485BPOS 1 strategyshares485b.htm 485BPOS

As filed August 28, 2019

Securities Act Registration No. 333-170750

Investment Company Act Registration No. 811-22497

 

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

 

 

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

         

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

       
Pre-Effective Amendment No.        
Post-Effective Amendment No. 51   x    

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

         
UNDER        
THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940        
Amendment No. 54   x    

 

 

STRATEGY SHARES

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

36 North New York Avenue

Huntington, NY 11743

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

1-631-629-4237

(Registrant’s Telephone Number)

 

The Corporation Trust Company

Corporate Trust Center

1209 Orange Street

Wilmington, DE 19801

(Name and address of Agent for service)

(Notices should be sent to the Agent for Service)

 

 

Copies to:

 

J. Stephen Feinour, Jr.

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young LLP

2005 Market Street, Suite 2600

Philadelphia, PA 19103-7018

 

 

It is proposed that this filing will become effective:

    immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)

 

  X On September 1, 2019 pursuant to paragraph (b)

 

    60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)  

 

    on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)

 

    75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii)

 

 
 

 

    on                      pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii) 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.

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

         

 

 

September 1, 2019

 

PROSPECTUS

 

Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF

 

NYSE Arca Ticker: HUSE

 

Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF

 

NYSE Arca Ticker: HECO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Prospectus provides important information about the Fund that you should know before investing.  Please read it carefully and keep it for future reference.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.  

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Strategy Shares’ shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports from your financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer or bank. Instead, the reports will be made available on http://strategysharesetfs.com, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report.

 

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change; and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from your financial intermediary electronically by notifying your financial intermediary directly.

 

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. You can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your reports. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held with your financial intermediary.

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FUND SUMMARY – STRATEGY SHARES US MARKET ROTATION STRATEGY ETF   3 
FUND SUMMARY – STRATEGY SHARES ECOLOGICAL STRATEGY ETF   9 
PURCHASING AND SELLING FUND SHARES   38 
DISTRIBUTION OF THE FUNDS   40 
ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES   40 
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS   41 
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS   42 
TAX CONSEQUENCES   42 
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS     45  
PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION   47 

 

 

1 
 

Fund Summary – STRATEGY SHARES US MARKET ROTATION STRATEGY ETF

 

Investment Objective: The Fund’s investment objective is to seek long-term capital appreciation. 

 

Fees and Expenses: This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. If you purchase or sell shares of the Fund in the secondary market through your financial institution, your financial institution may assess brokerage commissions or other charges to process the transactions.

 

     

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 0.60%
Distribution and/or Service Fee (12b-1) Fees 0.00%
Other Expenses(1) 0.31%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(2) 0.29%
Total Annual Operating Expenses 1.20%

 

(1) Reflects the 0.15% recoupment by the advisor of fees and expenses previously waived/reimbursed by the advisor in accordance with the terms of the expense limitation agreement in effect at the time of the waiver/reimbursement.
(2)Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The total annual fund operating expenses in this fee table will not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund’s Financial Highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

Example: 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. This Example does not reflect the effect of brokerage commissions or other transaction costs you pay in connection with the purchase or sale of Fund shares. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same and the expense reduction/reimbursement remains in place for the contractual period only. 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
$122 $381 $660 $1,455

 

 

Portfolio Turnover: The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 3,537% of the average value of its portfolio for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2019.

2 
 

 

Principal Investment Strategy

The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that, under normal conditions, will invest primarily in U.S. common stock, ETFs and exchange traded notes (“ETNs”). Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, will be invested in securities of U.S. companies and/or the U.S. government, or in other investment companies that principally invest in such securities. The Fund may also invest in foreign companies traded on a U.S. exchange (including American Depositary Receipts). The Fund’s portfolio is composed of two components: (i) the common stock component and (ii) the tactical component. The Fund’s assets may be invested in either of these two components without limit.

 

The Common Stock Component.

 

The Common Stock Component of the Fund’s portfolio will invest in companies within each of the large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap U.S. equity segments (each a “Market Segment”) that operate in each of the sectors represented in the S&P Composite 1500Ò. A sector is a large grouping of companies operating within the market that share similar characteristics. As of the date of the prospectus, the sectors comprising the S&P Composite 1500Ò are: communications services, consumer discretionary, consumer staples, energy, health care, industrials, information technology, financials, materials, real estate, and utilities (“Sectors”). The S&P Composite 1500 is comprised of the S&P 500®, the S&P MidCap 400® and S&P SmallCap 600®.

 

As market conditions change, the Fund intends to rotate the investment focus of the Fund so as to overweight its portfolio in companies comprising those Market Segments and Sectors that the Sub-Advisor believes offer the greatest potential for capital appreciation in the given market environment and underweight its portfolio in those Market Segments and Sectors that the Sub-Advisor believes offer the least potential for capital appreciation in that same market environment. Due to the tactical nature of the Fund's investment strategy, the Fund may have no exposure to a particular Market Segment or Sector. If the Fund’s portfolio allocation to a particular Market Segment or Sector exceeds that Market Segment’s or Sector’s current weighting in the S&P Composite 1500, then the Fund will be “overweighting” that Market Segment or Sector. Similarly, if the Fund’s portfolio allocation to a specific Market Segment or Sector is less than that Market Segment’s or Sector’s current weighting in the S&P Composite 1500, then the Fund will be “underweighting” that Market Segment or Sector. The Sub-Advisor believes that these adjustments, collectively, may offer the potential to position the Fund for continued capital appreciation in various market environments.

 

The Common Stock Component of the Fund’s portfolio is created using two proprietary quantitative strategies. The first strategy identifies and evaluates various factors including value, momentum, smart money (ex. tracking insider and institutional buying and selling), profitability, trading friction (ex. volume, price and beta) and growth. The second strategy utilizes a multi-factor model which analyze earnings, technical factors, valuations and industry leadership.

 

The Sub-Advisor retains a broad mandate and discretion to invest in companies consistent with its evaluation of the capital appreciation potential of the Market Segments and Sectors. The strategy of overweighting and underweighting Sectors to maximize opportunities for capital appreciation may result in the Fund investing greater than 25% of its total assets in the equity securities of companies operating in one or more Sectors. Sectors are comprised of multiple individual industries. The Fund will not invest more than 25% of its total assets in an individual industry.

 

Both in current market conditions and, more importantly, over longer time periods, the Sub-Advisor believes that investing in companies consistent with its ongoing evaluation of the capital appreciation potential of the Market Segments and Sectors is intrinsic to maximizing performance in the domestic equity markets.

 

The Tactical Component

 

The Tactical Component of the Fund’s portfolio invests in actively managed or index equity-based ETFs and ETNs. This portion of the Fund’s portfolio may also invest in treasury, fixed income and volatility ETFs and ETNs. The Fund may invest in fixed income ETFs and ETNs that principally invest in investment grade securities of any duration or maturity. 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. For example, if a bond has a duration of 5 years, a 1% rise in rates would result in a 5% decline in price. If a bond has a duration of 10 years, a 1% rise in interest rates would result in a 10% decline in price. The goal of this component of the Fund’s portfolio is to be opportunistic during market rallies and move into defensive positions during market declines through the use of three tactical strategies:

 

· Trend Following---The trend following models seek to identify strong Sectors to buy and weak Sectors to sell. Trend following is based on the idea that strong areas of the market will remain strong and weak areas will remain weak.

 

· Mean Reversion---The mean reversion models look for strong Sectors that appear overbought to sell and weak Sectors that appear oversold to buy. Mean reversion is based on the idea that Sectors often become overextended on the upside and
3 
 

downside before ultimately snapping back to equilibrium.

 

· Intermarket Analysis---These models will analyze Sectors that are correlated or uncorrelated and look for divergences. These divergences often signal major market turning points.

 

The Fund actively trades its portfolio securities in an attempt to achieve its investment objective which may lead to higher transaction costs that may affect the Fund’s performance.

 

Principal Investment Risks

 

As with any ETF, there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its objective. Investment markets are unpredictable and there will be certain market conditions where the Fund will not meet its investment objective and will lose money. The Fund’s net asset value, market price and returns will vary and you could lose money on your investment in the Fund and those losses could be significant. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

 

The following summarizes the principal risks of investing in the Fund. These risks could adversely affect the net asset value, market price, total return and the value of the Fund and your investment. These risks affect the Fund directly as well as through the ETFs in which it invests.

 

Active Trading Risk. The Fund may trade securities actively, which could increase its transaction costs (thereby lowering its performance) and could increase the amount of taxes you owe by generating short-term gains, which may be taxed at a higher rate. he Fund anticipates turnover to be significantly in excess of 100% and considerably higher than that of other funds.

 

Authorized Participant Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. An “Authorized Participant” is a participant in the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation or the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) and that has executed a Participant Agreement with the Fund’s distributor (“Distributor”). To the extent these Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to process creation and/or redemption orders, in either of these cases, shares of the Fund may trade like closed-end fund shares at a discount to NAV and possibly face delisting.

 

Equity Securities Risk. The net asset value and market price of the Fund will fluctuate based on changes in the value of the U.S. and/or foreign equity securities held by the Fund.  Equity prices can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.

 

ETF Structure Risks. The Fund is structured as an ETF and as a result is subject to the special risks, including:

oNot Individually Redeemable. Shares are not individually redeemable and may be redeemed by the Fund at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units.” You may incur brokerage costs purchasing enough Shares to constitute a Creation Unit. Fund shares are typically bought and sold in the secondary market and investors typically pay brokerage commissions or other charges on these transactions.
oTrading Issues. Trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility. There can be no assurance that Shares will continue to meet the listing requirements of the Exchange. An active trading market for the Fund’s shares may not be developed or maintained. If the Fund’s shares are traded outside a collateralized settlement system, the number of financial institutions that can act as authorized participants that can post collateral on an agency basis is limited, which may limit the market for the Fund’s shares.
oMarket Price Variance Risk. The market prices of Shares will fluctuate in response to changes in NAV and supply and demand for Shares and will include a “bid-ask spread” charged by the exchange specialists, market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. There may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. This means that Shares may trade at a discount to NAV.
§In times of market stress, market makers may step away from their role market making in shares of ETFs and in executing trades, which can lead to differences between the market value of Fund shares and the Fund’s net asset value.
§The market price for the Fund’s shares may deviate from the Fund’s net asset value, particularly during times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or significantly less for Fund shares than the Fund’s net asset value, which is reflected in the bid and ask price for Fund shares or in the closing price.
§When all or a portion of an ETFs underlying securities trade in a market that is closed when the market for the Fund’s shares is open, there may be changes from the last quote of the closed
4 
 

market and the quote from the Fund’s domestic trading day, which could lead to differences between the market value of the Fund’s shares and the Fund’s net asset value.

§In stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund’s shares may become less liquid in response to the deteriorating liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio. This adverse effect on the liquidity of the Fund’s shares may, in turn, lead to differences between the market value of the Fund’s shares and the Fund’s net asset value.

 

ETN Risk. The value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying markets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the referenced commodity. The value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating, even if the underlying index remains unchanged. Investments in ETNs are subject to the risks facing income securities in general including the risk that a counterparty will fail to make payments when due or default. Owning an ETN generally reflects the risks of owning the assets that comprise the underlying market benchmark or strategy that the ETN is designed to reflect.  ETNs also are subject to issuer and fixed-income risk.

 

Fixed Income Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities owned by the Fund. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Recently, interest rates have been historically low and interest rate risk may be heightened. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default). Lowered credit ratings may cause a drop in a fixed income security’s price and are associated with greater risk of default on interest and principal payments. Certain fixed income securities may be paid off early when the issuer can repay the principal prior to a security’s maturity. If interest rates are falling, the Fund may have to reinvest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income. If interest rates rise, repayments of principal on certain fixed income securities may occur at a slower rate than expected and the expected maturity of those securities could lengthen as a result, which reduces the Fund’s ability to reinvest at higher rates. These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Fund, possibly causing the Fund's share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments.

 

Foreign Investment Risk. Investments in foreign securities tend to be more volatile and less liquid than investments in U.S. securities because, among other things, they involve risks relating to political, social and economic developments abroad, as well as risks resulting from differences between the regulations and reporting standards and practices to which U.S. and foreign issuers are subject. To the extent foreign securities are denominated in foreign currencies, their values may be adversely affected by changes in currency exchange rates.

 

Information Technology Sector Risk. Information technology companies face intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence. They are also heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by the loss or impairment of those rights.

 

Investment Style Risk. The type of securities in which the Fund focuses may underperform other assets or the overall market.

 

Large-Cap Stock Risk. The Fund’s investment in larger companies is subject to the risk that larger companies are sometimes unable to attain the high growth rates of successful, smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion; and may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes.

 

Management Risk. The Sub-Advisor's reliance on its rotation strategy and related judgments about the value and potential appreciation of securities in which the Fund invests may prove to be incorrect. The Advisor’s assessment of the Sub-Advisor’s investment acumen may prove incorrect. The Sub-Advisor's reliance on its tactical strategy and related judgments about the value and potential appreciation of securities in which the Fund invests may prove to be incorrect. Reliance on these investment strategies and the models they rely on may expose the Fund to downward trends and/or market volatility and may not achieve immediate exposure to upward trends. The Advisor and Sub-Advisor may not successfully implement the Fund’s investment strategies and, as a result, the Fund may not meet its investment objective and/or underperform other investment vehicles with similar investment objectives and strategies.

 

Market Risk. The value of securities in the Fund’s portfolio will fluctuate and, as a result, the Fund’s NAV or market price per share may decline suddenly or over a sustained period of time. Factors such as domestic and foreign economic growth rates and market conditions, interest rate levels and political events may adversely affect the securities markets.

 

Mid/Small-Cap Stock Risk. The earnings and prospects of small and medium sized companies are more volatile than larger companies and may experience higher failure rates than larger companies. Small and medium sized companies normally have a lower trading volume than larger companies, which may tend to make their market price fall more disproportionately than larger companies in response to selling pressures and may have limited markets, product lines, or financial resources and lack management experience.

 

5 
 

Model and Data Risk. Like all quantitative analysis, the investment models utilized by the Advisor and Sub-Advisor carry the risk that the ranking system, valuation results and predictions might be based on one or more incorrect assumptions, insufficient historical data, inadequate design, or may not be suitable for the purpose intended. In addition, models may not perform as intended for many reasons including errors, omissions, imperfections or malfunctions. Because the use of models are usually constructed based on data supplied by third parties, the success of the Advisor’s and Sub-Advisor’s use of such models is dependent on the accuracy and reliability of the supplied data. Historical data inputs may be subject to revision or corrections, which may diminish data reliability and quality of predictive results. Changing and unforeseen market dynamics could also lead to a decrease in the short-term or long-term effectiveness of a model. Models may lose their predictive validity and incorrectly forecast future market behavior and asset prices, leading to potential losses. No assurance can be given that a model will be successful under all or any market conditions.

 

Sector Risk. If the Fund focuses its investments within a particular Sector, it is subject to increased risk. Performance will generally depend on the performance of the Sector, which may differ in direction and degree from that of the overall U.S. stock markets. In addition, financial, economic, business and political developments affecting the Sector may have a greater effect on the Fund than they would if the Fund did not focus on that Sector.

 

U.S. Government Obligations Risk. U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government and generally have negligible credit risk. However, due to fluctuations in interest rates, the market value of such securities may vary during the period shareholders own shares of the Fund. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The Fund may be subject to such risk to the extent it invests in securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises.

 

Underlying Fund Risk. Other investment companies, including ETFs (“Underlying Funds”), in which the Fund invests are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in the Underlying Funds and may be higher than other funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Each of the Underlying Funds is subject to its own specific risks.

 

Performance: Bar Chart and Average Annual Total Return Table: The bar chart and accompanying table shown below provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the total return for each full calendar year, and by showing how its average annual returns compare over time with those of a broad measure of market performance.    How the Fund has performed in the past (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future.

 

Updated performance information will be available at www.strategysharesetfs.com, or by calling (855) 4SS-ETFS or (855) 477-3837.

 

Annual Total Returns

 

 

During the period shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 10.55% (quarter ended March 31, 2013), and the lowest return for a quarter was (15.21)% (quarter ended December 31, 2018).

The Fund’s year-to-date return as of June 30, 2019 was 4.11%.

 

 

 

 

6 
 

Average Annual Total Returns Table

(for the periods ended December 31, 2018)

 

 

1 Year

 

5 Year

Since Inception

(7/23/12)

Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF      
Returns before taxes (9.40)% 4.73% 9.52%
Returns after taxes on distributions(1) (10.56)% 2.90% 7.97%
Returns after taxes on distributions and sales of
Fund Shares(1)
(5.55)% 3.16% 7.19%

S&P Composite 1500 Index®

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

(4.96) % 8.25% 12.34%
       

 

(1)After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rate and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholder’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant for shareholders who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities.

 

Advisor: Rational Advisors, Inc. is the Fund’s investment advisor (the “Advisor”).

 

Sub-Advisor: Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC is the Fund’s investment sub-advisor (the “Sub-Advisor”).

 

Portfolio Manager: Matthew B. Tuttle, CFP, the Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of the Sub-Advisor, is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio. Mr. Tuttle has served as portfolio manager since 2016.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares: You may purchase and sell individual Fund shares on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (“Exchange”) through your financial institution on each day that the Exchange is open for business (“Business Day”). Because Fund shares trade at market prices rather than at their NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).

 

The Fund only offers and redeems shares on a continuous basis on business days at NAV in large blocks of shares, currently 25,000 shares (“Creation Unit”). Creation Units are available for purchase and redemption on each Business Day. Generally, Creation Units are offered and redeemed on an in-kind basis. Except under limited circumstances, purchasers will be required to purchase Creation Units by making an in-kind deposit of specified instruments (“Deposit Instruments”), and shareholders redeeming Creation Units will receive an in-kind transfer of specified securities (“Redemption Instruments”). If there is a difference between the net asset value of a Creation Unit being purchased or redeemed and the Deposit Instruments or Redemption Instruments exchanged for the Creation Unit, the party conveying the instruments with the lower value will also pay to the other an amount in cash equal to that difference.

 

Tax  Information: The Fund’s distributions generally are taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, except when your investment is through a tax advantaged account such as an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or you are a tax-exempt investor.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries: If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Advisor and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. 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.

 

7 
 

 

FUND SUMMARY: STRATEGY SHARES ECOLOGICAL STRATEGY ETF

 

Investment Objective: The Fund’s investment objective is to seek long-term capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses: This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. If you purchase or sell shares of the Fund in the secondary market through your financial institution, your financial institution may assess brokerage commissions or other charges to process the transactions.

 

   

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 0.60%
Distribution and/or Service Fee (12b-1) Fees 0.00%
Other Expenses 0.41%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1) 0.12%
Total Annual Operating Expenses 1.13%
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement(2) (0.06)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement 1.07%
(1) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The total annual fund operating expenses in this fee table will not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund’s Financial Highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

 

(2) Rational Advisors, Inc. (“Advisor”) has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and/or reimburse the Fund’s expenses (but excluding (i) acquired fund fees and expenses; (ii) brokerage commissions and trading costs; (iii) interest (including borrowing costs and overdraft charges), (iv) taxes, (v) short sale dividends and interest expenses, (vi) expense incurred in connection with the Funds' compliance with the liquidity requirements of Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Company Reporting Modernization Rules; and (vii) non-routine or extraordinary expenses, such as regulatory inquiry and litigation expenses) in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement to 0.95% of the Fund’s average annual daily net assets until August 31, 2020. This arrangement may only be terminated prior to this date with the agreement of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under certain conditions, the Advisor may recoup management fees that it waived or Fund expenses that it paid under this agreement for a period of three years after the fees were waived or expenses paid, if the recoupment can be achieved without causing the expense ratio (after the recoupment is taken into account) to exceed (i) the expense limit in effect at the time the fees were waived or expenses paid, or (ii) the expense limit in place at the time of recoupment.

 

Example: 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 redeem or hold all of your shares at the end of those periods. This Example does not reflect the effect of brokerage commissions or other transaction costs you pay in connection with the purchase or sale of Fund shares. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same and the expense reduction/reimbursement remains in place for the contracted period only. 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
$109 $353 $616 $1,369

 

Portfolio Turnover: The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 3,099% of the average value of its portfolio for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2019.

  

Principal Investment Strategy

 

The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) and, under normal conditions, will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes), directly or indirectly through mutual funds and exchange traded funds (“ETFs”), in the equity and fixed income securities of ecologically-focused companies and/or green bonds. Green” bonds are bonds whose proceeds are used principally for climate change mitigation, climate adaptation or other environmentally beneficial projects, such as, but not limited to, the development of clean, sustainable or renewable energy sources, commercial and industrial energy efficiency, or

8 
 

conservation of natural resources. The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in cash and cash equivalents including U.S. Government securities.

 

The Fund may invest in domestic and foreign securities of companies of any market capitalization. The Fund does not limit its investments to a particular credit quality and may invest in below investment grade securities (commonly referred to as "junk") without limitation. Below investment grade securities are those rated below Baa3 by Moody's Investor Services or equivalently by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization as well as non-rated securities. The Fund may invest in securities of any maturity or duration. 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. For example, if a bond has a duration of 5 years, a 1% rise in rates would result in a 5% decline in price. If a bond has a duration of 10 years, a 1% rise in interest rates would result in a 10% decline in price.

 

The Ecological Component

 

The Sub-Advisor will apply the following ecologically-focused criteria to identify eligible securities. Ecologically-focused companies are companies that have positioned their business to respond to increased environmental legislation, cultural shifts towards environmentally conscious consumption, and capital investments in environmentally oriented projects. These companies include, but are not limited to, all companies that are components of one or more well-recognized environmentally-focused indices (such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes and the MSCI Global Green Building Index).

 

The Fund will also invest in ecologically-focused companies which are not included in a well-recognized environmentally-focused index but generate at least one-third of their revenues from activities aligned with one or more of the following environmental themes (“Environmental Themes”):

 

·         Alternative renewable power such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydro or biomass;

·         Alternative renewable fuel such as biofuel, biomass or hydrogen;

·         Alternative engines such as electric, flywheel or micro turbines;

·         Energy efficiency such as energy efficient building materials, power, lighting, heating, or fuel;

·         Resource conservation/healthier use of resources such as recycling or renewable materials; and

·         Healthy lifestyle such as pollution control or organic foods.

 

A company that is not included in a well-recognized environmentally-focused index or does not generate one-third of its revenue from activities aligned with one or more Environmental Themes shall also be considered an ecologically-focused company if the Advisor believes that environmentally conscious trends, such as a stronger demand for chemical-free cleaning and farming, recycling, alternative fuel and energy, energy efficiency, pollution control, or environmental cleanup/restoration, will positively impact that company’s future revenue. Ecologically-focused companies also include those companies that the Advisor believes demonstrate sustainable environmental practices. Sustainable environmental practices include, but are not limited to, demonstrated progress in:

 

  • Improving energy and resource efficiency;
  • Reducing emissions from business operations;
  • Financial and operational support of renewable materials and less polluted energy sources; or
  • Using or promoting the use of efficient buildings (measured by such labels as LEED or Energy Star).

 

The strategy of investing in ecologically-focused companies may result in the Fund investing greater than 25% of its total assets in one or more market sectors (“Sectors”). A Sector is a large grouping of companies operating within the market that share similar characteristics. Sectors are comprised of multiple individual industries. The Fund will not invest more than 25% of its total assets in an individual industry.

 

The Tactical Component

 

The allocation of the Fund’s assets to either equity securities or fixed income securities may range from 0% to 100%. The Fund seeks to be opportunistic during market rallies by increasing its allocation to equity securities and to move into defensive positions during market declines by increasing its fixed income, cash and cash equivalents holdings. The Fund’s allocation based on the following three tactical strategies:

 

· Trend Following---The trend following models seek to identify strong Sectors to buy and weak Sectors to sell. Trend following is based on the idea that strong areas of the market will remain strong and weak areas will remain weak.
· Mean Reversion---The mean reversion models look for strong Sectors that appear overbought to sell and weak Sectors that appear oversold to buy. Mean reversion is based on the idea that market Sectors often become overextended on the upside and downside before ultimately snapping back to equilibrium.
· Intermarket Analysis---These models will analyze market Sectors that are correlated or uncorrelated and look for divergences. These divergences often signal major market turning points.
9 
 

 

The Fund actively trades its portfolio securities in an attempt to achieve its investment objective which may lead to higher transaction costs that may affect the Fund’s performance.

 

Principal Investment Risks

  

As with any ETF, there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its objective.  Investment markets are unpredictable and there will be certain market conditions where the Fund will not meet its investment objective and will lose money. The Fund’s net asset value, market price and returns will vary and you could lose money on your investment in the Fund and those losses could be significant. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

 

The following summarizes the principal risks of investing in the Fund.  These risks could adversely affect the net asset value, market price, total return and the value of the Fund and your investment. These risks affect the Fund directly as well as through the mutual funds and ETFs in which it invests.

 

Active Trading Risk. The Fund may trade securities actively, which could increase its transaction costs (thereby lowering its performance) and could increase the amount of taxes you owe by generating short-term gains, which may be taxed at a higher rate. The Fund anticipates turnover to be significantly in excess of 100% and considerably higher than that of other funds.

 

Authorized Participant Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. An “Authorized Participant” is a participant in the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation or the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) and that has executed a Participant Agreement with the applicable Fund’s distributor (“Distributor”). To the extent these Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to process creation and/or redemption orders, in either of these cases, shares of the Fund may trade like closed-end fund shares at a discount to NAV and possibly face delisting.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalent Risk. At any time, the Fund may have significant investments in cash or cash equivalents. When a substantial portion of a portfolio is held in cash or cash equivalents, there is the risk that the value of the cash account, including interest, will not keep pace with inflation, thus reducing purchasing power over time.

 

Currency Risk. Securities denominated in foreign currencies may be adversely affected by changes in currency rates and by substantial currency conversion costs.

 

Ecological Investment Risk. The Fund’s ecological investment criteria limit the types of investments the Fund may make. This could cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not have an ecological focus.

 

Equity Securities Risk. The net asset value and market price of the Fund will fluctuate based on changes in the value of the U.S. and/or foreign equity securities held by the Fund.  Equity prices can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.

 

ETF Structure Risks. The Fund is structured as an ETF and as a result is subject to the special risks, including:

oNot Individually Redeemable. Shares are not individually redeemable and may be redeemed by the Fund at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units.” You may incur brokerage costs purchasing enough Shares to constitute a Creation Unit. Fund shares are typically bought and sold in the secondary market and investors typically pay brokerage commissions or other charges on these transactions.
oTrading Issues. Trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility. There can be no assurance that Shares will continue to meet the listing requirements of the Exchange. An active trading market for the Fund’s shares may not be developed or maintained. If the Fund’s shares are traded outside a collateralized settlement system, the number of financial institutions that can act as authorized participants that can post collateral on an agency basis is limited, which may limit the market for the Fund’s shares.
oMarket Price Variance Risk. The market prices of Shares will fluctuate in response to changes in NAV and supply and demand for Shares and will include a “bid-ask spread” charged by the exchange specialists, market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. There may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. This means that Shares may trade at a discount to NAV.
§In times of market stress, market makers may step away from their role market making in shares of ETFs and in executing trades, which can lead to differences between the market value of Fund shares and the Fund’s net asset value.
10 
 
§The market price for the Fund’s shares may deviate from the Fund’s net asset value, particularly during times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or significantly less for Fund shares than the Fund’s net asset value, which is reflected in the bid and ask price for Fund shares or in the closing price.
§When all or a portion of an ETFs underlying securities trade in a market that is closed when the market for the Fund’s shares is open, there may be changes from the last quote of the closed market and the quote from the Fund’s domestic trading day, which could lead to differences between the market value of the Fund’s shares and the Fund’s net asset value.
§In stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund’s shares may become less liquid in response to the deteriorating liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio. This adverse effect on the liquidity of the Fund’s shares may, in turn, lead to differences between the market value of the Fund’s shares and the Fund’s net asset value.

