests primarily in common stock, but may also invest in other equity securities including preferred stock, convertible securities, rights or warrants to buy common stocks, master limited partnerships (“MLPs”), and depositary receipts with characteristics similar to common stock. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in exchange-traded funds or exchange-traded investment products. The Fund may invest in initial public offerings and Rule 144A securities. The Subadvisor may invest in companies with any market capitalization. However, the Subadvisor will generally not invest in companies with a market capitalization of less than $100 million at the time of purchase. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of issuers conducting their business activities in the infrastructure group of industries and more than 25% of its total assets in securities issued by companies principally engaged in the real estate industry.

The Fund may invest in companies located throughout the world and there is no limit on the Fund’s investments in international securities. The Fund may invest up to 30% of its assets in securities of issuers in emerging markets countries. The Subadvisor defines emerging market countries as those countries that are included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The Fund’s investments may be denominated in U.S. dollars, non-U.S. currencies, or multinational currency units. The Fund may hedge its currency exposure to securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies.

Investment Process The Subadvisor focuses on investments that generally provide the potential for attractive income growth, protection against inflation, and long-term capital appreciation. The Subadvisor uses systematic, top-down research to evaluate macroeconomic conditions, private market, and capital market trends to identify the relative value of different sectors within infrastructure companies and real estate companies and judge which market sectors offer potentially attractive returns. The Subadvisor uses proprietary analytical techniques to conduct fundamental company analysis, which provides a framework for bottom-up security selection. This approach incorporates several quantitative and qualitative factors, as well as portfolio risk management tools, that aid in evaluating performance characteristics of individual securities independently and relative to each other. The Subadvisor’s in-house valuation process examines several factors, including the company’s management and strategy, the stability and growth potential of cash flows and dividends, the location of the company’s assets, the company’s capital structure, and risk factors including regulatory environment and environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) considerations.

The Subadvisor includes ESG considerations in its analysis to help identify companies that balance the needs of all stakeholders in their communities and address ESG issues. ESG factors are assessed based on internal research and information from an independent global provider of ESG and corporate governance research. The Subadvisor includes ESG considerations in its analysis to help identify companies that balance the needs of all stakeholders in their communities and address ESG issues. ESG factors are assessed based on internal research and information from an independent global provider of ESG and corporate governance research. ESG considerations evaluated by the manager include environmental considerations such as carbon emissions reduction pathways, renewable energy targets, climate risk approach, and green building certifications. Social considerations including engagement with key stakeholders such as regulators, customers, and legislators, as well as employee satisfaction, turnover, diversity and inclusion, and development of human capital. Governance factors include board independence and structure, ownership and shareholder alignment, proxy access, takeover defenses and executive compensation.

The Subadvisor may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses, or redeploy assets into opportunities believed to be more promising, among others.

 

6

Principal Risks

As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s Shares will change in value and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund does not represent a complete investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, the Advisor or any of its affiliates. You should consider carefully the following risks before investing in the Fund.

Authorized Participant Concentration Risk

Only certain large institutions (an “Authorized Participant”) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that those Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to engage in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund, Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

Convertible Securities Risk

A convertible security has characteristics of both equity and debt securities and, as a result, is exposed to risks that are typically associated with both types of securities. Convertible securities are typically subordinate to an issuer’s other debt obligations. Issuers of convertible securities may be more vulnerable to changes in the economy, such as a recession or a sustained period of rising interest rates, which could affect their ability to make interest and principal payments. If an issuer stops making interest and/or principal payments, the Fund could lose its entire investment.

Currency Risk

Investments directly in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies are subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedging positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency being hedged. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, intervention (or the failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund, or by the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the United States or abroad.

Cyber Security Risk

The Fund is susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. Such events may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity and could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. In addition, cyber security breaches of the securities issuers or the Fund’s third-party service providers can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. Although the Fund has established risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed.

Depositary Receipts Risk

Sponsored depositary receipts involve risk not experienced when investing directly in the equity securities of an issuer. Depositary receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. Any distributions paid to the holders of depositary receipts are usually subject to a fee charged by the depositary. Holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, and investment restrictions in certain countries may adversely impact the value of depositary receipts.

Emerging Markets Securities Risk

Securities of issuers based in countries with developing economies (emerging market countries) may present market, credit, currency, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed market countries and are generally considered speculative in nature. Emerging market countries are subject to greater market volatility, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, uncertainty regarding the existence of trading markets, rapid inflation, possible repatriation of investment income and capital, currency convertibility issues, less uniform accounting standards and more governmental limitations on foreign investment than more developed markets. Laws regarding foreign investment in emerging market securities, securities regulation, title to securities, and shareholder rights may change quickly and unpredictably. In addition, the enforcement of systems of taxation at federal, regional and local levels in emerging market countries may be inconsistent and subject to sudden change.

 

7

Equity Securities Risk

Investments in common stocks and other equity securities are particularly subject to the risk of changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer, conditions affecting equity markets generally and political and/or economic events. Equity prices may also be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase. Holders of an issuer’s common stock may be subject to greater risks than holders of its preferred stock and debt securities because common stockholders’ claims are subordinated to those of holders of preferred stocks and debt securities upon the bankruptcy of an issuer.

Exchange Traded Products Risk

Unlike an investment in a mutual fund, the value of the Fund’s investment in other exchange-traded funds or exchange-traded investment products (“ETPs”) is based on its market price (rather than NAV) and the Fund could lose money due to premiums/discounts of the ETP (which could cause the Fund to buy shares at market prices that are higher than their value or sell shares at market prices that are lower than their value); the failure of an active trading market to develop; or exchange trading halts or delistings. An investment in the Fund will entail more costs and expenses than a direct investment in any Underlying ETP. As the Fund’s allocations to Underlying ETPs changes, or the expense ratio of Underlying ETPs change, the operating expenses borne by the Fund from such investments may increase or decrease.

Focused Investment Risk

To the extent that the Fund invests a large percentage of its assets in a single asset class or the securities of issuers within the same country, group of countries, region, industry, group of industries or sector, an adverse economic, market, political or regulatory development may affect the value of the Fund’s investments more than if the Fund were more broadly diversified. Different asset classes, countries, groups of countries, regions, industries, groups of industries or sectors tend to go through cycles of outperformance and underperformance in comparison to each other and to the general financial markets.

Foreign Securities Risk

Investments in the securities of non-U.S. issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities. These additional risks include greater market volatility, the availability of less reliable financial information, higher transactional and custody costs, taxation by foreign governments, decreased market liquidity and political instability. Some countries and regions have experienced security concerns, war or threats of war and aggression, terrorism, economic uncertainty, natural and environmental disasters and/or systemic market dislocations that have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally. Foreign issuers are often subject to less stringent requirements regarding accounting, auditing, financial reporting and record keeping than are U.S. issuers, and therefore not all material information will be available. Securities exchanges or foreign governments may adopt rules or regulations that may negatively impact the Fund’s ability to invest in foreign securities or may prevent the Fund from repatriating its investments. Less developed securities markets are more likely to experience problems with the clearing and settling of trades, as well as the holding of securities by local banks, agents and depositories. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the likelihood of clearing, custody and trade settlement problems.

Foreign Securities Valuation Risk

The Fund’s value may be impacted by events that cause the fair value of foreign securities to materially change between the close of the local exchange on which they trade and the time at which the Fund prices its Shares. Additionally, because foreign exchanges on which securities held by the Fund may be open on days when the Fund does not price its Shares, the potential exists for the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio to change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s Shares.

Industry/Sector Concentration Risk

The Fund’s investment of a large percentage of its assets in the securities of issuers within the same industry or sector means that an adverse economic, business or political development may affect the value of the Fund’s investments more than if the Fund were more broadly diversified. A concentration makes the Fund more susceptible to any single occurrence and may subject the Fund to greater market risk than a fund that is not so concentrated. The Fund will concentrate in the securities of issuers in the resources-related industries or sectors so identified.

Infrastructure Companies Risk

The Fund’s investments in infrastructure companies expose the Fund to potential adverse economic, regulatory, political, legal, and other changes affecting such investments. Issuers of securities in infrastructure-related businesses are subject to a variety of factors that may adversely affect their business or operations,

 

8

including high interest costs in connection with capital construction programs, high degrees of leverage; economic slowdowns; surplus capacity; difficulty in raising capital; costs associated with changes in government regulations or policies; adverse changes in tax laws; increased competition from other service providers; evolving technological developments; environmental problems; labor relations tensions; and possible corruption in publicly funded projects. Rising interest rates could lead to higher financing costs and reduced earnings for infrastructure companies/issuers.

Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) Risk

The volume of IPOs and the levels at which the newly issued stocks trade in the secondary market are affected by the performance of the stock market overall. Shares issued by companies that have recently conducted an IPO may be subject to price volatility and speculative trading due to various factors, including the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer’s business model, quality of management, earnings growth potential and other criteria used to evaluate its investment prospects. The prices of securities involved in IPOs are often subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than more established stocks. Additionally, the market for IPO shares can be speculative and/or inactive for extended periods of time. The limited number of shares available for trading in some IPOs may make it more difficult for the Fund to buy or sell significant amounts of shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing prices. Investors in IPO shares can be affected by substantial dilution in the value of their shares, by sales of additional shares and by concentration of control in existing management and principal shareholders.

Large-Capitalization Companies Risk

Large-capitalization companies may be less able than smaller capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller capitalization companies. During different market cycles, the performance of large-capitalization companies has trailed the overall performance of the broader securities markets.

Market Risk

Market risks include political, regulatory, market and economic developments, including developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market, which may affect the Fund’s value. Turbulence in financial markets, tariffs and other protectionist measures, political developments and uncertainty, central bank policy, and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Geopolitical and other events, including war, terrorism, economic uncertainty, trade disputes, public health crises and related geopolitical events have led, and in the future may lead, to disruptions in the US and world economies and markets, which may increase financial market volatility and have significant adverse direct or indirect effects on the Fund and its investments. Market disruptions could cause the Fund to lose money, experience significant redemptions, and encounter operational difficulties. Although multiple asset classes may be affected by a market disruption, the duration and effects may not be the same for all types of assets.

Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”) Risk

MLPs carry many of the risks inherent in investing in a partnership. State law governing partnerships is often less restrictive than state law governing corporations. Accordingly, there may be fewer protections afforded investors in a MLP. Limited partners may also have more limited control and limited rights to vote on matters affecting the MLP.

Operational Risk

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

Portfolio Management Risk

The Fund is subject to portfolio management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result or, while it may be the desired result, may underperform other types of investment strategies. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective(s).

 

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Preferred Securities Risk

Preferred securities combine some of the characteristics of both common stocks and bonds. Preferred securities are typically subordinated to bonds and other debt securities in a company’s capital structure in terms of priority to corporate income, subjecting them to greater credit risk than those debt securities. Generally, holders of preferred securities have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company unless preferred dividends have been in arrears for a specified number of periods, at which time the preferred security holders may obtain limited rights. In certain circumstances, an issuer of preferred securities may defer payment on the securities and, in some cases, redeem the securities prior to a specified date. Preferred securities may also be substantially less liquid than other securities, including common stock.

Private Placement and Restricted Securities Risk

The Fund may invest in privately issued securities, including those which may be resold only in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Securities acquired in a private placement generally are subject to strict restrictions on resale, and there may be no market or a limited market for the resale of such securities. Therefore, the Fund may be unable to dispose of such securities when it desires to do so or at the most favorable price. This potential lack of liquidity also may make it more difficult to accurately value these securities.

Real Estate Companies Risk

An investment in companies that invest in real estate (including REITs) exposes the Fund to the risks of the real estate market and the risks associated with the ownership of real estate. These risks can include fluctuations in the value of or destruction of underlying properties; realignment in tenant living and work habits (for example, movements to and from different parts of a nation, a region, a state or a city); tenant or borrower default; market saturation; changes in general and local economic conditions; decreases in market rates for rents; increases in vacancies; competition; property taxes; capital expenditures or operating expenses; other economic or political events affecting the real estate industry including interest rates and government regulation; concentration in a limited number of properties, geographic regions or property types; and low quality and/or conflicted management. Real estate is generally a less liquid asset class and companies that hold real estate may not be able to liquidate or modify their holdings quickly in response to changes in economic or other market conditions. Additionally, such companies may utilize leverage, which increases investment risk and the potential for more volatility in the Fund’s returns.

Secondary Market Trading Risk

Although the Fund’s Shares are listed for trading on one or more securities exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants. The trading of Shares on securities exchanges is subject to the risk of irregular trading activity. Securities exchanges have requirements that must be met in order for Shares to be listed. There can be no assurance that the requirements of an exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares will continue to be met. This risk is particularly acute for funds that fail to attract a large number of shareholders. Pursuant to an exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules, trading in the Fund’s Shares may be halted due to extraordinary market volatility. Additionally, market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Fund’s Shares and Authorized Participants are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for creation units. In the event market makers cease making a market in the Fund’s Shares or Authorized Participants stop submitting purchase or redemption orders for creation units, the Fund’s Shares may trade at a larger premium or discount to its NAV.

Small- and/or Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk

Small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse general market or economic developments, and their securities may be less liquid and may experience greater price volatility than larger, more established companies.

Trading Price Risk

Although it is generally expected that the market price of the Fund’s Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. Shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges at prices at, above or below the Fund’s most recent NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading price of the Fund’s Shares fluctuates continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply of and demand for Shares and the Fund’s NAV, among other reasons. As a result, the trading prices of the Fund’s Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. The market price of the Fund’s Shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid/ask” spread charged by market makers or other participants that trade the Shares. In times of severe market disruption,

 

10

the bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, Shares are most likely to be traded at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of Shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that an investor most wants to sell their Shares. The risk of wide bid and ask spreads may be especially pronounced for smaller funds. In addition, increased market volatility may cause wider spreads.

Valuation Risk

When valuing the Fund’s portfolio investments, if a market quotation is readily available for a portfolio investment, that investment will generally be valued at the market value. However, unlike publicly traded securities that trade on national securities exchanges, there is no central place or exchange for trading most debt securities and thus readily available market quotations are unavailable. Debt securities generally trade on an “over-the-counter” market. Due to the lack of centralized information and trading, and variations in lot sizes of certain debt securities, the valuation of debt securities may carry more uncertainty and risk than that of publicly traded securities. Debt securities are commonly valued by third-party pricing service providers that utilize a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such securities, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. However, because the available information is less reliable and more subjective, elements of judgment may play a greater role in valuation of debt securities than for other types of securities. Additionally, pricing service providers generally price debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional “round lot” size, but some trades may occur in smaller, “odd lot” sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Valuing the Fund’s investments using fair value pricing provided by pricing service providers will result in prices that may differ from current market valuations and that may not be the prices at which those investments could have been sold during the period in which the particular fair values were used. It is possible that the fair value determined for a portfolio instrument may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that instrument.

Performance Information

As of the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not yet completed a full calendar year of operations and therefore does not report its performance information. The Fund’s performance current to the most recent month-end is available by calling 1-888-474-7725 or by visiting newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf.

Investment Advisor and Subadvisor

New York Life Investment Management LLC is the investment advisor to the Fund.

CBRE Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC is the investment subadvisor to the Fund.

Portfolio Managers

The professionals of the subadvisor that are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are:

Name & Title

Length of Service as
Fund’s Portfolio Manager

Jeremy Anagnos, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, Listed Infrastructure

Since Fund’s Inception

Daniel Foley, CFA, Portfolio Manager, Senior Vice President

Since Fund’s Inception

Jonathan Miniman, CFA, Global Portfolio Manager

Since Fund’s Inception

Joseph P. Smith, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, Listed Real Assets Strategies

Since Fund’s Inception

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Unlike conventional mutual funds, the Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis, at NAV, only in large blocks of Shares called “Creation Units.” Individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Since Shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges in the secondary market at their market price rather than their NAV, the Fund’s Shares may trade at a price greater than (premium) or less than (discount) the Fund’s NAV. An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information, including the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, is available online at newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf.

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Tax Information

The Fund’s distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. However, subsequent withdrawals from such a tax-advantaged account may be subject to U.S. federal income tax. You should consult your tax advisor about your specific situation.

Financial Intermediary Compensation

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Advisor or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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Summary Information

NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF
(prior to August 28, 2024, named IQ MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF)

Investment Objective

The NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF (the “Fund”) seeks total return, while incorporating the Subadvisor’s ESG investment strategy.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). Investors may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example set forth below.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment): 

None

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

Management Fee

0.39

%

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

0.00

%

Other Expenses

0.10

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

0.49

%

Expense Waiver/Reimbursement(a)

0.10

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Waiver/Reimbursement

0.39

%

 

(a) New York Life Investment Management LLC (“New York Life Investments” or “Advisor”) has contractually agreed to waive or reduce its management fee and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund in an amount that limits “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” (exclusive of interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, dividend payments on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) to not more than 0.39% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The agreement will remain in effect permanently unless terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Fund.

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain at current levels. The return of 5% and estimated expenses are for illustration purposes only, and should not be considered indicators of expected Fund expenses or performance, which may be greater or less than the estimates. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

$40

$125

$219

$493

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rates was 121% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of the portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Shares.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund, under normal circumstances, invests at least 80% of its assets (net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds, which include all types of debt securities, such as: debt or debt-related securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. or foreign governments, their agencies or instrumentalities; obligations of international or supranational entities; debt securities issued by U.S. or foreign corporate entities; zero coupon bonds; municipal bonds; mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities; and loan participation interests. The Fund’s bond investments may have fixed or floating rates of interest. The Fund generally seeks to invest in a broad portfolio of corporate, government, and mortgage-related and asset-backed securities.

 

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Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in securities that meet MacKay Shields LLC’s (the “Subadvisor”) environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) criteria. The Subadvisor analyzes and applies its ESG criteria to corporate, sovereign, and mortgage-related and other securitized issuers. The Subadvisor’s ESG analysis includes its own proprietary assessments of ESG factors as well as standards developed and set forth by recognized organizations such as entities sponsored by the United Nations.

The Fund will not invest in instruments of corporate issuers that have been determined by the Subadvisor, through its own analysis or using third party data, to not be in compliance with the Principles of the UN Global Compact. The Fund will also not invest in instruments of corporate issuers that have been determined by the Subadvisor, through its own analysis or using third party data, to: (i) engage in unconventional oil and gas production (such as oil sands, oil shale, shale gas, deep water and Arctic drilling); (ii) derive greater than 5% of their revenue from (a) the manufacture or production of military weapons, (b) the manufacture or production of tobacco, (b) the mining of coal, or (c) the production and distribution of pornography; or (iii) manufacture controversial weapons (such as anti-personnel mines, biological weapons, chemical weapons, cluster munitions, depleted uranium ammunition and armor, incendiary weapons, nuclear weapons, and white phosphorus munitions).

The Fund may invest up to 30% of its total assets in securities rated below investment grade by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”) (such securities rated lower than BBB- and Baa3), or, if unrated, judged to be of comparable quality by the Subadvisor. Securities that are rated below investment grade by NRSROs are commonly referred to as “high-yield securities” or “junk bonds.” If NRSROs assign different ratings for the same security, the Fund will use the higher rating for purposes of determining the credit quality. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities of foreign issuers, including up to 10% of its net assets in securities of emerging market issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities denominated in a currency other than the U.S. dollar. The Fund may invest up to 5% of its net assets in common stocks. To the extent possible, the Fund will attempt to hedge its foreign currency exposure against the U.S. dollar. The Fund may also invest in derivatives such as futures, forwards, options, forward commitments and swap agreements, including interest rate, total return and credit default swap agreements, to seek to enhance returns or reduce the risk of loss by hedging certain of its holdings or manage duration. Commercial paper must be, when purchased, rated in the highest rating category by a NRSRO or if unrated, determined by the Subadvisor to be of comparable quality.

The Fund will generally seek to maintain a portfolio modified duration to worst within 2.5 years (plus or minus) of the duration of the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security’s price to changes in interest rates. The longer a security’s duration, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates. Duration to worst is the duration of a bond computed using the bond’s nearest call date or maturity, whichever comes first. This measure ignores future cash flow fluctuations due to embedded optionality.

The Fund may invest in mortgage dollar rolls, to-be-announced (“TBA”) securities transactions, variable rate notes and floating rate notes. The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. 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).

Investment Process: The Subadvisor utilizes an investment process that combines a top-down analytical framework with a rigorous bottom-up process.

Fundamental economic cycle analysis, credit quality and interest rate trends are the principal factors considered by the Subadvisor in managing the Fund and determining whether to increase or decrease the emphasis placed upon a particular type of security or industry sector within the Fund’s investment portfolio. The Subadvisor’s target duration for the Fund is based on a set of investment decisions that take into account a broad range of economic, fundamental and technical indicators.

The Subadvisor’s ESG analysis evaluates securities of corporate, sovereign, and mortgage-related and other securitized issuers using environmental, social, corporate governance factors. The Subadvisor considers these ESG criteria systematically throughout the Fund’s investment process. The Subadvisor’s ESG analysis evaluates each issuer relative to other issuers in the relevant peer group and asset class. The Subadvisor’s ESG analysis is a proprietary process developed by the Subadvisor that assigns each issuer separate “environmental,” “social,” and “governance” scores based on ESG factors deemed most material to that asset class and peer

14

group. Although the Subadvisor does not use third party ESG scores to calculate an issuer’s ESG score, as described further below, the Subadvisor may use third-party research to help identify sustainability issues that are likely to affect the financial condition or operating performance of an issuer.

The Subadvisor’s scoring process seeks to rate issuers as “outperforming,” “average,” or “underperforming” within each of the environmental, social and governance factors versus peers. The issuer’s score in each of the three factors is combined on an equally weighted basis to determine the issuer’s overall ESG score. In addition to an issuer’s current overall score, the Subadvisor also considers the historical trend in an issuer’s score and seeks to identify opportunities where a company has improved its ESG practices and is expected to continue to demonstrate further improvement. A security meets the Subadvisor’s ESG criteria if it: (i) has received a score of at least “average”; or (ii) if the issuer’s current score is below “average,” the issuer has demonstrated a trend of improving scores. During the portfolio construction process, the Subadvisor will assess overall environmental, social and governance scores across the portfolio, as well as by overall issuer score.

The Subadvisor’s process for corporate credit ESG analysis includes evaluating material ESG factors on an industry-by-industry basis and issuer performance of those factors is based on under/outperformance of industry peers. Factors considered as part of the Subadvisor’s ESG analysis of corporate issuers include:

Environmental factors such as the issuer’s ability to identify and mitigate pecuniary environmental risk exposure, predominantly arising from regulatory factors in a transition to a low carbon economy.

Social factors such as an issuer’s ability to effectively identify and mitigate pecuniary social risk exposure.

Governance factors such as assessing an issuer’s quality of management and business oversight.

The Subadvisor’s process for developed and emerging sovereign debt ESG utilizes a framework that reflects factors that are specific to sovereign debt, including ESG data released by the World Bank. The combined ESG score for a sovereign provides an assessment of the current and anticipated future stability and resiliency of the sovereign and the strength of its economy.

The Subadvisor’s process for mortgage-related and other securitized asset ESG considers material ESG factors at an asset type and security level.

The Subadvisor’s engagement activities may include, but are not limited to, in-person meetings and phone calls with issuers to understand their sustainability goals and business practices as well as other industry participants engaged in ESG and sustainability initiatives. This engagement allows the Subadvisor to better align mutual interests while impacting change.

The Subadvisor may sell a security if it no longer believes that the security will contribute to meeting the investment objective of the Fund or no longer meets its ESG standards. In considering whether to sell a security, the Subadvisor may evaluate, among other things, the condition of the economy, meaningful changes in the issuer’s financial condition, changes in the condition and outlook in the issuer’s industry, and a change in the Subadvisor’s ESG scoring.

Principal Risks

As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s Shares will change in value and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund does not represent a complete investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, the Advisor or any of its affiliates. You should consider carefully the following risks before investing in the Fund.

Asset-Backed Securities Risk

Asset-backed securities are securities that represent interests in, and whose values and payments are based on, a “pool” of underlying assets, which may include, among others, lower-rated debt securities and corporate loans, consumer loans or mortgages and leases of property. Asset-backed securities include collateralized debt obligations, collateralized bond obligations, and collateralized loan obligations and other similarly structured vehicles. As with other debt securities, asset-backed securities are subject to credit risk, extension risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk and valuation risk. The impairment of the value of collateral or other assets underlying an asset-backed security, such as a result of non-payment of loans or non-performance of underlying assets, may result in a reduction in the value of such asset-backed securities and losses to the Fund.

 

15

Investments in mortgage-related securities make an investor more susceptible to adverse economic, interest rate, political or regulatory events that affect the value of real estate. Mortgage-related securities are also significantly affected by the rate of prepayments. Impairment of the underlying obligations or collateral, such as by non-payment, will reduce a mortgage-related security’s value.

Authorized Participant Concentration Risk

Only certain large institutions may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund (each, an “Authorized Participant”). The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that those Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to engage in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund, Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

Cash Transactions Risk

The Fund currently intends to effect creations and redemptions principally for cash, rather than for in-kind securities. For this reason, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. The Fund may recognize a capital gain on these sales that might not have been incurred if the Fund had made a redemption in-kind. This may decrease the tax efficiency of the Fund compared to ETFs that utilize an in-kind redemption process.

Credit Risk

Credit risk is the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a debt instrument or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, repurchase agreement or loan of portfolio securities will be unable or unwilling to make its timely interest and/or principal payments when due or otherwise honor its obligations. Changes in an issuer’s or counterparty’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s or counterparty’s creditworthiness may also adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on an issuer’s or counterparty’s financial condition and on the terms of an obligation.

Currency Risk

Investments directly in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies are subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, intervention (or the failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund, or by the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the United States or abroad.

Cyber Security Risk

The Fund is susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. Such events may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity and could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. In addition, cyber security breaches of the securities issuers or the Fund’s third-party service providers can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. Although the Fund has established risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed.

Debt Securities Risk

The risks of investing in debt securities include (without limitation): (i) credit risk, e.g., the issuer or guarantor of a debt security may be unable or unwilling (or be perceived as unable or unwilling) to make timely principal and/or interest payments or otherwise honor its obligations; (ii) interest rate risk, e.g., when interest rates go up, the value of a debt security generally goes down, and when interest rates go down, the value of a debt security generally goes up; (iii) liquidity risk and valuation risk, e.g., debt securities generally do not trade on a securities exchange, making them generally less liquid and more difficult to value than common stock; (iv) call risk and income risk, e.g., during a period of falling interest rates, the issuer may redeem a security by repaying it early, which may reduce the Fund’s income if the proceeds are reinvested at lower interest rates; and (v) extension risk, e.g., if interest rates rise, repayments of debt securities may occur more slowly than anticipated by the market, which may drive the prices of these securities down because their interest rates are lower than the current interest rate and the securities remain outstanding longer. Debt securities most frequently trade in institutional round lot size transactions. If the Fund purchases bonds in amounts less than the institutional round lot size, which are frequently referred to as “odd” lots, the odd lot size positions may have more price volatility than institutional round lot size positions. The Fund uses a third-party pricing service to value bond holdings and the pricing service values bonds assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size.

 

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Derivatives Risk

Derivatives are investments whose value depends on (or is derived from) the value of an underlying instrument, such as a security, asset, reference rate or index and involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with other investments. These risks include: (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivatives transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset. Derivative prices are highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. Such prices are influenced by numerous factors that affect the markets, including, but not limited changing supply and demand relationships, government programs and policies, national and international political and economic events, changes in interest rates, inflation and deflation, and changes in supply and demand relationships. Unlike other investments, derivative contracts often have leverage inherent in their terms. The use of leveraged derivatives can magnify potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund’s Share price. The effects of leverage may also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so.

Emerging Markets Securities Risk

Securities of issuers based in countries with developing economies (emerging market countries) may present market, credit, currency, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed market countries and are generally considered speculative in nature. Emerging market countries are subject to greater market volatility, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, uncertainty regarding the existence of trading markets, rapid inflation, possible repatriation of investment income and capital, currency convertibility issues, less uniform accounting standards and more governmental limitations on foreign investment than more developed markets. Laws regarding foreign investment in emerging market securities, securities regulation, title to securities, and shareholder rights may change quickly and unpredictably. In addition, the enforcement of systems of taxation at federal, regional and local levels in emerging market countries may be inconsistent and subject to sudden change.

Foreign Currency Forward Contracts Risk

When trading in foreign currency forward contracts, the Fund will contract with a foreign or domestic bank, or a foreign or domestic securities dealer, to make or take future delivery of a specified amount of a particular currency. There are no limitations on daily price moves in such forward contracts, and banks and dealers are not required to continue to make markets in such contracts. Governmental imposition of credit controls might limit any such forward contract trading. Foreign currency forward contracts involve certain risks, including the risk of failure of the counterparty to perform its obligations under the contract and the risk that the use of forward contracts may not serve as a complete hedge because of an imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the contracts and the prices of the currencies hedged.

Foreign Securities Risk

Investments in the securities of non-U.S. issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities. These additional risks include greater market volatility, the availability of less reliable financial information, higher transactional and custody costs, taxation by foreign governments, decreased market liquidity and political instability. Some countries and regions have experienced security concerns, war or threats of war and aggression, terrorism, economic uncertainty, natural and environmental disasters and/or systemic market dislocations that have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally. Foreign issuers are often subject to less stringent requirements regarding accounting, auditing, financial reporting and record keeping than are U.S. issuers, and therefore not all material information will be available. Securities exchanges or foreign governments may adopt rules or regulations that may negatively impact the Fund’s ability to invest in foreign securities or may prevent the Fund from repatriating its investments. Less developed securities markets are more likely to experience problems with the clearing and settling of trades, as well as the holding of securities by local banks, agents and depositories. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the likelihood of clearing, custody and trade settlement problems.

Foreign Securities Valuation Risk

The Fund’s value may be impacted by events that cause the fair value of foreign securities to materially change between the close of the local exchange on which they trade and the time at which the Fund prices its Shares. Additionally, because foreign exchanges on which securities held by the Fund may be open on days when the Fund does not price its Shares, the potential exists for the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio to change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s Shares.

 

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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 of the terms of the contract. There may be an imperfect correlation between the changes in market value of the securities held by the Fund and the prices of futures contracts. There may not be a liquid secondary market for the futures contracts and the Fund may not be able to enter into a closing transaction. Exchanges may also limit the number of positions that can be held or controlled by the Fund, thus limiting the ability of the Fund to implement its investment strategy. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the Fund’s volatility. The value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning.

High Yield Securities Risk

High yield securities, or “junk” bonds, generally offer a higher current yield than the yield available from higher grade issues, but are subject to greater market fluctuations, are less liquid and provide a greater risk of loss than investment grade securities, and therefore are considered to be highly speculative. In general, high yield securities may have a greater risk of default than other types of securities and could cause income and principal losses for the Fund.

Income Risk

The Fund’s income may decline when interest rates fall or if there are defaults in its portfolio. This decline can occur because the Fund may subsequently invest in lower-yielding securities when securities in its portfolio mature or the Fund otherwise needs to purchase additional securities.

Interest Rate Risk

An increase in interest rates may cause the value of securities held by the Fund to decline. Fixed income securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations or floating or adjustable interest rates. The negative impact on the Fund from potential interest rate increases could be swift and significant, including falling market values, increased redemptions and reduced liquidity. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates during periods of low interest rates.

When interest rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the issuer (or other obligated party) more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of these securities to fall. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, securities may exhibit additional volatility and may lose value. The value of securities with longer maturities generally changes more in response to changes in interest rates than does the value of securities with shorter maturities. During periods of falling interest rates, an issuer of a callable security held by the Fund may “call” or repay the security before its stated maturity, which may result in the Fund having to reinvest the proceeds in securities with lower yields, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income, or in securities with greater risks or with other less favorable features.

Investment Style Risk

The Fund seeks to allocate investment exposure based upon a particular style of investing. Different investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor depending upon market and economic conditions and investor sentiment. As a consequence, the Fund may underperform as compared to the market generally or to other funds that invest in similar asset classes but employ different investment styles. Further, there is no guarantee that the Fund will accurately or optimally utilize the investment style or that it will successfully provide the desired investment exposure.

ESG Investing Style Risk. The Fund seeks exposure to the securities of companies meeting environmental, social and corporate governance investing criteria. The Fund excludes or limits exposure to securities of certain issuers for non-financial reasons, and the Fund may forgo some market opportunities available to funds that do not use these criteria. The application of ESG investing criteria may affect the Fund’s exposure to certain sectors or types of investments and may impact the Fund’s relative investment performance depending on whether such sectors or investments are in or out of favor in the market. ESG investing is subjective by nature, and therefore offers no guarantee that the ESG criteria utilized by the Subadvisor will accurately provide exposure to issuers meeting environmental, social and corporate governance criteria or any judgment exercised by the Subadvisor will reflect the beliefs or values of any particular investor. In addition, ESG investing is dependent upon information and data that may be incomplete, inaccurate or unavailable, which could adversely affect the analysis of the factors relevant to a particular investment.

 

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Liquidity Risk

Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell. Certain investments may be subject to restrictions on resale, trade over-the-counter or in limited volume, or lack an active trading market. Accordingly, the Fund may not be able to sell or close out of such investments at favorable times or prices (or at all), or at the prices approximating those at which the Fund currently values them. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value.

Market Risk

Market risks include political, regulatory, market and economic developments, including developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market, which may affect the Fund’s value. Turbulence in financial markets, tariffs and other protectionist measures, political developments and uncertainty, central bank policy, and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Geopolitical and other events, including war, terrorism, economic uncertainty, trade disputes, public health crises and related geopolitical events have led, and in the future may lead, to disruptions in the US and world economies and markets, which may increase financial market volatility and have significant adverse direct or indirect effects on the Fund and its investments. Market disruptions could cause the Fund to lose money, experience significant redemptions, and encounter operational difficulties. Although multiple asset classes may be affected by a market disruption, the duration and effects may not be the same for all types of assets.

Money Market/Short-Term Securities Risk

To the extent the Fund holds cash or invests in money market or short-term securities, the Fund may be less likely to achieve its investment objective. In addition, it is possible that the Fund’s investments in these instruments could lose money.

Mortgage Dollar Roll Transaction Risk

A mortgage dollar roll is a transaction in which the Fund sells mortgage-related securities from its portfolio to a counterparty from whom it simultaneously agrees to buy a similar security on a delayed delivery basis. Mortgage dollar roll transactions are subject to certain risks, including the risk that securities returned to the Fund at the end of the roll, while substantially similar, may be inferior to what was initially sold to the counterparty.

Municipal Bond Risk

Issuers, including governmental issuers, may be unable to pay their obligations as they come due. The values of Municipal Bonds that depend on a specific revenue source to fund their payment obligations may fluctuate as a result of actual or anticipated changes in the cash flows generated by the revenue source or changes in the priority of the municipal obligation to receive the cash flows generated by the revenue source. The values of Municipal Bonds held by the Fund may be adversely affected by local political and economic conditions and developments. Adverse conditions in an industry significant to a local economy could have a correspondingly adverse effect on the financial condition of local issuers. This risk would be heightened to the extent that the Fund invests a substantial portion of its assets in Municipal Bonds issued pursuant to similar projects or whose interest is paid solely from revenues of similar projects. In addition, income from Municipal Bonds held by the Fund could be declared taxable because of, among other things, unfavorable changes in tax laws, adverse interpretations by the Internal Revenue Service or state tax authorities, or noncompliant conduct of an issuer or other obligated party. Loss of tax-exempt status may cause interest received and distributed to shareholders by the Fund to be taxable and may result in a significant decline in the values of such municipal securities. There are various different types of Municipal Bonds, each with its own unique risk profile. Some of these risks include:

General Obligation Bonds Risk—timely payments depend on the issuer’s credit quality, ability to raise tax revenues and ability to maintain an adequate tax base;

Revenue Bonds (including Industrial Development Bonds) Risk—timely payments depend on the money earned by the particular facility or class of facilities, or the amount of revenues derived from another source, and may be negatively impacted by the general credit of the user of the facility;

Private Activity Bonds Risk—municipalities and other public authorities issue private activity bonds to finance development of industrial facilities for use by a private enterprise, which is solely responsible for paying the principal and interest on the bonds, and payment under these bonds depends on the private enterprise’s ability to do so;

 

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Moral Obligation Bonds Risk—moral obligation bonds are generally issued by special purpose public authorities of a state or municipality. If the issuer is unable to meet its obligations, repayment of these bonds becomes a moral commitment, but not a legal obligation, of the state or municipality;

Municipal Notes Risk—municipal notes are shorter-term municipal debt obligations that pay interest that is, in the opinion of bond counsel for the issuer at the time of issuance, generally excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes (except that the interest may be includable in taxable income for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax) and that have a maturity that is generally one year or less. If there is a shortfall in the anticipated proceeds, the notes may not be fully repaid and the Fund may lose money; and

Municipal Lease Obligations Risk—in a municipal lease obligation, the issuer agrees to make payments when due on the lease obligation. Although the issuer does not pledge its unlimited taxing power for payment of the lease obligation, the lease obligation is secured by the leased property.

Municipal Bond Market Liquidity Risk

Inventories of Municipal Bonds held by brokers and dealers may decrease, lessening their ability to make a market in these securities. Any reduction in market-making capacity has the potential to decrease the Fund’s ability to buy or sell Municipal Bonds and increase price volatility and trading costs, particularly during periods of economic or market stress. As a result, the Fund may be forced to accept a lower price to sell a Municipal Bond, to sell other securities to raise cash, or to give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on performance.

Operational Risk

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

Portfolio Management Risk

The Fund is subject to portfolio management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result or, while it may be the desired result, may underperform other types of investment strategies. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective(s).

Portfolio Turnover Risk

The Fund’s strategy may frequently involve buying and selling portfolio securities to rebalance the Fund’s investment exposures. High portfolio turnover may result in the Fund paying higher levels of transaction costs and generating greater tax liabilities for shareholders. Portfolio turnover risk may cause the Fund’s performance to be less than expected.

Risks of Investing in Loans

Investments in loans are subject to the same risks as investments in other types of debt securities, including credit risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk and valuation risk that may be heightened because of the limited public information available regarding loans and because loan borrowers may be leveraged and tend to be more adversely affected by changes in market or economic conditions. Default in the payment of interest or principal on a loan will result in a reduction in the value of the loan and consequently a reduction in the value of an investment in that loan. If an investor holds a loan through another financial institution or relies on a financial institution to administer the loan, its receipt of principal and interest on the loan may be subject to the credit risk of that financial institution. It is possible that any collateral securing a loan may be insufficient or unavailable to the investor, and that the investor’s rights to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or insolvency laws. Additionally, there is no central clearinghouse for loan trades and the loan market has not established enforceable settlement standards or remedies for failure to settle. Consequently, the secondary market for loans may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods (in some cases longer than 7 days), which may cause an investor to be unable to realize the full value of its investment. In addition, loans are generally not registered with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be considered “securities,” and an investor may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. An investment in loans made to non-U.S. borrowers may be affected by political and social instability, changes in economic or taxation policies, difficulties in enforcing obligations, decreased liquidity and increased volatility. Foreign borrowers may be subject to less regulation, resulting in less publicly available information about the borrowers.

 

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The loan market has seen a significant increase in loans with weaker lender protections including, but not limited to, limited financial maintenance covenants or, in some cases, no financial maintenance covenants (i.e., “covenant-lite loans”) that would typically be included in a traditional loan agreement and general weakening of other restrictive covenants applicable to the borrower such as limitations on incurrence of additional debt, restrictions on payments of junior debt or restrictions on dividends and distributions. Weaker lender protections such as the absence of financial maintenance covenants in a loan agreement and the inclusion of “borrower-favorable” terms may impact recovery values and/or trading levels of loans in the future. The absence of financial maintenance covenants in a loan agreement generally means that the lender may not be able to declare a default if financial performance deteriorates. This may hinder an investor’s ability to reprice credit risk associated with a particular borrower and reduce the investor’s ability to restructure a problematic loan and mitigate potential loss. As a result, an investor’s exposure to losses on investments in loans may be increased, especially during a downturn in the credit cycle or changes in market or economic conditions.

Risks of Loan Assignments and Participations

The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and becomes a lender under the credit agreement with respect to the debt obligation; however, the purchaser of an assignment may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. Because assignments may be arranged through private negotiations between potential assignees and potential assignors, the rights and obligations acquired by the purchaser of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning lender. In addition, if the loan is foreclosed, the purchaser of an assignment could become part owner of any collateral and could bear the costs and liabilities of owning and disposing of the collateral. To the extent an investor sells a loan by way of assignment, the investor may be required to pass along a portion of any fees to which the investor was entitled under the loan. In connection with purchasing participations, such purchaser generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement relating to the loan, nor any rights of set-off against the borrower, and the purchaser may not directly benefit from any collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the purchaser will be subject to the credit risk of both the borrower and the lender that is selling the participation. In the event of the insolvency of the lender selling a participation, the purchaser may be treated as a general creditor of the lender and may not benefit from any set-off between the lender and the borrower.

Secondary Market Trading Risk

Although the Fund’s Shares are listed for trading on one or more securities exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants. The trading of Shares on securities exchanges is subject to the risk of irregular trading activity. Securities exchanges have requirements that must be met in order for Shares to be listed. There can be no assurance that the requirements of an exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares will continue to be met. This risk is particularly acute for funds that fail to attract a large number of shareholders. Pursuant to an exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules, trading in the Fund’s Shares may be halted due to extraordinary market volatility. Additionally, market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Fund’s Shares and Authorized Participants are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for creation units. In the event market makers cease making a market in the Fund’s Shares or Authorized Participants stop submitting purchase or redemption orders for creation units, the Fund’s Shares may trade at a larger premium or discount to its NAV.

Swap Agreements Risk

Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into for a set period of time in which the parties agree to exchange payments based on some underlying reference or asset (such as interest rates). Swap agreements may involve greater risks than direct investment in securities as they may be leveraged and are subject to credit risk, counterparty risk, liquidity risk and valuation risk. A swap agreement could result in losses if the underlying reference or asset does not perform as anticipated. In addition, many swaps trade over-the-counter and may be considered illiquid. It may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate a swap position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses.

TBA Securities Risk

In a TBA securities transaction, the Fund commits to purchase certain securities for a fixed price at a future date. The principal risks of a TBA securities transaction are that the counterparty may not deliver the security as promised and/or that the value of the TBA security may decline prior to when the Fund receives the security.

 

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Trading Price Risk

Although it is generally expected that the market price of the Fund’s Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. Shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges at prices at, above or below the Fund’s most recent NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading price of the Fund’s Shares fluctuates continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply of and demand for Shares and the Fund’s NAV, among other reasons. As a result, the trading prices of the Fund’s Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. The market price of the Fund’s Shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid/ask” spread charged by market makers or other participants that trade the Shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, Shares are most likely to be traded at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of Shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that an investor most wants to sell their Shares. The risk of wide bid and ask spreads may be especially pronounced for smaller funds. In addition, increased market volatility may cause wider spreads.

Valuation Risk

When valuing the Fund’s portfolio investments, if a market quotation is readily available for a portfolio investment, that investment will generally be valued at the market value. However, unlike publicly traded securities that trade on national securities exchanges, there is no central place or exchange for trading most debt securities and thus readily available market quotations are unavailable. Debt securities generally trade on an “over-the-counter” market. Due to the lack of centralized information and trading, and variations in lot sizes of certain debt securities, the valuation of debt securities may carry more uncertainty and risk than that of publicly traded securities. Debt securities are commonly valued by third-party pricing service providers that utilize a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such securities, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. However, because the available information is less reliable and more subjective, elements of judgment may play a greater role in valuation of debt securities than for other types of securities. Additionally, pricing service providers generally price debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional “round lot” size, but some trades may occur in smaller, “odd lot” sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Valuing the Fund’s investments using fair value pricing provided by pricing service providers will result in prices that may differ from current market valuations and that may not be the prices at which those investments could have been sold during the period in which the particular fair values were used. It is possible that the fair value determined for a portfolio instrument may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that instrument.

Variable and Floating Rate Instruments Risk

Variable and floating rate instruments include debt securities issued by corporate and governmental entities, bank loans, mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities, preferred equity securities and derivative variable rate securities, such as inverse floaters. Variable and floating rate instruments are structured so that the instrument’s coupon rate fluctuates based upon the level of a reference rate. A variable or floating rate instrument’s coupon rate resets periodically according to its terms. Consequently, in a rising interest rate environment, variable and floating rate instruments with coupon rates that reset infrequently may lag behind the changes in market interest rates.

Zero Coupon Securities Risk

Zero coupon securities do not pay interest on a current basis. The interest earned on zero coupon securities is, implicitly, automatically compounded and paid out at maturity. Zero coupon securities are subject to substantially greater market price fluctuations during periods of changing prevailing interest rates than are comparable securities that make current distributions of interest.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns compare with its benchmark over time. The table that follows the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total return, both before and after taxes. The Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based benchmark that measures the investment grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market, including Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, mortgage-backed securities (agency fixed-rate and hybrid adjustable rate mortgage pass-throughs), asset-backed securities and commercial mortgage-backed securities.

 

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All returns assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Performance reflects fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement in effect, if such waivers or reimbursements were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Fund performance current to the most recent month-end is available by calling 1-888-474-7725 or by visiting newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf.

 

The Fund’s year-to-date total return as of June 30, 2024 was 1.33%.

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

 

Return

Quarter/Year

Highest Return

7.27%

4Q/2023

Lowest Return

-6.02%

2Q/2022

Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2023

 

1 Year

Since Inception(1)

Returns before taxes

7.22%

-3.25%

Returns after taxes on distributions(2)

5.10%

-4.63%

Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares(2)

4.22%

-3.04%

Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

5.53%

-3.28%

(1) The Fund commenced operations on June 29, 2021.
(2) After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown and are not relevant if you hold your Shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund Shares at the end of the measurement period.

Investment Advisor and Subadvisor

New York Life Investment Management LLC is the investment advisor to the Fund.

MacKay Shields LLC is the investment subadvisor of the Fund.

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Portfolio Managers

The professionals of the subadvisor that are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are:

Name & Title

Length of Service as
Fund’s Portfolio Manager

Neil Moriarty, III, Senior Managing Director

Since Fund’s Inception

Michael DePalma, Senior Managing Director

Since 2023

Lesya Paisley, Director

Since 2022

Valentina Chen, Senior Managing Director

Since 2023

Philip Fielding, Senior Managing Director

Since 2023

Zachary Aronson, Director

Since August 2024

Ms. Chen and Mr. Fielding are part of MacKay Shields UK LLP, an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of the Subadvisor, and provide services to the Fund under an arrangement with the Subadvisor.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Unlike conventional mutual funds, the Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis, at NAV, only in large blocks of Shares called “Creation Units.” Individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Since Shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges in the secondary market at their market price rather than their NAV, the Fund’s Shares may trade at a price greater than (premium) or less than (discount) the Fund’s NAV. An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information, including the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, is available online at newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf.

Tax Information

The Fund’s distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. However, subsequent withdrawals from such a tax-advantaged account may be subject to U.S. federal income tax. You should consult your tax advisor about your specific situation.

Financial Intermediary Compensation

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Advisor or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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Summary Information

NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF
(prior to August 28, 2024, named IQ MacKay ESG High Income ETF)

Investment Objective

The NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to maximize current income, while incorporating the Subadvisor’s ESG investment strategy.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). Investors may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example set forth below.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment):

None

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

Management Fee

0.40

%

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

0.00

%

Other Expenses

0.17

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

0.57

%

Expense Waiver/Reimbursement(a)

0.17

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Waiver/Reimbursement

0.40

%

 

(a) New York Life Investment Management LLC(“New York Life Investments” or “Advisor”) has contractually agreed to waive or reduce its management fee and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund in an amount that limits “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” (exclusive of interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, dividend payments on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) to not more than 0.40% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The agreement will remain in effect permanently unless terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Fund.

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain at current levels. The return of 5% and estimated expenses are for illustration purposes only, and should not be considered indicators of expected Fund expenses or performance, which may be greater or less than the estimates. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

$41

$128

$224

$505

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rates was 59% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of the portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Shares.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective through investments in debt instruments offering attractive levels of yield. This Fund expects to invest primarily in U.S. corporate debt securities, non-U.S. corporate debt securities, convertible corporate securities, loans and loan participation interests that are rated below investment grade by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”) (such securities rated lower than BBB- and Baa3), or, if unrated, judged to be of comparable quality by MacKay Shields LLC (the “Subadvisor”). Securities that are rated below investment grade by NRSROs are commonly referred to as “high-yield securities” or “junk bonds.” If NRSROs assign different ratings to the same instrument for purposes

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of determining the security’s credit quality, the Fund will use the middle rating when three NRSROs rate the security. For securities where only two NRSROs rate the security, the Fund will use the lower rating. If only one rating is available for a security, the Fund will use that rating. The Fund may invest without limitation in below investment grade securities.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in instruments that meet the Subadvisor’s environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) criteria. The Subadvisor analyzes and applies its ESG criteria to corporate issuers and the Subadvisor’s ESG analysis includes its own proprietary assessments of ESG factors as well as standards developed and set forth by recognized organizations such as entities sponsored by the United Nations.

The Fund will not invest in instruments of corporate issuers that have been determined by the Subadvisor, through its own analysis or using third party data, to not be in compliance with the Principles of the UN Global Compact. The Fund will also not invest in instruments of corporate issuers that have been determined by the Subadvisor, through its own analysis or using third party data, to: (i) derive greater than 5% of their revenue from (a) the mining of coal, (b) the manufacture or production of tobacco, (c) the extraction or processing of oil sands, or (d) arctic oil and gas extraction; or (ii) the manufacture of controversial weapons (such as anti-personnel mines, biological weapons, chemical weapons, cluster munitions, depleted uranium ammunition and armor, incendiary weapons, nuclear weapons, and white phosphorus munitions).

The Fund may hold cash or invest in short-term instruments during times when the Subadvisor is unable to identify attractive high income securities. To the extent possible, the Fund will attempt to hedge its foreign currency exposure against the U.S. dollar. The Fund may also invest in derivatives, such as futures, forwards, options, forward commitments and swap agreements, including interest rate, total return and credit default swap agreements, to seek to enhance returns or to reduce the risk of loss by hedging certain of its holdings or manage duration. In times of unusual or adverse market, economic or political conditions, the Fund may invest without limit in investment grade securities and may invest in U.S. government securities or other high-quality money market instruments. To the extent the Fund is invested in cash, investment grade debt or other high-quality instruments, the yield on these investments tends to be lower than the yield on other investments normally purchased by the Fund. Although investing heavily in these investments may help to preserve the Fund’s assets, it may not be consistent with the Fund’s primary investment objective and may limit the Fund’s ability to achieve a high level of income.

The Fund has adopted a non-fundamental policy that it may invest up to 20% of its net assets in common stocks and other equity-related securities, including in connection with restructurings.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in underlying funds, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds and closed-end funds.

The Fund may invest in mortgage dollar rolls, to-be-announced (“TBA”) securities transactions, variable rate notes and floating rate notes. The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. 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 Investment Process: The Subadvisor utilizes a top-down and bottom-up approach in its investment decision-making process. The top-down element of the investment process incorporates an analysis of the important economic underpinnings of the market’s risk cycle. The investment team believes that monetary policy, as dictated by central bank actions, is a significant contributor to credit creation and an important driver of the inflection points in the market cycle.

The bottom-up component of the investment team’s investment process feeds into its macro analysis to help identify significant changes in financial market conditions, real economic developments and areas of credit excess. Credits are run through a multi-factor analysis of financial and non-financial risk characteristics seeking to gain a complete picture of the credit profile of an issuer prior to investment.

The Subadvisor’s ESG analysis evaluates securities using environmental, social, corporate governance factors. The Subadvisor considers these ESG criteria systematically throughout the Fund’s investment process. The Subadvisor’s ESG analysis evaluates each issuer relative to other issuers in the relevant peer group and asset class. The Subadvisor’s ESG analysis is a proprietary process developed by the Subadvisor that assigns each issuer separate “environmental,” “social,” and “governance” scores based on ESG factors deemed most material to that asset class and peer group.

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Although the Subadvisor does not use third party ESG scores to calculate an issuer’s ESG score, as described further below, the Subadvisor may use third-party research to help identify sustainability issues that are likely to affect the financial condition or operating performance of an issuer.

The Subadvisor’s scoring process seeks to rate issuers as “outperforming,” “average,” or “underperforming” within each of the environmental, social and governance factors versus peers. The issuer’s score in each of the three factors is combined on an equally weighted basis to determine the issuer’s overall ESG score. In addition to an issuer’s current overall score, the Subadvisor also considers the historical trend in an issuer’s score and seeks to identify opportunities where a company has improved its ESG practices and is expected to continue to demonstrate further improvement. A security meets the Subadvisor’s ESG criteria if it: (i) has received a score of at least “average”; or (ii) if the issuer’s current score is below “average,” the issuer has demonstrated a trend of improving scores. During the portfolio construction process, the Subadvisor will assess overall environmental, social and governance scores across the portfolio, as well as by overall issuer score.

The Subadvisor’s process for corporate credit ESG analysis includes evaluating material ESG factors on an industry-by-industry basis and issuer performance of those factors is based on under/outperformance of industry peers. Factors considered as part of the Subadvisor’s ESG analysis of corporate issuers include:

Environmental factors such as the issuer’s ability to identify and mitigate pecuniary environmental risk exposure, predominantly arising from regulatory factors in a transition to a low carbon economy.

Social factors such as an issuer’s ability to effectively identify and mitigate pecuniary social risk exposure, such as human capital management, customer privacy and data security.

Governance factors such as assessing an issuer’s quality of management and business oversight.

The Subadvisor’s engagement activities may include, but are not limited to, in-person meetings and phone calls with issuers to understand their sustainability goals and business practices as well as other industry participants engaged in ESG and sustainability initiatives. This engagement allows the Subadvisor to better align mutual interests while impacting change.

The Subadvisor may sell a security if it no longer believes that the security will contribute to meeting the investment objective of the Fund or no longer meets its ESG standards. In considering whether to sell a security, the Subadvisor may evaluate, among other things, the condition of the economy, meaningful changes in the issuer’s financial condition, changes in the condition and outlook.

Principal Risks

As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s Shares will change in value and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund does not represent a complete investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, the Advisor or any of its affiliates. You should consider carefully the following risks before investing in the Fund.

Authorized Participant Concentration Risk

Only certain large institutions may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund (each, an “Authorized Participant”). The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that those Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to engage in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund, Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

Cash Transactions Risk

The Fund currently intends to effect creations and redemptions principally for cash, rather than for in-kind securities. For this reason, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. The Fund may recognize a capital gain on these sales that might not have been incurred if the Fund had made a redemption in-kind. This may decrease the tax efficiency of the Fund compared to ETFs that utilize an in-kind redemption process.

 

27

Convertible Securities Risk

A convertible security has characteristics of both equity and debt securities and, as a result, is exposed to risks that are typically associated with both types of securities. Convertible securities are typically subordinate to an issuer’s other debt obligations. Issuers of convertible securities may be more vulnerable to changes in the economy, such as a recession or a sustained period of rising interest rates, which could affect their ability to make interest and principal payments. If an issuer stops making interest and/or principal payments, the Fund could lose its entire investment.

Corporate Bonds Risk

Corporate bonds are debt obligations issued by corporations. Corporate bonds are generally used by corporations to borrow money from investors. The investment return of corporate bonds reflects interest earned on the security and changes in the market value of the security. The market value of a corporate bond may be affected by changes in the market rate of interest, the credit rating of the issuer, the issuer’s performance and perceptions of the issuer in the marketplace. 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.

Counterparty Risk

A counterparty (the other party to a transaction or an agreement or the party with whom the Fund executes transactions) to a transaction with the Fund may be unable or unwilling to make timely principal, interest, settlement or margin payments, fulfill the delivery conditions of the contract or transaction, or otherwise honor its obligations. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction, but the Fund may be unable to terminate or realize any gain on the investment or transaction, resulting in a loss to the Fund. The Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery in an insolvency, bankruptcy, or other reorganization proceeding involving a counterparty (including recovery of any collateral posted by it) and may obtain limited or no recovery in such circumstances.

Credit Risk

Credit risk is the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a debt instrument or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, repurchase agreement or loan of portfolio securities will be unable or unwilling to make its timely interest and/or principal payments when due or otherwise honor its obligations. Changes in an issuer’s or counterparty’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s or counterparty’s creditworthiness may also adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on an issuer’s or counterparty’s financial condition and on the terms of an obligation.

Cyber Security Risk

The Fund is susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. Such events may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity and could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. In addition, cyber security breaches of the securities issuers or the Fund’s third-party service providers can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. Although the Fund has established risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed.

Debt Securities Risk

The risks of investing in debt securities include (without limitation): (i) credit risk, e.g., the issuer or guarantor of a debt security may be unable or unwilling (or be perceived as unable or unwilling) to make timely principal and/or interest payments or otherwise honor its obligations; (ii) interest rate risk, e.g., when interest rates go up, the value of a debt security generally goes down, and when interest rates go down, the value of a debt security generally goes up; (iii) liquidity risk and valuation risk, e.g., debt securities generally do not trade on a securities exchange, making them generally less liquid and more difficult to value than common stock; (iv) call risk and income risk, e.g., during a period of falling interest rates, the issuer may redeem a security by repaying it early, which may reduce the Fund’s income if the proceeds are reinvested at lower interest rates; and (v) extension risk, e.g., if interest rates rise, repayments of debt securities may occur more slowly than anticipated by the market, which may drive the prices of these securities down because their interest rates are lower than the current interest rate and the securities remain outstanding longer. Debt securities most frequently trade in institutional round lot size transactions. If the Fund purchases bonds in amounts less than the institutional round lot size, which are frequently referred to as “odd” lots, the odd lot size positions may have more price volatility than institutional round lot size positions. The Fund uses a third-party pricing service to value bond holdings and the pricing service values bonds assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size.

 

28

Derivatives Risk

Derivatives are investments whose value depends on (or is derived from) the value of an underlying instrument, such as a security, asset, reference rate or index and involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with other investments. These risks include: (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivatives transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset. Derivative prices are highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. Such prices are influenced by numerous factors that affect the markets, including, but not limited to, changing supply and demand relationships, government programs and policies, national and international political and economic events, changes in interest rates, inflation and deflation, and changes in supply and demand relationships. Unlike other investments, derivative contracts often have leverage inherent in their terms. The use of leveraged derivatives can magnify potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund’s Share price. The effects of leverage may also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so.

Equity Securities Risk

Investments in common stocks and other equity securities are particularly subject to the risk of changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer, conditions affecting equity markets generally and political and/or economic events. Equity prices may also be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase. Holders of an issuer’s common stock may be subject to greater risks than holders of its preferred stock and debt securities because common stockholders’ claims are subordinated to those of holders of preferred stocks and debt securities upon the bankruptcy of an issuer.

Exchange Traded Products Risk

Unlike an investment in a mutual fund, the value of the Fund’s investment in other exchange-traded funds or exchange-traded investment products (“ETPs”) is based on its market price (rather than NAV) and the Fund could lose money due to premiums/discounts of the ETP (which could cause the Fund to buy shares at market prices that are higher than their value or sell shares at market prices that are lower than their value); the failure of an active trading market to develop; or exchange trading halts or delistings. An investment in the Fund will entail more costs and expenses than a direct investment in any underlying ETP. As the Fund’s allocations to underlying ETPs changes, or the expense ratio of underlying ETPs change, the operating expenses borne by the Fund from such investments may increase or decrease. Federal law prohibits the Fund from acquiring investment company shares, including shares of other registered investment companies (including ETFs), in excess of specific thresholds unless exempted by rule, regulation or exemptive order. These prohibitions may prevent the Fund from allocating its investment in an optimal manner.

Focused Investment Risk

To the extent that the Fund invests a large percentage of its assets in a single asset class or the securities of issuers within the same country, group of countries, region, industry, group of industries or sector, an adverse economic, market, political or regulatory development may affect the value of the Fund’s investments more than if the Fund were more broadly diversified. Different asset classes, countries, groups of countries, regions, industries, groups of industries or sectors tend to go through cycles of outperformance and underperformance in comparison to each other and to the general financial markets.

Foreign Currency Forward Contracts Risk

When trading in foreign currency forward contracts, the Fund will contract with a foreign or domestic bank, or a foreign or domestic securities dealer, to make or take future delivery of a specified amount of a particular currency. There are no limitations on daily price moves in such forward contracts, and banks and dealers are not required to continue to make markets in such contracts. Governmental imposition of credit controls might limit any such forward contract trading. Foreign currency forward contracts involve certain risks, including the risk of failure of the counterparty to perform its obligations under the contract and the risk that the use of forward contracts may not serve as a complete hedge because of an imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the contracts and the prices of the currencies hedged.

Foreign Securities Risk

Investments in the securities of non-U.S. issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities. These additional risks include greater market volatility, the availability of less reliable financial information, higher transactional and custody costs, taxation by foreign governments, decreased market liquidity and political instability. Some countries and regions have experienced security concerns, war or

29

threats of war and aggression, terrorism, economic uncertainty, natural and environmental disasters and/or systemic market dislocations that have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally. Foreign issuers are often subject to less stringent requirements regarding accounting, auditing, financial reporting and record keeping than are U.S. issuers, and therefore not all material information will be available. Securities exchanges or foreign governments may adopt rules or regulations that may negatively impact the Fund’s ability to invest in foreign securities or may prevent the Fund from repatriating its investments. Less developed securities markets are more likely to experience problems with the clearing and settling of trades, as well as the holding of securities by local banks, agents and depositories. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the likelihood of clearing, custody and trade settlement problems.

Foreign Securities Valuation Risk

The Fund’s value may be impacted by events that cause the fair value of foreign securities to materially change between the close of the local exchange on which they trade and the time at which the Fund prices its Shares. Additionally, because foreign exchanges on which securities held by the Fund may be open on days when the Fund does not price its Shares, the potential exists for the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio to change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s Shares.

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. There may be an imperfect correlation between the changes in market value of the securities held by the Fund and the prices of futures contracts. There may not be a liquid secondary market for the futures contracts and the Fund may not be able to enter into a closing transaction. Exchanges may also limit the number of positions that can be held or controlled by the Fund, thus limiting the ability of the Fund to implement its investment strategy. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the Fund’s volatility. The value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning.

High Yield Securities Risk

High yield securities, or “junk” bonds, generally offer a higher current yield than the yield available from higher grade issues, but are subject to greater market fluctuations, are less liquid and provide a greater risk of loss than investment grade securities, and therefore are considered to be highly speculative. In general, high yield securities may have a greater risk of default than other types of securities and could cause income and principal losses for the Fund.

Income Risk

The Fund’s income may decline when interest rates fall or if there are defaults in its portfolio. This decline can occur because the Fund may subsequently invest in lower-yielding securities when securities in its portfolio mature or the Fund otherwise needs to purchase additional securities.

Interest Rate Risk

An increase in interest rates may cause the value of securities held by the Fund to decline. Fixed income securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations or floating or adjustable interest rates. The negative impact on the Fund from potential interest rate increases could be swift and significant, including falling market values, increased redemptions and reduced liquidity. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates during periods of low interest rates.

When interest rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the issuer (or other obligated party) more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of these securities to fall. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, securities may exhibit additional volatility and may lose value. The value of securities with longer maturities generally changes more in response to changes in interest rates than does the value of securities with shorter maturities. During periods of falling interest rates, an issuer of a callable security held by the Fund may “call” or repay the security before its stated maturity, which may result in the Fund having to reinvest the proceeds in securities with lower yields, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income, or in securities with greater risks or with other less favorable features.

Investment Style Risk

The Fund seeks to allocate investment exposure based upon a particular style of investing. Different investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor depending upon market and economic conditions and investor sentiment. As a consequence, the Fund may underperform as compared to the market generally or to other

30

funds that invest in similar asset classes but employ different investment styles. Further, there is no guarantee that the Fund will accurately or optimally utilize the investment style or that it will successfully provide the desired investment exposure.

ESG Investing Style Risk. The Fund seeks exposure to the securities of companies meeting environmental, social and corporate governance investing criteria. The Fund excludes or limits exposure to securities of certain issuers for non-financial reasons, and the Fund may forgo some market opportunities available to funds that do not use these criteria. The application of ESG investing criteria may affect the Fund’s exposure to certain sectors or types of investments and may impact the Fund’s relative investment performance depending on whether such sectors or investments are in or out of favor in the market. ESG investing is subjective by nature, and therefore offers no guarantee that the ESG criteria utilized by the Subadvisor will accurately provide exposure to issuers meeting environmental, social and corporate governance criteria or any judgment exercised by the Subadvisor will reflect the beliefs or values of any particular investor. In addition, ESG investing is dependent upon information and data that may be incomplete, inaccurate or unavailable, which could adversely affect the analysis of the factors relevant to a particular investment.

Issuer Risk

The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. Changes to the financial condition or credit rating of an issuer of those securities may cause the value of the securities to decline.

Liquidity Risk

Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell. Certain investments may be subject to restrictions on resale, trade over-the-counter or in limited volume, or lack an active trading market. Accordingly, the Fund may not be able to sell or close out of such investments at favorable times or prices (or at all), or at the prices approximating those at which the Fund currently values them. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value.

Market Risk

Market risks include political, regulatory, market and economic developments, including developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market, which may affect the Fund’s value. Turbulence in financial markets, tariffs and other protectionist measures, political developments and uncertainty, central bank policy, and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Geopolitical and other events, including war, terrorism, economic uncertainty, trade disputes, public health crises and related geopolitical events have led, and in the future may lead, to disruptions in the U.S. and world economies and markets, which may increase financial market volatility and have significant adverse direct or indirect effects on the Fund and its investments. Market disruptions could cause the Fund to lose money, experience significant redemptions, and encounter operational difficulties. Although multiple asset classes may be affected by a market disruption, the duration and effects may not be the same for all types of assets.

Money Market/Short-Term Securities Risk

To the extent the Fund holds cash or invests in money market or short-term securities, the Fund may be less likely to achieve its investment objective. In addition, it is possible that the Fund’s investments in these instruments could lose money.

Mortgage Dollar Roll Transaction Risk

A mortgage dollar roll is a transaction in which the Fund sells mortgage-related securities from its portfolio to a counterparty from whom it simultaneously agrees to buy a similar security on a delayed delivery basis. Mortgage dollar roll transactions are subject to certain risks, including the risk that securities returned to the Fund at the end of the roll, while substantially similar, may be inferior to what was initially sold to the counterparty.

Operational Risk

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

 

31

Option Contracts Risk

The use of option contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of option contracts are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, changes in interest or currency exchange rates, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events. There may at times be an imperfect correlation between the movement in values option contracts and the reference asset, and there may at times not be a liquid secondary market for certain option contracts.

Portfolio Management Risk

The Fund is subject to portfolio management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result or, while it may be the desired result, may underperform other types of investment strategies. The Subadvisor may give consideration to certain ESG criteria when evaluating an investment opportunity. The application of ESG criteria may result in the Fund (i) having exposure to certain securities or industry sectors that are significantly different than the composition of the Fund’s benchmark; and (ii) performing differently than other funds and strategies in its peer group that do not take into account ESG criteria or the Fund’s benchmark. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective(s).

Risks of Investing in Loans

Investments in loans are subject to the same risks as investments in other types of debt securities, including credit risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk and valuation risk that may be heightened because of the limited public information available regarding loans and because loan borrowers may be leveraged and tend to be more adversely affected by changes in market or economic conditions. Default in the payment of interest or principal on a loan will result in a reduction in the value of the loan and consequently a reduction in the value of an investment in that loan. If an investor holds a loan through another financial institution or relies on a financial institution to administer the loan, its receipt of principal and interest on the loan may be subject to the credit risk of that financial institution. It is possible that any collateral securing a loan may be insufficient or unavailable to the investor, and that the investor’s rights to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or insolvency laws. Additionally, there is no central clearinghouse for loan trades and the loan market has not established enforceable settlement standards or remedies for failure to settle. Consequently, the secondary market for loans may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods (in some cases longer than 7 days), which may cause an investor to be unable to realize the full value of its investment. In addition, loans are generally not registered with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be considered “securities,” and an investor may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. An investment in loans made to non-U.S. borrowers may be affected by political and social instability, changes in economic or taxation policies, difficulties in enforcing obligations, decreased liquidity and increased volatility. Foreign borrowers may be subject to less regulation, resulting in less publicly available information about the borrowers.

The loan market has seen a significant increase in loans with weaker lender protections including, but not limited to, limited financial maintenance covenants or, in some cases, no financial maintenance covenants (i.e., “covenant-lite loans”) that would typically be included in a traditional loan agreement and general weakening of other restrictive covenants applicable to the borrower such as limitations on incurrence of additional debt, restrictions on payments of junior debt or restrictions on dividends and distributions. Weaker lender protections such as the absence of financial maintenance covenants in a loan agreement and the inclusion of “borrower-favorable” terms may impact recovery values and/or trading levels of loans in the future. The absence of financial maintenance covenants in a loan agreement generally means that the lender may not be able to declare a default if financial performance deteriorates. This may hinder an investor’s ability to reprice credit risk associated with a particular borrower and reduce the investor’s ability to restructure a problematic loan and mitigate potential loss. As a result, an investor’s exposure to losses on investments in loans may be increased, especially during a downturn in the credit cycle or changes in market or economic conditions.

Risks of Loan Assignments and Participations

The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and becomes a lender under the credit agreement with respect to the debt obligation; however, the purchaser of an assignment may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. Because assignments may be arranged through private negotiations

32

between potential assignees and potential assignors, the rights and obligations acquired by the purchaser of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning lender. In addition, if the loan is foreclosed, the purchaser of an assignment could become part owner of any collateral and could bear the costs and liabilities of owning and disposing of the collateral. To the extent an investor sells a loan by way of assignment, the investor may be required to pass along a portion of any fees to which the investor was entitled under the loan. In connection with purchasing participations, such purchaser generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement relating to the loan, nor any rights of set-off against the borrower, and the purchaser may not directly benefit from any collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the purchaser will be subject to the credit risk of both the borrower and the lender that is selling the participation. In the event of the insolvency of the lender selling a participation, the purchaser may be treated as a general creditor of the lender and may not benefit from any set-off between the lender and the borrower.

Secondary Market Trading Risk

Although the Fund’s Shares are listed for trading on one or more securities exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants. The trading of Shares on securities exchanges is subject to the risk of irregular trading activity. Securities exchanges have requirements that must be met in order for Shares to be listed. There can be no assurance that the requirements of an exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares will continue to be met. This risk is particularly acute for funds that fail to attract a large number of shareholders. Pursuant to an exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules, trading in the Fund’s Shares may be halted due to extraordinary market volatility. Additionally, market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Fund’s Shares and Authorized Participants are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for creation units. In the event market makers cease making a market in the Fund’s Shares or Authorized Participants stop submitting purchase or redemption orders for creation units, the Fund’s Shares may trade at a larger premium or discount to its NAV.

Swap Agreements Risk

Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into for a set period of time in which the parties agree to exchange payments based on some underlying reference or asset (such as interest rates). Swap agreements may involve greater risks than direct investment in securities as they may be leveraged and are subject to credit risk, counterparty risk, liquidity risk and valuation risk. A swap agreement could result in losses if the underlying reference or asset does not perform as anticipated. In addition, many swaps trade over-the-counter and may be considered illiquid. It may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate a swap position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses.

TBA Securities Risk

In a TBA securities transaction, the Fund commits to purchase certain securities for a fixed price at a future date. The principal risks of a TBA securities transaction are that the counterparty may not deliver the security as promised and/or that the value of the TBA security may decline prior to when the Fund receives the security.

Trading Price Risk

Although it is generally expected that the market price of the Fund’s Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. Shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges at prices at, above or below the Fund’s most recent NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading price of the Fund’s Shares fluctuates continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply of and demand for Shares and the Fund’s NAV, among other reasons. As a result, the trading prices of the Fund’s Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. The market price of the Fund’s Shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid/ask” spread charged by market makers or other participants that trade the Shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, Shares are most likely to be traded at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of Shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that an investor most wants to sell their Shares. The risk of wide bid and ask spreads may be especially pronounced for smaller funds. In addition, increased market volatility may cause wider spreads.

Valuation Risk

When valuing the Fund’s portfolio investments, if a market quotation is readily available for a portfolio investment, that investment will generally be valued at the market value. However, unlike publicly traded securities that trade on national securities exchanges, there is no central place or exchange for trading most debt securities and thus readily available market quotations are unavailable. Debt securities generally trade

33

on an “over-the-counter” market. Due to the lack of centralized information and trading, and variations in lot sizes of certain debt securities, the valuation of debt securities may carry more uncertainty and risk than that of publicly traded securities. Debt securities are commonly valued by third-party pricing service providers that utilize a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such securities, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. However, because the available information is less reliable and more subjective, elements of judgment may play a greater role in valuation of debt securities than for other types of securities. Additionally, pricing service providers generally price debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional “round lot” size, but some trades may occur in smaller, “odd lot” sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Valuing the Fund’s investments using fair value pricing provided by pricing service providers will result in prices that may differ from current market valuations and that may not be the prices at which those investments could have been sold during the period in which the particular fair values were used. It is possible that the fair value determined for a portfolio instrument may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that instrument.

Variable and Floating Rate Instruments Risk

Variable and floating rate instruments include debt securities issued by corporate and governmental entities, bank loans, mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities, preferred equity securities and derivative variable rate securities, such as inverse floaters. Variable and floating rate instruments are structured so that the instrument’s coupon rate fluctuates based upon the level of a reference rate. A variable or floating rate instrument’s coupon rate resets periodically according to its terms. Consequently, in a rising interest rate environment, variable and floating rate instruments with coupon rates that reset infrequently may lag behind the changes in market interest rates.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns compare with its benchmark over time. The table that follows the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total return, both before and after taxes. In accordance with new regulatory requirements, the Fund has selected the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, which is a broad-based benchmark that measures the investment grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market, including Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, mortgage-backed securities (agency fixed-rate and hybrid adjustable rate mortgage pass-throughs), asset-backed securities and commercial mortgage-backed securities, as a replacement for the Bloomberg Very Liquid High Yield Index. The table also includes the average annual returns of the Bloomberg Very Liquid High Yield Index, which is designed to measure the performance of publicly issued U.S. dollar denominated high yield corporate bonds with above-average liquidity. High yield securities are generally rated below investment grade and are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.

All returns assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Performance reflects fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement in effect, if such waivers or reimbursements were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Fund performance current to the most recent month-end is available by calling 1-888-474-7725 or by visiting newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf.

 

The Fund’s year-to-date total return as of June 30, 2024 was 1.98%.

 

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

 

Return

Quarter/Year

Highest Return

7.14%

4Q/2023

Lowest Return

0.18%

3Q/2023

Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2023

 

1 Year

Since Inception(1)

Returns before taxes

12.95%

12.90%

Returns after taxes on distributions(2)

9.72%

9.69%

Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares(2)

7.55%

8.42%

Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

5.53%

8.68%

Bloomberg Very Liquid High Yield Index

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

13.76%

14.50%

(1) The Fund commenced operations on October 25, 2022.
(2) After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown and are not relevant if you hold your Shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund Shares at the end of the measurement period.

New York Life Investment Management LLC is the investment advisor to the Fund.

MacKay Shields LLC is the investment subadvisor to the Fund.

Portfolio Managers

The professionals of the subadvisor that are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are:

Name & Title

Length of Service as
Fund’s Portfolio Manager

Matt Jacob, Managing Director

Since Fund’s Inception

Cameron White, Director

Since 2023

Neil Moriarty, III, Senior Managing Director

Since August 2024

Michael DePalma, Senior Managing Director

Since August 2024

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Unlike conventional mutual funds, the Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis, at NAV, only in large blocks of Shares called “Creation Units.” Individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Since Shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges in the secondary market at their market price rather than their NAV, the Fund’s Shares may trade at a price greater than (premium) or less than (discount) the Fund’s NAV. An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information, including the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, is available online at newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf.

Tax Information

The Fund’s distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. However, subsequent withdrawals from such a tax-advantaged account may be subject to U.S. federal income tax. You should consult your tax advisor about your specific situation.

Financial Intermediary Compensation

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Advisor or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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Summary Information

NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF
(prior to August 28, 2024, named IQ MacKay Municipal Insured ETF)

Investment Objective

The NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF (the “Fund”) seeks current income exempt from federal income tax.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). Investors may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example set forth below.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment): 

None

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

Management Fee

0.40

%

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

0.00

%

Other Expenses

0.07

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

0.47

%

Expense Waiver/Reimbursement(a)

0.17

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Waiver/Reimbursement

0.30

%

  

(a) New York Life Investment Management LLC(“New York Life Investments” or “Advisor”) has contractually agreed to waive or reduce its management fee and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund in an amount that limits “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” (exclusive of interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, dividend payments on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) to not more than 0.30% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The agreement will remain in effect permanently unless terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Fund.

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain at current levels. The return of 5% and estimated expenses are for illustration purposes only, and should not be considered indicators of expected Fund expenses or performance, which may be greater or less than the estimates. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

$31

$97

$169

$381

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rates was 45% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of the portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Shares.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund, under normal circumstances, invests at least 80% of its assets (net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes) in: (i) debt securities whose interest is, in the opinion of bond counsel for the issuer at the time of issuance, exempt from federal Income tax (“Municipal Bonds”); and (ii) debt securities covered by an insurance policy guaranteeing the payment of principal and interest. The Fund typically invests at least 80% of its net assets in Municipal Bonds that are rated investment grade by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization, or (“NRSRO”), or, if unrated, judged to be of comparable quality by the Subadvisor. If independent rating agencies assign different ratings to the same security, the Fund will use the higher rating for purposes of determining the security’s credit quality. The Fund generally will maintain a dollar-weighted average duration of 3 to 15 years.

 

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Municipal Bonds are issued by or on behalf of the District of Columbia, states, territories, commonwealths and possessions of the United States and their political subdivisions and agencies, authorities and instrumentalities. The Fund may not invest more than 20% of its net assets in tax-exempt securities subject to the federal alternative minimum tax.

Insured Municipal Bonds are covered by insurance policies that guarantee the timely payment of principal and interest. The Fund generally purchases Municipal Bonds that have insurance in place so the Fund does not pay insurance premiums directly. The premium costs, however, are reflected in a lower yield and/or higher price for the insured Municipal Bonds. When beneficial, the Fund may purchase insurance for an uninsured bond directly from a qualified Municipal Bond insurer, in which case the Fund pays the insurance premium directly to the insurance company. It is important to note that insurance does not guarantee the market value of an insured security, or the Fund’s share price or distributions, and shares of the Fund are not insured.

The Fund may invest more than 25% of its total assets in Municipal Bonds that are related in such a way that an economic, business or political development or change affecting one such security could also affect the other securities. However, the Fund’s investments will be diversified among a minimum of ten different sectors of the Municipal Bond market, such as education, transportation and local general obligation. The Fund’s investments will be diversified among at least 15 different states, with no more than 30% of the Fund’s securities invested in municipal securities from a single state. Some of the Fund’s earnings may be subject to federal tax and most may be subject to state and local taxes.

MacKay Shields LLC’s (the “Subadvisor”) investment process begins with an assessment of macro factors that may impact the Municipal Bond market, including, tax rates, U.S. Treasury rates, and global economic data, as well as other regulatory, tax, governmental, and technical factors that may impact the Municipal Bond market. The Subadvisor’s investment process includes a risk analysis that gives consideration to a variety of security-specific risks, including but not limited to, environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) risks that may have a material impact on the performance of a security. In addition to proprietary research, the Subadvisor may use screening tools and, to the extent available, third party data to identify ESG risk factors that may not have been captured through its own research. The Subadvisor’s consideration of ESG risk is weighed against other criteria and no sectors or industries are explicitly excluded from the Fund. Following the assessment of these factors, the Subadvisor develops an investment strategy to position the Fund among various sectors of the Municipal Bond market and different states. The Subadvisor then employs a fundamental, “bottom-up” credit research analysis to select individual Municipal Bonds.

The Subadvisor may sell security if it no longer believes the security will contribute to meeting the investment objective of the Fund. In considering whether to sell a security, the Subadvisor may evaluate, among other things, the condition of the economy and meaningful changes in the issuer’s financial condition.

Principal Risks

As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s Shares will change in value and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund does not represent a complete investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, the Advisor or any of its affiliates. You should consider carefully the following risks before investing in the Fund.

Alternative Minimum Tax Risk

Although the interest received from municipal securities is generally exempt from federal income tax, the Fund may invest in municipal securities subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could cause shareholders to be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax.

Authorized Participant Concentration Risk

Only certain large institutions may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund (each, an “Authorized Participant”). The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that those Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to engage in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund, Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

 

37

Cash Transactions Risk

The Fund currently intends to effect creations and redemptions principally for cash, rather than for in-kind securities. For this reason, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. The Fund may recognize a capital gain on these sales that might not have been incurred if the Fund had made a redemption in-kind. This may decrease the tax efficiency of the Fund compared to ETFs that utilize an in-kind redemption process.

Credit Risk

Credit risk is the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a debt instrument or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, repurchase agreement or loan of portfolio securities will be unable or unwilling to make its timely interest and/or principal payments when due or otherwise honor its obligations. Changes in an issuer’s or counterparty’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s or counterparty’s creditworthiness may also adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on an issuer’s or counterparty’s financial condition and on the terms of an obligation.

Cyber Security Risk

The Fund is susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. Such events may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity and could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. In addition, cyber security breaches of the securities issuers or the Fund’s third-party service providers can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. Although the Fund has established risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed.

Debt Securities Risk

The risks of investing in debt securities include (without limitation): (i) credit risk, e.g., the issuer or guarantor of a debt security may be unable or unwilling (or be perceived as unable or unwilling) to make timely principal and/or interest payments or otherwise honor its obligations; (ii) interest rate risk, e.g., when interest rates go up, the value of a debt security generally goes down, and when interest rates go down, the value of a debt security generally goes up; (iii) liquidity risk and valuation risk, e.g., debt securities generally do not trade on a securities exchange, making them generally less liquid and more difficult to value than common stock; (iv) call risk and income risk, e.g., during a period of falling interest rates, the issuer may redeem a security by repaying it early, which may reduce the Fund’s income if the proceeds are reinvested at lower interest rates; and (v) extension risk, e.g., if interest rates rise, repayments of debt securities may occur more slowly than anticipated by the market, which may drive the prices of these securities down because their interest rates are lower than the current interest rate and the securities remain outstanding longer. Debt securities most frequently trade in institutional round lot size transactions. If the Fund purchases bonds in amounts less than the institutional round lot size, which are frequently referred to as “odd” lots, the odd lot size positions may have more price volatility than institutional round lot size positions. The Fund uses a third-party pricing service to value bond holdings and the pricing service values bonds assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size.

Focused Investment Risk

To the extent that the Fund invests a large percentage of its assets in a single asset class or the securities of issuers within the same country, group of countries, region, industry, group of industries or sector, an adverse economic, market, political or regulatory development may affect the value of the Fund’s investments more than if the Fund were more broadly diversified. Different asset classes, countries, groups of countries, regions, industries, groups of industries or sectors tend to go through cycles of outperformance and underperformance in comparison to each other and to the general financial markets.

Income Risk

The Fund’s income may decline when interest rates fall or if there are defaults in its portfolio. This decline can occur because the Fund may subsequently invest in lower-yielding securities when securities in its portfolio mature or the Fund otherwise needs to purchase additional securities.

Interest Rate Risk

An increase in interest rates may cause the value of securities held by the Fund to decline. Fixed income securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations or floating or adjustable interest rates. The negative impact on the Fund from potential interest rate increases could be swift and significant, including falling market values, increased redemptions and reduced liquidity. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates during periods of low interest rates. When interest rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the issuer (or

38

other obligated party) more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of these securities to fall. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, securities may exhibit additional volatility and may lose value. The value of securities with longer maturities generally changes more in response to changes in interest rates than does the value of securities with shorter maturities. During periods of falling interest rates, an issuer of a callable security held by the Fund may “call” or repay the security before its stated maturity, which may result in the Fund having to reinvest the proceeds in securities with lower yields, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income, or in securities with greater risks or with other less favorable features.

Issuer Risk

The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. Changes to the financial condition or credit rating of an issuer of those securities may cause the value of the securities to decline.

Liquidity Risk

Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell. Certain investments may be subject to restrictions on resale, trade over-the-counter or in limited volume, or lack an active trading market. Accordingly, the Fund may not be able to sell or close out of such investments at favorable times or prices (or at all), or at the prices approximating those at which the Fund currently values them. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value.

Market Risk

Market risks include political, regulatory, market and economic developments, including developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market, which may affect the Fund’s value. Turbulence in financial markets, tariffs and other protectionist measures, political developments and uncertainty, central bank policy, and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Geopolitical and other events, including war, terrorism, economic uncertainty, trade disputes, public health crises and related geopolitical events have led, and in the future may lead, to disruptions in the US and world economies and markets, which may increase financial market volatility and have significant adverse direct or indirect effects on the Fund and its investments. Market disruptions could cause the Fund to lose money, experience significant redemptions, and encounter operational difficulties. Although multiple asset classes may be affected by a market disruption, the duration and effects may not be the same for all types of assets.

Money Market/Short-Term Securities Risk

To the extent the Fund holds cash or invests in money market or short-term securities, the Fund may be less likely to achieve its investment objective. In addition, it is possible that the Fund’s investments in these instruments could lose money.

Municipal Bond Risk

Issuers, including governmental issuers, may be unable to pay their obligations as they come due. The values of Municipal Bonds that depend on a specific revenue source to fund their payment obligations may fluctuate as a result of actual or anticipated changes in the cash flows generated by the revenue source or changes in the priority of the municipal obligation to receive the cash flows generated by the revenue source. The values of Municipal Bonds held by the Fund may be adversely affected by local political and economic conditions and developments. Adverse conditions in an industry significant to a local economy could have a correspondingly adverse effect on the financial condition of local issuers. This risk would be heightened to the extent that the Fund invests a substantial portion of its assets in Municipal Bonds issued pursuant to similar projects or whose interest is paid solely from revenues of similar projects. In addition, income from Municipal Bonds held by the Fund could be declared taxable because of, among other things, unfavorable changes in tax laws, adverse interpretations by the Internal Revenue Service or state tax authorities, or noncompliant conduct of an issuer or other obligated party. Loss of tax-exempt status may cause interest received and distributed to shareholders by the Fund to be taxable and may result in a significant decline in the values of such municipal securities. There are various different types of Municipal Bonds, each with its own unique risk profile. Some of these risks include:

General Obligation Bonds Risk timely payments depend on the issuer’s credit quality, ability to raise tax revenues and ability to maintain an adequate tax base;

 

39

Revenue Bonds (including Industrial Development Bonds) Risk timely payments depend on the money earned by the particular facility or class of facilities, or the amount of revenues derived from another source, and may be negatively impacted by the general credit of the user of the facility;

Private Activity Bonds Risk municipalities and other public authorities issue private activity bonds to finance development of industrial facilities for use by a private enterprise, which is solely responsible for paying the principal and interest on the bonds, and payment under these bonds depends on the private enterprise’s ability to do so;

Moral Obligation Bonds Risk moral obligation bonds are generally issued by special purpose public authorities of a state or municipality. If the issuer is unable to meet its obligations, repayment of these bonds becomes a moral commitment, but not a legal obligation, of the state or municipality;

Municipal Notes Risk municipal notes are shorter-term municipal debt obligations that pay interest that is, in the opinion of bond counsel for the issuer at the time of issuance, generally excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes (except that the interest may be includable in taxable income for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax) and that have a maturity that is generally one year or less. If there is a shortfall in the anticipated proceeds, the notes may not be fully repaid and the Fund may lose money; and

Municipal Lease Obligations Risk in a municipal lease obligation, the issuer agrees to make payments when due on the lease obligation. Although the issuer does not pledge its unlimited taxing power for payment of the lease obligation, the lease obligation is secured by the leased property.

Municipal Bond Market Liquidity Risk

Inventories of Municipal Bonds held by brokers and dealers may decrease, lessening their ability to make a market in these securities. Any reduction in market-making capacity has the potential to decrease the Fund’s ability to buy or sell Municipal Bonds and increase price volatility and trading costs, particularly during periods of economic or market stress. As a result, the Fund may be forced to accept a lower price to sell a Municipal Bond, to sell other securities to raise cash, or to give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on performance.

Municipal Insurance Risk

The Fund’s investments may include investments in insured Municipal Bonds. Municipal security insurance does not guarantee the value either of individual municipal securities or of Shares of the Fund. In addition, a municipal security insurance policy generally will not cover: (i) repayment of a municipal security before maturity (redemption), (ii) prepayment or payment of an acceleration premium (except for a mandatory sinking fund redemption) or any other provision of a bond indenture that advances the maturity of the bond or (iii) non-payment of principal or interest caused by negligence or bankruptcy of the paying agent. A mandatory sinking fund redemption may be a provision of a municipal security issue whereby part of the municipal security issue may be retired before maturity. Market conditions or changes to ratings criteria could adversely impact the ratings of Municipal Bond insurance companies. Downgrades and withdrawal of ratings from Municipal Bond insurers have substantially limited the availability of insurance sought by Municipal Bond issuers, thereby reducing the supply of insured Municipal Bonds that meet the Fund’s investment guidelines or the ability of the Fund to purchase insurance on Municipal Bonds held by the Fund. A rating downgrade of a Municipal Bond insurer could negatively impact the market value of insured Municipal Bonds held by the Fund. If the insurer of a defaulted Municipal Bond were to become unable or unwilling to pay the principal or interest on the defaulted Municipal Bond, the Fund would incur losses.

Operational Risk

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

Portfolio Management Risk

The Fund is subject to portfolio management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result or, while it may be the desired result, may underperform other types of investment strategies. The application of ESG criteria may result in the Fund (i) having exposure to certain

40

securities or industry sectors that are significantly different than the composition of the Fund’s benchmark; and performing differently than other funds and strategies in its peer group that do not take into account ESG criteria or the Fund’s benchmark. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective(s).

Portfolio Turnover Risk

The Fund’s strategy may frequently involve buying and selling portfolio securities to rebalance the Fund’s investment exposures. High portfolio turnover may result in the Fund paying higher levels of transaction costs and generating greater tax liabilities for shareholders. Portfolio turnover risk may cause the Fund’s performance to be less than expected.

Secondary Market Trading Risk

Although the Fund’s Shares are listed for trading on one or more securities exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants. The trading of Shares on securities exchanges is subject to the risk of irregular trading activity. Securities exchanges have requirements that must be met in order for Shares to be listed. There can be no assurance that the requirements of an exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares will continue to be met. This risk is particularly acute for funds that fail to attract a large number of shareholders. Pursuant to an exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules, trading in the Fund’s Shares may be halted due to extraordinary market volatility. Additionally, market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Fund’s Shares and Authorized Participants are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for creation units. In the event market makers cease making a market in the Fund’s Shares or Authorized Participants stop submitting purchase or redemption orders for creation units, the Fund’s Shares may trade at a larger premium or discount to its NAV.

Trading Price Risk

Although it is generally expected that the market price of the Fund’s Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. Shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges at prices at, above or below the Fund’s most recent NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading price of the Fund’s Shares fluctuates continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply of and demand for Shares and the Fund’s NAV, among other reasons. As a result, the trading prices of the Fund’s Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. The market price of the Fund’s Shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid/ask” spread charged by market makers or other participants that trade the Shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, Shares are most likely to be traded at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of Shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that an investor most wants to sell their Shares. The risk of wide bid and ask spreads may be especially pronounced for smaller funds. In addition, increased market volatility may cause wider spreads.

Valuation Risk

When valuing the Fund’s portfolio investments, if a market quotation is readily available for a portfolio investment, that investment will generally be valued at the market value. However, unlike publicly traded securities that trade on national securities exchanges, there is no central place or exchange for trading most debt securities and thus readily available market quotations are unavailable. Debt securities generally trade on an “over-the-counter” market. Due to the lack of centralized information and trading, and variations in lot sizes of certain debt securities, the valuation of debt securities may carry more uncertainty and risk than that of publicly traded securities. Debt securities are commonly valued by third-party pricing service providers that utilize a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such securities, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. However, because the available information is less reliable and more subjective, elements of judgment may play a greater role in valuation of debt securities than for other types of securities. Additionally, pricing service providers generally price debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional “round lot” size, but some trades may occur in smaller, “odd lot” sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Valuing the Fund’s investments using fair value pricing provided by pricing service providers will result in prices that may differ from current market valuations and that may not be the prices at which those investments could have been sold during the period in which the particular fair values were used. It is possible that the fair value determined for a portfolio instrument may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that instrument.

 

41

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns compare with its benchmark over time. The table that follows the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total return, both before and after taxes. In accordance with new regulatory requirements, the Fund has selected the Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index, which is considered representative of the broad market for investment-grade, tax-exempt bonds with a maturity of at least one year and bonds subject to the alternative minimum tax or with floating or zero coupons are excluded, as a replacement for the Bloomberg Municipal All Insured Bond Index. The table also includes the average annual returns of the Bloomberg Municipal All Insured Bond Index, which is a total return performance benchmark for municipal bonds that are backed by insurers with Aaa/AAA ratings and have maturities of at least one year.

All returns assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Performance reflects fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement in effect, if such waivers or reimbursements were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Fund performance current to the most recent month-end is available by calling 1-888-474-7725 or by visiting newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf.

 

The Fund’s year-to-date total returns as of June 30, 2024 was -0.02%.

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

 

Return

Quarter/Year

Highest Return

8.70%

4Q/2023

Lowest Return

-6.66%

1Q/2022

Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2023

 

1 Year

5 Years

Since Inception(1)

Returns before taxes

6.98%

2.35%

2.41%

Returns after taxes on distributions(2)

6.96%

2.31%

2.37%

Returns after taxes on distributions and sales of Fund shares(2)

5.71%

2.41%

2.45%

Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

6.40%

2.25%

2.04%

Bloomberg Municipal All Insured Bond Index

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

7.33%

2.67%

2.52%

(1) The Fund commenced operations on October 18, 2017.
(2) After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown and are not none relevant if you hold your Shares through tax-deferred arrangements,such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund Shares at the end of the measurement period.

42

Investment Advisor and Subadvisor

New York Life Investment Management LLC is the investment advisor to the Fund.

MacKay Shields LLC is the investment subadvisor to the Fund.

Portfolio Managers

The professionals of the subadvisor that are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are:

Name & Title

Length of Service as
Fund’s Portfolio Manager

Michael Denlinger, Managing Director

Since 2020

David Dowden, Managing Director

Since Fund’s Inception

John Lawlor, Managing Director

Since Fund’s Inception

Frances Lewis, Senior Managing Director

Since 2018

Matthew Hage, Director

Since August 2024

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Unlike conventional mutual funds, the Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis, at NAV, only in large blocks of Shares called “Creation Units.” Individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Since Shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges in the secondary market at their market price rather than their NAV, the Fund’s Shares may trade at a price greater than (premium) or less than (discount) the Fund’s NAV. An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information, including the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, is available online at newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf.

Tax Information

The Fund intends to distribute tax-exempt income. The Fund intends to meet certain U.S. federal tax requirements so that distributions of the tax-exempt interest it earns may be treated as exempt-interest dividends. A portion of the exempt-interest dividends may be subject to the alternative minimum tax on individuals and may have other tax consequences to certain shareholders. However, a portion of the Fund’s distributions may be subject to U.S. federal income tax, and may be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account, in which case you may be subject to U.S. federal income tax upon withdrawal from such a tax-advantaged account. You should consult your tax advisor about your specific situation.

Financial Intermediary Compensation

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Advisor or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

43

Summary Information

NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF
(prior to August 28, 2024, named IQ MacKay Municipal Intermediate ETF)

Investment Objective

The NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF (the “Fund”) seeks current income exempt from federal income tax.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). Investors may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example set forth below.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment): 

None

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

Management Fee

0.40

%

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

0.00

%

Other Expenses

0.07

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

0.47

%

Expense Waiver/Reimbursement(a)

0.17

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Waiver/Reimbursement

0.30

%

 

(a) New York Life Investment Management LLC(“New York Life Investments” or “Advisor”) has contractually agreed to waive or reduce its management fee and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund in an amount that limits “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” (exclusive of interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, dividend payments on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) to not more than 0.30% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The agreement will remain in effect permanently unless terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Fund.

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain at current levels. The return of 5% and estimated expenses are for illustration purposes only, and should not be considered indicators of expected Fund expenses or performance, which may be greater or less than the estimates. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

$31

$97

$169

$381

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rates was 26% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of the portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Shares.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund, under normal circumstances, invests at least 80% of its assets (net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes) in debt securities whose interest is, in the opinion of bond counsel for the issuer at the time of issuance, exempt from federal income tax (“Municipal Bonds”). The Fund typically invests at least 80% of its net assets in Municipal Bonds that are rated investment grade by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”), or, if unrated, judged to be of comparable quality by the Subadvisor. If independent rating agencies assign different ratings to the same security, the Fund will use the higher rating for purposes of determining the security’s credit quality. The Fund generally will maintain a dollar-weighted average duration of 3 to 10 years.

 

44

Municipal Bonds are issued by or on behalf of the District of Columbia, states, territories, commonwealths and possessions of the United States and their political subdivisions and agencies, authorities and instrumentalities. The Fund does not intend to invest in Municipal Bonds whose interest is subject to the federal alternative minimum tax.

The Fund may invest more than 25% of its total assets in Municipal Bonds that are related in such a way that an economic, business or political development or change affecting one such security could also affect the other securities. However, the Fund’s investments will be diversified among a minimum of ten different sectors of the Municipal Bond market, such as education, transportation and local general obligation. The Fund’s investments will be diversified among at least 15 different states, with no more than 30% of the Fund’s securities invested in municipal securities from a single state. Some of the Fund’s earnings may be subject to federal tax and most may be subject to state and local taxes.

MacKay Shields LLC’s (the “Subadvisor”) investment process begins with an assessment of macro factors that may impact the Municipal Bond market, including tax rates, U.S. Treasury rates, and global economic data, as well as other regulatory, tax, governmental, and technical factors that may impact the Municipal Bond market. The Subadvisor’s investment process includes a risk analysis that gives consideration to a variety of security-specific risks, including but not limited to, environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) risks that may have a material impact on the performance of a security. In addition to proprietary research, the Subadvisor may use screening tools and, to the extent available, third party data to identify ESG risk factors that may not have been captured through its own research. The Subadvisor’s consideration of ESG risk is weighed against other criteria and no sectors or industries are explicitly excluded from the Fund. Following the assessment of these factors, the Subadvisor develops an investment strategy to position the Fund among various sectors of the Municipal Bond market and different states. The Subadvisor then employs a fundamental, “bottom-up” credit research analysis to select individual Municipal Bonds.

The Subadvisor may sell a security if it no longer believes the security will contribute to meeting the investment objective of the Fund. In considering whether to sell a security, the Subadvisor may evaluate, among other things, the condition of the economy and meaningful changes in the issuer’s financial condition.

Principal Risks

As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s Shares will change in value and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund does not represent a complete investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, the Advisor or any of its affiliates. You should consider carefully the following risks before investing in the Fund.

Alternative Minimum Tax Risk

Although the interest received from municipal securities is generally exempt from federal income tax, the Fund may invest in municipal securities subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could cause shareholders to be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax.

Authorized Participant Concentration Risk

Only certain large institutions may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund (each, an “Authorized Participant”). The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that those Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to engage in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund, Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

Cash Transactions Risk

The Fund currently intends to effect creations and redemptions principally for cash, rather than for in-kind securities. For this reason, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. The Fund may recognize a capital gain on these sales that might not have been incurred if the Fund had made a redemption in-kind. This may decrease the tax efficiency of the Fund compared to ETFs that utilize an in-kind redemption process.

Credit Risk

Credit risk is the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a debt instrument or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, repurchase agreement or loan of portfolio securities will be unable or unwilling to make its timely

45

interest and/or principal payments when due or otherwise honor its obligations. Changes in an issuer’s or counterparty’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s or counterparty’s creditworthiness may also adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on an issuer’s or counterparty’s financial condition and on the terms of an obligation.

Cyber Security Risk

The Fund is susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. Such events may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity and could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. In addition, cyber security breaches of the securities issuers or the Fund’s third-party service providers can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. Although the Fund has established risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed.

Debt Securities Risk

The risks of investing in debt securities include (without limitation): (i) credit risk, e.g., the issuer or guarantor of a debt security may be unable or unwilling (or be perceived as unable or unwilling) to make timely principal and/or interest payments or otherwise honor its obligations; (ii) interest rate risk, e.g., when interest rates go up, the value of a debt security generally goes down, and when interest rates go down, the value of a debt security generally goes up; (iii) liquidity risk and valuation risk, e.g., debt securities generally do not trade on a securities exchange, making them generally less liquid and more difficult to value than common stock; (iv) call risk and income risk, e.g., during a period of falling interest rates, the issuer may redeem a security by repaying it early, which may reduce the Fund’s income if the proceeds are reinvested at lower interest rates; and (v) extension risk, e.g., if interest rates rise, repayments of debt securities may occur more slowly than anticipated by the market, which may drive the prices of these securities down because their interest rates are lower than the current interest rate and the securities remain outstanding longer. Debt securities most frequently trade in institutional round lot size transactions. If the Fund purchases bonds in amounts less than the institutional round lot size, which are frequently referred to as “odd” lots, the odd lot size positions may have more price volatility than institutional round lot size positions. The Fund uses a third-party pricing service to value bond holdings and the pricing service values bonds assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size.

Focused Investment Risk

To the extent that the Fund invests a large percentage of its assets in a single asset class or the securities of issuers within the same country, group of countries, region, industry, group of industries or sector, an adverse economic, market, political or regulatory development may affect the value of the Fund’s investments more than if the Fund were more broadly diversified. Different asset classes, countries, groups of countries, regions, industries, groups of industries or sectors tend to go through cycles of outperformance and underperformance in comparison to each other and to the general financial markets.

Income Risk

The Fund’s income may decline when interest rates fall or if there are defaults in its portfolio. This decline can occur because the Fund may subsequently invest in lower-yielding securities when securities in its portfolio mature or the Fund otherwise needs to purchase additional securities.

Interest Rate Risk

An increase in interest rates may cause the value of securities held by the Fund to decline. Fixed income securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations or floating or adjustable interest rates. The negative impact on the Fund from potential interest rate increases could be swift and significant, including falling market values, increased redemptions and reduced liquidity. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates during periods of low interest rates.

When interest rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the issuer (or other obligated party) more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of these securities to fall. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, securities may exhibit additional volatility and may lose value. The value of securities with longer maturities generally changes more in response to changes in interest rates than does the value of securities with shorter maturities. During periods of falling interest rates, an issuer of a callable security held by the Fund may “call” or repay the security before its stated maturity, which may result in the Fund having to reinvest the proceeds in securities with lower yields, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income, or in securities with greater risks or with other less favorable features.

46

Issuer Risk

The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. Changes to the financial condition or credit rating of an issuer of those securities may cause the value of the securities to decline.

Liquidity Risk

Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell. Certain investments may be subject to restrictions on resale, trade over-the-counter or in limited volume, or lack an active trading market. Accordingly, the Fund may not be able to sell or close out of such investments at favorable times or prices (or at all), or at the prices approximating those at which the Fund currently values them. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value.

Market Risk

Market risks include political, regulatory, market and economic developments, including developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market, which may affect the Fund’s value. Turbulence in financial markets, tariffs and other protectionist measures, political developments and uncertainty, central bank policy, and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Geopolitical and other events, including war, terrorism, economic uncertainty, trade disputes, public health crises and related geopolitical events have led, and in the future may lead, to disruptions in the US and world economies and markets, which may increase financial market volatility and have significant adverse direct or indirect effects on the Fund and its investments. Market disruptions could cause the Fund to lose money, experience significant redemptions, and encounter operational difficulties. Although multiple asset classes may be affected by a market disruption, the duration and effects may not be the same for all types of assets.

Money Market/Short-Term Securities Risk

To the extent the Fund holds cash or invests in money market or short-term securities, the Fund may be less likely to achieve its investment objective. In addition, it is possible that the Fund’s investments in these instruments could lose money.

Municipal Bond Risk

Issuers, including governmental issuers, may be unable to pay their obligations as they come due. The values of Municipal Bonds that depend on a specific revenue source to fund their payment obligations may fluctuate as a result of actual or anticipated changes in the cash flows generated by the revenue source or changes in the priority of the municipal obligation to receive the cash flows generated by the revenue source. The values of Municipal Bonds held by the Fund may be adversely affected by local political and economic conditions and developments. Adverse conditions in an industry significant to a local economy could have a correspondingly adverse effect on the financial condition of local issuers. This risk would be heightened to the extent that the Fund invests a substantial portion of its assets in Municipal Bonds issued pursuant to similar projects or whose interest is paid solely from revenues of similar projects. In addition, income from Municipal Bonds held by the Fund could be declared taxable because of, among other things, unfavorable changes in tax laws, adverse interpretations by the Internal Revenue Service or state tax authorities, or noncompliant conduct of an issuer or other obligated party. Loss of tax-exempt status may cause interest received and distributed to shareholders by the Fund to be taxable and may result in a significant decline in the values of such municipal securities. There are various different types of Municipal Bonds, each with its own unique risk profile. Some of these risks include:

General Obligation Bonds Risk timely payments depend on the issuer’s credit quality, ability to raise tax revenues and ability to maintain an adequate tax base;

Revenue Bonds (including Industrial Development Bonds) Risk timely payments depend on the money earned by the particular facility or class of facilities, or the amount of revenues derived from another source, and may be negatively impacted by the general credit of the user of the facility;

Private Activity Bonds Risk municipalities and other public authorities issue private activity bonds to finance development of industrial facilities for use by a private enterprise, which is solely responsible for paying the principal and interest on the bonds, and payment under these bonds depends on the private enterprise’s ability to do so;

 

47

Moral Obligation Bonds Risk moral obligation bonds are generally issued by special purpose public authorities of a state or municipality. If the issuer is unable to meet its obligations, repayment of these bonds becomes a moral commitment, but not a legal obligation, of the state or municipality;

Municipal Notes Risk municipal notes are shorter-term municipal debt obligations that pay interest that is, in the opinion of bond counsel for the issuer at the time of issuance, generally excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes (except that the interest may be includable in taxable income for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax) and that have a maturity that is generally one year or less. If there is a shortfall in the anticipated proceeds, the notes may not be fully repaid and the Fund may lose money; and

Municipal Lease Obligations Risk in a municipal lease obligation, the issuer agrees to make payments when due on the lease obligation. Although the issuer does not pledge its unlimited taxing power for payment of the lease obligation, the lease obligation is secured by the leased property.

Municipal Bond Market Liquidity Risk

Inventories of Municipal Bonds held by brokers and dealers may decrease, lessening their ability to make a market in these securities. Any reduction in market-making capacity has the potential to decrease the Fund’s ability to buy or sell Municipal Bonds and increase price volatility and trading costs, particularly during periods of economic or market stress. As a result, the Fund may be forced to accept a lower price to sell a Municipal Bond, to sell other securities to raise cash, or to give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on performance.

Operational Risk

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

Portfolio Management Risk

The Fund is subject to portfolio management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result or, while it may be the desired result, may underperform other types of investment strategies. The application of ESG criteria may result in the Fund (i) having exposure to certain securities or industry sectors that are significantly different than the composition of the Fund’s benchmark; and performing differently than other funds and strategies in its peer group that do not take into account ESG criteria or the Fund’s benchmark. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective(s).

Secondary Market Trading Risk

Although the Fund’s Shares are listed for trading on one or more securities exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants. The trading of Shares on securities exchanges is subject to the risk of irregular trading activity. Securities exchanges have requirements that must be met in order for Shares to be listed. There can be no assurance that the requirements of an exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares will continue to be met. This risk is particularly acute for funds that fail to attract a large number of shareholders. Pursuant to an exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules, trading in the Fund’s Shares may be halted due to extraordinary market volatility. Additionally, market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Fund’s Shares and Authorized Participants are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for creation units. In the event market makers cease making a market in the Fund’s Shares or Authorized Participants stop submitting purchase or redemption orders for creation units, the Fund’s Shares may trade at a larger premium or discount to its NAV.

Trading Price Risk

Although it is generally expected that the market price of the Fund’s Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. Shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges at prices at, above or below the Fund’s most recent NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading price of the Fund’s Shares fluctuates continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply of and demand for Shares and the Fund’s NAV, among other reasons. As a result, the trading prices of the Fund’s Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. The market price of the Fund’s Shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid/ask” spread

48

charged by market makers or other participants that trade the Shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, Shares are most likely to be traded at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of Shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that an investor most wants to sell their Shares. The risk of wide bid and ask spreads may be especially pronounced for smaller funds. In addition, increased market volatility may cause wider spreads.

Valuation Risk

When valuing the Fund’s portfolio investments, if a market quotation is readily available for a portfolio investment, that investment will generally be valued at the market value. However, unlike publicly traded securities that trade on national securities exchanges, there is no central place or exchange for trading most debt securities and thus readily available market quotations are unavailable. Debt securities generally trade on an “over-the-counter” market. Due to the lack of centralized information and trading, and variations in lot sizes of certain debt securities, the valuation of debt securities may carry more uncertainty and risk than that of publicly traded securities. Debt securities are commonly valued by third-party pricing service providers that utilize a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such securities, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. However, because the available information is less reliable and more subjective, elements of judgment may play a greater role in valuation of debt securities than for other types of securities. Additionally, pricing service providers generally price debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional “round lot” size, but some trades may occur in smaller, “odd lot” sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Valuing the Fund’s investments using fair value pricing provided by pricing service providers will result in prices that may differ from current market valuations and that may not be the prices at which those investments could have been sold during the period in which the particular fair values were used. It is possible that the fair value determined for a portfolio instrument may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that instrument.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns compare with its benchmark over time. The table that follows the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total return, both before and after taxes. In accordance with new regulatory requirements, the Fund has selected the Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index, which is considered representative of the broad market for investment-grade, tax-exempt bonds with a maturity of at least one year and bonds subject to the alternative minimum tax or with floating or zero coupons are excluded, as a replacement for the Bloomberg Municipal Bond 1-15 Year Blend Index. The table also includes the average annual returns of the Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index 1-15 Year Blend Index, which covers the U.S. dollar-denominate long-term tax-exempt bond market. The index has four main sectors state and local general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, insured bonds and pre-refunded bonds.

All returns assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Performance reflects fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement in effect, if such waivers or reimbursements were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Fund performance current to the most recent month-end is available by calling 1-888-474-7725 or by visiting newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf.

 

The Fund’s year-to-date total returns as of June 30, 2024 was 0.25%.

 

49

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

 

Return

Quarter/Year

Highest Return

5.73%

4Q/2023

Lowest Return

-5.62%

1Q/2022

Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2023

 

1 Year

5 Years

Since Inception(1)

Returns before taxes

5.30%

2.53%

2.49%

Returns after taxes on distributions(2)

5.29%

2.39%

2.37%

Returns after taxes on distributions and sales of Fund Shares(2)

4.58%

2.49%

2.45%

Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

6.40%

2.25%

2.04%

Bloomberg Municipal Bond 1-15 Year Blend Index

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

5.26%

2.17%

1.95%

(1) The Fund commenced operations on October 18 2017.
(2) After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown and are not relevant if you hold your Shares through tax-deferred arrangements,such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund Shares at the end of the measurement period.

Investment Advisor and Subadvisor

New York Life Investment Management LLC is the investment advisor to the Fund.

MacKay Shields LLC is the investment subadvisor to the Fund.

Portfolio Managers

The professionals of the subadvisor that are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are:

Name & Title

Length of Service as
Fund’s Portfolio Manager

Michael Denlinger, Managing Director

Since 2020

David Dowden, Managing Director

Since Fund’s Inception

Frances Lewis, Senior Managing Director

Since 2018

Matthew Hage, Director

Since August 2024

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Unlike conventional mutual funds, the Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis, at NAV, only in large blocks of Shares called “Creation Units.” Individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Since Shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges in the secondary market at their market price rather than their NAV, the Fund’s Shares may trade at a price greater than (premium) or less than (discount) the Fund’s NAV. An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information, including the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, is available online at newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf.

Tax Information

The Fund intends to distribute tax-exempt income. The Fund intends to meet certain U.S. federal tax requirements so that distributions of the tax-exempt interest it earns may be treated as exempt-interest dividends. A portion of the exempt-interest dividends may be subject to the alternative minimum tax on individuals and may have other tax consequences to certain shareholders. However, a portion of the Fund’s distributions may be subject to U.S. federal income tax, and may be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account, in which case you may be subject to U.S. federal income tax upon withdrawal from such a tax-advantaged account. You should consult your tax advisor about your specific situation.

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Financial Intermediary Compensation

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Advisor or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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Summary Information

NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF
(prior to August 28, 2024, named IQ MacKay California Municipal Intermediate ETF)

Investment Objective

The NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF (the “Fund”) seeks current income exempt from federal and California income taxes.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). Investors may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example set forth below.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment): 

None

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

Management Fee

0.45

%

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

0.00

%

Other Expenses

0.38

%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expense(a)

0.02

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

0.85

%

Expense Waiver/Reimbursement(b)

0.48

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Waiver/Reimbursement

0.37

%

  

(a) The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses may not correlate to the ratio of expenses to average net assets as reported in the “Financial Highlights” section of the Prospectus, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include Acquired Fund Fees & Expenses. Acquired Fund Fees & Expenses represent the Fund’s pro rata share of fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investing in other funds, including ETFs and money market funds.
(b) New York Life Investment Management LLC(“New York Life Investments” or “Advisor”) has contractually agreed to waive or reduce its management fee and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund in an amount that limits “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” (exclusive of interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, dividend payments on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) to not more than 0.35% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The agreement will remain in effect permanently unless terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Fund.

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain at current levels. The return of 5% and estimated expenses are for illustration purposes only, and should not be considered indicators of expected Fund expenses or performance, which may be greater or less than the estimates. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

$38

$119

$208

$468

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rates was 73% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of the portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Shares.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund, under normal circumstances, invests at least 80% of its assets (net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in municipal bonds, whose interest is, in the opinion of bond counsel for the issuers at the time of issuance, exempt from federal and California income taxes. Municipal bonds are generally debt

52

obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States, and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities that provide income free from federal, state and potentially local income taxes. If the interest on a particular municipal bond is exempt from federal and California income taxes, the Fund will treat the bond as qualifying for purposes of the 80% policy even though the issuer of the bond may be located outside of California.

Although the Fund may invest in municipal bonds rated in any rating category or in unrated municipal bonds, MacKay Shields LLC (the “Subadvisor”) intends to invest primarily in investment grade quality bonds as rated by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”), or, if unrated, judged to be of comparable quality by the Subadvisor. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in municipal bonds that are rated below investment grade as rated by an NRSRO, (such securities rated lower than BBB- and Baa3), or, if unrated, judged to be of comparable quality by the Subadvisor. Securities that are rated below investment grade by NRSROs are commonly referred to as “high-yield securities” or “junk bonds.” If NRSROs assign different ratings to the same security, the Fund will use the higher rating for purposes of determining the security’s credit quality. The Fund generally will maintain a portfolio modified duration to worst of 3 to 8 years. Duration to worst is the duration of a bond computed using the bond’s nearest call date or maturity, whichever comes first. This measure ignores future cash flow fluctuations due to embedded optionality. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security’s price to changes in interest rates. The longer a security’s duration, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates.

Municipal bonds include, among other instruments, general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, industrial revenue bonds, industrial development bonds, private activity bonds, as well as short-term, tax-exempt obligations such as municipal notes and variable rate demand obligations. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in municipal bonds subject to the federal alternative minimum tax and municipal bonds that pay interest that is subject to federal and/or California income taxes. The Fund may invest more than 25% of its total assets in municipal bonds that are related in such a way that an economic, business or political development or change affecting one such security could also affect the other securities.

If the supply of California state tax-exempt municipal bonds is insufficient to meet the Fund’s investment needs, the Fund may invest in municipal bonds issued by other states. Municipal bonds issued by other states purchased by the Fund will generally be exempt from federal income taxes but may not be exempt from California income taxes.

In choosing investments, the Subadvisor analyzes the credit quality of issuers and considers the yields available on municipal bonds with different maturities.

The Subadvisor uses active management in an effort to identify municipal bonds it believes to be mispriced and to build a consistent yield advantage. The Subadvisor focuses on reducing volatility through a disciplined investment process, which includes fundamental, “bottom-up” credit research and risk management. In addition, the Subadvisor reviews macroeconomic events, technical in the municipal market, tax policies and analyzes individual municipal securities and sectors. The Subadvisor’s investment process includes a risk analysis that gives consideration to a variety of security-specific risks, including but not limited to, environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) risks that may have a material impact on the performance of a security. In addition to proprietary research, the Subadvisor may use screening tools and, to the extent available, third-party data to identify ESG risk factors that may not have been captured through its own research. The Subadvisor’s consideration of ESG risk is weighed against other criteria and therefore does not mean that any sectors, industries or individual securities are explicitly excluded from the Fund.

The Subadvisor may sell a security if it no longer believes the security will contribute to meeting the investment objective of the Fund. In considering whether to sell a security, the Subadvisor may evaluate, among other things, the condition of the economy and meaningful changes in the issuer’s financial condition.

Principal Risks

As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s Shares will change in value and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund does not represent a complete investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, the Advisor or any of its affiliates. You should consider carefully the following risks before investing in the Fund.

53

Alternative Minimum Tax Risk

Although the interest received from municipal securities is generally exempt from federal income tax, the Fund may invest in municipal securities subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could cause shareholders to be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax.

Authorized Participant Concentration Risk

Only certain large institutions may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund (each, an “Authorized Participant”). The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that those Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to engage in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund, Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

California State Specific Risk

Because the Fund invests principally in municipal bonds issued by, or on behalf of, the State of California, and its political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities, events in California may affect the value of the Fund’s investments and performance. These events may include fiscal or political policy changes, tax base erosion, budget deficits and other financial difficulties. Any deterioration of California’s fiscal situation and economic situation of its municipalities could cause greater volatility and increase the risk of investing in California.

Cash Transactions Risk

The Fund currently intends to effect creations and redemptions principally for cash, rather than for in-kind securities. For this reason, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. The Fund may recognize a capital gain on these sales that might not have been incurred if the Fund had made a redemption in-kind. This may decrease the tax efficiency of the Fund compared to ETFs that utilize an in-kind redemption process.

Credit Risk

Credit risk is the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a debt instrument or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, repurchase agreement or loan of portfolio securities will be unable or unwilling to make its timely interest and/or principal payments when due or otherwise honor its obligations. Changes in an issuer’s or counterparty’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s or counterparty’s creditworthiness may also adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on an issuer’s or counterparty’s financial condition and on the terms of an obligation.

Cyber Security Risk

The Fund is susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. Such events may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity and could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. In addition, cyber security breaches of the securities issuers or the Fund’s third-party service providers can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. Although the Fund has established risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed.

Debt Securities Risk

The risks of investing in debt securities include (without limitation): (i) credit risk, e.g., the issuer or guarantor of a debt security may be unable or unwilling (or be perceived as unable or unwilling) to make timely principal and/or interest payments or otherwise honor its obligations; (ii) interest rate risk, e.g., when interest rates go up, the value of a debt security generally goes down, and when interest rates go down, the value of a debt security generally goes up; (iii) liquidity risk and valuation risk, e.g., debt securities generally do not trade on a securities exchange, making them generally less liquid and more difficult to value than common stock; (iv) call risk and income risk, e.g., during a period of falling interest rates, the issuer may redeem a security by repaying it early, which may reduce the Fund’s income if the proceeds are reinvested at lower interest rates; and (v) extension risk, e.g., if interest rates rise, repayments of debt securities may occur more slowly than anticipated by the market, which may drive the prices of these securities down because their interest rates are lower than the current interest rate and the securities remain outstanding longer. Debt securities most frequently trade in institutional round lot size transactions. If the Fund purchases bonds in amounts less than the institutional round lot size, which are frequently referred to as “odd” lots, the odd lot size positions may have more price volatility than institutional round lot size positions. The Fund uses a third-party pricing service to value bond holdings and the pricing service values bonds assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size.

 

54

Focused Investment Risk

To the extent that the Fund invests a large percentage of its assets in a single asset class or the securities of issuers within the same country, group of countries, region, industry, group of industries or sector, an adverse economic, market, political or regulatory development may affect the value of the Fund’s investments more than if the Fund were more broadly diversified. Different asset classes, countries, groups of countries, regions, industries, groups of industries or sectors tend to go through cycles of outperformance and underperformance in comparison to each other and to the general financial markets.

High-Yield Municipal Bond Risk

High-yield or non-investment grade municipal bonds (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) may be subject to increased liquidity risk as compared to other high-yield debt securities. There may be little or no active trading market for certain high-yield municipal bonds, which may make it difficult for the Fund to sell such bonds at or near their perceived value. In such cases, the value of a high-yield municipal bond may decline dramatically, even during periods of declining interest rates. The high-yield municipal bonds in which the Fund intends to invest may be more likely to pay interest that is includable in taxable income for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax than other municipal bonds.

Income Risk

The Fund’s income may decline when interest rates fall or if there are defaults in its portfolio. This decline can occur because the Fund may subsequently invest in lower-yielding securities when securities in its portfolio mature or the Fund otherwise needs to purchase additional securities.

Interest Rate Risk

An increase in interest rates may cause the value of securities held by the Fund to decline. Fixed income securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations or floating or adjustable interest rates. The negative impact on the Fund from potential interest rate increases could be swift and significant, including falling market values, increased redemptions and reduced liquidity. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates during periods of low interest rates.

When interest rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the issuer (or other obligated party) more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of these securities to fall. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, securities may exhibit additional volatility and may lose value. The value of securities with longer maturities generally changes more in response to changes in interest rates than does the value of securities with shorter maturities. During periods of falling interest rates, an issuer of a callable security held by the Fund may “call” or repay the security before its stated maturity, which may result in the Fund having to reinvest the proceeds in securities with lower yields, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income, or in securities with greater risks or with other less favorable features.

Issuer Risk

The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. Changes to the financial condition or credit rating of an issuer of those securities may cause the value of the securities to decline.

Liquidity Risk

Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell. Certain investments may be subject to restrictions on resale, trade over-the-counter or in limited volume, or lack an active trading market. Accordingly, the Fund may not be able to sell or close out of such investments at favorable times or prices (or at all), or at the prices approximating those at which the Fund currently values them. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value.

Market Risk

Market risks include political, regulatory, market and economic developments, including developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market, which may affect the Fund’s value. Turbulence in financial markets, tariffs and other protectionist measures, political developments and uncertainty, central bank policy, and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Geopolitical and other events, including war, terrorism, economic uncertainty, trade disputes, public health crises and related geopolitical events have led, and in the future may lead, to disruptions in the U.S. and world economies and

55

markets, which may increase financial market volatility and have significant adverse direct or indirect effects on the Fund and its investments. Market disruptions could cause the Fund to lose money, experience significant redemptions, and encounter operational difficulties. Although multiple asset classes may be affected by a market disruption, the duration and effects may not be the same for all types of assets.

Money Market/Short-Term Securities Risk

To the extent the Fund holds cash or invests in money market or short-term securities, the Fund may be less likely to achieve its investment objective. In addition, it is possible that the Fund’s investments in these instruments could lose money.

Municipal Bond Risk

Issuers, including governmental issuers, may be unable to pay their obligations as they come due. The values of municipal bonds that depend on a specific revenue source to fund their payment obligations may fluctuate as a result of actual or anticipated changes in the cash flows generated by the revenue source or changes in the priority of the municipal obligation to receive the cash flows generated by the revenue source. The values of municipal bonds held by the Fund may be adversely affected by local political and economic conditions and developments. Adverse conditions in an industry significant to a local economy could have a correspondingly adverse effect on the financial condition of local issuers. This risk would be heightened to the extent that the Fund invests a substantial portion of its assets in municipal bonds issued pursuant to similar projects or whose interest is paid solely from revenues of similar projects. In addition, income from municipal bonds held by the Fund could be declared taxable because of, among other things, unfavorable changes in tax laws, adverse interpretations by the Internal Revenue Service or state tax authorities, or noncompliant conduct of an issuer or other obligated party. Loss of tax-exempt status may cause interest received and distributed to shareholders by the Fund to be taxable and may result in a significant decline in the values of such municipal securities. There are various different types of municipal bonds, each with its own unique risk profile. Some of these risks include:

General Obligation Bonds Risk timely payments depend on the issuer’s credit quality, ability to raise tax revenues and ability to maintain an adequate tax base;

Revenue Bonds (including Industrial Development Bonds) Risk timely payments depend on the money earned by the particular facility or class of facilities, or the amount of revenues derived from another source, and may be negatively impacted by the general credit of the user of the facility;

Private Activity Bonds Risk municipalities and other public authorities issue private activity bonds to finance development of industrial facilities for use by a private enterprise, which is solely responsible for paying the principal and interest on the bonds, and payment under these bonds depends on the private enterprise’s ability to do so;

Moral Obligation Bonds Risk moral obligation bonds are generally issued by special purpose public authorities of a state or municipality. If the issuer is unable to meet its obligations, repayment of these bonds becomes a moral commitment, but not a legal obligation, of the state or municipality;

Municipal Notes Risk municipal notes are shorter-term municipal debt obligations that pay interest that is, in the opinion of bond counsel for the issuer at the time of issuance, generally excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes (except that the interest may be includable in taxable income for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax) and that have a maturity that is generally one year or less. If there is a shortfall in the anticipated proceeds, the notes may not be fully repaid and the Fund may lose money; and

Municipal Lease Obligations Risk in a municipal lease obligation, the issuer agrees to make payments when due on the lease obligation. Although the issuer does not pledge its unlimited taxing power for payment of the lease obligation, the lease obligation is secured by the leased property.

Municipal Bond Market Liquidity Risk

Inventories of municipal bonds held by brokers and dealers may decrease, lessening their ability to make a market in these securities. Any reduction in market-making capacity has the potential to decrease the Fund’s ability to buy or sell municipal bonds and increase price volatility and trading costs, particularly during periods of economic or market stress. As a result, the Fund may be forced to accept a lower price to sell a municipal bond, to sell other securities to raise cash, or to give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on performance.

 

56

Municipal Insurance Risk

The Fund’s investments may include investments in insured municipal bonds. Municipal security insurance does not guarantee the value either of individual municipal securities or of Shares of the Fund. In addition, a municipal security insurance policy generally will not cover: (i) repayment of a municipal security before maturity (redemption), (ii) prepayment or payment of an acceleration premium (except for a mandatory sinking fund redemption) or any other provision of a bond indenture that advances the maturity of the bond or (iii) non-payment of principal or interest caused by negligence or bankruptcy of the paying agent. A mandatory sinking fund redemption may be a provision of a municipal security issue whereby part of the municipal security issue may be retired before maturity. Market conditions or changes to ratings criteria could adversely impact the ratings of municipal bond insurance companies. Downgrades and withdrawal of ratings from municipal bond insurers have substantially limited the availability of insurance sought by municipal bond issuers, thereby reducing the supply of insured municipal bonds that meet the Fund’s investment guidelines or the ability of the Fund to purchase insurance on municipal bonds held by the Fund. A rating downgrade of a municipal bond insurer could negatively impact the market value of insured municipal bonds held by the Fund. If the insurer of a defaulted municipal bond were to become unable or unwilling to pay the principal or interest on the defaulted municipal bond, the Fund would incur losses.

Operational Risk

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

Portfolio Management Risk

The Fund is subject to portfolio management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result or, while it may be the desired result, may underperform other types of investment strategies. The Subadvisor may give consideration to certain ESG criteria when evaluating an investment opportunity. The application of ESG criteria may result in the Fund (i) having exposure to certain securities or industry sectors that are significantly different than the composition of the Fund’s benchmark; and (ii) performing differently than other funds and strategies in its peer group that do not take into account ESG criteria or the Fund’s benchmark. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective(s).

Private Placement and Restricted Securities Risk

The Fund may invest in privately issued securities, including those which may be resold only in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Securities acquired in a private placement generally are subject to strict restrictions on resale, and there may be no market or a limited market for the resale of such securities. Therefore, the Fund may be unable to dispose of such securities when it desires to do so or at the most favorable price. This potential lack of liquidity also may make it more difficult to accurately value these securities.

Secondary Market Trading Risk

Although the Fund’s Shares are listed for trading on one or more securities exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants. The trading of Shares on securities exchanges is subject to the risk of irregular trading activity. Securities exchanges have requirements that must be met in order for Shares to be listed. There can be no assurance that the requirements of an exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares will continue to be met. This risk is particularly acute for funds that fail to attract a large number of shareholders. Pursuant to an exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules, trading in the Fund’s Shares may be halted due to extraordinary market volatility. Additionally, market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Fund’s Shares and Authorized Participants are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for creation units. In the event market makers cease making a market in the Fund’s Shares or Authorized Participants stop submitting purchase or redemption orders for creation units, the Fund’s Shares may trade at a larger premium or discount to its NAV.

Trading Price Risk

Although it is generally expected that the market price of the Fund’s Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. Shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges at prices at, above or below the Fund’s most recent NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading

57

price of the Fund’s Shares fluctuates continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply of and demand for Shares and the Fund’s NAV, among other reasons. As a result, the trading prices of the Fund’s Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. The market price of the Fund’s Shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid/ask” spread charged by market makers or other participants that trade the Shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, Shares are most likely to be traded at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of Shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that an investor most wants to sell their Shares. The risk of wide bid and ask spreads may be especially pronounced for smaller funds. In addition, increased market volatility may cause wider spreads.

Valuation Risk

When valuing the Fund’s portfolio investments, if a market quotation is readily available for a portfolio investment, that investment will generally be valued at the market value. However, unlike publicly traded securities that trade on national securities exchanges, there is no central place or exchange for trading most debt securities and thus readily available market quotations are unavailable. Debt securities generally trade on an “over-the-counter” market. Due to the lack of centralized information and trading, and variations in lot sizes of certain debt securities, the valuation of debt securities may carry more uncertainty and risk than that of publicly traded securities. Debt securities are commonly valued by third-party pricing service providers that utilize a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such securities, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. However, because the available information is less reliable and more subjective, elements of judgment may play a greater role in valuation of debt securities than for other types of securities. Additionally, pricing service providers generally price debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional “round lot” size, but some trades may occur in smaller, “odd lot” sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Valuing the Fund’s investments using fair value pricing provided by pricing service providers will result in prices that may differ from current market valuations and that may not be the prices at which those investments could have been sold during the period in which the particular fair values were used. It is possible that the fair value determined for a portfolio instrument may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that instrument.

Variable and Floating Rate Instruments Risk

Variable and floating rate instruments include debt securities issued by corporate and governmental entities, bank loans, mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities, preferred equity securities and derivative variable rate securities, such as inverse floaters. Variable and floating rate instruments are structured so that the instrument’s coupon rate fluctuates based upon the level of a reference rate. A variable or floating rate instrument’s coupon rate resets periodically according to its terms. Consequently, in a rising interest rate environment, variable and floating rate instruments with coupon rates that reset infrequently may lag behind the changes in market interest rates.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns compare with its benchmark over time. The table that follows the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total return, both before and after taxes. In accordance with new regulatory requirements, the Fund has selected the Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index, which is considered representative of the broad market for investment-grade, tax-exempt bonds with a maturity of at least one year and bonds subject to the alternative minimum tax or with floating or zero coupons are excluded, as a replacement for the Bloomberg California Intermediate Municipal Bond Index. The table also includes the average annual returns of the Bloomberg California Intermediate Municipal Bond Index, which is a market value-weighted index of California investment grade tax exempt fixed-rate municipal bonds with maturities of one year or more.

All returns assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Performance reflects fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement in effect, if such waivers or reimbursements were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Fund performance current to the most recent month-end is available by calling 1-888-474-7725 or by visiting newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf.

 

58

 

The Fund’s year-to-date total return as of June 30, 2024 was 0.25%.

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

 

Return

Quarter/Year

Highest Return

6.21%

4Q/2023

Lowest Return

-7.79%

1Q/2022

Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2023

 

1 Year

Since Inception(1)

Returns before taxes

5.80%

-3.52%

Returns after taxes on distributions(2)

5.79%

-3.52%

Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares(2)

4.93%

-1.98%

Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

6.40%

-1.31%

Bloomberg California Intermediate Municipal Bond Index

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

4.94%

-0.61%

(1) The Fund commenced operations on December 21, 2021.
(2) After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown and are not relevant if you hold your Shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund Shares at the end of the measurement period.

Portfolio Managers

The professionals of the subadvisor that are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are:

Name & Title

Length of Service as
Fund’s Portfolio Manager

Michael Denlinger, Managing Director

Since Fund’s Inception

Frances Lewis, Senior Managing Director

Since 2023

Scott Sprauer, Senior Managing Director

Since Fund’s Inception

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Unlike conventional mutual funds, the Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis, at NAV, only in large blocks of Shares called “Creation Units.” Individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Since Shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges in the secondary market at their market price rather than their NAV, the Fund’s Shares may trade at a price greater than (premium) or less than (discount) the Fund’s NAV. An investor may incur costs attributable to

59

the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information, including the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, is available online at newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf.

Tax Information

The Fund intends to distribute tax-exempt income. The Fund intends to meet certain U.S. federal tax requirements so that distributions of the tax-exempt interest it earns may be treated as exempt-interest dividends. A portion of the exempt-interest dividends may be subject to the alternative minimum tax on individuals and may have other tax consequences to certain shareholders. However, a portion of the Fund’s distributions may be subject to U.S. federal income tax, and may be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account, in which case you may be subject to U.S. federal income tax upon withdrawal from such a tax-advantaged account. You should consult your tax advisor about your specific situation.

Financial Intermediary Compensation

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Advisor or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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Summary Information

NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF
(prior to August 28, 2024, named IQ Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF)

Investment Objective

The NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF (the “Fund”) seeks long-term growth of capital.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). Investors may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example set forth below.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment): 

None

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

 

Management Fee(a)

0.75

%

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

0.00

%

Other Expenses

0.38

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

1.13

%

Expense Waiver/Reimbursement(b)

0.53

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Waiver/Reimbursement

0.60

%

  

(a) The management fee is as follows: 0.75% on assets up to $500 million; 0.725% on assets from $500 million to $750 million; 0.71% on assets from $750 million to $1 billion; 0.70% on assets from $1 billion to $2 billion; 0.66% on assets from $2 billion to $3 billion; 0.61% on assets from $3 billion to $7 billion; 0.585% on assets from $7 billion to $9 billion; and 0.575% on assets over $9 billion.
(b) New York Life Investment Management LLC(“New York Life Investments” or “Advisor”) has contractually agreed to waive or reduce its management fee and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund in an amount that limits “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” (exclusive of interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, dividend payments on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) to not more than 0.60% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The agreement will remain in effect permanently unless terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Fund.

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain at current levels. The return of 5% and estimated expenses are for illustration purposes only, and should not be considered indicators of expected Fund expenses or performance, which may be greater or less than the estimates. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

\

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

$61

$192

$335

$750

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rates was 70% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of the portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Shares.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in large capitalization companies, which are companies having a market capitalization in excess of $4 billion at the time of purchase. Typically, Winslow Capital Management, LLC (“Winslow Capital” or the “Subadvisor”) invests substantially all of the Fund’s investable assets in domestic securities. However, the

61

Fund is permitted to invest up to 20% of its net assets in depositary receipts issued by a trust (including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”)) of foreign securities and in common stocks listed on a foreign exchange that trade on such exchange contemporaneously with the Shares. Generally, an issuer of a security is considered to be U.S. or foreign-based on the issuer’s “country of risk,” as determined by a third-party service provider such as Bloomberg. The Fund is actively managed and does not intend to track an index. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”).

Investment Process: The Fund invests in those companies that the Subadvisor believes will provide an opportunity for achieving superior portfolio returns (i.e., returns in excess of the returns of the average stock ETF or mutual fund, which the Subadvisor defines as the median ETF or mutual fund based on performance taking into account the entire U.S. equity ETF and mutual fund universe) over the long term. The Subadvisor seeks to invest in companies that have the potential for above-average future earnings and cash flow growth with management focused on shareholder value.

When purchasing stocks for the Fund, the Subadvisor looks for companies typically having some or all of the following attributes: addressing markets with growth opportunities; leads or gains in market share; identifiable and sustainable competitive advantages; managed by a team that can perpetuate the firm’s competitive advantages; high, and preferably rising, returns on invested capital; deploys excess cash flow to enhance shareholder return; and demonstrates sound corporate governance. As part of its qualitative assessment of each potential investment, the Subadvisor evaluates the company’s non-financial performance among certain environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors. The Subadvisor then determines which ESG factors may be material to a company’s future financial performance. This involves an evaluation of how the company integrates particular ESG risks and opportunities into its corporate strategy through, for example, improving governance practices, aligning management team incentives and increasing transparency into its ESG practices. The Subadvisor may give consideration to ESG factors including, but not limited to, impact on or from climate change, natural resource use, waste management practices, human capital management, product safety, supply chain management, corporate governance, business ethics and advocacy for governmental policy. ESG factors are evaluated by the Subadvisor based on data provided by independent ESG research vendors. The evaluation of ESG factors is integrated as one of several aspects of the Subadvisor’s investment process and the Subadvisor does not forgo potential investments strictly based on the evaluation of ESG factors.

The Subadvisor takes a “bottom-up” investment approach when selecting investments. This means it bases investment decisions on company specific factors, not general economic conditions.

Under normal market conditions, the Subadvisor employs a sell discipline pursuant to which it may sell some or all of its position in a stock when a stock becomes fully valued, the fundamental business prospects are deteriorating, or the position exceeds limits set by the Subadvisor.

Principal Risks

As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s Shares will change in value and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund does not represent a complete investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, the Advisor or any of its affiliates. You should consider carefully the following risks before investing in the Fund.

Authorized Participant Concentration Risk

Only certain large institutions may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund (each, an “Authorized Participant”). The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that those Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to engage in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund, Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

Cyber Security Risk

The Fund is susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. Such events may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity and could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. In addition, cyber security breaches of the securities issuers or the Fund’s third-party service providers can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. Although the Fund has established risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed.

 

62

Depositary Receipts Risk

Sponsored and unsponsored depositary receipts involve risk not experienced when investing directly in the equity securities of an issuer. Depositary receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. Any distributions paid to the holders of depositary receipts are usually subject to a fee charged by the depositary. Holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, and investment restrictions in certain countries may adversely impact the value of depositary receipts.

Equity Securities Risk

Investments in common stocks and other equity securities are particularly subject to the risk of changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer, conditions affecting equity markets generally and political and/or economic events. Equity prices may also be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase. Holders of an issuer’s common stock may be subject to greater risks than holders of its preferred stock and debt securities because common stockholders’ claims are subordinated to those of holders of preferred stocks and debt securities upon the bankruptcy of an issuer.

Foreign Securities Risk

Investments in the securities of non-U.S. issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities. These additional risks include greater market volatility, the availability of less reliable financial information, higher transactional and custody costs, taxation by foreign governments, decreased market liquidity and political instability. To the extent the Fund invests in securities issued by companies that receive revenues in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies, it will be subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. Some countries and regions have experienced security concerns, war or threats of war and aggression, terrorism, economic uncertainty, natural and environmental disasters and/or systemic market dislocations that have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally. Foreign issuers are often subject to less stringent requirements regarding accounting, auditing, financial reporting and record keeping than are U.S. issuers, and therefore not all material information will be available. Securities exchanges or foreign governments may adopt rules or regulations that may negatively impact the Fund’s ability to invest in foreign securities or may prevent the Fund from repatriating its investments. Less developed securities markets are more likely to experience problems with the clearing and settling of trades, as well as the holding of securities by local banks, agents and depositories. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the likelihood of clearing, custody and trade settlement problems.

Foreign Securities Valuation Risk

The Fund’s value may be impacted by events that cause the fair value of foreign securities to materially change between the close of the local exchange on which they trade and the time at which the Fund prices its Shares. Additionally, because foreign exchanges on which securities held by the Fund may be open on days when the Fund does not price its Shares, the potential exists for the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio to change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s Shares.

Investment Style Risk

The Fund seeks to allocate investment exposure based upon a particular style of investing. Different investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor depending upon market and economic conditions and investor sentiment. As a consequence, the Fund may underperform as compared to the market generally or to other funds that invest in similar asset classes but employ different investment styles. Further, there is no guarantee that the Fund will accurately or optimally utilize the investment style or that it will successfully provide the desired investment exposure. The degree to which the Fund accurately or optimally utilizes the investment style is dependent upon information and data that may be incomplete, inaccurate or unavailable, which could adversely affect the analysis of the factors relevant to a particular investment.

ESG Investing Style Risk. The Fund seeks to provide exposure to the equity securities of companies meeting environmental, social and corporate governance investing criteria. The Fund excludes or limits exposure to securities of certain issuers for non-financial reasons, and the Fund may forgo some market opportunities available to funds that do not use these criteria. The application of environmental, social and corporate governance investing criteria may affect the Fund’s exposure to certain sectors or types of investments and may impact the Fund’s relative investment performance depending on whether such sectors or investments are in or out of favor in the market.

Growth Investing Style Risk. Growth companies usually invest a high portion of earnings in their businesses and may lack the dividends of value securities that can cushion stock prices in a falling market. The prices of growth securities are based largely on projections of the issuer’s future earnings and revenues.

63

If a company’s earnings or revenues fall short of expectations, its stock price may fall dramatically. Growth securities may be volatile and may also be more expensive, relative to their earnings or assets, compared to value or other stocks. Growth securities may go in and out of favor over time.

Issuer Risk

The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. Changes to the financial condition or credit rating of an issuer of those securities may cause the value of the securities to decline.

Large-Capitalization Companies Risk

Large-capitalization companies may be less able than smaller capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller capitalization companies. During different market cycles, the performance of large-capitalization companies has trailed the overall performance of the broader securities markets.

Market Capitalization Deviation Risk

There can be no assurance that the securities held by the Fund will stay within the Fund’s intended market capitalization range. As a result, the Fund may be exposed to additional risk or investors may not be given the opportunity to invest fully in a certain market capitalization range.

Market Risk

Market risks include political, regulatory, market and economic developments, including developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market, which may affect the Fund’s value. Turbulence in financial markets, tariffs and other protectionist measures, political developments and uncertainty, central bank policy, and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Geopolitical and other events, including war, terrorism, economic uncertainty, trade disputes, public health crises and related geopolitical events have led, and in the future may lead, to disruptions in the US and world economies and markets, which may increase financial market volatility and have significant adverse direct or indirect effects on the Fund and its investments. Market disruptions could cause the Fund to lose money, experience significant redemptions, and encounter operational difficulties. Although multiple asset classes may be affected by a market disruption, the duration and effects may not be the same for all types of assets.

Non-Diversified Risk

The Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” investment company under the 1940 Act, which means it may invest a larger percentage of its assets in a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. To the extent the Fund invests its assets in a smaller number of issuers, the Fund will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those issuers than a diversified fund.

Operational Risk

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

Portfolio Management Risk

The Fund is subject to portfolio management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result or, while it may be the desired result, may underperform other types of investment strategies. The application of ESG criteria may result in the Fund (i) having exposure to certain securities or industry sectors that are significantly different than the composition of the Fund’s benchmark; and (ii) performing differently than other funds and strategies in its peer group that do not take into account ESG criteria or the Fund’s benchmark. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective(s).

Secondary Market Trading Risk

Although the Fund’s Shares are listed for trading on one or more securities exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants. The trading of Shares on securities exchanges is subject to the risk of irregular trading activity. Securities exchanges have requirements that must be met in order for Shares to be listed. There can be no assurance that the requirements of an exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares will continue

64

to be met. This risk is particularly acute for funds that fail to attract a large number of shareholders. Pursuant to an exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules, trading in the Fund’s Shares may be halted due to extraordinary market volatility. Additionally, market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Fund’s Shares and Authorized Participants are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for creation units. In the event market makers cease making a market in the Fund’s Shares or Authorized Participants stop submitting purchase or redemption orders for creation units, the Fund’s Shares may trade at a larger premium or discount to its NAV.

Trading Price Risk

Although it is generally expected that the market price of the Fund’s Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. Shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges at prices at, above or below the Fund’s most recent NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading price of the Fund’s Shares fluctuates continuously throughout trading hours based on timing reasons and market supply of and demand for Shares and the Fund’s NAV, among other reasons. As a result, the trading prices of the Fund’s Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. The market price of the Fund’s Shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid/ask” spread charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other participants that trade the Shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, Shares are most likely to be traded at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of Shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that an investor most wants to sell their Shares. The risk of wide bid and ask spreads may be especially pronounced for smaller funds. In addition, increased market volatility may cause wider spreads. Because of the costs inherent in buying or selling Shares, frequent trading may detract significantly from investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments through a brokerage account.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns compare with its benchmark over time. The table that follows the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total return, both before and after taxes. In accordance with new regulatory requirements, the Fund has selected the Russell 3000® Index, which measures the performance of the largest 3,000 U.S. companies representing approximately 96% of the investable U.S. equity market, as a replacement for the Russell 1000 Growth® Index. The table also includes the average annual returns of the Russell 1000 Growth® Index, which measures the performance of the large-cap growth segment of the U.S. equity universe and includes those Russell 1000® Index companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values.

All returns assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Performance reflects fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement in effect, if such waivers or reimbursements were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Fund performance current to the most recent month-end is available by calling 1-888-474-7725 or by visiting newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf.

 

The Fund’s year-to-date total return as of June 30, 2024 was 22.18%.

 

65

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

 

Return

Quarter/Year

Highest Return

17.89%

4Q/2023

Lowest Return

-3.45%

3Q/2023

Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2023

 

1 Year

Since Inception(1)

Returns before taxes

43.20%

28.09%

Returns after taxes on distributions(2)

43.19%

28.08%

Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares(2)

25.58%

21.72%

Russell 3000® Index

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

25.96%

18.75%

Russell 1000 Growth® Index

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

42.68%

25.72%

(1) The Fund commenced operations on June 23, 2022.
(2) After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown and are not relevant if you hold your Shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund Shares at the end of the measurement period.

Name & Title

Length of Service as
Fund’s Portfolio Manager

Justin H. Kelly, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Investment Officer

Since Fund’s Inception

Patrick M. Burton, Senior Managing Director

Since Fund’s Inception

Peter A. Dlugosch, Managing Director

Since Fund’s Inception

Steven M. Hamill, Senior Managing Director

Since 2023

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Unlike conventional mutual funds, the Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis, at NAV, only in large blocks of Shares called “Creation Units.” Individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Since Shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges in the secondary market at their market price rather than their NAV, the Fund’s Shares may trade at a price greater than (premium) or less than (discount) the Fund’s NAV. An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information, including the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, is available online at newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf.

Tax Information

The Fund’s distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. However, subsequent withdrawals from such a tax-advantaged account may be subject to U.S. federal income tax. You should consult your tax advisor about your specific situation.

66

Financial Intermediary Compensation

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Advisor or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

67

Summary Information

NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF
(
prior to August 28, 2024, named IQ Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF)

Investment Objective

The NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF (the “Fund”) seeks long-term growth of capital.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). Investors may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example set forth below.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment): 

None

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

Management Fee(a)

0.75

%

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

0.00

%

Other Expenses

0.70

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

1.45

%

Expense Waiver/Reimbursement(b)

0.80

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Waiver/Reimbursement

0.65

%

  

(a) The management fee is as follows: 0.75% on assets up to $500 million; 0.725% on assets from $500 million to $750 million; 0.71% on assets from $750 million to $1 billion; 0.70% on assets from $1 billion to $2 billion; 0.66% on assets from $2 billion to $3 billion; 0.61% on assets from $3 billion to $7 billion; 0.585% on assets from $7 billion to $9 billion; and 0.575% on assets over $9 billion.
(b) New York Life Investment Management LLC (“New York Life Investments” or “Advisor”) has contractually agreed to waive or reduce its management fee and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund in an amount that limits “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” (exclusive of interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, dividend payments on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) to not more than 0.65% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The agreement will remain in effect permanently unless terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Fund.

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain at current levels. The return of 5% and estimated expenses are for illustration purposes only, and should not be considered indicators of expected Fund expenses or performance, which may be greater or less than the estimates. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

$66

$208

$362

$810

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rates was 65% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of the portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Shares.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in large capitalization companies, which are companies having a market capitalization in excess of $4 billion at the time of purchase. Typically, Winslow Capital Management, LLC (“Winslow Capital” or the “Subadvisor”) invests substantially all of the Fund’s investable assets in domestic securities. However, the Fund is permitted to invest up to 20% of its net assets in depositary receipts issued by a trust (including American

 

68

Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”)) of foreign securities and in common stocks listed on a foreign exchange that trade on such exchange contemporaneously with the Shares. Generally, an issuer of a security is considered to be U.S. or foreign based on the issuer’s “country of risk,” as determined by a third-party service provider such as Bloomberg. The Fund will normally invest in a limited number of issuers and hold a core position of between 25 and 35 securities, although the number of securities held by the Fund may occasionally exceed this range at times. The Fund is actively managed and does not intend to track an index. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act.

Investment Process: The Fund invests in those companies that the Subadvisor believes will provide an opportunity for achieving superior portfolio returns (i.e., returns in excess of the returns of the average stock ETF or mutual fund, which the Subadvisor defines as the median ETF or mutual fund based on performance taking into account the entire U.S. equity ETF and mutual fund universe) over the long term. The Subadvisor seeks to invest in companies that have the potential for above-average future earnings and cash flow growth with management focused on shareholder value.

When purchasing stocks for the Fund, the Subadvisor looks for companies typically having some or all of the following attributes: addressing markets with growth opportunities; leads or gains in market share; identifiable and sustainable competitive advantages; managed by a team that can perpetuate the firm’s competitive advantages; high, and preferably rising, returns on invested capital; deploys excess cash flow to enhance shareholder return; and demonstrates sound corporate governance. As part of its qualitative assessment of each potential investment, the Subadvisor evaluates the company’s non-financial performance among certain environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors. The Subadvisor then determines which ESG factors may be material to a company’s future financial performance. This involves an evaluation of how the company integrates particular ESG risks and opportunities into its corporate strategy through, for example, improving governance practices, aligning management team incentives and increasing transparency into its ESG practices. The Subadvisor may give consideration to ESG factors including, but not limited to, impact on or from climate change, natural resource use, waste management practices, human capital management, product safety, supply chain management, corporate governance, business ethics and advocacy for governmental policy. ESG factors are evaluated by the Subadvisor based on data provided by independent ESG research vendors. The evaluation of ESG factors is integrated as one of several aspects of the Subadvisor’s investment process and the Subadvisor does not forgo potential investments strictly based on the evaluation of ESG factors.

The Subadvisor takes a “bottom-up” investment approach when selecting investments. This means it bases investment decisions on company specific factors, not general economic conditions.

Under normal market conditions, the Subadvisor employs a sell discipline pursuant to which it may sell some or all of its position in a stock when a stock becomes fully valued, the fundamental business prospects are deteriorating, or the position exceeds limits set by the Subadvisor.

Principal Risks

As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s Shares will change in value and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund does not represent a complete investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, the Advisor or any of its affiliates. You should consider carefully the following risks before investing in the Fund.

Authorized Participant Concentration Risk

Only certain large institutions may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund (each, an “Authorized Participant”). The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that those Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to engage in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund, Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

Cyber Security Risk

The Fund is susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. Such events may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity and could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. In addition, cyber security breaches of the securities issuers or the

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Fund’s third-party service providers can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. Although the Fund has established risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed.