 

Fixed Income Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities owned by the Fund. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Recently, interest rates have been historically low and interest rate risk may be heightened. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default). Lowered credit ratings may cause a drop in a fixed income security’s price and are associated with greater risk of default on interest and principal payments. Certain fixed income securities may be paid off early when the issuer can repay the principal prior to a security’s maturity. If interest rates are falling, the Fund may have to reinvest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income. If interest rates rise, repayments of principal on certain fixed income securities may occur at a slower rate than expected and the expected maturity of those securities could lengthen as a result, which reduces the Fund’s ability to reinvest at higher rates. These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Fund, possibly causing the Fund's share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments.

 

Foreign Custodial Services Risk. Custodial services are generally more expensive in foreign jurisdictions than in the U.S. In addition, because the procedures for settling securities transactions in foreign markets differ from those in the U.S., it may be more difficult for the Fund to make intended purchases and sales of securities in foreign countries.

 

Foreign Investment Risk. Investments in foreign securities tend to be more volatile and less liquid than investments in U.S. securities because, among other things, they involve risks relating to political, social and economic developments abroad, as well as risks resulting from differences between the regulations and reporting standards and practices to which U.S. and foreign issuers are subject. To the extent foreign securities are denominated in foreign currencies, their values may be adversely affected by changes in currency exchange rates.

 

Investment Style Risk. The type of securities in which the Fund focuses may underperform other assets or the overall market.

 

Junk Bond Risk. Lower-quality bonds, known as "high yield" or "junk" bonds, present greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased risk of default. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these bonds and reduce the Fund's ability to sell its bonds. The lack of a liquid market for these bonds could decrease the Fund's share price.

 

Large-Cap Stock Risk. The Fund’s investment in larger companies is subject to the risk that larger companies are sometimes unable to attain the high growth rates of successful, smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion; and may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes.

 

Management Risk. The Sub-Advisor's reliance on its ecological strategy and related judgments about the value and potential appreciation of securities in which the Fund invests may prove to be incorrect. The Advisor’s assessment of the Sub-Advisor’s investment acumen may prove incorrect. The Sub-Advisor's reliance on its tactical strategy and related judgments about the value and potential appreciation of securities in which the Fund invests may prove to be incorrect. Reliance on these investment strategies and the models they rely on may expose the Fund to downward trends and/or market volatility and may not achieve immediate exposure to upward trends. The Advisor and Sub-Advisor may not successfully implement the Fund’s investment strategies and, as a result, the Fund may not meet its investment objective and/or underperform other investment vehicles with similar investment objectives and strategies.

 

Market Risk. The value of securities in the Fund’s portfolio will fluctuate and, as a result, the Fund’s NAV or market price per share may decline suddenly or over a sustained period of time. Factors such as domestic and foreign economic growth rates and market conditions, interest rate levels and political events may adversely affect the securities markets.

 

Mid/Small-Cap Stock Risk. The earnings and prospects of small and medium sized companies are more volatile than larger companies and may experience higher failure rates than larger companies. Small and medium sized companies normally have a lower

11 
 

trading volume than larger companies, which may tend to make their market price fall more disproportionately than larger companies in response to selling pressures and may have limited markets, product lines, or financial resources and lack management experience.

 

Model and Data Risk. Like all quantitative analysis, the investment models utilized by the Sub-Advisor carry the risk that the ranking system, valuation results and predictions might be based on one or more incorrect assumptions, insufficient historical data, inadequate design, or may not be suitable for the purpose intended. In addition, models may not perform as intended for many reasons including errors, omissions, imperfections or malfunctions. Because the use of models are usually constructed based on data supplied by third parties, the success of the Sub-Advisor’s use of such models is dependent on the accuracy and reliability of the supplied data. Historical data inputs may be subject to revision or corrections, which may diminish data reliability and quality of predictive results. Changing and unforeseen market dynamics could also lead to a decrease in the short-term or long-term effectiveness of a model. Models may lose their predictive validity and incorrectly forecast future market behavior and asset prices, leading to potential losses. No assurance can be given that a model will be successful under all or any market conditions.

 

Sector Risk. If the Fund focuses its investments within a particular Sector, it is subject to increased risk. Performance will generally depend on the performance of the Sector, which may differ in direction and degree from that of the overall U.S. stock markets. In addition, financial, economic, business and political developments affecting the Sector may have a greater effect on the Fund than they would if the Fund did not focus on that Sector.

 

Underlying Fund Risk. Other investment companies, including ETFs (“Underlying Funds”), in which the Fund invests are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in the Underlying Funds and may be higher than other funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Each of the Underlying Funds is subject to its own specific risks, but the sub-adviser expects the principal investments risks of such Underlying Funds will be similar to the risks of investing in the Fund.

 

U.S. Government Obligations Risk. U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government and generally have negligible credit risk. However, due to fluctuations in interest rates, the market value of such securities may vary during the period shareholders own shares of the Fund. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The Fund may be subject to such risk to the extent it invests in securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises.

 

Performance: Bar Chart and Average Annual Total Return Table

 

The bar chart and accompanying table shown below provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the total return for each full calendar year, and by showing how its average annual returns compare over time with those of a broad measure of market performance.    How the Fund has performed in the past (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information will be available at www.strategysharesetfs.com or by calling (855) 4SS-ETFS or (855) 477-3837.

 

Annual Total Returns

 

 

 

During the period shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 8.47% (quarter ended September 30, 2013), and the lowest return for a quarter was (9.15)% (quarter December 31, 2018).

12 
 

The Fund’s year-to-date return as of June 30, 2019 was (5.14)%.

 

Average Annual Total Returns Table

(for the periods ended December 31, 2018)

 

1 Year

 

5 Year

Since Inception

(6/18/12)

Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF      
Returns before taxes (3.27)% 7.51% 11.21%
Returns after taxes on distributions(1) (3.78)% 6.23% 10.14%
Returns after taxes on distributions and sales of
Fund Shares(1)
(1.66)% 5.65% 8.85%

MSCI ACWI Index

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

(9.42)% 4.26% 8.39%

 

(1) After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rate and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.  Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholder’s tax situation and may differ from those shown.  After-tax returns are not relevant for shareholders who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities.  

 

Advisor: The Fund’s investment advisor is Rational Advisors, Inc.

 

Sub-Advisor: Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC is the Fund’s investment sub-advisor (the “Sub-Advisor”).

 

Portfolio Manager: Matthew B. Tuttle, CFP, the Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of the Sub-Advisor, is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio. Mr. Tuttle has served as portfolio manager since 2018.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares: You may purchase and sell individual Fund shares on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (“Exchange”) through your financial institution on each day that the Exchange is open for business (“Business Day”). Because Fund shares trade at market prices rather than at their NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).

 

The Fund only offers and redeems shares on a continuous basis on business days at NAV in large blocks of shares, currently 25,000 shares (“Creation Unit”). Creation Units are available for purchase and redemption on each Business Day. Generally, Creation Units are offered and redeemed on an in-kind basis. Except under limited circumstances, purchasers will be required to purchase Creation Units by making an in-kind deposit of specified instruments (“Deposit Instruments”), and shareholders redeeming Creation Units will receive an in-kind transfer of specified securities (“Redemption Instruments”). If there is a difference between the net asset value of a Creation Unit being purchased or redeemed and the Deposit Instruments or Redemption Instruments exchanged for the Creation Unit, the party conveying the instruments with the lower value will also pay to the other an amount in cash equal to that difference.

 

Tax  Information: The Fund’s distributions generally are taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, except when your investment is through a tax advantaged account such as an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or you are a tax-exempt investor.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries: If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Advisor and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. 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 web site for more information.

13 
 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS’ PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS 

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

 

The investment objective of each Fund is non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice if the Board decides to change a Fund’s investment objective; the Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF’s policy to invest at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes in securities of U.S. companies and/or the U.S. government, or in other investment companies that principally invest in such securities; or the Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF’s policy to invest at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, directly or indirectly through mutual funds and exchange traded funds (“ETFs”), in the equity and fixed income securities of ecologically-focused companies and/or green bonds.

 

Fund Investment Objective
Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF The Fund’s investment objective is to seek long-term capital appreciation.
Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF The Fund’s investment objective is to seek long-term capital appreciation.

 

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

 

Each Fund’s main investment strategies are discussed in the Summary Section for each Fund and are the strategies that the Advisor and/or Sub-Advisor believes are most likely to be important in trying to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. You should note, however, that a Fund may use other non-principal strategies and invest in other securities not described in this prospectus, which are disclosed in detail in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”). For a copy of the SAI please call toll free at (855) 4SS-ETFS or (855) 477-3837or visit the Funds’ website at www.strategysharesetfs.com.

 

Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF

 

The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund that, under normal conditions, will invest primarily in U.S. common stock, ETFs and ETNs. Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, will be invested in securities of U.S. companies and/or the U.S. government or in other investment companies that principally invest in such securities. An issuer of a security will be deemed to be located in the United States if: (i) the principal trading market for the security is in the United States, (ii) the issuer is organized under the laws of the United States, or (iii) the issuer derives at least 50% of its revenues or profits from the United States or has at least 50% of its total assets situated in the United States. The Fund may also invest in foreign companies traded on a U.S. exchange (including American Depositary Receipts). The Fund’s 80% investment policy is not fundamental and may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice to the Fund’s shareholders. The Fund’s portfolio is composed of two components: (i) the common stock component and (ii) the tactical component. The Fund’s assets may be invested in either of these two components without limit.

 

The Common Stock Component

 

The Common Stock Component of the Fund’s portfolio will invest in companies within each of the large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap U.S. equity market segments. The large-cap segment is represented by companies comprising the S&P 500®, the mid-cap segment is represented by companies comprising the S&P MidCap 400® and the small-cap segment is represented by the companies comprising the S&P SmallCap 600®.

 

The Fund will invest in companies operating in each of the sectors represented in the S&P Composite 1500®. A sector is a large grouping of companies operating within the market that share similar characteristics. As of the date of the prospectus, the sectors comprising the S&P Composite 1500® are: communications services, consumer discretionary, consumer staples, energy, health care, industrials, information technology, financials, materials, real estate, and utilities (“Sectors”). The S&P Composite 1500 is comprised of the S&P 500®, the S&P MidCap 400® and S&P SmallCap 600®.

 

As market conditions change, the Fund intends to rotate the investment focus of the Fund so as to overweight its portfolio in companies comprising those Market Segments and Sectors that the Sub-Advisor believes offer the greatest potential for capital appreciation in the given market environment and underweight its portfolio in those Market Segments and Sectors that the Sub-Advisor believes offer the least potential for capital appreciation in that same market environment. If the Fund’s portfolio allocation to a particular Market Segment or Sector exceeds that Market Segment’s or Sector’s current weighting in the S&P Composite 1500,

14 
 

then the Fund will be “overweighting” that Market Segment or Sector. Similarly, if the Fund’s portfolio allocation to a specific Market Segment or Sector is less than that Market Segment’s or Sector’s current weighting in the S&P Composite 1500, then the Fund will be “underweighting” that Market Segment or Sector. Due to the tactical nature of the Fund's investment strategy, the Fund may have no exposure to a particular Market Segment or Sector. The Sub-Advisor believes that these adjustments, collectively, may offer the potential to position the Fund for continued capital appreciation in various market environments.

 

The Common Stock Component of the Fund’s portfolio is created using two proprietary quantitative strategies. The first strategy identifies and evaluates various factors including value, momentum, smart money (ex. tracking insider and institutional buying and selling), profitability, trading friction (ex. volume, price and beta) and growth. The second strategy utilizes a multi-factor model which analyze earnings, technical factors, valuations and industry leadership.

 

The Sub-Advisor retains a broad mandate and discretion to invest in companies consistent with its evaluation of the capital appreciation potential of the Market Segments and Sectors. The strategy of overweighting and underweighting Sectors to maximize opportunities for capital appreciation may result in the Fund investing greater than 25% of its total assets in the equity securities of companies operating in one or more Sectors.

 

Sectors are comprised of multiple individual industries. The Fund will not invest more than 25% of its total assets in an individual industry.

 

Both in current market conditions and, more importantly, over longer time periods, the Sub-Advisor believes that investing in companies consistent with its ongoing evaluation of the capital appreciation potential of the Market Segments and Sectors is intrinsic to maximizing performance in the domestic equity markets.

 

The Tactical Component

 

The Tactical Component of the Fund’s portfolio invests in actively managed or index equity-based ETFs and ETNs. This portion of the Fund’s portfolio may also invest in treasury, fixed income and volatility ETFs and ETNs. The Fund may invest in fixed income ETFs and ETNs that principally invest in investment grade securities of any duration or maturity. 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. For example, if a bond has a duration of 5 years, a 1% rise in rates would result in a 5% decline in share price. If a bond has a duration of 10 years, a 1% rise in interest rates would result in a 10% decline in share price. The goal of this component of the Fund’s portfolio is to be opportunistic during market rallies and move into defensive positions during market declines through the use of three tactical strategies:

 

· Trend Following---The trend following models seek to identify strong Sectors to buy and weak Sectors to sell. Trend following is based on the idea that strong areas of the market will remain strong and weak areas will remain weak.

 

· Mean Reversion---The mean reversion models look for strong Sectors that appear overbought to sell and weak Sectors that appear oversold to buy. Mean reversion is based on the idea that Sectors often become overextended on the upside and downside before ultimately snapping back to equilibrium.

 

· Intermarket Analysis---These models will analyze Sectors that are correlated or uncorrelated and look for divergences. These divergences often signal major market turning points.

 

The Fund actively trades its portfolio securities in an attempt to achieve its investment objective which may lead to higher transaction costs that may affect the Fund’s performance.

 

 

15 
 

  

Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF

 

The Fund is an actively ETF and, under normal conditions, will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes), directly or indirectly through mutual funds and ETFs, in the equity and fixed income securities of ecologically-focused companies and/or green bonds. Green” bonds are bonds whose proceeds are used principally for climate change mitigation, climate adaptation or other environmentally beneficial projects, such as, but not limited to, the development of clean, sustainable or renewable energy sources, commercial and industrial energy efficiency, or conservation of natural resources. The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in cash and cash equivalents including U.S. Government securities.

  

The Fund may invest in domestic and foreign securities of companies of any market capitalization. The Fund does not limit its investments to a particular credit quality and may invest in below investment grade securities (commonly referred to as "junk") without limitation. Below investment grade securities are those rated below Baa3 by Moody's Investor Services or equivalently by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization as well as non-rated securities. The Fund may invest in securities of any maturity or duration. 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. For example, if a bond has a duration of 5 years, a 1% rise in rates would result in a 5% decline in share price. If a bond has a duration of 10 years, a 1% rise in interest rates would result in a 10% decline in share price.

 

The Ecological Component

 

The Sub-Advisor will apply the following ecologically-focused criteria to identify eligible securities. Ecologically-focused companies are companies that have positioned their business to respond to increased environmental legislation, cultural shifts towards environmentally conscious consumption, and capital investments in environmentally oriented projects. These companies include, but are not limited to, all companies that are components of one or more well-recognized environmentally-focused indices (such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes and the MSCI Global Green Building Index).

 

The Fund will also invest in ecologically-focused companies which are not included in a well-recognized environmentally-focused index but generate at least one-third of their revenues from activities aligned with one or more of the following environmental themes (“Environmental Themes”):

 

·         Alternative renewable power such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydro or biomass;

·         Alternative renewable fuel such as biofuel, biomass or hydrogen;

·         Alternative engines such as electric, flywheel or micro turbines;

·         Energy efficiency such as energy efficient building materials, power, lighting, heating, or fuel;

·         Resource conservation/healthier use of resources such as recycling or renewable materials; and

·         Healthy lifestyle such as pollution control or organic foods.

 

A company that is not included in a well-recognized environmentally-focused index or does not generate one-third of its revenue from activities aligned with one or more Environmental Themes shall also be considered an ecologically-focused company if the Sub-Advisor believes that environmentally conscious trends, such as a stronger demand for chemical-free cleaning and farming, recycling, alternative fuel and energy, energy efficiency, pollution control, or environmental cleanup/restoration, will positively impact that company’s future revenue . Ecologically-focused companies also include those companies that theSub-Advisor believes demonstrate sustainable environmental practices. Sustainable environmental practices include, but are not limited to, demonstrated progress in:

 

  • Improving energy and resource efficiency;
  • Reducing emissions from business operations;
  • Financial and operational support of renewable materials and less polluted energy sources; or
  • Using or promoting the use of efficient buildings (measured by such labels as LEED or Energy Star).

  

The strategy of investing in ecologically-focused companies may result in the Fund investing greater than 25% of its total assets in one or more market Sectors. A Sector is a large grouping of companies operating within the market that share similar characteristics. Sectors are comprised of multiple individual industries. The Fund will not invest more than 25% of its total assets in an individual industry.

 

The Tactical Component

 

The allocation of the Fund’s assets to either equity securities or fixed income securities may range from 0% to 100%. The Fund seeks to be opportunistic during market rallies by increasing its allocation to equity securities and to move into defensive positions during market declines by increasing its fixed income, cash and cash equivalents holdings. The Fund’s allocation based on the following three tactical strategies:

 

·Trend Following---The trend following models seek to identify strong sectors to buy and weak sectors to sell. Trend
16 
 

following is based on the idea that strong areas of the market will remain strong and weak areas will remain weak.

·Mean Reversion---The mean reversion models look for strong sectors that appear overbought to sell and weak sectors that appear oversold to buy. Mean reversion is based on the idea that market sectors often become overextended on the upside and downside before ultimately snapping back to equilibrium.
·Intermarket Analysis---These models will analyze market sectors that are correlated or uncorrelated and look for divergences. These divergences often signal major market turning points.

  

The Fund actively trades its portfolio securities in an attempt to achieve its investment objective which may lead to higher transaction costs that may affect the Fund’s performance.

 

Temporary Defensive Positions

 

From time to time, the Funds may take temporary defensive positions, which are inconsistent with the Funds’ principal investment strategies, in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions. For example, the Funds may hold all or a portion of their respective assets in money market instruments, including cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, other investment grade fixed income securities, certificates of deposit, bankers acceptances, commercial paper, money market funds and repurchase agreements. While a Fund is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective will be limited. If a Fund invests in a money market fund, the shareholders of the Fund generally will be subject to duplicative management fees. Although a Fund would do this only in seeking to avoid losses, the Fund will be unable to pursue its investment objective during that time, and it could reduce the benefit from any upswing in the market. The Funds may also invest in money market instruments at any time to maintain liquidity or pending selection of investments in accordance with their respective policies.

  

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS

 

All ETFs carry a certain amount of risk.  As with any ETF, there is no guarantee that a Fund will achieve its objective. Investment markets are unpredictable and there will be certain market conditions where the Fund will not meet its investment objective and will lose money.  Each Fund’s net asset value, market price and returns will vary and you could lose money on your investment in the Fund and those losses could be significant.  An investment in the Fund is not a complete investment program. These risks affect the Funds directly as well as through the Underlying Funds in which they invest.

 

The table below identifies each Fund’s principal risks and non-principal risks.

Key: Principal Risk ●

Non-Principal Risk ○

 

Risks Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF
Active Trading Risk
ADR Currency Risk
ADRs Risk
Affiliated Investment Company Risk
Asset-backed and Mortgage Backed Security Risk
Authorized Participant Risk
Bank Loans Risk
Basic Materials Industry Risk
Business Development Companies (“BDC”) Risk
Capacity Risk
Cash or Cash Equivalents Risk
Cash Transactions Risk
CDOs and CLOs Risk
Changing Fixed Income Market Conditions Risk
Collateralized Bond Obligation Risk
Commodity Risk
Conflict of Interest – Advisors/Sub-Advisors Risk
Conflict of Interest – Portfolio Manager Risk
Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk
Consumer Staples Sector Risk
17 
 

 

Convertible Bond Risk
Convertible Securities Risk
Counterparty Risk
Credit Default Swap Risk
Credit Risk (for Floating Rate Loans)
Currency Risk
Derivatives Risk
Dividend Yield Risk
Duration Risk
Ecological Investment Risk
Energy and Infrastructure Risk
Energy Sector Risk
Emerging Market Risk
Equity Security Risk
ETF Structure
Exchange Traded Notes Risk
Extension Risk
Financials Sector Risk
Fixed Income Risk
Fluctuations in Net Asset Value Risk
Foreign Custodial Services Risk
Foreign Exchanges Risk
Foreign Investment Risk
Forwards Risk
Futures Risk
Geographic Concentration Risk
Growth Stock Risk
Healthcare Sector Risk
Hedging Risk
Index-Linked Derivative Securities Risk
Industrials Sector Risk
Inflation-Indexed Bond Risk
Inflation Protected Securities Risk
Information Technology Sector Risk
Interest Rate Risk (for Floating Rate Loans)
Inverse ETF Risk
Investment Style Risk
Issuer Specific Risk
Junk Bond Risk
Large Capitalization Stock Risk
Leverage Risk
Leveraged ETF Risk
Liquidity Risk
Litigation Risk
Loan Risk
Machinery and Electrical Equipment Industry Risk
Management Risk
Market Risk
Market Volatility-Linked ETFs Risk
MBS and CMO Risk
Medium (Mid)/Small Capitalization Stock Risk
Micro Capitalization Risk
18 
 

 

MLP and MLP-Related Securities Risk
Model and Data Risk
Municipal Bond Risk
Options Market Risk
Options Risk
OTC Trading Risk
Prepayment and Extension Risk
Real Estate and REIT Risk
Real Estate Risk
Regulatory Risk
Repurchase and Reverse Repurchase Agreement Risk
Restricted Securities Risk
Risk Management Risk
Sector Concentration Risk
Security Risk
Segregation Risk
Short Selling Risk
Sovereign Debt Risk
Structured Note Risk
Sub-Prime Mortgage Risk
Swap Risk
Taxation Risk
Technology Sector Risk
Telecommunications Services Sector Risk
Tracking Risk of ETFs
U.S. Government Obligations Risk
Underlying Fund Risk
Utilities Sector Risk
Volatility Risk

  

ADRs Risk. ADRs, which are typically issued by a bank, are certificates that evidence ownership of shares of a foreign company and are alternatives to purchasing foreign securities directly in their national markets and currencies. ADRs are subject to the same risks as direct investment in foreign companies and involve risks that are not found in investments in U.S. companies. In addition to the risks of investing in foreign securities discussed below, there is no guarantee that an ADR issuer will continue to offer a particular ADR. As a result, the Fund may have difficulty selling the ADR, or selling them quickly and efficiently at the prices at which they have been valued. In a sponsored ADR arrangement, the foreign company assumes the obligation to pay some or all of the depositary’s transaction fees. Under an unsponsored ADR arrangement, the foreign company assumes no obligations and the depositary’s transaction fees are paid directly by the ADR holders. Because unsponsored ADR arrangements are organized independently and without the cooperation of the foreign company, available information concerning the foreign company may not be as current as for sponsored ADRs and voting rights with respect to the deposited securities are not passed through. ADRs may not track the price of the underlying foreign securities on which they are based, and their value may change materially at times when U.S. markets are not open for trading. Certain ADRs are not listed on an exchange and therefore may be considered to be illiquid.

 

ADR Currency Risk. To establish a value for the shares, the issuer establishes a “conversion rate” equal to one share of an ADR for a certain number of shares of the stock of a foreign company. This “conversion rate” establishes a universal monetary relationship between the value of the ADR and the local currency of the foreign company stock. Although an ADR is priced in the US dollar, in order to preserve the uniformity of the established “conversion rate,” movements in the exchange rate of the local currency versus the US dollar are automatically reflected in the price of the ADR in US dollars. Therefore, even if the price of the foreign security does not change on its market, if the exchange rate of the local currency relative to the US Dollar declines, the ADR price would decline by a similar measure.

Active Trading Risk. Active trading will cause a Fund to have an increased portfolio turnover rate, which is likely to generate shorter-term gains for its shareholders, which are taxed at a higher rate than longer-term gains. Actively trading portfolio securities increases a Fund’s trading costs and may have an adverse impact on a Fund’s performance.

19 
 

 

Asset-Backed and Mortgage Backed Security Risk. Prepayment risk is associated with mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. If interest rates fall, the underlying debt may be repaid ahead of schedule, reducing the value of the Fund’s investments. If interest rates rise, there may be fewer prepayments, which would cause the average bond maturity to rise, increasing the potential for the Fund to lose money. The value of these securities may be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, the market’s perception of issuers, and the creditworthiness of the parties involved. The ability of the Fund to successfully utilize these instruments may depend on the ability of the Fund’s Adviser to forecast interest rates and other economic factors correctly. 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. Certain mortgage-backed securities may be secured by pools of mortgages on single-family, multi-family properties, as well as commercial properties. Similarly, asset backed securities may be secured by pools of loans, such as student loans, automobile loans and credit card receivables. The credit risk on such securities is affected by homeowners or borrowers defaulting on their loans. The values of assets underlying mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities may decline and, therefore, may not be adequate to cover underlying investors. Mortgage-backed securities and other securities issued by participants in housing and commercial real estate finance, as well as other real estate-related markets have experienced extraordinary weakness and volatility in recent years. Possible legislation in the area of residential mortgages, credit cards and other loans that may collateralize the securities in which the Fund may invest could negatively impact the value of the Fund’s investments. To the extent the Fund focuses its investments in particular types of mortgage-backed or asset-backed securities, the Fund may be more susceptible to risk factors affecting such types of securities.

 

Authorized Participant Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. An “Authorized Participant” is a participant in the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation or the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) and that has executed a Participant Agreement with the applicable Fund’s distributor (“Distributor”). To the extent these Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to process creation and/or redemption orders, in either of these cases, shares of the Fund may trade like closed-end fund shares at a discount to NAV and possibly face delisting.

 

Bank Loans Risk. The market for bank loans may not be highly liquid and a Fund may have difficulty selling them. These investments expose a Fund to the credit risk of both the financial institution and the underlying borrower. Bank loans settle on a delayed basis, potentially leading to the sale proceeds of such loans not being available to meet redemptions for a substantial period of time after the sale of the bank loans. Certain bank loans may not be considered “securities,” and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the protections of federal securities laws, including anti-fraud provisions.

 

Basic Materials Industry Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are exposed to issuers conducting business in basic materials, the Fund is subject to the risk that the securities of such issuers will underperform the market as a whole due to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting that economic sector. World events, political, environmental and economic conditions, energy conservation, environmental policies, commodity price volatility, changes in exchange rates, imposition of import controls, increased competition, depletion of resources and labor relations may adversely affect such issuers. The prices of the securities of basic materials companies also may fluctuate widely in response to such events.