Depositary Receipts Risk

Sponsored and unsponsored depositary receipts involve risk not experienced when investing directly in the equity securities of an issuer. Depositary receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. Any distributions paid to the holders of depositary receipts are usually subject to a fee charged by the depositary. Holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, and investment restrictions in certain countries may adversely impact the value of depositary receipts.

Equity Securities Risk

Investments in common stocks and other equity securities are particularly subject to the risk of changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer, conditions affecting equity markets generally and political and/or economic events. Equity prices may also be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase. Holders of an issuer’s common stock may be subject to greater risks than holders of its preferred stock and debt securities because common stockholders’ claims are subordinated to those of holders of preferred stocks and debt securities upon the bankruptcy of an issuer.

Focused Investment Risk

Because performance is dependent on a smaller number of holdings, the Fund may be more adversely impacted by price volatility than funds with a greater number of holdings. To the extent that the Fund invests a large percentage of its assets in securities of issuers within the same industry, group of industries, sector, country or region, an adverse economic, market, political or regulatory development may affect the value of the Fund’s investments more than if the Fund were more broadly diversified. Different industries, sectors, countries or regions tend to go through cycles of outperformance and underperformance in comparison to each other and to the general financial markets.

Foreign Securities Risk

Investments in the securities of non-U.S. issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities. These additional risks include greater market volatility, the availability of less reliable financial information, higher transactional and custody costs, taxation by foreign governments, decreased market liquidity and political instability. To the extent the Fund invests in securities issued by companies that receive revenues in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies, it will be subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. Some countries and regions have experienced security concerns, war or threats of war and aggression, terrorism, economic uncertainty, natural and environmental disasters and/or systemic market dislocations that have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally. Foreign issuers are often subject to less stringent requirements regarding accounting, auditing, financial reporting and record keeping than are U.S. issuers, and therefore not all material information will be available. Securities exchanges or foreign governments may adopt rules or regulations that may negatively impact the Fund’s ability to invest in foreign securities or may prevent the Fund from repatriating its investments. Less developed securities markets are more likely to experience problems with the clearing and settling of trades, as well as the holding of securities by local banks, agents and depositories. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the likelihood of clearing, custody and trade settlement problems.

Foreign Securities Valuation Risk

The Fund’s value may be impacted by events that cause the fair value of foreign securities to materially change between the close of the local exchange on which they trade and the time at which the Fund prices its Shares. Additionally, because foreign exchanges on which securities held by the Fund may be open on days when the Fund does not price its Shares, the potential exists for the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio to change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s Shares.

Investment Style Risk

The Fund seeks to allocate investment exposure based upon a particular style of investing. Different investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor depending upon market and economic conditions and investor sentiment. As a consequence, the Fund may underperform as compared to the market generally or to other funds that invest in similar asset classes but employ different investment styles. Further, there is no guarantee that the Fund will accurately or optimally utilize the investment style or that it will successfully provide the desired investment exposure. The degree to which the Fund accurately or optimally utilizes the investment style is dependent upon information and data that may be incomplete, inaccurate or unavailable, which could adversely affect the analysis of the factors relevant to a particular investment.

 

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ESG Investing Style Risk. The Fund seeks to provide exposure to the equity securities of companies meeting environmental, social and corporate governance investing criteria. The Fund excludes or limits exposure to securities of certain issuers for non-financial reasons, and the Fund may forgo some market opportunities available to funds that do not use these criteria. The application of environmental, social and corporate governance investing criteria may affect the Fund’s exposure to certain sectors or types of investments and may impact the Fund’s relative investment performance depending on whether such sectors or investments are in or out of favor in the market.

Growth Investing Style Risk. Growth companies usually invest a high portion of earnings in their businesses and may lack the dividends of value securities that can cushion stock prices in a falling market. The prices of growth securities are based largely on projections of the issuer’s future earnings and revenues. If a company’s earnings or revenues fall short of expectations, its stock price may fall dramatically. Growth securities may be volatile and may also be more expensive, relative to their earnings or assets, compared to value or other stocks. Growth securities may go in and out of favor over time.

Issuer Risk

The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. Changes to the financial condition or credit rating of an issuer of those securities may cause the value of the securities to decline.

Large-Capitalization Companies Risk

Large-capitalization companies may be less able than smaller capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller capitalization companies. During different market cycles, the performance of large-capitalization companies has trailed the overall performance of the broader securities markets.

Market Capitalization Deviation Risk

There can be no assurance that the securities held by the Fund will stay within the Fund’s intended market capitalization range. As a result, the Fund may be exposed to additional risk or investors may not be given the opportunity to invest fully in a certain market capitalization range.

Market Risk

Market risks include political, regulatory, market and economic developments, including developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market, which may affect the Fund’s value. Turbulence in financial markets, tariffs and other protectionist measures, political developments and uncertainty, central bank policy, and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Geopolitical and other events, including war, terrorism, economic uncertainty, trade disputes, public health crises and related geopolitical events have led, and in the future may lead, to disruptions in the US and world economies and markets, which may increase financial market volatility and have significant adverse direct or indirect effects on the Fund and its investments. Market disruptions could cause the Fund to lose money, experience significant redemptions, and encounter operational difficulties. Although multiple asset classes may be affected by a market disruption, the duration and effects may not be the same for all types of assets.

Non-Diversified Risk

The Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” investment company under the 1940 Act, which means it may invest a larger percentage of its assets in a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. To the extent the Fund invests its assets in a smaller number of issuers, the Fund will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those issuers than a diversified fund.

Operational Risk

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

 

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Portfolio Management Risk

The Fund is subject to portfolio management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result or, while it may be the desired result, may underperform other types of investment strategies. The application of ESG criteria may result in the Fund (i) having exposure to certain securities or industry sectors that are significantly different than the composition of the Fund’s benchmark; and (ii) performing differently than other funds and strategies in its peer group that do not take into account ESG criteria or the Fund’s benchmark. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective(s).

Secondary Market Trading Risk

Although the Fund’s Shares are listed for trading on one or more securities exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants. The trading of Shares on securities exchanges is subject to the risk of irregular trading activity. Securities exchanges have requirements that must be met in order for Shares to be listed. There can be no assurance that the requirements of an exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares will continue to be met. This risk is particularly acute for funds that fail to attract a large number of shareholders. Pursuant to an exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules, trading in the Fund’s Shares may be halted due to extraordinary market volatility. Additionally, market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Fund’s Shares and Authorized Participants are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for creation units. In the event market makers cease making a market in the Fund’s Shares or Authorized Participants stop submitting purchase or redemption orders for creation units, the Fund’s Shares may trade at a larger premium or discount to its NAV.

Trading Price Risk

Although it is generally expected that the market price of the Fund’s Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. Shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges at prices at, above or below the Fund’s most recent NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading price of the Fund’s Shares fluctuates continuously throughout trading hours based on timing reasons and market supply of and demand for Shares and the Fund’s NAV, among other reasons. As a result, the trading prices of the Fund’s Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. The market price of the Fund’s Shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid/ask” spread charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other participants that trade the Shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, Shares are most likely to be traded at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of Shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that an investor most wants to sell their Shares. The risk of wide bid and ask spreads may be especially pronounced for smaller funds. In addition, increased market volatility may cause wider spreads. Because of the costs inherent in buying or selling Shares, frequent trading may detract significantly from investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments through a brokerage account.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns compare with its benchmark over time. The table that follows the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total return, both before and after taxes. In accordance with new regulatory requirements, the Fund has selected the Russell 3000® Index, which measures the performance of the largest 3,000 U.S. companies representing approximately 96% of the investable U.S. equity market, as a replacement for the Russell 1000 Growth® Index. The table also includes the average annual returns of the Russell 1000 Growth® Index, which measures the performance of the large-cap growth segment of the U.S. equity universe and includes those Russell 1000® Index companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values.

All returns assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Performance reflects fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement in effect, if such waivers or reimbursements were not in place, the Fund’s performance would be reduced. Fund performance current to the most recent month-end is available by calling 1-888-474-7725 or by visiting newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf.

 

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The Fund’s year-to-date total return as of June 30, 2024 was 27.19%.

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

 

Return

Quarter/Year

Highest Return

16.24%

4Q/2023

Lowest Return

-3.78%

3Q/2023

Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2023

 

1 Year

Since Inception(1)

Returns before taxes

38.34%

27.84%

Returns after taxes on distributions(2)

38.01%

27.63%

Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares(2)

22.93%

21.52%

Russell 3000® Index

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

25.96%

18.75%

Russell 1000 Growth® Index

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

42.68%

25.72%

(1) The Fund commenced operations on June 23, 2022.
(2) After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown and are not relevant if you hold your Shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund Shares at the end of the measurement period.

Investment Advisor and Subadvisor

New York Life Investment Management LLC is the investment advisor to the Fund.

Winslow Capital Management, LLC is the investment subadvisor to the Fund.

Portfolio Managers

The professionals of the subadvisor that are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund are:

Name & Title

Length of Service as
Fund’s Portfolio Manager

Justin H. Kelly, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Investment Officer

Since Fund’s Inception

Patrick M. Burton, Senior Managing Director

Since Fund’s Inception

Peter A. Dlugosch, Managing Director

Since Fund’s Inception

Steven M. Hamill, Senior Managing Director

Since 2023

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Unlike conventional mutual funds, the Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis, at NAV, only in large blocks of Shares called “Creation Units.” Individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Since Shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges in the secondary market at their market price rather than their NAV, the Fund’s Shares may trade at a price

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greater than (premium) or less than (discount) the Fund’s NAV. An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information, including the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, is available online at newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf.

Tax Information

The Fund’s distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. However, subsequent withdrawals from such a tax-advantaged account may be subject to U.S. federal income tax. You should consult your tax advisor about your specific situation.

Financial Intermediary Compensation

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Advisor or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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Overview

The Trust is an investment company consisting of a number of separate investment portfolios (each, a “Fund” and together, the “Funds”) that are structured as exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). Each share of a Fund represents an ownership interest in the securities and other instruments comprising a Fund’s portfolio. Unlike shares of a mutual fund, which can be bought and redeemed from the issuing fund by all shareholders at a price based on net asset value (“NAV”), shares of an ETF (such as the Funds) are listed on a national securities exchange and trade in the secondary market at market prices that change throughout the day, and may differ from a Fund’s NAV.

New York Life Investment Management LLC (“New York Life Investments” or “Advisor”) is the investment advisor to each Fund. CBRE Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC, MacKay Shields LLC and Winslow Capital Management, LLC serve as subadvisors and are referred herein as “Subadvisor” as the context requires, and collectively are referred to as “Subadvisors.” CBRE Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC serves as subadvisor to the NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF, MacKay Shields LLC serves as subadvisor to the NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF, NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF, NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF, NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF, and NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF and Winslow Capital Management, LLC serves as subadvisor to the NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF and NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF.

Information about each Fund’s investment objective, principal investment strategies, investment practices and principal risks appears in the relevant summary section for each Fund at the beginning of the Prospectus. The information below describes in greater detail the principal and other investments, investment practices and risks pertinent to the Funds. Some of the Funds may use the investments/strategies discussed below more than other Funds. Not all investments/strategies of the Funds may be described in this Prospectus.

Description of the Principal Strategies of the Funds

The Funds are actively managed ETFs and thus do not seek to replicate the performance of a specific index. Instead, each Fund uses an active investment strategy to meet its investment objective. Each subadvisor, subject to the oversight of the Advisor and Board, has discretion on a daily basis to manage each Fund’s portfolio in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and investment policies. Consequently, investors should not expect a Fund’s returns to track the returns of any index or market for any period of time.

Each Fund has a distinct investment objective and policies. Except as otherwise stated in this Prospectus or the Funds’ Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”), the investment objective and policies of each Fund are non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) without shareholder approval. There can be no assurance that a Fund’s objective will be achieved.

In accordance with Rule 35d-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), certain Funds have each adopted a policy that each will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 80% of the value of its assets (net assets plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in investments of the type suggested by the Fund’s name. A Fund may count investments in any derivatives or underlying funds toward various guideline tests (such as the 80% test required under Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act).

In accordance with Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act, the following Funds have adopted a “fundamental” policy, which means that they may be changed only by the vote of a majority of a Fund’s outstanding shares as defined in the 1940 Act:

The NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF and NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF have each adopted a policy that it will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 80% of the value of its assets (net assets plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in debt securities whose interest is, in the opinion of bond counsel for the issuer at the time of issuance, exempt from federal income tax.

The NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF has adopted a policy that it will invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in municipal bonds whose interest is, in the opinion of bond counsel for the issuers at the time of issuance, exempt from federal and California income taxes.

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In accordance with Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act, the following Funds have adopted a “non-fundamental” policy which means that it may be changed without the vote of a majority of a Fund’s outstanding shares as defined in the 1940 Act. A Fund that has adopted such a policy will provide the Fund’s shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior notice of any changes in the Fund’s non-fundamental investment policy with respect to investments of the type suggested by its name:

The NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF has adopted a policy that it will, under normal circumstances, invest 80% of its assets (net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes) in securities issued by real assets companies. The Fund’s Subadvisor defines a real assets company, as a company that derives a majority of its revenues from activities related to the ownership, operation, and development of infrastructure assets (an “infrastructure company”) and real estate (a “real estate company”).

The NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF has adopted a policy that it will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 80% of the value of its assets (net assets plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds, which include all types of debt securities, such as: debt or debt-related securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. or foreign governments, their agencies or instrumentalities; obligations of international or supranational entities; debt securities issued by U.S. or foreign corporate entities; zero coupon bonds; municipal bonds; mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities; and loan participation interests.

The NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF has adopted a policy that it will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 80% of the value of its assets (net assets plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in high-yield corporate debt instruments, including all types of high-yield domestic and foreign corporate debt securities that are rated below investment grade by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”) (such securities rated lower than BBB- and Baa3), or, if unrated, judged to be of comparable quality by the Fund’s Subadvisor.

The NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF has adopted a policy that it will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 80% of the value of its assets (net assets plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in insured Municipal Bonds.

The NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF has adopted a policy that it will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in large capitalization companies, which are companies having a market capitalization in excess of $4 billion at the time of purchase.

The NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF has adopted a policy that it will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in large capitalization companies, which are companies having a market capitalization in excess of $4 billion at the time of purchase.

Unless otherwise indicated, all of the percentage limitations applicable to a Fund apply only at the time of an acquisition or encumbrance of securities or assets of the Fund, except that any borrowings by the Fund that exceeds applicable limitations must be reduced to meet such limitations within the period required by the 1940 Act. Therefore, a change in the percentage that results from a relative change in values or from a change in the Fund’s assets will not be considered a violation of the Fund’s policies or restrictions and the Fund’s future investments will be made in a manner that will bring the Fund into compliance with the applicable requirement. “Value” for the purposes of all investment restrictions shall mean the value used in determining the Fund’s NAV.

To the extent a Fund makes investments on behalf of a Fund that is regulated by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, it intends to do so in accordance with Rule 4.5 under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). The Advisor has filed a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” in accordance with Rule 4.5 and is therefore not subject to registration as a commodity pool operator under the CEA.

Each Fund’s portfolio holdings will be disclosed on the Trust’s website (newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf) daily after the close of trading on a national securities exchange (the “Exchange”) and prior to the opening of trading on the Exchange the following day.

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Additional Investment Strategies

Borrowing Money

Each Fund may borrow money from a bank as permitted by the 1940 Act or the rules thereunder, or by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund, but only for temporary or emergency purposes. The 1940 Act presently allows a fund to borrow from any bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings not in excess of 5% of its total assets).

Temporary Defensive Positions

In times of unusual or adverse market, economic or political conditions or abnormal circumstances (such as large cash inflows or anticipated large redemptions), each Fund may, for temporary defensive purposes which may be for a prolonged period), invest outside the scope of its principal investment strategies. Under such conditions, a Fund may not invest in accordance with its investment objective or principal investment strategies and, as a result, there is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Under such conditions, each Fund may invest without limit in investment grade securities and may invest in U.S. government securities or other high-quality money market instruments.

Securities Lending

A Fund may lend its portfolio securities. A securities lending program allows a Fund to receive a portion of the income generated by lending its securities and investing the respective collateral. In connection with such loans, a Fund receives liquid collateral equal to at least 102% (105% for foreign securities) of the value of the portfolio securities being lent. This collateral is marked to market on each trading day.

Additional Information About Risks

The principal risks of investing in the Funds are described below, which may result in a loss of your investment. As indicated in the table below, not all of these risks are principal risks of investing in each Fund. The Funds may be subject to risks to different degrees. The fact that a particular risk is not identified as a principal risk for a Fund does not mean that the Fund is prohibited from investing in securities or investments that give rise to that risk. There can be no assurance that a Fund will achieve its investment objective.

Investors should be aware that in light of the current uncertainty, volatility and state of economies, financial markets, and labor and health conditions around the world, the risks below are heightened significantly compared to normal conditions and therefore may subject a Fund’s investments and a shareholder’s investment in a Fund to reduced yield and/or income and sudden and substantial losses. The fact that a particular risk below is not specifically identified as being heightened under current conditions does not mean that the risk is not greater than under normal conditions. Additional information about the investment practices of the Funds and risks pertinent to these practices is included in the SAI. The following information regarding principal investment strategies and risks is provided in alphabetical order and not necessarily in order of importance.

X Principal Risk
• Additional Risk

NYLI CBRE Real
Assets ETF

NYLI MacKay ESG
Core Plus Bond ETF

NYLI MacKay ESG
High Income ETF

NYLI MacKay Muni
Insured ETF

Asset-Backed Securities Risk

X

Alternative Minimum Tax Risk

X

Authorized Participant
Concentration Risk

X

X

X

X

California State Specific Risk

Cash Transactions Risk

X

X

X

Convertible Securities Risk

X

X

Corporate Bonds Risk

X

Counterparty Risk

X

Credit Risk

X

X

X

Currency Risk

X

X

Cyber Security Risk

X

X

X

X

Debt Securities Risk

X

X

X

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X Principal Risk
• Additional Risk

NYLI CBRE Real
Assets ETF

NYLI MacKay ESG
Core Plus Bond ETF

NYLI MacKay ESG
High Income ETF

NYLI MacKay Muni
Insured ETF

Depositary Receipts Risk

X

Derivatives Risk

X

X

Emerging Markets Securities Risk

X

X

Equity Securities Risk

X

X

Exchange Traded Products Risk

X

X

Focused Investment Risk

X

X

X

Foreign Currency Forward
Contracts Risk

X

X

Foreign Securities Risk

X

X

X

Foreign Securities Valuation Risk

X

X

X

Futures Contracts Risk

X

X

High Yield Municipal Bond Risk

High Yield Securities Risk

X

X

Income Risk

X

X

X

Industry/Sector Concentration Risk

X

Infrastructure Companies Risk

X

Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) Risk

X

Interest Rate Risk

X

X

X

Investment Style Risk

The following is a sub-risk to this Risk:

X

X

*ESG Investing Style Risk

X

X

*Growth Investing Style Risk

Issuer Risk

X

X

Large-Capitalization Companies Risk

X

Large Investments Risk

Liquidity Risk

X

X

X

Market Capitalization Deviation Risk

Market Disruption Risk and Recent Market Events

Market Risk

X

X

X

X

Master Limited Partnerships
(“MLPs”) Risk

X

Money Market/Short-Term
Securities Risk

X

X

X

Mortgage Dollar Roll Transaction Risk

X

X

Municipal Bond Risk

X

X

Municipal Bond Market Liquidity Risk

X

X

Municipal Insurance Risk

X

Non-Diversified Risk

Operational Risk

X

X

X

X

Option Contracts Risk

X

Portfolio Management Risk

X

X

X

X

Portfolio Turnover Risk

X

X

Preferred Securities Risk

X

Private Placement and Restricted Securities Risk

X

Real Estate Companies Risk

X

Risks of Investing in Loans

X

X

Risks of Loan Assignments and Participations

X

X

Secondary Market Trading Risk

X

X

X

X

Securities Lending Risk

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X Principal Risk
• Additional Risk

NYLI CBRE Real
Assets ETF

NYLI MacKay ESG
Core Plus Bond ETF

NYLI MacKay ESG
High Income ETF

NYLI MacKay Muni
Insured ETF

Small- and/or Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk

X

Swap Agreements Risk

X

X

TBA Securities Risk

X

X

Trading Price Risk

X

X

X

X

U.S. Tax Risk

Valuation Risk

X

X

X

X

Variable and Floating Rate Instruments Risk

X

X

Zero Coupon Securities Risk

X

X Principal Risk
• Additional Risk

NYLI MacKay Muni
Intermediate ETF

NYLI MacKay
California Muni
Intermediate ETF

NYLI Winslow
Large Cap
Growth ETF

NYLI Winslow
Focused Large
Cap Growth ETF

Asset-Backed Securities Risk

Alternative Minimum Tax Risk

X

X

Authorized Participant
Concentration Risk

X

X

X

X

California State Specific Risk

X

Cash Transactions Risk

X

X

Convertible Securities Risk

Corporate Bonds Risk

Counterparty Risk

Credit Risk

X

X

Currency Risk

Cyber Security Risk

X

X

X

X

Debt Securities Risk

X

X

Depositary Receipts Risk

X

X

Derivatives Risk

Emerging Markets Securities Risk

Equity Securities Risk

X

X

Exchange Traded Products Risk

Focused Investment Risk

X

X

X

Foreign Currency Forward
Contracts Risk

Foreign Securities Risk

X

X

Foreign Securities Valuation Risk

X

X

Futures Contracts Risk

High Yield Municipal Bond Risk

X

High Yield Securities Risk

Income Risk

X

X

Industry/Sector Concentration Risk

Infrastructure Companies Risk

Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) Risk

Interest Rate Risk

X

X

Investment Style Risk

The following is a sub-risk to this Risk:

X

X

*ESG Investing Style Risk

X

X

*Growth Investing Style Risk

X

X

Issuer Risk

X

X

X

X

Large-Capitalization Companies Risk

X

X

Large Investments Risk

Liquidity Risk

X

X

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X Principal Risk
• Additional Risk

NYLI MacKay Muni
Intermediate ETF

NYLI MacKay
California Muni
Intermediate ETF

NYLI Winslow
Large Cap
Growth ETF

NYLI Winslow
Focused Large
Cap Growth ETF

Market Capitalization Deviation Risk

X

X

Market Disruption Risk and Recent Market Events

Market Risk

X

X

X

X

Master Limited Partnerships
(“MLPs”) Risk

Money Market/Short-Term
Securities Risk

X

X

Mortgage Dollar Roll Transaction Risk

Municipal Bond Risk

X

X

Municipal Bond Market Liquidity Risk

X

X

Municipal Insurance Risk

X

Non-Diversified Risk

X

X

Operational Risk

X

X

X

X

Option Contracts Risk

Portfolio Management Risk

X

X

X

X

Portfolio Turnover Risk

Preferred Securities Risk

Private Placement and Restricted Securities Risk

X

Real Estate Companies Risk

Risks of Investing in Loans

Risks of Loan Assignments and Participations

Secondary Market Trading Risk

X

X

X

X

Securities Lending Risk

Small- and/or Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk

Swap Agreements Risk

TBA Securities Risk

Trading Price Risk

X

X

X

X

U.S. Tax Risk

Valuation Risk

X

X

Variable and Floating Rate Instruments Risk

X

Zero Coupon Securities Risk

Asset-Backed Securities Risk

Asset-backed securities are securities that represent interests in, and whose values and payments are based on, a “pool” of underlying assets, which may include, among others, lower-rated debt securities and corporate loans, consumer loans or mortgages and leases of property. Asset-backed securities include collateralized debt obligations, collateralized bond obligations, and collateralized loan obligations and other similarly structured vehicles. As with other debt securities, asset-backed securities are subject to credit risk, extension risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk and valuation risk. Certain asset-backed securities do not have the benefit of the same security interest in the related collateral as do mortgage-backed securities, nor are they provided government guarantees of repayment. Credit card receivables are generally unsecured, and the debtors are entitled to the protection of a number of state and federal consumer credit laws, many of which give such debtors the right to set off certain amounts owed on the credit cards, thereby reducing the balance due. In addition, some issuers of automobile receivables permit the servicers to retain possession of the underlying obligations. If the servicer were to sell these obligations to another party, there is a risk that the purchaser would acquire an interest superior to that of the holders of the related automobile receivables. The impairment of the value of collateral or other assets underlying an asset-backed security, such as a result of non-payment of loans or non-performance of underlying assets, may result in a reduction in the value of such asset-backed securities and losses to a Fund.

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Investments in mortgage-related securities make an investor more susceptible to adverse economic, political or regulatory events that affect the value of real estate. Mortgage-related securities are also significantly affected by the rate of prepayments and modifications of the mortgage loans underlying those securities, as well as by other factors such as borrower defaults, delinquencies, realized or liquidation losses and other shortfalls. Mortgage-related securities are particularly sensitive to prepayment risk, given that the term to maturity for mortgage loans is generally substantially longer than the expected lives of those securities. As the timing and amount of prepayments cannot be accurately predicted, the timing of changes in the rate of prepayments of the mortgage loans may significantly affect a Fund’s actual yield to maturity on any mortgage-related securities. Along with prepayment risk, mortgage-related securities are significantly affected by interest rate risk. In a low interest rate environment, mortgage loan prepayments would generally be expected to increase due to factors such as refinancings and loan modifications at lower interest rates. In contrast, if prevailing interest rates rise, prepayments of mortgage loans would generally be expected to decline and therefore extend the weighted average lives of mortgage-related securities held or acquired by a Fund. Fund investments in mortgage-backed securities issued by Ginnie Mae are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Fund investments in mortgage-backed securities issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and 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. Impairment of the underlying obligations or collateral, such as by non-payment, will reduce a mortgage-related security’s value. Enforcing rights against such collateral in events of default may be difficult or insufficient. These securities may have a structure that makes their reaction to interest rate changes and other factors difficult to predict, making their value highly volatile.

Alternative Minimum Tax Risk

Although the interest received from municipal securities is generally exempt from federal income tax, a Fund may invest in municipal securities subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. Therefore, all or a portion of a Fund’s otherwise exempt interest, may be taxable to shareholders subject to (or result in an increased liability under) the federal alternative minimum tax.

Authorized Participant Concentration Risk

Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with a Fund. Each Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with a Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

California State Specific Risk

A Fund invests primarily in municipal bonds issued by or on behalf of the State of California and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities. As a result, a Fund is more exposed to the risks affecting issuers of California municipal bonds than is a municipal bond fund that invests more widely.

Most local government agencies within the State, particularly counties, continue to face budget constraints due to limited taxing powers, mandated expenditures for health, welfare and public safety and a weakened economy, among other factors. State and local governments are limited in their ability to levy and raise property taxes and other forms of taxes, fees or assessments, and in their ability to appropriate their tax revenues by a series of constitutional amendments enacted by voter initiatives since 1978. Individual local governments may also have local initiatives that affect their fiscal flexibility. The major sources of revenues for local government, property taxes and sales taxes, as well as fees based on real estate development, have all been adversely impacted by the economic recession. Unfunded pension and other post-retirement liabilities also weigh heavily upon the State as well as many local jurisdictions. While California’s economy is broad, it does have major concentrations in technology, aerospace and defense-related manufacturing, trade, entertainment, real estate and financial services, and may be sensitive to economic problems affecting those industries.

To the extent that California experiences economic problems generally, the risk of investing in bonds issued by the State and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities, including the risk of potential issuer default. There is a heightened risk that there could be an interruption in payments to bondholders in some cases. This possibility, along with the risk of a downgrade in the credit rating of the State’s general obligation debt, could result in a reduction in the market value of the bonds held by a Fund, which could adversely affect the Fund’s NAV or the distributions paid by the Fund. In addition, future California political and economic developments, constitutional amendments, legislative measures, executive orders, administrative regulations, litigation and voter initiatives could have an adverse effect on the debt obligations of California issuers.

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Cash Transactions Risk

A Fund currently intends to effect creation and redemptions principally for cash, rather than principally for in-kind securities. As a result, investment in such a fund may be less tax efficient than investment in a conventional ETF. ETFs generally are able to make in-kind redemptions and avoid being taxed on gains on the distributed portfolio securities at the fund level. Because a Fund currently intends to effect redemptions principally for cash, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. A Fund may recognize a capital gain on these sales that might not have been incurred if such Fund had made a redemption in-kind and this may decrease the tax efficiency of the Fund compared to ETFs that utilize an in-kind redemption process. Moreover, cash transactions may have to be carried out over several days if the securities market is relatively illiquid, and this may involve considerable brokerage fees and taxes. These brokerage fees and taxes, which will be higher than if a Fund sold and redeemed its Shares principally in-kind, will be passed on to those purchasing and redeeming 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 a Fund’s Shares than for ETFs that distribute portfolio securities in-kind.

Convertible Securities Risk

Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer, depending on the terms of the securities) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. If a convertible security held by a Fund is called for redemption or conversion, the Fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying equity security or sell it to a third party, which may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. The market values of convertible securities tend to decline as interest rates increase. However, a convertible security’s market value also tends to reflect the market price of the equity security of the issuing company, particularly when the price of the equity security is greater than the convertible security’s conversion price (i.e., the predetermined price or exchange ratio at which the convertible security can be converted or exchanged for the underlying equity security). Convertible securities are also exposed to the risk that an issuer will be unable to meet its obligation to make dividend or principal payments when due as a result of changing financial or market conditions. Convertible debt securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible debt securities of similar credit quality because of their potential for capital appreciation. Moreover, there can be no assurance that convertible securities will provide current income prior to conversion because the issuers of the convertible securities may default on their obligations. If the convertible security has a conversion or call feature that allows the issuer to redeem the security before the conversion date, the potential for capital appreciation may be diminished. In the event that convertible securities are not optional but mandatory based upon the price of the underlying common stock, a Fund may be subject to additional exposure to loss of income in situations where it would prefer to hold debt.

Corporate Bonds Risk

Corporate bonds are debt obligations issued by corporations. Corporate bonds are generally used by corporations to borrow money from investors. Corporate bonds may be either secured or unsecured. Collateral used for secured debt includes, but is not limited to, real property, equipment, machinery, accounts receivable, stocks, bonds or notes. An unsecured corporate bond is known as a debenture. The investment return of corporate bonds reflects interest earned on the security and changes in the market value of the security. Holders of corporate bonds, known as creditors, have a prior legal claim over common and preferred stockholders as to both income and assets of the issuer for the principal and interest due them and may have a prior claim over other creditors if liens or mortgages are involved. Corporate bonds contain elements of both interest rate risk and credit risk. The market value of a corporate bond generally may be expected to rise and fall inversely with changes in interest rates and may also be affected by the credit rating of the issuer, the issuer’s performance and perceptions of the issuer in the marketplace. Corporate bonds usually yield more than government or agency bonds due to the presence of credit risk. 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.

Counterparty Risk

A counterparty (the other party to a transaction or an agreement or the party with whom a Fund executes transactions) to a transaction with the Fund may be unable or unwilling to perform. its obligations. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations for any reason, including bankruptcy of the counterparty or its parent, a loss to a Fund may result. A Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery in an insolvency, bankruptcy, or other reorganization proceeding involving a counterparty (including recovery of any collateral posted by it) and may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such

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circumstances. If a Fund holds collateral posted by its counterparty, it may be delayed or prevented from realizing on the collateral in the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding relating to the counterparty. Under applicable law or contractual provisions, including if a Fund enters into an investment or transaction with a financial institution and such financial institution (or an affiliate of the financial institution) experiences financial difficulties, then the Fund may in certain situations be prevented or delayed from exercising its rights to terminate the investment or transaction, or to realize on any collateral, which may result in the suspension of payment and delivery obligations of the parties under such investment or transactions or in another institution being substituted for that financial institution without the consent of a Fund. Further, a Fund may be subject to “bail-in” risk under applicable law whereby, if required by the financial institution’s authority, the financial institution’s liabilities could be written down, eliminated or converted into equity or an alternative instrument of ownership. A bail-in of a financial institution may result in a reduction in value of some or all of its securities and, if a Fund holds such securities or has entered into a transaction with such a financial security when a bail-in occurs, the Fund may also be similarly impacted.

Credit Risk

Credit risk is the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a debt instrument or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, repurchase agreement or loan of portfolio securities will be unable or unwilling to make its timely interest and/or principal payments or to otherwise honor its obligations. There are varying degrees of credit risk, depending on an issuer’s or counterparty’s financial condition and on the terms of an obligation, which may be reflected in the issuer’s or counterparty’s credit rating. There is the chance that a Fund’s portfolio holdings will have their credit ratings downgraded or will default (i.e., fail to make scheduled interest or principal payments), or that the market’s perception of an issuer’s or counterparty’s creditworthiness may worsen, potentially reducing a Fund’s income level or Share price. The value of an investment in a Fund may change quickly and without warning in response to issuer defaults, changes in the credit ratings of such Fund’s portfolio securities and/or perceptions related thereto.

Currency Risk

Investments directly in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies are subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including national debt levels and trade deficits, changes in balances of payments and trade, domestic and foreign interest and inflation rates, global or regional political, economic or financial events, monetary policies of governments, actual or potential government intervention and global energy prices. Political instability, the possibility of government intervention and restrictive or opaque business and investment policies may also reduce the value of a country’s currency. Government monetary policies and the buying or selling of currency by a country’s government may also influence exchange rates. As a result, a Fund’s investments in foreign currency denominated securities may reduce the return of the Fund. Because a Fund’s NAV is determined on the basis of U.S. dollars, the Fund’s NAV may decrease if the value of the non-U.S. currency to which the Fund has exposure depreciates in value relative to the U.S. dollar. This may occur even if the value of the underlying non-U.S. securities increases. Conversely, a Fund’s NAV may increase if the value of a non-U.S. currency appreciates relative to the U.S. dollar.

Cyber Security Risk

The Funds are susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause a Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity. Such events could cause a Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. These risks typically are not covered by insurance. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber incidents include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures by or breaches of the systems of security issuers, the Advisor, distributor and other service providers (including, but not limited to, sub-advisors, index providers, fund accountants, custodians, transfer agents and administrators), market makers, Authorized Participants or the issuers of securities in which a Fund invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with a Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, disclosure of confidential trading information, impediments to trading, submission of erroneous trades or erroneous creation or redemption orders, the inability of a Fund or its service providers to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and

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other laws, regulatory fines and other penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. Substantial costs may be incurred by a Fund in order to resolve or prevent cyber incidents in the future. While the Funds have established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified and that prevention and remediation efforts will not be successful. Furthermore, the Funds cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Funds, issuers in which the Funds invest, Authorized Participants or market makers. There is no guarantee that such preventative efforts will succeed, and the Funds and their shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

Debt Securities Risk

The risks of investing in debt securities include (without limitation): (i) credit risk, e.g., the issuer or guarantor of a debt security may be unable or unwilling (or be perceived as unable or unwilling) to make timely principal and/or interest payments or otherwise honor its obligations; (ii) interest rate risk, e.g., when interest rates go up, the value of a debt security generally goes down, and when interest rates go down, the value of a debt security generally goes up; (iii) liquidity risk and valuation risk, e.g., debt securities generally do not trade on a securities exchange, making them generally less liquid and more difficult to value than common stock; (iv) call risk and income risk, e.g., during a period of falling interest rates, the issuer may redeem a security by repaying it early, which may reduce a Fund’s income if the proceeds are reinvested at lower interest rates; and (v) extension risk, e.g., if interest rates rise, repayments of debt securities may occur more slowly than anticipated by the market, which may drive the prices of these securities down because their interest rates are lower than the current interest rate and the securities remain outstanding longer. Debt securities most frequently trade in institutional round lot size transactions. If a Fund purchases bonds in amounts less than the institutional round lot size, which are frequently referred to as “odd” lots, the odd lot size positions may have more price volatility than institutional round lot size positions. A Fund uses a third-party pricing service to value bond holdings and the pricing service values bonds assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size.

Depositary Receipts Risk

The Funds may invest in listed and liquid depositary receipts. Depositary receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. To the extent the value of a depositary receipt held by a Fund fails to track that of the underlying security, the use of the depositary receipt may result in tracking error. Any distributions paid to the holders of depositary receipts are usually subject to a fee charged by the depositary. Holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, and investment restrictions in certain countries may adversely impact the value of depositary receipts because such restrictions may limit the ability to convert the equity shares into depositary receipts and vice versa. Such restrictions may cause the equity shares of the underlying issuer to trade at a discount or premium to the market price of the depositary receipts.

Derivatives Risk

Derivatives are investments whose value depends on (or is derived from) the value of an underlying instrument, such as a security, asset, reference rate or index and involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with other investments. These risks include: (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivatives transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset. Derivative prices are highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. Such prices are influenced by numerous factors that affect the markets, including, but not limited to, changing supply and demand relationships, government programs and policies, national and international political and economic events, changes in interest rates, inflation and deflation, and changes in supply and demand relationships. Unlike other investments, derivative contracts often have leverage inherent in their terms. This leverage creates a disconnect between the initial amount of an investment relative to the risk assumed and introduces the possibility that a relatively small movement in the value of an underlying reference asset can result in an immediate and substantial loss to a party to a derivative contract. The effects of leverage may also cause a Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so. In general, the use of leveraged derivatives can magnify potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on a Fund’s Share price.

Emerging Markets Securities Risk

Securities of issuers based in countries with developing economies (emerging market countries) may present market, credit, currency, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed market countries and are generally considered speculative in nature. Emerging market countries are subject to greater market volatility, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, uncertainty regarding the existence of trading markets, rapid inflation, possible repatriation of investment

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income and capital, currency convertibility issues, less uniform accounting standards and more governmental limitations on foreign investment than more developed markets. Laws regarding foreign investment in emerging market securities, securities regulation, title to securities, and shareholder rights may change quickly and unpredictably. In addition, the enforcement of systems of taxation at federal, regional and local levels in emerging market countries may be inconsistent and subject to sudden change.

Equity Securities Risk

The value of equity securities held by a Fund may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by a Fund participate or factors relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests. For example, an adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of equity securities of an issuer held by a Fund; the price of common stock of an issuer may be particularly sensitive to general movements in the stock market; or a drop in the stock market may depress the price of most or all of the common stocks and other equity securities held by a Fund. In addition, common stock of an issuer in a Fund’s portfolio may decline in price if the issuer fails to make anticipated dividend payments because, among other reasons, the issuer of the security experiences a decline in its financial condition. Holders of an issuer’s common stock may also be subject to greater risks than holders of its preferred stock and debt securities because common stockholders’ claims are subordinated to those of holders of preferred stocks and debt securities upon the bankruptcy of an issuer.

Exchange Traded Products Risk

Unlike an investment in a mutual fund, the value of a Fund’s investment in other exchange-traded funds or exchange-traded investment products (“ETPs”) is based on its market price (rather than NAV) and the Fund could lose money due to premiums/discounts of the ETP (which could cause the Fund to buy shares at market prices that are higher than their value or sell shares at market prices that are lower than their value); the failure of an active trading market to develop; or exchange trading halts or delistings. An investment in a Fund will entail more costs and expenses than a direct investment in any underlying ETP. As a Fund’s allocations to underlying ETPs changes, or the expense ratio of underlying ETPs change, the operating expenses borne by a Fund from such investments may increase or decrease. Federal law prohibits a Fund from acquiring investment company shares, including shares of other registered investment companies (including ETFs), in excess of specific thresholds unless exempted by rule, regulation or exemptive order. These prohibitions may prevent a Fund from allocating its investment in an optimal manner.

Focused Investment Risk

To the extent that a Fund invests a large percentage of its assets in a single asset class or the securities of issuers within the same country, group of countries, region, industry, group of industries or sector, an adverse economic, market, political or regulatory development may affect the value of the Fund’s investments more than if the Fund were more broadly diversified. Different asset classes, countries, groups of countries, regions, industries, groups of industries or sectors tend to go through cycles of outperformance and underperformance in comparison to each other and to the general financial markets.

Foreign Currency Forward Contracts Risk

When trading in foreign currency forward contracts, a Fund will contract with a foreign or domestic bank, or a foreign or domestic securities dealer, to make or take future delivery of a specified amount of a particular currency. There are no limitations on daily price moves in such forward contracts, and banks and dealers are not required to continue to make markets in such contracts. There have been periods during which certain banks or dealers have refused to quote prices for such forward contracts or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which the bank or dealer is prepared to buy and that at which it is prepared to sell. Governmental imposition of credit controls might limit any such forward contract trading. Foreign currency forward contracts involve certain risks, including the risk of failure of the counterparty to perform its obligations under the contract and the risk that the use of forward contracts may not serve as a complete hedge because of an imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the contracts and the prices of the currencies hedged. Foreign currency forward contracts may limit any potential gain that might result should the value of the underlying currencies increase. In addition, because foreign currency forward contracts are privately negotiated transactions, there can be no assurance that a Fund will have flexibility to roll-over a foreign currency forward contract upon its expiration if it desires to do so.

Foreign Securities Risk

Investments in the securities of non-U.S. issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities. These additional risks include greater market volatility, the availability of less reliable financial information, higher transactional and custody costs, taxation by foreign governments, decreased market liquidity and political instability. Some countries and regions have experienced security concerns, war or

85

threats of war and aggression, terrorism, economic uncertainty, natural and environmental disasters and/or systemic market dislocations that have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally. Foreign issuers are often subject to less stringent requirements regarding accounting, auditing, custody, financial reporting and record keeping than are U.S. issuers, and therefore not all material information will be available. Securities exchanges or foreign governments may adopt rules or regulations that may negatively impact a Fund’s ability to invest in foreign securities or may prevent the Fund from repatriating its investments. Non-U.S. transaction costs, such as brokerage commissions and custody costs, may be higher than in the United States. In some non-U.S. markets, custody arrangements for securities provide significantly less protection than custody arrangements in U.S. markets. Prevailing clearing custody and trade settlement practices (e.g., the requirement to pay for securities prior to receipt) could similarly expose a Fund to credit and other risks it does not have in the United States with respect to participating brokers, custodians, clearing banks or other clearing agents, escrow agents and issuers. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the likelihood of clearing, custody and trade settlement problems. In addition, a Fund may not receive shareholder communications or be permitted to vote the securities it holds, as the issuers may be under no legal obligation to distribute them.

Foreign Securities Valuation Risk

A Fund’s value may be impacted by events that cause the fair value of foreign securities to materially change between the close of the local exchange on which they trade and the time at which the Fund prices its Shares. Additionally, because foreign exchanges on which securities held by a Fund may be open on days when the Fund does not price its Shares, the potential exists for the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio to change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s Shares.

Futures Contracts Risk

Futures contracts are typically exchange-traded contracts that call for the future delivery of an asset by one party to another at a certain price and date, or cash settlement of the terms of the contract. The risk of a position in a futures contract may be very large compared to the relatively low level of margin a Fund is required to deposit. In many cases, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor relative to the size of a required margin deposit. The ability to establish and close out positions in futures contracts is subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid secondary market. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. If a Fund uses futures contracts for hedging purposes, there is a risk of imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the derivatives and movements in the securities or index underlying the derivatives or movements in the prices of the Fund’s investments that are the subject of such hedge. The prices of futures contracts, for a number of reasons, may not correlate perfectly with movements in the securities or index underlying them. For example, participants in the futures markets are subject to margin deposit requirements less onerous than margin requirements in the securities markets in general. As a result, futures markets may attract more speculators than the securities markets. Increased participation by speculators in those markets may cause temporary price distortions. Due to the possibility of price distortion, even a correct forecast of general market trends by a Fund’s portfolio managers still may not result in successful derivatives activity over a very short time period. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the various exchanges have established limits referred to as “speculative position limits” on the maximum net long or net short positions that any person and certain affiliated entities may hold or control in a particular futures contract. It is possible that, as a result of such limits, a Fund will be precluded from taking positions in certain futures contracts it might have otherwise taken to the disadvantage of shareholders.

High-Yield Municipal Bond Risk

High-yield or non-investment grade municipal bonds (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) may be subject to increased liquidity risk as compared to other high-yield debt securities. There may be little or no active trading market for certain high-yield municipal bonds, which may make it difficult for a Fund to sell such bonds at or near their perceived value. In such cases, the value of a high-yield municipal bond may decline dramatically, even during periods of declining interest rates. The high-yield municipal bonds in which a Fund intends to invest may be more likely to pay interest that is includable in taxable income for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax than other municipal bonds.

High Yield Securities Risk

A Fund’s investment in high yield securities, or “junk” bonds, may entail increased credit risks and the risk that the value of the Fund’s assets will decline, and may decline precipitously, with increases in interest rates. High yield securities are, under most circumstances, subject to greater market fluctuations and risk of loss of

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income and principal than are investments in lower-yielding, higher-rated debt securities. As interest rates rise, the value of high yield securities may decline precipitously. Increased rates may also indicate a slowdown in the economy, which may adversely affect the credit of issuers of high yield securities and result in a higher incidence of defaults among such issuers. A slowdown in the economy, or a development adversely affecting an issuer’s creditworthiness, may result in the issuer being unable to maintain earnings or sell assets at the rate and at the prices, respectively, that are required to produce sufficient cash flow to meet its interest and principal requirements. Portfolio managers of a Fund cannot predict future economic policies or their consequences or, therefore, the course or extent of any similar market fluctuations in the future. In addition, high yield securities are generally less liquid than investment grade securities.

Income Risk

A Fund’s income may decline when interest rates fall or if there are defaults in its portfolio. This decline can occur because a Fund may subsequently invest in lower-yielding securities when securities in its portfolio mature or the Fund otherwise needs to purchase additional securities.

Industry/Sector Concentration Risk

The Fund’s investment of a large percentage of its assets in the securities of issuers within the same industry or sector means that an adverse economic, business or political development may affect the value of the Fund’s investments more than if the Fund were more broadly diversified. A concentration makes the Fund more susceptible to any single occurrence and may subject the Fund to greater market risk than a fund that is not so concentrated. The Fund will concentrate in the securities of issuers in the resources-related industries or sectors so identified.

Infrastructure Companies Risk

The Fund is particularly exposed to adverse economic, regulatory, political, legal, and other changes affecting the issuers of infrastructure-companies. Infrastructure-related companies are subject to a variety of factors that may adversely affect their business or operations, including high interest costs in connection with capital construction programs, costs associated with environmental and other regulations, the effects of economic slowdown and surplus capacity, increased competition from other providers of services, uncertainties concerning the availability of fuel at reasonable prices, the effects of energy conservation policies and other factors. Additionally, infrastructure-related companies may be subject to regulation by various governmental authorities and may also be affected by governmental regulation of rates charged to customers, service interruption and/or legal challenges due to environmental, operational or other mishaps and the imposition of special tariffs and changes in tax laws, regulatory policies and accounting standards. There is also the risk that corruption may negatively affect publicly-funded infrastructure projects, resulting in delays and cost overruns.

Specific infrastructure assets in which the Fund invests may be subject to the following additional risks:

Communication infrastructure companies/issuers are subject to risks involving changes in government regulation, competition, dependency on patent protection, equipment incompatibility, changing consumer preferences, technological obsolescence and large capital expenditures and debt burdens.

Energy infrastructure companies/issuers are subject to adverse changes in fuel prices, the effects of energy conservation policies and other risks, such as increased regulation, negative effects of economic slowdowns, reduced demand, cleanup and litigation costs as a result of environmental damage, changing and international politics and regulatory policies of various governments. Natural disasters or terrorist attacks damaging sources of energy supplies will also negatively impact energy infrastructure companies/issuers.

Social infrastructure companies/issuers are subject to government regulation and the costs of compliance with such regulations and delays or failures in receiving required regulatory approvals. The enactment of new or additional regulatory requirements may negatively affect the business of a social infrastructure company.

Transportation infrastructure companies/issuers can be significantly affected by economic changes, fuel prices, labor relations, insurance costs and government regulations. Transportation infrastructure companies will also be negatively impacted by natural disasters or terrorist attacks.

Utilities company revenues and costs are subject to regulation by states and other regulators. Regulatory authorities also may restrict a company’s access to new markets. Utilities companies may incur unexpected increases in fuel and other operating costs. Utilities companies are also subject to considerable costs associated with environmental compliance, nuclear waste clean-up and safety regulation.

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Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) Risk

The volume of IPOs and the levels at which the newly issued stocks trade in the secondary market are affected by the performance of the stock market overall. Shares issued by companies that have recently conducted an IPO may be subject to price volatility and speculative trading due to various factors, including the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer’s business model, quality of management, earnings growth potential and other criteria used to evaluate its investment prospects. The prices of securities involved in IPOs are often subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than more established stocks. Additionally, the market for IPO shares can be speculative and/or inactive for extended periods of time. The limited number of shares available for trading in some IPOs may make it more difficult for the Fund to buy or sell significant amounts of shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing prices. Investors in IPO shares can be affected by substantial dilution in the value of their shares, by sales of additional shares and by concentration of control in existing management and principal shareholders.

Interest Rate Risk

An increase in interest rates may cause the value of certain fixed income securities held by a Fund to decline. Many factors can cause interest rates to rise, such as central bank monetary policies, inflation rates, general economic conditions and expectations about the foregoing. Fixed income securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations or floating or adjustable interest rates. The negative impact on a Fund from potential interest rate increases could be swift and significant, including falling market values, increased redemptions and reduced liquidity. Substantial shareholder redemptions may worsen this impact. An increase in interest rates could also cause principal payments on a fixed income security to be repaid at a slower rate than expected. This risk is particularly prevalent for a callable debt security where an increase in interest rates could cause the issuer of that security to not redeem the security as anticipated on the call date, effectively lengthening the security’s expected maturity, in turn making that security more vulnerable to interest rate risk and reducing its market value. A Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives.

When interest rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the issuer (or other obligated party) more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of these securities to fall. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of fixed income securities, making their market value more sensitive to changes in interest rates. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, securities may exhibit additional volatility and may lose value. The value of securities with longer maturities generally changes more in response to changes in interest rates than does the value of securities with shorter maturities. Extension risk is particularly prevalent for a callable fixed income security where an increase in interest rates could result in the issuer of that security choosing not to redeem the security as anticipated on the security’s call date. Such a decision by the issuer could have the effect of lengthening the security’s expected maturity, making it more vulnerable to interest rate risk and reducing its market value.

Some securities may be redeemed at the option of the issuer, or “called,” before their stated maturity date. In general, an issuer will call its debt securities if they can be refinanced by issuing new debt securities which bear a lower interest rate. A Fund is subject to the possibility that during periods of falling interest rates an issuer will call its high-yielding debt securities. A Fund may then be forced to invest the unanticipated proceeds in securities with lower yields, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income, or in securities with greater risks or with other less favorable features. Such redemptions and subsequent reinvestments would also increase a Fund’s portfolio turnover. If a called debt security was purchased by a Fund at a premium, the value of the premium may be lost in the event of a redemption.

Investment Style Risk

A Fund seeks to allocate investment exposure based upon a particular style of investing. Different investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor depending upon market and economic conditions and investor sentiment. As a consequence, a Fund may underperform as compared to the market generally or to other funds that invest in similar asset classes but employ different investment styles. Further, there is no guarantee that a Fund will accurately or optimally utilize the investment style or that it will successfully provide the desired investment exposure.

ESG Investing Style Risk. A Fund seeks exposure to the securities of companies meeting environmental, social and corporate governance investing criteria. A Fund excludes or limits exposure to securities of certain issuers for non-financial reasons, and the Fund may forgo some market opportunities available

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to funds that do not use these criteria. The application of ESG investing criteria may affect a Fund’s exposure to certain sectors or types of investments and may impact the Fund’s relative investment performance depending on whether such sectors or investments are in or out of favor in the market. ESG investing is subjective by nature, and therefore offers no guarantee that the ESG criteria utilized by the Subadvisor will accurately provide exposure to issuers meeting environmental, social and corporate governance criteria or any judgment exercised by the Subadvisor will reflect the beliefs or values of any particular investor. In addition, ESG investing is dependent upon information and data that may be incomplete, inaccurate or unavailable, which could adversely affect the analysis of the factors relevant to a particular investment.

Growth Investing Style Risk. Growth companies usually invest a high portion of earnings in their businesses and may lack the dividends of value securities that can cushion stock prices in a falling market. The prices of growth securities are based largely on projections of the issuer’s future earnings and revenues. If a company’s earnings or revenues fall short of expectations, its stock price may fall dramatically. Growth securities may be volatile and may also be more expensive, relative to their earnings or assets, compared to value or other stocks. Growth securities may go in and out of favor over time.

Issuer Risk

The performance of a Fund depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. Any issuer of these securities may perform poorly, causing the value of its securities to decline. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, changes in technology, expiration of patent protection, disruptions in supply, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, credit deterioration of the issuer or other factors. Issuers may, in times of distress or at their own discretion, decide to reduce or eliminate dividends, which may also cause their stock prices to decline. An issuer may also be subject to risks associated with the countries, states and regions in which the issuer resides, invests, sells products or otherwise conducts operations.

Large-Capitalization Companies Risk

Large-capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. Larger companies also may not be able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, especially during periods of economic expansion. Large capitalization companies may go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. Although the securities of larger companies may, on average, be less volatile than those of companies with smaller market capitalizations, during different market cycles, the performance of large-capitalization companies has trailed the overall performance of the broader securities markets and the securities of smaller companies.

Large Investments Risk

From time to time, a Fund may receive large purchase or redemption orders from affiliated or unaffiliated funds or other investors. In addition, any third-party investor, investment advisor affiliate, authorized participant, lead market maker or other entity may make a large investment in a Fund and hold its investment for any number of reasons, including to facilitate such Fund’s commencement of operations or to facilitate the Fund’s achieving a specified size or scale. There can be no assurance that any large shareholder would not sell or redeem its investment at any given time, either in a single transaction or over time. These large transactions, and particularly redemptions, could have adverse effects on a Fund, including: (i) negative impacts to performance if the Fund were required to sell securities, invest cash or hold significant cash at times when it otherwise would not do so; (ii) wider price spreads or greater premiums/discounts that could materialize as a result of lower secondary market volume of shares; and (iii) negative federal income tax consequences if this activity accelerated the realization of capital gains.

Liquidity Risk

Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell. To the extent a Fund invests in illiquid securities or securities that become less liquid, such investments may have a negative effect on the returns of the Fund because the Fund may be unable to sell the illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price. Securities with substantial market and/or credit risk may be especially susceptible to liquidity risk. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, an investment being subject to restrictions on resale, trading over-the-counter or in limited volume, or lacking an active trading market. Liquid investments may become illiquid or less liquid after purchase by a Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil or economic uncertainty. Illiquid and relatively less liquid investments may be harder to value, especially in changing markets. If a Fund is forced to sell underlying investments at reduced prices or under unfavorable conditions to meet redemption requests or for other cash needs, the Fund may suffer a loss. This may be

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magnified in a rising interest rate environment or under other circumstances where redemptions from a Fund may be higher than normal. It may also be the case that other market participants may be attempting to liquidate similar holdings at the same time as a Fund, causing increased supply in the market and contributing to liquidity risk and downward pricing pressure. There can be no assurance that a security that is deemed to be liquid when purchased will continue to be liquid or as long as it is held by a Fund.

Market Disruption Risk and Recent Market Events

Geopolitical and other events, including war, terrorism, economic uncertainty, trade disputes, public health crises (such as the spread of infectious diseases, pandemics and epidemics) and related geopolitical events have led, and in the future may lead, to disruptions in the US and world economies and markets, which may increase financial market volatility and have significant adverse direct or indirect effects on a Fund and its investments. For example, pandemic spread of the novel coronavirus disease known as COVID-19 and the ensuing policies enacted by governments and central banks caused significant volatility and great uncertainty in global financial markets, negatively impacting global growth prospects. Market disruptions such as these could cause a Fund to lose money, experience significant redemptions, and encounter operational difficulties. Although multiple asset classes may be affected by a market disruption, the duration and effects may not be the same for all types of assets.

Market Capitalization Deviation Risk

There can be no assurance that the securities held by a Fund will stay within the Fund’s intended market capitalization range. As a result, a Fund may be exposed to additional risk or investors may not be given the opportunity to invest fully in a certain market capitalization range.

Market Risk

The value of a Fund’s investments may fluctuate and/or decline because of changes in the markets in which a Fund invests, which could cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and strategies. Security markets are volatile and may decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, regulatory, political, or economic developments. Different sectors of the market and different security types may react differently to such developments. Changes in these markets may be rapid and unpredictable. Fluctuations in the markets generally or in a specific industry or sector may impact the securities in which a Fund invests. From time to time, markets may experience periods of stress for potentially prolonged periods that may result in: (i) increased market volatility; (ii) reduced market liquidity; and (iii) increased redemptions of Fund shares. Such conditions may add significantly to the risk of volatility in the net asset value of a Fund’s shares and the market prices at which shares of a Fund trade on a securities exchange. During periods of market stress shares of a Fund may also experience significantly wider “bid/ask” spreads and premiums and discounts between a Fund’s net asset value and market price.

Market changes may impact equity and fixed income securities in different and, at times, conflicting manners. A Fund 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, as well as increased or changing regulations or market closures. Thus, investments that the Subadvisor believes represent an attractive opportunity or in which a Fund seeks to obtain exposure may be unavailable entirely or in the specific quantities sought by the Subadvisor and a Fund may need to obtain the exposure through less advantageous or indirect investments or forgo the investment at the time. Securities and investments held by a Fund may be susceptible to declines in value, including declines in value that are not believed to be representative of the issuer’s value or fundamentals, due to investor reactions to such events.

Political and diplomatic events within the United States and abroad, such as the U.S. budget and deficit reduction plans, protectionist measures, trade tensions central bank policy and government intervention in the economy, has in the past resulted, and may in the future result, in developments that present additional risks to a Fund’s investments and operations. Geopolitical and other events, such as war, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, the spread of infectious illnesses, epidemics and pandemics, environmental and other public health issues, recessions or other events, and governments’ reactions to such events, may lead to increased market volatility and instability in world economies and markets generally and may have adverse effects on the performance of a Fund and its investments. Additional and/or prolonged geopolitical or other events may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy, perhaps suddenly and to a significant degree. Any such market, economic and other disruptions could also prevent a Fund from executing its investment strategies and processes in a timely manner.

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An investment in a Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your Shares, they could be worth less than what you paid for them.

Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”) Risk

The Fund invests in MLPs that are qualified publicly traded partnerships under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). MLPs are limited partnerships in which ownership interests are publicly traded and are operated under the supervision of one or more general partners. Investments in MLPs carry many of the risks inherent in investing in a partnership. State law governing partnerships is often less restrictive than state law governing corporations. Accordingly, there may be fewer protections afforded to investors in an MLP. Limited partners may also have more limited control and limited rights to vote on matters affecting the MLP.

The anticipated benefits to be derived from MLP investments will principally depend on the MLPs being treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Partnerships generally are not subject to U.S. federal income tax at the partnership level. Rather, each partner is allocated and is generally subject to U.S. federal income tax on its share of the partnership’s income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses. A change in current tax law or in the underlying business activities of a given MLP could result in the MLP being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which would result in such MLP being subject to entity-level U.S. federal income tax (as well as state and local taxes) on its taxable income. The classification of an MLP as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes would have the effect of reducing the amount of cash available for distribution by the MLP. Thus, if any of the MLPs owned by the Fund was treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it could result in a reduction of the value of an investment in the Fund and lower income earned by the Fund. To the extent a distribution received by the Fund from an MLP equity security is treated as a return of capital, the Fund’s adjusted tax basis in the MLP equity security would be reduced by the amount of such distribution, which ultimately could result in an increase in an amount of income or gain (or decrease in the amount of loss) recognized by the Fund for tax purposes upon the sale or other disposition of such MLP equity security. Furthermore, any return of capital distributions received from an MLP equity security may require the Fund to restate the character of distributions made by the Fund as well as amend any previously issued shareholder tax reporting information.

Money Market/Short-Term Securities Risk

To the extent that a Fund invests in money market or short-term securities, a Fund may be subject to certain risks associated with such investments. An investment in a money market fund or short-term securities is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. It is possible for a Fund to lose money by investing in money market funds. A money market fund may not achieve its investment objective. Changes in government regulations may affect the value of an investment in a money market fund.

Mortgage Dollar Roll Transaction Risk

In a mortgage dollar roll transaction, a Fund sells a mortgage-backed security from its portfolio to another party and agrees to buy a similar security from the same party at a set price at a later date. During the roll period, a Fund foregoes principal and interest paid on the securities. These transactions involve a risk of loss if the value of the securities that a Fund is obligated to purchase declines below the purchase price prior to the repurchase date. They may also have a leveraging effect on a Fund.

Municipal Bond Market Liquidity Risk

Inventories of municipal bonds held by brokers and dealers may decrease, lessening their ability to make a market in these securities. Any reduction in market-making capacity has the potential to decrease a Fund’s ability to buy or sell municipal bonds and increase price volatility and trading costs, particularly during periods of economic or market stress. In addition, federal banking regulations may cause certain dealers to reduce their inventories of municipal bonds, which may further decrease a Fund’s ability to buy or sell municipal bonds. As a result, a Fund may be forced to accept a lower price to sell a municipal security, to sell other securities to raise cash, or to give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on performance. The market for unrated municipal securities may be less liquid than the market for rated municipal bonds of comparable quality. Decreased liquidity may negatively affect a Fund’s ability to mitigate risk and meet redemptions. Also, less public information is typically available about unrated municipal bonds or their issuers, which can affect the liquidity of the market.

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Municipal Bond Risk

The values of municipal bonds may be adversely affected by local political and economic conditions and developments. Adverse conditions in an industry significant to a local economy could have a correspondingly adverse effect on the financial condition of local issuers. Other factors that could affect municipal bonds include a change in the local, state, or national economy, demographic factors, ecological or environmental concerns, statutory limitations on the issuer’s ability to increase taxes, and other developments generally affecting the revenue of issuers (for example, legislation or court decisions reducing state aid to local governments or mandating additional services). This risk would be heightened to the extent that a Fund invests a substantial portion of its assets in bonds issued pursuant to similar projects (such as those relating to the education, health care, housing, transportation, or utilities industries), in industrial development bonds, or in particular types of municipal securities (such as general obligation bonds, private activity bonds or moral obligation bonds) that are particularly exposed to specific types of adverse economic, business or political events. Changes in a municipality’s financial health may also make it difficult for the municipality to make interest and principal payments when due. The values of municipal bonds that depend on a specific revenue source to fund their payment obligations may fluctuate as a result of actual or anticipated changes in the cash flows generated by the revenue source or changes in the priority of the municipal obligation to receive the cash flows generated by the revenue source. Under some circumstances, municipal securities might not pay interest unless the state legislature or municipality authorizes money for that purpose. Municipal bonds may be more susceptible to downgrades or defaults during recessions or similar periods of economic stress. In addition, since some municipal securities may be secured or guaranteed by banks and other institutions, the risk to a Fund could increase if the banking or financials sector suffers an economic downturn and/or if the credit ratings of the institutions issuing the guarantee are downgraded or at risk of being downgraded by a national rating organization. Such a downward revision or risk of being downgraded may have an adverse effect on the market prices of the bonds and thus the value of a Fund’s investments. In addition to being downgraded, an insolvent municipality may file for bankruptcy. The reorganization of a municipality’s debts may significantly affect the rights of creditors and the value of the securities issued by the municipality and the value of a Fund’s investments. In addition, income from municipal bonds held by a Fund could be declared taxable because of, among other things, unfavorable changes in tax laws, adverse interpretations by the Internal Revenue Service or state tax authorities, or noncompliant conduct of an issuer or other obligated party. Loss of tax-exempt status may cause interest received and distributed to shareholders by a Fund to be taxable and may result in a significant decline in the values of such municipal bonds. There are various different types of municipal bonds, each with its own unique risk profile. Some of these risks include:

General Obligation Bonds Risk timely payments depend on the issuer’s credit quality, ability to raise tax revenues and ability to maintain an adequate tax base;

Revenue Bonds (including Industrial Development Bonds) Risk timely payments depend on the money earned by the particular facility or class of facilities, or the amount of revenues derived from another source, and may be negatively impacted by the general credit of the user of the facility;

Private Activity Bonds Risk municipalities and other public authorities issue private activity bonds to finance development of industrial facilities for use by a private enterprise, which is solely responsible for paying the principal and interest on the bonds, and payment under these bonds depends on the private enterprise’s ability to do so;

Moral Obligation Bonds Risk moral obligation bonds are generally issued by special purpose public authorities of a state or municipality. If the issuer is unable to meet its obligations, repayment of these bonds becomes a moral commitment, but not a legal obligation, of the state or municipality;

Municipal Notes Risk municipal notes are shorter-term municipal debt obligations that pay interest that is, in the opinion of bond counsel for the issuer at the time of issuance, generally excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes (except that the interest may be includable in taxable income for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax) and that have a maturity that is generally one year or less. If there is a shortfall in the anticipated proceeds, the notes may not be fully repaid and a Fund may lose money; and

Municipal Lease Obligations Risk in a municipal lease obligation, the issuer agrees to make payments when due on the lease obligation. Although the issuer does not pledge its unlimited taxing power for payment of the lease obligation, the lease obligation is secured by the leased property.

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Municipal Insurance Risk

A Fund’s investments may include investments in insured municipal bonds. Municipal security insurance does not guarantee the value either of individual municipal securities or of Shares of a Fund. In addition, a municipal security insurance policy generally will not cover: (i) repayment of a municipal security before maturity (redemption), (ii) prepayment or payment of an acceleration premium (except for a mandatory sinking fund redemption) or any other provision of a bond indenture that advances the maturity of the bond or (iii) non-payment of principal or interest caused by negligence or bankruptcy of the paying agent. A mandatory sinking fund redemption may be a provision of a municipal security issue whereby part of the municipal security issue may be retired before maturity. Market conditions or changes to ratings criteria could adversely impact the ratings of municipal bond insurance companies. Downgrades and withdrawal of ratings from municipal bond insurers have substantially limited the availability of insurance sought by municipal bonds issuers, thereby reducing the supply of insured municipal bonds that meet a Fund’s investment guidelines or the ability of a Fund to purchase insurance on municipal bonds held by the Fund. A rating downgrade of a municipal bond insurer could negatively impact the market value of insured municipal bonds held by a Fund. If the insurer of a defaulted municipal bond were to become unable or unwilling to pay the principal or interest on the defaulted municipal bond, a Fund would incur losses. Because of the consolidation among insurers of municipal securities, to the extent that a Fund invests in insured municipal bonds, it is subject to the risk that credit risk may be concentrated among fewer insurers and the risk that events involving one or more insurers could have a significant adverse effect on the value of the securities insured by an insurer and on the municipal markets as a whole.

Non-Diversified Risk

A Fund that is classified as a “non-diversified” investment company under the 1940 Act means the Fund may invest a larger percentage of its assets in a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. To the extent a Fund invests its assets in a smaller number of issuers, the Fund will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those issuers than a diversified fund. Under the 1940 Act, a Fund may change its classification from non-diversified to diversified without shareholder approval.

Operational Risk

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

Option Contracts Risk

The use of option contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of option contracts are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, changes in interest or currency exchange rates, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events. There may at times be an imperfect correlation between the movement in values option contracts and the reference asset, and there may at times not be a liquid secondary market for certain option contracts. Option contracts may also involve the use of leverage, which could result in greater price volatility than other markets.

Portfolio Management Risk

Each Fund is subject to portfolio management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing a Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that a Fund will meet its investment objective(s). In addition, a Fund may not achieve its investment objective if the portfolio managers take temporary positions in response to unusual or adverse market, economic or political conditions, or other unusual or abnormal circumstances.

To the extent a Subadvisor gives consideration to certain ESG criteria when evaluating an investment opportunity. The application of ESG criteria may result in a Fund (i) having exposure to certain securities or industry sectors that are significantly different than the composition of the Fund’s benchmark; and (ii) performing differently than other funds and strategies in its peer group that do not take into account ESG criteria or the Fund’s benchmark. The investments selected by a Fund’s portfolio managers may underperform the market or other investments.

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Portfolio Turnover Risk

A Fund’s strategy may frequently involve buying and selling portfolio securities to rebalance its investment exposures. High portfolio turnover may result in a Fund paying higher levels of transaction costs and generating greater tax liabilities for shareholders. Portfolio turnover risk may cause a Fund’s performance to be less than expected.

Preferred Securities Risk

Preferred securities combine some of the characteristics of both common stocks and bonds. Preferred securities are typically subordinated to bonds and other debt securities in a company’s capital structure in terms of priority to corporate income, subjecting them to greater credit risk than those debt securities. Preferred securities often include provisions that permit the issuer, at its discretion, to defer distributions for a stated period without any adverse consequences to the issuer. If a Fund owns a preferred security that is deferring its distributions, the Fund may be required to report income for federal income tax purposes although it has not yet received such income in cash. Generally, holders of preferred securities have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company unless preferred dividends have been in arrears for a specified number of periods, at which time the preferred security holders may elect a number of directors to the issuer’s board of director. Generally, once the issuer pays all the arrearages, the preferred security holders no longer have voting rights. In certain circumstances, an issuer of preferred securities may redeem the securities prior to a specified date. For instance, for certain types of preferred securities, a redemption may be triggered by a change in federal income tax or securities laws or a change in regulatory trademark. As with redemption provisions of debt securities, a special redemption by the issuer may negatively impact the return of the preferred security held by a Fund. Preferred securities may also be substantially less liquid than other securities, including common stock.

Private Placement and Restricted Securities Risk

A Fund may invest in privately issued securities, including those which may be resold only in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Securities acquired in a private placement generally are subject to strict restrictions on resale, and there may be no market or a limited market for the resale of such securities. Therefore, a Fund may be unable to dispose of such securities when it desires to do so or at the most favorable price. This potential lack of liquidity also may make it more difficult to accurately value these securities.

Real Estate Companies Risk

An investment in companies that invest in real estate (including REITs) exposes the Fund to the risks of the real estate market and the risks associated with the ownership of real estate. These risks can include fluctuations in the value of or destruction of underlying properties; realignment in tenant living and work habits (for example, movements to and from different parts of a nation, a region, a state or a city); tenant or borrower default; market saturation; changes in general and local economic conditions; decreases in market rates for rents; increases in vacancies; competition; property taxes; capital expenditures or operating expenses; other economic or political events affecting the real estate industry; concentration in a limited number of properties, geographic regions or property types; and low quality and/or conflicted management. In addition, real estate is generally a less liquid asset class and companies that hold real estate may not be able to liquidate or modify their holdings quickly in response to changes in economic or other market conditions. Companies in the real estate sector or in sectors that affect the performance of companies in the real estate sector (such as banking or financial institutions) may be subject to extensive government regulation, which may change unexpectedly and significantly impact the value of the Fund’s investments. Changing interest rates and credit quality requirements for borrowers and tenants may also affect the cash flow of companies that invest in real estate, and their ability to meet capital needs. Additionally, such companies may utilize leverage, which increases investment risk and the potential for more volatility in the Fund’s returns. A REIT’s failure to abide by U.S. federal tax requirements may cause it to be subject to federal income taxation, which would tend to impair the value of the REIT and change the characterization of the REIT’s distributions. The U.S. federal tax requirement that a REIT distribute substantially all of its net income to its shareholders may result in the REIT having insufficient capital for future expenditures.

Risks of Investing in Loans

Investments in loans are subject to the same risks as investments in other types of debt securities, including credit risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk and valuation risk that may be heightened because of the limited public information available regarding loans and because loan borrowers may be leveraged and tend to be more adversely affected by changes in market or economic conditions. Default in the payment of interest or principal on a loan will result in a reduction in the value of the loan and consequently a reduction in the value of an investment in that loan. If an investor holds a loan through another financial institution or relies on a financial institution to administer the loan, its receipt of principal and interest on the loan may be subject to

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the credit risk of that financial institution. It is possible that any collateral securing a loan may be insufficient or unavailable to the investor, and that the investor’s rights to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or insolvency laws. Additionally, there is no central clearinghouse for loan trades and the loan market has not established enforceable settlement standards or remedies for failure to settle. Consequently, the secondary market for loans may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods (in some cases longer than 7 days), which may cause an investor to be unable to realize the full value of its investment. In addition, loans are generally not registered with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be considered “securities,” and an investor may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. An investment in loans made to non-U.S. borrowers may be affected by political and social instability, changes in economic or taxation policies, difficulties in enforcing obligations, decreased liquidity and increased volatility. Foreign borrowers may be subject to less regulation, resulting in less publicly available information about the borrowers.

The loan market has seen a significant increase in loans with weaker lender protections including, but not limited to, limited financial maintenance covenants or, in some cases, no financial maintenance covenants (i.e., “covenant-lite loans”) that would typically be included in a traditional loan agreement and general weakening of other restrictive covenants applicable to the borrower such as limitations on incurrence of additional debt, restrictions on payments of junior debt or restrictions on dividends and distributions. Weaker lender protections such as the absence of financial maintenance covenants in a loan agreement and the inclusion of “borrower-favorable” terms may impact recovery values and/or trading levels of loans in the future. The absence of financial maintenance covenants in a loan agreement generally means that the lender may not be able to declare a default if financial performance deteriorates. This may hinder an investor’s ability to reprice credit risk associated with a particular borrower and reduce the investor’s ability to restructure a problematic loan and mitigate potential loss. As a result, an investor’s exposure to losses on investments in loans may be increased, especially during a downturn in the credit cycle or changes in market or economic conditions.

Risks of Loan Assignments and Participations

The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and becomes a lender under the credit agreement with respect to the debt obligation; however, the purchaser of an assignment may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. Because assignments may be arranged through private negotiations between potential assignees and potential assignors, the rights and obligations acquired by the purchaser of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning lender. In addition, if the loan is foreclosed, the purchaser of an assignment could become part owner of any collateral and could bear the costs and liabilities of owning and disposing of the collateral. To the extent an investor sells a loan by way of assignment, the investor may be required to pass along a portion of any fees to which the investor was entitled under the loan. In connection with purchasing participations, such purchaser generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement relating to the loan, nor any rights of set-off against the borrower, and the purchaser may not directly benefit from any collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the purchaser will be subject to the credit risk of both the borrower and the lender that is selling the participation. In the event of the insolvency of the lender selling a participation, the purchaser may be treated as a general creditor of the lender and may not benefit from any set-off between the lender and the borrower.

Secondary Market Trading Risk

Although a Fund’s Shares are listed for trading on one or more securities exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants. The trading of Shares on securities exchanges is subject to the risk of irregular trading activity. Securities exchanges have requirements that must be met in order for Shares to be listed. There can be no assurance that the requirements of an exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares will continue to be met. This risk is particularly acute for funds that fail to attract a large number of shareholders. Pursuant to an exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules, trading in a Fund’s Shares may be halted due to extraordinary market volatility. Additionally, market makers are under no obligation to make a market in a Fund’s Shares and Authorized Participants are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. In the event market makers cease making a market in a Fund’s Shares or Authorized Participants stop submitting purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units, such Fund’s Shares may trade at a larger premium or discount to its NAV.

Securities Lending Risk

Securities lending involves the risk that a Fund may lose money in the event that the borrower fails to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. A Fund also could lose money in the event of a decline in the value of the collateral provided for loaned securities or in the event that the borrower fails to provide additional

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collateral as needed to ensure the loan is fully collateralized. A Fund may also not experience the returns expected with the investment of cash collateral. Furthermore, as with other extensions of credit, a Fund could lose its rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. The loaned portfolio securities may not be available to a Fund on a timely basis and the Fund may therefore lose the opportunity to sell the securities at a desirable price. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for a Fund.

Small- and/or Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk

Small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse general market or economic developments, and their securities may be less liquid and may experience greater price volatility than larger, more established companies as a result of several factors, including narrower markets for their goods and/or services, more limited managerial and financial resources, limited product lines, services, markets, financial resources or are dependent on a small management group. Because these stocks may not be well known to the investing public, do not have significant institutional ownership and are followed by relatively few security analysts, there will normally be less publicly available information concerning these securities compared to what is available for the securities of larger companies. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, can decrease the value and liquidity of securities held by the Fund, resulting in more volatile performance. Accordingly, such companies are generally subject to greater market risk than larger, more established companies.