 

Business Development Companies (“BDC”) Risk. BDCs may carry risks similar to those of a private equity or venture capital fund. BDC company securities are not redeemable at the option of the shareholder and they may trade in the market at a discount to their net asset value. A BDC is a form of investment company that is required to invest at least 70% of its total assets in securities (typically debt) of private companies, thinly traded U.S. public companies, or short-term high quality debt securities. The BDCs held by the Fund may leverage their portfolios through borrowings or the issuance of preferred stock. While leverage often serves to increase the yield of a BDC, this leverage also subjects a BDC to increased risks, including the likelihood of increased volatility and the possibility that a BDC’s common share income will fall if the dividend rate of the preferred shares or the interest rate on any borrowings rises. A significant portion of a BDC’s investments are recorded at fair value as determined by its board of directors which may create uncertainty as to the value of the BDC’s investments. Non-traded BDCs are illiquid and it may not be possible to redeem shares or to do so without paying a substantial penalty. Publicly-traded BDCs usually trade at a discount to their net asset value because they invest in unlisted securities and have limited access to capital markets. BDCs are subject to high failure rates among the companies in which they invest and federal securities laws impose restraints upon the organization and operations of BDCs that can limit or negatively impact the performance of a BDC. However, the Fund does not believe it would be liable for the actions of any entity in which it invests and that only its investment is at risk. Also, BDCs may engage in certain principal and joint transactions that a mutual fund or closed-end fund may not without an exemptive order from the SEC.

 

Capacity Risk. The markets and securities in which the Fund invests may, at times, be limited. Under such conditions, the execution of the Fund’s strategy may be affected and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. In addition, the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell securities at favorable market prices.

 

20 
 

Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk. At any time, the Fund may have significant investments in cash or cash equivalents. When a substantial portion of a portfolio is held in cash or cash equivalents, there is the risk that the value of the cash account, including interest, will not keep pace with inflation, thus reducing purchasing power over time. Additionally, in rising markets, holding cash or cash equivalents may adversely affect the Fund’s performance and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

 

Cash Transactions Risk. ETFs generally are able to make in-kind redemptions and avoid being taxed on gain on the distributed portfolio securities at the Fund level. Because the Fund may effect redemptions partly or entirely in cash, rather than in-kind, it may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. If the Fund recognizes gain on these sales, this generally will cause the Fund to recognize gain it might not otherwise have recognized, or to recognize such gain sooner than would otherwise be required if it were to distribute portfolio securities in-kind. The Fund generally intends to distribute these gains to shareholders to avoid being taxed on this gain at the Fund level and otherwise comply with the special tax rules that apply to it. This strategy may cause shareholders to be subject to tax on gains they would not otherwise be subject to, or at an earlier date than, if they had made an investment in a different ETF. Moreover, cash transactions may have to be carried out over several days if the securities market is relatively illiquid and may involve considerable brokerage fees and taxes. These brokerage fees and taxes, which will be higher than if the Fund sold and redeemed its shares principally in-kind, could be imposed on the Fund and thus decrease the Fund’s NAV to the extent they are not offset by the creation and redemption transaction fees paid by purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units.

 

CDOs and CLOs Risk. Collateralized Debt Obligations (“CDOs”) and Collateralized Loan Obligations (“CLOs”) are securities backed by an underlying portfolio of debt and loan obligations, respectively. CDOs and CLOs issue classes or “tranches” that vary in risk and yield and may experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, decrease of market value due to collateral defaults and removal of subordinate tranches, market anticipation of defaults and investor aversion to CDO and CLO securities as a class. The risks of investing in CDOs and CLOs depend largely on the tranche invested in and the type of the underlying debts and loans in the tranche of the CDO or CLO, respectively, in which the Fund invests. The risks of investing in CDOs and CLOs depend largely on the tranche held by the Fund and the types of underlying debts and loans in such tranche of the CDO or CLO, respectively. The risks of CDOs and CLOs will be greater if the Fund invests in CDOs and CLOs that hold debt or loans of uncreditworthy borrowers or if the Fund holds subordinate tranches of the CDO or CLO that absorb losses from the defaults before senior tranches. CDOs and CLOs also carry risks including, but not limited to, interest rate risk and credit risk.

 

Changing Fixed Income Market Conditions Risk. Following the financial crisis that began in 2007, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”) attempted to support the U.S. economic recovery by keeping the federal funds rate at a low level. The Federal Reserve has raised the federal funds rate and may continue to do so. Further interest rate increases could cause the value of any Fund that invests in fixed income securities to decrease. Federal Reserve policy changes may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility and may reduce liquidity for certain Fund investments, which could cause the value of the Fund’s investments and share price to decline. If a Fund invests in derivatives tied to fixed-income markets, the Fund may be more substantially exposed to these risks than a fund that does not invest in derivatives. To the extent a Fund experiences high redemptions because of these policy changes, the Fund may experience increased portfolio turnover, which will increase the costs the Fund incurs and may lower its performance. Furthermore, if rising interest rates cause a Fund to lose enough value, the Fund could also face increased shareholder redemptions, which could force the Fund to liquidate investments at disadvantageous times or prices, therefore adversely affecting the Fund. In addition, decreases in fixed income dealer market-making capacity may persist in the future, potentially leading to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets.

 

Collateralized Bond Obligation Risk. The pool of securities underlying collateralized bond obligations is typically separated in groupings called tranches representing different degrees of credit quality. The higher quality tranches have greater degrees of protection and pay lower interest rates. The lower quality tranches carry greater risk and pay higher interest rates.

 

Commodity Risk: The Fund's exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative instruments, commodity-based exchange traded trusts and commodity-based exchange traded funds and notes may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or sectors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments.

Conflict of Interest - Advisor/Sub-Advisor Risk. The Advisor, Sub-Advisor, portfolio manager and other individuals associated with the Advisor and Sub-Advisor may have compensation and/or other arrangements that may be in conflict to the interests of a Fund.

 

Conflict of Interest - Portfolio Manager Risk. Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one fund or other accounts. More specifically, a portfolio manager who manages multiple funds is presented with the following potential conflicts:

 

21 
 

·                     The management of multiple accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of each account. The management of multiple funds and accounts also may give rise to potential conflicts of interest if the funds and accounts have different objectives, benchmarks, time horizons, and fees as the portfolio manager must allocate his time and investment ideas across multiple funds and accounts.

·                         With respect to securities transactions for the Funds, the Advisor or Sub-Advisor determines which broker to use to execute each order, consistent with the duty to seek best execution of the transaction.  The portfolio manager may execute transactions for another fund or account that may adversely impact the value of securities held by the Funds. Securities selected for funds or accounts other than the Funds may outperform the securities selected for the Funds.

·                         The appearance of a conflict of interest may arise where the Advisor or Sub-Advisor has an incentive, such as a performance-based management fee. The management of personal accounts may give rise to potential conflicts of interest; there is no assurance that the Funds' code of ethics will adequately address such conflicts.  One of the portfolio manager's numerous responsibilities is to assist in the sale of Fund shares.  Because the portfolio manager’s compensation is indirectly linked to the sale of Fund shares, they may have an incentive to devote time to marketing efforts designed to increase sales of Fund shares.

·                           The Advisor and Sub-Advisor have each adopted a code of ethics that, among other things, permits personal trading by employees under conditions where it has been determined that such trades would not adversely impact client accounts. Nevertheless, the management of personal accounts may give rise to potential conflicts of interest, and there is no assurance that these codes of ethics will adequately address such conflicts. 

 

Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk. The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of domestic and international economies, interest rates, exchange rates, competition, consumer confidence, changes in demographics and consumer preferences. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector depend heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending, and may be strongly affected by social trends and marketing campaigns. These companies may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability.

Consumer Staples Sector Risk. The consumer staples sector may be affected by the regulation of various product components and production methods, marketing campaigns and other factors affecting consumer demand. Tobacco companies, in particular, may be adversely affected by new laws, regulations and litigation. The consumer staples sector may also be adversely affected by changes or trends in commodity prices, which may be influenced by unpredictable factors.

Convertible Bond Risk. Convertible bonds are hybrid securities that have characteristics of both bonds and common stocks and are subject to fixed income security risks and conversion value-related equity risk. Convertible bonds are similar to other fixed-income securities because they usually pay a fixed interest rate and are obligated to repay principal on a given date in the future. The market value of fixed-income securities tends to decline as interest rates increase. Convertible bonds are particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates when their conversion to equity feature is small relative to the interest and principal value of the bond. Convertible issuers may not be able to make principal and interest payments on the bond as they become due. Convertible bonds may also be subject to prepayment or redemption risk. If a convertible bond is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to surrender the security for redemption, convert it into the issuing company's common stock or cash at a time that may be unfavorable to the Fund. Convertible securities have characteristics similar to common stocks especially when their conversion value is greater than the interest and principal value of the bond. The price of equity securities may rise or fall because of economic or political changes. Stock prices in general may decline over short or even extended periods of time. Market prices of equity securities in broad market segments may be adversely affected by a prominent issuer having experienced losses or by the lack of earnings or such an issuer's failure to meet the market's expectations with respect to new products or services, or even by factors wholly unrelated to the value or condition of the issuer, such as changes in interest rates. When a convertible bond's value is more closely tied to its conversion to stock feature, it is sensitive to the underlying stock's price.

Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with both fixed-income securities and equity securities. If a convertible security’s investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will likely increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the underlying equity security.

 

Counterparty Risk. The Fund may engage in transactions in securities and financial instruments that involve counterparties. Counterparty risk is the risk that 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 or settlement payments, or otherwise honor its obligations. To limit the counterparty risk associated with such transactions, the Fund conducts business only with financial institutions judged by the Advisor to present acceptable credit risk.

 

Credit Default Swap Risk. Credit default swaps ("CDS") are typically two-party financial contracts that transfer credit exposure between the two parties. Under a typical CDS, one party (the "seller") receives pre-determined periodic payments from the other party (the "buyer"). The seller agrees to make compensating specific payments to the buyer if a negative credit event occurs, such as the bankruptcy or default by the issuer of the underlying debt instrument. The use of CDS involves investment techniques and risks

22 
 

different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions, such as potentially heightened counterparty, concentration and exposure risks.

 

Credit Risk (for Floating Rate Loans). Credit risk is the risk that the issuer of a security and other instrument will not be able to make principal and interest payments when due. The value of a fund’s shares, and the fund’s ability to pay dividends, is dependent upon the performance of the assets in its portfolio. Prices of a fund’s investments can fall if the actual or perceived financial health of the borrowers on, or issuers of, such investments deteriorates, whether because of broad economic or issuer-specific reasons. In severe cases, the borrower or issuer could be late in paying interest or principal, or could fail to pay altogether.

 

In the event a borrower fails to pay scheduled interest or principal payments on an investment held by a fund, the fund will experience a reduction in its income and a decline in the market value of such investment. This will likely reduce the amount of dividends paid by a fund and likely lead to a decline in the net asset value and market price of the fund’s shares.

 

A fund generally invests in floating rate loans that are senior in the capital structure of the borrower or issuer, and that are secured with specific collateral. Loans that are senior and secured generally involve less risk than unsecured or subordinated debt and equity instruments of the same borrower because the payment of principal and interest on senior loans is an obligation of the borrower that, in most instances, takes precedence over the payment of dividends or the return of capital to the borrower’s shareholders, and payments to bond holders; and because of the collateral supporting the repayment of the debt instrument. However, the value of the collateral may not equal a fund’s investment when the debt instrument is acquired or may decline below the principal amount of the debt instrument subsequent to the fund’s investment. Also, to the extent that collateral consists of stocks of the borrower, or its subsidiaries or affiliates, a fund bears the risk that the stocks may decline in value, be relatively illiquid, or may lose all or substantially all of their value, causing the fund’s investment to be undercollateralized. Therefore, the liquidation of the collateral underlying a floating rate loan in which a fund has invested, may not satisfy the borrower’s obligation to the fund in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal, and the collateral may not be able to be readily liquidated.

 

In the event of the bankruptcy of a borrower or issuer, a fund could experience delays and limitations on its ability to realize the benefits of the collateral securing the fund’s investment. Among the risks involved in a bankruptcy are assertions that the pledge of collateral to secure a loan constitutes a fraudulent conveyance or preferential transfer that would have the effect of nullifying or subordinating a fund’s rights to the collateral.

 

The floating rate debt in which a fund invests is generally rated lower than investment-grade credit quality, i.e., rated lower than “Baa3” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) or “BBB-” by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (“S&P”), or have been made to borrowers who have issued debt securities that are rated lower than investment-grade in quality or, if unrated, would be rated lower than investment-grade credit quality. A fund’s investments in lower than investment-grade floating rate loans will generally be rated at the time of purchase between “B3” and “Ba1” by Moody’s, “B-” and “BB+” by S&P or, if not rated, would be of similar credit quality. Investment decisions for a fund will be based largely on the credit analysis performed by the sub-adviser, and not on rating agency evaluation. This analysis may be difficult to perform. Information about a loan and its borrower generally is not in the public domain. Many borrowers have not issued securities to the public and are not subject to reporting requirements under federal securities laws. Generally, however, borrowers are required to provide financial information to lenders and information may be available from other loan market participants or agents that originate or administer loans.

 

Currency Risk. Currency trading involves significant risks, including market risk, interest rate risk, country risk, counterparty credit risk and short sale risk. Market risk results from the price movement of foreign currency values in response to shifting market supply and demand. Since exchange rate changes can readily move in one direction, a currency position carried overnight or over a number of days may involve greater risk than one carried a few minutes or hours. Interest rate risk arises whenever a country changes its stated interest rate target associated with its currency. Country risk arises because virtually every country has interfered with international transactions in its currency. Interference has taken the form of regulation of the local exchange market, restrictions on foreign investment by residents or limits on inflows of investment funds from abroad. Restrictions on the exchange market or on international transactions are intended to affect the level or movement of the exchange rate. This risk could include the country issuing a new currency, effectively making the "old" currency worthless. The Fund may also take short positions, through derivatives, if the Sub-Advisor believes the value of a currency is likely to depreciate in value. A "short" position is, in effect, similar to a sale in which the Fund sells a currency it does not own but, has borrowed in anticipation that the market price of the currency will decline. The Fund must replace a short currency position by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement, which may be more or less than the price at which the Fund took a short position in the currency.

 

With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet and the dependence on computer systems to perform necessary business functions, investment companies such as the Fund and its service providers may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks. In general, cyber-attacks result from deliberate attacks but unintentional events may have effects similar to those caused by cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial-of-service attacks on fund websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information and causing operational

23 
 

disruption. Successful cyber-attacks against, or security breakdowns of, a Fund or its adviser, sub-adviser(s), distributor, custodians, transfer agent, Selling Agents and/or other third party service providers may adversely impact a Fund or its shareholders. For instance, cyber-attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact a Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential Fund information, impede trading, cause reputational damage, and subject the Fund to regulatory fines, penalties or financial losses, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and/or additional compliance costs. The Fund may also incur substantial costs for cyber security risk management in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result. While the Fund or the Fund’s service providers have established business continuity plans and systems designed to prevent such cyber-attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities or other instruments in which the Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause the Fund’s investment therein to lose value.

 

Derivatives Risk. The Fund's use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative 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 reference asset. Derivatives may also be less tax efficient and subject to changing government regulation that could impact the Fund’s ability to use certain derivatives or their cost. In addition, changes in government regulation of derivative instruments could affect the character, timing and amount of the Fund’s taxable income or gains, and may limit or prevent the Fund from using certain types of derivative instruments as a part of its investment strategy, which could make the investment strategy more costly to implement or require the Fund to change its investment strategy. When a derivative is used for hedging, the change in value of the derivative may also not correlate specifically with the risk of the underlying asset being hedged. 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, and changes in interest rates, inflation and deflation. Trading derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities including:

 

o Leverage and Volatility Risk: Derivative contracts ordinarily have leverage inherent in their terms. The low margin deposits normally required in trading derivatives, including futures contracts, permit a high degree of leverage. Accordingly, a relatively small price movement may result in an immediate and substantial loss to the Fund. The use of leverage may also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations or to meet collateral segregation requirements. The use of leveraged derivatives can magnify the Fund's potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund's share price.

 

o Liquidity Risk: It is possible that particular derivative investments might be difficult to purchase or sell, possibly preventing a Fund from executing positions at an advantageous time or price, or possibly requiring the Fund to dispose of other investments at unfavorable times or prices in order to satisfy its obligations. Most U.S. commodity futures exchanges impose daily limits regulating the maximum amount above or below the previous day's settlement price which a futures contract price may fluctuate during a single day. During a single trading day no trades may be executed at prices beyond the daily limit. Once the price of a particular futures contract has increased or decreased to the limit point, it may be difficult, costly or impossible to liquidate a position. It is also possible that an exchange or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"), which regulates commodity futures exchanges, may suspend trading in a particular contract, order immediate settlement of a contract or order that trading to the liquidation of open positions only.

 

oRisk of Options: Because option premiums paid or received by the Fund are small in relation to the market value of the investments underlying the options, buying and selling put and call options can be more speculative than investing directly in securities.

 

Dividend Yield Risk. While the Fund may hold securities of companies that have historically paid a dividend, those companies may reduce or discontinue their dividends, thus reducing the yield of the Fund. Lower priced securities in the Fund may be more susceptible to these risks. Past dividend payments are not a guarantee of future dividend payments. Also, the market return of high dividend yield securities, in certain market conditions, may be worse than the market return of other investment strategies or the overall stock market.

 

Duration Risk. Longer-term securities may be more sensitive to interest rate changes. Given the recent, historically low interest rates and the potential for increases in those rates, a heightened risk is posed by rising interest rates to a fund whose portfolios include longer-term fixed income securities. Effective duration estimates price changes for relatively small changes in rates. If rates rise significantly, effective duration may tend to understate the drop in a security’s price. If rates drop significantly, effective duration may tend to overstate the rise in a security’s price.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. The Fund may invest in countries with newly organized or less developed securities markets. There are typically greater risks involved in investing in emerging markets securities. Generally, economic structures in these countries are less diverse and mature than those in developed countries and their political systems tend to be less stable. Emerging market economies may be based on only a few industries, therefore security issuers, including governments, may be more susceptible to economic weakness and more likely to default. Emerging market countries also may have relatively unstable governments, weaker economies,

24 
 

and less-developed legal systems with fewer security holder rights. Investments in emerging markets countries may be affected by government policies that restrict foreign investment in certain issuers or industries. The potentially smaller size of their securities markets and lower trading volumes can make investments relatively illiquid and potentially more volatile than investments in developed countries, and such securities may be subject to abrupt and severe price declines. Due to this relative lack of liquidity, the Fund may have to accept a lower price or may not be able to sell a portfolio security at all. An inability to sell a portfolio position can adversely affect the Fund's value or prevent the Fund from being able to meet cash obligations or take advantage of other investment opportunities.

 

Energy and Infrastructure Industry Risk. Companies in the energy and infrastructure industry are subject to many risks that can negatively impact the revenues and viability of companies in this industry. These risks include, but are not limited to, commodity price volatility risk, supply and demand risk, reserve and depletion risk, operations risk, regulatory risk, environmental risk, terrorism risk and the risk of natural disasters.

 

Energy Sector Risk. Risks of energy related securities include the risks that a decrease in the production of natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, coal or other energy commodities or a decrease in the volume of such commodities available for transportation, mining, processing, storage or distribution may adversely impact the financial performance of energy related securities. To maintain or grow their revenues, these companies need to maintain or expand their reserves through exploration of new sources of supply, through the development of existing sources, through acquisitions, or through long-term contracts to acquire reserves. The financial performance of energy related securities may be adversely affected if a master limited partnership (“MLP”), or the companies to whom it provides the service, are unable to cost-effectively acquire additional reserves sufficient to replace the natural decline. Various governmental authorities have the power to enforce compliance with regulations and the permits issued under them, and violators are subject to administrative, civil and criminal penalties, including civil fines, injunctions or both. Stricter laws, regulations or enforcement policies could be enacted in the future which would likely increase compliance costs and may adversely affect the financial performance of energy related securities. Volatility of commodity prices, which may lead to a reduction in production or supply, may also negatively impact the performance of energy related securities. energy related securities are also subject to risks that are specific to the industry they serve. Energy related entities that provide crude oil, refined product, natural gas liquids and natural gas services are subject to supply and demand fluctuations in the markets they serve which will be impacted by a wide range of factors, including fluctuating commodity prices, weather, increased conservation or use of alternative fuel sources, increased governmental or environmental regulation, depletion, rising interest rates, declines in domestic or foreign production, accidents or catastrophic events, and economic conditions, among others.

 

Ecological Investment Risk. A Fund’s ecological investment criteria could cause it to underperform funds that do not maintain ecological investment criteria. In order to comply with its ecological investment criteria, a Fund may be required to forego advantageous investment opportunities or sell investments at inappropriate times. A Fund’s ecological investment criteria may result in the Fund investing in industry sectors that are not performing as well as others.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value. Equity securities may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors affecting securities markets generally, the equity securities of a particular sector, or a particular company. Investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction and global or regional political, economic and banking crises.

 

ETF Structure Risk. The Fund is structured as an ETF and as a result is subject to the special risks, including:

 

oNot Individually Redeemable. Shares are not individually redeemable and may be redeemed by the Fund at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units.” You may incur brokerage costs purchasing enough Shares to constitute a Creation Unit. Fund shares are typically bought and sold in the secondary market and investors typically pay brokerage commissions or other charges on these transactions.
oTrading Issues. Trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility. There can be no assurance that Shares will continue to meet the listing requirements of the Exchange. An active trading market for the Fund’s shares may not be developed or maintained. If the Fund’s shares are traded outside a collateralized settlement system, the number of financial institutions that can act as authorized participants that can post collateral on an agency basis is limited, which may limit the market for the Fund’s shares.
oMarket Price Variance Risk. Individual Shares of the Fund that are listed for trading on the Exchange can be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The market prices of Shares will fluctuate in response to changes in NAV and supply and demand for Shares. There may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly and you may pay more than NAV when buying Shares on the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares. The market price of Shares, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid-ask spread” charged by the exchange specialists, market
25 
 

makers or other participants that trade the particular security. In times of severe market disruption, the bid-ask spread often increases significantly. This means that Shares may trade 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 you most want to sell your Shares. The Fund’s investment results are measured based upon the daily NAV of the Fund over a period of time. Investors purchasing and selling Shares in the secondary market may not experience investment results consistent with those experienced by those creating and redeeming directly with the Fund.

§In times of market stress, market makers may step away from their role market making in shares of ETFs and in executing trades, which can lead to differences between the market value of Fund shares and the Fund’s net asset value.
§The market price for the Fund’s shares may deviate from the Fund’s net asset value, particularly during times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or significantly less for Fund shares than the Fund’s net asset value, which is reflected in the bid and ask price for Fund shares or in the closing price.
§When all or a portion of an ETFs underlying securities trade in a market that is closed when the market for the Fund’s shares is open, there may be changes from the last quote of the closed market and the quote from the Fund’s domestic trading day, which could lead to differences between the market value of the Fund’s shares and the Fund’s net asset value.
§In stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund’s shares may become less liquid in response to the deteriorating liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio. This adverse effect on the liquidity of the Fund’s shares may, in turn, lead to differences between the market value of the Fund’s shares and the Fund’s net asset value.

 

Exchange Traded Note (“ETN”) Risk. ETNs are generally notes representing debt of the issuer, usually a financial institution. ETNs combine both aspects of bonds and ETFs. An ETN's returns are based on the performance of one or more underlying assets, reference rates or indexes, minus fees and expenses. Similar to ETFs, ETNs are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. However, unlike an ETF, an ETN can be held until the ETN's maturity, at which time the issuer will pay a return linked to the performance of the specific asset, index or rate ("reference instrument") to which the ETN is linked minus certain fees. Unlike regular bonds, ETNs do not make periodic interest payments, and principal is not protected. The value of an ETN may be influenced by, among other things, time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying markets, changes in the applicable interest rates, the performance of the reference instrument, changes in the issuer's credit rating and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the reference instrument. An ETN that is tied to a reference instrument may not replicate the performance of the reference instrument. ETNs also incur certain expenses not incurred by their applicable reference instrument. Because the return on the ETN is dependent on the issuer's ability or willingness to meet its obligations, the value of the ETN may change due to a change in the issuer's credit rating, despite no change in the underlying reference instrument. The market value of ETN shares may differ from the value of the reference instrument.

 

Exchange Traded Fund (“ETF”) and Closed-End Fund (“CEF”) Risk. Each of the Funds may invest in Exchange Traded Fund (“ETFs”), and in Closed-End Funds (“CEFs”) as part of its principal investment strategies. ETFs and CEFs are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by a Fund. As a result, your cost of investing in a Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and CEFs and may be higher than other ETFs that invest directly in stocks and bonds. ETFs and CEFs are listed on national stock exchanges and are traded like stocks listed on an exchange. ETF and CEF shares may trade at a discount to or a premium above net asset value if there is a limited market in such shares. ETFs and CEFs are also subject to brokerage and other trading costs, which could result in greater expenses to the Fund. Because the value of ETF and CEF shares depends on the demand in the market, the adviser or sub-adviser (as applicable) may not be able to liquidate the Fund’s holdings at the most optimal time, adversely affecting performance. Each ETF and CEF is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of its investment strategy. These risks could include liquidity risk, sector risk and emerging market risk. In addition, ETFs that use derivatives may be subject to counterparty risk, liquidity risk, and other risks commonly associated with investments in derivatives. ETFs in which the Funds invest will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the indices they track, if any, because the total return generated by the securities will be reduced by transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of the securities. In addition, the ETFs in which the Funds invest will incur expenses not incurred by their applicable indices. Certain securities comprising the indices tracked by the ETFs may, from time to time, temporarily be unavailable, which may further impede the ETFs’ ability to track their applicable indices.

 

Extension Risk. Extension risk is to the risk that if interest rates rise, repayments of principal on certain debt securities, including, but not limited to, floating rate loans and mortgage-related securities, may occur at a slower rate than expected and the expected maturity of those securities could lengthen as a result. Securities that are subject to extension risk generally have a greater potential for loss when prevailing interest rates rise, which could cause their values to fall sharply.

 

Financials Sector Risk. Performance of companies in the financials sector may be adversely impacted by many factors, including, among others, government regulations, economic conditions, credit rating downgrades, changes in interest rates, and decreased liquidity in credit markets. The impact of more stringent capital requirements, recent or future regulation of any individual financial company, or recent or future regulation of the financials sector as a whole cannot be predicted.

26 
 

Fixed Income Securities Risk. Fixed income risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default) and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early or later than expected, potentially reducing the amount of interest payments or extending time to principal repayment). Lowered credit ratings may cause a drop in a fixed income security’s price and are associated with greater risk of default on interest and principal payments. Certain fixed income securities may be paid off early when the issuer can repay the principal prior to a security’s maturity. If interest rates are falling, the Fund may have to reinvest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income. If interest rates rise, repayments of principal on certain fixed income securities may occur at a slower rate than expected and the expected maturity of those securities could lengthen as a result, which reduces the Fund’s ability to reinvest at higher rates. These risks could affect the value of a particular investment possibly causing the Fund's share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities. In general, the market price of debt securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. If the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) raises the federal funds interest rate target, interest rates across the U.S. financial system may rise. However, the magnitude of rate changes across maturities and borrower sectors is uncertain. Rising rates may decrease liquidity and increase volatility, which may make portfolio management more difficult and costly to the Fund and its shareholders. Additionally, default risk increases if issuers must borrow at higher rates. Generally, these changing market conditions may cause the Fund’s share price to fluctuate or decline more than other types of equity investments.