Swap Agreements Risk

Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into for a set period of time in which the parties agree to exchange payments based on some underlying reference or asset (such as interest rates). The use of swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques, risk analyses and tax planning different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. These transactions can result in sizeable realized and unrealized capital gains and losses relative to the gains and losses from a Fund’s direct investments in the reference assets. Transactions in swaps can involve greater risks than if the Fund had invested directly in the reference asset since, in addition to general market risks, swaps may be leveraged and are also subject to credit risk, counterparty risk, liquidity risk and valuation risk. Because they are two-party contracts and may have terms of greater than seven days, certain swap transactions may be considered illiquid. Moreover, a 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 counterparty. Some swaps may be complex and difficult to value. Swaps may also be subject to pricing or “basis” risk, which exists when a particular swap becomes extraordinarily expensive relative to historical prices or the price of corresponding cash market instruments. Under certain market conditions it may not be economically feasible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position in time to avoid a loss or take advantage of an opportunity. If a swap 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, which may result in significant losses. The prices of swaps can be very volatile, and a variance in the degree of volatility or in the direction of the price of the reference asset from the portfolio managers’ expectations may produce significant losses in a Fund’s investments in swaps. In addition, a perfect correlation between a swap and an investment position may be impossible to achieve. As a result, a Fund’s use of swaps may not be effective in fulfilling the Fund’s investment strategies and may contribute to losses that would not have been incurred otherwise. Certain swaps are not bilateral agreements but are centrally cleared and are exchange-traded. Central clearing tends to decrease credit risk and improve liquidity but many regulations regarding centrally cleared swaps have not been fully implemented and the scope of the risks remain unclear. As central clearing does not make the agreements risk-free and there is no guarantee that a Fund would consider all centrally cleared or exchange-traded swaps to be liquid.

TBA Securities Risk

In a TBA securities transaction, a seller agrees to deliver a security to a Fund at a future date. However, the seller does not specify the particular security to be delivered. Instead, the Fund agrees to accept any security that meets specified terms.

There can be no assurance that a security purchased on a TBA basis will be delivered by the counterparty. Also, the value of TBA securities on the delivery date may be more or less than the price paid by a Fund to purchase the securities. The Fund will lose money if the value of the TBA security declines below the purchase price and will not benefit if the value of the security appreciates above the sale price prior to delivery. Recently finalized rules include certain mandatory margin requirements for the TBA market, which may require the Fund to post collateral in connection with its TBA transactions.

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Trading Price Risk

Although it is generally expected that the market price of the Fund’s Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. Shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges at prices at, above or below the Fund’s most recent NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading price of the Fund’s Shares fluctuates continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply of and demand for Shares and the Fund’s NAV, among other reasons. As a result, the trading prices of the Fund’s Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. The market price of the Fund’s Shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid/ask” spread charged by market makers or other participants that trade the Shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, Shares are most likely to be traded at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of Shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that an investor most wants to sell their Shares. The risk of wide bid and ask spreads may be especially pronounced for smaller funds. In addition, increased market volatility may cause wider spreads.

U.S. Tax Risk

To qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment accorded to regulated investment companies, a Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements. If for any taxable year, a Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) for that year would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to its shareholders, and the Fund’s distributions, including distributions of tax-exempt income, would be taxable to its shareholders as dividend income to the extent of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. To the extent a Fund engages in derivatives transactions, the tax treatment of such derivatives transactions is unclear for purposes of determining a Fund’s tax status. To the extent a Fund engages in transactions in financial instruments, including, but not limited to, options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts and swap contracts, the Fund will be subject to special tax rules (which may include mark-to-market, constructive sale, wash sale and short sale rules), the effect of which may be to accelerate income to the Fund, defer losses to the Fund, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the Fund’s securities, convert long-term capital gains into short-term capital gains or convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could, therefore, affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to a Fund’s shareholders. A Fund’s use of such transactions may result in the Fund realizing more short-term capital gains and ordinary income, in each case subject to U.S. federal income tax at higher ordinary income tax rates, than it would if it did not engage in such transactions.

Valuation Risk

When valuing a Fund’s portfolio investments, if a market quotation is readily available for a portfolio investment, that investment will generally be valued at the market value. However, unlike publicly traded securities that trade on national securities exchanges, there is no central place or exchange for trading most debt securities and thus readily available market quotations are unavailable. Debt securities generally trade on an “over-the-counter” market. Due to the lack of centralized information and trading, and variations in lot sizes of certain debt securities, the valuation of debt securities may carry more uncertainty and risk than that of publicly traded securities. Debt securities are commonly valued by third-party pricing service providers that utilize a range of market-based inputs and assumptions, including readily available market quotations obtained from broker-dealers making markets in such securities, cash flows and transactions for comparable instruments. However, because the available information is less reliable and more subjective, elements of judgment may play a greater role in valuation of debt securities than for other types of securities. Additionally, pricing service providers generally price debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional “round lot” size, but some trades may occur in smaller, “odd lot” sizes, often at lower prices than institutional round lot trades. Valuing a Fund’s investments using fair value pricing provided by pricing service providers will result in prices that may differ from current market valuations and that may not be the prices at which those investments could have been sold during the period in which the particular fair values were used. It is possible that the fair value determined for a portfolio instrument may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that instrument. Authorized Participants who purchase or redeem Shares on days when a Fund is holding fair-valued securities may receive fewer or more shares, or lower or higher redemption proceeds, than they would have received had the Fund not fair-valued securities or used a different valuation methodology. A Fund’s ability to value investments may be impacted by technological issues or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.

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Variable and Floating Rate Instruments Risk

Variable and floating rate instruments include debt securities issued by corporate and governmental entities, bank loans, mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities, preferred equity securities and derivative variable rate securities, such as inverse floaters. Variable and floating rate instruments are structured so that the instrument’s coupon rate fluctuates based upon the level of a reference rate. Most commonly, the coupon rate of a variable or floating rate instrument is set at the level of a widely followed interest rate, plus a fixed spread. As a result, the coupon on a variable or floating rate instrument will generally decline in a falling interest rate environment, causing a Fund to experience a reduction in the income it receives from the instrument. A variable or floating rate instrument’s coupon rate resets periodically according to its terms. Consequently, in a rising interest rate environment, variable and floating rate instruments with coupon rates that reset infrequently may lag behind the changes in market interest rates. Variable and floating rate instruments may also contain terms that impose a maximum coupon rate the issuer will pay, regardless of the level of the reference rate.

Zero Coupon Securities Risk

Zero coupon securities do not pay interest on a current basis. The interest earned on zero coupon securities is, implicitly, automatically compounded and paid out at maturity. While such compounding at a constant rate eliminates the risk of receiving lower yields upon reinvestment of interest if prevailing interest rates decline, the owner of a zero coupon security will be unable to participate in higher yields upon reinvestment of interest received if prevailing interest rates rise. For this reason, zero coupon securities are subject to substantially greater market price fluctuations during periods of changing prevailing interest rates than are comparable securities that make current distributions of interest. Current federal tax law requires that a holder of a zero coupon security accrue a portion of the discount at which the security was purchased as income each year even though a Fund receives no interest payments in cash on the security during the year.

Buying and Selling Shares in the Secondary Market

Most investors will buy and sell Shares of each Fund in secondary market (“Secondary Market”) transactions through brokers. Shares of each Fund will be listed for trading on the Secondary Market on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”). Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly-traded shares. Unless imposed by your broker or dealer, there is no minimum dollar amount you must invest and no minimum number of Shares you must buy in the Secondary Market. 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. In addition, because transactions in the Secondary Market occur at market prices, you may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares and receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares.

Share prices are reported in dollars and cents per Share. For information about buying and selling Shares in the Secondary Market, please contact your broker or dealer.

Book Entry

Shares of each Fund are held in book-entry form and no stock certificates are issued. DTC, through its nominee Cede & Co., is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.

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 securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” form for any publicly-traded company. Specifically, in the case of a shareholder meeting of a Fund, DTC assigns applicable Cede & Co. voting rights to its participants that have Shares credited to their accounts on the record date, issues an omnibus proxy and forwards the omnibus proxy to the Fund. The omnibus proxy transfers the voting authority from Cede & Co. to the DTC participant. This gives the DTC participant through whom you own Shares (namely, your broker, dealer, bank, trust company or other nominee) authority to vote the shares, and, in turn, the DTC participant is obligated to follow the voting instructions you provide.

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Management

The Board is responsible for the general supervision of the Funds. The Board appoints officers who are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Funds.

Investment Advisor

New York Life Investment Management LLC is each Fund’s Advisor (“Advisor”) and is located at 51 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10010. The Advisor, a Delaware limited liability company, commenced operations in April 2000, and is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of New York Life Insurance Company. As of June 30, 2024, the Advisor and its affiliates managed approximately $727.312 billion in assets.

The Advisor has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the Trust. The Advisor provides an investment program for the Funds. The Advisor has delegated certain advisory duties with regard to the Funds (including management of all of the Fund’s assets) to each Fund’s subadvisor. The Advisor has also arranged for custody, fund administration, transfer agency and all other non-distribution related services necessary for the Funds to operate.

As compensation for its services and its assumption of certain expenses, each Fund, except for the NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF and NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF, pays the Advisor a management fee equal to a percentage of a Fund’s average daily net assets that is calculated daily and paid monthly, as follows:

Fund Name

Management Fee

NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF

0.65%

NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF

0.39%

NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF

0.40%

NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF

0.40%

NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF

0.40%

NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF

0.45%

As compensation for its services and its assumption of certain expenses, the NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF and NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF pay the Advisor a management fee equal to a percentage of a Fund’s average daily net assets that is calculated daily and paid monthly, as follows:

Management Fee

Assets

0.75%

Up to $500 million

0.725%

From $500 million to $750 million

0.71%

From $750 million to $1 billion

0.70%

From $1 billion to $2 billion

0.66%

From $2 billion to $3 billion

0.61%

From $3 billion to $7 billion

0.585%

From $7 billion to $9 billion

0.575%

Over $9 billion

The Advisor may voluntarily waive any portion of its advisory fee from time to time, and may discontinue or modify any such voluntary limitations in the future at its discretion.

The Advisor serves as investment advisor to each Fund pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) and a Subadvisor serves as investment subadvisor to a Fund pursuant to an Investment Subadvisory Agreement (the “Subadvisory Agreement”). The Advisory Agreement and the Subadvisory Agreement, for each subadvisor, were approved by the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The basis for the Trustees’ approval of the Advisory Agreement and each Subadvisory Agreement will be available in the Trust’s Semi-Annual Report to shareholders.

Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act requires that all contracts pursuant to which persons serve as investment advisors to investment companies be approved by shareholders. As interpreted, this requirement also applies to the appointment of subadvisors to the Funds. The Advisor and the Trust have obtained an exemptive order (the “Order”) from the SEC permitting the Advisor, on behalf of the Funds and subject to the approval of the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, to hire or terminate unaffiliated subadvisors and to modify

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any existing or future subadvisory agreement with unaffiliated subadvisors without shareholder approval. This authority is subject to certain conditions. A Fund will notify shareholders and provide them with certain information required by the Order within 90 days of hiring a new subadvisor. A Fund’s sole shareholder has approved the use of the Order.

The Advisor has also obtained a second exemptive order (“New Order”) from the SEC to operate under a manager-of-managers structure to permit the Advisor, on behalf of the Funds and subject to the approval of the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, to hire or terminate affiliated and unaffiliated subadvisors and to modify any existing or future subadvisory agreement with a subadvisor without shareholder approval. This authority is subject to certain conditions. A Fund will notify shareholders and provide them with certain information required by the Order within 90 days of hiring a new subadvisor. The New Order also grants the Advisor and Trust relief with respect to the disclosure of the advisory fees paid to individual subadvisors in various documents filed with the SEC and provided to shareholders. Pursuant to the New Order, a Fund may disclose the aggregate fees payable to the Advisor and wholly owned subadvisors and the aggregate fees payable to unaffiliated subadvisors and subadvisors affiliated with the Advisor, other than wholly-owned subadvisors. None of the Funds described herein may rely on any aspect of the New Order without obtaining shareholder approval.

Expense Limitation Agreement

The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive or reduce its management fee and/or reimburse expenses of the Funds in an amount that limits “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, dividend payments on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of a Fund’s business, and amounts, if any, payable pursuant to a plan adopted in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act) to not more than the average daily net assets of a Fund as set forth in the table below . The agreement will remain in effect unless terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Funds.

Fund Name

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
After Expense Waiver/Reimbursement

NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF

0.65%

NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF

0.39%

NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF

0.40%

NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF

0.30%

NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF

0.30%

NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF

0.35%

NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF

0.60%

NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF

0.65%

Subadvisors

Under the supervision of the Advisor, the Subadvisors listed below are responsible for making the specific decisions about the following: (i) buying, selling and holding securities; (ii) selecting brokers and brokerage firms to trade for them; (iii) maintaining accurate records; and, if possible, (iv) negotiating favorable commissions and fees with the brokers and brokerage firms. For these services, each Subadvisor is paid a monthly fee by the Advisor out of the Advisor’s management fee, not the Fund. See the SAI for additional information about fees. To the extent that the Advisor has agreed to waive its management fee or reimburse expenses, each Subadvisor has agreed to waive or reimburse its fee proportionately. The basis for the Board’s approval of each Subadvisory Agreement is available in the Trust’s Annual Report to shareholders.

Pursuant to the Subadvisory Agreement with the Advisor, CBRE Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC (“CBRE”) serves as the subadvisor to the NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF and makes investment decisions and buys and sells securities for the Fund. For its services to the Fund, the Subadvisor is compensated by the Advisor. To the extent that the Advisor has agreed to waive its management fee or reimburse expenses, the Subadvisor has agreed to waive or reimburse its fee proportionately.

CBRE is an investment advisor registered with the SEC and manages investment portfolios for clients on a fully discretionary basis with a focus on real asset securities strategies including listed real estate, listed infrastructure, and midstream energy. CBRE is the listed real asset solution within CBRE Investment Management (“CBRE IM”), a leading manager of real estate and infrastructure mandates. CBRE IM is owned by CBRE Group, Inc. (“CBRE

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Group”), the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2023 revenue). CBRE Group is a publicly traded company with shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol CBRE) and has been an S&P 500 company since 2006 and in 2022 was ranked #135 on the Fortune 500. CBRE IM’s offerings are organized into five primary investment solutions: (1) direct private real estate; (2) indirect private real estate; (3) private infrastructure; (4) listed real assets; and (5) real estate credit. Listed real asset solutions are delivered through CBRE, a majority owned subsidiary. CBRE’s main office is located at 555 East Lancaster Avenue, Suite 120, Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087. As of June 30, 2024, CBRE managed approximately $8.9 billion in discretionary client assets for approximately 49 client accounts.

Pursuant to the Subadvisory Agreement with the Advisor, MacKay Shields LLC (“MacKay Shields”) serves as the subadvisor to the NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF, NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF, NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF, NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF, and NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF. MacKay Shields is located at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105 and was incorporated in 1969. It has been registered as an investment advisor with the SEC since 1969. Today MacKay Shield’s is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of New York Life. As of June 30, 2024, MacKay Shields had approximately $143.7 billion in assets under management.

In rendering investment advisory services to the NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF, MacKay Shields uses the portfolio management, trading, research and other resources of MacKay Shields UK LLP (“MacKay UK”), an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of MacKay Shields that is not registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. MacKay UK is a registered firm with the Financial Conduct Authority. MacKay Shields has designated MacKay UK as a “participating affiliate” of MacKay Shields in accordance with applicable SEC no-action letters, which permit SEC-registered investment advisors to use portfolio management or research resources of advisory affiliates subject to the regulatory supervision of the SEC-registered investment advisor. This means that from time-to-time MacKay Shields will delegate portfolio management, trading, research, and other services for the ETFs to MacKay UK as a participating affiliate, and investment personnel of MacKay UK will provide such services to the ETFs under an arrangement with MacKay Shields. The ETFs pay no additional fees and expenses as a result of this arrangement.

Pursuant to the Subadvisory Agreement with the Advisor, Winslow Capital Management, LLC (“Winslow Capital”) serves as the subadvisor to NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF and NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF and makes investment decisions, and buys and sells securities for the Funds. Under the supervision of the Advisor, the Subadvisor is responsible for making the specific decisions about the following: (i) buying, selling and holding securities; (ii) selecting brokers and brokerage firms to trade for them; (iii) maintaining accurate records; and, if possible, (iv) negotiating favorable commissions and fees with the brokers and brokerage firms. For these services, the Subadvisor is paid a monthly fee by the Advisor out of the Advisor’s management fee, not a Fund. See the SAI for additional information about fees. To the extent that the Advisor has agreed to waive its management fee or reimburse expenses for a Fund, the Subadvisor has agreed to waive or reimburse its fee proportionately. The basis for the Board’s approval of the Subadvisory Agreement is available in the Trust’s Annual Report to shareholders.

Winslow Capital is located at 4400 IDS Center, 80 South Eighth Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402, and serves as investment subadvisor to the Funds pursuant to the Investment Subadvisory Agreement between the Advisor and the Subadvisor (the “Subadvisory Agreement”). Winslow Capital has been an investment advisor since 1992, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nuveen, LLC. As of October 1, 2014, Nuveen, LLC is an indirect subsidiary of TIAA. As of June 30, 2024, Winslow Capital managed approximately $31.7 billion in assets.

Portfolio Management

The following section provides biographical information about the Funds’ portfolio managers. Additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed, and ownership of the Funds is available in the SAI.

CBRE’s Portfolio Managers:

Jeremy Anagnos, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, Listed Infrastructure

Mr. Anagnos has served as portfolio manager of the NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF since its inception and joined CBRE in 2004. He is the architect and lead Portfolio Manager of the listed infrastructure strategies, including the flagship global strategy and the sustainable strategy. Prior to the merger with ING’s listed real assets business in 2011, Mr. Anagnos served as Co-Chief Investment Officer of the firm’s securities team, responsible for portfolio management of global real estate securities separate accounts and funds. He was a founder of the securities group at CBRE and managed the global 28-member investment and operations team. During his career, Mr. Anagnos has worked in various management and research positions in the real estate industry

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with LaSalle Investment Management in Baltimore/Amsterdam and Deutsche Bank in London. Mr. Anagnos has been in the real asset investment management industry since 1995. He has a BS from Boston College and is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (“CFA®”) charterholder.

Daniel Foley, CFA, Portfolio Manager, Senior Vice President

Mr. Foley has served as portfolio manager of the NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF since its inception and joined CBRE in 2006. Mr. Foley has been in the financial industry since 2006 and in his tenure with CBRE, and its predecessor firm, he has gained extensive, multi-disciplined experience evaluating real asset securities spanning developed and emerging markets across the globe. During his long tenure with the firm, he has covered wide-ranging business models. Mr. Foley has an MBA from Villanova University and a BS from Drexel University. He is also a CFA® charterholder.

Jonathan Miniman, CFA, Global Portfolio Manager

Mr. Miniman has served as portfolio manager of the NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF since its inception and joined CBRE in 2002. Mr. Miniman is co-leader of the U.S. real estate securities research team. Prior to joining CBRE, Mr. Miniman worked as a trader at Group One Trading. Mr. Miniman has over 20 years of financial industry experience. He has a BS from Villanova University and is also a CFA® charterholder.

Joseph P. Smith, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, Listed Real Assets Strategies

Mr. Smith has served as portfolio manager of the NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF since its inception. Mr. Smith serves as the Chief Investment Officer, Listed Real Assets Division of CBRE Investment Management. He joined the listed real assets business that ultimately became part of CBRE Investment Management in 1997. Prior to that, Mr. Smith worked in various analyst positions in the real estate industry, including positions at Alex Brown & Sons and Radnor Advisors. He has over 30 years of real assets investment management experience. Mr. Smith has an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and a BS from Villanova University. He is also a CFA® charterholder.

MacKay Shields’ Portfolio Managers:

Zachary Aronson, Director

Mr. Aronson is a Structured Products Credit Analyst supporting the Global Credit and Global Fixed Income teams. Mr. Aronson has served as a portfolio manager of the NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF since August 2024. He covers RMBS, CMBS, and ABS sectors. Mr. Aronson joined the Global Fixed Income team in April 2019 as an Associate Director and Structured Products Credit Analyst. Prior to joining MacKay Shields, he worked at Ally Bank where he was responsible for analyzing and trading Asset Backed Securities, Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities and non-Agency Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities. Mr. Aronson earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 2009 from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park and has been in the investment management industry since 2009.

Valentina Chen, Senior Managing Director

Ms. Chen is Co-Head and Portfolio Manager of the Emerging Market Debt team. Ms. Chen has served as a portfolio manager of the NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF since 2023. She joined MacKay UK in 2021 from BMO Global Asset Management where she co-headed the Emerging Market Team since 2019. Prior to that, Ms. Chen worked at Bank Vontobel AG in Zurich where she was an executive director and senior portfolio manager responsible for a range of EM strategies, including leading the EM local currency and EM blend strategies. Prior to that, Ms. Chen spent 9 years at Aviva Investors as Head of Emerging Markets Local Currency. Ms. Chen holds an MSc in Economics for Development from University of Oxford and a First Class BSc in Economics, Politics and International Relations from University of Warwick. Ms. Chen is both a CFA and CAIA charterholder. She has been in the investment industry since 2006.

Michael Denlinger, Managing Director

Mr. Denlinger joined MacKay Shields in 2019. He has served as a portfolio manager of the NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF and NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF since 2020 and NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF since its inception. Before joining the firm, he was an institutional municipal credit trader at Bank of America Merrill Lynch with a primary focus on taxable and healthcare securities. Prior to trading credit, he was a high grade municipal trader. Mr. Denlinger earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Johns Hopkins University in 2014. He is a CFA Charterholder. He has been in the financial services industry since 2014.

Michael DePalma, Senior Managing Director

Mr. DePalma is Co-Head of the Global Fixed Income team and a Senior Portfolio Manager. He has served as a portfolio manager of the NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF since 2023 and the NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF since August 2024. Mr. DePalma is responsible for managing all Multi-Sector and related strategies. Previously, Mr. DePalma was Co-Head of MacKay’s Macro and Quantitative Solutions. Prior to joining MacKay

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Shields, Mr. DePalma was the CEO of PhaseCapital, where he managed systematic macro and credit strategies. Prior to joining PhaseCapital, Mr. DePalma was Chief Investment Officer for Quantitative Investment Strategies and Director of Fixed Income Absolute Return at AllianceBernstein where he managed multi-asset, multi-sector, global and credit fixed income, as well as stand-alone and overlay currency strategies. Prior to assuming this role, Mr. DePalma was Global Director of Fixed Income Quantitative Research. Mr. DePalma graduated with a B.S. from Northeastern University and a M.S. from New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. He has been in the investment industry since 1990.

David Dowden, Managing Director

Mr. Dowden joined MacKay Shields in 2009. He has served as a portfolio manager of the NYLI MacKay Muni he was Chief Investment Officer at Financial Guaranty Insurance Company. Mr. Dowden was previously with Alliance Capital Management as a Senior Portfolio Manager and at Merrill Lynch & Co. as a Municipal Strategist. Mr. Dowden has an AB from Brown University and an MBA from Columbia University. He has been in the investment management industry since 1989.

Philip Fielding, Senior Managing Director

Mr. Fielding is Co-Head and Portfolio Manager of the Emerging Market Debt team. Mr. Fielding has served as a portfolio manager of the NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF since 2023. He joined MacKay UK in 2021 from BMO Global Asset Management where he also co-headed the Emerging Market Debt capability. Mr. before re-joining his colleagues at BMO Global Asset Management in 2015 after the company merged with F&C. Mr. Fielding earned a Master’s degree in economics from St Gallen University in Switzerland, and is a CFA charterholder. He has been in the investment industry since 2006.

Mr. Hage is a Director and Portfolio Manager and Trader for Mackay Municipal Managers. Mr. Hage has served as a portfolio manager of the NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF and the NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF since August 2024. His primary focus is the investment-grade component of the market. Mr. Hage joined MacKay America Merrill Lynch. Prior to his municipal career, Mr. Hage served on active duty in the United States Navy. He held various operations linked positions and ultimately was honorably discharged after achieving the rank of Lieutenant. Mr. Hage earned a B.S. in Economics from the United States Naval Academy and an M.B.A. from the University of Maryland Business School. He has worked in the financial services industry since 2011.

Matt Jacob, Managing Director

Mr. Jacob is a Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager on the Global Credit team and also a member of the Investment Policy Committee. He has served as a portfolio manager of the NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF since its inception. As the Co-Chair of the Credit Committee, Mr. Jacob is responsible for corporate credit investments across all the group’s portfolios as well as dedicated corporate investment grade, high yield and bank loan strategies. He joined the firm as a Portfolio Analyst for the Global Fixed Income team in February 2011. He came to MacKay Shields from KDI Capital Partners whereas an Equity Sector Leader for Research Group and Johnson Rice & Company, LLC, where he gained extensive experience in equity sales and research. Mr. Jacob received his MBA with a concentration in Finance from Tulane University, Freeman School of Business in 2006 and a BS in Finance with a specialization in Internal Audit from Louisiana State University in 2001. He has been in the investment research industry since 2002.

John Lawlor, Managing Director

Mr. Lawlor joined MacKay Shields in 2016. He has served as a portfolio manager of the NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF since the Fund’s inception. Before joining the firm, he was Vice President Equity Sales at Deutsche floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Mr. Lawlor has a broad and diverse set of skills in sales, trading, and electronic trading platforms. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Lehigh University. Mr. Lawlor graduated from college in 1997. He has been in the financial services industry since 1997.

Frances Lewis, Senior Managing Director

Ms. Lewis joined MacKay Shields in July 2009. He has served as a portfolio manager of the NYLI MacKay Muni ETF since 2023. Before joining the firm, she was Director of Research for Mariner Municipal Managers and was

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previously at Merrill Lynch. Ms. Lewis began her municipal analyst career in 1991 at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers where she was a Senior Fund Analyst covering various sectors of the municipal market, becoming a Director in the Municipal Research Group in 1997. Ms. Lewis earned an MBA in Finance from Boston University and a BS in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Neil Moriarty, III, Senior Managing Director

Mr. Moriarty is a Senior Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager for the Global Fixed Income Team of MacKay Shields LLC. He has served as a portfolio manager of the NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF since the Fund’s inception and the NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF since August 2024. He has managed the MainStay MacKay Total Return Bond Fund) since 2018. Prior to joining MacKay Shields in 2018, Mr. Moriarty was with Aberdeen via the 2005 acquisition of Deutsche Asset Management’s London and Philadelphia Fixed income businesses. While at Aberdeen, his responsibilities included Head of US Core, Structured Products and Co-Head of US Core Short Duration. Mr. Moriarty joined Deutsche in 2002 from Swarthmore/Cypress Capital Management where he worked in fixed income portfolio management. Previously, Mr. Moriarty worked for Chase Securities in fixed income trading and research. Prior to that, Mr. Moriarty worked for Paine Webber in fixed income trading and research. Mr. Moriarty has been working in the investment industry since 1987.

Lesya Paisley, Director

Ms. Paisley, CFA is a Portfolio Manager on the Global Fixed Income team. She has served as a portfolio manager of the NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF since 2022. She is responsible for managing Multi-Sector strategies at MacKay Shields and prior to joining MacKay Shields, Ms. Paisley served as Investment Director and ESG Portfolio Manager, North America at Aberdeen Standard Investments. She was responsible for managing US dollar strategies including Credit, Corporates, and Core/Core+ strategies and was instrumental in the firm’s ESG policy and product development including Sustainable and Responsible Investment and Climate Transition Fund. Before Aberdeen, she worked at Deutsche Asset Management as a Credit Research Analyst. Combined, Ms. Paisley spent well over a decade in Credit Research covering a variety of sectors including Emerging Markets, High Yield, Investment Grade, and Municipals. Ms. Paisley is a CFA charterholder and earned a BSc degree in Finance and Accounting from the University of Virginia, McIntire School of Commerce. She has been in the investment industry since 2003.

Scott Sprauer, Senior Managing Director

Mr. Sprauer joined MacKay Shields in 2009. He has served as a portfolio manager of the NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF since the Fund’s inception. Before joining the firm, he was Head Trader, Fixed Income, at Financial Guaranty Insurance Company. Mr. Sprauer was previously with Dreyfus Corporation and Merrill Lynch Investment Managers as a Municipal Bond Portfolio Manager/Trader. He has a BSBA from Villanova University. Mr. Sprauer has been in the investment management industry since 1991.

Cameron White, Director

Mr. White is the Head of Fundamental Research supporting the Global Credit and Global Fixed Income teams. He has served as a portfolio manager of the NYLI MacKay ESG High Income Fund ETF since 2023. He joined MacKay Shields in 2019 as a Senior Credit Analyst within the Global Fixed Income team covering energy and utilities sectors. Most recently, he was a Senior Credit Analyst at Apex Credit Partners LLC. Earlier in his career, Mr. White held credit analyst roles at MetLife Investments and Deutsche Bank Securities. He has a BA in Economics from Colgate University, an MBA from Cornell University and is a CFA charterholder. Mr. White has been in the financial services industry since 2004.

Justin H. Kelly, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Investment Officer

Patrick M. Burton, Senior Managing Director

Mr. Burton is a Senior Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of Winslow Capital and has been with the firm since 2010. He has served as a portfolio manager of the NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF and NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF since each Fund’s inception. Prior to joining Winslow Capital, Mr. Burton was a Senior Equity Research Analyst at Thrivent Asset Management from 2009 to 2010. Prior to that, Mr. Burton was a Managing Director with Citigroup Investments from 1999 to 2009. Mr. Burton received his BS with distinction in Finance from the University of Minnesota. He is also a CFA® charterholder.

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Peter A. Dlugosch, Managing Director

Mr. Dlugosch is a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of Winslow Capital and has been with the firm since 2013. He has served as a portfolio manager of the NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF and NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF since each Fund’s inception. Prior to joining Winslow Capital, he was an Executive Director, Institutional Equity Sales & Trading at UBS Investment Bank in Boston. Mr. Dlugosch earned his BS in Business Administration-Finance from Villanova University.

Steven M. Hamill, Senior Managing Director

Mr. Hamill is a Senior Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of Winslow Capital and has been with the firm since 2006. He has served as a portfolio manager of the NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF and NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF since 2023. Prior to joining Winslow Capital, he was a Senior Analyst at Piper Jaffray and RBC Capital Markets providing research on the medical device industry. He also served as a Manager at Arthur Andersen. Mr. Hamill graduated magna cum laude with a BS in Honors Economics & Finance from Marquette University. He is also a CFA® charterholder.

Other Service Providers

Fund Administrator, Custodian, Transfer Agent and Securities Lending Agent

The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNY Mellon”), located at 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286, serves as the Funds’ Administrator, Custodian, Transfer Agent and Securities Lending Agent. BNY Mellon is the principal operating subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation.

Under the Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement (the “Administration Agreement”), BNY Mellon serves as Administrator for the Funds. Under the Administration Agreement, BNY Mellon provides necessary administrative, legal, tax, accounting services, and financial reporting for the maintenance and operations of the Trust. In addition, BNY Mellon makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services.

BNY Mellon supervises the overall administration of the Trust, including, among other responsibilities, assisting in the preparation and filing of documents required for compliance by the Funds with applicable laws and regulations and arranging for the maintenance of books and records of the Funds. BNY Mellon provides persons satisfactory to the Board to serve as officers of the Trust.

Distributor

ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ALPS” or the “Distributor”), located at 1290 Broadway, Suite 1000, Denver, Colorado 80203, serves as the Distributor of Creation Units for the Funds on an agency basis. The Distributor does not maintain a Secondary Market in the Funds’ Shares. NYLIFE Distributors LLC has entered into a Services Agreement with ALPS to market the Funds.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, located at 300 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Trust.

Legal Counsel

Chapman and Cutler LLP, located at 1717 Rhode Island Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20036, serves as counsel to the Trust and the Funds.

Frequent Trading

The Board has not adopted policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Shares by Fund shareholders (“market timing”). In determining not to adopt market timing policies and procedures, the Board evaluated the risks posed by market timing activities, including dilution, disruption of portfolio management, increases in a Fund’s trading costs and the realization of capital gains. The Board ultimately determined that due to an ETF’s creation/redemption mechanism, whereby Fund Shares can only be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund in Creation Units by Authorized Participants, and that the vast majority of trading in Fund Shares occurs on the Secondary Market and does not involve a Fund directly, it is unlikely those trades would cause many of the harmful effects of market timing. Accordingly, the Board determined that it is not necessary to adopt market timing policies and procedures.

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Distribution and Service Plan

The Board has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with its Rule 12b-1 plan, each Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year to finance activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of each Fund or the provision of investor services. No Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Funds and there are no plans to impose these fees. However, in the event Rule 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, they will be paid out of the respective Fund’s assets, and over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and they may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.

The Advisor and its affiliates may, out of their own resources, pay amounts (“Payments”) to third-parties for distribution or marketing services on behalf of the Funds. The making of these payments could create a conflict of interest for a financial intermediary receiving such payments. The Advisor may make Payments for such third-parties to organize or participate in activities that are designed to make registered representatives, other professionals and individual investors more knowledgeable about ETFs, including ETFs advised by the Advisor, or for other activities, such as participation in marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems (“Education Costs”). The Advisor also may make Payments to third-parties to help defray costs typically covered by a trading commission, such as certain printing, publishing and mailing costs or materials relating to the marketing of services related to exchange-traded products (such as commission-free trading platforms) or exchange-traded products in general (“Administrative Costs”).

Determination of Net Asset Value (NAV)

The NAV of the Shares for a Fund is equal to the Fund’s total assets minus its total liabilities divided by the total number of Shares outstanding. Interest and investment income on a Fund’s assets accrue daily and administration and distribution fees, if any) accrue daily and are included in a Fund’s total liabilities. The NAV that is published is rounded to the nearest cent; however, for purposes of determining the price of Creation Units, the NAV is calculated to five decimal places. The NAV is calculated by the Administrator and Custodian and determined each day the NYSE Arca is open for trading (“Business Day”) as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE Arca (ordinarily 4:00 p.m. Eastern time).

A Fund typically values fixed-income portfolio securities using last available bid prices or current market quotations provided by dealers or prices (including evaluated prices) supplied by the Fund’s approved independent third-party pricing services. Pricing services may use matrix pricing or valuation models that utilize certain inputs and assumptions to derive values. Pricing services generally value fixed-income securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but a Fund may hold or transact in such securities in smaller odd lot sizes. Odd lots often trade at different prices that may be above or below the price at which the pricing service has valued the security. An amortized cost method of valuation may be used with respect to debt obligations with sixty days or less remaining to maturity unless the Advisor determines in good faith that such method does not represent fair value.

Generally, trading in U.S. government securities, money market instruments and certain fixed-income securities is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of business on the NYSE. The values of such securities used in computing the NAV of the Funds are determined as of such times.

Equity securities are generally valued at the closing price of the security on the security’s primary exchange. The primary exchanges for a Fund’s foreign equity securities may close for trading at various times prior to close of regular trading on the NYSE Arca or the Nasdaq, and the value of such securities used in computing the Fund’s NAV are generally determined as of such times. A Fund’s foreign securities may trade on weekends or other days when Shares do not trade. Consequently, the value of portfolio securities of a Fund may change on days when Shares of the Fund cannot be purchased or sold.

When market quotations or prices are not readily available or are deemed unreliable or not representative of an investment’s fair value, investments are valued using fair value pricing as determined in good faith by oversight of the Board and unless otherwise noted, the responsibility for the day-to-day valuation of portfolio assets (including fair value measurements for the Funds’ assets and liabilities) rests with the Advisor. The Advisor

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may conclude that a market quotation is not readily available or is unreliable if a security or other asset or liability does not have a price source due to its lack of liquidity or other reason, if a market quotation differs significantly from recent price quotations or otherwise no longer appears to reflect fair value, where the security or other asset or liability is thinly traded, or if the trading market on which a security is listed is suspended or closed and no appropriate alternative trading market is available.

The frequency with which the Funds’ investments are valued using fair value pricing is primarily a function of the types of securities and other assets in which the respective Fund invests pursuant to its investment objective, strategies and limitations. If the Funds invest in other open-end management investment companies registered under the 1940 Act, such investments are generally valued using the investment company’s NAV per share or public offering price. Those companies may also use fair value pricing under some circumstances.

Valuing each Fund’s investments using fair value pricing results in using prices for those investments that may differ from current market valuations. Accordingly, fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate NAV and the prices used to determine each Fund’s indicative intra-day value (“IIV”), which could result in the market prices for Shares deviating from NAV.

Premium/Discount Information

Information regarding the extent and frequency with which market prices of Shares have tracked the relevant Fund’s NAV is available without charge on the Funds’ website at newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf.

Dividends, Distributions and Taxes

Net Investment Income and Capital Gains

As a Fund shareholder, you are entitled to your share of each Fund’s distributions of net investment income and net realized capital gains on its investments. The Funds pay out substantially all of their net earnings to their shareholders as “distributions.”

The Funds typically earn dividends from stocks and interest from debt securities. These amounts, net of expenses, typically are passed along to Fund shareholders as dividends from net investment income. The Funds realize capital gains or losses whenever they sell securities. Net capital gains typically are passed along to shareholders as “capital gain distributions.”

Net investment income and net capital gains typically are distributed to shareholders at least annually. Dividends may be declared and paid more frequently to comply with the distribution requirements of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). In addition, the Funds may decide to distribute at least annually amounts representing the full dividend yield net of expenses on the underlying investment securities, as if the Funds owned the underlying investment securities for the entire dividend period, in which case some portion of each distribution may result in a return of capital. You will be notified regarding the portion of a distribution that represents a return of capital.

Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional Shares of a Fund only if the broker through which you purchased Shares makes such option available. Distributions which are reinvested nevertheless will be subject to U.S. federal income tax to the same extent as if such distributions had not been reinvested.

U.S. Federal Income Taxation

The following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to an investment in Shares of a Fund. The summary is based on the Code, U.S. Treasury Department regulations promulgated thereunder, and judicial and administrative interpretations thereof, all as in effect on the date of this Prospectus and all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. In addition, this summary assumes that a Fund shareholder holds Shares as capital assets within the meaning of the Code and does not hold Shares in connection with a trade or business. This summary does not address all potential U.S. federal income tax considerations possibly applicable to an investment in Shares of a Fund, and does not address the consequences to Fund shareholders subject to special tax rules, including, but not limited to, partnerships and the partners therein, tax-exempt shareholders, regulated investment companies (“RICs”), real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”), those who hold Shares through an IRA, 401(k) plan or other tax-advantaged account, and, except to the extent discussed below, “non-U.S. shareholders” (as defined below). This discussion does not discuss any aspect of U.S. state, local, estate, and gift, or non-U.S., tax law. Furthermore, this discussion is not intended or written to be legal or tax

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advice to any shareholder in a Fund or other person and is not intended or written to be used or relied on, and cannot be used or relied on, by any such person for the purpose of avoiding any U.S. federal tax penalties that may be imposed on such person. Prospective Fund shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the specific U.S. federal, state and local, and non-U.S., tax consequences of investing in Shares, based on their particular circumstances.

The Funds have not requested and will not request an advance ruling from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) as to the U.S. federal income tax matters described below. The IRS could adopt positions contrary to those discussed below and such positions could be sustained. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors with regard to the U.S. federal tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares, as well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, locality, non-U.S. country or other taxing jurisdiction. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the section in the SAI entitled “U.S. Federal Income Taxation.”

Tax Treatment of a Fund

Each Fund intends to continue to qualify and elect to be treated as a separate RIC under the Code. To qualify and remain eligible for the special tax treatment accorded to RICs, each Fund must meet certain annual income and quarterly asset diversification requirements and must distribute annually at least 90% of the sum of (i) its “investment company taxable income” (which includes dividends, interest and net short-term capital gains) and (ii) its net tax-exempt interest income.

As a RIC, a Fund generally will not be required to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes to its shareholders. If a Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for any year (subject to certain curative measures allowed by the Code), the Fund will be subject to regular corporate-level U.S. federal income tax in that year on all of its taxable income, regardless of whether the Fund makes any distributions to its shareholders. In addition, in such case, distributions will be taxable to a Fund’s shareholders generally as ordinary dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. The remainder of this discussion assumes that the Funds will qualify for the special tax treatment accorded to RICs.

A Fund generally will be subject to a 4% excise tax on certain undistributed income if the Fund does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year (taking into account certain deferrals and elections), 98.2% of its capital gain net income (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the twelve months ended October 31 of such year (or later if the Fund is permitted to elect and so elects), plus 100% of any undistributed amounts from prior years. For these purposes, a Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to U.S. corporate income tax for the taxable year ending within the calendar year. Each Fund intends to make distributions necessary to avoid this 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.

A Fund may be required to recognize taxable income in advance of receiving the related cash payment. For example, if a Fund invests in original issue discount obligations (such as zero coupon debt instruments or debt instruments with payment-in-kind interest), the Fund will be required to include in income each year a portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the term of the obligation, even if the related cash payment is not received by the Fund until a later year. Under the “wash sale” rules, a Fund may not be able to deduct a Fund may recognize taxable income without a corresponding receipt of cash if the Fund purchases a debt instrument at a price below the instrument’s face amount. As a result, a Fund may be required to make an annual income distribution greater than the total cash actually received during the year. Such distribution may be made from the existing cash assets of the Fund or cash generated from selling portfolio securities. The Fund may realize gains or losses from such sales, in which event its shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution than they would in the absence of such transactions.

Tax Treatment of Fund Shareholders

Taxation of U.S. Shareholders

The following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares applicable to “U.S. shareholders.” For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of Shares who, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the U.S.; (ii) a corporation (or an entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in the U.S. or under the laws of the U.S., or of any state thereof, or the District

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of Columbia; (iii) an estate, the income of which is includable in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or (iv) a trust, if (1) a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of such trust and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or (2) the trust has a valid election in place to be treated as a U.S. person.

Fund Distributions. A majority of certain of the Funds’ distributions to its shareholders is expected to be excluded from gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes as “exempt-interest dividends.” Notwithstanding the foregoing, such Fund shareholders should be aware of the following points:

Some tax-exempt distributions from a Fund may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax on individuals. In addition, tax exempt interest dividends may affect the corporate alternative minimum tax for certain corporations.

Exempt-interest dividends may have other tax consequences to certain shareholders (for example, they may result in a portion of a shareholder’s social security income being subject to federal income tax), and a shareholder may not be entitled to deduct the interest expense on debt deemed to be incurred or continued to purchase or carry Shares.

Tax-exempt distributions from a Fund may be subject to state and local taxes.

The Funds may earn taxable income. In other words, shareholders of a Fund may earn taxable income from the Fund even though the Fund generally intends to be tax-free to shareholders.

Capital gains of a Fund are not tax-free to shareholders.

Any time a shareholder sells Shares (even Shares of a generally tax-free Fund), such shareholder will be subject to tax on any gain.

If a shareholder sells Shares of a Fund at a loss after receiving an exempt-interest dividend, and the shareholder has held the Shares for six months or less, then such shareholder may not be allowed to claim a loss on the sale.

In general, taxable Fund distributions are subject to U.S. federal income tax when paid, regardless of whether they consist of cash or property, and regardless of whether they are re-invested in Shares. However, any Fund distribution declared in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date during such month will be deemed to have been received by each Fund shareholder on December 31 of such calendar year, provided such dividend is actually paid during January of the following calendar year.

Distributions of a Fund’s taxable net investment income (except, as discussed below, qualified dividend income, if any) and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses (collectively referred to as “ordinary income dividends”) are taxable as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Some portion of the ordinary income distributions that are attributable to dividends received by a Fund from shares in certain real estate investment trusts may be designated by the Fund as eligible for a deduction for qualified business income, provided certain holding period requirements are satisfied. To the extent designated as capital gain dividends by a Fund, distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses (“net capital gain”) are taxable at long-term capital gain tax rates to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, regardless of the Fund shareholder’s holding period in the Fund’s Shares. Distributions of qualified dividend income are, to the extent of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, taxed to certain non-corporate Fund shareholders at the rates generally applicable to long-term capital gain, provided that the Fund shareholders meet certain holding period and other requirements with respect to the distributing Fund’s Shares and the distributing Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements with respect to its dividend-paying stocks. For this purpose, “qualified dividend income” generally means income from dividends received by a Fund from U.S. corporations and qualified non-U.S. corporations. Distributions with respect to shares in real estate investment trusts are qualifying dividends only in limited circumstances. Substitute payments received on Shares that are lent out will be ineligible for being reported as qualified dividend income. Given their investment strategy, certain of the Funds do not anticipate that a significant portion of their distributions will be eligible for qualifying dividend treatment. If a Fund pays a dividend that would be “qualified dividend income” for individuals, corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends received deduction.

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An election may be available to you to defer recognition of the gain attributable to a capital gain dividend if you make certain qualifying investments within a limited time. You should talk to your tax advisor about the availability of this deferral election and its requirements.

Each Fund intends to distribute its net capital gain at least annually. However, by providing written notice to its shareholders no later than 60 days after its year-end, a Fund may elect to retain some or all of its net capital gain and designate the retained amount as a “deemed distribution.” In that event, the Fund pays U.S. federal income tax on the retained net capital gain, and each Fund shareholder recognizes a proportionate share of the Fund’s undistributed net capital gain. In addition, each Fund shareholder can claim a tax credit or refund for the shareholder’s proportionate share of the Fund’s U.S. federal income taxes paid on the undistributed net capital gain and increase the shareholder’s tax basis in the Shares by an amount equal to the shareholder’s proportionate share of the Fund’s undistributed net capital gain, reduced by the amount of the shareholder’s tax credit or refund.

Distributions in excess of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will, as to each shareholder, be treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of the shareholder’s tax basis in its Shares of the Fund, and generally as capital gain thereafter. Any such distribution will reduce the shareholder’s tax basis in the Shares, and thus will increase the shareholder’s capital gain, or decrease the capital loss, recognized upon a sale or exchange of Shares.

In addition, individuals with adjusted gross incomes above certain threshold amounts (and certain trusts and estates) generally are subject to a 3.8% Medicare tax on “net investment income” in addition to otherwise applicable U.S. federal income tax. “Net investment income” generally will include taxable dividends (including capital gain dividends) received from a Fund and net gains from the redemption or other disposition of Shares. Please consult your tax advisor regarding this tax.

Investors considering buying Shares just prior to a distribution should be aware that, although the price of the Shares purchased at such time may reflect the forthcoming distribution, such distribution nevertheless may be taxable (as opposed to a non-taxable return of capital).

Sales or Exchange of Shares. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale or exchange of Shares (including an exchange of Shares of one Fund for Shares of another Fund) generally is treated as a long-term gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale or exchange of Shares held for one year or less generally is treated as a short-term gain or loss, except that any capital loss on the sale or exchange of Shares held for six months or less, to the extent not disallowed as discussed in the next sentence, is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends were paid (or deemed to be paid) with respect to the Shares. Furthermore, a loss realized by a shareholder on the sale or exchange of Shares of a Fund with respect to which exempt-interest dividends have been paid may, to the extent of such exempt-interest dividends, be disallowed if such Shares have been held by the shareholder for six months or less at the time of their disposition. An election may be available to you to defer recognition of capital gain if you make certain qualifying investments within a limited time. You should talk to your tax advisor about the availability of this deferral election and its requirements.

Creation Unit Issues and Redemptions. On an issue of Shares of a Fund as part of a Creation Unit where the creation is conducted in-kind, an Authorized Participant generally recognizes capital gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the fair market value (at issue) of the issued Shares (plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue) and (ii) the Authorized Participant’s aggregate basis in the exchanged securities (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue). On a redemption of Shares as part of a Creation Unit where the redemption is conducted in-kind, an Authorized Participant generally recognizes capital gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the fair market value (at redemption) of the securities received (plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption) and (ii) the Authorized Participant’s basis in the redeemed Shares (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption). However, the IRS may assert, under the “wash sale” rules or on the basis that there has been no significant change in the Authorized Participant’s economic position, that any loss on creation or redemption of Creation Units cannot be deducted currently.

In general, any capital gain or loss recognized upon the issue or redemption of Shares (as components of a Creation Unit) is treated either as long-term capital gain or loss, if the deposited securities (in the case of an issue) or the Shares (in the case of a redemption) have been held for more than one year, or otherwise as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any capital loss on a redemption of Shares held for six months or less, to the extent not disallowed as discussed in the next sentence, is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent

110

that capital gain dividends were paid (or deemed to be paid) with respect to such Shares. Furthermore, a loss realized on the redemption of Shares of a Fund with respect to which exempt-interest dividends have been paid may, to the extent of such exempt-interest dividends, be disallowed if such Shares have been held for six months or less at the time of their disposition.

Taxation of California Residents

Shares of the NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF applicable to full-time residents of the State of California, please see the section in the SAI entitled “California Tax Status.”

Back-Up Withholding

A Fund (or a financial intermediary such as a broker through which a shareholder holds Shares in a Fund) may be required to report certain information on a Fund shareholder to the IRS and withhold U.S. federal income tax (“backup withholding”) at a current rate of 24% from taxable distributions and redemption or sale proceeds payable to the Fund shareholder if (i) the Fund shareholder fails to provide the Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number or make required certifications, or if the IRS notifies the Fund that the Fund shareholder is otherwise subject to backup withholding, and (ii) the Fund shareholder is not otherwise exempt from backup withholding. Non-U.S. shareholders can qualify for exemption from backup withholding by submitting a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a Fund shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability.

Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders

The following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares applicable to “non-U.S. shareholders.” For purposes of this discussion, a “non-U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of Shares that is not a U.S. shareholder (as defined above) and is not an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The following discussion is based on current law and is for general information only. It addresses only selected, and not all, aspects of U.S. federal income taxation applicable to non-U.S. shareholders.

As indicated above, a majority of certain of the Funds’ distributions to its shareholders, including its non-U.S. shareholders, is expected to be excluded from gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes as exempt-interest dividends. However, with respect to non-U.S. shareholders of a Fund, the Fund’s ordinary income dividends generally will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or at a lower rate established under an applicable tax treaty), subject to certain exceptions for “interest-related dividends” and “short-term capital gain dividends” discussed below. The Funds will not pay any additional amounts to shareholders in respect of any amounts withheld. U.S. federal withholding tax generally will not apply to any gain realized by a non-U.S. shareholder in respect of a Fund’s net capital gain. Special rules (not discussed herein) apply with respect to dividends of a Fund that are attributable to gain from the sale or exchange of “U.S. real property interests.”

In general, all “interest-related dividends” and “short-term capital gain dividends” (each defined below) will not be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax, provided that, among other requirements, the non-U.S. shareholder furnished the Fund with a completed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable, (or acceptable substitute documentation) establishing the non-U.S. shareholder’s non-U.S. status and the Fund does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that the non-U.S. shareholder would be subject to such withholding tax if the non-U.S. shareholder were to receive the related amounts directly rather than as dividends from the Fund. “Interest-related dividends” generally means dividends designated by a Fund as attributable to such Fund’s U.S.-source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which such Fund is at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income. “Short-term capital gain dividends” generally means dividends designated by a Fund as attributable to the excess of such Fund’s net short-term capital gain over its net long-term capital loss. Depending on its circumstances, a Fund may treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for these exemptions from withholding.

Amounts paid to or recognized by a non-U.S. affiliate that are excluded from tax under the portfolio interest, capital gains dividends, short-term capital gains or tax-exempt interest dividend exceptions or applicable treaties, may be taken into consideration in determining whether a corporation is an “applicable corporation” subject to a 15% minimum tax on adjusted financial statement income.

In general, subject to certain exceptions, non-U.S. shareholders will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax in respect of a sale or other disposition of Shares of a Fund.

111

To claim a credit or refund for any Fund-level taxes on any undistributed net capital gain (as discussed above) or any taxes collected through back-up withholding (discussed above), a non-U.S. shareholder must obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number and file a U.S. federal income tax return even if the non-U.S. shareholder would not otherwise be required to do so.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act

The U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) generally imposes a 30% withholding tax on “withholdable payments” (defined below) made to (i) a “foreign financial institution” (“FFI”), unless the FFI enters into an agreement with the IRS to provide information regarding certain of its direct and indirect U.S. account holders and satisfy certain due diligence and other specified requirements, and (ii) a “non-financial foreign entity” (“NFFE”) unless such NFFE provides certain information about its direct and indirect “substantial U.S. owners” to the withholding agent or certifies that it has no such U.S. owners. The beneficial owner of a “withholdable payment” may be eligible for a refund or credit of the withheld tax. The U.S. government also has entered into intergovernmental agreements with other jurisdictions to provide an alternative, and generally easier, approach for FFIs to comply with FATCA. If the shareholder is a tax resident in a jurisdiction that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. government, the shareholder will be required to provide information about the shareholder’s classification and compliance with the intergovernmental agreement.

“Withholdable payments” generally include, among other items, U.S.-source interest and dividends, and gross proceeds from the sale or disposition of property of a type that can produce U.S.-source interest or dividends. However, proposed regulations may eliminate the requirements to withhold on payments of gross proceeds from dispositions.

A Fund or a shareholder’s broker may be required to impose a 30% withholding tax on withholdable payments to a shareholder if the shareholder fails to provide the Fund with the information, certifications or documentation required under FATCA, including information, certification or documentation necessary for the Fund to determine if the shareholder is a non-U.S. shareholder or a U.S. shareholder and, if it is a non-U.S. shareholder, if the non-U.S. shareholder has “substantial U.S. owners” and/or is in compliance with (or meets an exception from) FATCA requirements. A Fund will not pay any additional amounts to shareholders in respect of any amounts withheld. The Fund may disclose any shareholder information, certifications or documentation to the IRS or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA.

The requirements of, and exceptions from, FATCA are complex. All prospective shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisor regarding the potential application of FATCA with respect to their own situation.

For a more detailed tax discussion regarding an investment in the Funds, please see the section of the SAI entitled “U.S. Federal Income Taxation.”

Code of Ethics

The Trust, Advisor, the Subadvisors, Winslow Capital and the Distributor have each adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that is designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Advisor, each Subadvisor and the Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Funds (which may also be held by persons subject to a code). There can be no assurance that the codes will be effective in preventing such activities. The codes permit personnel subject to them to invest in securities, including securities that may be held or purchased by the Funds. The codes are on file with the SEC and are available to the public.

Fund Website and Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

The Advisor maintains a website for the Funds at newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf. The website for the Funds contains the following information, on a per-Share basis, for each Fund: (1) the prior Business Day’s NAV; (2) the reported midpoint of the bid-ask spread at the time of NAV calculation (the “Bid-Ask Price”); (3) a calculation of the premium or discount of the Bid-Ask Price against such NAV; and (4) data in chart format displaying the frequency distribution of discounts and premiums of the Bid-Ask Price against the NAV, within appropriate ranges, for each of the four previous calendar quarters (or for the life of a Fund if, shorter). In addition, on each Business Day, before the commencement of trading in Shares on the Exchange, each Fund will disclose on its website newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf the identities and quantities of the portfolio securities and other assets held by each Fund that will form the basis for the calculation of NAV at the end of the Business Day.

112

A description of each Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the SAI.

Other Information

The Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the NYSE Arca. The NYSE Arca makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly or the ability of the Funds to achieve their objectives. The NYSE Arca has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Funds.

For purposes of the 1940 Act, the Funds are treated as registered investment companies, and the acquisition of shares by other registered investment companies and companies relying on Sections 3(c)(1) and 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act are subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and the related rules and interpretations.

113

Financial Highlights

Selected Data for a Share of Capital Stock Outstanding

The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the Funds’ financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the period of the Funds’ operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund Share. The total returns in the tables represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the respective Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report, along with each Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Funds’ Annual Report, which is available upon request.

114

Financial Highlights (continued)

Selected Data for a Share of Capital Stock Outstanding

 

NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF

 

For the Period
May 10, 2023
(a) to April 30, 2024

Net asset value, beginning of period

$24.90

 

Income from Investment Operations

Net investment income(b)

0.80

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

(0.83

)

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from investment operations

(0.03

)

 

Distributions from:

Net investment income

(0.68

)

Net asset value, end of period

$24.19

Market price, end of period

$24.18

 

Total Return

Total investment return based on net asset value(c)

(0.16

)%

Total investment return based on market price(d)

(0.18

)%(e)

 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

$4,837

Ratio to average net assets of:

Expenses net of waivers/reimbursements

0.65

%(f)

Expenses excluding waivers/reimbursements

2.03

%(f)

Net investment income

3.43

%(f)

Portfolio turnover rate(g)

68

%

  

(a)Commencement of operations.

(b)Based on average shares outstanding.

(c)Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions, if any, at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return calculated for a period less than one year is not annualized.

(d)The market price total investment returns are calculated using the mean between the last bid and ask prices. Total investment returns calculated for a period less than one year are not annualized.

(e)Since the Shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until the day after the Fund’s inception, for the period from the inception date to the first day of the secondary market trading, the NAV is used as a proxy for the secondary market trading price to calculate the market returns.

(f)Annualized.

(g)Portfolio turnover rate is not annualized and excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as in-kind creations or redemptions in connection with the Fund’s capital share transactions.

115

Financial Highlights (continued)

Selected Data for a Share of Capital Stock Outstanding

 

NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF

 

For the Year Ended April 30,

For the Period June 29, 2021(a) to April 30, 2022

 

2024

2023

Net asset value, beginning of period

$21.28

$22.35

$25.00

 

Income from Investment Operations

Net investment income(b)

1.07

0.86

0.40

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

(0.85

)

(1.16

)

(2.70

)

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from
investment operations

0.22

(0.30

)

(2.30

)

 

Distributions from:

Net investment income

(1.06

)

(0.77

)

(0.32

)

Net realized gain

(0.03

)

Total distributions from net investment income and
realized gains

(1.06

)

(0.77

)

(0.35

)

Net asset value, end of period

$20.44

$21.28

$22.35

Market price, end of period

$20.48

$21.24

$22.38

 

Total Return

Total investment return based on net asset value(c)

1.14

%

(1.31

)%

(9.31

)%

Total investment return based on market price(d)

1.49

%

(1.59

)%

(9.21

)%(e)

 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

$213,605

$242,543

$148,625

Ratio to average net assets of:

Expenses net of waivers/reimbursements

0.39

%

0.39

%

0.39

%(f)

Expenses excluding waivers/reimbursements

0.49

%

0.50

%

0.64

%(f)

Net investment income

5.18

%

4.06

%

2.00

%(f)

Portfolio turnover rate(g)

121

%

212

%

333

%

  

(a)Commencement of operations.

(b)Based on average shares outstanding.

(c)Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions, if any, at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return calculated for a period less than one year is not annualized.

(d)The market price total investment returns are calculated using the mean between the last bid and ask prices. Total investment returns calculated for a period less than one year are not annualized.

(e)Since the Shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until the day after the Fund’s inception, for the period from the inception date to the first day of the secondary market trading, the NAV is used as a proxy for the secondary market trading price to calculate the market returns.

(f)Annualized.

(g)Portfolio turnover rate is not annualized and excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as in-kind creations or redemptions in connection with the Fund’s capital share transactions.

116

Financial Highlights (continued)

Selected Data for a Share of Capital Stock Outstanding

 

NYLI MacKay ESG
High Income ETF

 

For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2024

For the Period October 25, 2022(a) to
April 30, 2023

Net asset value, beginning of period

$25.98

$25.00

 

Income from Investment Operations

Net investment income(b)

2.01

0.99

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

(0.11

)(c)

0.77

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from investment operations

1.90

1.76

 

Distributions from:

Net investment income

(1.85

)

(0.78

)

Net realized gain

(0.02

)

Total distributions from net investment income and realized gains

(1.87

)

(0.78

)

Net asset value, end of period

$26.01

$25.98

Market price, end of period

$26.05

$26.03

 

Total Return

Total investment return based on net asset value(d)

7.55

%

7.12

%

Total investment return based on market price(e)

7.53

%

7.29

%(f)

 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

$83,218

$25,985

Ratio to average net assets of:

Expenses net of waivers/reimbursements

0.40

%

0.40

%(g)

Expenses excluding waivers/reimbursements

0.57

%

0.81

%(g)

Net investment income

7.83

%

7.48

%(g)

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

59

%

30

%

  

(a)Commencement of operations.

(b)Based on average shares outstanding.

(c)Calculation of the net realized and unrealized gain (loss) per share may not correlate with the Fund’s net realized and unrealized gain (loss) presented on the Statements of Changes in Net Assets due to the timing of creation of Fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values.

(d)Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions, if any, at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return calculated for a period less than one year is not annualized.

(e)The market price total investment returns are calculated using the mean between the last bid and ask prices. Total investment returns calculated for a period less than one year are not annualized.

(f)Since the Shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until the day after the Fund’s inception, for the period from the inception date to the first day of the secondary market trading, the NAV is used as a proxy for the secondary market trading price to calculate the market returns.

(g)Annualized. Certain expenses are not annualized and reflects the period presented.

(h)Portfolio turnover rate is not annualized and excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as in-kind creations or redemptions in connection with the Fund’s capital share transactions.

117

Financial Highlights (continued)

Selected Data for a Share of Capital Stock Outstanding

 

NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF

 

For the Year Ended April 30,

 

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

Net asset value, beginning of year

$24.29

$24.66

$27.51

$25.89

$25.61

 

Income from Investment Operations

Net investment income(a)

0.90

0.74

0.36

0.38

0.53

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

(0.38

)

(0.32

)

(2.71

)

1.76

0.50

(b)

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from investment operations

0.52

0.42

(2.35

)

2.14

1.03

 

Distributions from:

Net investment income

(0.93

)

(0.79

)

(0.49

)

(0.52

)

(0.64

)

Net realized gain

(0.01

)

(0.11

)

Total distributions from net investment income and realized gains

(0.93

)

(0.79

)

(0.50

)

(0.52

)

(0.75

)

Net asset value, end of year

$23.88

$24.29

$24.66

$27.51

$25.89

Market price, end of year

$23.88

$24.33

$24.65

$27.54

$26.00

 

Total Return

Total investment return based on net asset value(c)

2.21

%

1.74

%

(8.70

)%

8.32

%

4.05

%

Total investment return based on market price(d)

2.03

%

2.00

%

(8.85

)%

7.97

%

4.36

%

 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

Net assets, end of year (000’s omitted)

$458,470

$363,076

$365,028

$444,327

$88,035

Ratio to average net assets of: 

Expenses net of waivers/reimbursements

0.30

%

0.30

%

0.30

%

0.30

%

0.30

%

Expenses excluding waivers/reimbursements

0.47

%

0.50

%

0.49

%

0.51

%

0.57

%

Net investment income

3.77

%

3.08

%

1.31

%

1.40

%

2.01

%

Portfolio turnover rate(e)

45

%

136

%

80

%

36

%

71

%

  

(a)Based on average shares outstanding.

(b)Calculation of the net realized and unrealized gain (loss) per share does not correlate with the Fund’s net realized and unrealized gain (loss) presented on the Statements of Changes in Net Assets due to the timing of creation of Fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values.

(c)Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions, if any, at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period.

(d)The market price total investment returns are calculated using the mean between the last bid and ask prices.

(e)Portfolio turnover rate is not annualized and excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as in-kind creations or redemptions in connection with the Fund’s capital share transactions.

118

Financial Highlights (continued)

Selected Data for a Share of Capital Stock Outstanding

 

NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF

 

For the Year Ended April 30,

 

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

Net asset value, beginning of year

$24.45

$24.47

$26.82

$25.22

$25.61

 

Income from Investment Operations

Net investment income(a)

0.81

0.63

0.28

0.47

0.53

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

(0.30

)

0.00

(b)(c)

(2.16

)

1.73

0.16

(b)

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from investment operations

0.51

0.63

(1.88

)

2.20

0.69

 

Distributions from:

Net investment income

(0.88

)

(0.65

)

(0.39

)

(0.58

)

(0.67

)

Net realized gain

(0.08

)

(0.02

)

(0.41

)

Total distributions from net investment income and realized gains

(0.88

)

(0.65

)

(0.47

)

(0.60

)

(1.08

)

Net asset value, end of year

$24.08

$24.45

$24.47

$26.82

$25.22

Market price, end of year

$24.08

$24.49

$24.47

$26.84

$25.22

 

Total Return

Total investment return based on net asset value(d)

2.09

%

2.66

%

(7.13

)%

8.80

%

2.65

%

Total investment return based on market price(e)

1.96

%

2.80

%

(7.19

)%

8.90

%

2.44

%

 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

Net assets, end of year (000’s omitted)

$651,265

$414,502

$229,984

$124,700

$51,708

Ratio to average net assets of:

Expenses net of waivers/reimbursements

0.30

%

0.30

%

0.30

%

0.30

%

0.30

%

Expenses excluding waivers/reimbursements

0.47

%

0.50

%

0.51

%

0.57

%

0.62

%

Net investment income

3.38

%

2.59

%

1.05

%

1.78

%

2.02

%

Portfolio turnover rate(f)

26

%

64

%

74

%

43

%

77

%

  

(a)Based on average shares outstanding.

(b)Calculation of the net realized and unrealized gain (loss) per share may not correlate with the Fund’s net realized and unrealized gain (loss) presented on the Statements of Changes in Net Assets due to the timing of creation of Fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values.

(c)Less than $0.005 per share.

(d)Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions, if any, at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period.

(e)The market price total investment returns are calculated using the mean between the last bid and ask prices.

(f)Portfolio turnover rate is not annualized and excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as in-kind creations or redemptions in connection with the Fund’s capital share transactions.

119

Financial Highlights (continued)

Selected Data for a Share of Capital Stock Outstanding

 

NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF

 

For the Year Ended April 30,

For the Period December 21, 2021(a) to
April 30, 2022

 

2024

2023

Net asset value, beginning of period

$21.63

$21.78

$25.00

 

Income from Investment Operations

Net investment income(b)

0.72

0.62

0.13

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

(0.14

)

(0.12

)

(3.18

)

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from investment operations

0.58

0.50

(3.05

)

 

Distributions from:

Net investment income

(0.79

)

(0.65

)

(0.17

)

Net asset value, end of period

$21.42

$21.63

$21.78

Market price, end of period

$21.43

$21.65

$21.80

 

Total Return

Total investment return based on net asset value(c)

2.73

%

2.28

%

(12.25

)%

Total investment return based on market price(d)

2.72

%

2.33

%

(12.17

)%(e)

 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

$25,703

$50,823

$43,566

Ratio to average net assets of:

Expenses net of waivers/reimbursements

0.35

%

0.35

%

0.35

%(f)

Expenses excluding waivers/reimbursements

0.83

%

0.69

%

0.73

%(f)

Net investment income

3.34

%

2.86

%

1.54

%(f)

Portfolio turnover rate(g)

73

%

98

%

86

%

  

(a)Commencement of operations.

(b)Based on average shares outstanding.

(c)Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions, if any, at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return calculated for a period less than one year is not annualized.

(d)The market price total investment returns are calculated using the mean between the last bid and ask prices. Total investment returns calculated for a period less than one year are not annualized.

(e)Since the Shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until the day after the Fund’s inception, for the period from the inception date to the first day of the secondary market trading, the NAV is used as a proxy for the secondary market trading price to calculate the market returns.

(f)Annualized.

(g)Portfolio turnover rate is not annualized and excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as in-kind creations or redemptions in connection with the Fund’s capital share transactions.

120

Financial Highlights (continued)

Selected Data for a Share of Capital Stock Outstanding

 

NYLI Winslow
Large Cap Growth ETF

 

For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2024

For the Period June 23, 2022(a) to April 30, 2023

Net asset value, beginning of period

$28.70

$25.00

 

Income from Investment Operations

Net investment income (loss)(b)

(0.03

)

0.02

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

10.63

3.69

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from investment operations

10.60

3.71

 

Distributions from:

Net investment income

(0.00

)(c)

(0.01

)

Net asset value, end of period

$39.30

$28.70

Market price, end of period

$39.32

$28.70

 

Total Return

Total investment return based on net asset value(d)

36.94

%

14.89

%

Total investment return based on market price(e)

37.02

%

14.85

%(f)

 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

$27,119

$18,652

Ratio to average net assets of:

Expenses net of waivers/reimbursements

0.60

%

0.60

%(g)

Expenses excluding waivers/reimbursements

1.13

%

1.32

%(g)

Net investment income (loss)

(0.08

)%

0.09

%(g)

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

70

%

77

%

  

(a)Commencement of operations.

(b)Based on average shares outstanding.

(c)Less than $0.005 per share.

(d)Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions, if any, at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return calculated for a period less than one year is not annualized.

(e)The market price total investment returns are calculated using the mean between the last bid and ask prices. Total investment returns calculated for a period less than one year are not annualized.

(f)Since the Shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until the day after the Fund’s inception, for the period from the inception date to the first day of the secondary market trading, the NAV is used as a proxy for the secondary market trading price to calculate the market returns.

(g)Annualized. Certain expenses are not annualized and reflects the period presented.

(h)Portfolio turnover rate is not annualized and excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as in-kind creations or redemptions in connection with the Fund’s capital share transactions.

121

Financial Highlights (continued)

Selected Data for a Share of Capital Stock Outstanding

 

NYLI Winslow Focused
Large Cap
Growth ETF

 

For the
Year Ended
April 30, 2024

For the Period June 23, 2022(a) to April 30, 2023

Net asset value, beginning of period

$29.44

$24.93

 

Income from Investment Operations

Net investment income(b)

0.02

0.02

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

10.91

4.50

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from investment operations

10.93

4.52

 

Distributions from:

Net investment income

(0.02

)

(0.01

)

Net realized gain

(0.34

)

Total distributions from net investment income and realized gains

(0.36

)

(0.01

)

Net asset value, end of period

$40.01

$29.44

Market price, end of period

$40.02

$29.43

 

Total Return

Total investment return based on net asset value(c)

37.31

%

18.12

%

Total investment return based on market price(d)

37.36

%

18.11

%(e)

 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

$8,803

$6,182

Ratio to average net assets of:

Expenses net of waivers/reimbursements

0.65

%

0.65

%(f)

Expenses excluding waivers/reimbursements

1.45

%

1.98

%(f)

Net investment income

0.05

%

0.09

%(f)

Portfolio turnover rate(g)

65

%

29

%

  

(a)Commencement of operations.

(b)Based on average shares outstanding.

(c)Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions, if any, at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return calculated for a period less than one year is not annualized.

(d)The market price total investment returns are calculated using the mean between the last bid and ask prices. Total investment returns calculated for a period less than one year are not annualized.

(e)Since the Shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until the day after the Fund’s inception, for the period from the inception date to the first day of the secondary market trading, the NAV is used as a proxy for the secondary market trading price to calculate the market returns.

(f)Annualized. Certain expenses are not annualized and reflects the period presented.

(g)Portfolio turnover rate is not annualized and excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as in-kind creations or redemptions in connection with the Fund’s capital share transactions.

New York Life Investments Active ETF Trust
Mailing Address
51 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10010
1-888-474-7725
newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf

New York Life Investments Active ETF Trust

PROSPECTUS | AUGUST 28, 2024

FOR MORE INFORMATION

If you would like more information about the Trust, the Funds and the Shares, the following documents are available free upon request:

Annual/Semi-Annual Report

Additional information about a Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. 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 the last fiscal year.

Statement of Additional Information

Additional information about the Funds and their policies is also available in the Funds’ SAI. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus (and is legally considered part of this Prospectus). The Funds’ annual and semi-annual reports and the SAI are available free upon request by calling New York Life Investments at 1-888-474-7725. You can also access and download the annual and semi-annual reports and the SAI from dfinview.com/NYLIM.

To obtain other information and for shareholder inquiries:

By telephone: 1-888-474-7725
By mail: New York Life Investments Active ETF Trust
c/o Marketing Department
51 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10010

On the Internet: SEC Edgar database: http://www.sec.gov;
or dfinview.com/NYLIM

You may review and obtain copies of Fund documents (including the SAI) by visiting the SEC’s public reference room in Washington, D.C. You may also obtain copies of Fund documents, after paying a duplicating fee, by writing to the SEC’s Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-0102 or by electronic request to: publicinfo@sec.gov. Information on the operation of the public reference room may be obtained by calling the SEC at (202) 551-8090.

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

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

“New York Life Investments” is both a servicemark, and the common trade name, of certain investment advisors affiliated with New York Life Insurance Company.

The Trust’s investment company registration number is 811-22739.

ME01k-08/24

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

NEW YORK LIFE INVESTMENTS ACTIVE ETF TRUST

 

51 MADISON AVENUE  

NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10010

 

PHONE: (888) 474-7725

 

AUGUST 28, 2024

 

This Statement of Additional Information (this “SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with and is incorporated by reference into the prospectus dated August 28, 2024, as it may be revised from time to time (the “Prospectus”), for the funds listed below (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”), each a series of the New York Life Investments Active ETF Trust (the “Trust”).

 

Fund Name

 

NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF (IQRA)

(formerly IQ CBRE Real Assets ETF)

NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF (MMIT)

(formerly IQ MacKay Municipal Intermediate ETF)

NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF (ESGB)

(formerly IQ MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF)

NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF (MMCA)

(formerly IQ MacKay California Municipal Intermediate ETF)

NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF (IQHI)

(formerly IQ MacKay ESG High Income ETF)

NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF (IWLG)

(formerly IQ Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF)

NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF (MMIN)

(formerly IQ MacKay Municipal Insured ETF)

NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF (IWFG)

(formerly IQ Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF)

 

The Prospectus and the Funds’ Annual Report or Semi-Annual Report may be obtained without charge, by writing to the Trust, c/o Marketing Department, 51 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010, by calling (888) 474-7725, or by visiting dfinview.com/NYLIM. Shares of the Funds are principally listed on a national securities exchange, the NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca” or the “Exchange”).

 

Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted.

 

No person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this SAI and the Prospectus and, if given or made, such information or representations may not be relied upon as having been authorized by the Trust. The SAI does not constitute an offer to sell securities.

 

1 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUNDS 3
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING 4
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES 4
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS 6
MANAGEMENT 46
PROXY VOTING POLICIES 51
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES 54
MANAGEMENT SERVICES 56
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS 66
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE 69
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS 70
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING SHARES 71
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS 72
CONTINUOUS OFFERING 74
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE 75
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS 75
U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAXATION 76
OTHER INFORMATION 86
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 87
APPENDIX A 89
APPENDIX B 96

2 

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUNDS

 

The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on January 30, 2008 and is authorized to have multiple segregated series or portfolios. On August 28, 2024, the Trust changed its name from IndexIQ Active ETF Trust to New York Life Investments Active ETF Trust. 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 a number of separate investment portfolios, of which 9 are in operation.

 

Other portfolios may be added to the Trust in the future. The shares of the Funds are referred to herein as “Shares.” The offering of Shares is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

 

Effective August 28, 2024, the investment management services provided to the Funds were transferred to New York Life Investment Management LLC (“New York Life Investments” or “Advisor”). New York Life Investments is located at 51 Madison Avenue, New York New York 10010. New York Life Investments is a Delaware limited liability company, which commenced operations in April 2000, and is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of New York Life Insurance Company. Prior to August 28, 2024, the Funds’ advisor was IndexIQ Advisors LLC, which is also an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of New York Life Insurance Company.

 

The NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF is subadvised by CBRE Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC (“CBRE”).

 

The NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF, NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF, NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF, NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF and NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF are subadvised by MacKay Shields LLC (“MacKay Shields”).

 

The NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF and NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF are subadvised by Winslow Capital Management, LLC (“Winslow Capital”).

 

CBRE, MacKay Shields and Winslow Capital are referred to each as “Subadvisor” as the context requires, and collectively CBRE, MacKay Shields and Winslow Capital are referred to herein as “Subadvisors.”