 

Fluctuation of Net Asset Value Risk. The NAV of the Fund’s shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of the shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of and demand for the shares on the Exchange. The Adviser cannot predict whether the shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for the shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the Fund’s holdings trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. In addition, unlike conventional ETFs, the Fund is not an index fund. The Fund is actively managed and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. Index based ETFs have generally traded at prices which closely correspond to NAV per share. Actively managed ETFs have a limited trading history and, therefore, there can be no assurance as to whether and/or the extent to which the shares will trade at premiums or discounts to NAV.

 

Foreign Custodial Services Risk. Foreign custodial services and other costs relating to investment in international securities markets are generally more expensive than in the U.S. Such markets have settlement and clearance procedures that differ from those in the U.S. In certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Inability of a Fund to make intended securities purchases due to settlement problems could cause a Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of a portfolio security caused by settlement problems could result in losses to a Fund to a subsequent decline in value of the portfolio security. In addition, security settlement and clearance procedures in some emerging market countries may not fully protect a Fund against loss or theft of its assets.

 

Foreign Exchanges Risk. A portion of the derivatives trades made by the Fund may be take place on foreign markets. Neither existing CFTC regulations nor regulations of any other U.S. governmental agency apply to transactions on foreign markets. Some of these foreign markets, in contrast to U.S. exchanges, are so-called principals’ markets in which performance is the responsibility only of the individual counterparty with whom the trader has entered into a commodity interest transaction and not of the exchange or clearing corporation. In these kinds of markets, there is risk of bankruptcy or other failure or refusal to perform by the counterparty.

Foreign Investment Risk. To the extent the Fund invest in foreign securities, the Fund could be subject to greater risks because the Fund’s performance may depend on issues other than the performance of a particular company or U.S. market sector. Changes in foreign economies and political climates are more likely to affect the Fund than a mutual fund that invests exclusively in U.S. companies. The value of foreign securities is also affected by the value of the local currency relative to the U.S. dollar. There may also be less government supervision of foreign markets, resulting in non-uniform accounting practices and less publicly available information. The values of foreign investments may be affected by changes in exchange control regulations, application of foreign tax laws (including withholding tax), changes in governmental administration or economic or monetary policy (in this country or abroad) or changed circumstances in dealings between nations. In addition, foreign brokerage commissions, custody fees and other costs of investing in foreign securities are generally higher than in the United States. Investments in foreign issuers could be affected by other factors not present in the United States, including expropriation, armed conflict, confiscatory taxation, and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations. As a result, the Fund may be exposed to greater risk and will be more dependent on the Advisor’s ability to assess such risk than if the Fund invested solely in more developed countries.

 

Forwards Risk. Foreign currency forward contract are a type of derivative contract whereby the Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region's currency at a specific price on a specific date, usually 30, 60, or 90 days in the future. These contracts are subject to the risk of political and economic factors applicable to the countries issuing the underlying currencies and may fall in value due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations. Forward foreign currency contracts are individually negotiated and privately traded so they are dependent upon the creditworthiness of the counterparty and subject to counterparty risk. The Fund's

27 
 

investment or hedging strategies may not achieve their objective. 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. Derivative contracts ordinarily have leverage inherent in their terms and low margin deposits normally required in trading derivatives permit a high degree of leverage. Accordingly, a relatively small price movement may result in an immediate and substantial loss to the Fund. The use of leverage may also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations or to meet collateral segregation requirements. The use of leveraged derivatives can magnify the Fund's potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund's share price.

 

Futures Risk. The Fund’s use of futures involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) leverage risk (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the futures contract may not correlate perfectly with the underlying index. Investments in futures involve leverage, which means a small percentage of assets invested in futures can have a disproportionately large impact on the Fund. This risk could cause the Fund to lose more than the principal amount invested. Futures contracts may become mispriced or improperly valued when compared to the adviser’s expectation and may not produce the desired investment results. Additionally, changes in the value of futures contracts may not track or correlate perfectly with the underlying index because of temporary, or even long-term, supply and demand imbalances and because futures do not pay dividends unlike the stocks upon which they are based.

 

Geographic Concentration Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. Currency devaluations could occur in countries that have not yet experienced currency devaluation to date, or could continue to occur in countries that have already experienced such devaluations. As a result, the Fund's net asset value and market price may be more volatile than a more geographically diversified fund.

 

Growth Stock Risk. "Growth" stocks can react differently to issuer, political, market, and economic developments than the market as a whole and other types of stocks. "Growth" stocks also tend to be more expensive relative to their earnings or assets compared to other types of stocks. As a result, "growth" stocks tend to be sensitive to changes in their earnings and more volatile in price than the stock market as a whole.  In addition, companies that the Advisor believes have significant growth potential are often companies with new, limited or cyclical product lines, markets or financial resources and the management of such companies may be dependent upon one or a few key people. The stocks of such companies can therefore be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies or the stock market in general.

 

Healthcare Sector Risk. The healthcare sector may be affected by government regulations and government healthcare programs, increases or decreases in the cost of medical products and services and product liability claims, among other factors. Many healthcare companies are heavily dependent on patent protection, and the expiration of a company's patent may adversely affect that company's profitability. Healthcare companies are subject to competitive forces that may result in price discounting, and may be thinly capitalized and susceptible to product obsolescence.

 

Hedging Risk. Hedging is a strategy in which the Fund uses an option to offset the risks associated with other Fund holdings. There can be no assurance that the Fund's hedging strategy will reduce risk or that hedging transactions will be either available or cost effective. The Fund is not required to use hedging and may choose not to do so.

 

Index-Linked Derivative Securities Risk. If the derivative is linked to the performance of an index, it will be subject to the risks associated with changes in that index.

Industrials Sector Risk. The value of securities issued by companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by supply and demand related to their specific products or services and industrials sector products in general. The products of manufacturing companies may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Government regulations, world events, economic conditions and exchange rates may adversely affect the performance of companies in the industrials sector. Companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by liability for environmental damage and product liability claims. Companies in the industrials sector, particularly aerospace and defense companies, may also be adversely affected by government spending policies because companies involved in this sector rely to a significant extent on government demand for their products and services.

Inflation-Indexed Bond Risk. Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed income securities whose principal values are periodically adjusted according to a measure of inflation. If the index measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S.

28 
 

Treasury inflation indexed bonds. For bonds that do not provide a similar guarantee, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal. With regard to municipal inflation-indexed bonds and certain corporate inflation-indexed bonds, the inflation adjustment is reflected in the semi-annual coupon payment. As a result, the principal value of municipal inflation-indexed bonds and such corporate inflation indexed bonds does not adjust according to the rate of inflation. The value of inflation-indexed bonds is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. If nominal interest rates increase at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates may rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed bonds. Inflation-indexed bonds may cause a potential cash flow mismatch to investors, because an increase in the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond will be treated as interest income currently subject to tax at ordinary income rates even though investors will not receive repayment of principal until maturity. If the Fund invests in such bonds, it will be required to distribute such interest income in order to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and eliminate the Fund-level tax, without a corresponding receipt of cash, and therefore may be required to dispose of portfolio securities at a time when it may not be desirable.

 

Inflation Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates represent nominal (stated) interest rates reduced by the expected impact of inflation. In general, the price of an inflation-protected debt security can fall when real interest rates rise, and can rise when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on inflation-protected debt securities can be unpredictable and will vary as the principal and/or interest is adjusted for inflation.

 

Information Technology Sector Risk. Information technology companies face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. Information technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The products of information technology companies may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Companies in the information technology sector are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights. The loss or impairment of these rights may adversely affect the profitability of these companies.

  

Interest Rate Risk (for Floating Rate Loans). Changes in short-term market interest rates will directly affect the yield on the shares of a fund whose investments are normally invested in floating rate debt. If short-term market interest rates fall, the yield on the fund’s shares will also fall. Conversely, when short-term market interest rates rise, because of the lag between changes in such short-term rates and the resetting of the floating rates on the floating rate debt in a fund’s portfolio, the impact of rising rates will be delayed to the extent of such lag. The impact of market interest rate changes on a fund’s yield will also be affected by whether, and the extent to which, the floating rate debt in the fund’s portfolio is subject to floors on the base rate on which interest is calculated for such loans (a “base rate floor”). So long as the base rate for a loan remains under the base rate floor, changes in short-term interest rates will not affect the yield on such loans. In addition, to the extent that the interest rate spreads on floating rate debt in a fund’s portfolio experience a general decline, the yield on the fund’s shares will fall and the value of the fund’s assets may decrease, which will cause the fund’s net asset value and market price to decrease. With respect to a fund’s investments in fixed rate instruments, a rise in interest rates generally causes values to fall. The values of fixed rate securities with longer maturities or duration are more sensitive to changes in interest rates.

 

Inverse ETF Risk. Investing in inverse ETFs may result in increased volatility due to the funds’ possible use of short sales of securities and derivatives such as options and futures. The use of leverage by an ETF increases risk to the Fund. The more a fund invests in leveraged instruments, the more the leverage will magnify any gains or losses on those investments. During periods of increased volatility, inverse ETFs may not perform in the manner they are designed.

  

Issuer Specific Risk. The value of a specific security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. The value of securities of smaller issuers can be more volatile than those of larger issuers. The value of certain types of securities can be more volatile due to increased sensitivity to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. Certain managers may be dependent upon a single individual or small group of individuals, the loss of which could adversely affect their success.

 

Investment Style Risk. The particular type of investments in which a Fund focuses (such as large-capitalization stocks or growth stocks) may underperform other asset classes or the overall market. Individual market segments such as the large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap U.S. equity market segments tend to go through cycles of performing better or worse than other types of securities. These periods may last as long as several years. Additionally, a particular market segment could fall out of favor with investors, causing a Fund that focuses on that market segment to underperform those that favor other kinds of securities.

 

Junk Bond Risk. Lower-quality bonds, known as "high yield" or "junk" bonds, are considered to be speculative with respect to the issuer’s ability to pay interest and principal when due and present a significant risk for loss of principal and interest. These bonds offer the potential for higher return, but also involve greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased possibility that the bond's issuer, obligor or guarantor may not be able to make its payments of interest and principal (credit quality risk). If that happens, the value of the bond may decrease, and the Fund's share price may decrease and its income distribution may be reduced.

29 
 

An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates (interest rate risk) could adversely affect the market for these bonds and reduce the Fund's ability to sell its bonds (liquidity risk). Such securities may also include "Rule 144A" securities, which are subject to resale restrictions. The lack of a liquid market for these bonds could decrease the Fund's share price.

 

Large-Cap Stock Risk. The investments in larger, more established companies are subject to the risk that larger companies are sometimes unable to attain the high growth rates of successful, smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may be less able than smaller capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions. Larger, more established companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in consumer tastes or innovative smaller competitors potentially resulting in lower markets for their common stock.  During different market cycles, the performance of large capitalization companies has trailed the overall performance of the broader securities markets.

 

Leverage Risk. Using derivatives can create leverage, which can amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund's share price and make the Fund's returns more volatile. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations. The use of leverage may also cause the Fund to have higher expenses than those of ETFs that do not use such techniques.

 

Leveraged ETF Risk. Investing in leveraged ETFs will amplify the Fund’s gains and losses.  Most leveraged ETFs “reset” daily. Due to the effect of compounding, their performance over longer periods of time can differ significantly from the performance of their underlying index or benchmark during the same period of time.

 

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk exists when particular investments of the Fund would be difficult to purchase or sell, possibly preventing the Fund from selling such illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price, or possibly requiring the Fund to dispose of other investments at unfavorable times or prices in order to satisfy its obligations. Liquid securities can become illiquid due to political, economic or issuer specific events; supply/demand imbalances; changes in a specific market’s size or structure, including the number of participants; or overall market disruptions.

 

Litigation Risk. A Fund may be named in a lawsuit despite no wrongdoing by the Fund, its Advisor or Sub-Advisor or any other service provider to the Fund. The defense of a lawsuit may detrimentally impact the Fund and its shareholders, including incurring legal defense cost, regulatory costs and increased insurance premiums.

 

Loan Risk. Investments in bank loans may subject the Funds to heightened credit risks because such loans tend to be highly leveraged and potentially more susceptible to the risks of interest deferral, default and/or bankruptcy. Senior floating rate loans are often rated below investment grade, but may also be unrated. The risks associated with these loans can be similar to the risks of below investment grade fixed income instruments. An economic downturn would generally lead to a higher non-payment rate, and a senior floating rate loan may lose significant market value before a default occurs. Moreover, any specific collateral used to secure a senior floating rate loan may decline in value or become illiquid, which would adversely affect the loan’s value. Unlike the securities markets, there is no central clearinghouse for loan trades, and the loan market has not established enforceable settlement standards or remedies for failure to settle. Therefore, portfolio transactions in loans may have uncertain settlement time periods. Senior floating rate loans are subject to a number of risks described elsewhere in this Prospectus, including liquidity risk and the risk of investing in below-investment grade fixed income instruments.

 

Machinery and Electrical Equipment Industry Risk. The machinery and electrical equipment industries can be significantly affected by general economic trends, including employment, economic growth, and interest rates; changes in consumer sentiment and spending; overall capital spending levels, which are influenced by an individual company’s profitability and broader factors such as interest rates and foreign competition; commodity prices; technical obsolescence; labor relations legislation; government regulation and spending; import controls; and worldwide competition. Companies in these industries also can be adversely affected by liability for environmental damage, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control.

 

Management Risk. The Sub-Advisor's reliance on its strategies and its judgments about the value and potential appreciation securities in which a Fund invests may prove to be incorrect. The Advisor’s assessment of the Sub-Advisor’s investment acumen may prove incorrect. The Sub-Advisor's reliance on its tactical strategy and related judgments about the value and potential appreciation securities in which a Fund invests may prove to be incorrect. Reliance on these investment strategies and the models they rely on may expose the Fund to downward trends and/or market volatility and may not achieve immediate exposure to upward trends. The ability of a Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to the Adviser's and Sub-Advisor’s proprietary investment process. The Adviser's and Sub-Advisor’s assessment of the relative value of securities, their attractiveness and potential appreciation of particular investments in which a Fund invests may prove to be incorrect and there is no guarantee that the Advisor’s or Sub-Advisor’s investment strategy or strategies will produce the desired results. As a result, a Fund could under perform other investment vehicles with similar investment objectives.

 

30 
 

Market Risk. The market value of a Fund’s portfolio securities may decline, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. These fluctuations may cause a security to be worth less than the price a Fund originally paid for it, or less than it was worth at an earlier time. Market risk may affect a single issuer, Sector or the market as a whole. This volatility may cause the value of your investment in a Fund to decline. Overall stock and bond market risks may also affect the value of the Fund. Factors such as domestic and foreign economic growth rates and market conditions, interest rate levels and political events may adversely affect the securities markets. Stocks and bonds involve the risk that they may never reach what the Advisor or Sub-Advisor believes is their full market value, either because the market fails to recognize the security’s intrinsic worth or the manager misgauged that worth. They also may decline in price, even though, in theory, they are already undervalued.

 

Market Price Variance Risk. Individual shares of a Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange and can be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The market prices of the Funds’ shares will fluctuate in response to changes in their respective NAVs and supply and demand for their shares. Differences between secondary market prices and NAV for a Fund’s shares may be due largely to supply and demand forces in the secondary market, which forces may not be the same as those influencing prices for securities or instruments held by the Fund at a particular time. There may, however, be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly and an investor may pay more than NAV when buying Fund shares on the secondary market, and receive less than NAV when it sells those Fund shares. The market price of Fund shares includes a “bid-ask spread” charged by the market makers that trade a Fund’s shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid-ask spread often increases significantly. This means that a Fund’s shares may trade at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of the Fund’s shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that investors most want to sell the Fund’s shares. However, given that a Fund’s shares can be purchased and redeemed in Creation Units at NAV, and a Fund’s portfolio holdings are fully disclosed on a daily basis, the Advisor and Sub-Advisor each believes that large discounts or premiums to the NAV of a Fund’s shares should not be sustained. A disruption in creations and redemptions, however, may cause the market price of a Fund’s shares to deviate significantly from the Fund’s NAV. In addition, a Fund’s investment results are measured based upon the daily NAV of the Fund. Accordingly, investors purchasing and selling a Fund’s shares in the secondary market may not experience investment results consistent with those purchasing from and redeeming Creation Units with the Fund directly.

 

Market Volatility-Linked ETFs Risk. ETFs that are linked to market volatility have the risks associated with investing in futures. The ETF’s use of futures involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) leverage risk (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the futures contract may not correlate perfectly with the underlying index. Investments in futures involve leverage, which means a small percentage of assets invested in futures can have a disproportionately large impact on the ETF. This risk could cause the ETF to lose more than the principal amount invested. Futures contracts may become mispriced or improperly valued when compared to the adviser’s expectation and may not produce the desired investment results. Additionally, changes in the value of futures contracts may not track or correlate perfectly with the underlying index because of temporary, or even long-term, supply and demand imbalances and because futures do not pay dividends unlike the stocks upon which they are based.

 

Mid/Small-Cap Stock Risk. To the extent that a Fund invests in small-cap and mid-cap stocks, it takes on additional risks. Generally, the smaller the market capitalization of a company, the fewer the number of shares traded daily, the less liquid its stock and the more volatile its price. Market capitalization is determined by multiplying the number of its outstanding shares by the current market price per share. Companies with smaller market capitalizations also tend to have unproven track records, a limited product or service base and limited access to capital. These factors make smaller companies more likely to fail than companies with larger market capitalizations

 

Mortgage Backed Securities (“MBS”) and Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (“CMOs”) Risk. MBS’s and CMOs are subject to credit risk because underlying loan borrowers may default. MBS and CMO default rates tend to be sensitive to overall economic conditions and to localized property vacancy rates and prices. Borrower default rates may be significantly higher than estimated. Certain individual securities may be more sensitive to default rates because payments may be subordinated to other securities of the same issuer. The adviser’s assessment, or a rating agency’s assessment, of borrower credit quality, default rates and loss rates may prove to be overly optimistic. Additionally, MBS and CMOs are subject to prepayment risk because the underlying loans held by the issuers may be paid off prior to maturity at faster or lower rates than expected. The value of these securities may go down as a result of changes in prepayment rates on the underlying mortgages or loans. During periods of declining interest rates, prepayment rates usually increases and the Fund may have to reinvest prepayment proceeds at a lower interest rate. CMOs may be less susceptible to this risk because payment priorities within the CMO may have the effect of a prepayment lock out period.

 

MLP and MLP-Related Securities Risk. Investments in MLPs and MLP-related securities involve risks different from those of investing in common stock including risks related to limited control and limited rights to vote on matters affecting the MLP or MLP-related security, risks related to potential conflicts of interest between an MLP and the MLP’s general partner, cash flow risks, dilution risks (which could occur if the MLP raises capital and then invests it in projects whose return fails to exceed the cost of capital raised) and risks related to the general partner’s limited call right. MLPs and MLP-related securities are generally considered interest-rate sensitive investments. During periods of interest rate volatility, these investments may not provide attractive returns. Depending on

31 
 

the state of interest rates in general, the use of MLPs or MLP-related securities could enhance or harm the overall performance of the Fund.

 

MLP Tax Risk. MLPs do not pay U.S. federal income tax at the partnership level, subject to the application of certain partnership audit rules. Instead, each partner is allocated a share of the partnership’s income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses. A change in current tax law or in the underlying business mix of a given MLP could result in an MLP being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which would result in such MLP being required to pay U.S. federal income tax 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 were treated as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it could result in a reduction of the value of your investment in the Fund and lower income, as compared to an MLP that is not taxed as a corporation.

 

Micro Capitalization Risk. Micro capitalization companies may be newly formed or have limited product lines, distribution channels and financial and managerial resources. The risks associated with those investments are generally greater than those associated with investments in the securities of larger, more established companies. This may cause the Fund’s net asset value and market price to be more volatile when compared to investment companies that focus only on large capitalization companies.

 

Generally, securities of micro capitalization companies are more likely to experience sharper swings in market value, less liquid markets in which it may be more difficult for the Adviser to sell at times and at prices that the Adviser believes appropriate and generally are more volatile than those of larger companies. Compared to large companies, micro capitalization companies are more likely to have (i) less information publicly available, (ii) more limited product lines or markets and less mature businesses, (iii) fewer capital resources, (iv) more limited management depth and (v) shorter operating histories. Further, the equity securities of micro capitalization companies are often traded over the counter and generally experience a lower trading volume than is typical for securities that are traded on a national securities exchange. Consequently, the Fund may be required to dispose of these securities over a larger period of time (and potentially at less favorable prices) than would be the case for securities of larger companies, offering greater potential for gains and losses and associated tax consequences.

 

Model and Data Risk. Like all quantitative analysis, the investment models utilized by the Advisor and Sub-Advisor carry the risk that the ranking system, valuation results and predictions might be based on one or more incorrect assumptions, insufficient historical data, inadequate design, or may not be suitable for the purpose intended. In addition, models may not perform as intended for many reasons including errors, omissions, imperfections or malfunctions. Because the use of models are usually constructed based on data supplied by third parties, the success of the Advisor’s and Sub-Advisor’s use of such models is dependent on the accuracy and reliability of the supplied data. Historical data inputs may be subject to revision or corrections, which may diminish data reliability and quality of predictive results. Changing and unforeseen market dynamics could also lead to a decrease in the short-term or long-term effectiveness of a model. Models may lose their predictive validity and incorrectly forecast future market behavior and asset prices, leading to potential losses. No assurance can be given that a model will be successful under all or any market conditions.

 

Municipal Bond Risk. The value of municipal bonds that depend on a specific revenue source or general revenue source to fund their payment obligations may fluctuate as a result of changes in the cash flows generated by the revenue source(s) or changes in the priority of the municipal obligation to receive the cash flows generated by the revenue source(s). In addition, changes in federal tax laws or the activity of an issuer may adversely affect the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds. Investments in inverse floating rate securities typically involve greater risk than investments in municipal bonds of comparable maturity and credit quality and their values are more volatile than municipal bonds due to the leverage they entail.

 

Options Market Risk. Markets for options and options on futures may not always operate on a fair and orderly basis. At times, prices for options and options on futures may not represent fair market value and prices may be subject to manipulation, which may be extreme under some circumstances. The dysfunction and manipulation of volatility and options markets may make it difficult for the fund to effectively implement its investment strategy and achieve its objectives and could potentially lead to significant losses.

Options Risk. The Fund may lose the entire put option premium paid if the underlying security does not decrease in value at expiration. Put options may not be an effective hedge because they may have imperfect correlation to the value of the Fund's portfolio securities. Purchased put options may decline in value due to changes in price of the underlying security, passage of time and changes in volatility. Written call and put options may limit the Fund's participation in equity market gains and may magnify the losses if the price of the written option instrument increases in value between the date when the Fund writes the option and the date on which the Fund purchases an offsetting position. The Fund will incur a loss as a result of a written options (also known as a short position) if the price of the written option instrument increases in value between the date when the Fund writes the option and the date on which the Fund purchases an offsetting position. The Fund's losses are potentially large in a written put transaction and potentially unlimited in an unhedged written call transaction.

 

32 
 

Options Risk (Written Options). Selling covered call options will limit the Fund's gain, if any, on its underlying securities. Option premiums are treated as short-term capital gains and when distributed to shareholders, are usually taxable as ordinary income, which may have a higher tax rate than long-term capital gains for shareholders holding Fund shares in a taxable account. Call options involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include risk of mispricing or improper valuation and the risk that changes in the value of the call option may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. 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. Trading derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities including:

o       Leverage and Volatility Risk: Option contracts ordinarily have leverage inherent in their terms. The low initial investment normally required in trading derivatives permit a high degree of leverage. Accordingly, a relatively small price movement may result in an immediate and substantial loss. The use of leverage may also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations or to meet collateral requirements. The use of leveraged derivatives can amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund's share price.

o       Liquidity Risk: Although it is anticipated that the options traded will be actively traded, it is possible that particular investments might be difficult to purchase or sell, possibly preventing the Fund from executing positions at an advantageous time or price, or possibly requiring them to dispose of other investments at unfavorable times or prices in order to satisfy their obligations.

 

Other Investment Companies Risk. Other investment companies are subject to their own expenses which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. The cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in the other investment companies and may be higher than funds that invest directly in only stocks and bonds. Other investment companies are subject to their own specific risks, depending on the nature of the strategies they pursue.

 

Over-the-Counter (“OTC”) Trading Risk. Certain of the derivatives in which the Fund may invest may be traded (and privately negotiated) in the OTC market. While the OTC derivatives market is the primary trading venue for many derivatives, it is largely unregulated. As a result and similar to other privately negotiated contracts, the Fund is subject to counterparty credit risk with respect to such derivative contracts.

 

Prepayment Risk. The Fund may invest in debt securities, may be paid off early when the issuer of a debt security can repay the principal prior to a security’s maturity. If interest rates are falling, the Fund may have to reinvest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

 

Real Estate Risk. The Fund is subject to the risks of the real estate market as a whole, such as taxation, regulations and economic and political factors that negatively impact the real estate market and the direct ownership of real estate. These may include decreases in real estate values, overbuilding, rising operating costs, interest rates and property taxes. In addition, some real estate related investments are not fully diversified and are subject to the risks associated with financing a limited number of projects.

 

Regulatory Risk. Regulatory authorities in the United States or other countries may adopt rules that restrict the ability of the Fund to fully implement its strategy, either generally, or with respect to certain securities, industries or countries, which may impact the Fund’s ability to fully implement its investment strategies. Regulators may interpret rules differently than the Fund or the mutual fund/ETF industry generally, and disputes over such interpretations can increase in legal expenses incurred by the Fund.

 

REIT and Real Estate Risk. The Fund’s investments in REITs may subject the fund to the following additional risks: declines in the value of real estate, changes in interest rates, lack of available mortgage funds or other limits on obtaining capital, overbuilding, extended vacancies of properties, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws and regulations, casualty or condemnation losses and tax consequences of the failure of a REIT to comply with tax law requirements. The Fund will bear a proportionate share of the REIT’s ongoing operating fees and expenses, which may include management, operating and administrative expenses in addition to the expenses of the Fund.

 

Repurchase and Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements in which it purchases a security (known as the "underlying security") from a securities dealer or bank. In the event of a bankruptcy or other default by the seller of a repurchase agreement, the Fund could experience delays in liquidating the underlying security. The Fund may also experience losses in the event of a decline in the value of the underlying security while the Fund is seeking to enforce its rights under the repurchase agreement. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities held by the Fund with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment, and involve the risk that (i) the other party may fail to return the securities in a timely manner, or at all, and (ii) the market value of assets that are required to be repurchased decline below the purchase price of the asset that has to be sold, resulting in losses to the Fund.

 

33 
 

Restricted Securities Risk. The Fund may hold securities that are restricted as to resale under the U.S. federal securities laws. There can be no assurance that a trading market will exist at any time for any particular restricted security. Limitations on the resale of these securities may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at reasonable prices or at all. The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Also, restricted securities may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available, and the values of restricted securities may have significant volatility.

 

Risk Management Risk. The measures that the Advisor, Sub-Advisors or portfolio manager use to monitor and manage the risks of the Fund may not accomplish the intended results and the Fund may experience losses significantly greater than expected.

Sector Concentration Risk. Sector concentration risk is the possibility that securities within the same Sector will decline in price due to sector-specific market or economic developments. If the Fund invests more heavily in a particular Sector, the value of its shares may be especially sensitive to factors and economic risks that specifically affect that Sector. As a result, the Fund's share price may fluctuate more widely than the value of shares of an ETF that invests in a broader range of Sectors. Performance will generally depend on the performance of the Sector which may differ in direction and degree from that of the overall U.S. stock markets. Additionally, some sectors could be subject to greater government regulation than other sectors. Therefore, changes in regulatory policies for those Sectors may have a material effect on the value of securities issued by companies in those Sectors.

 

Security Risk. The value of the Fund may decrease in response to the activities and financial prospects of an individual security in the Fund’s portfolio. The net asset value and market price of the Fund will fluctuate based on changes in the value of the securities in which the Fund invests. The Fund may invest in securities that may be more volatile and carry more risk than some other forms of investment. The price of securities may rise or fall because of economic or political changes. Security prices in general may decline over short or even extended periods of time. Market prices of securities in broad market segments may be adversely affected by a prominent issuer having experienced losses, lack of earnings, failure to meet the market's expectations with respect to new products or services, or even by factors wholly unrelated to the value or condition of the issuer, such as changes in interest rates.

 

Segregation Risk. In order to secure its obligations to cover its short positions on options, the Fund will either own the underlying assets, enter into offsetting transactions or set aside cash or readily marketable securities. This requirement may cause the Fund to miss favorable trading opportunities, due to a lack of sufficient cash or readily marketable securities. This requirement may also cause the Fund to realize losses on offsetting or terminated derivative contracts or special transactions.

 

Short Selling Risk. If a security or other instrument sold short increases in price, the Fund may have to cover its short position at a higher price than the short sale price, resulting in a loss. The Fund may have substantial short security positions and must borrow those securities to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund may not be able to borrow a security that it needs to deliver or it may not be able to close out a short position at an acceptable price and may have to sell related long positions before it had intended to do so. Thus, the Fund may not be able to successfully implement its short sale strategy due to limited availability of desired securities or for other reasons.

The Fund also may be required to pay a commission and other transaction costs, which would increase the cost of the security sold short. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of the commission, dividends, interest or expenses the Fund may be required to pay in connection with the short sale.

Until the Fund replaces a borrowed security, it is required to maintain a segregated account of cash or liquid assets with a broker or custodian to cover the Fund's short position. Generally, securities held in a segregated account cannot be sold unless they are replaced with other liquid assets. The Fund's ability to access the pledged collateral may also be impaired in the event the broker fails to comply with the terms of the contract. In such instances the Fund may not be able to substitute or sell the pledged collateral. Additionally, the Fund must maintain sufficient liquid assets (less any additional collateral pledged to the broker), marked-to-market daily, to cover the short sale obligations. This may limit the Fund's investment flexibility, as well as its ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

Because losses on short sales arise from increases in the value of the security sold short, such losses are theoretically unlimited. By contrast, a loss on a long position arises from decreases in the value of the security and is limited by the fact that a security's value cannot go below zero.

Sovereign Debt Risk. The issuer of the foreign debt or the governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due, and the Fund may have limited recourse in the event of a default. The market prices of sovereign debt, and the Fund’s net asset value and market price, may be more volatile than prices of U.S. debt obligations and certain emerging markets may encounter difficulties in servicing their debt obligations.

34 
 

Structured Note Risk. The Fund may seek investment exposure to sectors through structured notes that may be exchange traded or may trade in the over the counter market. These notes are typically issued by banks or brokerage firms, and have interest and/or principal payments which are linked to changes in the price level of certain assets or to the price performance of certain indices. The value of a structured note will be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for this type of note, interest rate and market volatility, changes in the issuer's credit quality rating, and economic, legal, political, events that affect the industry, and adverse changes in the index or reference asset to which payments are linked. In addition, there may be a lag between a change in the value of the underlying reference asset and the value of the structured note. Structured notes may also be subject to counterparty risk. A Fund may also be exposed to increased transaction costs when it seeks to sell such notes in the secondary market.

Sub-Prime Mortgage Risk. Lower-quality notes, such as those considered "sub-prime" are more likely to default than those considered "prime" by a rating evaluation agency or service provider. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for sub-prime notes and reduce the Fund's ability to sell these securities. The lack of a liquid market for these securities could decrease the Fund's share price. Additionally, borrowers may seek bankruptcy protection which would delay resolution of security holder claims and may eliminate or materially reduce liquidity.

Swap Risk. The Fund may use swaps to enhance returns and manage risk. The Fund's use of swaps involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative 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, rate or index. 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. Trading derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities. Derivative contracts ordinarily have leverage inherent in their terms. The low margin deposits normally required in trading derivatives, including futures contracts, permit a high degree of leverage. Accordingly, a relatively small price movement may result in an immediate and substantial loss to the Fund. The use of leverage may also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations or to meet collateral segregation requirements. The use of leveraged derivatives can magnify the Fund's potential for loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund's share price.

Taxation Risk. If a Fund invests in commodities indirectly through a subsidiary, the Fund will obtain exposure to the commodities markets within the federal tax requirements that apply to the Fund. A subsidiary is classified as a controlled foreign corporation for US tax purposes. Typically any gains/losses from trading in 1256 futures contracts, such as exchange-traded commodity futures contracts, are taxed 60% as long term capital gains/losses and 40% short term capital gains/losses. However, because a subsidiary is a controlled foreign corporation, any income received from its investments will be passed through to the Fund as ordinary income and reflected on shareholder's tax Form 1099s as such.

Technology Sector Risk. Technology companies face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. Technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The products of technology companies may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Companies in the technology sector are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights. The loss or impairment of these rights may adversely affect the profitability of these companies.

Tracking Risk of ETFs. Investment in the Fund should be made with the understanding that the ETFs in which the Fund invests will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the indices or sector they track because the total return generated by the securities will be reduced by transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of the securities. In addition, the ETFs in which the Fund invests will incur expenses not incurred by their applicable indices. Certain securities comprising the indices tracked by the ETFs may, from time to time, temporarily be unavailable, which may further impede the ETFs’ ability to track their applicable indices.

U.S. Government Obligations Risk. U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government and generally have negligible credit risk. However, due to fluctuations in interest rates, the market value of such securities may vary during the period shareholders own shares of the Fund. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The Fund may be subject to such risk to the extent it invests in securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises.

 

Underlying Fund Risk. Other investment companies including mutual funds, ETFs and closed-end funds (“Underlying Funds”) in which the Fund invests are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in the Underlying Funds and may be higher than

35 
 

other funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Each of the Underlying Funds is subject to its own specific risks. Additional risks of investing in ETFs, mutual funds and closed-end funds are described below:

 

•       Closed-End Fund Risk. Closed-end funds are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, your cost of investing will be higher than the cost of investing directly in a closed-end fund and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Closed-end funds are also subject to management risk because the adviser to the underlying closed-end fund may be unsuccessful in meeting the fund's investment objective. These funds may also trade at a discount or premium to their net asset value and may trade at a larger discount or smaller premium subsequent to purchase by the Fund. Since closed-end funds trade on exchanges, the Fund will also incur brokerage expenses and commissions when it buys or sells closed-end fund shares.

•       ETF Tracking Risk: Investment in the Fund should be made with the understanding that the passive ETFs in which the Fund invests will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the indices they track because the total return generated by the securities will be reduced by transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of the securities. In addition, the passive ETFs in which the Fund invests will incur expenses not incurred by their applicable indices. Certain securities comprising the indices tracked by the passive ETFs may, from time to time, temporarily be unavailable, which may further impede the passive ETFs' ability to track their applicable indices.

•       Inverse Correlation Risk: Underlying Funds that are inverse funds should lose value as the index or security tracked by such fund’s benchmark increases in value; a result that is the opposite from traditional mutual funds. Successful use of inverse funds requires that the adviser correctly predict short term market movements. If the Fund invests in an inverse fund and markets rise, the Fund could lose money. Inverse funds may also employ leverage such that their returns are more than one times that of their benchmark.

•       Management Risk: When the Fund invests in Underlying Funds there is a risk that the investment advisers of those Underlying Funds may make investment decisions that are detrimental to the performance of the Fund.

•       Mutual Fund Risk. Mutual funds are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, your cost of investing will be higher than the cost of investing directly in a mutual fund and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Mutual funds are also subject management risk because the adviser to the underlying mutual fund may be unsuccessful in meeting the fund's investment objective and may temporarily pursue strategies which are inconsistent with the Fund's investment objective.

•       Net Asset Value and Market Price Risk: The market value of ETF shares may differ from their net asset value. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for fund shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the underlying basket of securities. Accordingly, there may be times when shares trade at a premium or discount to net asset value.

•       Strategies Risk: Each Underlying Fund is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the fund. These risks could include liquidity risk, sector risk, and foreign currency risk, as well as risks associated with fixed income securities and commodities.

 

Utilities Sector Risk.  Deregulation may subject utility companies to greater competition and may adversely affect their profitability. As deregulation allows utility companies to diversify outside of their original geographic regions and their traditional lines of business, utility companies may engage in riskier ventures. In addition, deregulation may eliminate restrictions on the profits of certain utility companies, but may also subject these companies to greater risk of loss. Companies in the utilities industry may have difficulty obtaining an adequate return on invested capital, raising capital, or financing large construction projects during periods of inflation or unsettled capital markets; face restrictions on operations and increased cost and delays attributable to environmental considerations and regulation; find that existing plants, equipment or products have been rendered obsolete by technological innovations; or be subject to increased costs because of the scarcity of certain fuels or the effects of man-made or natural disasters. Existing and future regulations or legislation may make it difficult for utility companies to operate profitably. Government regulators monitor and control utility revenues and costs, and therefore may limit utility profits. There is no assurance that regulatory authorities will grant rate increases in the future, or that such increases will be adequate to permit the payment of dividends on stocks issued by a utility company. Energy conservation and changes in climate policy may also have a significant adverse impact on the revenues and expenses of utility companies.

 

Telecommunication Services Sector Risk. Companies in the telecommunications sector may be affected by industry competition, substantial capital requirements, government regulations and obsolescence of telecommunications products and services due to technological advancement. Companies may encounter cash flow strains due to the need to commit substantial capital to developing new products and services using new technology. Technological innovations may make certain current services obsolete

 

Volatility Risk. The Fund may have investments that appreciate or decrease significantly in value of short periods of time. This may cause the Fund’s net asset value and market price per share to experience significant increases or declines in value over short periods of time, however, all investments long- or short-term are subject to risk of loss.

 

Additional Investment Risk

36 
 

 

Cybersecurity Risk

 

The computer systems, networks and devices used by the Funds and their service providers to carry out routine business operations employ a variety of protections designed to prevent damage or interruption from computer viruses, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and security breaches. Despite the various protections utilized by the Funds and their service providers, systems, networks, or devices potentially can be breached. The Funds and their shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result of a cybersecurity breach.

 

Cybersecurity breaches can include unauthorized access to systems, networks, or devices; infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality. Cybersecurity breaches may cause disruptions and impact the Funds business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses; interference with a Funds ability to calculate its NAV; impediments to trading; the inability of a Fund, the advisor, the sub-advisor and other service providers to transact business; violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs; as well as the inadvertent release of confidential information.

 

Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity breaches affecting issuers of securities in which the Fund invests; counterparties with which the Fund engages in transactions; governmental and other regulatory authorities; exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies, and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and service providers for the Funds shareholders); and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred by these entities in order to prevent any cybersecurity breaches in the future.

  

PURCHASING AND SELLING FUND SHARES

 

Purchasing and Selling Fund Shares on the Secondary Market

 

General. Most investors will buy and sell shares of each Fund in secondary market transactions through their financial institution. Shares of each Fund will be listed for trading in the secondary market on the Exchange. The Exchange is currently open for business each day other than weekends and the following national holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

 

Each Fund’s shares trade on the Exchange under the following symbols:

 

Fund Symbol

Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF HUSE

Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF HECO

 

Shares of each Fund can be bought and sold throughout the trading day at their market price like other publicly traded equity securities. If you purchase shares of a Fund in the secondary market, there is no minimum investment. When purchasing or selling Fund shares through your financial institution, you will pay customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and offer price in the secondary market.

 

The market price of Fund shares may be below, at, or above their most recently calculated NAV and can be affected by market forces of supply and demand for the Fund’s shares, the prices of the Fund’s portfolio securities, economic conditions and other factors.

 

A market information provider shall disseminate the approximate value of a Fund’s investment portfolio every 15 seconds. This approximate value should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of a Fund’s NAV because the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once, generally at the end of the Business Day. This approximate value does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current portfolio of securities or other assets held by the Fund at a particular point in time or the best possible valuation of the current portfolio. Therefore, the approximate value should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the Fund’s NAV, which is computed only once a day. The approximate value is generally determined by using both current market quotations and/ or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers and other market intermediaries that may trade in the portfolio securities or other assets held by the Fund. The quotations of certain Fund holdings may not be updated during U.S. trading hours if such holdings do not trade in the United States. Approximate values of the Fund’s NAV do not reflect Fund expenses. No Fund is involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the approximate value of its shares and no Fund makes a warranty as to its accuracy.

  

Purchasing Shares from and Redeeming Shares with a Fund

 

37 
 

General. On each Business Day, you may purchase shares directly from each Fund, and you may tender shares for redemption directly to each Fund in a Creation Unit or multiples thereof. Each Creation Unit is currently comprised of 25,000 shares. The number of shares comprising a Creation Unit may change over time. Once “created,” shares of each Fund will generally trade in the secondary market in amounts less than a Creation Unit (see “Shareholder Information – Purchasing and Selling Fund Shares on the Secondary Market”).

 

To purchase or redeem Creation Units of a Fund, you must be an Authorized Participant or you must purchase or redeem the shares through a financial institution that is an Authorized Participant. The Distributor will provide a list of Authorized Participants upon request.

 

Each Fund processes orders for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units at the NAV next calculated after an order has been received in proper form by the Distributor.

 

Except where the purchase or redemption will include cash under certain limited circumstances, investors will be required to purchase Creation Units by making an in-kind deposit of Deposit Instruments, and shareholders redeeming Creation Units will receive an in-kind transfer of Redemption Instruments. On any given Business Day, the name and quantities of the instruments that constitute a Fund’s Deposit Instruments and the names and quantities of the instruments that constitute the Fund’s Redemption Instruments will be identical, and these instruments are referred to, in the case of either a purchase or a redemption, as the “Creation Basket.” Generally, on a Business Day, a Fund’s Creation Basket will correspond pro rata to the positions in the Fund’s portfolio that will be used to calculate the Fund’s NAV on that Business Day. If there is a difference between the net asset value attributable to a Creation Unit and the aggregate market value of the Creation Basket exchanged for the Creation Unit, the party conveying instruments with the lower value will also pay to the other an amount in cash equal to that difference.

  

A Fund generally does not offer or sell its shares outside of the U.S. Also, each Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase request at any time, for any reason, and without notice.

 

Additional information regarding the purchase and redemption of a Fund’s Creation Units may be found in the “Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units” section of the SAI.

 

Continuous Offering. Because new shares may be created and issued on an ongoing basis during the life of a Fund, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933 (“1933 Act”), may be occurring. 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 that could render them statutory underwriters and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act. Any determination of whether one is an underwriter must take into account all the relevant facts and circumstances of each particular case.

 

Broker-dealers should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as compared to ordinary secondary market transactions), and thus dealing with shares that are part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the 1933 Act, would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the 1933 Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the 1933 Act is available only with respect to transactions on a national securities exchange.

 

Book Entry

  

Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The DTC, or its nominee, will be the record owner or registered owner of all outstanding shares of each Fund and is recognized as the owner of all such shares. Your beneficial interest in the shares of each Fund will be reflected on the records of the DTC or its participants. Participants in the DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with the DTC. As a beneficial owner of shares of a Fund, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have shares of any Fund registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of those shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Fund shares, you must rely on the procedures of the DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other stocks that you hold in book entry or “street name” form through your financial institution.

  

Purchase of Shares by Investment Companies

 

Section 12(d)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), restricts investments by registered investment companies and by other companies relying on Sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act in the securities of other investment companies. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in a Fund beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in an SEC exemptive order applicable to the Advisor, the Distributor, and each Fund, including that such investment companies enter into a written agreement with the Fund. Registered investment companies that desire to rely on the exemptive relief from Rule 12(d)(1) obtained by the Advisor, the Distributor, and Strategy Shares (“Trust”) on behalf of each Fund should contact the Trust to obtain the required written agreement.

38 
 

 

Calculation of Net Asset Value

 

Each Fund’s NAV is determined by dividing the total value of the Fund’s portfolio investments and other assets, less any liabilities, by the total number of shares outstanding as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on each day that the Exchange is open for business. Since each Fund may invest a portion of its investment portfolio in foreign securities that trade on weekends or other days that the Fund does not price it shares, the NAV of the Fund may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell Creation Units.

 

In computing the NAV for each Fund, current market value is used to value portfolio securities with respect to which market quotations are readily available, except short-term investments with remaining maturities of 60 days or less which are valued at amortized cost. Pursuant to Board-approved policies, each Fund relies on certain security pricing services to provide current market value of securities.

 

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available are valued at their “fair value” pursuant to Board-approved procedures. Market quotations may not be readily available if: (1) a portfolio security is not traded in a public market or the principal market in which the security trades are closed: (2) trading in a portfolio security is suspended and not resumed prior to the normal market close; (3) a portfolio security is not traded in significant volume for a substantial period; or (4) the value of a portfolio security has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the market on which the security is principally traded, or (5) the Advisor determines that the quotation or price for a portfolio security provided by an independent pricing source is inaccurate. The securities of smaller companies in which each Fund may invest may be susceptible to fair valuation since these securities may be thinly traded and less liquid that their larger counterparts. Similarly, a Fund’s investments in foreign securities, if any, are more likely to require a fair value determination because, among other things, events may occur between the closure of the foreign market and the time that the Fund calculates its NAV that affect the reported market value of these securities.

 

There can be no assurance that a Fund could purchase or sell a portfolio security at the price used to calculate a Fund’s NAV. In the case of fair valued portfolio securities, lack of information and uncertainty as to the significance of information may lead to a conclusion that a prior valuation is the best indication of a portfolio security’s present value. Fair valuations generally remain unchanged until new information becomes available. Consequently, changes in the fair valuation of portfolio securities may be less frequent and of greater magnitude than changes in the price of portfolio securities valued at their last sale price by an independent pricing service, or based on market quotations. Fair valuation determinations often involve the consideration of a number of subjective factors, and the fair value price may be higher or lower than a readily available market quotation.

 

Frequent Purchases and Sales of Fund Shares

 

The Board has not adopted policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and sales of Fund shares. Frequent purchases and sales of a Fund’s shares in the secondary market are not expected to subject the Fund to the harmful effects of market timing and excessive trading such as dilution, the disruption of portfolio management, an increase in portfolio trading costs, and/or the realization of capital gains since these transactions do not involve the Fund directly. It is not anticipated that these effects will materialize as a result of the issuance and redemption of Creation Units by a Fund since these transactions will generally be processed on an in-kind basis (that is for a basket of portfolio securities and not for cash). Transaction fees will be imposed on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to offset custodial and other costs to a Fund incurred in processing the transactions in-kind. To the extent that a Fund permits the purchase or redemption of Creation Units in part or wholly in cash, higher transaction fees will be imposed to offset the applicable Fund’s increased trading costs to purchase or redeem portfolio securities in connection these transactions.

  

Portfolio Holdings Information

 

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

 

DISTRIBUTION OF THE FUNDS

Each Fund has adopted but has yet to implement a Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan (“Plan”), pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with the Plan, each Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year for certain distribution-related activities and shareholder services.

 

No 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Funds, and there are no plans to impose these fees. However, in the event 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because the fees are paid out of each Fund’s assets, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.

 

ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

 

39 
 

The Advisor and its affiliates may pay, out of their own profits and reasonable resources, amounts (including items of material value) to certain financial intermediaries for the sale of Fund shares or related services. The amounts of these payments could be significant, and may create an incentive for the financial intermediaries or their employees or associated persons to recommend or sell Fund shares to you. These payments are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fee table section of this Prospectus because they are not paid by the Funds.

 

These payments are negotiated and may be based on such factors as the number or value of Fund shares that the financial intermediary sells or may sell; the value of client assets invested; or the type and nature of services or support furnished by the financial intermediary. These payments may be in addition to payments made by any Fund to a financial intermediary under the Plan, if implemented. Ask your financial intermediary for information about any payments it receives from the Advisor, their affiliates, or the Funds and any services the financial intermediary provides to the Funds. The SAI contains additional information on the types of additional payments that may be paid.

  

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS

  

Investment Advisor

  

Rational Advisors, Inc., has been retained by the Trust under a Management Agreement to act as the investment advisor to the Funds subject to the authority of the Board of Trustees. Management of ETFs and mutual funds is currently its primary business. The Advisor is under common control with Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC (“Catalyst”) and AlphaCentric Advisors LLC, the investment advisors of other funds in the same group of investment companies also known as a “Fund Complex”. Information regarding the funds in the Fund Complex can be found at http://intelligentalts.com. The Advisor oversees the day-to-day investment decisions for the Funds and continuously reviews, supervises and administers the Funds’ investment program. The address of the Advisor is 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743. MFund Services, LLC, an affiliate of the Advisor provides the Funds with legal and administrative support services. A discussion of the Trustees’ renewal of the investment advisory agreements with the Trust is available in the Funds’ Annual Report for the period ended April 30, 2019.

 

Each Fund pays the Advisor management fees as a percentage of average daily net assets (“ADNA”) for its services as investment advisor as follows:

 

Fund  Annual Rate
Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF   0.60%
Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF   0.60%

 

The Advisor has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and/or reimburse each Fund’s expenses (but excluding (i) acquired fund fees and expenses; (ii) brokerage commissions and trading costs; (iii) interest (including borrowing costs and overdraft charges), (iv) taxes, (v) short sale dividends and interest expenses, (vi) expense incurred in connection with the Funds' compliance with the liquidity requirements of Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Company Reporting Modernization Rules; and (vii) non-routine or extraordinary expenses, such as regulatory inquiry and litigation expenses) in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement of each Fund to 0.95% of that Fund’s average annual daily net assets until August 31, 2020. This arrangement may only be terminated prior to this date with the agreement of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under certain conditions, the Advisor may recoup management fees that it waived or Fund expenses that it paid under this agreement for a period of three years after the fees were waived or expenses paid , if the recoupment can be achieved with out causing the expense ratio (after the recoupment is taken into account) to exceed (i) the expense limit in effect at the time the fees were waived or expenses paid, or (ii) the expense limit in place at the time of recoupment.

 

For the fiscal year ended April 30, 2019, the Advisor received a management fee after waivers equal to 0.54% of the Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF’s average daily net assets and 0.60% for the Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF.

 

 

Investment Sub-Advisor

 

Each Fund’s sub-advisor is Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC (“Tuttle”) pursuant to a Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Advisor and Sub-Advisor. The Sub-Advisor is located at 155 Lockwood Road, Riverside, CT 06878. The Sub-Advisor is an investment advisor under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The Sub-Advisor offers sub-advisory investment management services to exchange traded funds and to investment advisers, financial planning firms, broker-dealers, banks and other financial institutions that maintain on-going relationships with client.

 

Under the supervision of the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor is responsible for making investment decisions and executing portfolio transactions for the Fund. In addition, the Sub-Advisor is responsible for maintaining certain transaction and compliance related

40 
 

records of the Fund. As compensation for the sub-advisory services it provides to the Fund, the Advisor pays the Sub-Advisor 65% of the net management fees that the Advisor receives from the Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF and 50% of the net management fees that the Advisor receives from the Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF. For purposes of the Funds’ risks, the term “Advisor” includes the Sub-Advisor.

 

A discussion regarding the basis of the Trustees’ renewal of the Sub-Advisory agreement between the Advisor and Tuttle with respect to the Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF is available in the Funds’ Annual Report for the period ended April 30, 2019 and a discussion regarding the basis of the Trustees’ approval of the Sub-Advisory agreement between the Advisor and Tuttle with respect to the Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF is available in the Funds’ Semi-Annual Report for the period ended October 31, 2018.

 

Portfolio Manager

 

Matthew B. Tuttle, CFP is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund.

 

Mr. Tuttle has served as the portfolio manager of the Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF since June 2016 and portfolio manager of the Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF since July 1, 2018. He is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of the Sub-Advisor since September 2012 and the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Tuttle Wealth Management, LLC since July 2005. Mr. Tuttle received his BA in Economics from Clark University and a MBA in Finance from Boston University. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, management of other accounts, and ownership of securities in the Funds.

 

The SAI provides additional information about each portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed, and ownership of securities in the Fund he manages.

 

Manager-of-Managers Order

An affiliate of the Advisor has obtained an exemptive order (the “Order”) from the Securities and Exchange Commission that would permit the Advisor, with the Board of Trustees’ approval, to enter into sub-advisory agreements with one or more sub-advisors with respect to the Fund without obtaining shareholder approval. The Order permits the Advisor, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, to replace sub-advisors or amend sub-advisory agreements, including with respect to sub-advisory fees, without shareholder approval whenever the Advisor and the Trustees believe such action will benefit the Fund and its shareholders. Shareholders will be notified if and when a new sub-adviser is employed by the Advisor within 90 days of such change.

 

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

Distributions. Neither Fund offers a dividend reinvestment service to facilitate the reinvestment of distributions into additional Fund shares. Each Fund intends to declare and pay dividends on investment income, if any, at least annually. Each Fund also intends to make distributions of net capital gains, if any, at least annually. The Funds may distribute such income dividends and capital gains more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Funds. The amount of any distribution will vary, and there is no guarantee the Funds will pay either an income dividend or a capital gains distribution. Dividends and capital gains distributions will be paid in cash.

 

Dividend Reinvestment Services. If you hold Fund shares through a broker that offers a dividend reinvestment service, you may elect to reinvest dividends and capital gains distributed by a Fund in additional shares of that Fund. Contact your broker to determine whether a reinvestment service is available and to discuss any related charges associated with the use of the reinvestment service.

 

As with all ETFs, reinvestment of dividend and capital gains distributions in additional shares of a Fund will occur after the ex-dividend date (the date when a distribution of dividends or capital gains is deducted from the price of a Fund’s shares). The exact number of days depends on your broker. During that time, the amount of your distribution will not be invested in the applicable Fund and therefore will not share in the Fund’s income, gains, and losses. A shareholder will have an adjusted basis in the additional shares of the Fund acquired through a reinvest service equal to the amount of the reinvested distribution and the holding for the new shares shall commence on the day after such shares are credited to the shareholder’s account.

 

TAX CONSEQUENCES

 

Each Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). As a regulated investment company, each Fund generally pays no federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to shareholders.

 

41 
 

Each year, you will receive an annual statement (Form 1099) of your account activity to assist you in completing your federal, state and local tax returns. Distributions declared in December to shareholders of record in such month, but paid in January, are taxable as if they were paid in December. Each Fund makes every effort to search for reclassified income to reduce the number of corrected forms mailed to you. However, when necessary, you will receive a corrected Form 1099 to reflect reclassified information.