 

Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”), such as the Funds, do not sell or redeem individual Shares of a Fund. Instead, financial entities known as “Authorized Participants” (which are discussed in greater detail below) have contractual arrangements with each Fund or the Distributor to purchase and redeem Fund Shares directly with a Fund in large blocks of Shares known as “Creation Units.” An Authorized Participant that purchases a Creation Unit of Fund Shares deposits with a Fund a “basket” of securities (“Deposit Securities”), cash (“Cash Component”) and/or other assets identified by the Fund that day, and then receives the Creation Unit of Fund Shares in return for those assets. The redemption process is the reverse of the purchase process: the Authorized Participant redeems a Creation Unit of Fund Shares for a basket of securities, cash and/or other assets. The basket is generally representative of a Fund’s portfolio, and together with a cash balancing amount, it is equal to the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund Shares comprising the Creation Unit. Pursuant to Rule 6c-11 of the 1940 Act, the Funds may utilize baskets that are not representative of each Fund’s portfolio.

 

If a Fund presently creates and redeems Shares in-kind, the Trust reserves the right to offer a “cash” option for creations and redemptions of Shares.

 

The Trust’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration”) provides that by virtue of becoming a shareholder of the Trust, each shareholder is bound by the provisions of the Declaration. The Declaration provides a detailed process for the bringing of derivative actions by shareholders. Prior to bringing a derivative action, a written demand by the complaining shareholder must first be made on the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Trustees” or the “Board”). The Declaration details conditions that must be met with respect to the demand, including the requirement that 10% of the outstanding Shares of the Fund who are eligible to bring such derivative action under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act join in the demand for the Trustees to commence such derivative action. There may be questions regarding the enforceability of this provision based on certain interpretations of the Securities Act of 1933 Act, as amended (the “1933 Act”), the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”) and the 1940 Act.

 

Additionally, the Declaration provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, to the extent there is subject matter jurisdiction in such court for the claims asserted or, if not, then in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware shall be the exclusive forum in which certain types of litigation may be brought, which may require shareholders to have to bring an action in an inconvenient or less favorable forum. There may be questions regarding the enforceability of this provision because the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act and the 1940 Act allow claims to be brought in state and federal courts. The Declaration provides that shareholders waive any and all right to trial by jury in any claim, suit, action or proceeding.

 

3 

 

 

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

 

There can be no assurance that a Fund will be able to maintain the listing of its Shares on the Exchange. The Exchange will consider the suspension of trading and delisting of the Shares of a Fund from listing if: (i) a Fund does not comply with the Exchange’s continuous listing standards; or (ii) such other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further trading on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares of a Fund from listing and trading upon termination of such Fund.

 

As in the case of other stocks traded on the Exchange, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on commission rates negotiated by an investor and his or her broker.

 

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

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES

 

Investment Objectives 

Each Fund has a distinct investment objective and policies that are distinct from the other series of the Trust. There can be no assurance that a Fund’s objective will be achieved.

 

All investment objectives and investment policies not specifically designated as fundamental may be changed without shareholder approval. Additional information about each Fund, its policies, and the investment instruments it may hold, is provided below.

 

The Funds’ share prices will fluctuate with market and economic conditions. The Funds should not be relied upon as a complete investment program.

 

Diversification Status 

Each Fund’s diversification status for purposes of the 1940 Act is set forth below:

 

Fund Diversification Status
NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF Diversified
NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF Diversified
NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF Diversified
NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF Diversified
NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF Diversified
NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF Diversified
NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF Non-Diversified
NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF Non-Diversified

 

Investment Restrictions 

The investment restrictions set forth below as fundamental policies cannot be changed with respect to a Fund without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The investment objective of each Fund and all other investment policies or practices of the Fund are considered by the Trust not to be fundamental and accordingly may be changed without shareholder approval. For purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” means the lesser of the vote of (i) 67% or more of the Shares of the Fund present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding Shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the Shares of a Fund.

 

4 

 

 

As a matter of fundamental policy, with respect to each Fund (except for the NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF, NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF, NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF and NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF), each Fund:

 

A. May not invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries. The Fund will not invest 25% or more of its total assets in investment companies that have a policy to invest 25% or more of their total assets in issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries. This limitation does not apply to investments in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or shares of investment companies. Also, for purposes of industry concentration, tax-exempt securities issued by states, municipalities and their political subdivisions are not considered to be part of any industry.

 

As a matter of fundamental policy, with respect to the NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF and NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF, each Fund:

 

A. May not invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries. The Fund will not invest 25% or more of its total assets in any investment company that so concentrates. This limitation does not apply to investments in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or shares of investment companies. Also, for purposes of industry concentration, tax-exempt securities issued by states, municipalities and their political subdivisions are not considered to be part of any industry.

 

As a matter of fundamental policy, with respect to the NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF and NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF, each Fund:

 

A. May not invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries. The Fund will not invest 25% or more of its total assets in any investment company that so concentrates. This limitation does not apply to investments in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or shares of investment companies.

 

As a matter of fundamental policy, with respect to the NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF, the Fund:

 

A Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of issuers conducting their business activities in the infrastructure group of industries and more than 25% of its total assets in securities issued by companies principally engaged in the real estate industry. The Fund will otherwise, not invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries. The Fund will not invest 25% or more of its total assets in any investment company that so concentrates. This limitation does not apply to investments in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or shares of investment companies.

 

As a matter of fundamental policy, each Fund (except as to any specific Fund otherwise noted below):

 

B. May borrow money, to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, as such may be interpreted or modified by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, from time to time.

 

C. May make loans as permitted under the 1940 Act, as such may be interpreted or modified by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, from time to time.

 

D. May act as an underwriter of securities within the meaning of the 1933 Act, to the extent permitted under the Securities Act, as such may be interpreted or modified by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, from time to time.

 

E. May purchase or sell real estate or any interest therein to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, as such may be interpreted or modified by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, from time to time.

 

F. May not purchase physical commodities or contracts regarding physical commodities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act and other applicable laws, rules and regulations, as such may be interpreted or modified by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, from time to time.

 

G. May issue senior securities, to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, as such may be interpreted or modified by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, from time to time.

 

H. Each of the NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF and NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its assets in investments the income of which is exempt from federal income tax.

 

I. The NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its assets in investments the income of which is exempt from federal and California income taxes.

 

5 

 

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all of the percentage limitations above and in the investment restrictions recited in the Prospectus apply only at the time of an acquisition or encumbrance of securities or assets of a Fund, except that any borrowings by a Fund that exceed applicable limitations must be reduced to meet such limitations within the period required by the 1940 Act. Therefore, a change in the percentage that results from a relative change in values or from a change in a Fund’s assets will not be considered a violation of the Fund’s policies or restrictions. “Value” for the purposes of all investment restrictions shall mean the value used in determining a Fund’s NAV.

 

Additional Information Regarding Investment Restrictions 

Below is additional information regarding the Funds’ investment restrictions. This information is in addition to, rather than part of, the fundamental investment restrictions themselves.

 

Concentration. Although the 1940 Act does not define what constitutes “concentration” in an industry or group of industries, the staff of the SEC takes the position that any fund that invests more than 25% of its total assets in a particular industry or group of industries (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities) is deemed to be “concentrated” in that industry or group of industries. With regard to the NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF, NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF and NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF, the exclusion set forth above with respect to tax-exempt securities does not include municipal securities whose payments of interest and/or principal are dependent upon revenues derived from projects, rather than the general obligations of the municipal issuers (such as private activity and revenue bonds).

 

For purposes of a Fund’s industry concentration policy, the Advisor or a Subadvisor may analyze the characteristics of a particular issuer and instrument and may assign an industry classification consistent with those characteristics. The Advisor or Subadvisor may, but need not, consider industry classifications provided by third parties.

 

With respect to each Fund’s fundamental investment restriction B, asset coverage of at least 300% (as defined in the 1940 Act), inclusive of any amounts borrowed, must be maintained at all times.

 

A Fund may, notwithstanding any other fundamental investment restriction or policy, invest some or all of its assets in a single ETF, open-end investment company or series thereof with substantially the same fundamental investment objective, restrictions and policies as the Fund.

 

INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

 

Subject to the limitations set forth herein and in the Prospectus, the Advisor or Subadvisor to each Fund may, in its discretion, at any time, employ any of the following practices, techniques or instruments for the Funds. Furthermore, it is possible that certain types of financial instruments or investment techniques described herein may not be available, permissible, economically feasible, or effective for their intended purposes in all markets and under all conditions. Certain practices, techniques, or instruments may not be principal activities of the Funds but, to the extent employed, could from time to time have a material impact on the Funds’ performance.

 

Unless otherwise indicated above, the Funds may engage in the following investment practices or techniques, subject to the specific limits described in the Prospectus or elsewhere in this SAI. Unless otherwise stated in the Prospectus, investment techniques are discretionary. That means the Advisor or each Subadvisor may elect to engage or not engage in the various techniques at its sole discretion. Investors should not assume that any particular discretionary investment technique or strategy will be employed at all times, or ever employed. With respect to some of the investment practices and techniques, Funds that are most likely to engage in a particular investment practice or technique are indicated in the relevant descriptions as Funds that may engage in such practices or techniques.

 

The loss of money is a risk of investing in the Funds. None of the Funds, neither individually nor collectively, is intended to constitute a balanced or complete investment program and the NAV per Share of each Fund will fluctuate based on the value of the securities held by each Fund. Each Fund is subject to the risks and considerations associated with investing in mutual funds generally as well as additional risks and restrictions discussed herein.

 

6 

 

 

General 

Investment in a Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of the portfolio of securities held by a Fund may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of the issuers of the portfolio securities, the value of common stocks generally and other factors.

 

Asset-Backed Securities  

Asset-backed securities are securities that represent interests in, and whose values and payments are based on, a “pool” of underlying assets, which may include, among others, lower-rated debt securities and corporate loans, consumer loans or mortgages and leases of property. Asset-backed securities may include collateralized debt obligations, collateralized bond obligations, and collateralized loan obligations and other similarly structured vehicles. The risks of an investment in asset-backed securities depend largely on the type of collateral securities and the class of the instrument in which a Fund invests. Enforcing rights against such collateral in events of default may be difficult or insufficient. These securities may have a structure that makes their reaction to interest rate changes and other factors difficult to predict, making their value highly volatile.

 

Borrowing 

A Fund may borrow money to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, or otherwise limited herein, as such may be interpreted or modified by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, from time to time. This borrowing may be unsecured. The 1940 Act precludes a Fund from borrowing if, as a result of such borrowing, the total amount of all money borrowed by a Fund exceeds 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets (that is, total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) at the time of such borrowings. This means that the 1940 Act requires a Fund to maintain continuous asset coverage of 300% of the amount borrowed. If the 300% asset coverage should decline as a result of market fluctuations or other reasons, a Fund may be required to sell some of its portfolio holdings within three days to reduce the debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, or for other reasons to cover a borrowing transaction, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint to sell securities at that time, and could cause the Fund to be unable to meet certain requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code.

 

Borrowing tends to exaggerate the effect on a Fund's NAV per share of any changes in the market value of a Fund's portfolio securities. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs, which may or may not be recovered by earnings on the securities purchased. A Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with a borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit. Either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.

 

Cash Equivalents 

To the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, a Fund may invest in cash equivalents. Cash equivalents include U.S. government securities, CDs, bank time deposits, bankers' acceptances, repurchase agreements and commercial paper. Cash equivalents may include short-term fixed-income securities issued by private and governmental institutions. Repurchase agreements may be considered cash equivalents if the collateral pledged is an obligation of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities.

 

Collateralized Debt Obligations 

To the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, a Fund may invest in collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) and other similarly structured vehicles. CBOs, CLOs, CDOs and similarly structured vehicles are types of asset-backed securities. In a CBO transaction, a special purpose entity (“SPE”) issues securities backed by a diversified pool of high risk, below investment grade fixed-income securities. The collateral can be from many different types of fixed-income securities, such as high yield debt, residential privately issued mortgage-related securities, commercial privately issued mortgage-related securities, trust preferred securities and emerging market debt. In a CLO transaction, an SPE issues securities collateralized by a pool of commercial loans, which may include, among others, 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. In a CDO transaction, an SPE issues securities backed by other types of assets, including synthetic instruments that provide exposure to other asset-backed securities representing obligations of various parties. CBOs, CLOs, CDOs and similarly structured vehicles typically charge management fees and administrative expenses.

 

For CBOs, CLOs, CDOs and similarly structured vehicles the cash flows received by the SPE are allocated among multiple classes of debt, called tranches, varying in seniority, risk level and potential yield. The most subordinated tranche (often referred to as the “equity” tranche) has the highest level of risk, as defaults on the underlying assets held by the SPE are borne first by the most subordinated tranche, thus providing the more senior tranches a cushion from losses. However, despite the cushion from the equity and other more junior tranches, senior tranches can experience substantial losses due to defaults or other losses on the assets which exceed those of the more junior tranches. Additionally, the market value of CBO, CLO and CDO securities can decrease due to such defaults on the underlying assets of such CBO, CDO or CDO, as well as market anticipation of defaults or aversion to CBO, CLO or CDO securities as a class.

 

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The risks of an investment in a CBO, CLO, CDO or similarly structured vehicle depend largely on the type of the underlying collateral and the class of the issuer in which a Fund invests. Normally, CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CBOs, CLOs, CDOs and similarly structured vehicles may be classified as illiquid investments.

 

Notwithstanding such classification, an active dealer market may exist for CBOs, CLOs, CDOs and similarly structured vehicles allowing them to qualify for Rule 144A transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated with debt or fixed-income securities discussed elsewhere in this SAI and the Funds' Prospectuses (e.g., interest rate, credit, liquidity, prepayment and default risk), CBOs, CLOs, CDOs and similarly structured vehicles carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from the collateral will not be adequate to make interest or other payments owed by the SPE to the holders of its securities; (ii) the underlying assets may experience defaults; (iii) the value or quality of the underlying assets may decline, and the SPE may sell such assets at a loss; (iv) the SPE itself may experience an event of default, which could result in an acceleration of its debt and a liquidation of its assets at a loss; (v) a Fund may invest in CBO, CLO or CDO tranches that are subordinate to other tranches; and (vi) the complex structure of the CBO, CLO or CDO may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the parties involved in the transaction and/or unexpected investment results.

 

In addition, these risks may be magnified depending on the tranche of CBO, CLO or CDO securities in which a 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. In addition, interest on certain tranches of a CBO, CLO or CDO 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 CBO, CLO and CDO securities may receive credit enhancement in the form of a senior-subordinate structure or over-collateralization, but such enhancement may not always be present and may fail to protect the Funds against the risk of loss due to defaults on the collateral.

 

CDOs are subject to additional risks because they are backed primarily 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 CDOs are borne first by holders of subordinate tranches. Accordingly, the risks associated with CDO investments depend largely on the type of underlying collateral and the tranche of CDOs in which a Fund invests. Additionally, CDOs that obtain their exposure through synthetic investments entail the risks associated with derivative instruments.

 

Convertible Securities  

To the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, a Fund may invest in securities convertible into common stock or the cash value of a single equity security or a basket or index of equity securities. Such investments may be made, for example, if the Advisor or Subadvisor believes that a company's convertible securities are undervalued in the market. Convertible securities eligible for inclusion in the Funds' portfolios include convertible bonds, convertible preferred stocks, warrants or notes or other instruments that may be exchanged for cash payable in an amount that is linked to the value of a particular security, basket of securities, index or indices of securities or currencies.

 

Convertible debt securities, until converted, have the same general characteristics as other fixed-income securities insofar as they generally provide a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than those of equity securities of the same or similar issuers. By permitting the holder to exchange the investment for common stock or the cash value of a security or a basket or index of securities, convertible securities may also enable the investor to benefit from increases in the market price of the underlying securities. Therefore, convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality.

 

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As with all fixed-income securities, the market value of convertible debt securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, tends to increase as interest rates decline. The unique feature of the convertible security is that as the market price of the underlying common stock declines, a convertible security tends to trade increasingly on a yield basis, and so may not experience market value declines to the same extent as the underlying common stock. When the market price of the underlying common stock increases, the price of a convertible security increasingly reflects the value of the underlying common stock and may rise accordingly. While no securities investment is without some risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than investments in the common stock of the same issuer. At any given time, investment value is dependent upon such factors as the general level of 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.

 

Holders of fixed-income securities (including convertible securities) have a claim on the assets of the issuer prior to the holders of common stock in case of liquidation. However, convertible securities are typically subordinated to similar non-convertible securities of the same issuer. Accordingly, convertible securities have unique investment characteristics because: (1) they have relatively high yields as compared to common stocks; (2) they have defensive characteristics since they provide a fixed return even if the market price of the underlying common stock declines; and (3) they provide the potential for capital appreciation if the market price of the underlying common stock increases.

 

A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the charter provision or indenture pursuant to which the convertible security is issued. If a convertible security held by a Fund is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to surrender the security for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock or cash or sell it to a third party.

 

Contingent convertible securities (“CoCos”) have no stated maturity, have fully discretionary coupons and are typically issued in the form of subordinated debt instruments. CoCos generally either convert into equity or have their principal written down upon the occurrence of certain triggering events (“triggers”) linked to regulatory capital thresholds or regulatory actions relating to the issuer’s continued viability. As a result, an investment by a Fund in CoCos is subject to the risk that coupon (i.e., interest) payments may be cancelled by the issuer or a regulatory authority in order to help the issuer absorb losses. An investment by a Fund in CoCos is also subject to the risk that, in the event of the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of an issuer prior to a trigger event, a Fund’s rights and claims will generally rank junior to the claims of holders of the issuer’s other debt obligations. In addition, if CoCos held by a Fund are converted into the issuer’s underlying equity securities following a trigger event, a Fund’s holding may be further subordinated due to the conversion from a debt to equity instrument.

 

Corporate Bonds 

A corporate bond is an interest-bearing security issued by a U.S. or non-U.S. company. 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. Bonds generally are used by corporations and governments to borrow money from investors. The investment return of corporate bonds reflects interest earned on the security and changes in the market value of the security. The market value of a corporate bond may be affected by changes in the market rate of interest, the credit rating of the corporation, the corporation’s performance and perceptions of the corporation in the marketplace. 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.

 

An issuer may have the right to redeem or “call” a bond before maturity, in which case a Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower market rates. Similarly, a Fund may have to reinvest interest income or payments received when bonds mature, sometimes 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. When an investor purchases a fixed-rate bond at a price that is greater than its face value, the investor is purchasing the bond at a premium. Conversely, when an investor purchases a fixed-rate bond at a price that is less than its face value, the investor is purchasing the bond at a discount. Fixed-rate bonds that are purchased at a discount pay less current income than securities with comparable yields that are purchased at face value, with the result that prices for such fixed-rate securities can be more volatile than prices for such securities that are purchased at face value. Other types of bonds bear interest at an interest rate that is adjusted periodically. Interest rates on “floating rate” or “variable rate” bonds may be higher or lower than current market rates for fixed-rate bonds of comparable quality with similar final maturities. Because of their adjustable interest rates, the value of “floating rate” or “variable rate” bonds fluctuates much less in response to market interest rate movements than the value of fixed-rate bonds, but their value may decline if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. A Fund may treat some of these bonds as having a shorter maturity for purposes of calculating the weighted average maturity of its investment portfolio. Generally, prices of higher quality issues tend to fluctuate less with changes in market interest rates than prices of lower quality issues and prices of longer maturity issues tend to fluctuate more than prices of shorter maturity issues. 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 (backed by specified collateral).

 

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The value of the debt securities generally will fluctuate depending on a number of factors, including, among others, changes in the perceived creditworthiness of the issuers of those securities, movements in interest rates, and the maturity of the debt security. Generally, a rise in interest rates will reduce the value of fixed-income securities, and a decline in interest rates will increase the value of fixed-income securities. Longer-term debt securities generally pay higher interest rates than do shorter-term debt securities but also may experience greater price volatility as interest rates change.

 

Credit Default Swaps  

Credit default swaps are contracts whereby one party, the protection “buyer,” makes periodic payments to a counterparty, the protection “seller,” in exchange for the right to receive from the seller a payment equal to the par or other agreed-upon value (the “value”) of a particular debt obligation (the “referenced debt obligation”) in the event of a default by the issuer of that debt obligation. A credit default swap may use one or more securities that are not currently held by a Fund as referenced debt obligations. A Fund may be either the buyer or the seller in the transaction. The use of credit default swaps may be limited by a Fund’s limitations on illiquid investments. When a Fund is the buyer of a credit default swap contract, the Fund would be entitled to receive the value of a referenced debt obligation from the seller in the event of a default by a third-party, such as a U.S. or non-U.S. issuer, on the debt obligation. In return, a Fund would pay to the seller a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided, that no event of default has occurred. If no default occurs, a Fund would have spent the stream of payments and received no benefit from the contract. Credit default swaps involve the risk that, in the event that a Fund’s Advisor or Subadvisor incorrectly evaluates the creditworthiness of the issuer on which the swap is based, the investment may expire worthless and would generate income only in the event of an actual default by the issuer of the underlying obligation (as opposed to a credit downgrade or other indication of financial instability). Credit default swaps also involve credit risk that the seller may fail to satisfy its payment obligations to the Fund in the event of a default.

 

As the seller, a Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. In connection with credit default swaps in which a Fund is the seller, the Fund will maintain appropriate liquid assets, or enter into offsetting positions.

 

In addition to the risks applicable to derivatives generally, credit default swaps involve special risks because they are difficult to value, are highly susceptible to liquidity and credit risk, and generally pay a return to the party that has paid the premium only in the event of an actual default by the issuer of the underlying obligation (as opposed to a credit downgrade or other indication of financial difficulty).

 

A Fund may also invest in an equally-weighted credit default swap index (a “CDX index”) that is designed to track a representative segment of the credit default swap market (e.g., investment grade, high volatility, below investment grade or emerging markets) and provides an investor with exposure to specific “baskets” of issuers of certain debt instruments. CDX index products potentially allow an investor to obtain the same investment exposure as an investor who invests in an individual credit default swap, with an increased level of diversification. Generally, the value of the CDX index will fluctuate in response to changes in the perceived creditworthiness or default experience of the basket of issuers of debt instruments to which the CDX index provides exposure. An investor’s investment in a tranche of a CDX index provides customized exposure to certain segments of the CDX index’s potential loss distribution. The lowest or riskiest tranche, known as the equity tranche, has exposure to the first losses experienced by the basket. The mezzanine and senior tranches are higher in the capital structure but may also be exposed to losses in value. Investment in a CDX index is susceptible to liquidity risk, along with credit risk, counterparty risk and other risks associated with an investment in a credit default swaps, as discussed above.

 

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Cyber Security and Disruptions in Operations 

The Funds are susceptible to operational and information security risks resulting from breaches in cyber security. Cyber incidents can result from unintentional events (such as an inadvertent release of confidential information) or deliberate attacks by insiders or third-parties, including cyber criminals, competitors, nation-states and “hacktivists,” and can be perpetrated by a variety of complex means, including the use of stolen access credentials, malware or other computer viruses, ransomware, phishing, structured query language injection attacks, and distributed denial of service attacks, among other means. Cyber incidents may result in actual or potential adverse consequences for critical information and communications technology, or systems and networks that are vital to a Fund’s or its service providers’ operations, or otherwise impair Fund or service provider operations. In addition, a cyber security breach may cause disruptions and impact a Fund’s business operations, which could potentially result in financial losses, inability to determine the Fund’s NAV including over an extended period, impediments to trading, the inability of shareholders to transact business, violation of applicable law, regulatory penalties and/or fines, compliance and other costs. A Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result. Further, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent future cyber incidents.

 

In addition, because a Fund works closely with third-party service providers (e.g., custodians), cyber security breaches at such third-party service providers or trading counterparties may subject the Fund’s shareholders to the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. Further, cyber security breaches at an issuer of securities in which a Fund invests may similarly negatively impact the Fund’s shareholders because of a decrease in the value of these securities. These incidents could result in adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause a Fund’s investment in such securities to lose value.

 

While a Fund has established risk management systems and business continuity policies designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security breaches and other operational disruptions, there can be no assurances that such measures will be successful particularly since a Fund does not control the cyber security and operational systems of issuers or third-party service providers, and certain security breaches may not be detected. A Fund and its respective shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result of any security breaches or operational disruptions and may bear certain costs tied to such events.

 

Debt Securities  

Debt securities may have fixed, variable or floating (including inverse floating) rates of interest. To the extent that a Fund invests in debt securities, it will be subject to certain risks. The value of the debt securities held by a Fund generally will fluctuate depending on a number of factors, including, among others, changes in the perceived creditworthiness of the issuers of those securities, movements in interest rates, the maturities of a Fund's investments and changes in values of the currencies in which a Fund's investments are denominated relative to the U.S. dollar. Generally, a rise in interest rates will reduce the value of fixed-income securities held by a Fund and a decline in interest rates will increase the value of fixed-income securities held by a Fund. Longer term debt securities generally pay higher interest rates than do shorter term debt securities but also may experience greater price volatility as interest rates change.

 

A Fund's investments in U.S. dollar- or foreign currency-denominated corporate debt securities of domestic or foreign issuers are limited to corporate debt securities (corporate bonds, debentures, notes and other similar corporate debt instruments) which meet the credit quality and maturity criteria set forth for the particular Fund. The rate of return or return of principal on some debt obligations may be linked to indices or stock prices or indexed to the level of exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currency or currencies. Differing yields on corporate fixed- income securities of the same maturity are a function of several factors, including the relative financial strength of the issuers. Higher yields are generally available from securities in the lower rating categories.

 

Corporate debt securities may bear fixed, contingent or variable rates of interest and may involve equity features, such as conversion or exchange rights or warrants for the acquisition of stock of the same or a different issuer, participations based on revenues, sales or profits or the purchase of common stock in a unit transaction (where corporate debt securities and common stock are offered as a unit).

 

Since shares of a Fund represent an investment in securities with fluctuating market prices, the value of shares of a Fund will vary as the aggregate value of the Fund's portfolio securities increases or decreases. The value of lower-rated debt securities that a Fund purchases may fluctuate more than the value of higher-rated debt securities, thus potentially increasing the volatility of a Fund’s NAV per share. Lower-rated debt securities generally carry greater risk that the issuer will default or be delinquent on the payment of interest and principal. Lower-rated fixed-income securities generally tend to reflect short-term corporate and market developments to a greater extent than higher-rated securities that react primarily to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates. Changes in the value of securities subsequent to their acquisition will not affect cash income or yields to maturity to a Fund but will be reflected in the NAV of the Fund’s shares.

 

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The ratings of fixed-income securities by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”) are a generally accepted barometer of credit risk. They are, however, subject to certain limitations from an investor's standpoint. The rating of an issuer is heavily weighted by past developments and does not necessarily reflect future conditions. There is frequently a lag between the time a rating is assigned and the time it is updated. In addition, there may be varying degrees of difference in credit risk of securities in each rating category.

 

When and if available, debt securities may be purchased at a discount from face value. From time to time, a Fund may purchase securities not paying interest or dividends at the time acquired if, in the opinion of the Advisor or Subadvisor, such securities have the potential for future income (or capital appreciation, if any).

 

Depositary Receipts 

Types of depositary receipts in which a Fund may invest, to the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”). Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are designed for use in U.S. securities markets and are receipts that are traded in the U.S. evidencing ownership of the underlying foreign securities and denominated in U.S. dollars. EDRs and GDRs are receipts issued by a non-U.S. financial institution evidencing ownership of underlying foreign or U.S. securities and usually are denominated in foreign currencies. EDRs and GDRs may not be denominated in the same currency as the securities they represent. Generally, EDRs and GDRs are designed for use in the foreign securities markets.

 

To the extent a Fund invests in ADRs, such ADRs will be listed on a national securities exchange. To the extent a Fund invests in GDRs or EDRs, such GDRs and EDRs will be listed on a foreign exchange. A Fund will not invest in any unlisted depositary receipt or any depositary receipt for which pricing information is not readily available. Generally, all depositary receipts must be sponsored. A Fund, however, may invest in unsponsored depositary receipts under certain limited circumstances. A non-sponsored depository may not provide the same shareholder information that a sponsored depository is required to provide under its contractual arrangement with the issuer. Therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the depositary receipts.

 

There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor depositary receipts, or that the depositary receipts will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of the Fund's portfolio.

 

Derivatives Risk  

The use of derivatives presents risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in traditional securities. The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the underlying asset, index or rate, which may be magnified by certain features of the derivatives. Additionally, when a Fund invests in certain derivative securities, including, but not limited to, when-issued securities, forward commitments, futures contracts and interest rate swaps, a Fund is effectively leveraging its investments, which could result in exaggerated changes in the net asset value of a Fund’s shares and can result in losses that exceed the amount originally invested. The success of the Advisor’s or Subadvisor’s derivatives strategies will depend on its ability to assess and predict the impact of market or economic developments on the underlying asset, index or rate and the derivative itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the derivative under all possible market conditions. Liquidity risk could also exist when a security cannot be purchased or sold at the time desired or cannot be purchased or sold without adversely affecting the price.

 

Derivative Instruments – General Discussion 

A Fund may use derivative instruments, to the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, including, but not limited to, hedging, managing risk or equitizing cash while maintaining liquidity. Derivative instruments are commonly defined to include securities or contracts whose value depends on (or "derives" from) the value of one or more other assets, such as securities, currencies or commodities. These "other assets" are commonly referred to as "underlying assets."

 

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Hedging. The Funds may use derivative instruments to protect against possible adverse changes in the market value of securities held in, or anticipated to be held in, their respective portfolios. Derivatives may also be used by the Funds to "lock-in" realized but unrecognized gains in the value of portfolio securities. Hedging strategies, if successful, can reduce the risk of loss by wholly or partially offsetting the negative effect of unfavorable price movements in the investments being hedged. However, hedging strategies can also reduce the opportunity for gain by offsetting the positive effect of favorable price movements in the hedged investments.

 

Managing Risk. The Funds may also use derivative instruments to manage the risks of their respective assets. Risk management strategies include, but are not limited to, facilitating the sale of portfolio securities, managing the effective maturity or duration of debt obligations held, establishing a position in the derivatives markets as a substitute for buying or selling certain securities or creating or altering exposure to certain asset classes, such as equity, debt and foreign securities. The use of derivative instruments may provide a less expensive, more expedient or more specifically focused way for a Fund to invest than "traditional" securities (i.e., stocks or bonds) would.

 

Equitization. A Fund may also use derivative instruments to maintain exposure to the market, while maintaining liquidity to meet expected redemptions or pending investment in securities. The use of derivative instruments for this purpose may result in losses to the Fund and may not achieve the intended results. The use of derivative instruments may not provide the same type of exposure as is provided by the Fund’s other portfolio investments.

 

Managed Futures. A Fund may take long and short positions in futures contracts in order to gain exposure to certain global markets. Additionally, a Fund may invest in an investment vehicle that employs a managed futures strategy. The success of a managed futures strategy will depend in part on the Advisor, Subadvisor or underlying investment vehicle’s ability to correctly predict price movements, and such predictions may prove incorrect. The use of a managed futures strategy may not achieve its intended results and may result in losses to a Fund.

 

Exchange or OTC Derivatives. Derivative instruments may be exchange-traded or traded in over-the-counter ("OTC") transactions between private parties. Exchange-traded derivatives include standardized options, futures and swap contracts traded in an "open outcry" auction on the exchange floor or through competitive trading on an electronic trading system. Exchange-traded contracts are generally liquid. The exchange clearinghouse is the counterparty of every exchange-traded contract. Thus, each holder of an exchange-traded contract bears the credit risk of the clearinghouse (and has the benefit of its financial strength) rather than that of a particular counterparty. OTC derivatives are contracts between the holder and another party to the transaction (usually a securities dealer or a bank), but not any exchange clearinghouse. OTC transactions are subject to additional risks, such as the credit risk of the counterparty to the instrument, and are less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives since they often can only be closed out with the other party to the transaction. Currently, some, but not all, swap transactions are subject to central clearing and exchange-trading. Swap transactions that are not exchange-traded and/or centrally cleared are less liquid than centrally cleared and exchange- traded instruments. Eventually, it is expected that many swaps will be centrally cleared and exchange-traded. Although these changes are expected to decrease the counterparty risk involved in bilaterally negotiated contracts because they interpose the central clearinghouse as the counterparty to each participant’s swap, exchange-trading and clearing would not make swap transactions risk-free.

 

Derivative instruments involve risks and special considerations as described below.

 

Leverage and Market Risk. The primary risk of derivatives is the same as the risk of the underlying assets; namely, that the value of the underlying asset may go up or down. Adverse movements in the value of an underlying asset can expose the Funds to losses. Derivative instruments may include elements of leverage and, accordingly, the fluctuation of the value of the derivative instrument in relation to the underlying asset may be magnified. The successful use of derivative instruments depends upon a variety of factors, particularly the Advisor’s or Subadvisor's ability to anticipate movements of the securities and currencies markets, which requires different skills than anticipating changes in the prices of individual securities. There can be no assurance that any particular strategy adopted will succeed. A decision to engage in a derivative transaction will reflect the Advisor’s or Subadvisor's judgment that the derivative transaction will provide value to a Fund and its shareholders and is consistent with the Fund's objectives, investment limitations and operating policies. In making such a judgment, the Advisor or Subadvisor will analyze the benefits and risks of the derivative transaction and weigh them in the context of the Fund's entire portfolio and investment objective. In order to manage leverage and market risk, the Advisor or Subadvisor will monitor a Fund against its notional derivatives exposure or value-at-risk (“VaR”) leverage limit, as applicable.

 

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Credit Risk. The Funds will be subject to the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of a counterparty to comply with the terms of a derivative instrument. The counterparty risk for exchange-traded derivative instruments is generally less than for privately-negotiated or OTC derivative instruments, since generally a clearing agency, which is the issuer or counterparty to each exchange-traded instrument, provides a guarantee of performance. For privately-negotiated instruments, including certain currency forward contracts, there is no similar clearing agency guarantee. In all transactions, the Funds will bear the risk that the counterparty will default, and this could result in a loss of the expected benefit of the derivative transaction and possibly other losses to the Funds. The Funds will enter into transactions in derivative instruments only with counterparties that the Advisor or Subadvisor reasonably believes are capable of performing under the contract.

 

Correlation Risk. When a derivative transaction is used to completely hedge another position, changes in the market value of the combined position (the derivative instrument plus the position being hedged) can result from an imperfect correlation between the price movements of the two instruments. With a perfect hedge, the value of the combined position remains unchanged for any change in the price of the underlying asset. With an imperfect hedge, the value of the derivative instrument and its hedge are not perfectly correlated. Correlation risk is the risk that there might be imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between price movements of a derivative instrument and price movements of investments being hedged. For example, if the value of a derivative instrument used in a short hedge (such as writing a call option, buying a put option or selling a futures contract) increased by less than the decline in value of the hedged investments, the hedge would not be perfectly correlated. Such a lack of correlation might occur due to factors unrelated to the value of the investments being hedged, such as speculative or other pressures on the markets in which these instruments are traded. The effectiveness of hedges using instruments on indices will depend, in part, on the degree of correlation between price movements in the index and price movements in the investments being hedged.

 

Market and Fund Liquidity Risk. Derivatives are also subject to the risk that they cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the derivative. Generally, exchange-traded contracts are very liquid because the exchange clearinghouse is the counterparty of every contract and prices and volumes are posted on the exchange. OTC transactions are less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives since they often can only be closed out with the other party to the transaction. A Fund might be required by applicable regulatory requirements to make margin payments when it takes positions in derivative instruments involving obligations to third parties (i.e., instruments other than purchased options). If a Fund is unable to close out its positions in such instruments, it might be required to continue to maintain such assets or accounts or make such payments until the position expires, matures or is closed out. The requirements might impair the Fund's ability to sell a portfolio security or make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require that the Fund sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time. A Fund's ability to sell or close out a position in an instrument prior to expiration or maturity depends on the existence of a liquid secondary market or, in the absence of such a market, the ability and willingness of the counterparty to enter into a transaction closing out the position. Therefore, there is no assurance that any derivatives position can be sold or closed out at a time and price that is favorable to the Funds. The Advisor or Subadvisor will also monitor a Fund's obligations to satisfy calls for margin payments and make settlement payments under its derivatives transactions and confirms that the Fund will have sufficient liquid assets available to satisfy such obligations as they become due.

 

Operational and Legal Risk. Operational risk generally refers to the risk related to potential operational issues, including documentation issues, settlement issues, systems failures, inadequate controls and human error. The Advisor or Subadvisor will monitor a Fund for operational issues. Legal risk is the risk of loss caused by the legal unenforceability of a party's obligations under the derivative. While a party seeking price certainty agrees to surrender the potential upside in exchange for downside protection, the party taking the risk is looking for a positive payoff. Despite this voluntary assumption of risk, a counterparty that has lost money in a derivative transaction may try to avoid payment by exploiting various legal uncertainties about certain derivative products.

 

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Systemic or "Interconnection" Risk. Interconnection risk is the risk that a disruption in the financial markets will cause difficulties for all market participants. In other words, a disruption in one market will spill over into other markets, perhaps creating a chain reaction. Much of the OTC derivatives market takes place among the OTC dealers themselves, thus creating a large interconnected web of financial obligations. This interconnectedness raises the possibility that a default by one large dealer could create losses for other dealers and destabilize the entire market for OTC derivative instruments.

 

Tax Risk. A Fund's transactions in derivatives (such as options, swaps and other similar financial contracts) will be subject to special tax rules, the effect of which may be to accelerate income to the Fund, defer losses to the Fund, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the Fund’s securities and/or convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders.

 

Derivatives Regulatory Matters 

Each Fund, as well as the issuers of the securities and other instruments in which the Funds may invest, are subject to considerable regulation and the risks associated with adverse changes in law and regulation governing their operations. For example, regulatory authorities in the United States or other countries may prohibit or restrict the ability of a Fund to fully implement its investment strategy, either generally or with respect to certain industries or countries. In addition, regulatory authorities are in the process of adopting and implementing regulations governing derivatives markets, the ultimate impact of which remains unclear and may adversely affect, among other things, the availability, value or performance of derivatives.

 

Each of the exchanges and other trading facilitates on which options are traded has established limitations on the maximum number of put or call options on a given underlying security that may be written by a single investor or group of investors acting in concert, regardless of whether the options are written on different exchanges or through one or more brokers. These position limits may restrict the number of listed options which the Funds may write. Option positions of all investment companies advised by the Advisor or Subadvisor are combined for purposes of these limits. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in excess of these limits and may impose certain other sanctions or restrictions. The CFTC and various exchanges have rules limiting the maximum net long or short positions which any person or group may own, hold or control in any given futures contract or option on such futures contract, and in some very limited cases, swap contracts. The Advisor or Subadvisor will need to consider whether the exposure created under these contracts might exceed the applicable limits in managing a Fund, and the limits may constrain the ability of the Fund to use such contracts.

 

A Fund's trading of derivatives and other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations (except reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions) is subject to a “limited derivatives users” exception that is included in the final rule which imposes a limit on notional derivatives exposure or subject to a value-at-risk (“VaR”) leverage limit and certain derivatives risk management program and reporting requirements. When a Fund trades reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions, including certain tender option bonds, it needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with the reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness when calculating the Fund’s asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions. Reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions aggregated with other indebtedness do not need to be included in the calculation of whether a Fund satisfies the limited derivatives users exception, but for funds subject to the VaR testing requirement, reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions must be included for purposes of such testing whether treated as derivatives transactions or not. SEC guidance in connection with the final rule regarding the use of securities lending collateral that may limit a Fund's securities lending activities. These requirements may limit the ability of a Fund to use derivatives, short sales and reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions as part of its investment strategies. These requirements may increase the cost of a Fund's investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors. The Advisor or Subadvisor cannot predict the effects of these regulations on a Fund. The Advisor or Subadvisor intends to monitor developments and seek to manage a Fund in a manner consistent with achieving the Fund’s' investment objectives, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful in doing so.

 

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Distressed Securities 

To the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, a Fund may invest in securities, claims and obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers which are experiencing significant financial or business difficulties (including companies involved in bankruptcy or other reorganization and liquidation proceedings). Certain Funds may purchase distressed securities and instruments of all kinds, subject to tax considerations, including equity and debt instruments and, in particular, loans, loan participations, claims held by trade or other creditors, bonds, notes, non-performing and sub-performing mortgage loans, beneficial interests in liquidating trusts or other similar types of trusts, fee interests and financial interests in real estate, partnership interests and similar financial instruments, executory contracts and participations therein, many of which are not publicly traded and which may involve a substantial degree of risk.

 

Investments in distressed securities are subject to substantial risks in addition to the risks of investing in other types of high yield securities. Distressed securities are speculative and involve substantial risk that principal will not be repaid. Generally, a Fund will not receive interest payments on such securities and may incur costs to protect its investment. In addition, a Fund's ability to sell distressed securities and any securities received in exchange for such securities may be restricted and the secondary market on which distressed company securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for higher grade securities.

 

In particular, defaulted obligations might be repaid, if at all, only after lengthy workout or bankruptcy proceedings, during which the issuer might not make any interest or other payments. The amount of any recovery may be adversely affected by the relative priority of a Fund's investment in the issuer’s capital structure. The ability to enforce obligations may be adversely affected by actions or omissions of predecessors in interest that give rise to counterclaims or defenses, including causes of action for equitable subordination or debt recharacterization. In addition, such investments, collateral securing such investments, and payments made in respect of such investments may be challenged as fraudulent conveyances or to be subject to avoidance as preferences under certain circumstances.

 

Investments in distressed securities inherently have more credit risk than do investments in similar securities and instruments of non-distressed companies, and the degree of risk associated with any particular distressed securities may be difficult or impossible for the Advisor or a Subadvisor to determine within reasonable standards of predictability. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful investment in distressed securities is unusually high.

 

If the evaluation of the eventual recovery value of a defaulted instrument by the Advisor or Subadvisor should prove incorrect, a Fund may lose a substantial portion or all of its investment or it may be required to accept cash or instruments with a value less than a Fund's original investment.

 

Investments in financially distressed companies domiciled outside the United States involve additional risks. Bankruptcy law and creditor reorganization processes may differ substantially from those in the United States, resulting in greater uncertainty as to the rights of creditors, the enforceability of such rights, reorganization timing and the classification, seniority and treatment of claims. In certain developing countries, although bankruptcy laws have been enacted, the process for reorganization remains highly uncertain.

 

Emerging Market Countries  

To the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, a Fund may invest in securities of issuers located in emerging countries. The risks of foreign investment are heightened when the issuer is located in an emerging country. Emerging countries are generally located in the Asia and Pacific regions, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Central and South America and Africa. The securities markets of emerging countries are less liquid, are especially subject to greater price volatility, have smaller market capitalizations, have less government regulation and are not subject to as extensive and frequent accounting, financial and other reporting requirements as the securities markets of more developed countries. Further, investment in certain emerging countries involves risk of loss resulting from problems in share registration and custody and substantial economic and political disruptions. These risks are not normally associated with investment in more developed countries. Foreign investment in the securities markets of certain emerging countries is restricted or controlled to varying degrees which may limit investment in such countries or increase the administrative costs of such investments. The small size and inexperience of the securities markets in certain emerging countries and the limited volume of trading in securities in those countries may make a Fund’s investments in such countries less liquid and more volatile than investments in countries with more developed securities markets.

 

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Many emerging countries have experienced currency devaluations and substantial (and, in some cases, extremely high) rates of inflation. Other emerging countries have experienced economic recessions. These circumstances have had a negative effect on the economies and securities markets of such emerging countries. A Fund’s use of foreign currency management techniques in emerging countries may be limited. The Advisor or Subadvisor anticipates that a significant portion of a Fund’s currency exposure in emerging countries may not be covered by these techniques.

 

Many emerging countries are subject to a substantial degree of economic, political and social instability. Investing in emerging countries involves greater risk of loss due to expropriation, nationalization, confiscation of assets and property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and on repatriation of capital invested. This instability may result from, among other things, the following: (i) authoritarian governments or military involvement in political and economic decision making, including changes or attempted changes in governments through extraconstitutional means; (ii) popular unrest associated with demands for improved political, economic or social conditions; (iii) internal insurgencies; (iv) hostile relations with neighboring countries; (v) ethnic, religious and racial disaffection or conflict; and (vi) the absence of developed legal structures governing foreign private investments and private property. Such economic, political and social instability could disrupt the principal financial markets in which a Fund may invest and adversely affect the value of the Fund’s assets.

 

Issuers and securities markets in emerging market countries are not subject to as extensive and frequent accounting, financial and other reporting requirements or as comprehensive government regulations as are issuers and securities markets in the U.S. A Fund’s investment in emerging countries may also be subject to withholding or other taxes, which may be significant and may reduce the return from an investment in such countries to the Fund.

 

Equity Securities 

Common Stock. Common stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. Common stock typically entitles the owner to vote on the election of directors and other important matters as well as to receive dividends on such stock. Common stock is issued by companies principally to raise cash for business purposes and represents a residual interest in the issuing company. A Fund participates in the success or failure of any company in which it holds stock. The prices of equity securities change in response to many factors, including the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer, the value of its assets, general economic conditions, interest rates, investor perceptions and market liquidity. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds, other debt holders, and owners of preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.

 

Growth Stock. To the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, a Fund may invest in equity securities of companies that the Fund’s Advisor or Subadvisor believes will experience relatively rapid earnings growth. Such “growth stocks” typically trade at higher multiples of current earnings than other securities. Therefore, the values of growth stocks may be more sensitive to changes in current or expected earnings than the values of other securities.

 

Large-Cap Stock. Although stocks issued by larger companies tend to have less overall volatility than stocks issued by smaller companies, larger companies may not be able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, especially during strong economic periods. In addition, larger companies may be less capable of responding quickly to competitive challenges and industry changes, and may suffer sharper price declines as a result of earnings disappointments. During a period when the performance of stocks issued by larger companies falls behind other types of investments, such as smaller capitalized companies, a Fund’s investments in large-cap issuers may be more likely to adversely affect its performance relative to funds investing in smaller cap companies.

 

Mid-Cap Stock. Stock prices of mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile than those of large-capitalization companies, therefore impacting the value of the Fund’s investment in mid-capitalization companies. Stock prices of mid-capitalization companies are also more vulnerable than those of large-capitalization companies to adverse business or economic developments, and the stocks of mid-capitalization companies may be less liquid, making it more difficult for the Fund to buy and sell them. In addition, mid-capitalization companies generally have less diverse product lines than large-capitalization companies and are more susceptible to adverse developments related to their products.

 

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Small Cap Stock. Stock prices of small-capitalization companies may be more volatile than those of larger companies and therefore a Fund’s share price may be more volatile than those of funds that invest a larger percentage of their assets in stocks issued by large- capitalization or mid-capitalization companies. Stock prices of small-capitalization companies are generally more vulnerable than those of large-capitalization or mid-capitalization companies to adverse business and economic developments. The stocks of small-capitalization companies may be thinly traded, making it difficult for the Funds to buy and sell them. In addition, small-capitalization companies are typically less financially stable than larger, more established companies and may depend on a small number of essential personnel, making them more vulnerable to loss of personnel. Small-capitalization companies also normally have less diverse product lines than those of large-capitalization companies and are more susceptible to adverse developments concerning their products.

 

Preferred Stock. Preferred stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. Preferred stock normally pays dividends at a specified rate and has precedence over common stock in the event the issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy. However, in the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock. Preferred stock, unlike common stock, often has a stated dividend rate payable from the issuer's earnings. Preferred stock dividends may be cumulative or noncumulative, participating or auction rate. "Cumulative" dividend provisions require all or a portion of prior unpaid dividends to be paid before dividends can be paid to the issuer's common stock. "Participating" preferred stock may be entitled to a dividend exceeding the stated dividend in certain cases. In some cases, preferred stock dividends are not paid at a stated rate and may vary depending on an issuer’s financial performance. If interest rates rise, the fixed dividend on preferred stocks may be less attractive, causing the price of such stocks to decline.

 

Preferred stock may have mandatory sinking fund provisions, as well as provisions allowing the stock to be called or redeemed, which can limit the benefit of a decline in interest rates. Preferred stock is subject to many of the risks to which common stock and debt securities are subject. In addition, a company’s preferred securities generally pay dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred securities will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred securities of larger companies.

 

Value Stock. To the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, a Fund may invest in companies that may not be expected to experience significant earnings growth, but whose securities the Fund’s Advisor or Subadvisor believes are selling at a price lower than their true value. Companies that issue such “value stocks” may have experienced adverse business developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused their securities to be out of favor. The principal risk of investing in value stocks is that they may never reach what a Fund's Advisor or Subadvisor believes is their full value or that they may go down in value. If the Fund’s Advisor or Subadvisor assessment of a company’s prospects is wrong, or if the market does not recognize the value of the company, the price of that company’s stocks may decline or may not approach the value that the Fund’s Advisor or Subadvisor anticipates.

 

Floating and Variable Rate Securities 

Floating and variable rate securities provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on the obligations. The terms of such obligations must provide that interest rates are adjusted periodically based upon an interest rate adjustment index as provided in the respective obligations. The adjustment intervals may be regular and range from daily up to annually, or may be based on an event, such as a change in the prime rate.

 

Some variable or floating rate securities are structured with liquidity features such as (1) put options or tender options that permit holders (sometimes subject to conditions) to demand payment of the unpaid principal balance plus accrued interest from the issuers or certain financial intermediaries or (2) auction rate features, remarketing provisions, or other maturity-shortening devices designed to enable the issuer to refinance or redeem outstanding debt securities (market dependent liquidity features). Variable or floating rate securities that include market-dependent liquidity features may have greater liquidity risk than other securities, due to (for example) the failure of a market-dependent liquidity feature to operate as intended (as a result of the issuer’s declining creditworthiness, adverse market conditions, or other factors) or the inability or unwillingness of a participating broker/dealer to make a Secondary Market for such securities. As a result, variable or floating rate securities that include market-dependent liquidity features may lose value and the holders of such securities may be required to retain them until the later of the repurchase date, the resale date, or maturity.

 

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The interest rate on a floating rate debt instrument (“floater”) is a variable rate that is tied to another interest rate, such as a money market index or Treasury bill rate. The interest rate on a floater may reset periodically, typically every three to six months, or whenever a specified interest rate changes. While, because of the interest rate reset feature, floaters provide a Fund with a certain degree of protection against rises in interest rates; a Fund will participate in any declines in interest rates as well.

 

Foreign Government and Supranational Entity Securities 

To the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, a Fund may invest in debt securities or obligations of foreign governments, agencies and supranational organizations ("Sovereign Debt"). A Fund's portfolio may include government securities of a number of foreign countries or, depending upon market conditions, those of a single country. Investments in Sovereign Debt can involve greater risks than investing in U.S. government securities. The issuer of the debt or the governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such debt, and a Fund may have limited legal recourse in the event of default.

 

The Advisor’s or Subadvisor’s determination that a particular country should be considered stable depends on its evaluation of political and economic developments affecting the country as well as recent experience in the markets for government securities of the country. The Advisor or Subadvisor does not believe that the credit risk inherent in the Sovereign Debt of such stable foreign governments is significantly greater than that of U.S. government securities. The percentage of a Fund's assets invested in foreign government securities will vary depending on the relative yields of such securities, the economies of the countries in which the investments are made and such countries' financial markets, the interest rate climate of such countries and the relationship of such countries' currencies to the U.S. dollar. Currency is judged on the basis of fundamental economic criteria (e.g., relative inflation levels and trends, growth rate forecasts, balance of payments status and economic policies) as well as technical and political data.

 

Debt securities of "quasi-governmental entities" are issued by entities owned by either a national, state or equivalent government or are obligations of a political unit that is not backed by the national government's full faith and credit and general taxing powers. Examples of quasi-governmental issuers include, among others, the Province of Ontario and the City of Stockholm. The Fund's portfolio may also include debt securities denominated in European Currency Units of an issuer in a country in which the Fund may invest. A European Currency Unit represents specified amounts of the currencies of certain member states of the European Union.

 

A "supranational entity" is an entity established or financially supported by the governments of several countries to promote reconstruction, economic development or trade. Examples of supranational entities include the World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development), the European Investment Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank and the European Coal and Steel Community. Typically, the governmental members, or "stockholders," make initial capital contributions to the supranational entity and may be committed to make additional contributions if the supranational entity is unable to repay its borrowings. There is no guarantee that one or more stockholders of a supranational entity will continue to make any necessary additional capital contributions or otherwise provide continued financial backing to the supranational entity. If such contributions or financial backing are not made, the entity may be unable to pay interest or repay principal on its debt securities. As a result, a Fund might lose money on such investments. In addition, if the securities of a supranational entity are denominated in a foreign currency, the obligations also will bear the risks of foreign currency investments. Securities issued by supranational entities may (or may not) constitute foreign securities for purposes of the Funds depending on a number of factors, including the countries that are members of the entity, the location of the primary office of the entity, the obligations of the members, the markets in which the securities trade, and whether, and to what extent, the performance of the securities is tied closely to the political or economic developments of a particular country or geographic region.

 

The occurrence of political, social or diplomatic changes in one or more of the countries issuing Sovereign Debt could adversely affect a Fund's investments. Political changes or a deterioration of a country's domestic economy or balance of trade may affect the willingness of countries to service their Sovereign Debt. While the Advisor or Subadvisor intend to manage a Fund’s portfolio in a manner that will minimize the exposure to such risks, there can be no assurance that adverse political changes will not cause a Fund to suffer a loss of interest or principal on any of its holdings.

 

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Foreign Securities  

Foreign investments involve special risks that are not typically associated with U.S. dollar-denominated or quoted securities of U.S. issuers. Foreign investments may be affected by changes in currency rates, changes in foreign or U.S. laws or restrictions applicable to such investments and changes in exchange control regulations (e.g., currency blockage). A decline in the exchange rate of the currency (i.e., weakening of the currency against the U.S. dollar) in which a portfolio security is quoted or denominated relative to the U.S. dollar would reduce the value of the portfolio security.

 

Brokerage commissions, custodial services and other costs relating to investment in international securities markets generally are more expensive than in the U.S. In addition, clearance and settlement procedures may be different in foreign countries and, in certain markets, such procedures have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, thus making it difficult to conduct such transactions.

 

There is generally less government supervision and regulation of foreign securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed and unlisted companies than in the U.S., and the legal remedies for investors may be more limited than the remedies available in the U.S. Foreign issuers are not generally subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers. Since foreign issuers generally are not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies, there may be less publicly available information about a foreign company than about a U.S. company. There may be less publicly available information about a foreign issuer than about a U.S. issuer. In addition, there is generally less government regulation of foreign markets, companies and securities dealers than in the U.S. and the legal remedies for investors may be more limited than the remedies available in the U.S.

 

Foreign securities markets may have substantially less volume than U.S. securities markets and securities of many foreign issuers are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable domestic issuers. Furthermore, with respect to certain foreign countries, there is a possibility of nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, imposition of withholding or other taxes on dividend or interest payments (or, in some cases, capital gains distributions), limitations on the removal of funds or other assets from such countries, and risks of political or social instability or diplomatic developments which could adversely affect investments in those countries.

 

Investments in foreign securities may offer potential benefits not available from investments solely in U.S. dollar-denominated or quoted securities of domestic issuers. Such benefits may include the opportunity to invest in foreign issuers that appear to offer the opportunity for potential long-term growth of capital and income, the opportunity to invest in foreign countries with economic policies or business cycles different from those of the U.S. and the opportunity to take advantage of foreign stock markets that do not necessarily move in a manner parallel to U.S. markets.

 

Foreign Currency Forward Exchange Contracts

A foreign currency forward exchange contract (a "forward contract") involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days (usually less than one year) from the contract date, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts may be used to gain exposure to a particular currency or to hedge against the risk of loss due to changing currency exchange rates.

 

Forward contracts to purchase or sell a foreign currency may also be used by a Fund in anticipation of future purchases (or in settlement of such purchases) or sales of securities denominated in foreign currency, even if the specific investments have not yet been selected. Forward currency contracts may also be used to exchange one currency for another, including to repatriate foreign currency. A forward contract generally has no deposit requirement and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (the spread) between the price at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Although these contracts are intended, when used for hedging purposes, to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currencies, they also tend to limit any potential gain which might result should the value of such currencies increase.

 

Foreign currency transactions in which a Fund may engage, to the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, include foreign currency forward contracts, currency exchange transactions on a spot (i.e., cash) basis, put and call options on foreign currencies and foreign exchange futures contracts. A Fund also may use foreign currency transactions to increase exposure to a foreign currency or to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another.

 

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To the extent that a Fund invests in foreign securities, it may enter into foreign currency forward contracts in order to increase its return by trading in foreign currencies and/or protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates. A Fund may also enter into contracts to purchase foreign currencies to protect against an anticipated rise in the U.S. dollar price of securities it intends to purchase and may enter into contracts to sell foreign currencies to protect against the decline in value of its foreign currency-denominated portfolio securities due to a decline in the value of the foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar. In addition, a Fund may use one currency (or a basket of currencies) to hedge against adverse changes in the value of another currency (or a basket of currencies) when exchange rates between the two currencies are correlated.

 

Normally, consideration of fair value exchange rates will be incorporated in a longer-term investment decision made with regard to overall diversification strategies. However, the Advisor or Subadvisor believe that it is important to have the flexibility to enter into such forward contracts when they determine that the best interest of a Fund will be served by entering into such a contract. Set forth below are examples of some circumstances in which a Fund might employ a foreign currency transaction. When a Fund enters into, or anticipates entering into, a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency, it may desire to "lock in" the U.S. dollar price of the security. By entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale, for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars, of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying security transaction, a Fund will be able to insulate itself from a possible loss resulting from a change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the subject foreign currency during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received, although a Fund would also forego any gain it might have realized had rates moved in the opposite direction. This technique is sometimes referred to as a "settlement" hedge or "transaction" hedge.

 

At the consummation of the forward contract, a Fund may either make delivery of the foreign currency or terminate its contractual obligation to deliver the foreign currency by purchasing an offsetting contract obligating it to purchase at the same maturity date the same amount of such foreign currency. If a Fund chooses to make delivery of the foreign currency, it may be required to obtain such currency for delivery through the sale of portfolio securities denominated in such currency or through conversion of other assets of the Fund into such currency. If a Fund engages in an offsetting transaction, the Fund will realize a gain or a loss to the extent that there has been a change in forward contract prices. Closing purchase transactions with respect to forward contracts are usually effected with the currency trader who is a party to the original forward contract. A Fund will only enter into such a forward contract if it is expected that there will be a liquid market in which to close out the contract. However, there can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist in which to close a forward contract, in which case a Fund may suffer a loss.

 

When a Fund has sold a foreign currency, a similar process would be followed at the consummation of the forward contract. Of course, a Fund is not required to enter into such transactions with regard to its foreign currency-denominated securities and will not do so unless deemed appropriate by the Advisor or Subadvisor.

 

While a Fund may enter into forward contracts to reduce currency exchange risks, changes in currency exchange rates may result in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not engaged in such transactions. Exchange rate movements can be large, depending on the currency, and can last for extended periods of time, affecting the value of a Fund's assets. Moreover, there may be an imperfect correlation between a Fund's portfolio holdings of securities denominated in a particular currency and forward contracts entered into by the Fund. Such imperfect correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving the intended hedge or expose the Fund to the risk of currency exchange loss.

 

A Fund cannot assure that their use of currency management will always be successful. Successful use of currency management strategies will depend on the Advisor’s or Subadvisor's skill in analyzing currency values. Currency management strategies may substantially change a Fund's investment exposure to changes in currency exchange rates and could result in losses to a Fund if currencies do not perform as the Advisor or Subadvisor anticipates. For example, if a currency's value rose at a time when the Advisor or Subadvisor had hedged a Fund by selling that currency in exchange for dollars, a Fund would not participate in the currency's appreciation. If the Advisor or Subadvisor hedges currency exposure through proxy hedges, a Fund could realize currency losses from both the hedge and the security position if the two currencies do not move in tandem. Similarly, if the Advisor or Subadvisor increases a Fund's exposure to a foreign currency and that currency's value declines, a Fund will realize a loss. There is no assurance that the Advisor’s or Subadvisor's use of currency management strategies will be advantageous to a Fund or that it will hedge at appropriate times. The forecasting of currency market movement is extremely difficult, and whether any hedging strategy will be successful is highly uncertain. Moreover, it is impossible to forecast with precision the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration of a foreign currency forward contract. Accordingly, a Fund may be required to buy or sell additional currency on the spot market (and bear the expense of such transaction) if the Advisor or Subadvisor predictions regarding the movement of foreign currency or securities markets prove inaccurate. In addition, the use of cross-hedging transactions may involve special risks, and may leave a Fund in a less advantageous position than if such a hedge had not been established. Because foreign currency forward contracts are privately negotiated transactions, there can be no assurance that a Fund will have flexibility to roll-over a foreign currency forward contract upon its expiration if it desires to do so. Additionally, these contracts are subject to counterparty risks as there can be no assurance that the other party to the contract will perform its services thereunder. Certain foreign currency forwards may eventually be exchange-traded and cleared. Although these changes are expected to decrease the credit risk and liquidity risk involved in bilaterally negotiated contracts, exchange-trading and clearing would not make the contracts risk-free. A Fund may hold a portion of its assets in bank deposits denominated in foreign currencies, so as to facilitate investment in foreign securities as well as protect against currency fluctuations and the need to convert such assets into U.S. dollars (thereby also reducing transaction costs). To the extent these monies are converted back into U.S. dollars, the value of the assets so maintained will be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in foreign currency exchange rates and exchange control regulations.

 

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Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts  

As a part of its principal investment strategy, a Fund may purchase and sell futures contracts and may also purchase and write call and put options on futures contracts. A Fund may purchase and sell futures contracts based on various securities, securities indices, foreign currencies and other financial instruments and indices. A Fund may also enter into closing purchase and sale transactions with respect to such contracts and options. The Advisor, with respect to each Fund, has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act and, therefore, is not subject to registration or regulation as a pool operator under that Act with respect to each Fund.

 

Futures contracts entered into by a Fund have historically been traded on U.S. exchanges or boards of trade that are licensed and regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) or, with respect to certain funds, on foreign exchanges. More recently, certain futures may also be traded either over-the-counter or on trading facilities such as degrees by the CFTC. Also, certain single stock futures and narrow based security index futures may be traded either over-the-counter or on trading facilities such as contract markets, derivatives transaction execution facilities and electronic trading facilities that are licensed and/or regulated to varying degrees by both the CFTC and the SEC, or on foreign exchanges.

 

Neither the CFTC, the National Futures Association, the SEC nor any domestic exchange regulates activities of any foreign exchange or boards of trade, including the execution, delivery and clearing of transactions, or has the power to compel enforcement of the rules of a foreign exchange or board of trade or any applicable foreign law. This is true even if the exchange is formally linked to a domestic market so that a position taken on the market may be liquidated by a transaction on another market. Moreover, such laws or regulations will vary depending on the foreign country in which the foreign futures or foreign options transaction occurs. For these reasons, a Fund’s investments in foreign futures or foreign options transactions may not be provided the same protections in respect of transactions on U.S. exchanges. In particular, persons who trade foreign futures or foreign options contracts may not be afforded certain of the protective measures provided by the Commodity Exchange Act, the CFTC’s regulations and the rules of the National Futures Association and any domestic exchange, including the right to use reparations proceedings before the CFTC and arbitration proceedings provided by the National Futures Association or any domestic futures exchange. Similarly, those persons may not have the protection of the U.S. securities laws.

 

Futures Contracts. A futures contract may generally be described as an agreement between two parties to buy and sell particular financial instruments for an agreed price during a designated month (or to deliver the final cash settlement price, in the case of a contract relating to an index or otherwise not calling for physical delivery at the end of trading in the contract).

 

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Positions taken in the futures market are not normally held to maturity, but are instead liquidated through offsetting transactions which may result in a profit or a loss. While a Fund will usually liquidate futures contracts on securities or currency in this manner, a Fund may instead make or take delivery of the underlying securities or currency whenever it appears economically advantageous for the Fund to do so. A clearing corporation associated with the exchange on which futures are traded guarantees that, if still open, the sale or purchase will be performed on the settlement date.

 

Hedging Strategies. Hedging, by use of futures contracts, seeks to establish with more certainty than would otherwise be possible the effective price, rate of return or currency exchange rate on portfolio securities or securities that a Fund owns or proposes to acquire. A Fund may, for example, take a “short” position in the futures market by selling futures contracts to seek to hedge against an anticipated rise in interest rates or a decline in market prices or foreign currency rates that would adversely affect the dollar value of a Fund’s portfolio securities. Similarly, a Fund may sell futures contracts on a currency in which its portfolio securities are quoted or denominated, or sell futures contracts on one currency to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the value of securities quoted or denominated in a different currency if there is an established historical pattern of correlation between the two currencies. When hedging of this character is successful, any depreciation in the value of portfolio securities will be substantially offset by appreciation in the value of the futures position. On the other hand, any unanticipated appreciation in the value of a Fund’s portfolio securities would be substantially offset by a decline in the value of the futures position.

 

Options on Futures Contracts. The acquisition of put and call options on futures contracts will give a Fund the right (but not the obligation), for a specified price, to sell or to purchase, respectively, the underlying futures contract at any time during the option period. As the purchaser of an option on a futures contract, a Fund obtains the benefit of the futures position if prices move in a favorable direction but limits its risk of loss in the event of an unfavorable price movement to the loss of the premium and transaction costs.

 

The writing of a call option on a futures contract generates a premium which may partially offset a decline in the value of a Fund’s assets. By writing a call option, a Fund becomes obligated, in exchange for the premium, to sell a futures contract if the option is exercised, which may have a value higher than the exercise price. The writing of a put option on a futures contract generates a premium, which may partially offset an increase in the price of securities that a Fund intends to purchase. However, a Fund becomes obligated (upon the exercise of the option) to purchase a futures contract if the option is exercised, which may have a value lower than the exercise price. Thus, the loss incurred by a Fund in writing options on futures is potentially unlimited and may exceed the amount of the premium received. A Fund will incur transaction costs in connection with the writing of options on futures.

 

There are several risks associated with the use of futures contracts and options on futures contracts as hedging techniques, including market price, interest rate, leverage, liquidity, counterparty, operational and legal risks. There can be no assurance that hedging strategies using futures will be successful. A purchase or sale of a futures contract may result in losses in excess of the amount invested in the futures contract, which in some cases may be unlimited. There can be no guarantee that there will be a correlation between price movements in the hedging vehicle and in a Fund's assets being hedged, even if the hedging vehicle closely correlates with a Fund's investments, such as with stock index futures contracts. If the price of a futures contract changes more than the price of the securities, assets or currencies, a Fund will experience either a loss or a gain on the futures contracts that will not be completely offset by changes in the price of the securities, assets or currencies that are the subject of the hedge. An incorrect correlation could result in a loss on both the hedged securities, assets or currencies and the hedging vehicle so that the portfolio return might have been better had hedging not been attempted. It is not possible to hedge fully or perfectly against currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies because the value of such securities is likely to fluctuate as a result of independent factors not related to currency fluctuations. In addition, there are significant differences between the securities and futures markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between the markets, causing a given hedge not to achieve its objectives. The degree of imperfection of correlation depends on circumstances such as variations in speculative market demand for futures and options on securities, including technical influences in futures trading and options, and differences between the financial instruments being hedged and the instruments underlying the standard contracts available for trading in such respects as interest rate levels, maturities and creditworthiness of issuers. A decision as to whether, when and how to hedge involves the exercise of skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived hedge may be unsuccessful to some degree because of market behavior or unexpected interest rate trends. It is also possible that, when a Fund has sold stock index futures to hedge its portfolio against a decline in the market, the market may advance while the value of the particular securities held in the Fund's portfolio might decline. If this were to occur, a Fund would incur a loss on the futures contracts and also experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities.

 

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Futures exchanges may limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in certain futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day's settlement price at the end of the current trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a futures contract subject to the limit, no more trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movements during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses because the limit may work to prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. For example, futures prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting some holders of futures contracts to substantial losses.

 

There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist at a time when a Fund seeks to close out a futures contract or a futures option position. If no liquid market exists, a Fund would remain obligated to meet margin requirements until the position is closed.

 

Also, in the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of a futures commission merchant that holds margin on behalf of a Fund, the Fund may not be entitled to the return of all the margin owed to the Fund, potentially resulting in a loss.

 

In addition to the risks that apply to all options transactions, there are several special risks relating to options on futures contracts. Although the Funds generally will purchase only those options and futures contracts for which there appears to be an active market, there is no assurance that a liquid market on an exchange will exist for any particular option or futures contract at any particular time. In the event no such market exists for particular options, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions in such options with the result that a Fund would have to exercise options it has purchased in order to realize any profit and would be less able to limit its exposure to losses on options it has written.

 

High Yield Securities  

Typically, high yield debt securities (sometimes called "junk bonds") are rated below investment grade by one or more of a NRSRO or, if not rated, are determined to be of comparable quality by the Advisor or Subadvisor and are generally considered to be speculative. Investment in lower rated corporate debt securities typically provide greater income and increased opportunity for capital appreciation than investments in higher quality securities, but they also typically entail greater price volatility and principal and income risk. These high yield securities are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments.

 

Investment in high yield/high risk bonds involves special risks in addition to the risks associated with investments in higher rated debt securities. High yield/high risk bonds may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than higher grade bonds. The prices of high yield/high risk bonds have been found to be less sensitive to interest-rate changes than more highly rated investments, but more sensitive to adverse economic downturns or individual corporate developments.

 

The secondary market on which high yield/high risk bonds are traded may be less liquid than the market for higher grade bonds. Less liquidity in the secondary trading market could adversely affect the price at which a Fund could sell a high yield/high risk bond, and could adversely affect and cause large fluctuations in the Fund's daily NAV. A projection of an economic downturn or of a period of rising interest rates, for example, could cause a decline in high yield/high risk bond prices because the advent of a recession could lessen the ability of a highly leveraged company to make principal and interest payments on its debt securities.

 

Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of high yield/high risk bonds, especially in a thinly traded market.

 

Some high yield securities are issued by smaller, less-seasoned companies, while others are issued as part of a corporate restructuring, such as an acquisition, merger, or leveraged buyout. Companies that issue high yield securities are often highly leveraged and may not have available to them more traditional methods of financing. Therefore, the risk associated with acquiring the securities of such issuers generally is greater than is the case with investment-grade securities. Some high yield securities were once rated as investment-grade but have been downgraded to junk bond status because of financial difficulties experienced by their issuers.

 

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If the issuer of high yield/high risk bonds defaults, a Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. In the case of high yield/high risk bonds structured as zero coupon or payment-in-kind securities, the market prices of such securities are affected to a greater extent by interest rate changes, and therefore tend to be more volatile than securities that pay interest periodically and in cash.

 

Analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of high yield/high risk bonds may be more complex than for issuers of higher quality debt securities, and the ability of a Fund to achieve its investment objective may, to the extent of its investment in high yield/high risk bonds, be more dependent upon such creditworthiness analysis than would be the case if the Fund were investing in higher quality bonds. 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 such valuation may require more research, and elements of judgment may play a greater role in the valuation because there is less reliable, objective data available.

 

The use of credit ratings as the sole method for evaluating high yield/high risk bonds also involves certain risks. For example, credit ratings evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments, not the market value risk of high yield/high risk bonds. Also, credit rating agencies may fail to change credit ratings on a timely basis to reflect subsequent events. If a credit rating agency changes the rating of a portfolio security held by a Fund, the Fund may retain the portfolio security if the Advisor or Subadvisor, where applicable, deems it in the best interest of the Fund's shareholders. Legislation designed to limit the use of high yield/high risk bonds in corporate transactions may have a material adverse effect on a Fund's NAV per share and investment practices.

 

In addition, there may be special tax considerations associated with investing in high yield/high risk bonds structured as zero coupon or payment- in-kind securities. A Fund records the interest on these securities annually as income even though it receives no cash interest until the security's maturity or payment date. As a result, the amounts that have accrued each year are required to be distributed to shareholders and such amounts will be taxable to shareholders. Therefore, a Fund may have to sell some of its assets to distribute cash to shareholders. These actions are likely to reduce the Fund's assets and may thereby increase its expense ratios and decrease its rate of return.

 

Please see Appendix A of this SAI for a general description of rating categories from various NRSROs.

 

Illiquid Securities 

Illiquid securities may include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets, as determined in accordance with SEC staff guidance. The liquidity of a security relates to the ability to readily dispose of the security and the price to be obtained upon disposition of the security, which may be lower than the price that would be obtained for a comparable, more liquid security. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount to comparable, more liquid securities and a Fund may not be able to dispose of illiquid securities in a timely fashion or at their expected prices.

 

Inflation/Deflation Risk 

A Fund's investments may be subject to inflation risk, which is the risk that the real value (i.e., nominal price of the asset adjusted for inflation) of assets or income from investments will be less in the future because inflation decreases the purchasing power and value of money (i.e., as inflation increases, the real value of a Fund's assets can decline). Inflation rates may change frequently and significantly as a result of various factors, including unexpected shifts in the domestic or global economy and changes in monetary or economic policies (or expectations that these policies may change). A Fund's investments may not keep pace with inflation, which would adversely affect the real value of Fund shareholders’ investment in the Fund. This risk is greater for fixed-income instruments with longer maturities.

 

Deflation risk is the risk that prices throughout the economy decline over time. Deflation may have an adverse effect on the creditworthiness of issuers and may make issuer default more likely, which may result in a decline in the value of a Fund's assets.

 

Infrastructure Industry Risk 

Investments in infrastructure-related businesses have greater exposure to adverse economic, regulatory, political, legal and other changes affecting the issuers of infrastructure-related securities. Infrastructure-related businesses are subject to a variety of factors that may adversely affect their business or operations, including high interest costs in connection with capital construction programs, costs associated with environmental and other regulations, the effects of economic slowdown and surplus capacity, increased competition from other providers of services, uncertainties concerning the availability of fuel at reasonable prices, the effects of energy conservation policies and other factors. Additionally, infrastructure-related entities may be subject to regulation by various governmental authorities and may also be affected by governmental regulation of rates charged to customers, service interruption and/or legal challenges due to environmental, operational or other mishaps and the imposition of special tariffs and changes in tax laws, regulatory policies and accounting standards as well as federal and state or local funding for infrastructure projects. There is also the risk that corruption may negatively affect publicly-funded infrastructure projects, resulting in delays and cost overruns.

 

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Specific infrastructure assets in which each Fund invests may be subject to the following additional risks:

 

communication infrastructure companies are subject to risks involving changes in government regulation, competition, dependency on patent protection, equipment incompatibility, changing consumer preferences, technological obsolescence and large capital expenditures and debt burdens.

 

energy infrastructure companies are subject to adverse changes in fuel prices, the effects of energy conservation policies and other risks, such as increased regulation, negative effects of economic slowdowns, reduced demand, cleanup and litigation costs as a result of environmental damage, changing and international politics and regulatory policies of various governments. Natural disasters or terrorist attacks damaging sources of energy supplies will also negatively impact energy companies.

 

social infrastructure companies are subject to government regulation and the costs of compliance with such regulations and delays or failures in receiving required regulatory approvals. The enactment of new or additional regulatory requirements may negatively affect the business of a social infrastructure company.

 

transportation infrastructure companies can be significantly affected by economic changes, fuel prices, labor relations, insurance costs and government regulations. Transportation infrastructure companies will also be negatively impacted by natural disasters or terrorist attacks.

 

utility company revenues and costs are subject to regulation by states and other regulators. Regulatory authorities also may restrict a company’s access to new markets. Utilities companies may incur unexpected increases in fuel and other operating costs. Utilities are also subject to considerable costs associated with environmental compliance, nuclear waste clean-up and safety regulation.

 

Initial Public Offerings 

Initial public offerings ("IPOs") of securities occur when a company first offers its securities to the public. Although companies can be any age or size at the time of their IPO, they are often smaller and have limited operating histories, which may involve a greater potential for the value of their securities to be impaired following the IPO.

 

Investors in IPOs can be adversely affected by substantial dilution in the value of their shares, by the issuance of additional shares and by concentration of control in existing management and principal shareholders. In addition, all of the factors that affect stock market performance may have a greater impact on the shares of IPO companies.

 

The price of a company's securities may be highly unstable at the time of its IPO and for a period thereafter due to market psychology prevailing at the time of the IPO, the absence of a prior public market, the small number of shares available and limited availability of investor information. As a result of this or other factors, a Fund's Advisor or Subadvisor might decide to sell a security issued through an IPO more quickly than it would otherwise, which may result in a significant gain or loss and greater transaction costs to the Fund. Any gains from shares held for one year or less may be treated as short-term gains, and be taxable as ordinary income to a Fund's shareholders. In addition, IPO securities may be subject to varying patterns of trading volume and may, at times, be difficult to sell without an unfavorable impact on prevailing prices.

 

The effect of an IPO investment can have a magnified impact on a Fund's performance if the Fund's asset base is small. Consequently, IPOs may constitute a significant portion of a Fund's returns particularly when the Fund is small. Since the number of securities issued in an IPO is limited, it is likely that IPO securities will represent a small component of a Fund's assets as it increases in size and therefore have a more limited effect on the Fund's performance.

 

There can be no assurance that IPOs will continue to be available for a Fund to purchase. The number or quality of IPOs available for purchase by a Fund may vary, decrease or entirely disappear. In some cases, a Fund may not be able to purchase IPOs at the offering price, but may have to purchase the shares in the after-market at a price greatly exceeding the offering price, making it more difficult for the Fund to realize a profit.

 

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Lending of Portfolio Securities 

To the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, a Fund may lend portfolio securities constituting up to 33-1/3% of its total assets (as permitted by the 1940 Act). Under present regulatory policies, such loans may be made to institutions, such as brokers or dealers, pursuant to agreements requiring the loans to be continuously secured by collateral in cash, securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, irrevocable bank letters of credit (upon consent of the Board) or any combination thereof, marked to market daily, at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. Cash received as collateral for securities lending transactions may be invested in liquid, short-term investments approved by the Advisor or Subadvisor.

 

Investing the collateral subjects a Fund to risks, and the Fund will be responsible for any loss that may result from its investment of the borrowed collateral. As with other extensions of credit, there are risks of delay in recovery of, or even loss of rights in, the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially or breach its agreement with a Fund. A Fund also bears the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all, either because the borrower fails financially or for other reasons, such as the financial failure of the securities lending agent. A Fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the loaned securities or in gaining access to and liquidating the collateral, which could result in actual financial loss and which could interfere with portfolio management decisions or the exercise of ownership rights in the loaned securities.

 

While securities are on loan, each Fund is subject to: the risk that the borrower may default on the loan and that the collateral could be inadequate in the event the borrower defaults; the risk that the earnings on any cash collateral invested may not be sufficient to pay fees incurred in connection with the loan; the risk that the principal value of any cash collateral invested may decline and may not be sufficient to pay back the borrower for amount of the collateral posted; the risk that the borrower may use the loaned securities to cover a short sale which may place downward pressure on the market prices of the loaned securities; the risk that return of loaned securities could be delayed and could interfere with portfolio management decisions; and the risk that any efforts to recall the securities for purposes of voting may not be effective. A Fund will have the right to terminate a loan at any time and recall the loaned securities within the normal and customary settlement time for securities transactions.

 

For the duration of a loan, a Fund will continue to receive the equivalent of the interest or dividends paid by the issuer on the securities loaned and will also receive compensation from investment of the collateral. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for a Fund.

 

A Fund will generally not have the right to vote securities during the existence of the loan, but the Advisor or Subadvisor may call the loan to exercise the Fund’s voting or consent rights on material matters affecting the Fund’s investment in such loaned securities.

 

Loans will be made only to firms deemed creditworthy, and when the consideration which can be earned from securities loans is deemed to justify the attendant risk. The creditworthiness of a borrower will be considered in determining whether to lend portfolio securities and will be monitored during the period of the loan. It is intended that the value of securities loaned by a Fund will not exceed one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the loan collateral). Loan collateral (including any investment of the collateral) is not subject to the percentage limitations stated elsewhere in this SAI or the Prospectus regarding investing in fixed-income securities and cash equivalents.

 

Liquidation of a Fund 

The Board may determine to close and liquidate a Fund at any time, which may have adverse consequences for shareholders. In the event of the liquidation of a Fund, shareholders will receive a liquidating distribution in cash or in-kind equal to their proportionate interest in the Fund. A liquidating distribution may be a taxable event to shareholders, resulting in a gain or loss for tax purposes, depending upon a shareholder’s basis in his or her Shares of a Fund. A shareholder of a liquidating Fund will be entitled to any refund or reimbursement of expenses borne, directly or indirectly, by the shareholder (such as sales loads, account fees, or fund expenses), and a shareholder may receive an amount in liquidation less than the shareholder’s original investment.

 

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Market Disruption Risk and Recent Market Events 

Geopolitical and other events, including war, terrorism, economic uncertainty, trade disputes, public health crises and related geopolitical events have led, and in the future may lead, to disruptions in the U.S. and world economies and markets, which may increase financial market volatility and have significant adverse direct or indirect effects on a Fund and its investments. Market disruptions could cause a Fund to lose money, experience significant redemptions, and encounter operational difficulties. Although multiple asset classes may be affected by a market disruption, the duration and effects may not be the same for all types of assets.

 

Recent market disruption events include the pandemic spread of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19, and the significant restrictions, market volatility, decreased economic and other activity and increased government activity that it has caused. While vaccines have been developed, there is no guarantee that vaccines will be effective against emerging future variants of the disease. As this global pandemic illustrated, such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others.

 

Ongoing armed conflicts between Russia and Ukraine in Europe and among Israel, Hamas and other militant groups in the Middle East, have caused and could continue to cause significant market disruptions and volatility within the markets in Russia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The hostilities and resulting sanctions have and could continue to have a significant impact on a Fund’s investments as well as Fund performance and liquidity. The economies of the United States and its trading partners, as well as the financial markets generally, may be adversely impacted by trade disputes and other matters. Further, large corporations and U.S. and foreign governmental entities may divest interests or otherwise curtail business dealings in these countries. These events may result in a loss of liquidity and value of these countries’ securities and, in some cases, a complete inability to trade or settle trades in such securities.

 

Changing interest rate environments (whether downward or upward) impact the various sectors of the economy in different ways. For example, low interest rate environments tend to be a positive factor for the equity markets, whereas high interest rate environments tend to apply downward pressure on earnings and stock prices. Likewise, during periods when interest rates are increasing (rather than stagnant in a high or low interest rate environment), the price of fixed income investments tend to fall as investors begin to seek higher-yielding investments. Accordingly, a Fund is subject to heightened interest rate risk during periods of low interest rates. During rising interest rate environments, the Funds may be adversely affected, especially those Funds that are more susceptible to interest rate risk (e.g., those funds that hold fixed income investments or that invest in equity securities of issuers who are adversely affected by rising interest rates). As a means to fight inflation, which remains at elevated levels, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks have raised interest rates and may continue to do so. U.S. regulators have proposed several changes to market and issuer regulations which would directly impact a Fund, and any regulatory changes could adversely impact a Fund’s ability to achieve its investment strategies or make certain investments.

 

Recent and potential future bank failures could result in disruption to the broader banking industry or markets generally and reduce confidence in financial institutions and the economy as a whole, which may also heighten market volatility and reduce liquidity. Events in the financial sector may result in reduced liquidity in the credit, fixed-income and other financial markets and an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestically and internationally. Certain isolated events in a financial market may also result in systemic adverse consequences across broader segments of the financial markets (domestically, regionally, or globally) in unanticipated or unforeseen ways. Such events may result from unregulated markets, systemic risk, natural market forces, bad actors, or other unforeseen scenarios.

 

Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”) 

To the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, a Fund may invest in certain companies that are structured as MLPs in which ownership interests are publicly traded. MLPs often own several properties or businesses (or directly own interests) that are related to real estate development and oil and gas industries, but they also may finance motion pictures, research and development and other projects. Generally, an MLP is operated under the supervision of one or more managing general partners. Limited partners (like a Fund when it invests in an MLP) are not involved in the day-to-day management of the partnership. They are allocated income and capital gains associated with the partnership project in accordance with the terms established in the partnership agreement. The risks of investing in an MLP are generally those inherent in investing in a partnership as opposed to a corporation. For example, state law governing partnerships is often less restrictive than state law governing corporations. Accordingly, there may be less protections afforded investors in an MLP than investors in a corporation. Additional risks involved with investing in an MLP are risks associated with the specific industry or industries in which the partnership invests, such as the risks of investing in real estate, or oil and gas industries.

 

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MLPs are generally not subject to tax at the partnership level. Rather, each partner is allocated a share of the MLP’s income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses. A change in current tax law, or a change in the underlying business of a given MLP could result in the MLP being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes, which would result in such MLP being subject to U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income. Such treatment also would have the effect of reducing the amount of cash available for distribution by the affected MLP. Thus, if any MLP owned by a Fund were treated as a corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes, such treatment could result in a reduction in the value of the Fund’s investment in such MLP.

 

Merger, Reorganization or Liquidation of a Fund

The Board may determine to merge or reorganize a Fund, or to close and liquidate a Fund at any time, which may have adverse consequences for shareholders. In the event of the liquidation of a Fund, shareholders who remain in the Fund will receive a liquidating distribution equal to their proportionate interest in the Fund. A liquidating distribution may be a taxable event to shareholders who hold their shares in a non-tax advantage account resulting in a gain or loss for tax purposes. In addition, shareholders who hold shares of the Fund may receive a final distribution of net income and capital gains earned by the Fund and not previously distributed prior to liquidation. A shareholder may receive an amount in liquidation less than the shareholder’s original investment. Shareholders should consult their tax advisor regarding the tax treatment of the liquidation.

 

Money Market Instruments 

To the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, a Fund may invest a portion of its assets in high-quality money market instruments on an ongoing basis, when it would be more efficient or less expensive for a Fund to do so, or as collateral for financial instruments, for liquidity purposes, or to earn interest. The instruments in which a Fund may invest include: (1) short-term obligations issued by the U.S. government; (2) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances of U.S. and foreign banks and similar institutions; (3) commercial paper; (4) repurchase agreements; and (5) 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 Dollar Rolls 

A mortgage dollar roll ("MDR") is a transaction in which a Fund sells mortgage-related securities from its portfolio to a counterparty from whom it simultaneously agrees to buy a similar security on a delayed delivery basis. MDR transactions involve certain risks, including the risk that the mortgage-related securities returned to the Fund at the end of the roll, while substantially similar, could be inferior to what was initially sold to the counterparty.

 

Mortgage-Related Securities 

Typically, mortgage-related securities are interests in pools of residential or commercial mortgage loans or leases, including mortgage loans made by savings and loans institutions, mortgage bankers, commercial banks and others. Pools of mortgage loans are assembled as securities for sale to investors by various governmental, government-related and private organizations (“mortgage passthrough securities”).

 

Like other fixed-income securities, when interest rates rise, the value of a mortgage-related security generally will decline. However, when interest rates are declining, the value of a mortgage-related security with prepayment features may not increase as much as other fixed-income securities. The value of these securities may be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, the market’s perception of issuers, the creditworthiness of the parties involved and the value of real property or other collateral underlying the mortgage-related security. Some securities may have a structure that makes their reaction to interest rate changes and other factors difficult to predict, making their value highly volatile. These securities may also be subject to prepayment risk and, if the security has been purchased at a premium, the amount of the premium would be lost in the event of prepayment.

 

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Investment in mortgage-backed securities poses several risks, including prepayment, extension risk, market risk, and credit risk. Prepayment risk reflects the chance that borrowers may prepay their mortgages faster than expected, thereby affecting the investment’s average life and perhaps its yield. Whether or not a mortgage loan is prepaid is almost entirely controlled by the borrower. Besides the effect of prevailing interest rates, the rate of prepayment and refinancing of mortgages may also be affected by changes in home values, ease of the refinancing process and local economic conditions.

 

Credit risk reflects the chance that a Fund may not receive all or part of its principal because the issuer or credit enhancer has defaulted on its obligations. Obligations issued by U.S. government-related entities are guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest, but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The performance of private label mortgage-backed securities, issued by private institutions, is based on the financial health of those institutions.

 

Rating agencies, from time to time, may place on credit watch or downgrade the ratings previously assigned to a mortgage-related security. If a mortgage-related security in which a Fund is invested is placed on credit watch or downgraded, the value of the security may decline, and the Fund may experience losses.

 

To the extent that mortgages underlying a mortgage-related security are so-called “subprime mortgages” (i.e., mortgages granted to borrowers whose credit history is not sufficient to obtain a conventional mortgage), the risk of default is higher. Subprime mortgages also have higher serious delinquency rates than prime loans.

 

Adverse economic conditions may reduce the cash flow that a Fund investing in such mortgage-related securities receives from such securities and increase the incidence and severity of credit events and losses in respect of such securities. In addition, certain adverse economic conditions may result in interest rate spreads for mortgage-backed securities being widened and becoming more volatile. In the event that interest rate spreads for mortgage-related securities widen following the purchase of such assets by a Fund, the market value of such securities is likely to decline and, in the case of a substantial spread widening, could decline by a substantial amount. Furthermore, adverse changes in market conditions may result in a severe liquidity crisis in the market for mortgage-backed securities (including the mortgage-related securities in which a Fund may invest) and an unwillingness by banks, financial institutions and investors to extend credit to servicers, originators and other participants in the mortgage-related securities market for these securities and other asset-backed securities. As a result, the liquidity and/or the market value of any mortgage-related securities that are owned by a Fund may experience declines after they are purchased by such Fund.

 

Legislative, regulatory and enforcement actions seeking to prevent or restrict foreclosures may adversely affect the value of mortgage-backed securities held by a Fund. Future legislative or regulatory initiatives by federal, state or local legislative bodies or administrative agencies, if enacted or adopted, could delay foreclosure or the exercise of other remedies, provide new defenses to foreclosure, or otherwise impair the ability of the loan servicer to foreclose or realize on a defaulted residential mortgage loan included in a pool of residential mortgage loans backing such residential mortgage-backed securities. The nature or extent of any future limitations on foreclosure or exercise of other remedies that may be enacted is uncertain. Governmental actions that interfere with the foreclosure process, for example, could increase the costs of such foreclosures or exercise of other remedies, could delay the timing or reduce the amount of recoveries on defaulted residential mortgage loans and securities backed by such residential mortgage loans owned by a Fund, which could adversely affect the yields on the mortgage-related securities owned by the Funds and could have the effect of reducing returns to the Funds, that have invested in mortgage-related securities collateralized by these residential mortgage loans.

 

Mortgage Pass-Through Securities. To the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, a Fund may invest in mortgage pass-through securities. Mortgage pass-through securities are interests in pools of mortgage-related securities. Unlike interests in other forms of debt securities, which normally provide for periodic payment of interest in fixed amounts with the payment of principal being made at maturity or specified call dates, these securities provide a monthly payment that consists of both interest and principal payments. In effect, these payments are a "pass-through" of the monthly payments made by the individual borrowers on their residential mortgage loans, net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of such securities. Additional payments are caused by repayments of principal resulting from the sale of the underlying residential property, refinancing or foreclosure, net of fees or costs that may be incurred. Some mortgage-related securities (such as securities issued by GNMA) are described as "modified pass-through." These securities entitle the holder to receive all interest and principal payments owed on the mortgage pool, net of certain fees, at the scheduled payment dates regardless of whether or not the mortgagor actually makes the payment. Some mortgage pass-through certificates may include securities backed by adjustable-rate mortgages that bear interest at a rate that will be adjusted periodically.

 

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Early repayment of principal on mortgage pass-through securities (arising from prepayments of principal due to sale of the underlying property, refinancing, or foreclosure, net of fees and costs that may be incurred) may expose a Fund to a lower rate of return upon reinvestment of principal. Also, if a security subject to prepayment has been purchased at a premium, in the event of prepayment, the value of the premium would be lost. Reinvestments of prepayments may occur at lower interest rates than the original investment, thus adversely affecting a Fund's yield. Prepayments may cause the yield of a mortgage-backed security to differ from what was assumed when a Fund purchased the security. Prepayments at a slower rate than expected may lengthen the effective life of a mortgage-backed security. The value of securities with longer effective lives generally fluctuates more widely in response to changes in interest rates than the value of securities with shorter effective lives.

 

Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage pass-through securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government (in the case of securities guaranteed by GNMA); or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government (in the case of securities guaranteed by FNMA or FHLMC), which are supported only by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency's obligations. Mortgage pass-through securities created by nongovernmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit, which may be issued by governmental entities, private insurers, or the mortgage poolers.

 

It is possible that issuers of U.S. Government securities will not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future. FHLMC and FNMA have been operating under conservatorship, with the FHFA acting as their conservator, since September 2008. The FHFA and U.S. Presidential administration have made public statements regarding plans to consider ending the conservatorships. Under a letter agreement between the FHFA (in its role as conservator) and the U.S. Treasury, the FHFA is prohibited from removing its conservatorship of each enterprise until litigation regarding the conservatorship has ended and each enterprise has retained equity capital levels equal to three percent of their total assets. It is unclear how long it will be before the FHFA will be able to remove its conservatorship of the enterprises under this letter agreement. The FHFA has indicated that the conservatorship of each enterprise will end when the director of FHFA determines that FHFA’s plan to restore the enterprise to a safe and solvent condition has been completed. The FHFA recently announced plans to consider taking FHLMC and FNMA out of conservatorship and has begun a multi-step process, including its first pricing review of FHLMC and FNMA products since 2015, to unwind FHLMC and FNMA from government control. In the event that FHLMC or FNMA are taken out of conservatorship, it is unclear how their respective capital structure would be constructed and what impact, if any, there would be on FHLMC’s or FNMA’s creditworthiness and guarantees of certain mortgage-backed securities. The entities are dependent upon the continued support of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and FHFA in order to continue their business operations. These factors, among others, could affect the future status and role of FHLMC and FNMA and the value of their securities and the securities which they guarantee.

 

Private Mortgage Pass-Through Securities. Commercial banks, S&Ls, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers also create pass-through pools of conventional residential mortgage loans. Such issuers may, in addition, be the originators and/or servicers of the underlying mortgage loans as well as the guarantors of the mortgage-related securities. Pools created by such non-governmental issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than government and government-related pools because there are no direct or indirect government or agency guarantees of payments in the former pools. However, timely payment of interest and principal of these pools may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit. The insurance and guarantees are issued by governmental entities, private insurers and the mortgage poolers. Such insurance and guarantees and the creditworthiness of the issuers thereof will be considered in determining whether a mortgage-related security meets a Fund's investment quality standards. There can be no assurance that the private insurers or guarantors can meet their obligations under the insurance policies or guarantee arrangements. A Fund may buy mortgage-related securities without insurance or guarantees if, through an examination of the loan experience and practices of the originator/servicers and poolers, the Fund's Advisor or Subadvisor determines that the securities meet the Fund's quality standards. Although the market for such securities is becoming increasingly liquid, securities issued by certain private organizations may not be readily marketable.

 

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Collateralized Mortgage Obligations ("CMOs"). A CMO is a debt obligation that is collateralized by a mortgage-backed bond or a mortgage security. Similar to a bond, interest and prepaid principal is paid, in most cases, semiannually. CMOs may be collateralized by whole mortgage loans, but are more typically collateralized by portfolios of mortgage pass-through securities guaranteed by GNMA, FHLMC or FNMA, and their income streams. CMOs may offer a higher yield than U.S. government securities, but they may also be subject to greater price fluctuation and credit risk. In addition, CMOs typically will be issued in a variety of classes or series, which have different maturities and are retired in sequence. Privately issued CMOs are not government securities nor are they supported in any way by any governmental agency or instrumentality. In the event of a default by an issuer of a CMO, there is no assurance that the collateral securing such CMO will be sufficient to pay principal and interest. It is possible that there will be limited opportunities for trading CMOs in the OTC market, the depth and liquidity of which will vary from time to time.

 

CMOs are typically structured into multiple classes or series, each bearing a different stated maturity. Actual maturity and average life will depend upon the prepayment experience of the collateral. CMOs provide for a modified form of call protection through a de facto breakdown of the underlying pool of mortgages according to how quickly the loans are repaid. Monthly payment of principal received from the pool of underlying mortgages, including prepayments, is first returned to investors holding the shortest maturity class. Investors holding the longer maturity classes receive principal only after the first class has been retired. An investor is partially guarded against a sooner than desired return of principal because of the sequential payments.

 

For example, if it is probable that the issuer of an instrument will take advantage of a maturity-shortening device, such as a call, refunding, or redemption provision, the date on which the instrument will probably be called, refunded, or redeemed may be considered to be its maturity date. Also, the maturities of mortgage securities, including collateralized mortgage obligations, and some asset-backed securities are determined on a weighted average life basis, which is the average time for principal to be repaid. For a mortgage security, this average time is calculated by estimating the timing of principal payments, including unscheduled prepayments, during the life of the mortgage. The weighted average life of these securities is likely to be substantially shorter than their stated final maturity.

 

As CMOs have evolved, some classes of CMO bonds have become more common than others, such as parallel-pay and planned amortization class (“PAC”) CMOs and multi-class pass through certificates. Parallel-pay CMOs and multi-class pass through certificates are structured to provide payments of principal on each payment date to more than one class. These simultaneous payments are taken into account in calculating the stated maturity date or final distribution date of each class, which, as with other CMO and multi-class pass-through structures, must be retired by its stated maturity date or final distribution date but may be retired earlier. PACs generally require payments of a specified amount of principal on each payment date. PACs are parallel-pay CMOs with the required principal amount on such securities having the highest priority after interest has been paid to all classes. Any CMO or multi-class pass through structure that includes PAC securities must also have support tranches—known as support bonds, companion bonds or non-PAC bonds—which lend or absorb principal cash flows to allow the PAC securities to maintain their stated maturities and final distribution dates within a range of actual prepayment experience. These support tranches are subject to a higher level of maturity risk compared to other mortgage-related securities, and usually provide a higher yield to compensate investors. If principal cash flows are received in amounts outside a pre-determined range such that the support bonds cannot lend or absorb sufficient cash flows to the PAC securities as intended, the PAC securities are subject to heightened maturity risk. Consistent with a Fund's investment objectives and policies, the Advisor or Subadvisor may invest in various tranches of CMO bonds, including support bonds.

 

 

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An obligation's maturity is typically determined on a stated final maturity basis, although there are some exceptions to this rule. Dollar-weighted average maturity is derived by multiplying the value of each investment by the time remaining to its maturity, adding these calculations, and then dividing the total by the value of a Fund's portfolio holdings. In a typical CMO transaction, a corporation ("issuer") issues multiple series (e.g., A, B, C, Z) of CMO bonds ("Bonds"). Proceeds of the Bond offering are used to purchase mortgages or mortgage pass-through certificates ("Collateral"). The Collateral is pledged to a third-party trustee as security for the Bonds. Principal and interest payments from the Collateral are used to pay principal on the Bonds in the order A, B, C, Z. The Series A, B and C Bonds all bear current interest. Interest on the Series Z Bond is accrued and added to principal and a like amount is paid as principal on the Series A, B or C Bonds currently being paid off. When the Series A, B and C Bonds are paid in full, interest and principal on the Series Z Bond begins to be paid currently. With some CMOs, the issuer serves as a conduit to allow loan originators (primarily builders or S&Ls) to borrow against their loan portfolios.

 

The primary risk of CMOs is the uncertainty of the timing of cash flows that results from the rate of prepayments on the underlying mortgages serving as collateral and from the structure of the particular CMO transaction (that is, the priority of the individual tranches). An increase or decrease in prepayment rates (resulting from a decrease or increase in mortgage interest rates) will affect the yield, average life and price of CMOs. The prices of certain CMOs, depending on their structure and the rate of prepayments, can be volatile. Some CMOs may also not be as liquid as other securities.

 

FHLMC Collateralized Mortgage Obligations ("FHLMC CMOs"). FHLMC CMOs are debt obligations of FHLMC issued in multiple classes having different maturity dates that are secured by the pledge of a pool of conventional mortgage loans purchased by FHLMC. Unlike FHLMC PCs, payments of principal and interest on the FHLMC CMOs are made semiannually, as opposed to monthly. The amount of principal payable on each semiannual payment date is determined in accordance with FHLMC's mandatory sinking fund schedule, which, in turn, is equal to approximately 100% of FHA prepayment experience applied to the mortgage collateral pool. All sinking fund payments in the CMOs are allocated to the retirement of the individual classes of bonds in the order of their stated maturities. Payment of principal on the mortgage loans in the collateral pool in excess of the amount of FHLMC's minimum sinking fund obligation for any payment date are paid to the holders of the CMOs as additional sinking fund payments. Because of the "pass-through" nature of all principal payments received on the collateral pool in excess of FHLMC's minimum sinking fund requirement, the rate at which principal of the CMOs is actually repaid is likely to be such that each class of bonds will be retired in advance of its scheduled maturity date.

 

If collection of principal (including prepayments) on the mortgage loans during any semi-annual payment period is not sufficient to meet FHLMC's minimum sinking fund obligation on the next sinking fund payment date, FHLMC agrees to make up the deficiency from its general funds.

 

Criteria for the mortgage loans in the pool backing the CMOs are identical to those of FHLMC PCs. FHLMC has the right to substitute collateral in the event of delinquencies and/or defaults.

 

Risks Associated with Mortgage-Backed Securities. As in the case with other fixed-income securities, when interest rates rise, the value of a mortgage-backed security generally will decline; however, when interest rates are declining, the value of mortgage-backed securities with prepayment features may not increase as much as other fixed-income securities. The value of some mortgage-backed securities in which a Fund may invest may be particularly sensitive to changes in prevailing interest rates, and, like the other investments of the Funds, the ability of a Fund to successfully utilize these instruments may depend in part upon the ability of the Advisor or Subadvisor to forecast interest rates and other economic factors correctly. If the Advisor or Subadvisor incorrectly forecasts such factors and has taken a position in mortgage-backed securities that is or becomes contrary to prevailing market trends, the Funds could be exposed to the risk of a loss.

 

Investment in mortgage-backed securities poses several risks, including prepayment, extension market and credit risk. Prepayment risk reflects the chance that borrowers may prepay their mortgages faster than expected, thereby affecting the investment's average life and perhaps its yield. Whether or not a mortgage loan is prepaid is almost entirely controlled by the borrower. Borrowers are most likely to exercise their prepayment options at a time when it is least advantageous to investors, generally prepaying mortgages as interest rates fall, and slowing payments as interest rates rise. Conversely, when interest rates are rising, the rate of prepayment tends to decrease, thereby lengthening the average life of the mortgage-backed security. Besides the effect of prevailing interest rates, the rate of prepayment and refinancing of mortgages may also be affected by changes in home values, ease of the refinancing process and local economic conditions.

 

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Market risk reflects the chance that the price of the security may fluctuate over time. The price of mortgage-backed securities may be particularly sensitive to prevailing interest rates, the length of time the security is expected to be outstanding, and the liquidity of the issue. In a period of unstable interest rates, there may be decreased demand for certain types of mortgage-backed securities, and a Fund invested in such securities and wishing to sell them may find it difficult to find a buyer, which may in turn decrease the price at which they may be sold.

 

Credit risk reflects the chance that a Fund may not receive all or part of its principal because the issuer or credit enhancer has defaulted on its obligations. Obligations issued by U.S. government-related entities are guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest, but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The performance of private label mortgage-backed securities, issued by private institutions, is based on the financial health of those institutions.

 

To the extent that mortgages underlying a mortgage-related security are so-called "subprime mortgages" (i.e., mortgages granted to borrowers whose credit history is not sufficient to obtain a conventional mortgage), the risk of default is higher. Subprime mortgages also have higher serious delinquency rates than prime loans. The downturn in the subprime mortgage lending market may have far-reaching consequences into various aspects of the financials sector, and consequently, the value of a Fund may decline in response to such developments. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in the mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities held by a Fund and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed security issuer to make principal payments to holders, such as a Fund. Further, mortgage-backed securities are also subject to the risks associated with the types of real estate to which they relate and adverse economic or market events with respect to these property types (e.g., apartment properties, retail shopping centers, office and industrial properties, hotels, healthcare facilities, manufactured housing and mixed-property types).

 

Municipal Securities 

Municipal securities include securities issued by, or on behalf of, the District of Columbia, the states, the territories (including Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands), commonwealths and possessions of the U.S. and their political subdivisions, and agencies, authorities and instrumentalities (collectively, “municipalities”). Municipal securities, which may be issued in various forms, including bonds and notes, are issued to obtain funds for various public purposes.

 

Municipal bonds are debt obligations issued by municipalities. Typically, the interest payable on municipal bonds is, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer at the time of issuance, exempt from U.S. federal income tax.

 

Municipal securities are subject to credit risk. Information about the financial condition of an issuer of municipal securities may not be as extensive as that which is made available by corporations whose securities are publicly traded. Obligations of issuers of municipal securities are generally subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency, and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors. Adverse economic, business, legal, or political developments might affect all or a substantial portion of a Fund’s municipal securities in the same manner.

 

Municipal securities are subject to interest rate risk. Interest rate risk is the chance that security prices overall will decline over short or even long periods because of rising interest rates. Interest rate risk is higher for long-term bonds, whose prices are more sensitive to interest rate changes than are the prices of shorter-term bonds. Generally, prices of longer maturity issues tend to fluctuate more than prices of shorter maturity issues. Prices and yields on municipal securities are dependent on a variety of factors, such as the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions of the municipal securities market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue.

 

Municipal bonds are subject to call risk. Call risk is the chance that during periods of falling interest rates, a bond issuer will call (or repay) a higher-yielding bond before its maturity date. Forced to reinvest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, a Fund would experience a decline in income and lose the opportunity for additional price appreciation associated with falling rates. Call risk is generally high for long-term bonds.

 

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Municipal bonds include securities from a variety of sectors, each of which has unique risks. They include, but are not limited to, general obligation bonds, limited obligation bonds, and revenue bonds (including industrial development bonds issued pursuant to U.S. 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. Revenue bonds are issued for either project or enterprise financing in which the bond issuer pledges to the bondholders the revenues generated by the operating projects financed from the proceeds of the bond issuance. Revenue bonds involve the credit risk of the underlying project or enterprise (or its corporate user) rather than the credit risk of the issuing municipality. Under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, certain limited obligation bonds are considered “private activity bonds” and interest paid on such bonds is treated as an item of tax preference for purposes of calculating U.S. federal alternative minimum tax liability. Tax-exempt private activity bonds and industrial development bonds generally are also classified as revenue bonds and thus are not payable from the issuer’s general revenues. The credit and quality of private activity bonds and 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 are the responsibility of the corporate user (and/or any guarantor).

 

Some municipal bonds may be issued as variable or floating rate securities and may incorporate market-dependent liquidity features. Some longer-term municipal bonds give the investor the right to “put” or sell the security at par (face value) within a specified number of days following the investor’s request — usually one to seven days. This demand feature enhances a security’s liquidity by shortening its effective maturity and enables it to trade at a price equal to or very close to par. If a demand feature terminates prior to being exercised, a Fund would hold the longer-term security, which could experience substantially more volatility. Municipal bonds that are issued as variable or floating rate securities incorporating market-dependent liquidity features may have greater liquidity risk than other municipal bonds.

 

Some municipal bonds feature credit enhancements, such as lines of credit, letters of credit, municipal bond insurance, and standby bond purchase agreements (“SBPAs”). SBPAs include lines of credit that are issued by a third party, usually a bank, to enhance liquidity and ensure repayment of principal and any accrued interest if the underlying municipal bond should default. Municipal bond insurance, which is usually purchased by the bond issuer from a private, nongovernmental insurance company, provides an unconditional and irrevocable assurance that the insured bond’s principal and interest will be paid when due. Insurance does not guarantee the price of the bond or the share price of a Fund.

 

The credit rating of an insured bond may reflect the credit rating of the insurer, based on its claims-paying ability. The obligation of a municipal bond insurance company to pay a claim extends over the life of each insured bond. Although defaults on insured municipal bonds have historically been low and municipal bond insurers historically have met their claims, there is no assurance this will continue. A higher-than expected default rate could strain the insurer’s loss reserves and adversely affect its ability to pay claims to bondholders. The number of municipal bond insurers is relatively small, and not all of them have the highest credit rating.

 

Municipal bonds also include tender option bonds, which are municipal derivatives created by dividing the income stream provided by an underlying municipal bond to create two securities issued by a special-purpose trust, one short-term and one long-term. The interest rate on the short-term component is periodically reset. The short-term component has negligible interest rate risk, while the long-term component has all of the interest rate risk of the original bond. After income is paid on the short-term securities at current rates, the residual income goes to the long-term securities.

 

Therefore, rising short-term interest rates result in lower income for the longer-term portion, and vice versa. The longer-term components can be very volatile and may be less liquid than other municipal bonds of comparable maturity. These securities have been developed in the secondary market to meet the demand for short-term, tax-exempt securities.

 

Prices and yields on municipal bonds are dependent on a variety of factors, including general money-market conditions, the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions of the municipal bond market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. Municipal bonds may also be affected by political and economic developments within the applicable municipality and by the financial condition of the municipality. A number of these factors, including the ratings of particular issues, are subject to change from time to time. Information about the financial condition of an issuer of municipal bonds may not be as extensive as that which is made available by corporations whose securities are publicly traded.

 

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Municipal securities also include various forms of notes. These notes include, but are not limited to, the following types:

 

Revenue anticipation notes which are issued in expectation of receipt of other kinds of revenue, such as federal revenues. They, also, are usually general obligations of the issuer.

 

Bond anticipation notes which are normally issued to provide interim financial assistance until long-term financing can be arranged. The long-term bonds then provide funds for the repayment of the notes.

 

Construction loan notes which are sold to provide construction financing for specific projects. After successful completion and acceptance, many projects receive permanent financing through the Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”) under the FNMA or GNMA.

 

Project notes which are instruments sold by HUD but issued by a state or local housing agency to provide financing for a variety of programs. They are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government and generally carry a term of one year or less.

 

Short-term discount notes (tax-exempt commercial paper), which are short-term (365 days or less) promissory notes issued by municipalities to supplement their cash flow.

 

An entire issue of municipal securities may be purchased by one or a small number of institutional investors such as a Fund. Thus, the issue may not be said to be publicly offered. Unlike securities that must be registered under the Securities Act prior to offer and sale, unless an exemption from such registration is available, municipal securities that are not publicly offered may nevertheless be readily marketable. A secondary market may exist for municipal securities that were not publicly offered initially.

 

An insolvent municipality may take steps to reorganize its debt, which might include extending debt maturities, reducing the amount of principal or interest, refinancing the debt or taking other measures that may significantly affect the rights of creditors and the value of the securities issued by the municipality and the value of a Fund’s investments in those securities. Under bankruptcy law, certain municipalities that meet specific conditions may be provided protection from creditors while they develop and negotiate plans for reorganizing their debts. U.S. bankruptcy law generally provides that individual U.S. states are not permitted to pass their own laws purporting to bind non-consenting creditors to a restructuring of a municipality’s indebtedness, and thus all such restructurings must be pursuant to Chapter 9 of the Bankruptcy Code.

 

Insured Municipal Securities. To the extent applicable, a Fund will typically only invest in an insured municipal security if either permanent insurance or an irrevocable commitment to insure the municipal security by a qualified municipal bond insurer is in place. The insurance feature guarantees the scheduled payment of principal and interest, but does not guarantee (i) the market value of the insured municipal security, (ii) the value of the Fund’s shares, or (iii) the Fund’s distributions. Normally, the underlying rating of an insured security is one of the top three ratings of a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”). An insurer may insure municipal securities that are rated below the top three ratings or that are unrated if the securities otherwise meet the insurer's quality standards.

 

Types of Insurance. There are three types of insurance: new issue, secondary and portfolio. A new issue insurance policy is purchased by the issuer when the security is issued. A secondary insurance policy may be purchased by a Fund after a security is issued. With both new issue and secondary policies, the insurance continues in force for the life of the security and, thus, may increase the credit rating of the security, as well as its resale value. Unlike new issue and secondary insurance, which continue in force for the life of the security, portfolio insurance only covers securities while they are held by a Fund.

 

Qualified Municipal Bond Insurers. Insurance policies may be issued by a qualified municipal bond insurer. The bond insurance industry is a regulated industry. Any bond insurer must be licensed in each state in order to write financial guarantees in that jurisdiction. Regulations vary from state to state. Most regulators, however, require minimum standards of solvency and limitations on leverage and investment of assets. Regulators also place restrictions on the amount an insurer can guarantee in relation to the insurer’s capital base. Neither a Fund nor its Advisor or Subadvisor makes any representations as to the ability of any insurance company to meet its obligation to the Fund if called upon to do so.

 

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If an insurer is called upon to pay the principal or interest on an insured security that is due for payment but that has not been paid by the issuer, the terms of payment would be governed by the provisions of the insurance policy. After payment, the insurer becomes the owner of the security, appurtenant coupon, or right to payment of principal or interest on the security and is fully subrogated to all of a Fund’s rights with respect to the security, including the right to payment. The insurer’s rights to the security or to payment of principal or interest are limited, however, to the amount the insurer has paid.

 

Municipal Lease Obligations. Municipal lease obligations generally are issued to support a government’s infrastructure by financing or refinancing equipment or property acquisitions or the construction, expansion or rehabilitation of public facilities. In such transactions, equipment or property is leased to a state or local government, which, in turn, pays lease payments to the lessor consisting of interest and principal payments on the obligations. Municipal lease obligations differ from other municipal securities because each year the lessee’s governing body must appropriate (set aside) the money to make the lease payments. If the money is not appropriated, the issuer or the lessee typically can end the lease without penalty. If the lease is cancelled, investors who own the municipal lease obligations may not be paid. While cancellation risk is inherent to municipal lease obligations, the Fund believes that this risk may be reduced, although not eliminated, by its policies on the credit quality of municipal securities in which it may invest.

 

Because annual appropriations are required to make lease payments, municipal lease obligations generally are not subject to constitutional limitations on the issuance of debt and may allow an issuer to increase government liabilities beyond constitutional debt limits. When faced with increasingly tight budgets, local governments have more discretion to curtail lease payments under a municipal lease obligation than they do to curtail payments on other municipal securities. If not enough money is appropriated to make the lease payments, the leased property may be repossessed as security for holders of the municipal lease obligations. If this happens, there is no assurance that the property’s private sector or re-leasing value will be enough to make all outstanding payments on the municipal lease obligations or that the payments will continue to be tax-free. While cancellation risk is inherent to municipal lease obligations, a Fund believes that this risk may be reduced, although not eliminated, by its policies on the credit quality of municipal securities in which it may invest.

 

Tax-Exempt or Qualified Private Activity and Industrial Development Revenue Bonds. Tax-exempt industrial development revenue and other similar bonds are part of a category of securities sometimes known as tax-exempt or qualified private activity bonds. These bonds are typically issued by or on behalf of public authorities to finance various privately operated facilities which are expected to benefit the municipality and its residents, such as business, manufacturing, housing, sports and pollution control, as well as public facilities such as airports, mass transit systems, ports and parking. The payment of principal and interest is solely dependent on the ability of the facility’s user to meet its financial obligations and the pledge, if any, of the facility or other property as security for payment. As a result, these bonds may involve a greater degree of corporate credit risk than other municipal securities.

 

Please see Appendix B for specific risks associated with investments in California.

 

Options 

A Fund may use options for any purpose consistent with their respective investment objectives, such as to seek to hedge or manage risk, or to seek to increase total return. An option is a contract in which the "holder" (the buyer) pays a certain amount (the "premium") to the "writer" (the seller) to obtain the right, but not the obligation, to buy from the writer (in a "call") or sell to the writer (in a "put") a specific asset at an agreed upon price (the "strike price" or "exercise price") at or before a certain time (the "expiration date"). The holder pays the premium at inception and has no further financial obligation. The holder of an option will benefit from favorable movements in the price of the underlying asset but is not exposed to corresponding losses due to adverse movements in the value of the underlying asset. The writer of an option will receive fees or premiums but is exposed to losses due to changes in the value of the underlying asset. A Fund may purchase (buy) or write (sell) put and call options on assets, such as securities, currencies and indices of debt and equity securities ("underlying assets") and enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate an existing position. See "Derivative Instruments -- General Discussion" for more information.

 

If a Fund's Advisor or Subadvisor judges market conditions incorrectly or employs a strategy that does not correlate well with the Fund’s investments, these techniques could result in a loss, regardless of whether the intent was to reduce risk or increase return. These techniques may increase the volatility of a Fund's NAV per share and may involve a small investment of cash relative to the magnitude of the risk assumed. In addition, these techniques could result in a loss if the counterparty to the transaction does not perform as promised. Writing (selling) options involves greater risk than purchasing options because the seller is exposed to the extent of the actual price movement in the underlying security rather than only the loss of the premium payment paid, as would be the case with purchasing options. Purchasing and writing (selling) put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks.

 

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Private Investments in Public Equity 

A Fund may purchase equity securities in a private placement that are issued by issuers who have outstanding, publicly-traded equity securities of the same class ("private investments in public equity" or "PIPES"). Shares in PIPES generally are not registered with the SEC until after a certain time period from the date the private sale is completed. This restricted period can last many months. Until the public registration process is completed, PIPES are restricted as to resale and a Fund cannot freely trade the securities. Generally, such restrictions cause the PIPES to be illiquid during this time. PIPES may contain provisions that the issuer will pay specified financial penalties to the holder if the issuer does not publicly register the restricted equity securities within a specified period of time, but there is no assurance that the restricted equity securities will be publicly registered, or that the registration will remain in effect.

 

Real Estate Companies and Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs") 

Investments in equity securities of issuers that are principally engaged in the real estate industry are subject to certain risks associated with ownership of real estate and with the real estate industry in general. These risks include, among others: possible declines in the value of real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions; possible lack of availability of mortgage funds or other limitations on access to capital; overbuilding; risks associated with leverage, market illiquidity, extended vacancies of properties, increase in competition, property taxes, capital expenditures and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws or other governmental regulation; costs resulting from the clean-up of, and liability to third parties for damages resulting from environmental problems, tenants bankruptcies or other credit problems, casualty or condemnation losses, uninsured damages from floods, earthquakes or other natural disasters, limitations on and variations in rents, including decreases in market rates for rents; investment in developments that are not completed or that are subject to delays in completion; and changes in interest rates. To the extent that assets underlying a Fund’s investments are concentrated geographically, by property type on in certain other respects, a Fund may be subject to certain of the foregoing risks to a greater extent. Investments by a Fund in securities of issuers providing mortgage servicing will be subject to the risks associated with refinancing and their impact on servicing rights. A Fund’s investment in real estate companies is particularly sensitive to economic downturns.

 

In addition, if a Fund receives rental income or income from the disposition of real property acquired as result of a default on securities the Fund owns, the receipt of such income may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to qualify as a regulated investment company because of certain income source requirements applicable to regulated investment companies under the Internal Revenue Code.

 

To the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, a Fund may invest in REITs. REITs are pooled investment vehicles that invest primarily in either real estate or real estate related loans. A REIT will not incur any entity level taxation on income distributed to its shareholders or unitholders if it complies with certain requirements under the Internal Revenue Code, including a requirement to distribute at least 90% of its taxable income for each taxable year. Generally, REITs can be classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest a majority of their assets directly in real property and derive their income primarily from rents and capital gains from appreciation realized through property sales. Equity REITs are further categorized according to the types of real estate securities they own, e.g., apartment properties, retail shopping centers, office and industrial properties, hotels, health-care facilities, manufactured housing and mixed-property types. Mortgage REITs invest a majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive their income primarily from income payments. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of both equity and mortgage REITs.

 

A Fund will not invest in real estate directly, but only in securities issued by real estate companies. However, to the extent that a Fund invests in REITs, the Fund is also subject to the risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate, including but not limited to: declines in the value of real estate; risks related to general and local economic conditions; possible lack of availability of mortgage funds; overbuilding; extended vacancies of properties; increased competition; increases in property taxes and operating expenses; changes in zoning laws; losses due to costs resulting from the clean-up of environmental problems; liability to third parties for damages resulting from environmental problems; casualty or condemnation losses; limitations on rents; changes in neighborhood values and the appeal of properties to tenants; and changes in interest rates. Thus, the value of the Fund's shares may change at different rates compared to the value of shares of a mutual fund with investments in a mix of different industries.

 

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REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. In addition, REITs could possibly fail to qualify for special tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code, or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. The above factors may also adversely affect a borrower's or a lessee's ability to meet its obligations to the REIT. In the event of a default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments. In addition, even the larger REITs in the industry tend to be small to medium-sized companies in relation to the equity markets as a whole. Accordingly, REIT shares can be more volatile than — and at times will perform differently from — larger capitalization stocks such as those found in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

 

Some REITs may have limited diversification and may be subject to risks inherent to investments in a limited number of properties, in a narrow geographic area, or in a single property type. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in underlying property values. Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of the credit extended. REITs also involve risks such as refinancing, interest rate fluctuations, changes in property values, general or specific economic risk on the real estate industry, dependency on management skills and other risks similar to small company investing. Although a Fund is not allowed to invest in real estate directly, it may acquire real estate as a result of a default on the REIT securities it owns. A Fund, therefore, may be subject to certain risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate including difficulties in valuing and trading real estate, declines in the value of real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, adverse changes in the climate for real estate, environmental liability risks, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, limitation on rents, changes in neighborhood values, the appeal of properties to tenants and increases in interest rates.

 

In addition, because smaller-capitalization stocks are typically less liquid than larger capitalization stocks, REIT shares may sometimes experience greater share-price fluctuations than the stocks of larger companies.

 

Repurchase Agreements 

A repurchase agreement, which provides a means for a Fund to earn income on uninvested cash for periods as short as overnight, is an arrangement under which the purchaser (i.e., the Fund) purchases a security, usually in the form of a debt obligation (the "Obligation") and the seller agrees, at the time of sale, to repurchase the Obligation at a specified time and price. Repurchase agreements with foreign banks may be available with respect to government securities of the particular foreign jurisdiction. The custody of the Obligation will be maintained by a custodian appointed by a Fund. A Fund attempts to assure that the value of the purchased securities, including any accrued interest, will at all times exceed the value of the repurchase agreement. The repurchase price may be higher than the purchase price, the difference being income to the Fund, or the purchase and repurchase prices may be the same, with interest at a stated rate due to the Fund together with the repurchase price upon repurchase. In either case, the income to a Fund is unrelated to the interest rate on the Obligation subject to the repurchase agreement.

 

In the event of the commencement of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings with respect to the seller of the Obligation before repurchase of the Obligation under a repurchase agreement, a Fund may encounter delays and incur costs before being able to sell the security. Delays may involve loss of interest or decline in price of the Obligation. If the court characterizes the transaction as a loan and the Fund has not perfected a security interest in the Obligation, the Fund may be required to return the Obligation to the seller's estate and be treated as an unsecured creditor of the seller. As an unsecured creditor, the Fund would be at risk of losing some or all of the principal and income involved in the transaction. Apart from the risk of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, there is also the risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the security. In the event of the bankruptcy of the seller or the failure of the seller to repurchase the securities as agreed, a Fund could suffer losses, including loss of interest on or principal of the security and costs associated with delay and enforcement of the repurchase agreement. In addition, if the market value of the Obligation subject to the repurchase agreement becomes less than the repurchase price (including accrued interest), a Fund will direct the seller of the Obligation to deliver additional securities so that the market value of all securities subject to the repurchase agreement equals or exceeds the repurchase price.

 

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For purposes of the 1940 Act, a repurchase agreement has been deemed to be a loan from a Fund to the seller of the Obligation. It is not clear whether a court would consider the Obligation purchased by the Fund subject to a repurchase agreement as being owned by the Fund or as being collateral for a loan by the Fund to the seller.

 

Restricted Securities – Rule 144A Securities and Section 4(a)(2) Commercial Paper 

Restricted securities have no ready market and are subject to legal restrictions on their sale (other than those eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under or Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act. Difficulty in selling securities may result in a loss or be costly to a Fund. Restricted securities generally can be sold only in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to an exemption from registration under the 1933 Act, or in a registered public offering. Where registration is required, the holder of an unregistered security may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expense and a considerable period may elapse between the time it decides to seek registration and the time when a holder can sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the holder of a restricted security (e.g., a Fund) might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security.

 

Certain securities may only be sold subject to limitations imposed under federal securities laws. Among others, two categories of such securities are (1) restricted securities that may be sold only to certain types of purchasers pursuant to the limitations of Rule 144A under the 1933 Act ("Rule 144A securities") and (2) commercial debt securities that are not sold in a public offering and therefore exempt from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act ("4(a)(2) commercial paper"). The resale limitations on these types of securities may affect their liquidity.

 

Risk of Investing in the U.S. 

The Fund may have significant exposure to U.S. issuers. A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations, tariffs or the threat of tariffs, and/or an economic recession in the U.S. may have a material adverse effect on the U.S. economy and the securities listed on U.S. exchanges. Proposed and adopted policy and legislative changes in the U.S. are changing many aspects of financial and other regulation and may have a significant effect on the U.S. markets generally, as well as the value of certain securities. In addition, a continued rise in the U.S. public debt level or U.S. austerity measures may adversely affect U.S. economic growth and the securities to which the Fund has exposure.

 

Short Sales Risk 

Short sales are transactions in which a Fund sells a security it does not own to obtain an inverse exposure to that security. To complete such a transaction, a Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. A Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the applicable Fund. Until the security is replaced, a Fund is required to pay to the lender amounts equal to any dividend which accrues during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, a Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. There will also be other costs associated with short sales.

 

A Fund will incur a loss as a result of the short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the borrowed security. A Fund will realize a gain if the security declines in price between those dates. This result is the opposite of what one would expect from a cash purchase of a long position in a security. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of any premium or amounts in lieu of interest a Fund may be required to pay in connection with a short sale, and will be also decreased by any transaction or other costs.

 

Until a Fund replaces a borrowed security in connection with a short sale, the Fund will (a) identify cash or liquid assets at such a level that such assets plus any amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the security sold short or (b) otherwise cover its short position in accordance with applicable law.

 

There is no guarantee that a Fund will be able to close out a short position at any particular time or at an acceptable price. During the time that a Fund is short a security, it is subject to the risk that the lender of the security will terminate the loan at a time when the Fund is unable to borrow the same security from another lender. If that occurs, a Fund may be “bought in” at the price required to purchase the security needed to close out the short position, which may be a disadvantageous price.

 

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Swap Agreements 

Swap agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few days to more than one year. In a standard "swap" transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns, differentials in rates of return or some other amount earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. 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 at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign currency, or in a "basket" of securities representing a particular index. The "notional amount" of the swap agreement is only a fictive basis on which to calculate the obligations that the parties to a swap agreement have agreed to exchange. An equity swap is a two-party contract that generally obligates one party to pay the positive return and the other party to pay the negative return on a specified reference security, basket of securities, security index or index component ("asset") during the period of the swap. The payments based on the reference asset may be adjusted for transaction costs, interest payments, the amount of dividends paid on the referenced asset or other economic factors.

 

Swap agreements will tend to shift a Fund's investment exposure from one type of investment to another. For example, if a Fund agreed to pay fixed rates in exchange for floating rates while holding fixed-rate bonds, the swap would tend to decrease the Fund's exposure to long-term interest rates. Depending on how they are used, swap agreements may increase or decrease the overall volatility of the Fund's investments and its share price and yield. The most significant factor in the performance of swap agreements is the change in the specific interest rate, currency, or other factors that determine the amounts of payments due to and from the Fund. If a swap agreement calls for payments by a Fund, the Fund must be prepared to make such payments when due.

 

Whether a Fund's use of swap agreements will be successful in furthering its investment objective will depend on the Advisor's or Subadvisor's ability to correctly predict whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Because, among other reasons, swaps are two party contracts and may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be classified as illiquid investments. Moreover, a 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. The Advisor or Subadvisor will cause a Fund to enter into swap agreements only with counterparties that would be eligible for consideration as repurchase agreement counterparties under the Fund's repurchase agreement guidelines. Certain restrictions imposed on the Funds by the Internal Revenue Code may limit the Funds' ability to use swap agreements. A Fund may be able to eliminate its exposure under a swap agreement either by assignment or other disposition, or by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same party or a similarly creditworthy party. It is possible that developments in the swaps market, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect a Fund's ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements.

 

Certain standardized swaps are currently subject to mandatory central clearing and exchange-trading. Central clearing is expected to decrease counterparty risk compared to bilateral swaps because central clearing interposes the central clearinghouse as the counterparty to each participant’s swap. Exchange-trading is expected to decrease illiquidity risk and increase transparency because prices and volumes are posted on the exchange. However, central clearing and exchange-trading do not eliminate counterparty risk or illiquidity risk entirely. In addition, depending on the size of a Fund and other factors, the margin required under the rules of a clearinghouse and by a clearing member may be in excess of the collateral required to be posted by a Fund to support its obligations under a similar bilateral swap thus requiring a Fund to incur increased expenses to access the same types of swaps. Uncleared swaps are subject to minimum margin requirements that will be implemented on a phased-in basis. Certain other swap agreements can be individually negotiated and structured to include exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market factors.

 

Whether a Fund's use of swap agreements will be successful in furthering its investment objective will depend on the Advisor or Subadvisor’s ability to predict whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Moreover, a 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. A Fund will enter into swap agreements only with counterparties that meet certain standards of creditworthiness. Certain restrictions imposed by the Internal Revenue Code may limit a Fund’s ability to use swap agreements. It is possible that developments in the swaps market, including additional government regulation, could adversely affect a Fund's ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements.

 

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Total Return Swaps. Total return swaps give a Fund the right to receive the appreciation in the value of a specified security, index or other instrument in return for a fee paid to the counterparty, which will typically be an agreed upon interest rate. Total return swaps can also be used to replicate an exposure to a short position in an asset class where a Fund has the right to receive the depreciation in value of a specified security, index or other instrument (“inverse swaps”). If the underlying asset in a total return swap declines in value (or increases in value, if an inverse swap) over the term of the swap, a Fund may also be required to pay the dollar value of that decline (or increase, if an inverse swap) to the counterparty.

 

Total return swaps are considered illiquid by a Fund. Consequently, a Fund will segregate liquid assets, which may include securities, cash or cash equivalents, to cover a Fund’s daily marked-to-market net obligations under outstanding swap agreements. This segregation of assets may limit a Fund’s investment flexibility, as well as its ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

 

The number of counterparties may vary over time. During periods of credit market turmoil or when the aggregate swap notional amount needed by a Fund is relatively small given the level of a Fund’s net assets, the Fund may have only one or a few counterparties. In such circumstances, a Fund will be exposed to greater counterparty risk. Moreover, a Fund may be unable to enter into any total return swap on terms that make economic sense (e.g., they may be too costly). To the extent that a Fund is unable to enter into any total return swaps, it may not be able to meet its investment objective. If a Fund is unable to enter into total return swaps, it may engage in other types of derivative transactions, although the added costs and lower correlation of these other derivatives may adversely affect a Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective.

 

Credit Default Swaps. To the extent consistent with its investment objectives and subject to a Funds' general limitations on investing in swap agreements, a Fund may invest in credit default swaps, including credit default swap index products (sometimes referred to as CDX index). Credit default swaps are contracts whereby one party, the protection "buyer," makes periodic payments to a counterparty, the protection "seller," in exchange for the right to receive from the seller a payment equal to the par (or other agreed-upon value (the "value") of a particular debt obligation (the "referenced debt obligation") in the event of a default by the issuer of that debt obligation. A credit default swap may use one or more securities that are not currently held by a Fund as referenced debt obligations. A Fund may be either the buyer or the seller in the transaction. When used for hedging purposes, a Fund would be the buyer of a credit default swap contract. In that case, a Fund would be entitled to receive the value of a referenced debt obligation from the seller in the event of a default by a third party, such as a U.S. or non-U.S. issuer, on the debt obligation. In return, a Fund would pay to the seller a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default has occurred. If no default occurs, a Fund would have spent the stream of payments and received no benefit from the contract. Credit default swaps involve the risk that, in the event that the Advisor or Subadvisor incorrectly evaluates the creditworthiness of the issuer on which the swap is based, the investment may expire worthless and would generate income only in the event of an actual default by the issuer of the underlying obligation (as opposed to a credit downgrade or other indication of financial instability). They also involve credit risk that the seller may fail to satisfy its payment obligations to a Fund in the event of a default.

 

When a Fund is the seller of a credit default swap contract, it receives the stream of payments but is obligated to pay upon default of the referenced debt obligation. As the seller, a Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap.

 

In addition to the risks applicable to derivatives generally, credit default swaps involve special risks because they are difficult to value, are highly susceptible to liquidity and credit risk, and generally pay a return to the party that has paid the premium only in the event of an actual default by the issuer of the underlying obligation (as opposed to a credit downgrade or other indication of financial difficulty).

 

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A Fund may also invest in a CDX index, which is an equally-weighted credit default swap index that is designed to track a representative segment of the credit default swap market (e.g., investment grade, high volatility, below investment grade or emerging markets) and provides an investor with exposure to specific “baskets” of issuers of certain debt instruments. CDX index products potentially allow an investor to obtain the same investment exposure as an investor who invests in an individual credit default swap, with an increased level of diversification. Generally, the value of the CDX index will fluctuate in response to changes in the perceived creditworthiness or default experience of the basket of issuers of debt instruments to which the CDX index provides exposure. An investor’s investment in a tranche of a CDX index provides customized exposure to certain segments of the CDX index’s potential loss distribution. The lowest or riskiest tranche, known as the equity tranche, has exposure to the first losses experienced by the basket. The mezzanine and senior tranches are higher in the capital structure but may also be exposed to losses in value. Investment in a CDX index is susceptible to liquidity risk, along with credit risk, counterparty risk and others risks associated with an investment in a credit default swaps, as discussed above. However, certain of these indices are subject to mandatory central clearing and exchange trading, which may reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity compared to other credit default swap or CDX index transactions.

 

Temporary Defensive Positions 

In times of unusual or adverse purchase or redemption activity, or market, economic or political conditions, for temporary defensive purposes, a Fund may invest outside the scope of its principal investment focus. Under these or other conditions, a Fund may not invest in accordance with its investment objective or investment strategies, including substantially reducing or eliminating its short positions, and, as a result, there is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Under these or other conditions, a Fund may, in the discretion of the Advisor or Subadvisor, invest without limit in cash, cash equivalents and/or other fixed-income securities. These include, but are not limited to: short-term obligations issued or guaranteed as to interest and principal by the U.S. government or any agency or instrumentality thereof, obligations of banks CDs, bankers' acceptances and time deposits) and obligations of other banks or S&Ls if such obligations are federally insured; commercial paper, investment grade corporate debt securities or money market instruments, for this purpose including U.S. government securities having remaining maturities of one year or less; and other debt instruments not specifically described above if such instruments are deemed by the Advisor or Subadvisor to be of comparable high quality and liquidity.

 

To-Be-Announced Purchase Commitments 

To-Be-Announced ("TBA") purchase commitments are commitments to purchase mortgage-backed securities for a fixed price at a future date. At the time of purchase, the seller does not specify the particular mortgage-backed securities to be delivered. Instead, a Fund agrees to accept any mortgage-backed security that meets specified terms. Thus, a Fund and the seller would agree upon the issuer, interest rate and terms of the underlying mortgages, but the seller would not identify the specific underlying mortgages until shortly before it issues the mortgage-backed security.

 

Unsettled TBA purchase commitments are valued at the current market value of the underlying securities. On delivery for such transactions, a Fund will meet its obligations from maturities or sales of the securities and/or from cash flow.

 

Recently finalized rules include certain mandatory margin requirements for the TBA market, which may require the Funds to post collateral in connection with their TBA transactions. The required margin could increase the cost to the Funds and impose additional complexity to enter into TBA transactions.

 

TBA purchase commitments may be considered securities in themselves, and purchasing a security on a to be announced basis can involve the risk that the market price at the time of delivery may be lower than the agreed-upon purchase price, in which case there could be an unrealized loss at the time of delivery. Default by or bankruptcy of the counterparty to a TBA transaction would expose a Fund to possible loss because of adverse market action and expenses or delays in connection with the purchase of the mortgage-backed securities specified in the TBA transaction. Mortgage-backed securities purchased on a to be announced basis increase interest rate risks to the Fund because the underlying mortgages may be less favorable than anticipated. No interest or dividends accrue to the purchaser prior to the settlement date.

 

U.S. Tax Risk 

A Fund's investments and investment strategies, including transactions in options and futures contracts, may be subject to special and complex federal income tax provisions, the effect of which may be, among other things: (1) to disallow, suspend, defer or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions; (2) to accelerate income to the Fund; (3) to convert long-term capital gain, which is currently subject to lower tax rates, into short-term capital gain or ordinary income, which are currently subject to higher tax rates; (4) to convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited); (5) to treat dividends that would otherwise constitute qualified dividend income as non-qualified dividend income; and (6) to produce income that will not qualify as good income under the gross income requirements that must be met for the Fund to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. While it may not always be successful in doing so, a Fund will seek to avoid or minimize any adverse tax consequences that could arise from such investment practices.

 

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Underlying Fund Risk  

A Fund may pursue its investment objective by investing in securities of other exchange-traded funds or exchange-traded investment products (“ETPs”). The Fund’s investment performance, because it is a fund of funds, depends on the investment performance of the Underlying ETPs in which it invests. An investment in the Fund is subject to the risks associated with the Underlying ETPs in which the Fund invests. The Fund will indirectly pay a proportional share of the asset-based fees of the Underlying ETPs in which it invests. In addition, at times the segments of the market represented by the Underlying ETPs may be out of favor and underperform other segments.

 

U.S. Government Securities 

Securities issued or guaranteed by the United States government or its agencies or instrumentalities include various U.S. Treasury securities, which differ only in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, such as GNMA pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other securities, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury. Additionally, other securities, such as those issued by FNMA, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the agency or instrumentality, while others, such as those issued by the Student Loan Marketing Association, are supported only by the credit of the agency or instrumentality. U.S. government securities also include government-guaranteed mortgage-backed securities.

 

While the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities, no assurance can be given that it will always do so, and it is not so obligated by law. Because the U.S. government is not obligated by law to provide support to an instrumentality it sponsors, a Fund will invest in obligations issued by such an instrumentality only if the Advisor or Subadvisor determines that the credit risk with respect to the instrumentality does not make its securities unsuitable for investment by a Fund.

 

Any controversy or ongoing uncertainty regarding the status of negotiations in the U.S. Congress to increase the statutory debt ceiling may impact the market value of U.S. government debt securities held by a Fund. If the U.S. Congress is unable to negotiate an adjustment to the statutory debt ceiling, there is also the risk that the U.S. government may default on payments on certain U.S. government securities, including those held by a Fund, which could have a material negative impact on the Fund.

 

U.S. government securities do not generally involve the credit risks associated with other types of interest bearing securities. As a result, the yields available from U.S. government securities are generally lower than the yields available from other interest bearing securities. Like other fixed- income securities, the values of U.S. government securities change as interest rates fluctuate. When interest rates decline, the values of U.S. government securities can be expected to increase, and when interest rates rise, the values of U.S. government securities can be expected to decrease.

 

Variable Rate Demand Notes ("VRDNs") 

To the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, a Fund may invest in VRDNs, which are tax-exempt obligations that contain a floating or variable interest rate adjustment formula and an unconditional right of demand to receive payment of the unpaid principal balance plus accrued interest upon a short notice period prior to specified dates, generally at 30, 60, 90, 180 or 365-day intervals. The interest rates are adjustable at various intervals to the prevailing market rate for similar investments. This adjustment formula is calculated to maintain the market value of the VRDN at approximately the par value of the VRDN on the adjustment date. The adjustments are typically based upon the prime rate of a bank or some other appropriate interest rate adjustment index.

 

Floating rate and variable rate demand notes that have a stated maturity in excess of one year may have features that permit the holder to recover the principal amount of the underlying security at specified intervals not exceeding one year and upon no more than 30 days' notice. The issuer of that type of note normally has a corresponding right in its discretion, after a given period, to prepay the outstanding principal amount of the note plus accrued interest. Generally, the issuer must provide a specified number of days' notice to the holder.

 

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If an issuer of a variable rate demand note defaulted on its payment obligation, a Fund might be unable to dispose of the note and a loss would be incurred to the extent of the default.

 

Warrants and Rights 

To the extent that a Fund invests in equity securities, a Fund may purchase or otherwise receive warrants or rights. The holder of a warrant or right generally has the right to purchase a given number of shares of a particular issuer at a specified price until expiration of the warrant or right. Such investments can provide a greater potential for profit or loss than an equivalent investment in the underlying security. For example, warrants are speculative investments that pay no dividends and confer no rights other than a purchase option and the prices of warrants do not necessarily move in tandem with the prices of the underlying securities. If a warrant or right is not exercised by the date of its expiration, the Fund will lose its entire investment in such warrant or right. In addition, the terms of warrants or rights may limit the Fund’s ability to exercise the warrants or rights at such time, or in such quantities, as the Fund would otherwise wish.

 

When-Issued Securities 

To the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, a Fund may from time to time purchase securities on a "when-issued" basis. When purchasing a security on a when-issued basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield fluctuations, and takes such fluctuations into account when determining its NAV. Debt securities, including municipal securities, are often issued in this manner. The price of such securities, which may be expressed in yield terms, is fixed at the time a commitment to purchase is made, but delivery of and payment for the when-issued securities take place at a later date beyond the customary settlement time. Normally, the settlement date occurs within one month of the purchase (60 days for municipal bonds and notes). During the period between purchase and settlement, no payment is made by a Fund and no interest accrues to the Fund. To the extent that assets of a Fund are held in cash pending the settlement of a purchase of securities, that Fund would earn no income; however, it is the Funds' intention that each Fund will be fully invested to the extent practicable and subject to the policies stated herein and in the relevant Prospectus. Although when-issued securities may be sold prior to the settlement date, each Fund intends to purchase such securities with the purpose of actually acquiring them unless a sale appears desirable for investment reasons. When-issued transactions are entered into in order to secure what is considered to be an advantageous price and yield to a Fund and not for purposes of leveraging the Fund's assets. However, a Fund will not accrue any income on these securities prior to delivery. The value of when- issued securities may vary prior to and after delivery depending on market conditions and changes in interest rate levels. There is a risk that a party with whom a Fund has entered into such transactions will not perform its commitment, which could result in a gain or loss to the Fund.

 

The Funds do not believe that a Fund's NAV per share or income will be exposed to additional risk by the purchase of securities on a when-issued basis. At the time a Fund makes the commitment to purchase a security on a when-issued basis, it will record the transaction and reflect the amount due and the value of the security in determining the Fund's NAV per share. The market value of the when-issued security may be more or less than the purchase price payable at the settlement date.

 

Zero-Coupon Bonds 

To the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, a Fund may purchase zero coupon bonds, which are debt obligations issued without any requirement for the periodic payment of interest. Zero coupon bonds are issued at a significant discount from their face value. The discount approximates the total amount of interest the bonds would accrue and compound over the period until maturity at a rate of interest reflecting the market rate at the time of issuance. Because interest on zero coupon obligations is not paid to the Fund on a current basis but is, in effect, compounded, the value of the securities of this type is subject to greater fluctuations in response to changing interest rates than the value of debt obligations that distribute income regularly. Zero coupon bonds tend to be subject to greater market risk than interest paying securities of similar maturities. The discount represents income, a portion of which a Fund must accrue and distribute every year even though the Fund receives no payment on the investment in that year. Zero coupon bonds tend to be more volatile than conventional debt securities.

 

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MANAGEMENT

 

Board Responsibilities. The business of the Trust is managed under the direction of the Board. The Board has considered and approved contracts, as described herein, under which certain companies provide essential management and administrative services to the Trust. The day-to-day business of the Trust, including the day-to-day management of risk, is performed by the service providers of the Trust, such as the Advisor, Subadvisors, Distributor and Administrator. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, has oversight responsibility with respect to the risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and eliminate or mitigate the potential effects of risks such as events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Trust or the Funds. The Board’s role in risk management oversight begins before the inception of an investment portfolio, at which time the Advisor and each Subadvisor present the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies and risks of their applicable investment portfolio. Additionally, the Advisor and each Subadvisor provide the Board with an overview of, among other things, the respective firm’s investment philosophy, brokerage practices and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board oversees the risk management of the investment portfolio’s operations, in part, by requesting periodic reports from and otherwise communicating with various personnel of the service providers, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer and the independent registered public accounting firm of the Trust. The Board and, with respect to identified risks that relate to its scope of expertise, the Audit Committee of the Board oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the Funds may be exposed.

 

Under the overall supervision of the Board and the Audit Committee (discussed in more detail below), the service providers to the Trust employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify risks relevant to the operations of the Trust and the Funds to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that activity.

 

The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Funds by the Advisor and each Subadvisor and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on at least an annual basis, in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Advisory Agreement with the Advisor and each Subadvisory Agreement with each Subadvisor, the Board receives detailed information from the Advisor and each Subadvisor. Among other things, the Board regularly considers each of the Advisor’s and Subadvisor’s adherence to each Fund’s investment restrictions and compliance with various policies and procedures of the Trust and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about each Fund’s performance and investments.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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Additionally, as required by Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, the Trust has implemented a written liquidity risk management program and related procedures (“Liquidity Program”) that are reasonably designed to assess and manage the Funds’ “liquidity risk” (defined by the SEC as the risk that a Fund could not meet requests to redeem shares issued by the Fund without significant dilution of remaining investors’ interests in the Fund). The Liquidity Program is reasonably designed to assess and manage the Funds’ liquidity risk. The Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, approved the designation of New York Life Investments as the Liquidity Program’s Administrator. The Board will review, no less frequently than annually, a written report prepared by the Liquidity Program’s Administrator that addresses the operation of the Liquidity Program and assesses its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation.

 

The Board also benefits from other risk management resources and functions within New York Life, such as its risk management personnel and internal auditor department. The Board recognizes that it is not possible to identify all of the risks that may affect a Fund or to develop processes and controls to mitigate or eliminate all risks and their possible effects, and that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment risks) to achieve each Fund’s investment objectives. The Board may, at any time and in its discretion, change the manner in which it conducts risk oversight.

 

Members of the Board and Officers of the Trust. Set forth below are the names, years of birth, position with the Trust, term of office, portfolios supervised and the principal occupations and other directorships for a minimum of the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as members of the Board and as Executive Officers of the Trust. Also included below is the term of office for each of the Executive Officers of the Trust. The members of the Board serve as Trustees for the life of the Trust or until retirement, removal, or their office is terminated pursuant to the Trust’s Declaration of Trust.

 

Paul D. Schaeffer, an Independent Trustee (as defined below), is Chair of the Board. Four of the Trustees, Mr. Schaeffer, Lofton Holder, Michael A. Pignataro and Michelle A. Kinch, and their immediate family members have no affiliation or business connection with the Advisor, the Subadvisors or the Distributor or any of their affiliated persons and do not own any stock or other securities issued by the Advisor, the Subadvisors or the Distributor. These Trustees are not “interested persons” of the Trust and are referred to herein as “Independent Trustees.” Kirk C. Lehneis (the “Interested Trustee”) is an interested person of the Trust as that term is defined under Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act because of his affiliation with the Advisor.

 

There is an Audit Committee and a Nominating Committee of the Board, each of which is chaired by an Independent Trustee and comprised solely of Independent Trustees. The chair for each committee is responsible for running the committee meeting, formulating agendas for those meetings, and coordinating with management to serve as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management on matters within the scope of the responsibilities of such committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The Board has determined that this leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Funds. The Board made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Independent Trustees constitute a majority of the Board, the assets under management of the Funds, the number of portfolios overseen by the Board and the total number of trustees on the Board.

 

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Independent Trustees
Name and
Year of
Birth(1)
Position(s) Held
with Trust
Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served(2)
Principal
Occupation(s) During
Past 5 Years
Number of
Portfolios in
Fund Complex
Overseen by
Trustee(3)
Other Directorships Held by
Trustee During Past 5 Years

Lofton Holder,

1964

Trustee Since June 2022 Retired; formerly, Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Pine Street Alternative Asset Management (2011 to 2019). 23 Board Member, Golub Capital BDC, Inc., Golub Capital BDC 3, Inc., and Golub Capital Direct Lending Corporation (each, a business development company) (2021 to present); Board Member, Manning & Napier (investment manager) (2021 to  present).

Michael A. Pignataro,

1959

Trustee Since April 2015 Retired; formerly, Director, Credit Suisse Asset Management (2001 to 2012); and Chief Financial Officer, Credit Suisse Funds (1996 to 2013). 23 The New Ireland Fund, Inc. (closed-end fund) (2015 to 2023).

Paul D. Schaeffer,

1951

Trustee

 

Chair of the Board

 

Since April 2015

 

Since March 2023

 

President, ASP (dba Aspiring Solution Partners) (financial services consulting) (2013 to present); Consultant and Executive Advisor, Aquiline Capital Partners LLC (private equity investment) (2014 to present). 23 Management Board Member, RIA in a Box LLC (financial services consulting) (2018 to 2021); Board Member, Pathways Core Training (nonprofit) (2019 to present); Board Member, Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism (non-profit) (2020 to present).

Michelle A. Kinch,

1975

Trustee Since June 2022 Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business (2023-present); Visiting Scholar, Harvard Business School (2020 to present); Visiting Assistant Professor of Operations Management, Boston University Questrom School of Business (2020 to 2023); Business researcher and consultant, self-employed (2013 to 2020). 23 U.S. Charitable Gift Trust (public charity offering donor-advised funds and trust products) (2017 –present); Pathstone (investment advisory firm offering comprehensive family office services) (2022 to 2023).

 

Interested Trustee

Kirk C. Lehneis,

1974(4)

Trustee and President

Since January 2018

 

Chief Operating Officer and Senior Managing Director (since 2016) and Head of US Retail (since April 2024), New York Life Investment Management LLC; Chief Executive Officer, IndexIQ Advisors LLC (2018 to 2024); Chairman of the Board, NYLIM Service Company LLC (since 2017); President, NYLI MacKay DefinedTerm Muni Opportunities Fund, New York Life Investments Funds, New York Life Investments Funds Trust, and New York Life Investments VP Funds Trust (since 2017); President, NYLI CBRE Global Infrastructure Megatrends Term Fund (since 2021) and NYLI MacKay Muni Income Opportunities Fund (since 2024). 23 None.

 

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Officers
Name and Year of
Birth(1)
Position(s) Held with Trust Term of Office and
Length of Time Served(2)
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

Jack R. Benintende, 

1964

 

Vice President Since March 2023 Managing Director, New York Life Investment Management LLC (since 2007); Chief Operating Officer, IndexIQ Advisors LLC (2023 to 2024); Treasurer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer, The New York Life Investments Funds (since 2007, New York Life Investments Funds Trust (since 2009), NYLI MacKay Muni Income Opportunities Fund (since 2024), NYLI CBRE Global Infrastructure Megatrends Term Fund (since 2021), NYLI MacKay DefinedTerm Muni Opportunities Fund (since 2011) and New York Life Investments VP Funds Trust (since 2007).

Adefolahan Oyefeso,

1974

Treasurer, Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer Since April 2018 Director of Operations & Finance, New York Life Investment Management LLC (2015 to present).

Matthew V. Curtin,

1982

Secretary and Chief Legal Officer Since June 2015 Associate General Counsel, New York Life Insurance Company (since 2015); Chief Legal Officer, IndexIQ Advisors LLC (2015 to 2024).

Kevin M. Gleason, 

1966 

Chief Compliance Officer Since June 2022 Chief Compliance Officer, New York Life Investments ETF Trust and New York Life Investments Active ETF Trust, The New York Life Investments Funds, New York Life Investments Funds Trust, NYLI MacKay DefinedTerm Muni Opportunities Fund, NYLI CBRE Global Infrastructure Megatrends Term Fund and New York Life Investments VP Funds Trust (since 2022); Senior Vice President, Voya Investment Management, LLC and Chief Compliance Officer, Voya Family of Funds (2012 to 2022).