 

At the time you purchase your Fund shares, the price of shares may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation in value of portfolio securities held by a Fund. For taxable investors, a subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable. Buying shares in a Fund just before it declares an income dividend or capital gains distribution is sometimes known as “buying a dividend.”

 

Each Fund expects, based on its investment objective and strategies, that its distributions, if any, will be taxable as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both. This is true whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Fund shares or receive them in cash. For federal income tax purposes, Fund distributions of short-term capital gains are taxable to you as ordinary income. Fund distributions of long-term capital gains are taxable to you as long-term capital gains no matter how long you have owned your shares. A portion of income dividends reported by a Fund may be qualified dividend income eligible for taxation by individual shareholders at long-term capital gain rates provided certain holding period requirements are met.

 

The use of derivatives by a Fund may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of ordinary income or short-term capital gain, distributions from which are taxable to individual shareholders at ordinary income tax rates rather than at the more favorable tax rates for long-term capital gain.

 

SALE OF FUND SHARES

 

A sale of Fund shares is a taxable event and, accordingly, a capital gain or loss may be recognized. Currently, any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund shares generally is treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for one year or less. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.

 

TAX TREATMENT OF FUND SHAREHOLDERS

 

An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from a Fund and net gains from other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount. This Medicare tax, if applicable, is reported by you on, and paid with, your federal income tax return.

 

Fund distributions and gains from the sale of your Fund shares generally are subject to state and local taxes.

 

Non-U.S. investors may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a 30% or lower treaty rate and U.S. estate tax and are subject to special U.S. tax certification requirements to avoid backup withholding and claim any treaty benefits. Exemptions from U.S. withholding tax are provided for certain capital gain dividends paid by a Fund from net long-term capital gains, interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends, if such amounts are reported by the Fund. However, notwithstanding such exemptions from U.S. withholding at the source, any such dividends and distributions of income and capital gains will be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 28% if you fail to properly certify that you are not a U.S. person.

 

Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”), a 30% withholding tax is imposed on income dividends made by a Fund to certain foreign entities, referred to as foreign financial institutions or nonfinancial foreign entities, that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. After December 31, 2018, FATCA withholding also would have applied to certain capital gain distributions, return of capital distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of shares; however, based on proposed regulations issued by the IRS, which can be relied upon currently, such withholding is no longer required unless final regulations provide otherwise (which is not expected). Information about a shareholder in a Fund may be disclosed to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA. Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a shareholder of a Fund fails to provide the appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA.

 

WITHHOLDING

 

By law, if you do not provide your proper taxpayer identification number and certain required certifications, you may be subject to backup withholding on any distributions of income, capital gains or proceeds from the sale of your shares. Withholding is also imposed

42 
 

if the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) requires it. When withholding is required, the amount will be 24% of any distributions or proceeds paid.

 

CREATION UNITS

 

An Authorized Participant who exchanges equity securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of purchase (plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue) and the Authorized Participant’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue). An Authorized Participant who exchanges Creation Units for equity securities generally will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the Authorized Participant’s basis in the Creation Units (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption) and the aggregate market value of the securities received (plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption). The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether the wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

 

Under current federal tax laws, any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for one year or less.

 

If a Fund redeems Creation Units in cash, it may recognize more capital gains than it will if it redeems Creation Units in-kind.

 

This discussion of “Tax Consequences” is not intended or written to be used as tax advice. Because everyone’s tax situation is unique, you should consult your tax professional about federal, state, local or foreign tax consequences before making an investment in a Fund. For additional information, see the “Taxes” section of the Statement of Additional Information.

 

43 
 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

The financial highlights table below is intended to help you understand each Fund’s financial performance since its inception. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and other distributions). This information has been derived from the Funds’ financial statements which have been audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd., the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Funds’ financial statements, is included in the Funds’ Annual Report for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2019, which is available upon request. The Funds’ Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2015 were audited by another independent registered public accounting firm.

 

            Net realized               Distributions
            and unrealized               from net realized
            gains (losses)       Distributions       gains from
    Net Asset Value,   Net   from investment   Total from   from net   Distributions   investment and
    beginning   investment   and in-kind,   investment   investment   from Return   in-kind and swap
    of period   income (loss)   and swaps   activities   income   of Capital   agreements
Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF (HUSE)          
Year Ended April 30, 2019   $38.90   0.11   (2.36)   (2.25)   (0.06)     (1.03)
Year Ended April 30, 2018   $37.82   (0.01)   3.74   3.73   (0.01)     (2.64)
Year Ended April 30, 2017   $37.17   0.11   4.42   4.53   (0.20)     (3.68)
Year Ended April 30, 2016   $37.96   0.29      (0.09)(f)   0.20   (0.42)     (0.57)
Year Ended April 30, 2015   $35.16   0.25   4.41   4.66   (0.24)     (1.62)
                             
Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF (HECO)      
Year Ended April 30, 2019   $41.32   0.05      0.65(f)   0.70   (0.11)     (0.69)
Year Ended April 30, 2018   $38.31   0.47   5.00   5.47   (0.45)     (2.01)
Year Ended April 30, 2017   $35.11   0.43   6.44   6.87   (0.36)     (3.31)
Year Ended April 30, 2016   $37.15   0.09   (0.62)   (0.53)   (0.04)     (1.47)
Year Ended April 30, 2015   $34.75   0.10   2.77   2.87   (0.08)     (0.39)

 

  (a) Not annualized for periods less than one year.

 

  (b) Net asset value total 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 at net asset value during the period, if any, and redemption on the last day of the period at net asset value. This percentage is not an indication of the performance of a shareholder’s investment in the Fund based on market value due to differences between the market price of the shares and the net asset value per share of the Fund.

 

  (c) Market value total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the market value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, if any, and redemption on the last day of the period at market value. Market value is determined by the composite closing price. Composite closing security price is defined as the last reported sale price from any primary listing market (e.g., NYSE Arca) or participating regional exchanges or markets. The composite closing price is the last reported sale price from any of the eligible sources, regardless of volume and not an average price and may have occurred on a date prior to the close of the reporting period. Market value may be greater or less than net asset value, depending on the Fund’s closing price on the listing market.

 

  (d) Annualized for periods less than one year.

 

  (e) If applicable, certain fees were waived and/or reimbursed. If such waivers/reimbursements had not occurred, the ratios would have been as indicated.

 

  (f) The amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period does not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in the portfolio of securities during the period because of the timing of sales and purchases of fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values during the period.

 

  (g) Effective June 1, 2016, Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC became the investment Subadvisor to the Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF (HUSE). The ETF is actively managed to rotate among stocks and sectors, therefore portfolio turnover will be higher than previous years.

 

  (h) Effective September 1, 2018, Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC became the investment Subadvisor to the Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF (HECO). The ETF is actively managed to rotate among stocks and sectors, therefore portfolio turnover will be higher than previous years.

 

44 
 

 

                        Ratio of        
                Ratio of   Ratio of   Net Investment        
                Net Expenses   Gross Expenses   Income (Loss)   Net Assets at    
Total   Net Asset Value,   Total return   Total return   to Average   to Average   to Average   end of period   Portfolio
distributions   end of period   at NAV(a)(b)   at market(a)(c)   Net Assets(d)   Net Assets(d)(e)   Net Assets(d)   (000’s)   turnover(a)
                                 
(1.09)   $35.56     (5.61)%      (5.90)%   0.91%   0.91%   0.31%   $193,824      3,537%     
(2.65)   $38.90    9.93%     9.98%   0.95%   0.95%   (0.02)%   $88,506    1,989%     
(3.88)   $37.82   12.61%   11.45%   0.95%   2.61%   0.51%   $14,184    2,875%(g) 
(0.99)   $37.17    0.47%     0.76%   0.95%   3.83%   0.80%   $4,646   85%
(1.86)   $37.96   13.26%   14.68%   0.95%   2.86%   0.51%   $5,693   16%
                                 
(0.80)   $41.22    1.79%     1.35%   0.95%   1.01%   0.63%   $63,898     3,099%(h) 
(2.46)   $41.32   14.22%   14.18%   0.95%   2.35%   1.14%   $8,264   16%
(3.67)   $38.31   20.12%   21.04%   0.95%   2.87%   1.18%   $7,661   70%
(1.51)   $35.11   (1.55)%      (3.17)%   0.95%   3.57%   0.22%   $6,144   107% 
(0.47)   $37.15    8.26%   10.19%   0.95%   2.79%   0.19%   $8,358   54%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period does not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in the portfolio of securities during the period because of the timing of sales and purchases of fund shares in relation to fluctuating market values during the period.       Effective June 1, 2016, Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC became the investment Subadvisor to the Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF (HUSE). The ETF is actively managed to rotate among stocks and sectors, therefore portfolio turnover will be higher than previous years.    

 

 

 

 

 

45 
 

 

PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION

 

Information regarding how often the shares of each Fund traded on NYSE Arca at a price above (at a premium) or below (at a discount) the NAV of the Fund during the most recently completed calendar year, and the most recently completed calendar quarters since that year, when available, will be found at www.strategysharesetfs.com.

 

More information about the Funds is available free,

upon request, including the following:

 

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports

Additional information about the Funds’ investments is available in the Funds’ annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders upon issuance. In the Funds’ annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

 

Statement of Additional Information (SAI)

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Funds and their policies. A current SAI is on file with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into (considered a legal part of) this Prospectus.

 

Rational Advisors, Inc. is the Advisor to the Funds.

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC is the Distributor.

 

To obtain the SAI, Annual Report, Semi-Annual

Report and other information without charge, and to

make inquiries:

  

Call

 

(855) 4SS-ETFS or (855) 477-3837

 

Write

 

Strategy Shares, 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743

 

Log on the Internet

 

You may also access Fund information, including copies of the most current SAI and annual and semi-annual reports, at www.strategysharesetfs.com from the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The SEC’s web site contains text-only versions of documents relating to Strategy Shares.

 

Contact the SEC

Copies of information about the Funds

 

may be obtained from the SEC, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investment Company Act of 1940 No. 811-22497

 

45 
 

 

 

STRATEGY SHARES

36 North New York Avenue

Huntington, NY 11743

 

 

 

 

Series of the Trust NYSE Arca Ticker Symbol
Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF HUSE
Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF HECO

 

 

 

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

 

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) contains information that may be of interest to investors in Strategy Shares (“Trust”) but that is not included in the Trust’s prospectus dated September 1, 2019 (“Prospectus”). This SAI is not a prospectus and is only authorized for distribution when accompanied or preceded by the Prospectus. This SAI should be read together with the Prospectus. The SAI incorporates by reference the audited financial statements and Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm in the Funds’ Annual Report for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2019. Investors may obtain a free copy of the Prospectus by writing the Trust at Strategy Shares, 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY, or by telephoning toll free 855-4SS-ETFS (855-477-3837). This SAI is also available on the Funds’ website at www.strategysharesetfs.com.

 

 

September 1, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 
 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

    
DEFINITIONS   3 
OVERVIEW OF THE TRUST   4 
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING   4 
INVESTMENT PRACTICES   5 
INVESTMENT RISKS   20 
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS   28 
MANAGEMENT   30 
SERVICE PROVIDERS   35 
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS   41 
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS   50 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST   52 
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE   56 
TAXES   57 
APPENDIX 1   73 
APPENDIX 2   76 
APPENDIX 3   77 

 

2 
 

 

 

DEFINITIONS

 

For convenience, we will use the following defined terms throughout this SAI.

 

Defined Term                                                                                                          Definition                                                                             _                                            
Advisor Rational Advisors, Inc.
Advisers Act Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
Authorized Participant An entity that has entered a Participant Agreement with the Distributor that has been accepted by the Custodian with respect to the offer and sale of a Fund’s Creation Units and is either a participant in the CNS System or is a DTC Participant.
Board Board of Trustees of the Trust.
Business Day Any day that the Exchange is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, the Exchange observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President’s Day (Washington’s Birthday), Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Citi Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc., the financial administrator, fund accountant, and transfer agent of the Trust.
CNS System Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC.
CNS Participant An entity that participates in the CNS System.
Code Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
Creation Unit Block of 25,000 Fund shares.
Custodian Citibank, N.A.
Distributor Foreside Fund Services, LLC
DTC Depository Trust Company.
DTC Participant An entity for which DTC holds securities and which has access to the DTC system.
ETF Exchange-traded fund.
Exchange NYSE Arca, Inc.
Fund Each a separate series of the Trust, currently Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF and Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF.
Independent Trustees Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act.
Interested Trustees Trustees who are “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act.
NAV Net asset value.

NRSRO

 

Nationally Recognized Statistical Ratings Organization such as Moody’s Investor Service (“Moody’s”) or S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”).
NSCC National Securities Clearing Corporation, a clearing agency registered with the SEC.
SEC U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Sub-Advisor

 

Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC serves as Sub-Advisor for the Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF and the Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF.
Transfer Agent Citi.
1933 Act The Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
1934 Act The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
1940 Act The Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

3 
 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE TRUST

The Trust was organized on September 7, 2010 as a Delaware statutory Trust and is registered under the 1940 Act as an open-end management investment company.

 

The Declaration of Trust permits the Trust to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest in one or more series representing interests in separate portfolios of securities. The Declaration of Trust also permits the Trust to offer two or more classes of shares. Currently, the Trust offers its shares in several separate series. Each Fund is a diversified exchange-traded series of the Trust. Additional series may be created from time to time.

 

Each Fund only offers, sells, and redeems shares on a continuous basis at NAV in large aggregations or “Creation Units.” No Fund’s shares are individually redeemable.

 

Currently, a Fund’s Creation Unit is comprised of 25,000 shares. Under the Declaration of Trust, the Board has the unrestricted right and power to alter the number of shares of a Fund that constitute a Creation Unit. Therefore, in the event of a termination of a Fund, the Board, in its sole discretion, could determine to permit the Fund’s shares to be individually redeemable. In such circumstances, the Trust might elect to pay cash redemptions to all shareholders with an “in-kind” election for shareholders owning in excess of a certain stated minimum amount.

 

Generally, each Fund sells and redeems Creation Units on an in-kind basis. Except for the limited circumstances specified in this SAI (see “Cash Transactions - Generally,” below), investors will be required to purchase Creation Units by making an in-kind deposit of specified instruments (“Deposit Instruments”), and shareholders redeeming their shares will receive an in-kind transfer of specified instruments (“Redemption Instruments.”) On any given Business Day, the names and quantities of the instruments that constitute the Deposit Instruments and the names and quantities of the instruments that constitute the Redemption Instruments will be identical, and these instruments are referred to, in the case of either a purchase or a redemption, as the “Creation Basket.” If there is a difference between the NAV of a Creation Unit and the aggregate market value of the Creation Basket exchanged for a Creation Unit, the party conveying instruments with the lower value will also pay to the other an amount in cash equal to that difference (“Cash Amount”).

 

Each Fund may impose a transaction fee in connection with the purchase and redemption of its Creation Units. Such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities.

 

Once “created,” each Fund’s shares trade in the secondary market at market prices that change throughout the day.

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

Shares of each Fund are approved for listing and trading on the Exchange, subject to notice of issuance, and will be available for purchase and sale through a broker-dealer at market price on each day that the Exchange is open for business. The market price of a Fund’s shares may trade below, at, or above the most recently calculated NAV per share of the Fund. As is the case of other publicly traded securities, your purchase or sale of Fund shares in the secondary market will be subject to brokerage commissions which will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels. The Exchange or another information provider will disseminate, every fifteen seconds during the regular trading day, an indicative optimized portfolio value (“IOPV”) relating to each Fund. The IOPV calculations are estimates of the value of a Fund’s NAV using market data converted into U.S. dollars at the current currency rates. The IOPV price is based on quotes and closing prices from the portfolio securities’ local market and may not reflect events that occur subsequent to the local market’s close. Premiums and discounts between the IOPV and the market price may occur. This should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of a Fund’s NAV, which is calculated only once a day. Neither the Funds, the Advisor, nor any of their affiliates are involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of such IOPVs and make no warranty as to their accuracy.

 

4 
 

There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of shares of a Fund will continue to be met. The Exchange maintains certain listing standards and requires listed companies like the Funds to continue to comply with such standards while their shares are available for trading on the Exchange. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the shares of a Fund from listing if: (1) following the initial twelve-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading of the shares, there are fewer than 50 beneficial holders of the shares; or (2) the IOPV is no longer calculated or available; (3) such other event shall occur or condition exists that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. In addition, the Exchange will remove the shares from listing and trading upon termination of the Trust or a Fund.

 

The base and trading currencies of each Fund is the U.S. dollar. The base currency is the currency in which a Fund’s NAV is calculated and the trading currency is the currency in which shares of a Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange.

 

The Trust reserves the right to adjust the share price of a Fund in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund. The Funds rely on the Exchange’s generic listing standards. The generic listing standards impose certain restrictions on the Funds’ portfolios.

INVESTMENT PRACTICES

The Prospectus discusses each Fund’s principal investment strategies. Below you will find more detail about the types of investments and investment practices permitted by each Fund, as noted in the preceding table, including those which are not part of a Fund’s principal investment strategy.

 

EQUITY SECURITIES

Equity securities include both foreign and domestic common stocks, preferred stocks, exchange-traded funds, other business organizations, real estate investment trusts, and other securities which the Advisor believes have equity characteristics.

 

Common Stock

Common stock is a type of equity security which represents an ownership interest in a corporation (including real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) discussed below) and the right to a portion of the assets of the corporation in the event of liquidation. This right, however, is subordinate to that of preferred stockholders and any creditors, including holders of debt issued by a corporation. Owners of common stock are generally entitled to vote on important matters. A corporation may pay dividends on common stock.

 

Preferred Stock

Preferred stock is a type of equity security which represents an ownership interest in a corporation and the right to a portion of the assets of the corporation in the event of a liquidation. This right, however, is subordinate to that of any creditors, including holders of debt issued by the corporation. Owners of preferred stock ordinarily do not have voting rights, but are entitled to dividends at a specified rate if the corporation has the financial ability to pay such dividends.

 

Exchange-Traded Funds

ETFs are traded on stock exchanges or on the over-the-counter market at their market price. Certain ETFs track the performance of a designated index or benchmark and invest in the securities comprising that index or benchmark. Other ETFs do not attempt to track the performance of an index and hold portfolio securities that are actively managed by their investment advisor. Like the Funds, ETFs will generally issue and redeem shares in creation units (large aggregations of shares) at their NAV per share in exchange for: (1) a portfolio of securities that correspond pro rata to the securities comprising the product’s investment portfolio; and (2) a specified amount of cash.

 

5 
 

Generally, shares of ETFs are not individually redeemable. To redeem, a Fund must accumulate enough shares to reconstitute a creation unit of the ETF. The liquidity of small holdings of an ETF, therefore, will depend upon the existence of a secondary market.

 

Interests in Other Business Organizations

Entities such as limited partnerships, limited liability companies, and companies organized outside the U.S. (see “Foreign Securities” below) may issue securities comparable to common or preferred stock. Limited partnerships are partnerships consisting of one or more general partners, by whom the business is conducted, and one or more limited partners who contribute capital to the partnership. Limited liability companies frequently consist of one or more managing members, by whom the business is conducted, and other members who contribute capital to the company. Limited partners and members of limited liability companies generally are not liable for the debts of the partnership beyond their capital contributions or commitments. Limited partners and non-managing members are not involved in the day-to-day management of the partnership or limited liability company. They receive income and capital gains from the partnership or limited liability company in accordance with the terms established in the partnership or operating agreement. Typical limited partnerships and limited liability companies are involved in real estate, oil and gas, and equipment leasing, but they also finance movies, research and development, and other projects.

 

For an organization classified as a partnership under the Code (including most limited partnerships and limited liabilities companies), each item of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit is not taxed at the partnership level but flows through with the same character to the partners or members. This allows the partnership to avoid double taxation.

 

A master limited partnership (“MLP”) is a publicly traded limited partnership or limited liability company. MLPs combine the tax advantages of a partnership with the liquidity of a publicly traded security. MLPs must limit their operations to avoid being taxed as corporations under the Code.

 

REITs

REITs, or real estate investment trusts, are pooled investment vehicles which invest primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests. REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or a combination of equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling property that has appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments. The real property and mortgages serving as investment vehicles for REITs may be either residential or commercial in nature and may include healthcare facilities. Similar to investment companies, REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with several requirements of the Code. Such tax requirements may limit a REIT’s ability to respond to changes in the commercial real estate market.

 

 

FIXED INCOME SECURITIES

 

Fixed income securities include convertible securities (other than preferred stock), corporate debt securities, money market instruments, U.S. Government securities, and zero-coupon securities, which provide a stream of fixed payments to the holder.

 

Convertible Securities

Convertible securities include certain fixed income securities that may be exchanged or converted into a predetermined number of shares of an issuer’s underlying common stock at the option of the holder during a specified period. Convertible securities may take the form of convertible preferred stock, convertible bonds or debentures, units consisting of “usable” bonds and warrants, or a combination of the features of several of these securities. The investment characteristics of each convertible security vary widely, which allows convertible securities to be employed for a variety of investment strategies. A Fund will exchange or convert the convertible securities held in its portfolio into shares of the underlying common stock when, in the

6 
 

Advisor’s opinion, the investment characteristics of the underlying common stock will assist the Fund in achieving its investment objective. Otherwise, a Fund may hold or trade convertible securities.

 

Corporate Debt Securities (Including Bonds, Notes, and Debentures)

 

Corporate debt includes any obligation of a corporation to repay a borrowed amount at maturity and usually to pay the holder interest at specific intervals. Corporate debt can have a long or short maturity and is often rated by one or more NRSROs. See the Appendix 1 to this SAI for a description of these ratings.

 

The credit risk of an issuer’s debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while continuing to make payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of subordinated securities. Some subordinated securities, such as trust preferred and capital securities notes, also permit the issuer to defer payments under certain circumstances. For example, insurance companies issue securities known as surplus notes that permit the insurance company to defer any payment that would reduce its capital below regulatory requirements.

 

Money Market Instruments

 

Except where otherwise noted, each Fund may, pending investment or for liquidity purposes, invest its assets in money market instruments.

 

Bank Obligations. Bank obligations are short-term obligations issued by U.S. and foreign banks, including bankers’ acceptances, certificates of deposit, time deposits, and similar securities.

 

Bankers’ acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange typically drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise that are “accepted” by a bank, meaning, in effect, that the issuing bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. Investments in bankers’ acceptances will be limited to those guaranteed by domestic and foreign banks having, at the time of investment, total assets of $1 billion or more (as of the date of the institution’s most recently published financial statements).

 

Certificates of deposit and time deposits represent funds deposited in a commercial bank or a savings and loan association for a definite period of time and earn a specified return.

 

Investments in certificates of deposit and time deposits may include Eurodollar Certificates of Deposit, which are U.S. dollar denominated certificates of deposit issued by offices of foreign and domestic banks located outside the U.S., Yankee Certificates of Deposit, which are certificates of deposit issued by a U.S. branch of a foreign bank denominated in U.S. dollars and held in the U.S., Eurodollar Time Deposits, which are U.S. dollar denominated deposits in a foreign branch of a U.S. bank or a foreign bank, and Canadian Time Deposits, which are U.S. dollar denominated certificates of deposit issued by Canadian offices of major Canadian banks. All investments in certificates of deposit and time deposits will be limited to those (a) of domestic and foreign banks and savings and loan associations which, at the time of investment, have total assets of $1 billion or more (as of the date of the institution’s most recently published financial statements) or (b) the principal amount of which is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

 

Commercial Paper and Variable Amount Master Demand Notes. Commercial paper (including Section 4(2) commercial paper) consists of unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations normally having maturities of 270 days or less and rates of return which are fixed. These investments may include Canadian Commercial Paper, which is U.S. dollar denominated commercial paper issued by a Canadian corporation or a Canadian counterpart of a U.S. corporation, and europaper, which is U.S. dollar denominated commercial paper of a foreign issuer.

 

Variable amount master demand notes are unsecured demand notes that permit the indebtedness thereunder to vary and provide for periodic adjustments in the interest rate according to the terms of the instrument. Because master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between a Fund and the issuer, they are not normally

7 
 

traded. Although there is no secondary market in the notes, a Fund may demand payment of principal and accrued interest at any time. A variable amount master demand note will be deemed to have a maturity equal to the longer of the period of time remaining until the next readjustment of its interest rate or the period of time remaining until the principal amount can be recovered from the issuer through demand.

 

Variable Rate Demand Notes. Variable rate demand notes (“VRDNs”) are unsecured, direct lending arrangements between a Fund, as the lender, and a corporation, financial institution, government agency, municipality or other entity.

 

VRDNs have interest rates which float or which are adjusted at regular intervals ranging from daily to annually. Although VRDNs are not generally traded, a Fund may demand payment of principal and accrued interest according to its arrangement with the borrower (usually upon no more than seven days’ notice). VRDNs are, therefore, treated as maturing on the later of the next interest adjustment or the date on which a Fund may next demand payment. Some VRDNs are backed by bank letters of credit.

 

Each Fund may only invest in VRDNs which satisfy its credit requirements for commercial paper.

 

Other Money Market Instruments. These instruments may include: obligations (certificates of deposit, time deposits, bank master notes, and bankers’ acceptances) of thrift institutions, and savings and loans, provided that such institutions have total assets of $1 billion or more as shown on their last published financial statements at the time of investment; short-term corporate obligations rated within the three highest rating categories by an NRSRO (e.g., at least A by S&P or A by Moody’s) at the time of investment, or, if not rated, determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality; general obligations issued by the U.S. Government and backed by its full faith and credit, and obligations issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government (e.g., obligations issued by Farmers Home Administration, Government National Mortgage Association, Federal Farm Credit Bank, and Federal Housing Administration); receipts, including Treasury Receipts, Treasury Income Growth Receipts, and Certificates of Accrual on Treasuries; repurchase agreements involving such obligations; money market funds, and foreign commercial paper.

 

U.S. Government Securities

 

U.S. Government securities are securities that are either issued or guaranteed as to payment of principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. Government securities are limited to: direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury, such as bills, notes, and bonds of the U.S. Treasury, and notes, bonds, and discount notes of U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities, including certain mortgage securities.

 

Agency securities are issued or guaranteed by a federal agency or other government sponsored entity (“GSE”) acting under federal authority. Some GSE securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government and some GSE securities are not. GSE securities backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government include securities issued by the Government National Mortgage Association, Small Business Administration, Farm Credit System Financial Assistance Corporation, Farmers Home Administration, Federal Financing Bank, General Services Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Export-Import Bank, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Bonds.

 

GSE securities, which not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government but receive support through federal subsidies, loans or other benefits include securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Bank System, FHLMC, FNMA and Tennessee Valley Authority.

 

Other GSE securities are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government and have no explicit financial support, including securities issued by the Farm Credit System, Financing Corporation, and Resolution Funding Corporation. Investors regard agency securities as having low credit risks, but not as low as Treasury securities.

 

Zero-Coupon Securities

8 
 

Zero-coupon securities are debt obligations which are generally issued at a discount, are payable in full at maturity, and do not provide for current payments of interest prior to maturity. Zero-coupon securities usually trade at a deep discount from their face or par value and are subject to greater market value fluctuations from changing interest rates than debt obligations of comparable maturities which make current distributions of interest. As a result, the NAV of shares of a Fund investing in zero-coupon securities may fluctuate over a greater range than shares of other investment companies investing in securities making current distributions of interest and having similar maturities.