(1) The address of each Trustee or officer is c/o New York Life Investment Management LLC, 51 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10010.

 

(2) Trustees and Officers serve until their successors are duly elected and qualified.

 

(3) The Fund is part of a “fund complex” as defined in the 1940 Act. The fund complex includes all operational open-end funds (including all of their portfolios) advised by the Advisor. As of the date of this SAI, the fund complex consists of the Trust’s funds and the funds of New York Life Investments ETF Trust.

 

(4) Mr. Lehneis is an “interested person” of the Trust (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) because of his affiliations with the Advisor.

 

The Board met six times during the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024.

 

Description of Standing Board Committees 

Audit Committee. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee are the appointment, compensation and oversight of the Trust’s independent auditors, including the resolution of disagreements regarding financial reporting between Trust management and such independent auditors. The Audit Committee’s responsibilities include, without limitation, to (i) oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Trust and its internal control over financial reporting and, as the Committee deems appropriate, to inquire into the internal control over financial reporting of certain third-party service providers; (ii) oversee the quality and integrity of each Fund’s financial statements and the independent audits thereof; (iii) oversee, or, as appropriate, assist Board oversight of, the Trust’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Trust’s accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting and independent audits; (iv) approve prior to appointment the engagement of the Trust’s independent auditors and, in connection therewith, to review and evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust’s independent auditors; (v) oversee the Trust’s policies and practices regarding the valuation of investments and computation of a Fund’s net asset value; and (vi) act as a liaison between the Trust’s independent auditors and the full Board. The Board has adopted a written charter for the Audit Committee. All of the Independent Trustees serve on the Trust’s Audit Committee. During the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024, the Audit Committee met three times.

 

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Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee has been established to: (i) assist the Board in matters involving mutual fund governance and industry practices; (ii) select and nominate candidates for appointment or election to serve as Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust or its Advisor or distributor (as defined by the 1940 Act); and (iii) advise the Board of Trustees on ways to improve its effectiveness. All of the Independent Trustees serve on the Nominating Committee. As stated above, each Trustee holds office for an indefinite term until the occurrence of certain events. In filling Board vacancies, the Nominating Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders. Nominee recommendations should be submitted to the Trust at its mailing address stated in the Fund’s Prospectus and should be directed to the attention of the New York Life Investments Active ETF Trust Nominating Committee. During the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024, the Nominating Committee met one time.

 

Individual Trustee Qualifications 

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

 

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Holder should serve as Trustee of the Trust because of his experience in senior executive roles in the financial services industry and, in particular, as co-founder and managing partner of Pine Street Alternative Asset Management LLC.

 

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Pignataro should serve as Trustee of the Trust and as an audit committee financial expert because of the experience he has gained as a businessman and, in particular, his prior service in the financial services industry as a Director of Credit Suisse Asset Management and Chief Financial Officer of the Credit Suisse Funds.

 

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Schaeffer should serve as Trustee of the Trust because of his experience in the financial services industry, including his experience as a director of and service provider to investment companies.

 

The Trust has concluded that Ms. Kinch should serve as Trustee of the Trust because of the experience she has gained as an academic and researcher in the fields of business and operations and technology management and her extensive experience in the financial services industry as a consultant and executive.

 

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Lehneis should serve as Trustee of the Trust because of the experience he has gained as President of The New York Life Investments Funds, Chief Operating Officer of New York Life Investments, his prior experience as Chief Executive Officer of IndexIQ Advisors LLC, and his knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry.

 

Trustees’ Ownership of Shares 

Listed below for each Trustee is a dollar range of securities in the Trust beneficially owned together with the aggregate dollar range of equity securities in all registered investment companies overseen by each Trustee that are in the same family of investment companies as the Trust, as of December 31, 2023.

 

Name of Trustee Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Funds

Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All

Registered Investment Companies Overseen by

Trustees in Family of Investment Companies(1)

Lofton Holder None None
Michael A. Pignataro None None
Paul D. Schaeffer None $10,001 – $50,000
Michelle A. Kinch None None
Kirk C. Lehneis(2)

NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF

$1 – $10,000

$1 – $10,000

 

(1) The fund complex includes all operational open-end funds (including all of their portfolios) advised by the Advisor. As of the date of this SAI, the fund complex consists of the Trust’s funds and the funds of New York Life Investments ETF Trust.

(2) Mr. Lehneis is an “interested person” of the Trust (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) because of his affiliations with the Advisor.

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Board Compensation 

Effective January 1, 2024, each Independent Trustee receives from the Fund Complex, either directly or indirectly, an annual retainer of $75,000. Prior to January 1, 2024, each Independent Trustee received from the Fund Complex, either directly or indirectly, an annual retainer of $70,000. As Chair of the Board, Mr. Schaeffer receives an annual stipend of $35,000; as Chair of the Audit Committee, Mr. Pignataro receives an annual stipend of $10,000; and as Chair of the Nominating Committee, Ms. Kinch receives an annual stipend of $10,000. In addition, the Independent Trustees are reimbursed for all reasonable travel expenses relating to their attendance at the Board Meetings. The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the compensation of each Trustee for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024:

 

Name and Position

Pension or Retirement Benefits
Accrued as Part of Trust Expenses /
Estimated Annual Benefits Upon
Retirement
Total Compensation from Trust and
Fund Complex Paid to Trustees(1)
Lofton Holder, Trustee N/A $71,667
Michael A. Pignataro, Trustee N/A $81,667
Paul D. Schaeffer, Trustee N/A $112,500
Michelle A. Kinch, Trustee N/A $81,667
Kirk C. Lehneis, Trustee, President and Principal Executive Officer(2) None None
(1) The fund complex includes all operational open-end funds (including all of their portfolios) advised by the Advisor. As of the date of this SAI, the fund complex consists of the Trust’s funds and the funds of New York Life Investments ETF Trust.
   
(2) Mr. Lehneis is an “interested person” of the Trust (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) because of his affiliations with the Advisor.

 

Code of Ethics 

The Trust, its Advisor, Subadvisors and principal underwriter have each adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that permits personnel subject to their particular codes of ethics to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by a Fund.

 

PROXY VOTING POLICIES

 

It is the policy of the Funds that proxies received by the Funds are voted in the best interests of the Funds’ shareholders. For purposes of this Policy, the best interests of shareholders means the shareholders’ best economic interest over the long-term (e.g., the common interest that all shareholders have in seeing the value of a common investment increase over time). The Board has delegated responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by each series of the Trust to the Advisor. Where a Fund has retained the services of a Subadvisor to provide day-to-day portfolio management for a Fund, the Advisor may delegate proxy-voting authority to the Subadvisor, provided that, as specified in the Advisor’s Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures, the Subadvisor has demonstrated that its proxy voting policies and procedures are consistent with the Advisor’s Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures or are otherwise implemented in the best interests of the Advisor’s clients and appear to comply with governing regulations. A Fund may revoke all or part of this delegation (to the Advisor and/or a Subadvisor as applicable) at any time by a vote of the Board. The Advisor has delegated proxy-voting authority to each Fund’s Subadvisor. A summary of each Fund’s Subadvisor’s proxy voting policies and procedures is listed below:

 

CBRE with respect to the NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF

CBRE treats proxy voting as a fundamental responsibility of shareholders – one which can work to affect positive management behavior over time and therefore ultimately contribute to generating economic value to shareholders.

 

Proxy voting is an important right of shareholders, and reasonable care and diligence must be undertaken to ensure that such rights are properly and timely exercised. When CBRE has discretion to vote the proxies of its clients, including the Funds, it will vote those proxies in accordance with CBRE’s Global Proxy Voting Policy. The guidelines in the Global Proxy Voting Policy reflect a corporate governance structure that is responsive to company stakeholders and supportive of responsible investment goals.

 

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CBRE’s global guidelines, developed by senior leadership and reviewed and updated annually, reflect its preference for a corporate governance structure which is responsive to company stakeholders and supportive of responsible investment goals.

 

Some items up for vote are undertaken on a case-by-case basis. In those instances, CBRE believes its framework – comprised of senior Investment Analysts, Portfolio Managers, the Head of Sustainability and the Chief Compliance Officer – allows it to determine the appropriate vote based on CBRE’s combined knowledge, engagement and our overall philosophy around governance.

 

CBRE has engaged a third-party vendor, ISS, to provide proxy voting administration services, including the tracking of proxies received for clients, providing notice concerning dates votes are due, the actual casting of ballots and recordkeeping. It is important to recognize that the ability of the proxy voting administrator and CBRE to process proxy voting decisions in a timely manner is contingent in large part on the custodian banks holding securities for clients, including the Funds. In certain situations, clients may have securities lending arrangements which are not in the scope of the advisory services provided by CBRE. When client securities are “out on loan,” CBRE may not be able to vote proxies related to those securities as result of the lending arrangement.

 

On a daily basis, CBRE provides ISS with a list of securities held in each account over which CBRE has voting authority.

 

While not the norm, in certain countries where share blocking is required, there may be times where CBRE chooses not to vote. Share blocking entails selling the stock short for a period of time around the date of the vote. CBRE may decide not to vote if in the in the best interest of the client to avoid failed trades or overdrafts, or to have shares be freely tradeable.

 

CBRE established its own proxy voting guidelines and provides those guidelines to ISS. Proxy voting guidelines are reviewed and approved by CBRE’s Head of Sustainability and Portfolio Managers. The approved proxy voting guidelines are provided to ISS to facilitate the administrative processing proxy voting.

 

Voting decisions remain within the discretion of CBRE. On a daily basis, CBRE reviews an online system maintained by the proxy voting administrator in order to monitor for upcoming votes. When a pending vote is identified, the ballot is reviewed by the appropriate Portfolio Manager or Investment Analyst for review, along with any supplemental information about the ballots provided by ISS and – if available – other research vendors to which CBRE subscribes. CBRE’s Investment Analysts review the proxy statement and determine the votes within the firm’s specified guidelines. If the Analyst’s indicated vote conflicts with CBRE’s guidelines, the vote must be verified (with documented rationale) and approved by a designated Portfolio Manager or the Head of Sustainability; the vote and corresponding rationale is also reviewed by the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

CBRE’s proxy voting process is tested annually by external auditors to confirm that it has adequate procedures which are consistently applied.

 

CBRE will identify any conflicts that exist between the interests of CBRE (including its employees and affiliates) and its clients as it relates to proxy voting. CBRE obtains information from all employees regarding outside business activities and personal relationships with companies within the investable universe (such as serving as board members or executive officers of an issuer), to confirm that employees do not have personal interests in transactions, holdings, or proxy matters. Additionally, CBRE will consider the conflicts associated with any ballot which identifies a relationship to affiliates of CBRE. Lastly, CBRE will consider any ballot which relates to a client of CBRE as a potential conflict of interest. If a material conflict is identified for a particular ballot, CBRE will refer the ballot and conflict to CBRE’s Risk & Control Committee for review. In such situations, CBRE will generally defer the vote either to the recommendation provided by ISS (not based on CBRE’s guidelines) or to the affected client(s) so that the client may determine its voting decision.

 

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MacKay Shields with respect to the NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF, NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF, NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF, NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF and NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF: 

MacKay Shields has adopted Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures designed to make sure that where clients have delegated proxy-voting authority to MacKay Shields, proxies are voted in the best interests of such clients without regard to the interests of MacKay Shields or related parties. MacKay Shields currently uses Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (“ISS”) to assist in voting client securities. For purposes of the Policy, the “best interests of clients” means, unless otherwise specified by the client, the clients’ best economic interests over the long term – that is, the common interest that all clients share in seeing the value of a common investment increase over time. MacKay Shields has adopted standard proxy voting guidelines, which follow ISS voting recommendations, and standard guidelines will vary based on client type and/or investment strategy (e.g., union or non-union voting guidelines, or sustainability voting guidelines).

 

For those clients who have given us voting authority, we instruct the client’s custodian to send all ballots to ISS and we instruct ISS which guidelines to follow. MacKay Shields votes proxies in accordance with the applicable standard voting guidelines unless MacKay Shields agrees with the client to apply custom guidelines. ISS researches each proxy issue and provides a recommendation to MacKay Shields on how to vote based on such research and its application of the research to the applicable voting guidelines. ISS casts votes in accordance with its recommendation unless a portfolio manager believes that it is in the best interests of the client(s) to vote otherwise. To override a proxy recommendation, a portfolio manager must submit a written override request to the Legal and/or Compliance Department. MacKay Shields has procedures in place to review each such override request for potential material conflicts of interest between clients and MacKay Shields. MacKay Shields will memorialize the basis for any decision to override a recommendation or to abstain from voting, including the resolution of any conflicts of interest.

 

Winslow Capital with respect to the NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF and NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF: 

Winslow Capital, pursuant to Rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, has adopted Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures pursuant to which Winslow Capital has undertaken to vote all proxies or other beneficial interests in an equity security prudently (the “Proxies”) and solely in the best long-term economic interest of its advisory clients and their beneficiaries, considering all relevant factors and without undue influence from individuals or groups who may have an economic interest in the outcome of a proxy vote.

 

Winslow Capital will vote all proxies appurtenant to shares of corporate stock held by a plan or account with respect to which Winslow Capital serves as investment manager, unless the investment management contract expressly precludes Winslow Capital, as investment manager, from voting such proxy.

 

Winslow Capital has delegated the authority to vote proxies in accordance with its Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures to Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), a third-party proxy voting agency. Winslow Capital subscribes to ISS’s Implied Consent service feature. As ISS research is completed, the ISS Vote Execution Team executes the ballots as Winslow Capital's agent according to the vote recommendations and consistent with the ISS Standard Proxy Voting Guidelines.

 

Winslow Capital retains the ability to override any vote if it disagrees with ISS’s vote recommendation, and always maintains the option to review and amend votes before they are cast up until the proxy submission deadline, except in the case of a conflict of interest. When there is an apparent conflict of interest, or the appearance of a conflict of interest, e.g., where Winslow Capital may receive fees from a company for advisory or other services at the same time that Winslow Capital has investments in the stock of that company, Winslow Capital will follow the vote recommendation of ISS. Winslow Capital retains documentation of all amended votes.

 

The Trust is required to disclose annually the Funds’ 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 of each year. The Fund’s most recent Form N-PX will be available at no charge upon request by calling toll-free 1-888-474-7725, by visiting dfinview.com/NYLIM or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

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CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

 

A principal holder is any person who owns (either of record or beneficially) 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund. A control person is one who owns, either directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. A control person may have a significant impact on matters submitted to a shareholder vote.

 

Although the Trust does not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of shares held in the names of Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) participants (“DTC Participants”), as of July 31, 2024, the name and percentage ownership of each DTC Participant that owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund are set forth in the table below.

 

Fund Name

DTC Participants

Percentage of Ownership (rounded
to the nearest whole percentage)
NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF

The Bank of New York Mellon

535 William Penn Place

Suite 153-0400

Pittsburgh, PA 15259

95.00%
NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF

JP Morgan Chase Bank, National Association

14201 Dallas Parkway

Dallas, TX 75254

95.08%
NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF

JP Morgan Chase Bank, National Association

14201 Dallas Parkway

Dallas, TX 75254

88.50%

The Bank of New York Mellon

535 William Penn Place

Suite 153-0400

Pittsburgh, PA 15259

7.71%
NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF

Pershing LLC

One Pershing Plaza

Jersey City, NJ 07399

32.52%

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC

1300 Thames St., 6th Floor

Baltimore, MD 21231

16.42%

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

2423 E Lincoln Drive

Phoenix, AZ 85016-1215

16.11%

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.

4804 Deerlake Dr. E.

Jacksonville, FL 32246

7.25%

LPL Financial Corporation

9785 Towne Centre Drive

San Diego, CA 92121-1968

5.83%

National Financial Services LLC

499 Washington Blvd.

Jersey City, NJ 07310

5.26%
NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.

4804 Deerlake Dr. E.

Jacksonville, FL 32246

15.09%

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

2423 E Lincoln Drive

Phoenix, AZ 85016-1215

20.57%

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC

1300 Thames St., 6th Floor

Baltimore, MD 21231

10.74%

National Financial Services LLC

499 Washington Blvd.

Jersey City, NJ 07310

13.25%

LPL Financial Corporation

9785 Towne Centre Drive

San Diego, CA 92121-1968

10.61%

UBS Financial Services

1000 Harbour Blvd.

Weehawken, NJ 07086

9.10%

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

880 Carilion Parkway

Saint Petersburg, FL 33716

7.03%

Pershing LLC

One Pershing Plaza

Jersey City, NJ 07399

6.01%
NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF

The Bank of New York Mellon

535 William Penn Place

Suite 153-0400

Pittsburgh, PA 15259

44.10%

National Financial Services LLC

499 Washington Blvd.

Jersey City, NJ 07310

28.44%

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

2423 E Lincoln Drive

Phoenix, AZ 85016-1215

13.07%

Goldman Sachs & Co.

30 Hudson Street

Proxy Department

Jersey City, NJ 07302

5.92%
NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF

JP Morgan Chase Bank, National Association

14201 Dallas Parkway

Dallas, TX 75254

84.63%

The Bank of New York Mellon

535 William Penn Place

Suite 153-0400

Pittsburgh, PA 15259

12.42%
NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF

The Bank of New York Mellon

535 William Penn Place

Suite 153-0400

Pittsburgh, PA 15259

90.91%

 

54 

 

 

As of July 31, 2024, the Advisor, a Delaware limited liability company, owned Shares of the Funds either on their own behalf or on behalf of funds or accounts managed by the Advisor, as set forth below:

 

New York Life Investment Management LLC

(51 Madison Avenue, New York New York 10010) 

Fund Name Percentage of Ownership (rounded to the nearest
whole percentage)
NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF 95.00%
NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF 95.08%
NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF 96.21%
NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF 44.10%
NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF 97.05%
NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF 90.91%

 

55 

 

 

MANAGEMENT SERVICES

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Management.”

 

Investment Advisor 

New York Life Investment Management LLC, the Advisor, serves as investment advisor to the Funds and has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the Trust, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and the Advisor (the “Advisory Agreement”). Under the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor, subject to supervision by the Board, provides an investment program for each Fund and is responsible for the retention of subadvisors to manage the investment of each Fund’s assets in conformity with the stated investment objective and principal investment strategies, and subject to the investment policies, of each Fund if the Advisor does not provide these services directly. The Advisor is responsible for the supervision of the Subadvisor and its management of the investment portfolio of each of the Funds. The Advisor also arranges for the provision of distribution, subadvisory, transfer agency, custody, administration and all other services necessary for the Funds to operate.

 

Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act requires that all contracts pursuant to which persons serve as investment advisors to investment companies be approved by shareholders. As interpreted, this requirement also applies to the appointment of subadvisors to the Fund. The Advisor and the Funds have obtained an exemptive order (the “Order”) from the SEC permitting the Advisor, on behalf of the Funds and subject to the approval of the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, to hire or terminate unaffiliated subadvisors and to modify any existing or future subadvisory agreement with unaffiliated subadvisors without shareholder approval. This authority is subject to certain conditions. The Funds will notify shareholders and provide them with certain information required by the Order within 90 days of hiring a new subadvisor.

 

The Advisor has also obtained a second exemptive order (“New Order”) from the SEC to operate under a manager-of-managers structure to permit the Advisor, on behalf of the Funds and subject to the approval of the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, to hire or terminate affiliated and unaffiliated subadvisors and to modify any existing or future subadvisory agreement with a subadvisor without shareholder approval. This authority is subject to certain conditions. A Fund will notify shareholders and provide them with certain information required by the Order within 90 days of hiring a new subadvisor. The New Order also grants the Advisor and Trust relief with respect to the disclosure of the advisory fees paid to individual subadvisors in various documents filed with the SEC and provided to shareholders. Pursuant to the New Order, a Fund may disclose the aggregate fees payable to the Advisor and wholly owned subadvisors and the aggregate fees payable to unaffiliated subadvisors and subadvisors affiliated with the Advisor, other than wholly-owned subadvisors. None of the Funds described herein may rely on any aspect of the New Order without obtaining shareholder approval.

 

The Advisory Agreement will remain in effect with respect to the Funds from year to year provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (i) the vote of a majority of the Funds’ outstanding voting securities or a majority of the Trustees of the Trust, and (ii) the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees of the Trust, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

 

In addition to providing advisory services, under the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor also: (i) supervises all non-advisory operations of the Funds; (ii) provides personnel to perform such executive, administrative and clerical services as are reasonably necessary to provide effective administration of the Funds; (iii) arranges for (a) the preparation of all required tax returns, (b) the preparation and submission of reports to existing shareholders, (c) the periodic updating of prospectuses and statements of additional information and (d) the preparation of reports to be filed with the SEC and other regulatory authorities; (iv) maintains the records of the Funds; and (v) provides office space and all necessary office equipment and services.

 

The Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically if assigned (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Advisory Agreement is also terminable with respect to the Funds at any time without penalty by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of each Fund on 60 days’ written notice to the Advisor or by the Advisor on 60 days’ written notice to the Trust.

 

56 

 

 

Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor is entitled to receive a fee, payable monthly, at the annual rate for each Fund, other than NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF and NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF, based on a percentage of its average daily net assets, as follows:

 

Fund Name Management Fee
NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF 0.65%
NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF 0.39%
NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF 0.40%
NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF 0.40%
NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF 0.40%
NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF 0.45%

 

Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor is entitled to receive a fee, payable monthly, at the annual rate for the NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF and NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF based on a percentage of its average daily net assets, as follows:

 

Management Fee Assets
0.75% Up to $500 million
0.725% From $500 million to $750 million
0.71% From $750 million to $1 billion
0.70% From $1 billion to $2 billion
0.66% From $2 billion to $3 billion
0.61% From $3 billion to $7 billion
0.585% From $7 billion to $9 billion
0.575% Over $9 billion

 

For the last three fiscal years ended April 30, the advisory fees paid to the Advisor were:

 

Fund Name

Commencement

of Operations

Fees Paid to the

Advisor for the

Fiscal Year Ended

2022

Fees Paid to the

Advisor for the

Fiscal Year Ended

2023

Fees Paid to the

Advisor for the

Fiscal Year Ended

2024

NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF 5/20/2023 N/A N/A $30,387
NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF 6/29/21 $120,984 $828,150 $896,006
NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF 10/25/22 N/A $52,841 $324,578
NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF 10/18/17 $1,859,250 $1,405,126 $1,670,357
NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF 10/18/17 $887,980 $1,306,458 $2,195,207
NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF 12/21/21 $76,689 $209,499 $148,002
NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF 6//23/22 N/A $80,934 $170,811
NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF 6/23/22 N/A $36,777 $55,360

 

57 

 

 

Expense Limitation Agreement

 

The Advisor has entered into an Expense Limitation Agreement (“Expense Limitation Agreement”) with the Funds under which it has agreed to waive or reduce its fees and to assume other expenses of the Funds in an amount that limits “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, dividend payments on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of a Fund’s business, and amounts, if any, payable pursuant to a plan adopted in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act) to not more than the percentage of the average daily net assets of the Funds as set forth below. The Expense Limitation Agreement will remain in effect unless terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Funds.

 

Fund Name

Total Annual Fund Operating Expense Fund

Expenses After Waiver/Reimbursement

NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF 0.65%
NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF 0.39%
NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF 0.40%
NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF 0.30%
NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF 0.30%
NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF 0.35%
NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF 0.60%
NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF 0.65%

 

For the last three fiscal years ended April 30, the Advisor waived or reimbursed the following amounts:

 

    Fees Waived and/or Expenses Reimbursed for the Fiscal Year Ended
Fund Name

Commencement

of Operations

2022 2023 2024
NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF 5/10/2023 N/A N/A $64,438
NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF 6/29/21 $77,233 $232,640 $232,829
NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF 10/25/22 N/A $63,624 $137,045
NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF 10/18/17 $897,579 $678,322 $707,636
NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF 10/18/17 $463,374 $642,679 $952,551
NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF 12/21/21 $64,141 $157,172 $159,205
NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF 6//23/22 N/A $79,778 $120,682
NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF 6/23/22 N/A $67,443 $58,884

 

Subadvisors

 

CBRE Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC 

CBRE Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC (“CBRE”), located at 555 East Lancaster Avenue, Suite 120, Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087, serves as investment subadvisor to the NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF pursuant to the Investment Subadvisory Agreement between the Advisor and CBRE (the “Subadvisory Agreement”). CBRE is responsible for placing purchase and sale orders and shall make investment decisions for the Fund, subject to the supervision by the Advisor and the Board.

 

CBRE is an investment advisor registered with the SEC and manages investment portfolios for clients on a fully discretionary basis with a focus on real asset securities strategies including listed real estate, listed infrastructure, and midstream energy. CBRE is the listed real asset solution within CBRE Investment Management (“CBRE IM”), a leading manager of real estate and infrastructure mandates. CBRE IM is owned by CBRE Group, Inc. (“CBRE Group”), the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2023 revenue). CBRE Group is a publicly traded company with shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol CBRE) and has been an S&P 500 company since 2006 and in 2022 was ranked #135 on the Fortune 500. CBRE IM’s offerings are organized into five primary investment solutions: (1) direct private real estate; (2) indirect private real estate; (3) private infrastructure; (4) listed real assets; and (5) real estate credit. Listed real asset solutions are delivered through CBRE, a majority owned subsidiary. For its services, the Subadvisor is compensated by the Advisor. As of June 30, 2024, CBRE managed approximately $8.9 billion in discretionary client assets for approximately 49 client accounts.

 

58 

 

 

The Subadvisory Agreement will continue in effect with respect to the Fund from year to year provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (i) the vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities or a majority of the Trustees of the Trust, and (ii) the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees of the Trust, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. To the extent that the Advisor has agreed to waive its Advisory Fee or reimburse expenses, the Subadvisor has voluntarily agreed to waive or reimburse its fee proportionately.

 

The Subadvisory Agreement will terminate automatically if assigned (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Subadvisory Agreement is also terminable with respect to the Fund at any time without penalty by the Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund on 60 days’ written notice to the Subadvisor or by the Subadvisor on 60 days’ written notice to the Advisor.

 

Pursuant to the Subadvisory Agreement, CBRE is entitled to receive a fee from the Advisor, payable monthly, at the annual rate based on a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets as follows.

 

Fund Name Subadvisory Fee
NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF 0.325%

 

MacKay Shields LLC

MacKay Shields (“MacKay Shields”) LLC, located at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105, serves as investment subadvisor to the NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF, NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF, NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF, NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF and NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF, pursuant to the Investment Subadvisory Agreement between the Advisor and MacKay Shields (the “Subadvisory Agreement”). As of June 30, 2024, MacKay Shields managed approximately $143.7 billion in assets.

 

Pursuant to the Subadvisory Agreement, MacKay Shields is entitled to receive a fee from the Advisor, payable monthly, at the annual rate based on a percentage of each Fund’s average daily net assets as follows:

 

Fund Name Subadvisory Fee
NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF 0.1755%
NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF 0.18%
NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF 0.20%
NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF 0.20%
NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF 0.225%

 

Winslow Capital Management, LLC 

Winslow Capital Management, LLC (Winslow Capital”), located at 4400 IDS Center, 80 South Eighth Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402, serves as investment subadvisor to the NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF and NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF pursuant to the Investment Subadvisory Agreement between the Advisor and the Subadvisor (the “Subadvisory Agreement”). Winslow Capital has been an investment advisor since 1992, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nuveen, LLC. As of October 1, 2014, Nuveen, LLC is an indirect subsidiary of TIAA. As of June 30, 2024, Winslow Capital managed approximately $31.7 billion in assets.

 

Pursuant to the Subadvisory Agreement, the Subadvisor is entitled to receive a fee from the Advisor, payable monthly, at the annual rate based on a percentage of each Fund’s average daily net assets, as follows:

 

Subadvisory Fee Assets
0.40% Up to $100 million
0.35% From $100 million to $350 million
0.30% From $350 million to $600 million
0.25% From $600 million to $1 billion
0.20% From $1 billion to $2.5 billion
0.24% From $2.5 billion to $5 billion
0.25% Over $5 billion

 

59 

 

 

The Subadvisors are responsible for placing purchase and sale orders and shall make investment decisions for the Funds, subject to supervision by the Advisor and the Board of Trustees of the Trust. For their services, the Subadvisors are compensated by the Advisor. Each Subadvisory Agreement will continue in effect with respect to the Funds from year to year provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (i) the vote of a majority of a Fund’s outstanding voting securities or a majority of the Trustees of the Trust, and (ii) the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees of the Trust, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Subadvisory Agreements provide that the Subadvisors shall not be liable to a Fund for any error of judgment by the Subadvisors or for any loss sustained by a Fund except in the case of the Subadvisor’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of duty. To the extent that the Advisor has agreed to waive its Advisory Fee or reimburse expenses, each Subadvisor has voluntarily agreed to waive or reimburse its fee proportionately.

 

A Subadvisory Agreement will terminate automatically if assigned (as defined in the 1940 Act). Each Subadvisory Agreement is also terminable with respect to each Fund at any time without penalty by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund on 60 days’ written notice to a Subadvisor or by a Subadvisor on 60 days’ written notice to the Advisor.

 

For the last three fiscal years ended April 30, the amount of the subadvisory fees paid by the Advisor from the management fee, and the amount of the subadvisory fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed were as follows:

 

Fund Name

Subadvisory Fee Paid for the

Fiscal Year Ended

Subadvisory Fee Waived and/or

Expenses Reimbursed for the

Fiscal Year Ended

2022 2023 2024 2022 2023 2024
NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF(1) N/A N/A N/A(2) N/A N/A N/A(2)
NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF $54,443 $372,668 $403,203 $(34,755) $(104,688) $(104,773)
NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF(3) N/A $23,778 $146,060 N/A $(28,631) $(61,670)
NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF $929,625 $702,563 $835,178 $(448,789) $(339,161) $(353,818)
NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF $443,990 $653,229 $1,097,603 $(231,687) $(321,339) $(476,275)
NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF $38,344 $104,750 $74,001 $(32,070) $(78,586) $(79,603)
NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF(4) N/A $43,161 $91,099 N/A $(42,548) $(64,364)
NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF(3) N/A $19,609 $29,524 N/A $(35,969) $(31,405)
(1) Commenced operations on May 10, 2023.

(2) No subadvisory fee was paid out for 2023-2024 due to the management fee was negative.

(3) Commenced operations on October 25, 2022.

(4) Commended operations on June 23, 2022.

 

Portfolio Managers 

Each Subadvisor acts as portfolio manager for the Funds. Subject to supervision by the Advisor and the Board, the Subadvisors supervise and manage the investment portfolios of the Funds and direct the purchase and sale of each Fund’s investment securities. The Subadvisors utilize a team of investment professionals acting together to manage the assets of the Funds. Each portfolio management team meets regularly to review portfolio holdings and to discuss purchase and sale activity. The portfolio management teams adjust holdings in the applicable portfolio as they deem appropriate in the pursuit of a Fund’s investment objective.

 

The portfolio managers listed below are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management for the following Funds they manage:

 

CBRE’s Portfolio Managers:
Name Funds
Jeremy Anagnos NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF
Daniel Foley NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF
Jonathan Miniman NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF
Joseph P. Smith NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF

 

60 

 

 

MacKay Shields’ Portfolio Managers:
Name Funds
Zachary Aronson NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF
Valentina Chen(1) NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF
Michael Denlinger NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF
NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF
NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF
Michael DePalma NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF
NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF
David Dowden NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF
NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF
Philip Fielding(1) NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF
Matthew Hage NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF
NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF
Matt Jacob NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF
John Lawlor NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF
Frances Lewis NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF
NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF
NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF
Neil Moriarty, III NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF
NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF
Lesya Paisley NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF  
Scott Sprauer NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF
Cameron White NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF
(1) Ms. Chen and Mr. Fielding are part of MacKay Shields UK LLP, an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of MacKay Shields, and each provides portfolio management services to the NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF under an arrangement with MacKay Shields.

 

Winslow Capital’s Portfolio Managers:
Name Funds
Justin H. Kelly NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF
NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF
Patrick M. Burton NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF
NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF
Peter A. Dlugosch NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF
NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF
Steven M. Hamill NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF
NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF

 

61 

 

 

Other Accounts Managed 

The Funds’ portfolio managers also have responsibility for the day-to-day management of accounts other than the Funds. Except as otherwise indicated, information regarding these other accounts, as of April 30, 2024, is set forth below.

 

Portfolio Manager

NUMBER OF OTHER ACCOUNTS

MANAGED 

AND ASSETS BY ACCOUNT TYPE 

NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS AND ASSETS

FOR WHICH THE ADVISORY FEE IS

BASED ON PERFORMANCE

Registered

Investment

Company

($mm)

Other Pooled

Investment

Vehicles

($mm)

Other Accounts

($mm)

Registered

Investment

Company

($mm)

Other Pooled

Investment

Vehicles

($mm)

Other Accounts

($mm)

   
CBRE  
Jeremy Anagnos 4/$1,833 5/$532 10/$841 0/$0 1/$26 0/$0
Daniel Foley 4/$1,833 4/$496 8/$787 0/$0 0/$0 0/$0
Jonathan Miniman 4/$1,509 7/$535 5/$495 0/$0 0/$0 0/$0
Joseph P. Smith 4/$4,399 10/$936 18/$1,988 0/$0 1/$26 6/$286
 
MacKay Shields  
Zachary Aronson 0/$0 9/$1,885 76/$14,770 0/$0 0/$0 1/$678
Valentina Chen 0/$0 18/$7,904 22/$3,203 0/$0 0/$0 0/$0
Michael Denlinger 14/$25,965 8/$10,279 88/$25,989 0/$0 2/$801 2/$607
Michael DePalma 5/$2,269 27/$9,789 98/$17,973 0/$0 0/$0 1/$678
David Dowden 16/$33,727 8/$10,279 88/$25,989 0/$0 2/$801 2/$607
Philip Fielding 0/$0 18/$7,904 22/$3,203 0/$0 0/$0 0/$0
Matthew Hage 0/$0 8/$10,279 88/$25,989 0/$0 2/$801 2/$607
Matt Jacob 3/$1,740 18/$7,904 22/$3,203 0/$0 0/$0 0/$0
John Lawlor 13/$17,722 8/$10,279 88/$25,989 0/$0 2/$801 2/$607
Frances Lewis 9/$27,458 8/$10,279 88/$25,989 0/$0 2/$801 2/$607
Neil Moriarty, III 5/$2,269 27/$9,789 98/$17,973 0/$0 0/$0 1/$678
Lesya Paisley 3/$1,653 9/$1,885 76/$14,770 0/$0 0/$0 1/$678
Scott Sprauer 12/18,179$ 8/$10,279 88/$25,989 0/$0 2/$801 2/$607
Cameron White 1/$415 18/$7,904 22/$3,303 0/$0 0/$0 0/$0
 
Winslow Capital  
Justin H. Kelly 5/$16,369 3/$4,775 1,292/$6,881 0/$0 0/$0 3/$270
Patrick M. Burton 5/$16,369 3/$4,775 1,292/$6,881 0/$0 0/$0 3/$270
Peter A. Dlugosch 3/$15,517 2/$4,536 1,292/$6,881 0/$0 0/$0 3/$270
Steven M. Hamill 5/$16,369 3/$4,775 1,292/$6,881 0/$0 0/$0 3/$270
             

Material Conflicts of Interest

 

CBRE 

A portfolio manager may be subject to potential conflicts of interest because the portfolio manager is responsible for other accounts in addition to the Fund. These accounts may include, among others, other closed-end funds, mutual funds, separately managed advisory accounts, commingled trust accounts, insurance separate accounts, wrap fee programs and hedge funds. Potential conflicts may arise out of the implementation of differing investment strategies for a portfolio manager’s various accounts, the allocation of investment opportunities among those accounts or differences in the advisory fees paid by the portfolio manager’s accounts.

 

A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of a portfolio manager’s responsibility for multiple accounts with similar investment guidelines. Under these circumstances, a potential investment may be suitable for more than one of the portfolio manager’s accounts, but the quantity of the investment available for purchase is less than the aggregate amount the accounts would ideally devote to the opportunity. Similar conflicts may arise when multiple accounts seek to dispose of the same investment.

 

A portfolio manager may also manage accounts whose objectives and policies differ from those of the Fund. These differences may be such that under certain circumstances, trading activity appropriate for one account managed by a portfolio manager may have adverse consequences for another account managed by the portfolio manager. For example, if an account were to sell a significant position in a security, which could cause the market price of that security to decrease while the Fund maintained its position in that security.

 

A potential conflict may arise when a portfolio manager is responsible for accounts that have different advisory fees – the difference in the fees may create an incentive for the portfolio manager to favor one account over another, for example, in terms of access to particularly appealing investment opportunities. This conflict may be heightened where an account is subject to a performance-based fee.

 

CBRE recognizes the duty of loyalty it owes to its client and has established and implemented certain policies and procedures designed to control and mitigate conflicts of interest arising from the execution of a variety of portfolio management and trading strategies across the firm’s diverse client base. Such policies and procedures include but are not limited to: (i) investment process, portfolio management and trade allocation procedures; (ii) procedures regarding short sales in securities recommended for other clients; and (iii) procedures regarding personal trading by the firm’s employees (contained in the Code of Ethics).

 

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MacKay Shields 

MacKay Shields does not favor the interest of one client over another and has adopted a Trade Allocation Policy designed so that all client accounts will be treated fairly and no one client account will receive, over time, preferential treatment over another.

 

MacKay Shields maintains investment teams with their own distinct investment process that operate independent of each other when making portfolio management decisions. Certain investment teams consist of Portfolio Managers, Research Analysts, and Traders, while certain other investment teams share Research Analysts and/or Traders. MacKay Shields’ investment teams may compete with each other for the same investment opportunities and/or take contrary positions. At times, two or more of MacKay Shields’ investment teams may jointly manage the assets of a single client portfolio (“Crossover Mandate”). In such instances, the asset allocation decisions will be discussed amongst the various investment teams, but the day-to-day investment decision-making process will typically be made independently by each team for the portion of the Crossover Mandate that team is responsible for managing. Orders within an investment team will typically be aggregated or bunched to reduce the costs of the transactions. Orders are typically not aggregated across investment teams even though there may be orders by separate investment teams to execute the same instrument on the same trading day; provided, however, that orders for the same instrument are typically aggregated across investment teams that are supported by a shared trading desk.

 

MacKay Shields’ clients have held, and it is expected that in the future they will at times hold, different segments of the capital structure of the same issuer that have different priorities. These investments create conflicts of interest, particularly because MacKay Shields can take certain actions for clients that can have an adverse effect on other clients. For example, certain MacKay Shields clients may hold instruments that are senior or subordinated relative to instruments of the same issuer held by other clients, and any action that the portfolio managers were to take on behalf of the issuer’s senior instrument, for instance, could have an adverse effect on the issuer’s junior instrument held by other clients, and vice versa, particularly in distressed or default situations. To the extent MacKay Shields or any of its employees were to serve on a formal or informal creditor or similar committee on behalf of a client, such conflicts of interest may be exacerbated.

 

MacKay Shields engages in transactions and investment strategies for certain clients that differ from the transactions and strategies executed on behalf of other clients, including clients that have retained the services of the same investment team. MacKay Shields may make investments for certain clients that it concludes are inappropriate for other clients. For instance, clients within one investment strategy may take short positions in the debt or equity instruments of certain issuers, while at the same time those instruments or other instruments of that issuer are acquired or held long by clients in another investment strategy, or within the same strategy, and vice versa.

 

Additionally, MacKay Shields’ investment strategies are available through a variety of investment products, including, without limitation, separately managed accounts, private funds, mutual funds and ETFs. Given the different structures of these products, certain clients are subject to terms and conditions that are materially different or more advantageous than available under different products. For example, mutual funds offer investors the ability to redeem from the fund daily, while private funds offer less frequent liquidity. Similarly, a client with a separately managed account may have more transparency regarding the positions held in its account than would be available to an investor in a collective investment vehicle. Further, separately managed account clients have the ability to terminate their investment management agreement with little or no notice (subject to the terms of the investment advisory agreement or similar agreement).

 

As a result of these differing liquidity and other terms, MacKay Shields may acquire and/or dispose of investments for a client either prior to or subsequent to the acquisition and/or disposition of the same or similar securities held by another client. In certain circumstances, purchases or sales of securities by one client could adversely affect the value of the same securities held in another client’s portfolio. In addition, MacKay Shields has caused, and expects in the future to cause, certain clients to invest in opportunities with different levels of concentration or on different terms than that to which other clients invest in the same securities. These differences in terms and concentration could lead to different investment outcomes among clients investing in the same securities. MacKay Shields seeks to tailor its investment advisory services to meet each client’s investment objective, constraints and investment guidelines, and MacKay Shields’ judgments with respect to a particular client will at times differ from its judgments for other clients, even when such clients pursue similar investment strategies.

 

MacKay Shields permits its personnel, including portfolio managers and other investment personnel, to engage in personal securities transactions, including buying or selling securities that it has recommended to, or purchased or sold on behalf of, clients. These transactions raise potential conflicts of interest, including when they involve securities owned or considered for purchase or sale by or on behalf of a client account. MacKay Shields has adopted a Code of Ethics to assist and guide the portfolio managers and other investment personnel when faced with a conflict. MacKay Shields’ services to each client are not exclusive. The nature of managing accounts for multiple clients creates a conflict of interest with regard to time available to serve clients. MacKay Shields and its portfolio managers will devote as much of their time to the activities of each client as they deem necessary and appropriate. Although MacKay Shields strives to identify and mitigate all conflicts of interest, and seeks to treat its clients in a fair and reasonable manner consistent with its fiduciary duties, there may be times when conflicts of interest are not resolved in a manner favorable to a specific client.

 

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Additional material conflicts of interest are presented within Part 2A of MacKay Shields’ Form ADV.

 

Winslow Capital 

Winslow Capital acknowledges its fiduciary duty to follow trading procedures that meet each client’s investment objectives and guidelines. Winslow Capital will manage the Funds and all other institutional clients in the Large Cap Growth product essentially identically. Pursuant to Winslow Capital’s “Trade Management Policy,” the firm treats all clients fairly in the execution of orders and allocation of trades. Pursuant to Winslow Capital’s “Trade Order Processing Policy,” the firm processes trade orders for its clients in a consistent, controlled, transparent and accountable manner.

 

It is Winslow Capital’s practice to aggregate multiple contemporaneous client purchase or sell orders into a block order for execution. If the aggregated order is not filled in its entirety, the partially filled order is allocated pro rata based on the original allocation. Clients’ accounts for which orders are aggregated receive the average share price of such transaction. Any transaction costs incurred in the aggregated transaction will be shared pro rata based on each client’s participation in the transaction.

 

Winslow Capital has also established and will maintain and enforce a code of ethics to set forth the standards of conduct expected of employees, to require compliance with the federal securities laws, and to uphold Winslow Capital’s fiduciary duties. This code of ethics also addresses the personal securities trading activities of Access Persons in an effort to detect and prevent illegal or improper personal securities transactions. Winslow Capital believes that it has addressed all potential conflicts of interest that may exist in connection with the investment manager’s management of the investments of the Funds and the investments of the other accounts under its management.

 

Compensation for the Portfolio Managers

 

CBRE 

The Portfolio Managers are compensated by the Subadvisor pursuant to the structure set forth below:

 

Base Salary — Each Portfolio Manager receives a base salary. Base salaries have been established at competitive market levels and are set forth in the Portfolio Manager’s employment agreement. While base salaries are reviewed periodically by our Compensation Committee and our Board of Directors, adjustments are relatively infrequent.

 

Bonus — Portfolio Manager bonuses are drawn from an incentive compensation pool into which a significant percentage of firm’s pre-tax profits is set aside. Incentive compensation allocations are determined by the Compensation Committee based on a variety of factors, including the performance of particular investment strategies. To avoid the pitfalls of relying solely on a rigid performance format, however, incentive compensation decisions also take into account other important factors, such as the Portfolio Manager’s contribution to the team, firm, and overall investment process. Incentive compensation allocations are reported to our Board of Directors, though our Board’s approval is not required. Employees do not receive a share of incentive compensation based on the performance of any particular product.

 

Deferred Compensation — We defer a percentage of incentive compensation exceeding a certain threshold with respect to a single fiscal year. The Compensation Committee may, in its discretion, require the deferral of additional amounts. Such deferred amounts are subject to the terms of a Deferred Bonus Plan adopted by our Board of Directors. The purpose of the Deferred Bonus Plan is to foster the retention of key employees, to focus plan participants on value creation and growth, and to encourage continued cooperation among key employees in providing services to our clients. The value of deferred bonus amounts is tied to the performance of investment funds managed by us chosen by the Compensation Committee, although the Committee may elect to leave a portion of the assets un-invested. Deferred compensation vests incrementally, one-third after 2 years, 3 years and 4 years. The Deferred Bonus Plan provides for forfeiture upon voluntary termination of employment, termination for cause, or conduct detrimental to the firm.

 

Profit Participation — Senior portfolio managers and other senior leaders within the firm are equity holders and either own shares of CBREIM Listed Real Assets or participate in a bonus program featuring awards tied to the Firm’s operating income. Income-linked bonus awards are paid out on a deferred basis, and participants will forfeit the unpaid portion of an award if they voluntarily resign.

 

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Other Compensation — Portfolio Managers participate in benefit plans and programs available to all employees, such as CBRE Group’s 401(k) plan.

 

MacKay Shields 

Salaries are set by reference to a range of factors, taking into account each individual’s seniority and responsibilities and the market rate of pay for the relevant position. Annual salaries are set at competitive levels to attract and maintain the best professional talent. Variable or incentive compensation, both cash bonus and deferred awards, are a significant component of total compensation for portfolio managers at MacKay Shields. Incentive compensation received by portfolio managers is generally based on both quantitative and qualitative factors. The quantitative factors include, but are not limited to: (i) investment performance; (ii) assets under management; (iii) revenues and profitability; and (iv) industry benchmarks. The qualitative factors may include, among others: leadership, adherence to the firm’s policies and procedures, and contribution to the firm’s goals and objectives.

 

MacKay Shields maintains a phantom equity plan for those employees who qualify whereby awards vest and pay out after several years, to attract, retain, motivate and reward key personnel. Portfolio managers that participate in the phantom equity plan share in the results and success of the firm as the value of award tracks the operating revenue and operating profit of MacKay Shields. This approach helps to instill a strong sense of commitment towards the overall success of the firm.

 

MacKay Shields maintains an employee benefit program, including health and non-health insurance, education reimbursement, and a 401(k) defined contribution plan for all of its employees regardless of their job title, responsibilities or seniority.

 

Winslow Capital 

In an effort to retain key personnel, Winslow Capital has structured compensation plans for portfolio managers and other key personnel that it believes are competitive with other investment management firms. The compensation plan is recommended by members of the Winslow Capital Executive Committee with the final decision resting with Justin H. Kelly. Winslow Capital’s compensation plan is designed to align manager compensation with investors’ goals by rewarding portfolio managers who meet the long-term objective of consistent, superior investment results, measured by the performance of the product.

 

The Executive Committee establishes salaries at competitive levels, verified through industry surveys, to attract and maintain the best professional and administrative personnel. Portfolio manager compensation packages are independent of advisory fees collected on any given client account under management. In addition, an incentive bonus is paid annually to the employees based upon each individual’s performance, client results and the profitability of the firm. Finally, eligible employees of Winslow Capital, including the portfolio managers, have received profits interests in the firm which entitle their holders to participate in the firm’s growth over time.

 

Ownership of Securities 

The following table provides the dollar range of Shares of each Fund beneficially owned by the Portfolio Managers as of April 30, 2024.

 

CBRE’s Portfolio Managers:
Name Fund

Dollar Range of Fund Ownership

(dollars)

Jeremy Anagnos NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF None
Daniel Foley NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF $1 - $10,000
Jonathan Miniman NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF None
Joseph P. Smith NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF None

 

MacKay Shields’ Portfolio Managers:
Name Fund

Dollar Range of Fund Ownership

(dollars)

Zachary Aronson NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF None
Valentina Chen NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF None
Michael Denlinger NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF None
NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF None
NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF None
Michael DePalma NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF None
NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF None
David Dowden NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF $1-$10,000
NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF $1-$10,000
Philip Fielding NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF None
Matthew Hage NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF None
NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF None
Matt Jacob NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF None
John Lawlor NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF $10,001-$50,000
Frances Lewis NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF None
NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF None
NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF None
Neil Moriarty, III NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF None
NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF None
Lesya Paisley NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF   None
Scott Sprauer NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF $50,001 - $100,000
Cameron White NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF None

 

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Winslow Capital’s Portfolio Managers:
Name Fund

Dollar Range of Fund Ownership

(dollars)

Justin H. Kelly NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF None
NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF None
Patrick M. Burton NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF None
NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF None
Peter A. Dlugosch NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF None
NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF None
Steven M. Hamill NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF None
NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF None

 

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

 

Fund Administrator, Custodian, Transfer Agent and Securities Lending Agent 

The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNY Mellon”) serves as the Funds’ administrator, custodian, transfer agent and securities lending agent. BNY Mellon’s principal address is 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286. BNY Mellon is the principal operating subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation. Under the Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement, BNY Mellon provides necessary administrative, legal, tax, accounting services, and financial reporting for the maintenance and operations of the Trust and each Fund. In addition, BNY Mellon makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services.

 

BNY Mellon supervises the overall administration of the Trust and the Funds, including, among other responsibilities, assisting in the preparation and filing of documents required for compliance by the Funds with applicable laws and regulations and arranging for the maintenance of books and records of the Funds. BNY Mellon provides persons satisfactory to the Board to serve as officers of the Trust.

 

BNY Mellon serves as custodian of the Funds’ assets (the “Custodian”). Under the Custody Agreement with the Trust, BNY Mellon maintains in separate accounts cash, securities and other assets of the Trust and the Funds, keeps all necessary accounts and records, and provides other services. BNY Mellon is required, upon order of the Trust, to deliver securities held by BNY Mellon and to make payments for securities purchased by the Trust for the Funds. Under the Custody Agreement, BNY Mellon is also authorized to appoint certain foreign custodians or foreign custody managers for Fund investments outside the U.S.

 

The Custodian has agreed to (1) make receipts and disbursements of money on behalf of the Funds; (2) collect and receive all income and other payments and distributions on account of each Fund’s portfolio investments; (3) respond to correspondence from Fund shareholders and others relating to its duties; and (4) make periodic reports to each Fund concerning the Funds’ operations. The Custodian does not exercise any supervisory function over the purchase and sale of securities.

 

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BNY Mellon serves as transfer agent and dividend paying agent for the Funds (the “Transfer Agent”). The Transfer Agent has agreed to (1) issue and redeem Shares of the Funds; (2) make dividend and other distributions to shareholders of the Funds; (3) respond to correspondence by Fund shareholders and others relating to its duties; (4) maintain shareholder accounts; and (5) make periodic reports to the Funds.

 

As compensation for the foregoing services, BNY Mellon receives certain out-of-pocket costs, transaction fees and asset- based fees, which are accrued daily and paid monthly by the Trust.

 

For the last three fiscal years ended April 30, the fees paid by each Fund to BNY Mellon for the foregoing services were:

 

Fund Name

Commencement

of Operations

Administration,

Custody and

Transfer Agency

Fees for the Fiscal

Year Ended 2022

Administration,

Custody and

Transfer Agency

Fees for the Fiscal

Year Ended 2023

Administration,

Custody and

Transfer Agency

Fees for the Fiscal

Year Ended 2024

NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF 5/10/2023 N/A N/A $29,067
NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF 6/29/21 $37,243 $124,094 $120,958
NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF 10/25/22 N/A $27,153 $74,807
NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF 10/18/17 $290,599 $178,293 $120,676
NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF 10/18/17 $143,032 $170,841 $186,592
NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF 12/21/21 $20,878 $56,123 $69,968
NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF 6/23/22 N/A $28,202 $42,617
NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF 6/23/22 N/A $29,510 $11,088

 

Securities Lending 

BNY Mellon also serves as the Trust’s securities lending agent pursuant to a Securities Lending Authorization Agreement. As compensation for providing securities lending services, BNY Mellon receives a portion of the income earned by each Fund on collateral investments in connection with the lending program.

 

Pursuant to an agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, and BNY Mellon, the Funds may lend their portfolio securities to certain qualified borrowers. As securities lending agent for the Funds, BNY Mellon administers the Funds’ securities lending program. The services provided to the Funds by BNY Mellon with respect to the Funds’ securities lending activities during the most recent fiscal year included, among other things: locating approved borrowers and arranging loans; collecting fees and rebates due to the Funds from a borrower; monitoring daily the value of the loaned securities and collateral and marking to market the daily value of securities on loan; collecting and maintaining necessary collateral; managing cash collateral, which may include investing the cash collateral in approved investment pools; managing qualified dividends; negotiating loan terms; recordkeeping and account servicing; monitoring dividend activity and proxy votes relating to loaned securities; and arranging for return of loaned securities to the Funds at loan termination.

 

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The dollar amounts of income and fees and compensation paid to all service providers related to those Funds that participated in securities lending activities for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024, were as follows:

 

Fund

NYLI CBRE
Real Assets
ETF

NYLI MacKay

ESG Core Plus

Bond ETF

NYLI MacKay

ESG High

Income ETF

NYLI Winslow

Large Cap

Growth ETF

NYLI Winslow

Focused Large

Cap Growth ETF

Gross Income(1) $51 $252,917 $33,112 $625 $66
Revenue Split(2) $9 $24,291 $4,549 $149 $9
Cash Collateral Management Fees - - - - -
Administrative Fees - - - - -
Indemnification Fees - - - - -
Net Rebate (Paid)/Received $21 $155,863 $17,947 $38 $32
Other Fees - $1 $2 $3 -
Aggregate Fees for Securities Lending Activities $30 $180,154 $22,496 $187 $41
Net Income from Securities Lending Activities $21 $72,763 $10,616 $438 $25

(1) Gross income includes income from cash collateral reinvestment. 

(2) Revenue split represents the share of revenue generated by the securities lending program and paid to BNY Mellon.

 

Distributor 

ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ALPS” or the “Distributor”), is located at 1290 Broadway, Suite 1000, Denver, Colorado 80203. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). NYLIFE Distributors LLC has entered into a Services Agreement with ALPS to market the Funds.

 

Shares will be continuously offered for sale by the Trust through the Distributor only in whole Creation Units, as described in the section of this SAI entitled “Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units.” The Distributor also acts as an agent for the Trust. The Distributor will deliver a prospectus to authorized participants purchasing Shares in Creation Units and will maintain records of both orders placed with it and confirmations of acceptance furnished by it. The Distributor has no role in determining the investment policies of the Funds or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Advisor.

 

As compensation for the foregoing services, the Distributor receives certain out-of-pocket costs and per Fund flat fees, which are accrued daily and paid monthly by the Advisor.

 

The Board of Trustees has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with its Distribution and Service Plan, each Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year to finance activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of each Fund or the provision of investor services. No Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Funds and there are no plans to impose these fees. However, in the event Rule 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, they will be paid out of the respective Fund’s assets, and over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and they may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.

 

Under the Service and Distribution Plan, and as required by Rule 12b-1, the Trustees will receive and review after the end of each calendar quarter a written report provided by the Distributor of the amounts expended under the Plan, if any, and the purpose for which such expenditures were made.

 

The Advisor and its affiliates may, out of their own resources, pay amounts to third parties for distribution or marketing services on behalf of the Funds. The making of these payments could create a conflict of interest for a financial intermediary receiving such payments.

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, located at 300 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will perform the annual audit of the Funds’ financial statements.

 

Legal Counsel 

Chapman and Cutler LLP, located at 1717 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036, serves as legal counsel to the Trust and the Funds.

 

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PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE

 

Subject to the general supervision by the Board, the Advisor and the Subadvisors are responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for the Funds, the selection of brokers and dealers to effect the transactions, which may be affiliates of the Advisor or the Subadvisors, and the negotiation of brokerage commissions. The Funds may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealers who receive compensation for their services in conformity with the 1940 Act, the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations thereunder. Compensation may also be paid in connection with riskless principal transactions (on Nasdaq or over-the-counter securities and securities listed on an exchange) and agency Nasdaq or over-the-counter transactions executed with an electronic communications network or an alternative trading system.

 

The Funds will give primary consideration to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions in implementing trading policy. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are traded on an exchange, the Funds’ policy will be to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Advisor and Subadvisors believe that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Funds from obtaining a high-quality of brokerage services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Advisor or a Subadvisor will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage and research services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations will be necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable.

 

The Advisor and Subadvisors do not consider sales of Shares by broker-dealers as a factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute portfolio transactions.

 

On occasions when the Advisor or a Subadvisor deems the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interests of a Fund as well as its other customers (including any other fund or other investment company or advisory account for which the Advisor or Subadvisor acts as investment advisor or investment subadvisor), the Advisor or Subadvisor, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may aggregate the securities to be sold or purchased for a Fund with those to be sold or purchased for such other customers in order to obtain the best net price and most favorable execution under the circumstances. In such event, allocation of the securities so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Advisor or Subadvisor in the manner it considers to be equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Funds and such other customers. In some instances, this procedure may adversely affect the price and size of the position obtainable for the Funds.

 

The table below shows information on brokerage commissions paid by each of the Funds for the three most recently completed fiscal years ended April 30, all of which were paid to entities that are not affiliated with the Funds, Advisor, a Subadvisor or Distributor.

 

Fund Name

Commencement of

Operations

Brokerage Commissions Paid

for the Fiscal Year Ended

2022 2023 2024
NYLI CBRE Real Assets ETF 5/10/23 N/A N/A $3,484
NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF 6/29/21 $628 $4,621 $14,089
NYLI MacKay ESG High Income ETF 10/25/22 N/A $0 $0
NYLI MacKay Muni Insured ETF 10/18/17 $0 $0 $0
NYLI MacKay Muni Intermediate ETF 10/18/17 $0 $0 $0
NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF 12/21/21 $0 $0 $0
NYLI Winslow Large Cap Growth ETF 6/23/22 N/A $4,045 $4,785
NYLI Winslow Focused Large Cap Growth ETF 6/23/22 N/A $569 $1,340

 

During the fiscal years ended April 30, 2022, April 30, 2023, and April 30, 2024, the Funds did not engage in any securities transactions with brokers that were affiliated with the Funds, Advisor, Subadvisors or Distributor.

 

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The Funds are required to identify any securities of the Funds’ regular broker-dealers (as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act) or their parents held by the Funds as of the end of most recent fiscal year. As of April 30, 2024, the following Funds held the following securities of their regular broker-dealers or their parents:

 

Fund Name Broker/Dealer Market Value
NYLI MacKay ESG Core Plus Bond ETF Morgan Stanley $2,048,657
Bank of America Corp. $1,545,748
Citigroup Inc. $1,518,103

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

Portfolio Disclosure Policy 

The Trust has adopted a Portfolio Holdings Policy (the “Policy”) designed to govern the disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings and the use of material nonpublic information about Fund holdings. The Policy applies to all officers, employees and agents of the Funds, including the Advisor and the Subadvisors. The Policy together with other policies of the Trust and Advisor and Subadvisor, is designed to protect the confidentiality of portfolio holdings information and to prevent the selective disclosure of non-public information concerning the Funds, which is consistent with applicable legal requirements and otherwise in the best interests of each Fund.

 

As ETFs, information about each Fund’s portfolio holdings is made available on a daily basis in accordance with the provisions of any Order of the SEC applicable to the Exchange and other applicable SEC regulations, orders and no-action relief. Such information typically reflects all or a portion of a Fund’s anticipated portfolio holdings as of the next Business Day (as defined in the section entitled “Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units”). This information is used in connection with the creation and redemption process and is disseminated on a daily basis through the facilities of the Exchange, the National Securities Clearing Corporation (the “NSCC”) and/or third party service providers.

 

Each Fund will disclose on the Funds’ website newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf at the start of each Business Day the identities and quantities of the securities and other assets held by each Fund that will form the basis of the Fund’s calculation of its NAV on that Business Day. The portfolio holdings so disclosed will be based on information as of the close of business on the prior Business Day and/or trades that have been completed prior to the opening of business on that Business Day and that are expected to settle on the Business Day. Online disclosure of such holdings is publicly available at no charge.

 

Daily access to each Fund’s portfolio holdings is permitted to personnel of the Advisor, the Subadvisors and the Distributor and the Funds’ administrator, custodian and accountant and other agents or service providers of the Trust who have need of such information in connection with the ordinary course of their respective duties to the Funds. Generally, all officers, employees and agents of the Funds, including the Advisor and the Subadvisors who have access to non-public information regarding the Funds' portfolio holdings information are restricted in their uses of such information pursuant to information barriers and personal trading restrictions. To the extent a Fund is subadvised, the Subadvisors, their agents and their employees regularly have access to portfolio holdings information and, as such, each Subadvisor is contractually obligated to keep portfolio holdings information confidential.

 

Non-public portfolio holdings information is provided pursuant to a confidentiality agreement. All confidentiality agreements entered into for the receipt of non-public portfolio holdings information must provide that: (i) the Funds' non-public portfolio holdings information is the confidential property of the Funds and may not be used for any purpose except as expressly provided; (ii) the recipient of the non-public portfolio holdings information (a) agrees to limit access to the information to its employees and agents who are subject to a duty to keep and treat such information as confidential and (b) will implement appropriate monitoring procedures; and (iii) upon written request from the Advisor or the Funds, the recipient of the non-public portfolio holdings information shall promptly return or destroy the information. In lieu of the separate confidentiality agreements described above, the Funds may rely on the confidentiality provisions of existing agreements provided the Advisor has determined that such provisions adequately protect the Funds against disclosure or misuse of non-public holdings information.

 

No person is authorized to disclose a Fund’s portfolio holdings or other investment positions except in accordance with the Policy. The Trust’s Board reviews the implementation of the Policy on a periodic basis. The Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer may authorize disclosure of portfolio holdings.

 

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

 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING SHARES

 

Organization and Description of Shares of Beneficial Interest 

The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust and registered investment company. The Trust was organized on January 30, 2008, and has authorized capital of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of no par value which may be issued in more than one class or series.

 

Under Delaware law, the Trust is not required to hold an annual shareholders meeting if the 1940 Act does not require such a meeting. Generally, there will not be annual meetings of Trust shareholders. If requested by shareholders of at least 10% of the outstanding Shares of the Trust, the Trust will call a meeting of the Trust’s shareholders for the purpose of voting upon the question of removal of a Trustee and will assist in communications with other Trust shareholders. Shareholders holding two-thirds of Shares outstanding may remove Trustees from office by votes cast at a meeting of Trust shareholders or by written consent.

 

When issued, Shares are fully paid, non-assessable, redeemable and freely transferable; provided, however, that Shares may not be redeemed individually, but only in Creation Units. The Shares do not have preemptive rights or cumulative voting rights, and none of the Shares have any preference to conversion, exchange, dividends, retirements, liquidation, redemption or any other feature. Shares have equal voting rights, except that, if the Trust creates additional funds, only Shares of that fund may be entitled to vote on a matter affecting that particular fund. Trust shareholders are entitled to require the Trust to redeem Creation Units if such shareholders are Authorized Participants. The Declaration of Trust confers upon the Board the power, by resolution, to alter the number of Shares constituting a Creation Unit or to specify that Shares of the Trust may be individually redeemable. The Trust reserves the right to adjust the stock prices of Shares to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any such adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits which would have no effect on the net assets of the Funds.

 

The Trust’s Declaration of Trust disclaims liability of the shareholders or the officers of the Trust for acts or obligations of the Trust which are binding only on the assets and property of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification by the Trust for all loss and expense of the Funds’ shareholders held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. The risk of a Trust’s shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which the Funds themselves would not be able to meet the Trust’s obligations and this risk should be considered remote. If a Fund does not grow to a size to permit it to be economically viable, the Fund may cease operations. In such an event, shareholders may be required to liquidate or transfer their Shares at an inopportune time and shareholders may lose money on their investment.

 

Book-Entry-Only System 

The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) acts as securities depository for the Shares. Shares of the Funds are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except as provided below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.

 

DTC, a limited purpose trust company, was created in 1973 to hold securities of its participants (“DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. NSCC was established in 1976 to provide a single settlement system for securities clearing and to serve as central counterparty for securities trades among DTC Participants. In 1999, DTC and NSCC were consolidated within The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (“DTCC”) and became wholly-owned subsidiaries of DTCC. The common stock of DTCC is owned by the DTC Participants, but NYSE and FINRA, through subsidiaries, hold preferred shares in DTCC that provide them with the right to elect one member each to the DTCC board of directors. Access to the DTC system is available to entities, such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies, that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (“Indirect Participants”).

 

Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase and sale of Shares. The laws of some jurisdictions may require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such laws may impair the ability of certain investors to acquire beneficial interests in Shares of the Fund.

 

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Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. DTC will 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 notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participants a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

 

Distributions of Shares 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.

 

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS

 

General 

The Trust issues and sells Shares of each Fund only to Authorized Participants, which are members or participants of any clearing agency registered with the SEC and which have a written agreement with the Trust or any Trust service provider that allows an Authorized Participant to place orders for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units. Creation Units are the specified number of Fund Shares that the Trust will issue to (or redeem from) an Authorized Participant in exchange for the deposit (or delivery) of a basket of securities, assets or other positions. Creation Units may be purchased and redeemed by Authorized Participants on a continuous basis on any Business Day (as defined below) through the Distributor at the Shares’ NAV next determined after receipt of an order in proper form. In its discretion, the Trust reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of the Fund’s Shares that constitute a Creation Unit.

 

A Business Day with respect to a Fund is, generally, any day that the Exchange is open for business, although as communicated by the Trust or the Distributor, certain Funds may be closed on days when the principal markets for a Fund’s portfolio holdings are closed.

 

The specific terms and procedures governing purchase and redemption transactions in Creation Units by Authorized Participants are contained in the agreement between the Distributor and each Authorized Participant, and which is subject to acceptance by the Transfer Agent, including any annex thereto, any order form developed for use by the Distributor with Authorized Participants to purchase or redeem Creation Units, and any related communication provided to Authorized Participants by the Distributor, the Transfer Agent, the Advisor, or the Trust (together, the “Authorized Participant Agreement”). More specifically, the Authorized Participant Agreement sets forth the detailed procedures by which the Authorized Participant may purchase or redeem Creation Units of Shares (i) through the Continuous Net Settlement (“CNS”) clearing processes of NSCC, as such processes have been enhanced to effect purchases and redemptions of Creation Units, sometimes called the “CNS Clearing Process,” or (ii) outside the CNS Clearing Process (i.e., through the manual process of the DTC, sometimes called the “DTC Process”).

 

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Purchases and Redemptions 

The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit generally consists of a designated basket of a securities, assets (including cash) or other positions that are representative of a Fund’s portfolio (the “Purchase Basket”), and an amount of cash to account for any difference between the value of the Purchase Basket and the net asset value of a Creation Unit, sometimes called a cash balancing amount. A Fund also may accept a Purchase Basket that is composed of: (i) a non-representative selection of portfolio holdings, or (ii) a representative Purchase Basket that is different from the initial Purchase Basket published for use in transactions on the same Business Day.

 

The proceeds from the redemption of a Creation Unit generally consist of a designated basket of securities, assets (including cash) or other positions that are representative of a Fund’s portfolio (the “Redemption Basket”), and an amount of cash to account for any difference between the value of the Redemption Basket and the net asset value of a Creation Unit, sometimes called a cash balancing amount. A Fund also may deliver a Redemption Basket that is composed of: (i) a non-representative selection of portfolio holdings, or (ii) a representative Redemption Basket that is different from the initial Redemption Basket used in transactions on the same Business Day.

 

Purchase Baskets and Redemption Baskets will be communicated to Authorized Participants prior to the opening of the trading of Shares on each Business Day by either the Distributor, the Transfer Agent, the Trust or the Advisor.

 

Acceptance of Purchase Orders for Creation Units 

The Trust reserves the right to reject or revoke a purchase order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor, for any legally permissible reason, if: (1) the order is not in proper form; (2) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of any Fund; (3) payment of any cash amount due as part of the Purchase Basket or any cash balancing amount has not been made by the Authorized Participant by the contractual settlement date; (4) the securities and other assets delivered do not conform to the identity and number of Shares specified by the applicable Purchase Basket; (5) acceptance of the Purchase Basket would be unlawful or have an adverse effect on the Fund or its shareholders (e.g., jeopardize the Fund’s tax status); or (6) there exist circumstances outside the reasonable control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Distributor and the Advisor that make it for all practical purposes impossible to process orders for the purchase of Creation Units. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God; public service or utility problems; earthquakes; fires; floods; wars; civil or military disturbances; terrorism; sabotage; epidemics; riots; interruptions; extreme weather conditions; power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy, internet, or computer failures; accidents; labor disputes; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Advisor, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC, the Custodian or sub-custodian or any other participant in the creation process and similar extraordinary events.

 

The Trust, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of securities, assets or other positions comprising a Purchase Basket nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. All questions as to the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance of any Purchase Order shall be determined by the Trust and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.

 

Settlement of Purchase Orders for Creation Units 

Creation Units typically are issued on a “T+1 basis” (that is, one Business Day after trade date).

 

However, each Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than T+1 in order to accommodate foreign market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (that is, the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security), and in certain other circumstances.

 

The Distributor and the Trust will issue Creation Units to Authorized Participant notwithstanding the fact that the corresponding components of a Purchase Basket have not been received in part or in whole, in reliance on the undertaking of the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing components as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such Authorized Participant’s delivery and maintenance of collateral having a value equal to 110% of the value of the Purchase Basket, which value the Trust may change from time to time.

 

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Acceptance of Redemption Orders for Creation Units 

The Trust reserves the right to reject or revoke a redemption order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor if: (1) the order is not in proper form; (2) the requisite number of Shares of the relevant Fund are not delivered by the DTC cutoff time, as required in the Authorized Participant Agreement; (3) during the period when the Redemption Order is placed, the Exchange is closed or trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (4) during the period when the Redemption Order is placed, an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Fund’s portfolio securities or determination of its net asset value is not reasonably practicable; or (5) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.

 

Settlement of Redemption Orders for Creation Units 

Redemption of Creation Units typically settle on a “T+1 basis” (that is one Business Day after trade date).

 

However, each Fund reserves the right to settle Redemption Orders for Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than T+1 in order to accommodate foreign market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (that is the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security), and in certain other circumstances.

 

Transaction Fees for Creation Unit Purchases and Redemptions 

Authorized Participants will be required to pay to the Funds’ Custodian, as set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement, a fixed transaction fee (the “Fixed Transaction Fee”) to offset the transfer and other costs associated with the bundling and unbundling of securities and other assets that form Purchase Baskets and Redemption Baskets. Authorized Participants also will be required to pay the Trust a variable transaction fee (the “Variable Transaction Fee”) for purchases of Creation Units effected outside the CNS Clearing Process or effected any part in cash, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with using cash to purchase or sell, as applicable, Fund securities and other assets.

 

The Advisor may waive the Fixed Transaction Fee or Variable Transaction Fee. When determining whether to waive the Fixed Transaction Fee or Variable Transaction Fee, the Advisor considers a number of factors including, but not limited to, whether waiving the Fixed Transaction Fee or Variable Transaction Fee will: facilitate the initial launch of a Fund; reduce the cost of portfolio rebalancing; improve the quality of the secondary trading market for a Fund’s Shares and not result in a Fund bearing additional costs or expenses as a result of the waiver.

 

CONTINUOUS OFFERING

 

The method by which Creation Units are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by the Trust on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery 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 Units after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent Shares, and sells such Shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a categorization as an underwriter.

 

Broker-dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary trading transactions), and thus dealing with Shares that are part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus-delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker-dealer firms should note that dealers who are not underwriters but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with the Shares that are part of an over-allotment within the meaning of Section 4(3) (A) of the Securities Act would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to Shares are reminded that, under Rule 153 of the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on the Exchange is satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available at the Exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.

 

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DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Determination of Net Asset Value (NAV).”

 

The NAV per Share for each Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of Shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fee, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of a Fund is determined as of the close of the regular trading session on the Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that the Exchange is open.

 

Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources. In computing a Fund’s NAV, the Fund’s portfolio securities are valued based on market quotations. When market quotations are not readily available for a portfolio security the Fund must use such security’s fair value as determined in good faith in accordance with the Trust’s Valuation Procedures which are approved by the Board.

 

The Fund typically values fixed-income portfolio securities using last available bid prices or current market quotations provided by dealers or prices (including evaluated prices) supplied by the Fund’s approved independent third-party pricing services. Pricing services may use matrix pricing or valuation models that utilize certain inputs and assumptions to derive values. Pricing services generally value fixed-income securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but the Fund may hold or transact in such securities in smaller odd lot sizes. Odd lots often trade at different prices that may be above or below the price at which the pricing service has valued the security. An amortized cost method of valuation may be used with respect to debt obligations with sixty (60) days or less remaining to maturity unless the Advisor determines in good faith that such method does not represent fair value.

 

The value of each Fund’s portfolio securities is based on such securities’ closing price on local markets, when available. If a portfolio security’s market price is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately reflect the fair value of such security, the portfolio security will be valued by another method that the Advisor believes will better reflect fair value in accordance with the Trust’s valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. Each Fund may use fair value pricing in a variety of circumstances, including but not limited to, situations when the value of a Fund’s portfolio security has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the market on which such security is principally traded (such as a corporate action or other news that may materially affect the price of such security) or trading in such security has been suspended or halted. Accordingly, a Fund’s NAV may reflect certain portfolio securities’ fair values rather than their market prices. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a portfolio security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of such security.

 

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

General Policies 

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

 

Dividends from net investment income are declared and paid at least annually by each Fund. Distributions of net realized capital gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year. The Trust may make distributions on a more frequent basis for each Fund to comply with the distribution requirements of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act. In addition, the Trust may distribute at least annually amounts representing the full dividend yield on the underlying portfolio securities of the Funds, net of expenses of the Funds, as if each Fund owned such underlying portfolio securities for the entire dividend period in which case some portion of each distribution may result in a return of capital for tax purposes for certain shareholders.

 

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Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust. The Trust may make additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual “investment company taxable income” of the Trust, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of each Fund as a “regulated investment company” under the Code or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

 

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 the Funds through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. If this service is used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares of the Funds. 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.

 

U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAXATION

 

Set forth below is a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations affecting the Funds and the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares. It is based upon the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), U.S. Treasury Department regulations promulgated thereunder, judicial authorities, and administrative rulings and practices, all as in effect as of the date of this SAI and all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes.”

 

Except to the extent discussed below, this summary assumes that a Fund’s shareholders hold Shares as capital assets within the meaning of the Code, and do not hold Shares in connection with a trade or business. This summary does not address all potential U.S. federal income tax considerations possibly applicable to an investment in Shares, and does not address the tax consequences to Fund shareholders subject to special tax rules, including, but not limited to, partnerships and the partners therein, regulated investment companies (“RICs”), real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”), tax-exempt shareholders, those who hold Shares through an IRA, 401(k) plan or other tax-advantaged account, and, except to the extent discussed below, non-U.S. shareholders. This discussion does not discuss any aspect of U.S. state, local, estate, and gift, or non-U.S., tax law. This discussion is not intended or written to be legal or tax advice to any shareholder in a Fund or other person and is not intended or written to be used or relied on, and cannot be used or relied on, by any such person for the purpose of avoiding any U.S. federal tax penalties that may be imposed on such person. Prospective Fund shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisor with respect to the specific U.S. federal, state, and local, and non-U.S., tax consequences of investing in Shares based on their particular circumstances.

 

The Funds have not requested and will not request an advance ruling from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) as to the U.S. federal income tax matters described below. The IRS could adopt positions contrary to those discussed below and such positions could be sustained. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisor with regard to the U.S. federal tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares, as well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, non-U.S. country or other taxing jurisdiction.

 

Tax Treatment of the Funds 

In General. Each Fund intends to qualify and elect to be treated as a separate regulated investment company under the Code. As a RIC, a Fund generally will not be required to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes to its shareholders.

 

To qualify and remain eligible for the special tax treatment accorded to RICs, each Fund must meet certain income, asset and distribution requirements, described in more detail below. Specifically, each Fund must (i) derive at least 90% of its gross income in each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (“QPTPs”) (i.e., partnerships that are traded on an established securities market or readily tradable on a secondary market, other than partnerships that derive at least 90% of their income from interest, dividends, and other qualifying RIC income described above), and (ii) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets is represented by cash, securities of other RICs, U.S. government securities and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the Fund’s total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, any two or more issuers of which 20% or more of the voting stock of each such issuer is held by the Fund and that are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses or in the securities of one or more QPTPs. Furthermore, each Fund must distribute annually at least 90% of the sum of (i) its “investment company taxable income” (which includes dividends, interest and net short-term capital gains) and (ii) its net tax-exempt interest income, if any.

 

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Failure to Maintain RIC Status. If a Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for any year (subject to certain curative measures allowed by the Code), the Fund will be subject to regular corporate-level U.S. federal income tax in that year on all of its taxable income, regardless of whether the Fund makes any distributions to its shareholders. In addition, in such case, distributions will be taxable to a Fund’s shareholders generally as ordinary dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, possibly eligible for (i) in the case of an individual Fund shareholder, treatment as a qualified dividend (as discussed below) subject to tax at preferential long-term capital gains rates or (ii) in the case of a corporate Fund shareholder, a dividends-received deduction. The remainder of this discussion assumes that the Funds will qualify for the special tax treatment accorded to RICs.

 

Excise Tax. A Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on certain undistributed income generally if the Fund does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of such year, plus 100% of any undistributed amounts from prior years. For these purposes, a Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to U.S. corporate income tax for the taxable year ending within such calendar year. Each Fund intends to make distributions necessary to avoid this 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.

 

Exempt-Interest Dividends. Certain of the Funds expects that, at the end of each quarter of its taxable year, (i) it will be a “qualified fund of funds” (i.e., a RIC at least 50% of the total assets of which is represented by interests in other RICs) or (ii) 50% or more of its assets, by value, will consist of certain obligations exempt from U.S. federal income tax under Section 103(a) of the Code (relating generally to obligations of a state or local governmental unit) (“Tax-Exempt Obligations”). As a result, certain of the Funds expects to qualify to designate a portion of its dividends as “exempt-interest dividends.” “Exempt-interest dividends” generally means dividends designated by a Fund as attributable to its net interest income from Tax-Exempt Obligations. The tax consequences applicable to shareholders with respect to exempt- interest dividends are discussed below (See “Tax Treatment of Fund Shareholders”).

 

Phantom Income. With respect to some or all of its investments, a Fund may be required to recognize taxable income in advance of receiving the related cash payment. For example, under the “wash sale” rules, a Fund may not be able to deduct currently a loss on a disposition of a portfolio security. As a result, a Fund may be required to make an annual income distribution greater than the total cash actually received during the year. Such distribution may be made from the existing cash assets of the Fund or cash generated from selling portfolio securities. The Fund may realize gains or losses from such sales, in which event the Fund’s shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution than they would in the absence of such transactions. (see “Certain Debt Instruments”).

 

Certain Debt Instruments. Some of the debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by a Fund (such as zero coupon debt instruments or debt instruments with payment in-kind interest) may be treated as debt securities that are issued originally at a discount. Generally, the amount of original issue discount is treated as interest income and is included in income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures.

 

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If a Fund acquires debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) in the secondary market, such debt securities may be treated as having market discount. Generally, any gain recognized on the disposition of, and any partial payment of principal on, a debt security having market discount is treated as ordinary income to the extent the gain, or principal payment, does not exceed the “accrued market discount” on such debt security. Market discount generally accrues in equal daily installments. A Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt securities having market discount, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.

 

Some debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of one year or less from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Funds may be treated as having acquisition discount, or original issue discount in the case of certain types of debt securities. Generally, the Fund will be required to include the acquisition discount, or original issue discount, in income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. A Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt securities having acquisition discount, or original issue discount, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.

 

The Funds may invest a portion of their net assets in below investment grade instruments. Investments in these types of instruments may present special tax issues for the Funds. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, OID or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless instruments, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable.

 

PFIC Investments. A Fund may purchase shares in a non-U.S. corporation treated as a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, the Fund may be subject to increased U.S. federal income tax (plus charges in the nature of interest on previously-deferred income taxes on the PFIC’s income) on any “excess distributions” made on, or gain from a sale (or other disposition) of, the PFIC shares even if the Fund distributes such income to its shareholders.

 

In lieu of the increased income tax and deferred tax interest charges on excess distributions on, and dispositions of, a PFIC’s shares, the Fund can elect to treat the underlying PFIC as a “qualified electing fund,” provided that the PFIC agrees to provide the Fund with certain information on an annual basis. With a “qualified electing fund” election in place, the Fund must include in its income each year its share (whether distributed or not) of the ordinary earnings and net capital gain of the PFIC.

 

In the alternative, a Fund can elect, under certain conditions, to mark-to-market at the end of each taxable year its PFIC shares. The Fund would recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value of the PFIC shares and as an ordinary loss (up to any prior net income resulting from the mark-to-market election) any decrease in the value of the PFIC shares.

 

With a “mark-to-market” or “qualified electing fund” election in place on a PFIC, a Fund might be required to recognize in a year income in excess of the sum of the actual distributions received by it on the PFIC shares and the proceeds from its dispositions of the PFIC’s shares. Any such income generally would be subject to the RIC distribution requirements and would be taken into account for purposes of the 4% excise tax (described above).

 

Section 1256 Contracts. A Fund’s investments in so-called “Section 1256 contracts,” such as certain futures contracts, most non-U.S. currency forward contracts traded in the interbank market and options on most stock indices, are subject to special tax rules. Section 1256 contracts held by a Fund at the end of its taxable year are required to be marked to their market value, and any unrealized gain or loss on those positions will be included in a Fund’s income as if each position had been sold for its fair market value at the end of the taxable year. The resulting gain or loss will be combined with any gain or loss realized by a Fund from positions in Section 1256 contracts closed during the taxable year. Provided such positions were held as capital assets and were not part of a “hedging transaction” or a “straddle,” 60% of the resulting net gain or loss will be treated as long-term gain or loss, and 40% of such net gain or loss will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss, regardless of the period of time the positions were actually held by a Fund. In addition, a Fund may be required to defer the recognition of losses on certain Section 1256 contracts to the extent of any unrecognized gains on related positions held by the Fund. Income from Section 1256 contracts generally would be subject to the RIC distribution requirements and would be taken into account for purposes of the 4% excise tax (described above).

 

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Swaps. As a result of entering into swap contracts, a Fund may make or receive periodic net payments. A Fund also may make or receive a payment when a swap is terminated prior to maturity through an assignment of the swap or other closing transaction. Periodic net payments generally will constitute ordinary income or deductions, while termination of a swap generally will result in capital gain or loss (which will be a long-term capital gain or loss if a Fund has been a party to the swap for more than one year). With respect to certain types of swaps, a Fund may be required to currently recognize income or loss with respect to future payments on such swaps or may elect under certain circumstances to mark such swaps to market annually for tax purposes as ordinary income or loss. The tax treatment of many types of credit default swaps is uncertain.

 

Short Sales. In general, gain or loss on a short sale is recognized when a Fund closes the sale by delivering the borrowed property to the lender, not when the borrowed property is sold. If, however, a Fund already owns property that is identical to the kind it borrows and sells pursuant to a short sale “against the box,” and such pre-existing ownership position has appreciated (i.e., the fair market value exceeds the Fund’s tax basis), the Fund may be required to recognize such gain at the time the borrowed stock is sold. Any gain or loss realized upon closing out a short sale generally is considered as capital gain or loss to the extent that the property used to close the short sale constitutes a capital asset in the Fund’s hands. Except with respect to certain situations where the property used by a Fund to close a short sale has a long-term holding period on the date of the short sale, special rules generally would treat the gains on short sales as short-term capital gains. These rules also may terminate the running of the holding period of “substantially identical property” held by a Fund. Moreover, a loss on a short sale will be treated as long-term capital loss if, on the date of the short sale, “substantially identical property” has been held by a Fund for more than one year. In general, a Fund will not be permitted to deduct payments made to reimburse the lender of securities for dividends paid on borrowed stock if the short sale is closed on or before the 45th day after the short sale is entered into.

 

Foreign Currency Transactions. Gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time a Fund accrues income, expenses or other items denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects or pays such items are generally treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, gains or losses on foreign currency forward contracts, certain foreign currency options and futures contracts and the disposition of debt securities denominated in a foreign currency, to the extent attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the acquisition and disposition dates, generally are also treated as ordinary income or loss, unless a Fund were to elect otherwise where such an election is permitted.

 

Non-U.S. Investments. Dividends, interest and proceeds from the direct or indirect sale of non-U.S. securities may be subject to non-U.S. withholding tax and other taxes, including financial transaction taxes. Even if a Fund is entitled to seek a refund in respect of such taxes, it may not have sufficient information to do so or may choose not to do so. Tax treaties between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases. Non-U.S. taxes paid by a Fund will reduce the return from the Fund’s investments.

 

Special or Uncertain Tax Consequences. A Fund’s investment or other activities could be subject to special and complex tax rules that may produce differing tax consequences, such as disallowing or limiting the use of losses or deductions, causing the recognition of income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, affecting the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur or altering the characterization of certain complex financial transactions.

 

A Fund may engage in investment or other activities the treatment of which may not be clear or may be subject to recharacterization by the IRS. In particular, the tax treatment of certain swaps and other derivatives and income from foreign currency transactions is unclear for purposes of determining a Fund’s status as a RIC. If a final determination on the tax treatment of a Fund’s investment or other activities differs from the Fund’s original expectations, the final determination could adversely affect the Fund’s status as a RIC or the timing or character of income recognized by the Fund, requiring the Fund to purchase or sell assets, alter its portfolio or take other action in order to comply with the final determination.

 

Tax Treatment of Fund Shareholders

 

Taxation of U.S. Shareholders 

The following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares applicable to “U.S. shareholders.” For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of Shares who, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the U.S.; (ii) a corporation (or an entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in the U.S. or under the laws of the U.S., or of any state thereof, or the District of Columbia; (iii) an estate, the income of which is includable in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or (iv) a trust, if (a) a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of such trust and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or (b) the trust has a valid election in place to be treated as a U.S. person.

 

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Fund Distributions. Certain of the Funds expect to qualify to designate a portion of their dividends paid as exempt-interest dividends (as defined above). To qualify to designate a portion of its dividends as “exempt-interest dividends,” a Fund must, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year (i) be a qualified fund of funds (as defined above), or (ii) have 50% or more of its assets, by value, consist of Tax-Exempt Obligations (as defined above). In purchasing municipal securities, certain of the Funds intend to rely on opinions of its bond counsel for each issue as to the excludability of interest on such obligations from gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Funds will not undertake independent investigations concerning the tax-exempt status of such obligations, nor do the Funds guarantee or represent that bond counsels’ opinions are correct. Tax laws enacted principally during the 1980s not only had the effect of limiting the purposes for which Tax-Exempt Obligations could be issued and reducing the supply of such obligations, but also increased the number and complexity of requirements that must be satisfied on a continuing basis in order for obligations to be and remain tax-exempt. If the issuer of a bond or a user of a bond-financed facility fails to comply with such requirements at any time, interest on the bond could become taxable, retroactive to the date the obligation was issued. In that event, a portion of a Fund’s distributions attributable to interest such Fund received on such bond for the current year and for prior years could be characterized or recharacterized as taxable income.

 

Exempt-interest dividends generally will be excludable from a shareholder’s gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, a shareholder is advised to consult his, her or its tax advisor with respect to whether exempt-interest dividends retain the exclusion under Section 103(a) of the Code if such shareholder would be treated as a “substantial user” or “related person” thereof under Section 147(a) of the Code with respect to any of the Tax-Exempt Obligations held by a Fund.

 

Although exempt-interest dividends paid by a Fund generally may be excluded by such Fund’s shareholders from their gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, exempt-interest dividends will be included in determining the portion, if any, of a shareholder’s social security and railroad retirement benefit payments subject to U.S. federal income tax. Furthermore, exempt-interest dividends paid by a Fund could subject certain individual shareholders in a Fund to the U.S. federal alternative minimum tax. Tax-exempt interest dividends may affect the corporate alternative minimum tax for certain corporations. In addition, if the Fund invests in “private activity bonds,” a portion of the exempt-interest dividends paid by the Fund may be treated as an item of “tax preference” and, therefore, could subject certain shareholders of such Fund to the U.S. federal alternative minimum tax.

 

Interest on indebtedness incurred to purchase or carry Shares of a Fund that pays exempt-interest dividends will not be deductible by the shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent attributable to exempt-interest dividends.

 

Fund distributions other than exempt-interest dividends will be taxable to shareholders who are subject to U.S. federal income tax. In general, Fund distributions are subject to U.S. federal income tax when paid, regardless of whether they consist of cash or property and regardless of whether they are reinvested in Shares. However, any Fund distribution declared in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date during such month will be deemed to have been received by each Fund shareholder on December 31 of such calendar year, provided such dividend is actually paid during January of the following calendar year.

 

Distributions of a Fund’s net investment income and a Fund’s net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses (collectively referred to as “ordinary income dividends”) are taxable as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits (subject to an exception for distributions of “qualified dividend income,” as discussed below). Corporate shareholders of a Fund may be eligible to take a dividends-received deduction with respect to some of such distributions, provided the distributions are attributable to dividends received by the Fund on stock of U.S. corporations with respect to which the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements. Some portion of the ordinary income distributions that are attributable to dividends received by a Fund from shares in certain real estate investment trusts may be designated by the Fund as eligible for a deduction for qualified business income, provided certain holding period requirements are satisfied. To the extent designated as “capital gain dividends” by a Fund, distributions of a Fund’s net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses (“net capital gain”) are taxable at long-term capital gain tax rates to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, regardless of a Fund shareholder’s holding period in the Fund’s Shares. Such dividends will not be eligible for a dividends-received deduction by corporate shareholders.

 

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An election may be available to you to defer recognition of the gain attributable to a capital gain dividend if you make certain qualifying investments within a limited time. You should talk to your tax advisor about the availability of this deferral election and its requirements.

 

A Fund’s net capital gain is computed by taking into account the Fund’s capital loss carryforwards, if any. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, capital losses incurred in tax years beginning after December 22, 2010 can be carried forward indefinitely and retain the character of the original loss. To the extent that these carryforwards are available to offset future capital gains, it is probable that the amount offset will not be distributed to shareholders. In the event that a Fund were to experience an ownership change as defined under the Code, the Fund’s loss carryforwards, if any, may be subject to limitation.

 

Distributions of “qualified dividend income” (defined below) are taxed to certain non-corporate shareholders at the reduced rates applicable to long-term capital gain to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, provided that the Fund shareholders meet certain holding period and other requirements with respect to the distributing Fund’s Shares and the distributing Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend-paying stocks. Dividends subject to these special rules, however, are not actually treated as capital gains and, thus, are not included in the computation of a non-corporate shareholder’s net capital gain and generally cannot be used to offset capital losses. The portion of distributions that a Fund may report as qualified dividend income generally is limited to the amount of qualified dividend income received by the Fund, but if for any Fund taxable year 95% or more of the Fund’s gross income (exclusive of net capital gain from sales of stock and securities) consists of qualified dividend income, all distributions of such income for that taxable year may be reported as qualified dividend income. For this purpose, “qualified dividend income” generally means income from dividends received by a Fund from U.S. corporations and qualified non-U.S. corporations. Income from dividends received by a Fund from a REIT or another RIC generally is qualified dividend income only to the extent that the dividend distributions are made out of qualified dividend income received by such REIT or other RIC. Given their investment strategies, certain of the Funds do not anticipate that a significant portion of their distributions will be eligible for qualifying dividend treatment.

 

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

 

Distributions in excess of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will, as to each shareholder, be treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of the shareholder’s tax basis in its Shares of the Fund, and as a capital gain thereafter (assuming the shareholder holds its Shares of the Fund as capital assets).

 

Each Fund intends to distribute its net capital gain at least annually. However, by providing written notice to its shareholders no later than 60 days after its year-end, a Fund may elect to retain some or all of its net capital gain and designate the retained amount as a “deemed distribution.” In that event, the Fund pays U.S. federal income tax on the retained net capital gain, and each Fund shareholder recognizes a proportionate share of the Fund’s undistributed net capital gain. In addition, each Fund shareholder can claim a tax credit or refund for the shareholder’s proportionate share of the Fund’s U.S. federal income taxes paid on the undistributed net capital gain and increase the shareholder’s tax basis in the Shares by an amount equal to the shareholder’s proportionate share of the Fund’s undistributed net capital gain, reduced by the amount of the shareholder’s tax credit or refund. Organizations or persons not subject to U.S. federal income tax on such net capital gain may be entitled to a refund of their pro rata share of such taxes paid by the Fund upon timely filing appropriate returns or claims for refund with the IRS.

 

With respect to non-corporate Fund shareholders (i.e., individuals, trusts and estates), ordinary income and short-term capital gain are taxed at a current maximum rate of 37% and long-term capital gain is generally taxed at a current maximum rate of 20%. If you are an individual, the maximum marginal stated federal tax rate for net capital gain is generally 20% (15% or 0% for taxpayers with taxable incomes below certain thresholds). Some capital gains, including some portion of your capital gain dividends may be taxed at a higher maximum stated tax rate. In addition, capital gain received from assets held for more than one year that is considered “unrecaptured section 1250 gain” (which may be the case, for example, with some capital gains attributable to equity interests in real estate investment trusts or master limited partnerships holding real estate) is taxed at a maximum marginal stated federal tax rate of 25%. In the case of capital gain dividends, the determination of which portion of the capital gain dividend, if any, is subject to the 25% tax rate, will be made based on rules prescribed by the U.S. Treasury. Corporate shareholders are taxed at a current maximum rate of 21% on their income and gain.

 

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In addition, high-income individuals (and certain trusts and estates) generally will be subject to a 3.8% Medicare tax on “net investment income,” in addition to otherwise applicable U.S. federal income tax. “Net investment income” generally will include taxable dividends (including capital gain dividends) received from a Fund and net gains from the redemption or other disposition of Shares. Please consult your tax advisor regarding this tax.

 

If a Fund is a qualified fund of funds (as defined above) or more than 50% of the Fund’s total assets at the end of a taxable year consist of non-U.S. stock or securities, the Fund may elect to “pass through” to its shareholders certain non-U.S. income taxes paid by the Fund. This means that each shareholder will be required to (i) include in gross income, even though not actually received, the shareholder’s pro rata share of the Fund’s non-U.S. income taxes, and (ii) either take a corresponding deduction (in calculating U.S. federal taxable income) or credit (in calculating U.S. federal income tax), subject to certain limitations.

 

Investors considering buying Shares just prior to a distribution should be aware that, although the price of the Shares purchased at such time may reflect the forthcoming distribution, such distribution nevertheless may be taxable (as opposed to a non-taxable return of capital).

 

REIT/REMIC Investments. A Fund may invest in REITs owning residual interests in REMICs. Certain income from a REIT that is attributable to a REMIC residual interest (known as “excess inclusion” income) is allocated to a Fund’s shareholders in proportion to the dividends received from the Fund, producing the same income tax consequences as if the Fund shareholders directly received the excess inclusion income. In general, the taxable income of any holder of a residual interest cannot be less than the excess interest inclusion. For example, excess inclusion income (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) constitutes “unrelated business taxable income” to certain entities (such as a qualified pension plan, an individual retirement account, a 401(k) plan, a Keogh plan or other tax-exempt entity), and (iii) in the case of a non-U.S. shareholder, does not qualify for any withholding tax reduction or exemption. In addition, if at any time during any taxable year certain types of entities own Shares, the Fund will be subject to a tax equal to the product of (i) the excess inclusion income allocable to such entities and (ii) the highest U.S. federal income tax rate imposed on corporations (currently 21%). A Fund also is subject to information reporting with respect to any excess inclusion income.

 

Sales or Exchanges of Shares. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale or exchange of Shares generally is treated as a long-term gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale or exchange of Shares held for one year or less generally is treated as a short-term gain or loss, except that any capital loss on the sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends were paid (or deemed to be paid) with respect to such Shares. Furthermore, a loss realized by a shareholder on the sale or exchange of Shares of a Fund with respect to which exempt-interest dividends have been paid may, to the extent of such exempt-interest dividends, be disallowed if such Shares have been held by the shareholder for six months or less at the time of their disposition. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a sale or exchange of Shares also will be disallowed under the “wash sale” rules if substantially identical shares are purchased (through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date of disposition of the Shares. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

 

An election may be available to you to defer recognition of capital gain if you make certain qualifying investments within a limited time. You should talk to your tax advisor about the availability of this deferral election and its requirements.

 

Legislation passed by Congress requires reporting to the IRS and to taxpayers of adjusted cost basis information for “covered securities,” which generally include shares of a RIC acquired on or after January 1, 2012. Shareholders should contact their brokers to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and available elections for their accounts.

 

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Creation Unit Issues and Redemptions. On an issue of Shares as part of a Creation Unit, made by means of an in-kind deposit, an Authorized Participant recognizes capital gain or loss (assuming the Authorized Participant does not hold the securities as inventory) equal to the difference between (i) the fair market value (at issue) of the issued Shares (plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue) and (ii) the Authorized Participant’s aggregate basis in the exchanged securities (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue). On a redemption of Shares as part of a Creation Unit where the redemption is conducted in-kind by a payment of Fund Securities, an Authorized Participant recognizes capital gain or loss (assuming the Authorized Participant does not hold the securities as inventory) equal to the difference between (i) the fair market value (at redemption) of the securities received (plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption) and (ii) the Authorized Participant’s basis in the redeemed Shares (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption). However, the IRS may assert, under the “wash sale” rules or on the basis that there has been no significant change in the Authorized Participant’s economic position, that any loss on an issue or redemption of Creation Units cannot be deducted currently.

 

In general, any capital gain or loss recognized upon the issue or redemption of Shares (as components of a Creation Unit) is treated either as long-term capital gain or loss, if the deposited securities (in the case of an issue) or the Shares (in the case of a redemption) have been held for more than one year, or otherwise as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any capital loss on a redemption of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends were paid (or deemed to be paid) with respect to such Shares. Furthermore, a loss realized on the redemption of Shares of a Fund with respect to which exempt-interest dividends have been paid may, to the extent of such exempt-interest dividends, be disallowed if such Shares have been held for six months or less at the time of their disposition.

 

Reportable Transactions. If a Fund shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to Shares of $2 million or more (for an individual Fund shareholder) or $10 million or more (for a corporate shareholder) in any single taxable year (or a greater loss over a combination of years), the Fund shareholder may be required file a disclosure statement with the IRS. Significant penalties may be imposed upon the failure to comply with these reporting rules. Shareholders should consult their tax advisor to determine the applicability of these rules in light of their individual circumstances.

 

Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders 

The following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares applicable to “non-U.S. shareholders.” For purposes of this discussion, a “non-U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of Shares that is not a U.S. shareholder (as defined above) and is not an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The following discussion is based on current law and is for general information only. It addresses only selected, and not all, aspects of U.S. federal income taxation.

 

Dividends. As indicated above, a majority of certain Funds’ dividend distributions to their shareholders, including their non-U.S. shareholders, is expected to be exempt from U.S. federal income tax as exempt-interest dividends. However, with respect to non-U.S. shareholders of a Fund, the Fund’s ordinary income dividends generally will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or at a lower rate established under an applicable tax treaty). However, ordinary income dividends that are “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends” (each as defined below) and capital gain dividends generally will not be subject to U.S. federal withholding (or income) tax, provided that the non-U.S. shareholder furnishes the Fund with a completed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable, (or acceptable substitute documentation) establishing the non-U.S. shareholder’s non-U.S. status and the Fund does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that the non-U.S. shareholder would be subject to such withholding tax if the non-U.S. shareholder were to receive the related amounts directly rather than as dividends from the Fund. “Interest-related dividends” generally means dividends designated by a Fund as attributable to such Fund’s U.S.-source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which such Fund is at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income. “Short-term capital gain dividends” generally means dividends designated by a Fund as attributable to the excess of such Fund’s net short-term capital gain over its net long-term capital loss. Depending on its circumstances, a Fund may treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for these exemptions from withholding.

 

Amounts paid to or recognized by a non-U.S. affiliate that are excluded from tax under the portfolio interest, capital gains dividends, short-term capital gains or tax-exempt interest dividend exceptions or applicable treaties may be taken into consideration in determining whether a corporation is an “applicable corporation” subject to a 15% minimum tax on adjusted financial statement income.

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, special rules apply in certain cases, including as described below. For example, in cases where dividend income from a non-U.S. shareholder’s investment in a Fund is effectively connected with a trade or business of the non-U.S. shareholder conducted in the U.S., the non-U.S. shareholder generally will be exempt from withholding tax but will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. shareholders. Such income generally must be reported on a U.S. federal income tax return. Furthermore, such income also may be subject to the 30% branch profits tax in the case of a non-U.S. shareholder that is a corporation. In addition, if a non-U.S. shareholder is an individual who is present in the U.S. for 183 days or more during the taxable year and has a “tax home” in the U.S., any gain incurred by such shareholder with respect to his or her capital gain dividends and short-term capital gain dividends would be subject to a 30% U.S. federal income tax (which, in the case of short-term capital gain dividends, may, in certain instances, be withheld at source by a Fund). Lastly, special rules apply with respect to dividends that are subject to the Foreign Investment in Real Property Act (“FIRPTA”), discussed below (see “Investments in U.S. Real Property”).

 

Sales of Fund Shares. Under current law, gain on a sale or exchange of Shares generally will be exempt from U.S. federal income tax (including withholding at the source) unless (i) the non-U.S. shareholder is an individual who was physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more during the taxable year and has a “tax home” in the U.S., in which case the non-U.S. shareholder would incur a 30% U.S. federal income tax on his/her capital gain, (ii) the gain is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business conducted by the non-U.S. shareholder (in which case the non-U.S. shareholder generally would be taxable on such gain at the same graduated rates applicable to U.S. shareholders, would be required to file a U.S. federal income tax return and, in the case of a corporate non-U.S. shareholder, may also be subject to the 30% branch profits tax), or (iii) the gain is subject to FIRPTA, as discussed below (see “Investments in U.S. Real Property”).

 

Credits or Refunds. To claim a credit or refund for any Fund-level taxes on any undistributed long-term capital gains (as discussed above) or any taxes collected through withholding, a non-U.S. Fund shareholder must obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number and file a U.S. federal income tax return even if the non-U.S. Fund shareholder would not otherwise be required to do so.

 

Investments in U.S. Real Property. Subject to the exemptions described below, a non-U.S. shareholder generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax under FIRPTA on any gain from the sale or exchange of Shares if the Fund is a “U.S. real property holding corporation” (as defined below) at any time during the shorter of the period during which the non-U.S. shareholder held such Shares and the five-year period ending on the date of the disposition of those Shares. Any such gain will be taxed in the same manner as for income that is effectively connected with a trade or business of the non-U.S. shareholder conducted in the U.S. and in certain cases will be collected through withholding at the source in an amount equal to 15% of the sales proceeds. A Fund will be a “U.S. real property holding corporation” if the fair market value of its “U.S. real property interests” (“USRPIs”) (which includes shares of U.S. real property holding corporations and certain participating debt securities) equals or exceeds 50% of the fair market value of such interests plus its interests in real property located outside the U.S. plus any other assets used or held for use in a business.

 

An exemption from FIRPTA applies if either (i) the class of Shares disposed of by the non-U.S. shareholder is regularly traded on an established securities market (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes) and the non-U.S. shareholder did not actually or constructively hold more than 5% of such class of Shares at any time during the five-year period prior to the disposition, or (ii) the Fund is a “domestically-controlled RIC.” A “domestically-controlled RIC” is any RIC in which at all times during the relevant testing period 50% or more in value of the RIC’s stock is owned by U.S. persons.

 

Furthermore, special rules apply under FIRPTA in respect of distributions attributable to gains from USRPIs. In general, if a Fund is a U.S. real property holding corporation (taking certain special rules into account), distributions by such Fund attributable to gains from USRPIs will be treated as income effectively connected with a trade or business within the U.S., subject generally to tax at the same graduated rates applicable to U.S. shareholders and, in the case of a corporation that is a non-U.S. shareholder, a “branch profits” tax at a rate of 30% (or other applicable lower treaty rate). Such distributions will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax and generally will give rise to an obligation on the part of the non-U.S. shareholder to file a U.S. federal income tax return.

 

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Even if a Fund is treated as a U.S. real property holding corporation, distributions on the Fund’s Shares will not be treated, under the rule described above, as income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business in the case of a non-U.S. shareholder that owns (for the applicable period) 5% or less (by class) of Shares and such class is regularly traded on an established securities market for U.S. federal income tax purposes (but such distribution will be treated as ordinary dividends, which may be subject to U.S. tax and withholding). Non-U.S. shareholders that engage in certain “wash sale” and/or substitute dividend payment transactions the effect of which is to avoid the receipt of distributions from the Fund that would be treated as gain effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business will be treated as having received such distributions.

 

All shareholders of the Fund should consult their tax advisor regarding the application of the rules described above.

 

Back-Up Withholding 

A Fund (or a financial intermediary such as a broker through which a shareholder holds Shares in a Fund) may be required to report certain information on a Fund shareholder to the IRS and withhold U.S. federal income tax (“backup withholding”) at a 24% rate from taxable distributions and redemption or sale proceeds payable to the Fund shareholder if (i) the Fund shareholder fails to provide the Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number or make required certifications, or if the IRS notifies the Fund that the Fund shareholder is otherwise subject to backup withholding, and (ii) the Fund shareholder is not otherwise exempt from backup withholding. Non-U.S. shareholders can qualify for exemption from backup withholding by submitting a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a Fund shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability.

 

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act 

The U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) generally imposes a 30% withholding tax on “withholdable payments” (defined below) made to (i) a “foreign financial institution” (“FFI”), unless the FFI enters into an agreement with the IRS to provide information regarding certain of its direct and indirect U.S. account holders and satisfies certain due diligence and other specified requirements, and (ii) a “non-financial foreign entity” (“NFFE”) unless such NFFE provides certain information to the withholding agent about certain of its direct and indirect “substantial U.S. owners” or certifies that it has no such U.S. owners. The beneficial owner of a “withholdable payment” may be eligible for a refund or credit of the withheld tax. The U.S. government also has entered into several intergovernmental agreements with other jurisdictions to provide an alternative, and generally easier, approach for FFIs to comply with FATCA. If the shareholder is a tax resident in a jurisdiction that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. government, the shareholder will be required to provide information about the shareholder’s classification and compliance with the intergovernmental agreement.

 

“Withholdable payments” generally include, among other items, (i) U.S.-source interest and dividends, and (ii) gross proceeds from the sale or disposition of property of a type that can produce U.S.-source interest or dividends. Proposed regulations may eliminate the requirement to withhold on gross proceeds.

 

A Fund may be required to impose a 30% withholding tax on withholdable payments to a shareholder if the shareholder fails to provide the Fund with the information, certifications or documentation required under FATCA, including information, certification or documentation necessary for the Fund to determine if the shareholder is a non-U.S. shareholder or a U.S. shareholder and, if it is a non-U.S. shareholder, if the non-U.S. shareholder has “substantial U.S. owners” and/or is in compliance with (or meets an exception from) FATCA requirements. The Fund will not pay any additional amounts to shareholders in respect of any amounts withheld. The Fund may disclose any shareholder information, certifications or documentation to the IRS or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA.

 

The requirements of, and exceptions from, FATCA are complex. All prospective shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisor regarding the potential application of FATCA with respect to their own situation.

 

Section 351 

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

 

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California Tax Status (The following applies to the NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF only)

The assets of the Fund will consist primarily of one or more of the following: (i) interest-bearing obligations issued by or on behalf of the State of California or a local government in California (the “California Bonds”), (ii) interest-bearing obligations issued by the government of Puerto Rico, Guam or the Virgin Islands (the “Possession Bonds,” and, collectively with the California Bonds, the “Bonds”) and (iii) shares (the “RIC Shares”) in funds qualifying as regulated investment companies (“RICs”) that are treated as interests in regulated investment companies for federal income tax purposes. The discussion in this section is based on the assumption that: (i) the Bonds were validly issued by the State of California or a local government in California, or by the government of Puerto Rico, Guam or the Virgin Islands, as the case may be, (ii) the interest on the Bonds is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes, and (iii) with respect to the Possession Bonds, the Possession Bonds and the interest thereon are exempt from all state and local taxation. This disclosure does not address the taxation of persons other than full-time residents of the State of California.

 

If you are an individual, you may exclude from taxable income for purposes of the California personal income tax dividends received from the Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as exempt-interest dividends for California personal income tax purposes in written statements furnished to you. The portion of the Fund’s dividends reported as California exempt-interest dividends may not exceed the amount of interest the Fund receives during its taxable year on obligations the interest on which, if held by an individual, is exempt from taxation by the State of California, which may include interest received from Possession Bonds, and the amount of California exempt-interest dividends the Fund receives from the RIC Shares, reduced by certain nondeductible expenses. The Fund may designate California exempt-interest dividends only if the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and, if at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the value of the total assets of the Fund consists of obligations the interest on which when held by an individual, is exempt from taxation by the State of California or (ii) at least 50% of the value of the total assets of the Fund consists of interests in other entities qualifying as regulated investment companies for federal income tax purposes.

 

Distributions from the Fund, other than those properly reported by the Fund as exempt-interest dividends for California personal income tax purposes, will generally be subject to the California personal income tax.

 

Please note that all distributions from the Fund, including California exempt-interest dividends, received by taxpayers subject to the California Corporation Tax Law may be subject to the California franchise tax and the California income tax.

 

You generally will be subject to tax for purposes of the California personal income tax, and the California franchise and income taxes imposed on taxpayers subject to the California Corporation Tax Law on gain recognized on the sale or redemption of shares of the Fund. Interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry shares of the Fund, if the Fund distributes California exempt-interest dividends during a year, is generally not deductible for purposes of the California personal income tax.

 

Neither the Sponsor nor its counsel has independently examined the RIC Shares, the Bonds or the opinions of bond counsel rendered in connection with the issuance of the Bonds. Ownership of shares in the Fund may result in other California tax consequences to certain taxpayers, and prospective investors should consult their tax advisor.

 

You should consult your tax advisor regarding potential foreign, state or local taxation with respect to your Shares.

 

OTHER INFORMATION

 

The Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly or the ability of the Funds to achieve their objective. The Exchange has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Funds.

 

For purposes of the 1940 Act, the Funds are registered investment companies, and the acquisition of Shares by other registered investment companies and companies relying on exemption from registration as investment companies under Sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act are subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and the related rules and interpretations.

 

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Shareholder inquiries may be made by writing to the Trust, c/o New York Life Investment Management LLC, 51 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10010.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The audited financial statements and notes thereto for the Funds contained in the Funds’ Annual Report to Shareholders for their fiscal year ended April 30, 2024 (the “Annual Report”) are incorporated by reference into this SAI. No other parts of the Annual Report are incorporated by reference herein.

 

The financial statements included in the Annual Report have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, whose report thereon also appears in the Annual Report and is incorporated by reference into this SAI. Such financial statements have been incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon such report given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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A copy of the Annual Report for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024, may be obtained upon request and without charge by calling the Advisor, writing the Trust or visiting the Funds’ website as follows:

 

By telephone: 1-888-474-7725

By mail: New York Life Investments Active ETF Trust
 

c/o Marketing Department 

51 Madison Avenue 

New York, NY 10010

 

On the Internet: dfinview.com/NYLIM

 

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APPENDIX A

 

DESCRIPTION OF FIXED-INCOME RATINGS

 

A rating is generally assigned to a fixed-income security at the time of issuance by a credit rating agency designated as a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”) by the SEC. While NRSROs may from time to time revise such ratings, they undertake no obligation to do so, and the ratings given to securities at issuance do not necessarily represent ratings which would be given to these securities on a particular subsequent date.

 

Fixed-income securities which are unrated expose the investor to risks with respect to capacity to pay interest or repay principal which are similar to the risks of lower-rated speculative bonds. Evaluation of these securities is dependent on the investment advisor’s judgment, analysis and experience in the evaluation of such securities.

 

Investors should note that the assignment of a rating to a security by an NRSRO may not reflect the effect of recent developments on the issuer’s ability to make interest and principal payments or on the likelihood of default.

 

Securities deemed to be high yield are rated below Baa3 by Moody’s and below BBB- by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services and Fitch. The descriptions below relate to general long-term and short-term obligations of an issuer.

 

Moody’s Ratings

 

Long-Term Obligations

 

Aaa: Obligations rated ‘Aaa’ are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal risk.

 

Aa: Obligations rated ‘Aa’ are judged to be of high-quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

 

A: Obligations rated ‘A’ are judged to be upper-medium-grade and are subject to low credit risk.

 

Baa: Obligations rated ‘Baa’ are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2 and 3 in each generic rating classification from ‘Aa’ through ‘Caa.’ The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

 

Absence of Rating: Where no rating has been assigned or where a rating has been withdrawn, it may be for reasons unrelated to the creditworthiness of the issue.

 

Should no rating be assigned, the reason may be one of the following:

 

1. An application was not received or accepted.

2. The issue or issuer belongs to a group of securities or entities that are not rated as a matter of policy.

3. There is a lack of essential data pertaining to the issue or issuer.

4. The issue was privately placed, in which case the rating is not published in Moody’s publications.

 

Withdrawal may occur if new and material circumstances arise, the effects of which preclude satisfactory analysis; if there is no longer available reasonable up-to-date data to permit a judgment to be formed; if a bond is called for redemption; or for other reasons.

 

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Short-Term Obligations

 

Moody’s short-term debt ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations, generally with an original maturity not exceeding thirteen months.

 

Moody’s employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:

 

P-1: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

P-2: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

P-3: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

 

NP: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

 

US Municipal Short-Term Debt Obligations

 

There are three rating categories for short-term municipal obligations that are considered investment-grade and are designated as Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) and are divided into three levels – MIG 1 through MIG 3. In addition, those short-term obligations that are of speculative quality are designated SG, or speculative grade. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation.

 

MIG 1: This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

 

MIG 2: This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

 

MIG 3: This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

 

SG: This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

 

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services Long-Term Obligations

 

AAA: An obligation rated ‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.

 

AA: An obligation rated ‘AA’ differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.

 

A: An obligation rated ‘A’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.

 

BBB: An obligation rated ‘BBB’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

NR: NR indicates no rating has been requested, or that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P Global Ratings does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.

 

Note: The ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.

 

Short-Term Obligations

 

A-1: A short-term obligation rated ‘A-1’ is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on these obligations is extremely strong.

 

A-2: A short-term obligation rated ‘A-2’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.

 

A-3: A short-term obligation rated ‘A-3’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

B: A short-term obligation rated ‘B’ is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

 

C: A short-term obligation rated ‘C’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

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

 

Municipal Short-Term Obligations

 

An S&P U.S. municipal note rating reflects Standard & Poor’s opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating.

 

SP-1: Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

 

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SP-2: Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

 

SP-3: Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

 

D: ‘D’ is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed debt restructuring, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions.

 

Fitch Ratings

 

Long-Term Obligations

 

AAA: Highest credit quality. ‘AAA’ ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

 

AA: Very high credit quality. ‘AA’ ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

 

A: High credit quality. ‘A’ ratings denote expectations of low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

 

BBB: Good credit quality. ‘BBB’ ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

 

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

 

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

 

CCC: Substantial credit risk. Very low margin for safety. Default is a real possibility.

 

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

 

C: Near default. A default or default-like process has begun, or the issuer is in standstill or, for a closed funding vehicle, payment capacity is irrevocably impaired.

 

RD: Restricted default. ‘RD’ ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch’s opinion has experienced an uncured payment default or distressed debt exchange on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation, but has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation, or other formal winding-up procedure and has not otherwise ceased operating.

 

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

 

Note: The modifiers “+” or “-” may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the AAA obligation rating category or to corporate finance obligation ratings in the categories below CCC.

 

Short-Term Obligations (Corporate and Public Finance)

 

A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity or security stream and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as “short-term” based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations, and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.

 

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F1: Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. Under the agency’s National Rating scale, this rating is assigned to the lowest default risk relative to others in the same country or monetary union. Where the liquidity profile is particularly strong, a “+” is added to the assigned rating.

 

F2: Indicates a good capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union. However, the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings.

 

F3: Indicates an adequate capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union.

 

B: Indicates an uncertain capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union.

 

C: Indicates a highly uncertain capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union.

 

RD: Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Applicable to entity ratings only.

 

D: Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

 

Kroll Ratings

 

Long-Term Credit Ratings

 

AAA: Determined to have almost no risk of loss due to credit-related events. Assigned only to the very highest quality obligors and obligations able to survive extremely challenging economic events.

 

AA: Determined to have minimal risk of loss due to credit-related events. Such obligors and obligations are deemed very high-quality.

 

A: Determined to be of high-quality with a small risk of loss due to credit-related events. Issuers and obligations in this category are expected to weather difficult times with low credit losses.

 

BBB: Determined to be of medium quality with some risk of loss due to credit-related events. Such issuers and obligations may experience credit losses during stressed environments.

 

BB: Determined to be of low quality with moderate risk of loss due to credit-related events. Such issuers and obligations have fundamental weaknesses that create moderate credit risk.

 

B: Determined to be of very low quality with high risk of loss due to credit-related events. These issuers and obligations contain many fundamental shortcomings that create significant credit risk.

 

CCC: Determined to be at substantial risk of loss due to credit-related events, near default, or in default with high recovery expectations.

 

CC: Determined to be near default or in default with average recovery expectations.

 

C: Determined to be near default or in default with low recovery expectations.

 

D: Kroll defines default as occurring if:

 

There is a missed interest payment, principal payment, or preferred dividend payment, as applicable, on a rated obligation which is unlikely to be recovered. 

The rated entity files for protection from creditors, is placed into receivership, or is closed by regulators such that a missed payment is likely to result. 

The rated entity seeks and completes a distressed exchange, where existing rated obligations are replaced by new obligations with a diminished economic value.

 

Kroll may append - or + modifiers to ratings in categories AA through CCC to indicate, respectively, upper and lower risk levels within the broader category.

 

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Short-Term Credit Ratings

 

K1+: Exceptional ability to meet short-term obligations.

 

K1: Very strong ability to meet short-term obligations.

 

K2: Strong ability to meet short-term obligations.

 

K3: Adequate ability to meet short-term obligations.

 

B: Questionable ability to meet short-term obligations.

 

C: Little ability to meet short-term obligations.

 

D: Kroll defines default as occurring if:

 

There is a missed interest payment, principal payment, or preferred dividend payment, as applicable, on a rated obligation which is unlikely to be recovered. 

The rated entity files for protection from creditors, is placed into receivership, or is closed by regulators such that a missed payment is likely to result.

The rated entity seeks and completes a distressed exchange, where existing rated obligations are replaced by new obligations with a diminished economic value.

 

DBRS Morningstar Ratings

 

Long-Term Obligations Scale

 

All rating categories other than AAA and D also contain subcategories (high) and (low). The absence of either a (high) or (low) designation indicates the rating is in the middle of the category.

 

AAA: Highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

AA: Superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered high. Credit quality differs from AAA only to a small degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

A: Good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than AA. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

BBB: Adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

BB: Speculative, non-investment-grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.

 

B: Highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.

 

CCC / CC / C: Very highly speculative credit quality. In danger of defaulting on financial obligations. There is little difference between these three categories, although CC and C ratings are normally applied to obligations that are seen as highly likely to default, or subordinated to obligations rated in the CCC to B range. Obligations in respect of which default has not technically taken place but is considered inevitable may be rated in the C category.

 

D: When the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding-up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to D may occur. DBRS Morningstar may also use SD (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange.” See Default definition for more information.

 

Commercial Paper and Short-Term Debt Rating Scale

 

R-1 (high): Highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is exceptionally high. Unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

R-1 (middle): Superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is very high. Differs from R-1 (high) by a relatively modest degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

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R-1 (low): Good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favorable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

R-2 (high): Upper end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

R-2 (middle): Adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events or may be exposed to other factors that could reduce credit quality.

 

R-2 (low): Lower end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events. A number of challenges are present that could affect the issuer’s ability to meet such obligations.

 

R-3: Lowest end of adequate credit quality. There is a capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due. May be vulnerable to future events and the certainty of meeting such obligations could be impacted by a variety of developments.

 

R-4: Speculative credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is uncertain.

 

R-5: Highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet short-term financial obligations as they fall due.

 

D: When the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding-up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to D may occur. DBRS Morningstar may also use SD (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange.” See Default definition for more information.

 

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APPENDIX B

 

SPECIAL RISKS RELATED TO INVESTMENTS IN
MUNICIPAL SECURITIES OF CALIFORNIA

 

This appendix provides a summary of the factors that may affect the financial condition of the State of California (“State” or “California”). The information provided below is intended only to summarize certain of these factors and does not purport to describe in detail each of the potential factors that may impact the financial condition of the State. The information provided below is derived from public sources that are current as of the preparation of this SAI. These sources are typically prepared or disseminated by departments, agencies, or bureaus of the State or federal government, though they may also include other publicly available sources such as news articles, press releases and other reports. The NYLI MacKay California Muni Intermediate ETF (the “Fund”) has not independently verified the information included herein and does not make any representation as to the accuracy of such information.

 

The information included herein is subject to change rapidly, substantially and without notice. Any changes in this information may adversely impact the financial condition of the State or its municipal issuers, which could adversely impact the Fund’s investments. The Fund does not maintain any obligation to update this information throughout the year. As such, investors and their financial advisor are encouraged to independently research the financial condition of the State, its municipalities, and their political subdivisions, instrumentalities or authorities.

 

Investors should also review information about the Fund’s strategies, risks and investments before investing in the Fund.

 

Municipal issuers in California rely on State appropriations and local taxes to fund their operations. As a result, economic, political, natural disasters or weather events, public health emergencies or financial conditions that reduce State appropriations or impact local tax revenues may increase fiscal pressure on the State’s municipalities. If a municipal issuer is unable to obtain sufficient revenues to satisfy its outstanding obligations, that issuer may be subject to a downgrade of its credit rating or other similar credit event. In addition, increased fiscal pressure may cause a municipal issuer to become insolvent, which may require the issuer to file for bankruptcy. If a California municipal issuer suffers a credit rating downgrade, becomes insolvent, or files for bankruptcy, the value or liquidity of securities issued by other municipal issuers in California, including securities issued by the State, could be adversely affected.

 

Additionally, external factors, such as conditions in the national economy and demand for goods and services produced in California, could have an adverse impact on the financial condition of the State and its municipalities. At this time, it is difficult to accurately predict the extent to which these factors may impact the financial condition of the State and its municipalities.

 

Overview  

California’s General Fund budget was adversely impacted by the health-related and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. To help address the public health and economic impact of COVID-19, the federal government passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which provided for approximately $2.2 trillion in disaster relief, of which California received approximately $16.1 billion, as well as the American Rescue Plan, which provided an additional $350 billion in emergency funding for state, local, territorial and Tribal governments. California was allocated approximately $27 billion in American Rescue Plan funds. It is not presently possible to predict the extent of the short- and long-term harm that COVID-19 could cause to the United States and California economies. A meaningful decline in revenues could negatively impact California’s ability to meet its debt obligations, including with respect to investments held by the Fund. The current economic environment also may negatively affect the economy of California.

 

The State’s revenues can be volatile and correlate to overall economic conditions. There can be no assurances that the State will not face fiscal stress and cash pressures again, or that other changes in the State or national economies will not materially adversely affect the financial condition of the State. Any deterioration in the State’s financial condition may have a negative effect on the marketability, liquidity or value of the securities issued by the State and its municipalities and may increase the risk of investing in these securities, which could adversely impact the performance of the Fund.

 

Economic Conditions  

California is the most populous state in the nation. In addition, California’s economy is the largest among the 50 states and among the largest and most diverse in the world, with major components in the high-technology, trade, entertainment, manufacturing, government, tourism, construction and service sectors. In addition, governmental agencies at the state, local and federal levels employ a significant number of the State’s residents.

 

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California’s unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in November 2023, which was higher than the national average of 3.7 percent at that time.

 

Recent Results  

Historically, the General Fund derives the majority of its revenue from personal income taxes, sales and use taxes and corporation taxes, with personal income tax being the State’s largest revenue source. During fiscal year 2024, personal income tax is projected to comprise nearly 74.0% of all General Fund revenues before transfers.

 

The State’s personal income tax is structured in a highly progressive manner. The passage of Proposition 30 (and later, Proposition 55), which imposed additional taxes on high-income taxpayers, has made the personal income tax even more progressive. Depending on market conditions, a large share of personal income tax receipts may be derived from capital gains realizations and stock option income, revenue sources that can be particularly volatile and susceptible to economic fluctuations.

 

Sales and use taxes and corporation taxes are subject to economic fluctuations and were negatively impacted during the U.S. recession in 2007-2008. Additionally, California is limited in its ability to generate revenues from local property taxes, which are a relatively stable revenue source. The State is also required to maintain a Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties (“SFEU”), which is funded from General Fund resources to meet cash needs of the General Fund. For purposes of financial reporting, year-end balances in the SFEU are included in the General Fund balance. The 2024 Proposed Budget (as defined below) notes $3.4 billion of reserves in the SFEU.

 

Proposition 2, a budget reserve and debt payment measure that was approved by voters in November 2014, annually captures an amount equal to 1.5 percent of General Fund revenues plus capital gains taxes that exceed a long-term historical average.

 

State Budget  

2024-2025 Budget. On January 10, 2024, the Governor presented his proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 (2025 Proposed Budget”). The 2025 Proposed Budget assumes that the General Fund will receive total revenues and transfers of approximately $214.7 billion during the fiscal year. Against these revenues, the Governor proposes expenditures of approximately $208.7 billion from the General Fund.

 

The 2025 Proposed Budget assumes increases in total tax receipts during the fiscal year. The Governor projects that personal income tax receipts, which would account for approximately 74 percent of total General Fund revenues under the proposal, generate $117.4 billion in 2024-2025, a downward revision of $29.6 billion from the 2023 Budget Act. The 2024-2025 Proposed Budget projects that sales and use tax receipts will generate $51.1 billion in 2024-2025 and corporation tax receipts will generate $38.3 billion in 2024-2025. These projections reflect a downward revision from the 2023 Budget act of $15.4 billion for corporation tax receipts and an upward revision of $2.1 billion from the 2023 Budget Act for sales and use tax receipts.

 

On January 13, 2023, the LAO released its analysis of the 2025 Proposed Budget. In the report, the LAO projected that the State faced a deficit of $58 billion (as opposed to the Governor’s estimate of $38 billion) but notes that it believes the Governor’s Budget addresses the deficit primarily through spending and revenue-related solutions, noting that the Governor’s Budget proposes to using reserves from California’s Budget Stabilization Account despite not officially declaring a budget emergency for fiscal year 2024-2025 as of the date of the report. The report states that the Governor’s Budget may understate the degree of fiscal pressure facing California in the future, and the LAO recommends that the legislature develop the year’s budget with a focus on future years. In particular, the LAO recommends the legislature plan for lower revenues, maintain similar reserve withdrawal, develop plans for school and community college funding, maximize one-time spending reductions, apply a high bar for any discretionary proposals, and contain the ongoing service level. In May 2023, Governor Jared Polis signed the State’s $38.5 billion for fiscal year 2024. The executive branch prepares quarterly revenue forecasts and, if appropriated expenditures are expected to use one-half or more of the reserve, the governor must enact spending cuts. According to the December 2023 forecast, the General Fund is expected to end fiscal year 2023-2024 with an 18.2% reserve, $49.6 million above the statutory requirement. The General Fund revenue is expected to decrease by 2.7%, due in large part to an expected decline in corporate income tax collections.

 

Obligations of the State  

The State has historically paid the principal and interest on its outstanding obligations when due. The obligations of the State typically include its general obligations bonds, commercial paper notes, lease-revenue obligations and short-term obligations, including revenue anticipation notes and warrants. The State’s Constitution prohibits the creation of general obligation indebtedness of the State unless a bond issuance is approved by a majority of the electorate voting at either a general election or a direct primary.

 

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As of July 1, 2023, the State’s outstanding aggregate principal amount of long-term general obligation bonds was approximately $71.4 billion. Of this amount, approximately $70.7 billion was payable primarily from the State’s General Fund and approximately $662.8 million were “self-liquidating” bonds payable first from other special revenue funds. Further, as of July 1, 2022, the State’s outstanding aggregate amount of lease revenue obligations was $7.8 billion.

 

In the November 2018 general election, voters passed Proposition 1, authorizing the State to issue $4 billion in general obligation bonds to fund veterans and affordable housing services ($3 billion for various housing programs and $1 billion for home loan assistance to veterans). The bonds are anticipated to increase the General Fund’s debt service expenditures by approximately $170 million annually for 35 years. Additional bond measures may be included on future election ballots, but any proposed bond measure must first be approved by the Legislature or placed on the ballot through the initiative process.

 

As of July 1, 2023, there were unused voter authorizations for the future issuance of approximately $25.8 billion of long-term general obligation bonds, some of which may first be issued as commercial paper notes.

 

Certain State agencies and authorities may issue obligations secured or payable from specific revenue streams. Most of these revenue bonds are not payable from the State’s General Fund. State agencies and authorities had approximately $79.2 billion aggregate principal amount of revenue bonds and notes that are non-recourse to the General Fund outstanding as of June 30, 2023. These borrowings are used to finance a large array of enterprises and projects, including various housing, health facilities, pollution control facilities, transportation projects, public work projects and public and private educational facilities.

 

Obligations of Other California Issuers  

The State has a large number of agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions that issue municipal obligations. These revenue bonds are supported by State revenue-producing enterprises and projects, as well as conduit obligations payable from revenues paid by private users or local governments of facilities financed by the revenue bonds. Such revenue bonds are not payable from the State’s General Fund. The State’s agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions are subject to various economic risks and uncertainties, and the credit quality of securities they issue may differ significantly from the credit quality of securities backed by the State’s full faith and credit.

 

Pension and Post-Retirement Liabilities  

The financial condition of the State and its localities is subject to risks associated with pension and post retirement liabilities. The pension funds managed by the State’s retirement systems (e.g., the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (“CalPERS”) and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (“CalSTRS”)) suffered large investment losses during the most recent recession and currently have significant unfunded liabilities. These unfunded liabilities may require the General Fund to make increased contributions in the future, which could reduce resources available for other State priorities.

 

As of June 30, 2022, CalPERS reported an unfunded accrued liability allocable to State employees, excluding judges and elected officials, of $70.8 billion on a market value of assets (“MVA”) basis. As of June 30, 2023, CalSTRS reported an unfunded accrued liability of its Defined Benefit Plan of $85.8 billion on an actuarial value of assets basis. The 2024 Proposed Budget contemplates a combined General Fund contributions to CalPERS and CalSTRS to be approximately $11.1 billion.

 

In addition to pension benefits, the State also provides certain other post-employment benefits (“OPEB”), such as health care and dental benefits, for eligible retired employees of the State. Because the State currently funds its OPEB costs on a “pay-as-you-go” basis, the State has amassed large unfunded actuarial liabilities with respect to its OPEB obligations. As of June 30, 2022, the State’s accrued actuarial OPEB liability was estimated at $87.54 billion, of which $82.41 billion was unfunded.

 

It is possible that the State will be forced to significantly increase its pension fund and post-retirement benefit contributions, which would reduce discretionary General Fund resources available for other State programs. Failure to manage these unfunded liabilities may have an adverse impact on the State’s credit rating.

 

A significant number of local governments, including various current CaIPERS members, face similar, and sometimes, relatively more severe, fiscal issues with respect to unfunded pension and post-retirement benefit liabilities, which fiscal stress may be increased as a result of the current economic environment. These local governments’ credit ratings and solvency may be threatened if their liabilities are not addressed by way of wage concessions, restructuring of benefits, or other more creative methods, which could cause these issuers to default on their outstanding obligations or file for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. In the past, as a result of financial and economic difficulties, several of the State’s municipalities filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 9. Additional municipalities could file for bankruptcy protection in the future. Any such action could negatively impact the value of the Fund’s investments in the securities of those issuers or other issuers in the State.

 

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Local Governments  

California has 58 counties, which make up the primary units of local government. Counties are responsible for providing many basic services such as welfare, jails, health care for the indigent and public safety in unincorporated areas. The State is also made up of nearly 500 incorporated cities and thousands of special districts formed for education, utilities and other services. The fiscal condition of the various local governments changed when State voters approved Proposition 13 in 1978. Among other things, Proposition 13 set limits on the future growth of property taxes and limited local governments’ ability to impose “special taxes” (i.e., taxes devoted to specific purposes) unless the local government had two-thirds voter approval. In addition, Proposition 218, enacted by initiative in 1996, further limited the ability of local governments to raise taxes, fees and other exactions.

 

To help counterbalance the loss of property tax revenue for local governments, the State provided aid to many local governments from the General Fund. Significantly, the State assumed a larger responsibility for funding K-12 education and community colleges. During the recession of the early 1990s, the State legislature was forced to reduce some of the post-Proposition 13 aid to local government entities other than K-12 education and community colleges. However, the State legislature also provided additional funding sources, such as sales taxes, and reduced certain mandates for the provision of local services by cities and counties.

 

In 2000, the “internet bubble” caused another economic shock in the State, which caused the State to divert local revenue sources, including certain sales taxes and vehicle license fees, into State coffers. Following these actions, voters approved Proposition 1A in 2004. Proposition 1A amended the State Constitution to reduce the State legislature’s authority over local government revenue sources and placed restrictions on the State’s access to local governments’ property, sales and vehicle license fee revenues. Proposition 22, adopted in late 2010, superseded portions of Proposition 1A and completely prohibits the State from borrowing local government funds. Proposition 22 also generally prohibits the State legislature from making certain changes to local government funding sources.

 

The enacted budget for fiscal year 2011-2012 included a plan to shift certain State program costs to counties and provide comparable amounts of funds to support these new local obligations. This realignment plan was designed to provide State funds for certain programs such as corrections and local public safety programs, as well as programs related to mental health, substance abuse, foster care, child welfare services and adult protective services. However, local governments, in particular counties, were made responsible for covering an increased part of the financial burden of providing such local services. Such responsibility brings with it the risk of possible cost overruns, revenue declines and insufficient revenue growth.

 

Enacted in 1988, Proposition 98 directs a minimum portion of the General Fund revenues to support K-12 schools and community colleges. The State may face financial pressure due to its obligation to fund public schools under Proposition 98. Such obligations may limit the State’s ability to respond to economic conditions and could reduce the level of assistance the State provides to local governments. Such a reduction in State aid could exacerbate the serious fiscal issues many local governments already face, particularly with respect to education funding.

 

Limits placed on the ability of local governments to raise taxes and fees may prevent these localities from effectively responding to economic and other conditions. The major local government revenue sources, property and sales tax, and fees from real estate development, are highly susceptible to economic fluctuations and were all adversely affected by the 2007-2008 U.S. recession. In addition, many California municipalities have been adversely affected by the current economic environment. If economic conditions significantly deteriorate, local governments may be forced to cut local services to address their budget constraints, or, in some cases, file for bankruptcy.

 

Pending Litigation  

The State, its officials and employees are named as defendants in numerous legal proceedings that occur in the normal course of governmental operations. Some of these proceedings involve claims for substantial amounts, which, if decided against the State, might require the State to make significant future expenditures or substantially impair future revenue sources. Because of the prospective nature of these proceedings, it is difficult to accurately predict the ultimate outcome of such proceedings, estimate the potential impact on the ability of the State to pay debt service costs on its obligations or determine what impact, if any, such proceedings may have on the Fund’s investments.

 

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Natural Disasters Risk  

Substantially all of California is within an active geologic region subject to major seismic activity, which could result in increased frequency and severity of natural disasters, including, but not limited to, earthquakes, wildfires and droughts. Such events have, in the past, resulted in significant disruptions of the State economy and required substantial expenditures from the State government. The risks of natural disasters of varying degrees of severity continue to persist, and the full extent of the impact of recurring natural disasters on the State’s economy and fiscal stability is difficult to accurately predict. Any obligation in the Fund could be affected by an interruption of revenues because of damaged facilities, or, consequently, income tax deductions for casualty losses or property tax assessment reductions. Compensatory financial assistance could be constrained by the inability of: (i) an issuer to have obtained earthquake insurance coverage rates; (ii) an insurer to perform on its contracts of insurance in the event of widespread losses; or (iii) the federal or State government to appropriate sufficient funds within their respective budget limitations.

 

California regularly experiences large wildfires that may impact the State’s finances. California has recently spent billions of dollars in recovery efforts and debris removal. The 2024-2025 Proposed Budget contemplates approximately $2.7 billion over five years to advance critical investments in forest health and fire prevention, and to resources the State’s wildfire response. The wildfires, particularly in the last several years, have significantly impacted the State’s economy. Future wildfires or other weather-related events, which may become more frequent and severe due to climate change, could have a detrimental effect on the State’s economy or environment.

 

Bond Ratings  

The following ratings for the State’s general obligation bonds have been received from Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), Standard & Poor’s Ratings Service (“S&P”) and Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”):

 

Moody’s S&P Fitch

Aa2 AA- AA

 

These ratings reflect only the views of the respective rating agency, an explanation of which may be obtained from each such rating agency. There is no assurance that these ratings will continue for any given period of time or that they will not be revised or withdrawn entirely by the rating agency if, in the judgment of such rating agency, circumstances so warrant. A downward revision or withdrawal of any such rating may have an adverse effect on the market prices of the securities issued by the State, its municipalities, and their political subdivisions, instrumentalities, and authorities. Any explanation of the significance of such ratings may be obtained only from the rating agency furnishing such ratings.

 

ME14k-08/24

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New York Life Investments Active ETF Trust 

Part C – Other Information

 

Item 28. Exhibits

 

(a) Declaration of Trust

 

(1) Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (“Trust Instrument”) of the Registrant.(6)

 

(b) Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant.(6)

 

(c) Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders - Articles III, V, and VI of the Trust Instrument, Exhibit 28(a), defines the rights of holders of the securities being registered. (Certificates for shares are not issued.).(6)

 

(d) Investment Advisory Agreements

 

(1) Amended and Restated Investment Advisory Agreement dated August 28, 2024, between Registrant and New York Life Investment Management LLC (Advisor”).(6)

 

(2) Amended and Restated Subadvisory Agreement dated August 28, 2024, between Advisor and MacKay Shields LLC.(6)

 

(3) Amended and Restated Subadvisory Agreement August 28, 2024, between Advisor and Winslow Capital Management, LLC.(6)

 

(4) Amended and Restated Subadvisory Agreement dated August 28, 2024, between Advisor and CBRE Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC.(6)

 

(e) Underwriting Agreements

 

(1) Distribution Agreement dated April 16, 2018, between Registrant and ALPS Distributors, Inc.(2)

 

(a) Amendment 11 to Distribution Agreement dated August 28, 2024, between Registrant and ALPS Distributors, Inc.(6)

 

(2) Form of Authorized Participant Agreement.(6)

 

(f) Not Applicable.

 

(g) Custody Agreements

 

(1) Custody Agreement dated November 18, 2013, between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon.(1)

 

(a) Amendment to Custody Agreement dated August 28, 2024, between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon.(6)

 

(h) Other Material Agreements

 

(1) Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement dated November 18, 2013, between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon.(1)

 

 

 

 

(a) Investment Company Reporting Modernization Services Amendment to Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement dated June 14, 2018, between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon.(3)

 

(b) Amendment to Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement dated April 12, 2024, between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon.(5)

 

(c) Amendment to Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement dated August 28, 2024, between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon.(6)

 

(2) Transfer Agency and Service Agreement dated January 26, 2009, between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon.(1)

 

(a) Amendment to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement dated August 28, 2024, between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon.(6)

 

(3) Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement dated August 28, 2024, between Registrant and Advisor.(6)

 

(4) Amended and Restated Securities Lending Authorization Agreement dated June 14, 2023, between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon.(4)

 

(a) Amendment to Amended and Restated Securities Lending Authorization Agreement effective August 28, 2024, between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon.(6)

 

(5) Form of Fund of Funds Investment Agreement.(6)

 

(i) Opinion and Consent of Chapman & Cutler LLP.(6)

 

(j) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting firm.(6)

 

(k) Not applicable.

 

(l) Not applicable.

 

(m) Distribution and Service Plan.(6)

 

(n) Not applicable.

 

(o) Reserved.

 

(p) Code of Ethics

 

(1) Code of Ethics of IndexIQ Advisors LLC, MacKay Shields LLC and NYL Investors LLC.(4)

 

(2) Code of Ethics of Winslow Capital Management, LLC.(6)

 

(3) Code of Ethics of CBRE Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC. (3)

 

(4) Code of Ethics of ALPS Distributors, Inc.(6)

 

(5) Code of Ethics of Registrant.(4)

 

(q) Powers of Attorney executed by Lofton Holder, Kirk C. Lehneis, Michael A. Pignataro, Paul D. Schaeffer and Michelle A. Kinch.(6)

 

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______________________________

(1) Previously filed as part of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Registration Statement, filed November 21, 2013.

(2) Previously filed as part of Post-Effective Amendment No. 18 to the Registration Statement filed on August 29, 2018.

(3) Previously filed as part of Post-Effective Amendment No. 102 to the Registration Statement filed on April 26, 2023.

(4) Previously filed as part of Post-Effective Amendment No. 108 to the Registration Statement filed on August 28, 2023.

(5) Previously filed as part of Post-Effective Amendment No. 119 to the Registration Statement filed on filed on May 7, 2024.

(6) Filed herewith.

 

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

 

Not Applicable.

 

Item 30. Indemnification

 

Reference is made to Article Eight of the Registrant’s Declaration of Trust, which is incorporated by reference herein. The general effect of the indemnification available to an officer or trustee may be to reduce the circumstances under which the officer or trustee is required to bear the economic burden of liabilities and expenses related to actions taken by the individual in his or her capacity as an officer or trustee.

 

The Registrant (sometimes referred to as the “Trust”) is organized as a Delaware statutory trust and is operated pursuant to a Declaration of Trust that permits the Registrant to indemnify every person who is, or has been, a trustee, officer, employee or agent 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 (each, a “Covered Person”). Each Covered Person is indemnified by the Trust to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him or her in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he or she becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his or her being or having been such a director, trustee, officer, employee or agent and against amounts paid or incurred by him in settlement thereof. This indemnification is subject to the following conditions:

 

No indemnification is provided to a Covered Person:

 

(a)         For a liability to the Trust or its shareholders arising out of a final adjudication by the court or other body before which the proceeding was brought that the Covered Person engaged in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office;

 

(b)        With respect to any matter as to which the Covered Person has been finally adjudicated not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his or her action was in the best interests of the Trust; or

 

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(c)        In the event of a settlement or other disposition not involving a final adjudication (as provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above) and resulting in a payment by a Covered Person, unless there has been either a determination that such Covered Person did not engage in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office or position by the court or other body approving the settlement or other disposition, or a reasonable determination, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry), that he or she did not engage in such conduct, such determination being made by: (i) a vote of a majority of the Disinterested Trustees (as such term is defined in Section 8.5.5 of the Declaration of Trust) acting on the matter (provided that a majority of Disinterested Trustees then in office act on the matter); or (ii) a written opinion of independent legal counsel.

 

The rights of indemnification under the Declaration of Trust may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust are severable; will not affect any other rights to which any Covered Person is entitled; will continue as to a person who has ceased to be a Covered Person; and will inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person. Nothing contained in the Declaration of Trust will affect any rights to indemnification to which Trust personnel other than Covered Persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law.

 

Expenses of preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit or proceeding subject to a claim for indemnification under Section 8.5 of the Declaration of Trust will 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 or she is not entitled to indemnification under Section 8.5 of the Declaration of Trust, provided that either:

 

(a)         Such undertaking is secured by a surety bond or some other appropriate security or the Trust is insured against losses arising out of any such advances; or

 

(b)        A majority of the Disinterested Trustees acting on the matter (provided that a majority of the Disinterested Trustees then in office act on the matter) or independent legal counsel in a written opinion determines, based upon a review of the readily available facts (as opposed to the facts available upon a full trial), that there is reason to believe that the recipient ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.

 

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

 

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Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser

 

The description of the Investment Advisor is found under the caption “Service Providers—Investment Advisor” in the Prospectus and under the caption “Management Services—Investment Advisor” in the Statement of Additional Information constituting Parts A and B, respectively, of this Registration Statement, which are incorporated by reference herein. The Investment Advisor provides investment advisory services to other persons or entities other than the Registrant.

 

Item 32. Principal Underwriter

 

(a) ALPS Distributors, Inc. acts as the distributor for the Registrant and the following investment companies:

 

1290 Funds

1WS Credit Income Fund

abrdn ETFs

Accordant ODCE Index Fund

Alpha Alternative Assets Fund

ALPS Series Trust

Alternative Credit Income Fund

Apollo Diversified Credit Fund

Apollo Diversified Real Estate Fund

AQR Funds

Axonic Alternative Income Fund

Axonic Funds

BBH Trust

Bluerock High Income Institutional Credit Fund

Bluerock Total Income+ Real Estate Fund

Brandes Investment Trust

Bridge Builder Trust

Cambria ETF Trust

Centre Funds

CION Ares Diversified Credit Fund

Columbia ETF Trust

Columbia ETF Trust I

Columbia ETF Trust II

CRM Mutual Fund Trust

DBX ETF Trust

ETF Series Solutions (Vident Series)

Financial Investors Trust

Firsthand Funds

Flat Rock Core Income Fund

Flat Rock Opportunity Fund

FS Credit Income Fund

FS Energy Total Return Fund

FS Multi-Alternative Income Fund

 

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FS Series Trust

FS MVP Private Markets Fund

Goehring & Rozencwajg Investment Funds

Goldman Sachs ETF Trust

Goldman Sachs ETF Trust II

Graniteshares ETF Trust

Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust

Heartland Group, Inc.

New York Life Investments Active ETF Trust

New York Life Investments ETF Trust

Investment Managers Series Trust II (AXS-Advised Funds)

Janus Detroit Street Trust

Lattice Strategies Trust

Litman Gregory Funds Trust

Manager Directed Portfolios (Spyglass Growth Fund)

Meridian Fund, Inc.

Natixis ETF Trust

Natixis ETF Trust II

Opportunistic Credit Interval Fund

PRIMECAP Odyssey Funds

Principal Exchange-Traded Funds

RiverNorth Funds

RiverNorth Opportunities Fund, Inc.

RiverNorth/DoubleLine Strategic Opportunity Fund, Inc.

RiverNorth Opportunistic Municipal Income Fund, Inc.

RiverNorth Managed Duration Municipal Income Fund, Inc.

RiverNorth Flexible Municipal Income Fund, Inc.

RiverNorth Capital and Income Fund, Inc.

RiverNorth Flexible Municipal Income Fund II, Inc.

RiverNorth Managed Duration Municipal Income Fund II, Inc.

SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust

SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust

Sprott Funds Trust

Stone Ridge Trust

Stone Ridge Trust II

Stone Ridge Trust IV

Stone Ridge Trust V

Stone Ridge Trust VIII

The Arbitrage Funds

Themes ETF Trust

Thrivent ETF Trust

USCF ETF Trust

Valkyrie ETF Trust II

Wasatch Funds

WesMark Funds

Wilmington Funds

X-Square Balanced Fund

X-Square Series Trust

 

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(b) To the best of Registrant’s knowledge, the directors and executive officers of ALPS Distributors, Inc., are as follows:

 

Name* Position with Underwriter Positions with Fund
Stephen J. Kyllo President, Chief Operating Officer, Director, Chief Compliance Officer None
Brian Schell** Vice President & Treasurer None
Eric Parsons Vice President, Controller and Assistant Treasurer None
Jason White*** Secretary None
Richard C. Noyes Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Assistant Secretary None
Eric Theroff^ Assistant Secretary None
Adam Girard^^ Tax Officer None
Liza Price Vice President, Managing Counsel None
Jed Stahl Vice President, Managing Counsel None
Terence Digan Vice President None
James Stegall Vice President None
Gary Ross Senior Vice President None
Hilary Quinn Vice President None
     

* Except as otherwise noted, the principal business address for each of the above directors and executive officers is 1290 Broadway, Suite 1000, Denver, Colorado 80203. 

** The principal business address for Mr. Schell is 100 South Wacker Drive, 19th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606.

*** The principal business address for Mr. White is 4 Times Square, New York, NY 10036.

^ The principal business address for Mr. Theroff is 1055 Broadway Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64105.

^^ The principal business address for Mr. Girard is 80 Lamberton Road, Windsor, CT 06095.

 

(c)       Not Applicable.

 

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

 

All accounts, books and other documents required by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules thereunder are maintained at:

 

New York Life Investment Management LLC 

51 Madison Avenue 

New York, NY 10010

 

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The Bank of New York Mellon 

240 Greenwich Street 

New York, NY 10286

 

ALPS Distributors, Inc. 

1625 Broadway, Suite 1000 

Denver, CO 80202

 

Item 34. Management Services

 

Not Applicable.

 

Item 35. Undertakings

 

Not Applicable.

 

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Signatures

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of New York, and State of New York, on August 26, 2024.

 

  New York Life Investments Active ETF Trust
   
  By: /s/ Kirk C. Lehneis
   

Kirk C. Lehneis

President

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated:

 

Name   Title Date
Lofton Holder*   Trustee August 26, 2024
Lofton Holder      
       
Michael A. Pignataro*   Trustee August 26, 2024
Michael A. Pignataro      
       
Paul D. Schaeffer*   Trustee August 26, 2024
Paul D. Schaeffer      
       
Michelle A. Kinch*   Trustee August 26, 2024
Michelle A. Kinch      
       
/s/ Kirk C. Lehneis   Trustee, President and Principal August 26, 2024
Kirk C. Lehneis   Executive Officer  
       
/s/ Adefolahan Oyefeso   Treasurer, Principal Financial August 26, 2024
Adefolahan Oyefeso   Officer, and Principal Accounting  
    Officer  
       
/s/ Matthew V. Curtin     August 26, 2024
Matthew V. Curtin, Attorney-in-fact*        

* Pursuant to Powers of Attorney filed as an Exhibit herewith.

 

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Index to Exhibits

 

(a)(1) Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (“Trust Instrument”) of the Registrant.

 

(b) Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant.

 

(d)(1) Amended and Restated Investment Advisory Agreement dated August 28, 2024, between Registrant and New York Life Investment Management LLC (Advisor”).

 

(d)(2) Amended and Restated Subadvisory Agreement dated August 28, 2024, between Advisor and MacKay Shields LLC.

 

(d)(3) Amended and Restated Subadvisory Agreement August 28, 2024, between Advisor and Winslow Capital Management, LLC.

 

(d)(4) Amended and Restated Subadvisory Agreement dated August 28, 2024, between Advisor and CBRE Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC.

 

(e)(1)(a) Amendment 11 to Distribution Agreement dated August 28, 2024, between Registrant and ALPS Distributors, Inc.

 

(e)(2) Form of Authorized Participant Agreement.

 

(g)(1)(a) Amendment to Custody Agreement dated August 28, 2024, between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon.

 

(h)(1)(c) Amendment to Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement dated August 28, 2024, between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon.

 

(h)(2)(a) Amendment to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement dated August 28, 2024, between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon.

 

(h)(3) Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement dated August 28, 2024, between Registrant and Advisor.

 

(h)(4)(a) Amendment to Amended and Restated Securities Lending Authorization Agreement effective August 28, 2024, between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon.

 

(h)(5) Form of Fund of Funds Investment Agreement.

 

(i) Opinion and Consent of Chapman & Cutler LLP.

 

(j) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting firm.

 

(m) Distribution and Service Plan.

 

(p)(2) Code of Ethics of Winslow Capital Management, LLC.

 

(p)(4) Code of Ethics of ALPS Distributors, Inc.

 

(q) Powers of Attorney executed by Lofton Holder, Kirk C. Lehneis, Michael A. Pignataro, Paul D. Schaeffer and Michelle A. Kinch.

 

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