 

Zero-coupon securities may include U.S. Treasury bills issued directly by the U.S. Treasury or other short-term debt obligations, and longer-term bonds or notes and their unmatured interest coupons which have been separated by their holder, typically a custodian bank or investment brokerage firm. A number of securities firms and banks have stripped the interest coupons from the underlying principal (the “corpus”) of U.S. Treasury securities and resold them in custodial receipt programs with a number of different names, including TIGRS and CATS. The underlying U.S. Treasury bonds and notes themselves are held in book-entry form at the Federal Reserve Bank or, in the case of bearer securities (i.e., unregistered securities that are owned ostensibly by the bearer or holder thereof), in trust on behalf of the owners thereof.

 

In addition, the U.S. Treasury has facilitated transfers of ownership of zero-coupon securities by accounting separately for the beneficial ownership of particular interest coupons and corpus payments on U.S. Treasury securities through the Federal Reserve book-entry record-keeping system. The Federal Reserve program, as established by the U.S. Treasury Department, is known as “STRIPS” or “Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities.” Under the STRIPS program, a Fund will be able to have its beneficial ownership of U.S. Treasury zero-coupon securities recorded directly in the book-entry record-keeping system in lieu of having to hold certificates or other evidence of ownership of the underlying U.S. Treasury securities.

 

When debt obligations have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons by the holder, the stripped coupons are sold separately. The principal or corpus is sold at a deep discount because the buyer receives only the right to receive a future fixed payment on the security and does not receive any rights to periodic cash interest payments. Once stripped or separated, the corpus and coupons may be sold separately. Typically, the coupons are sold separately or grouped with other coupons with like maturity dates and sold in such bundled form. Purchasers of stripped obligations acquire, in effect, discount obligations that are economically identical to the zero-coupon securities issued directly by the obligor.

 

FOREIGN SECURITIES (including emerging markets)

 

Generally, foreign securities are those securities which are issued by companies organized outside the U.S. and principally traded in foreign markets (“Foreign Companies”). This includes equity and fixed income securities of Foreign Companies and obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks and foreign or U.S. branches of foreign banks, including European Certificates of Deposit, European Time Deposits, Canadian Time Deposits, Canadian Yankee Bonds, Canadian Certificates of Deposit, investments in Canadian Commercial Paper, and europaper. In addition, each Fund may invest in depositary receipts. A Fund may also invest in securities issued or guaranteed by Foreign Companies or foreign governments, their political subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities, and obligations of supranational entities such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

 

Foreign securities are normally denominated and traded in foreign currencies. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for currency conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (the “spread”) between prices at which they buy and sell various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency to a Fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the Fund desire to resell that currency to the dealer. For additional information see “Foreign Currency Transactions” below.

 

A Fund may also invest in securities of emerging markets issuers. A nation's economy that is progressing toward becoming advanced, as shown by some liquidity in local debt and equity markets and the existence of some form of market exchange and regulatory body is considered to be an emerging market.

 

Emerging markets generally do not have the level of market efficiency and strict standards in accounting and securities regulation to be on par with advanced economies (such as the United States, Europe and Japan), but

9 
 

emerging markets will typically have a physical financial infrastructure including banks, a stock exchange and a unified currency. Emerging markets may be sought by investors for the prospect of high returns, as they often experience faster economic growth as measured by GDP. Investments in emerging markets may involve greater risk due to political instability, domestic infrastructure problems, currency volatility and limited equity opportunities. Also, local stock exchanges may not offer liquid markets for outside investors.

 

Some emerging markets countries may have fixed or managed currencies that are not free-floating against the U.S. dollar. Further, certain currencies may not be traded internationally. Certain of these currencies have experienced a steady devaluation relative to the U.S. dollar. Any devaluation in the currencies in which the Fund’s securities are denominated may have a detrimental impact on the Fund.

 

Some countries with emerging securities markets have experienced substantial, and in some periods, extremely high, rates of inflation for many years. Inflation and rapid fluctuation in inflation rates have had and may continue to have negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain countries. Moreover, the economies of some countries may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as rate of growth of gross domestic product, the rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, number and depth of industries forming the economy’s base, governmental controls and investment restrictions that are subject to political change and balance of payments position. Further, there may be greater difficulties or restrictions with respect to investments made in emerging markets countries.

 

Emerging markets typically have substantially less volume than U.S. markets. In addition, securities in many such markets are less liquid, and their prices often are more volatile, than securities of comparable U.S. companies. Such markets often have different clearance and settlement procedures for securities transactions, and in some markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of transactions, making it difficult to conduct transactions. Delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when assets may be uninvested. Settlement problems in emerging markets countries also could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Satisfactory custodial services may not be available in some emerging markets countries, which may result in the Fund incurring additional costs and delays in the transportation and custody of such securities.

 

For more information regarding the risks associated with investing in emerging markets, please see “Emerging Markets Risk” below.

 

Depositary Receipts

 

American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are securities, typically issued by a U.S. financial institution (a “depositary”), that evidence ownership interests in a security or a pool of securities issued by a foreign issuer and deposited with the depositary. ADRs include American Depositary Shares and New York Shares. European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), which are sometimes referred to as Continental Depositary Receipts (“CDRs”), are securities, typically issued by a non-U.S. financial institution, that evidence ownership interests in a security or a pool of securities issued by either a U.S. or foreign issuer. Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) are issued globally and evidence a similar ownership arrangement. Generally, ADRs are designed for trading in the U.S. securities markets, EDRs are designed for trading in European securities markets and GDRs are designed for trading in non-U.S. securities markets. A Fund will only invest in ADRs, EDRs, CDRs, and GDRs available for investment through “sponsored facilities.” A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the security underlying the receipt and a depositary.

 

Foreign Government Securities

 

Foreign government securities generally consist of fixed income securities supported by national, state or provincial governments or similar political subdivisions. Foreign government securities also include debt obligations of supranational entities, such as international organizations designed or supported by governmental entities to promote economic reconstruction or development, international banking institutions and related government agencies. Examples of these include, but are not limited to, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the “World Bank”), the Asian Development Bank, the European Investment Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank.

 

10 
 

Foreign government securities also include fixed income securities of quasi-governmental agencies that are either issued by entities owned by a national, state or equivalent government or are obligations of a political unit that are not backed by the national government’s full faith and credit.

 

Foreign Currency Transactions

 

Foreign currency transactions include purchasing and selling foreign currencies, entering into forward or futures contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies (see “Forward Foreign Currency Contracts and Foreign Currency Futures Contracts,” below), and purchasing and selling options on foreign currencies (see “Foreign Currency Options” below). Foreign currency transactions may be used to hedge against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates and to increase current return.

 

Purchases and sales of foreign currencies on a spot basis are used to increase current return. They are also used in connection with both “transaction hedging” and “position hedging.”

 

Transaction hedging involves entering into foreign currency transactions with respect to specific receivables or payables generally arising in connection with the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. Transaction hedging is used to “lock in” the U.S. dollar price of a security to be purchased or sold, or the U.S. dollar equivalent of a dividend or interest payment in a foreign currency. The goal is to protect against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the applicable foreign currency during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold or on which the dividend or interest payment is declared, and the date on which such payments are made or received.

 

Position hedging involves entering into foreign currency transactions either to protect against: (1) a decline in the value of a foreign currency in which a security held or to be sold is denominated; or (2) an increase in the value of a foreign currency in which a security to be purchased is denominated. In connection with position hedging, a Fund may purchase put or call options on foreign currency and foreign currency futures contracts and buy or sell forward contracts and foreign currency futures contracts.

 

Neither transaction nor position hedging eliminates fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities that a Fund owns or intends to purchase or sell. They simply establish a rate of exchange that can be achieved at some future point in time. Additionally, although these techniques tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency, they also tend to limit any potential gain that might result from the increase in the value of such currency.

 

Hedging transactions are subject to correlation risk due to the fact that the amounts of foreign currency exchange transactions and the value of the portfolio securities involved will not generally be perfectly matched. This is because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the values of those securities between the dates the currency exchange transactions are entered into and the dates they mature.

 

DERIVATIVE CONTRACTS

 

Options on Equities, Fixed Income Securities, and Stock Indices

 

A call option gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy a security at a stated price from the writer (seller) of the option. A put option gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell a security at a stated price to the writer of the option. In a covered call option and during the option period, the writer owns the security (or a comparable security sufficient to satisfy securities exchange requirements) which may be sold pursuant to the option. In a covered put option, the writer holds cash and/or short-term debt instruments in an amount equal to the exercise price of the option. In addition, a call or put will be considered covered if and to the extent that some or all of the risk of the option has been offset by another position. A Fund may write combinations of covered puts and calls on the same underlying security. In general, a Fund may write options in an attempt to increase returns or purchase options for hedging purposes.

 

The premium received from writing a put or call option increases a Fund’s return on the underlying security in the event that the option expires unexercised or is closed out at a profit. The amount of the premium reflects,

11 
 

among other things, the relationship between the exercise price and the current market value of the underlying security, the volatility of the underlying security, the amount of time remaining until expiration, current interest rates, and the effect of supply and demand in the options market and in the market for the underlying security. A put option locks in the price at which a Fund may sell a security it holds, thus hedging against market declines. Such protection is provided during the life of the put option since a Fund, as holder of the option, is able to sell the underlying security at the option’s exercise price regardless of any decline in the underlying security’s market price. A call option locks in the price at which a Fund may purchase a security, thus hedging against an increase in the market price of a security.

 

By writing a call option, a Fund limits its opportunity to profit from any increase in the market value of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option but continues to bear the risk of a decline in the value of the underlying security. By writing a put option, a Fund assumes the risk that it may be required to purchase the underlying security for an exercise price higher than its then current market value, resulting in a potential capital loss unless the security subsequently appreciates in value.

 

A Fund may terminate an option that it has written prior to its expiration by entering into a closing purchase transaction, in which it purchases an offsetting option. A Fund realizes a profit or loss from a closing transaction if the cost of the transaction (option premium plus transaction costs) is less or more than the premium received from writing the option. Because increases in the market price of a call option generally reflect increases in the market price of the security underlying the option, any loss resulting from a closing purchase transaction may be offset in whole or in part by unrealized appreciation of the underlying security owned by a Fund.

 

In order for a put option to be profitable, the value of the underlying security/index must decline sufficiently below the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs. By using put options in this manner, a Fund will reduce any profit it might otherwise have realized from appreciation of the underlying security/index by the premium paid for the put option and by transaction costs.

 

In order for a call option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security/index must rise sufficiently above the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs.

 

A Fund may only write covered call and put options.

 

The successful use of options depends on the ability of the Advisor to forecast interest rate and market movements. For example, if a Fund were to write a call option based on the Advisor’s expectation that the price of the underlying security will fall, but the price rises instead, the Fund could be required to sell the security upon exercise at a price below the current market price. Similarly, if a Fund were to write a put option based on the Advisor’s expectations that the value of the underlying security will rise, but the price falls instead, the Fund could be required to purchase the security upon exercise at a price higher than the current market price.

 

Foreign Currency Options

 

Options on foreign currencies operate similarly to options on securities, and are traded primarily in the over-the-counter market (“OTC options”), although options on foreign currencies may also be listed on several exchanges. Options will be purchased or written only when the Advisor believes that a liquid secondary market exists for such options. There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for a particular option at any specific time. Options on foreign currencies are affected by all of those factors which influence exchange rates and investments generally.

 

Purchases and sales of options may be used to increase current return. They are also used in connection with hedging transactions. (See “Foreign Currency Transactions,” above).

 

Writing covered call options on currencies may offset some of the costs of hedging against fluctuations in currency exchange rates. For transaction hedging purposes a Fund may also purchase exchange-listed and OTC put and call options on foreign currency futures contracts and on foreign currencies. A put option on a futures contract gives a Fund the right to assume a short position in the futures contract until expiration of the

12 
 

option. A call option on a futures contract gives a Fund the right to assume a long position in the futures contract until the expiration of the option.

 

The value of a foreign currency option is dependent upon the value of the foreign currency and the U.S. dollar, and may have no relationship to the investment merits of a foreign security. Because foreign currency transactions occurring in the interbank market involve substantially larger amounts than those that may be involved in the use of foreign currency options, investors may be disadvantaged by having to deal in an odd lot market (generally consisting of transactions of less than $1 million) for the underlying foreign currencies at prices that are less favorable than for round lots.

 

There is no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign currencies and there is no regulatory requirement that quotations available through dealers or other market sources be firm or revised on a timely basis. Available quotation information is generally representative of very large transactions in the interbank market and thus may not reflect relatively smaller transactions (less than $1 million) where rates may be less favorable. The interbank market in foreign currencies is a global, around-the-clock market. To the extent that the U.S. options markets are closed while the markets for the underlying currencies remain open, significant price and rate movements may take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the U.S. options markets. Options contracts are generally valued at the mean of the bid and asked price as reported on the highest-volume exchange (in terms of the number of option contracts traded for that issue) on which such options are traded. 

 

Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts

A futures contract is a binding contractual commitment which, if held to maturity, will result in an obligation to make or accept delivery of a security at a specified future time and price. By purchasing futures (assuming a “long” position), a Fund will legally obligate itself to accept the future delivery of the underlying security and pay the agreed price. By selling futures (assuming a “short” position), it will legally obligate itself to make the future delivery of the security against payment of the agreed price. Positions taken in the futures markets are not normally held to maturity, but are instead liquidated through offsetting transactions which may result in a profit or a loss. While futures positions taken by a Fund will usually be liquidated in this manner, a Fund may instead make or take delivery of the underlying securities whenever it appears economically advantageous to the Fund to do so. A clearing corporation associated with the exchange on which futures are traded assumes responsibility for such closing transactions and guarantees that a Fund’s sale and purchase obligations under closed-out positions will be performed at the termination of the contract. Futures contracts are considered to be commodity contracts. The Trust 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 commodity pool operator under the Act.

 

A Fund may purchase and write put and call options on futures contracts, as they become available. Such options are similar to options on securities except that options on futures contracts give the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in a futures contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put) at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. As with options on securities, the holder or writer of an option may terminate its position by selling or purchasing an option of the same series. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be effected. A Fund will be required to deposit initial margin and variation margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it pursuant to brokers’ requirements, and, in addition, net option premiums received will be included as initial margin deposits. See “Margin Payments” below. Compared to the purchase or sale of futures contracts, the purchase of call or put options on futures contracts involves less potential risk to a Fund because the maximum amount at risk is the premium paid for the options plus transactions costs. However, there may be circumstances when the purchases of call or put options on a futures contract would result in a loss to a Fund when the purchase or sale of the futures contracts would not, such as when there is no movement in the prices of debt securities. The writing of a put or call option on a futures contract involves risks similar to those risks relating to the purchase or sale of futures contracts.

 

Margin Payments. When a Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, it is required to deposit with the Custodian an amount of cash, U.S. Treasury bills, or other permissible collateral equal to a small percentage of the amount of the futures contract. This amount is known as “initial margin.” The nature of initial margin is

13 
 

different from that of margin in security transactions in that it does not involve borrowing money to finance transactions. Rather, initial margin is similar to a performance bond or good faith deposit that is returned to a Fund upon termination of the contract, assuming a Fund satisfies its contractual obligations.

 

Subsequent payments to and from the broker occur on a daily basis in a process known as “marking to market.” These payments are called “variation margin,” and are made as the value of the underlying futures contract fluctuates. For example, when a Fund sells a futures contract and the price of the underlying security rises above the delivery price, the Fund’s position declines in value. A Fund then pays a broker a variation margin payment equal to the difference between the delivery price of the futures contract and the market price of the securities underlying the futures contract. Conversely, if the price of the underlying security falls below the delivery price of the contract, a Fund’s futures position increases in value. The broker then must make a variation margin payment equal to the difference between the delivery price of the futures contract and the market price of the currency underlying the futures contract.

 

When a Fund terminates a position in a futures contract, a final determination of variation margin is made, additional cash is paid by or to the Fund, and the Fund realizes a loss or gain. Such closing transactions involve additional commission costs.

 

Index Futures Contracts and Options on Index Futures Contracts

A stock index futures contract is a contract to buy or sell units of a stock index at a specified future date at a price agreed upon when the contract is made. A debt index futures contract is a contract to buy or sell units of a specified debt index at a specified future date at a price agreed upon when the contract is made. A unit is the current value of the index.

 

The following example illustrates generally the manner in which index futures contracts operate. The Standard & Poor’s 100 Stock Index (“S&P 100”) is composed of 100 selected common stocks, most of which are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). The S&P 100 assigns relative weightings to the common stocks included in the Index, and the Index fluctuates with changes in the market values of those common stocks. In the case of the S&P 100, contracts are to buy or sell 100 units. Thus, if the value of the S&P 100 were $180, one contract would be worth $18,000 (100 units x $180). The stock index futures contract specifies that no delivery of the actual stocks making up the index will take place. Instead, settlement in cash must occur upon the termination of the contract, with the settlement being the difference between the contract price and the actual level of the stock index at the expiration of the contract. For example, if a Fund enters into a futures contract to buy 100 units of the S&P 100 at a specified future date at a contract price of $180 and the S&P 100 is at $184 on that future date, the Fund will gain $400 (100 units x gain of $4).

 

If the Fund enters into a futures contract to sell 100 units of the stock index at a specified future date at a contract price of $180 and the S&P 100 is at $182 on that future date, the Fund will lose $200 (100 units x loss of $2). A Fund may purchase or sell futures contracts with respect to any stock index. Positions in index futures may be closed out only on an exchange or board of trade which provides a secondary market for such futures.

 

Purchases and sales of index futures may be used to hedge an investment. To hedge an investment successfully, however, a Fund must invest in futures contracts with respect to indices or sub-indices the movements of which will have a significant correlation with movements in the prices of the Fund’s securities.

 

Options on index futures contracts are similar to options on securities except that options on index futures contracts give the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in an index futures contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put) at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise of the option, the holder assumes the underlying futures position and receives a variation margin payment of cash or securities approximating the increase in the value of the holder’s option position. If an option is exercised on the last trading day prior to the expiration date of the option, the settlement is made entirely in cash based on the difference between the exercise price of the option and the closing level of the index on which the futures contract is based on the expiration date. Purchasers of options who fail to exercise their options prior to the exercise date suffer a loss of the premium paid. As an alternative to purchasing call and put options on index futures contracts, a Fund may purchase put and call options on the underlying indices themselves to the extent that such options are traded on national securities

14 
 

exchanges. Index options are similar to options on individual securities in that the purchaser of an index option acquires the right to buy, and the writer undertakes the obligation to sell, an index at a stated exercise price during the term of the option. Instead of giving the right to take or make actual delivery of securities, the holder of an index option has the right to receive a cash “exercise settlement amount.” This amount is equal to the amount by which the fixed exercise price of the option exceeds (in the case of a put) or is less than (in the case of a call) the closing value of the underlying index on the date of the exercise, multiplied by a fixed “index multiplier.” A Fund will enter into an option position only if there appears to be a liquid secondary market for such options.

 

No Fund will engage in transactions in options on stock indices for speculative purposes but only to protect appreciation attained, to offset capital losses, and to take advantage of the liquidity available in the option markets.

 

The aggregate premium paid on all options on stock indices will not exceed 20% of a Fund’s total assets.

 

Forward Foreign Currency Contracts and Foreign Currency Futures Contracts

A forward foreign currency contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract as agreed by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. In the case of a cancelable forward contract, the holder has the unilateral right to cancel the contract at maturity by paying a specified fee. The contracts are traded in the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has no deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades.

A foreign currency futures contract is a standardized contract for the future delivery of a specified amount of a foreign currency at a future date at a price set at the time of the contract. Foreign currency futures contracts traded in the U.S. are designed by and traded on exchanges regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), such as the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Forward foreign currency contracts differ from foreign currency futures contracts in certain respects. For example, the maturity date of a forward contract may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, rather than a predetermined date in a given month. Forward contracts may be in any amounts agreed upon by the parties rather than predetermined amounts. Also, forward foreign currency contracts are traded directly between currency traders so that no intermediary is required. A forward contract generally requires no margin or other deposit.

 

At the maturity of a forward or futures contract, a Fund may either accept or make delivery of the currency specified in the contract, or at or prior to maturity enter into a closing transaction involving the purchase or sale of an offsetting contract. Closing transactions with respect to forward contracts are usually effected with the currency trader who is a party to the original forward contract. Closing transactions with respect to futures contracts are effected on a commodities exchange; a clearing corporation associated with the exchange assumes responsibility for closing out such contracts.

Forward foreign currency contracts and foreign currency futures contracts can be used to increase current return. They are also used in connection with both “transaction hedging” and “position hedging.” (“Foreign Currency Transactions,” above).

Swap Agreements

The Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Fund may enter into interest rate, index and currency exchange rate swap agreements in an attempt to obtain a particular desired return at a lower cost to the Fund than if it had been invested directly in an instrument that yielded that desired return. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of returns) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested 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

15 
 

fictive basis on which to calculate the obligations the parties to a swap agreement have agreed to exchange. The Fund’s obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”). The Fund’s obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owing to the Fund) and any accrued by unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty will be covered by the maintenance of a segregated account consisting of cash, U.S. government securities, or other liquid securities, to avoid leveraging of the Fund’s portfolio.

Whether the Fund’s use of swap agreements enhance the Fund’s total return will depend on the Sub-Advisor’s ability correctly to predict whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Because they are two-party contracts and may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be 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 agreement counterparty. The Advisor or Sub-Advisor will cause the 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. The swap market is a relatively new market and is largely unregulated. It is possible that developments in the swaps market, including potential government relation, could adversely affect a Fund’s ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements.

Certain swap agreements are exempt from most provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act and, therefore, are not regulated as futures or commodity option transactions under the Commodity Exchange Act., pursuant to regulations of the CFTC. To qualify for this exemption, a swap agreement must be entered into by “eligible participants,” which include the following, provided the participants’ total assets exceed established levels: a bank or trust company, savings association or credit union, insurance company, investment company subject to regulation under the 1940 Act, commodity pool, corporation, partnership, proprietorship, organization, trust or foreign person. To be eligible, natural persons and most other entities must have total assets exceeding $10 million; commodity pools and employee benefit plans must have assets exceeding $5 million. In addition, an eligible swap transaction must meet three conditions. First, the swap agreement may not be part of a fungible class of agreements that are standardized as to their material economic terms. Second, the creditworthiness of parties with actual or potential obligations under the swap agreement must be a material consideration in entering into or determining the terms of the swap agreement, including pricing, cost or credit enhancement terms. Third, swap agreements may not be entered into and traded on or through multilateral transaction execution facility.

Exclusion of Investment Advisor from Commodity Pool Operator Definition   

With respect to the Funds, the Advisor has claimed an exclusion from the definition of “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) and the rules of the CFTC and, therefore, is not subject to CFTC registration or regulation as a CPO. In addition, with respect to the Funds, the Advisor is relying upon a related exclusion from the definition of “commodity trading advisor” (“CTA”) under the CEA and the rules of the CFTC.

The terms of the CPO exclusion require the Funds, among other things, to adhere to certain limits on their investments in commodity futures, commodity options and swaps, which in turn include non-deliverable currency forward contracts, as further described in the Funds’ SAI. Because the Advisor and the Funds intend to comply with the terms of the CPO exclusion, the Funds may, in the future, need to adjust its investment strategies, consistent with its investment goal, to limit its investments in these types of instruments. The Funds are not intended as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options, or swaps markets. The CFTC has neither reviewed nor approved the Advisor’s reliance on these exclusions, or the Funds, their investment strategies or this Prospectus.

OTHER TRANSACTIONS/INVESTMENTS

 Exchange-Traded Notes

16 
 

The Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy Fund may invest in exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”). ETNs are generally notes representing the debt of the issuer, usually a financial institution. ETNs combine both aspects of bonds and ETFs. An ETN’s returns are based on the performance of one or more underlying assets, reference rate or indexes, minus fees and expenses. Similar to ETFs, ETNs are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. However, unlike an ETF, an ETN can be held until the ETN’s maturity, at which time the issuer will pay a return linked to the performance of the specific asset, index or rate (“reference instrument”) to which the ETN is lined minus certain fees. Unlike regular bonds, ETNs do not make periodic interest payments, and principal is not protected.

The value of an ETN may be influenced by, among other things, time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying markets, changes in the applicable interest rates, the performance of the reference instrument, changes in the issuer’s credit rating and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the reference instrument. ETNs also incur certain expenses not incurred by their applicable reference instrument. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Levered ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form. While leverage allows for greater potential return, the potential for loss is also greater. Finally, additional losses may be incurred if the investment loses value because, in addition to the money lost on the investment, the loan still needs to be repaid.

Other Investment Companies Securities

Each Fund may invest in securities of other investment companies (“Acquired Funds”), including traditional mutual funds, as an efficient means of carrying out its investment policies and managing their uninvested cash.

 

A Fund’s shareholders indirectly bear the expenses of the Acquired Funds in which a Fund invests. Except under exemptive rules or relief from the SEC, no Fund may invest more than 10% of its total assets at any one time in the shares of Acquired Funds, 5% of its total assets in the shares of any one Acquired Fund, or own more than 3% of the shares of any one Acquired Fund. When a Fund invests in the shares of Acquired Funds, investment advisory and other fees will apply, and the investment’s yield will be reduced accordingly.

 

Repurchase Agreements

Repurchase agreements are agreements through which banks, broker-dealers, and other financial institutions approved by the Trustees, sell securities (usually U.S. Government securities) to a Fund and agree to repurchase those securities at a specified price and time (usually not more than seven days from the original sale). The seller’s obligation to pay the repurchase price is secured by the securities to be repurchased. These securities are required to be held by a Fund, the Custodian, or a third-party custodian. In order to protect a Fund’s interest, collateral securities must have a value of at least 100% of the resale price at all times. (The seller must provide additional collateral in the event that this condition is not met). In general, the Advisor will require collateral securities to have a value of at least 102% of the resale price at the time the repurchase agreement is made. The collateral is marked to market on a daily basis, thus enabling the Advisor to determine when to request additional collateral from the seller.

 

If a seller defaults on its repurchase obligation, a Fund could realize a loss on the sale of the underlying securities to the extent that the proceeds of the sale (including accrued interest) are less than the resale price. In addition, even though the U.S. Bankruptcy Code provides protection to a Fund if the seller becomes bankrupt or insolvent, the Fund may suffer losses in such event.

 

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

A Fund may borrow funds for temporary purposes by entering into reverse repurchase agreements, provided such action is consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and fundamental investment restrictions; as a matter of non-fundamental policy, each Fund intends to limit total borrowings under reverse repurchase agreements to no more than 10% of the value of its total assets. Pursuant to a reverse repurchase agreement, a Fund will sell portfolio securities to financial institutions such as banks or to broker-dealers, and agree to repurchase the securities at a mutually agreed-upon date and price.

 

17 
 

A Fund intends to enter into reverse repurchase agreements only to avoid otherwise selling securities during unfavorable market conditions to meet redemptions. At the time a Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it will place in a segregated custodial account assets such as U.S. Government securities or other liquid, high-quality debt securities consistent with the Fund’s investment objective having a value at least equal to 100% of the repurchase price (including accrued interest), and will subsequently monitor the account to ensure that an equivalent value is maintained. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by a Fund may decline below the price at which a Fund is obligated to repurchase the securities. Reverse repurchase agreements are considered to be borrowings by a Fund under the 1940 Act.

 

Restricted and Illiquid Securities

Generally, an “illiquid security” or “illiquid investment” is any investment that a Fund reasonably expects 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 investment. Illiquid investments generally include investments for which no market exists or which are legally restricted as to their transfer (such as those issued pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the federal securities laws). Restricted securities are generally sold in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to an exemption from registration under the 1933 Act. If registration of a security previously acquired in a private transaction is required, a Fund, as the holder of the 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 it will be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security. To the extent it is determined that there is a liquid institutional or other market for certain restricted securities, the Fund would consider them to be liquid securities. An example is a restricted security that may be freely transferred among qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, and for which a liquid institutional market has developed. Rule 144A securities may be subject, however, to a greater possibility of becoming illiquid than securities that have been registered with the SEC.

The following factors may be taken into account in determining whether a restricted security is properly considered a liquid security: (i) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (ii) the number of dealers willing to buy or sell the security and the number of other potential buyers; (iii) any dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (iv) the nature of the security and of the marketplace trades (e.g., any demand, put or tender features, the method of soliciting offers, the mechanics and other requirements for transfer, and the ability to assign or offset the rights and obligations of the security). The nature of the security and its trading includes the time needed to sell the security, the method of soliciting offers to purchase or sell the security, and the mechanics of transferring the security including the role of parties such as foreign or U.S. custodians, subcustodians, currency exchange brokers, and depositories.

The sale of illiquid investments often requires more time and results in higher brokerage charges or dealer discounts and other selling expenses than the sale of investments eligible for trading on national securities exchanges or in the OTC markets. Illiquid investments often sell at a price lower than similar investments that are not subject to restrictions on resale.

The risk to a Fund in holding illiquid investments is that they may be more difficult to sell if the Fund wants to dispose of the investment in response to adverse developments or in order to raise money for redemptions or other investment opportunities. Illiquid trading conditions may also make it more difficult for the Fund to realize an investment's fair value.

The Fund may also be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain investment, issuer, or sector due to overall limitations on its ability to invest in illiquid investments and the difficulty in purchasing such investments.

A Fund may not acquire any illiquid investment if, immediately after the acquisition, the Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments that are assets. Because illiquid

18 
 

investments may not be readily marketable, the portfolio managers and/or investment personnel may not be able to dispose of them in a timely manner. As a result, the Fund may be forced to hold illiquid investments while their price depreciates. Depreciation in the price of illiquid investments may cause the net asset value of a Fund to decline.

Securities Lending

In order to generate additional income, each of the Funds may lend its portfolio securities on a short-term basis to certain brokers, dealers or other financial institutions. In determining whether to lend to a particular broker, dealer or financial institution, the Advisor or Sub-Advisor will consider all relevant facts and circumstances, including the size, creditworthiness and reputation of the borrower. Any loans made will be continuously secured by collateral in cash at least equal to 100% of the value of the securities on loan for the Funds. All Funds may each lend up to 33 ⅓% of their total assets. Such loans must be fully collateralized by cash, U.S. government obligations or other high-quality debt obligations and marked to market daily. Although the loan is fully collateralized, if the borrower defaults, a Fund could lose money.

While portfolio securities are on loan, the borrower will pay to the lending Fund any dividends or interest received on the securities. In addition, the Fund retains all or a portion of the interest received on investment of the collateral or receives a fee from the borrower. Although voting rights, or rights to consent, with respect to the loaned securities pass to the borrower, the lending Fund retains the right to call the loans at any time on reasonable notice, and it will do so to enable a Fund to exercise voting rights on any matters materially affecting the investment. A Fund may also call such loans in order to sell the securities.

One of the risks in lending portfolio securities, as with other extensions of credit, is the possible delay in recovery of the securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. There is also the risk that, when lending portfolio securities, the securities may not be available to a Fund on a timely basis and a Fund may, therefore, lose the opportunity to sell the securities at a desirable price. In addition, in the event that a borrower of securities would file for bankruptcy or become insolvent, disposition of the securities may be delayed pending court action.

  

When-issued and Delayed Delivery Transactions

When-issued and delayed delivery transactions are arrangements through which a Fund purchases securities with payment and delivery scheduled for a future time. No fees or other expenses, other than normal transaction costs, are incurred. However, liquid assets of a purchasing Fund sufficient to make payment for the securities are segregated on the Fund’s records at the trade date. These assets are then marked to market daily and maintained until the transaction has been settled. The Fund does not consider the purchase and/or sale of securities on a when-issued and delayed delivery basis to be a borrowing for purposes of the Fund’s fundamental restrictions or other limitations on borrowing.

 

No Fund intends to engage in when-issued and delayed delivery transactions to an extent that would cause the segregation of more than 20% of the total value of a Fund’s total assets.

A seller’s failure to complete a transaction may cause a Fund to miss a desired price or yield. In addition, because of delayed settlement, a Fund may pay more than market value on the settlement date. The Advisor may choose to dispose of a commitment prior to settlement.  

INVESTMENT RISKS

 

The Prospectus discusses each Fund’s principal investment risks. Below you will find more detail about the risks associated with the types of investments and investment practices permitted by each Fund, including those which are not principal investment risks of a Fund.

 

EQUITY SECURITIES RISK

19 
 

General Risk

Equity risk is the risk that stock prices will fall quickly and dramatically over short or extended periods of time. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. Often, dramatic movements in prices occur in response to the overall market environment or reports of a company’s earnings, economic statistics, or other factors that affect an issuer’s profitability. The price of equity securities can decline and reduce the value of a fund investing in equities. Stock markets are volatile.

 

To the extent that a Fund invests in smaller capitalization stocks, it may be subject to greater risks than those associated with investment in larger, more established companies. Smaller companies tend to have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources, and may be dependent on a small management group. Smaller company stocks may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements, for reasons such as lower trading volumes, greater sensitivity to changing conditions, and less certain growth prospects. Additionally, there are fewer market makers for these stocks and wider spreads between quoted bid and ask prices in the over-the-counter market for these stocks. Small cap stocks also tend to be subject to greater liquidity risk, particularly during periods of market disruption, and there is often less publicly available information concerning these securities. A Fund that invests in high quality or “blue chip” equity securities or securities of established companies with large market capitalizations (which generally have strong financial characteristics) can also be negatively impacted by overall market and economic conditions.

 

Exchange-Traded Funds Risk

ETFs generally present the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional fund (e.g., one that is not exchange traded) that has the same investment objectives, strategies, and policies. The price of an ETF can fluctuate up or down, and a Fund could lose money investing in the ETF if the prices of the securities owned by the ETF go down. In addition, an investment in an ETF may be subject to the following risks that do not apply to conventional funds: (1) the market price of the ETF’s shares may trade above or below their NAV; (2) an active trading market for the ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; or (3) trading of the ETF’s shares may be halted if the listing exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are delisted from the exchange, or the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally.

 

Market Price Variance Risk (ETFs). ETFs are listed for trading on a securities exchange and can be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The market prices of ETF shares will fluctuate in response to changes in their respective NAVs and supply and demand for their shares. Differences between secondary market prices and the NAV for an ETF’s shares may be due largely to supply and demand forces in the secondary market, which forces may not be the same as those influencing prices for securities or instruments held by the Fund at a particular time. There may, however, be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly and an investor may pay more than NAV when buying ETF shares on the secondary market, and receive less than NAV when it sells those ETF shares. The market price of ETF shares includes a “bid-ask spread” charged by the lead market maker, market makers or other participants that trade ETF shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid-ask spread often increases significantly. This means that an ETF’s shares may trade at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of the ETF’s shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that investors most want to sell the ETF’s shares. An ETF’s investment results are measured based upon the daily NAV of the ETF. Accordingly, a Fund purchasing and selling ETFs in the secondary market may not experience investment results consistent with those purchasing from and redeeming Creation Units with an ETF directly.

20 
 

 

Securities Linked to the Real Estate Market and REIT Risk

Investing in securities of companies in the real estate industry subjects a Fund to the risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate. These risks include:

 

•       declines in the value of real estate;

•       risks related to local, regional, and national economic conditions;

•       possible lack of availability of mortgage funds;

•       overbuilding;

•       extended vacancies of properties;

•       increased competition;

•       increases in property taxes and operating expenses;

•       change 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.

 

Securities of companies in the real estate industry include equity REITs and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. Further, equity and mortgage REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. Equity and mortgage REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, and self-liquidations. In addition, equity and mortgage REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax free pass-through of income under the 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. See “Small and Medium Size Company Risk” (below) for a discussion of the risks associated with investments in these companies.

 

Small and Medium Size Company Risk

Companies that are small or unseasoned (e.g., less than three years of operating history) are more likely than larger or established companies to fail or not to accomplish their goals. As a result, the value of their securities could decline significantly. These companies are less likely to survive since they are often dependent upon a small number of products and may have limited financial resources and a small management group. Small or unseasoned companies often have a greater degree of change in earnings and business prospects than larger or established companies, resulting in more volatility in the price of their securities. The securities of small or unseasoned companies may have limited marketability. This factor could cause the value of a Fund’s investments to decrease if it needs to sell such securities when there are few interested buyers. Small or unseasoned companies usually have fewer outstanding shares than larger or established companies. Therefore, it may be more difficult to buy or sell large amounts of these shares without unfavorably impacting the price of the security. There may be less publicly available information about small or unseasoned companies. Therefore, when making a decision to purchase a security for a Fund, the Advisor may not be aware of problems associated with the company issuing the security. Investments in the securities of medium-sized companies present risks similar to those associated with small or unseasoned companies, although to a lesser degree due to the larger size of the companies.

 

21 
 

 

FOREIGN SECURITIES RISK

 

General Risk

 

Compared with investing in the U.S., investing in foreign markets involves a greater degree and variety of risk. Investors in international or foreign markets may face delayed settlements, currency controls, and adverse economic developments as well as higher overall transaction costs. Foreign governments may expropriate assets, impose capital or currency controls, impose punitive taxes, impose limits on ownership, or nationalize a company or industry. Any of these actions could have a severe effect on security prices and impair a Fund’s ability to bring its capital or income back to the U.S. The value of foreign securities may be affected by incomplete, less frequent or inaccurate financial information about their issuers, social upheavals or political actions ranging from tax code changes to governmental collapse. Foreign Companies may also receive less coverage than U.S. companies by market analysts and the financial press. In addition, foreign countries may lack uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards or regulatory requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies.

 

The securities of some Foreign Companies are less liquid and at times more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. Foreign brokerage commissions and other fees are also generally higher than in the U.S.

 

In addition, with respect to certain foreign countries, there is a possibility of nationalization or expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, political or financial instability, and diplomatic developments which could affect the value of investments in those countries. In certain countries, legal remedies available to investors may be more limited than those available with respect to investments in the U.S. or other countries. The laws of some foreign countries may limit a Fund’s ability to invest in securities of certain issuers located in those countries. Special tax considerations apply to foreign securities.

 

ADRs and Domestically Traded Foreign Securities Risk

Because a Fund may invest in ADRs and other domestically traded securities of Foreign Companies, the Fund’s share prices may be more affected by foreign economic and political conditions, taxation policies, and accounting and auditing standards than if the Fund did not invest in such securities.

 

Currency Risk

 

Exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. Fluctuations in the U.S. dollar’s value versus other currencies may erode or reverse gains from investments denominated in foreign currencies or widen losses. The combination of currency risk and market risk tends to make securities traded in foreign markets more volatile than securities traded exclusively in the U.S. Exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. Foreign securities are normally denominated and traded in foreign currencies. As a result, the value of a Fund’s foreign investments and the value of its shares may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar. The combination of currency risk and market risks tends to make securities traded in foreign markets more volatile than securities traded exclusively in the U.S. Exchange rate fluctuations also may impair an issuer’s ability to repay U.S. dollar denominated debt, thereby increasing credit risk of such debt.

 

Foreign Custodial Services and Related Investment Costs Risk

 

Foreign custodial services and other costs relating to investment in international securities markets are generally more expensive than in the U.S. Foreign markets have settlement and clearance procedures that differ from those in the U.S. Foreign settlement procedures and trade regulations also may involve certain risks such as delays in payment or delivery of securities or in the recovery of a Fund’s assets held abroad. In certain markets, particularly emerging markets, there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Inability of a Fund to make intended securities purchases due to settlement problems could cause a Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of a portfolio security caused by settlement problems could result in losses to a Fund due to a subsequent decline in value of the portfolio security. In addition, security settlement and clearance procedures in some emerging market countries may not fully protect a Fund against loss or theft of its assets.

22 
 

 

Emerging Markets Risk

 

Investing in emerging market securities involves risks which are in addition to the usual risks inherent in foreign investments. Some emerging markets countries may have fixed or managed currencies that are not free-floating against the U.S. dollar. Further, certain currencies may not be traded internationally. Certain of these currencies have experienced a steady devaluation relative to the U.S. dollar. Any devaluation in the currencies in which a Fund’s securities are denominated may have a detrimental impact on the Fund.

 

Some countries with emerging securities markets have experienced substantial, and in some periods, extremely high, rates of inflation for many years. Inflation and rapid fluctuation in inflation rates have had and may continue to have negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain countries. Moreover, the economies of some countries may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as rate of growth of gross domestic product, the rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, number and depth of industries forming the economy’s base, governmental controls, and investment restrictions that are subject to political change and balance of payments position. Further, there may be greater difficulties or restrictions with respect to investments made in emerging markets countries.

 

Emerging markets typically have substantially less volume than U.S. markets. In addition, securities in many such markets are less liquid, and their prices often are more volatile, than securities of comparable U.S. companies. Such markets often have different clearance and settlement procedures for securities transactions, and in some markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of transactions, making it difficult to conduct transactions. Delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when assets may not be invested. Settlement problems in emerging markets countries also could cause a Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Satisfactory custodial services may not be available in some emerging markets countries, which may result in a Fund incurring additional costs and delays in the transportation and custody of such securities.

 

FIXED INCOME SECURITIES RISK

 

Counterparty Credit Risk

 

The value of a Fund’s investments may be adversely affected if a security’s credit rating is downgraded; an issuer of an investment held by the Fund fails to pay an obligation on a timely basis, otherwise defaults, or is perceived by other investors to be less creditworthy; or a counterparty to a derivatives or other transaction with the Fund files for bankruptcy, becomes insolvent, or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling to honor its obligation to the Fund.

 

Credit Risk

 

Credit risk is the possibility that an issuer may default on a security by failing to pay interest or principal when due. If an issuer defaults, a Fund will lose money.

 

Many fixed income securities receive credit ratings from services such as S&P and Moody’s. These services assign ratings to securities by assessing the likelihood of issuer default. Lower credit ratings correspond to higher credit risk. If a security has not received a rating, the Funds must rely entirely upon the Advisor’s credit assessment.

 

Fixed income securities generally compensate for greater credit risk by paying interest at a higher rate. The difference between the yield of a security and the yield of a U.S. Treasury security with a comparable maturity (the spread) measures the additional interest paid for risk. Spreads may increase generally in response to adverse economic or market conditions. A security’s spread may also increase if the security’s rating is lowered, or the security is perceived to have an increased credit risk. An increase in the spread will cause the price of the security to decline.

 

23 
 

 

Interest Rate Risk

 

Prices of fixed income securities rise and fall in response to changes in the interest rate paid by similar securities. Generally, when interest rates rise, prices of fixed income securities fall. However, market factors, such as the demand for particular fixed income securities, may cause the price of certain fixed income securities to fall while the prices of other securities rise or remain unchanged. Interest rate changes have a greater effect on the price of fixed income securities with longer durations. Duration measures the price sensitivity of a fixed income security to changes in interest rates.

 

ETN Investment Risk

Because the return on the ETN is dependent on the issuer’s ability or willingness to meet its obligations, the value of the ETN may change due to a change in the issuer’s credit rating, despite no change in the underlying reference instrument. The market value of ETN shares may differ from the value of the reference instrument.

This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETN shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the assets underlying the reference instrument that the ETN seeks to track.

There may be restrictions on the Fund’s right to redeem its investment in an ETN, which are generally meant to be held until maturity. The Fund’s decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. An investor in an ETN could lose some or all of the amount invested.

 

DERIVATIVE CONTRACTS RISK

 

General Risk

 

The use of derivative contracts involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. First, changes in the value of the derivative contracts in which a Fund invests may not be correlated with changes in the value of the underlying asset or if they are correlated, may move in the opposite direction than originally anticipated.

 

Second, while some strategies involving derivatives may reduce the risk of loss, they may also reduce potential gains or, in some cases, result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in portfolio holdings. Third, there is a risk that derivative contracts may be mispriced or improperly valued and, as a result, a Fund may need to make increased cash payments to the counterparty. Fourth, derivative contracts may cause a Fund to realize increased ordinary income or short-term capital gains (which are treated as ordinary income for Federal income tax purposes) and, as a result, may increase taxable distributions to shareholders. Fifth, a common provision in OTC derivative contracts permits the counterparty to terminate any such contract between it and a Fund, if the value of the Fund’s total net assets declines below a specified level over a given time period. Factors that may contribute to such a decline (which usually must be substantial) include significant shareholder redemptions and/or a marked decrease in the market value of a Fund’s investments. Any such termination of the Fund’s OTC derivative contracts may adversely affect a Fund (for example, by increasing losses and/or costs, and/or preventing a Fund from fully implementing its investment strategies). Finally, derivative contracts may also involve other risks described in this SAI, such as stock market, interest rate, credit, currency, liquidity and leverage risks.

 

When a derivative is used as a hedge against an offsetting position that a Fund also holds, any loss generated by that derivative will be substantially offset by the gains on the hedged security, and vice versa. To the extent a Fund uses a derivative security for purposes other than as a hedge, or, if the Fund hedges imperfectly, the Fund is directly exposed to the risks of that derivative or other instrument and any loss generated by that derivative or other instrument will not be offset by a gain.

 

Options Risk

 

When a Fund purchases an option, it runs the risk that it will lose its entire investment in the option in a relatively short period of time, unless the Fund exercises the option or enters into a closing sale transaction

24 
 

with respect to the option during the life of the option. If the price of the underlying security does not rise (in the case of a call) or fall (in the case of a put) to an extent sufficient to cover the option premium and transaction costs, a Fund will lose part or all of its investment in the option. This contrasts with an investment by a Fund in the underlying security, since the Fund will not lose any of its investment in such security if the price does not change.

 

The use of options also involves the risk of imperfect correlation between movements in option prices and movements in the value of the underlying securities.

 

The effective use of options also depends on a Fund’s ability to terminate option positions at times when the Advisor deems it desirable to do so. Although a Fund will take an option position only if the Advisor believes there is a liquid secondary market for the option, there is no assurance that the Fund will be able to effect closing transactions at any particular time or at an acceptable price.

 

A Fund generally expects that its options transactions will be conducted on recognized exchanges. In certain instances, however, a Fund may purchase and sell options in the OTC markets. A Fund’s ability to terminate options in the OTC market may be more limited than for exchange-traded options and may also involve the risk that securities dealers participating in such transactions would be unable to meet their obligations to the Fund.

 

A Fund will, however, engage in OTC market transactions only when appropriate exchange-traded transactions are unavailable and when, in the opinion of the Advisor, the pricing mechanism and liquidity of the OTC market is satisfactory and the participants are responsible parties likely to meet their contractual obligations.

 

If a secondary trading market in options were to become unavailable, a Fund could no longer engage in closing transactions. Lack of investor interest might adversely affect the liquidity of the market for particular options or series of options. A market may discontinue trading of a particular option or options generally. In addition, a market could become temporarily unavailable if unusual events, such as, volume in excess of trading or clearing capability, were to interrupt its normal operations.

 

A market may at times find it necessary to impose restrictions on particular types of options transactions, such as opening transactions. For example, if an underlying security ceases to meet qualifications imposed by the market or the Options Clearing Corporation, new series of options on that security will no longer be opened to replace expiring series, and opening transactions in existing series may be prohibited. If an options market were to become unavailable, a Fund as a holder of an option would be able to realize profits or limit losses only by exercising the option, and the Fund, as option writer, would remain obligated under the option until expiration.

 

Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying options purchased or sold by a Fund could result in losses on the options. If trading is interrupted in an underlying security, the trading of options on that security is normally halted as well. As a result, a Fund as purchaser or writer of an option will be unable to close out its positions until options trading resumes, and it may be faced with considerable losses if trading in the security reopens at a substantially different price. In addition, the Options Clearing Corporation or other options markets may impose exercise restrictions. If a prohibition on exercise is imposed at the time when trading in the option has also been halted, a Fund as a purchaser or writer of an option will be locked into its position until one of the two restrictions has been lifted. If the Options Clearing Corporation were to determine that the available supply of an underlying security appears insufficient to permit delivery by the writers of all outstanding calls in the event of exercise, it may prohibit indefinitely the exercise of put options by holders who would be unable to deliver the underlying interest. A Fund, as holder of such a put option, could lose its entire investment if the prohibition remained in effect until the put option’s expiration and the Fund was unable either to acquire the underlying security or to sell the put option in the market.

 

Special risks are presented by internationally-traded options. Because of time differences between the U.S. and various foreign countries, and because different holidays are observed in different countries, foreign options markets may be open for trading during hours or on days when U.S. markets are closed. As a result, option premium may not reflect the current prices of the underlying interest in the U.S.

25 
 

 

An exchange-listed option may be closed out only on an exchange which provides a secondary market for an option of the same series. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option or at any particular time. If no secondary market were to exist, it would be impossible to enter into a closing transaction to close out an option position. As a result, a Fund may be forced to continue to hold, or to purchase at a fixed price, a security on which it has sold an option at a time when the Advisor believes it is inadvisable to do so.

 

Higher than anticipated trading activity or order flow or other unforeseen events might cause the Options Clearing Corporation or an exchange to institute special trading procedures or restrictions that might restrict a Fund’s use of options. The exchanges have established limitations on the maximum number of calls and puts of each class that may be held or written by an investor or group of investors acting in concert. It is possible that the Trust and other clients of the Advisor may be considered such a group. These position limits may restrict the Trust’s ability to purchase or sell options on particular securities. Options that are not traded on national securities exchanges may be closed out only with the other party to the option transaction. For that reason, it may be more difficult to close out unlisted options than listed options. Furthermore, unlisted options are not subject to the protection afforded purchasers of listed options by the Options Clearing Corporation.

 

Liquidity Risk

 

Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on an exchange or board of trade which provides a secondary market for such futures. Although a Fund intends to purchase or sell futures only on exchanges or boards of trade where there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange or board of trade will exist for any particular contract or at any particular time. If there is not a liquid secondary market at a particular time, it may not be possible to close a futures position at such time and, in the event of adverse price movements, a Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin. However, in the event financial futures are used to hedge portfolio securities, such securities will not generally be sold until the financial futures can be terminated. In such circumstances, an increase in the price of the portfolio securities, if any, may partially or completely offset losses on the financial futures. In addition to the risks that apply to all options transactions, here are several special risks relating to options on futures contracts. The ability to establish and close out positions in such options will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid secondary market. It is not certain that such a market will develop. Although a Fund generally will purchase only those options for which there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option or 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 the Fund would have to exercise the options in order to realize any profit.

 

Hedging Risk

 

There are several risks in connection with the use by a Fund of futures contracts and related options as a hedging device. One risk arises because of the imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the futures contracts and options and movements in the prices of securities that are the subject of the hedge. The Advisor will, however, attempt to reduce this risk by purchasing and selling, to the extent possible, futures contracts and related options on securities and indices, the movements of which will, in its judgment, correlate closely with movements in the prices of the portfolio securities sought to be hedged.

 

Successful use of futures contracts and options by a Fund for hedging purposes is also subject to the Advisor’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the market. It is possible that, where a Fund has purchased puts on futures contracts to hedge its portfolio against a decline in the market, the securities or index on which the puts are purchased may increase in value and the value of securities held in the portfolio may decline. If this occurred, a Fund would lose money on the puts and also experience a decline in value in its portfolio securities. In addition, the prices of futures, for a number of reasons, may not correlate perfectly with movements in the underlying securities or index due to certain market distortions. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to margin deposit requirements. Such requirements may cause investors to close futures contracts through offsetting transactions which could distort the normal relationship between the underlying security or index and futures markets. Second, the margin requirements in the futures markets are

26 
 

less onerous than margin requirements in the securities markets in general, and as a result the futures markets may attract more speculators than the securities markets do. Increased participation by speculators in the futures markets may also cause temporary price distortions. Due to the possibility of price distortion, even a correct forecast of general market trends by the Advisor may still not result in a successful hedging transaction over a very short time period.

 

Other Risk

 

Funds will incur brokerage fees in connection with their futures and options transactions. In addition, while futures contracts and options on futures will be purchased and sold to reduce certain risks, those transactions themselves entail certain other risks. Thus, while a Fund may benefit from the use of futures and related options, unanticipated changes in interest rates or stock price movements may result in a poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not entered into any futures contracts or options transactions. Moreover, in the event of an imperfect correlation between the futures position and the portfolio position that is intended to be protected, the desired protection may not be obtained and the Fund may be exposed to risk of loss.

 

Forward Foreign Currency and Foreign Currency Futures Contracts Risk

 

Among the risks of using foreign currency futures contracts is the fact that positions in these contracts (and any related options) may be closed out only on an exchange or board of trade which provides a secondary market. Although it is intended that a Fund using foreign currency futures contracts and related options will only purchase or sell them on exchanges or boards of trade where there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a secondary market on an exchange or board of trade will exist for any particular contract or option or at any particular time. In such event, it may not be possible to close a futures or related option position and, in the event of adverse price movements, a Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin on its futures positions.

 

In addition, it is impossible to forecast with precision the market value of a security at the expiration or maturity of a forward or futures contract. Accordingly, it may be necessary to purchase additional foreign currency on the spot market (and bear the expense of such purchase) if the market value of the security being hedged is less than the amount of foreign currency a Fund is obligated to deliver and if a decision is made to sell the security and make delivery of the foreign currency. Conversely, it may be necessary to sell on the spot market some of the foreign currency received upon the sale of the hedged portfolio security if the market value of such security exceeds the amount of foreign currency a Fund is obligated to deliver.

 

Swaps

 

The Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy Fund may use swaps to enhance returns and manage risk. The Fund’s use of swaps involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks included (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) the 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, rate or index. 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, and inflation and deflation. Trading derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, risks associated with investing directly in securities. Derivative contracts ordinarily have leverage inherent in their terms. The low margin deposits normally required in trading derivatives, including futures contracts, permit a high degree of leverage. Accordingly, a relatively small price movement may result in an immediate and substantial loss to the Fund. The use over leverage may also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations or to meet collateral segregations requirements. The use of leveraged derivatives can magnify the Fund’s potential for loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund’s share price.

 

27 
 

 

OTHER TRANSACTIONS/INVESTMENT RISKS

 

Government Intervention and Extreme Volatility Risk

 

In the past, instability in the financial markets led the U.S. Government and other governments to take a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases lack of liquidity. Federal, state, and other governments, their regulatory agencies, or self-regulatory organizations could take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which a Fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which a Fund itself is regulated. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude a Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

 

Reduced liquidity in credit and fixed-income markets may adversely affect many issuers worldwide. Reduced liquidity may result in less money being available to purchase raw materials, goods and services from emerging markets, which may, in turn, bring down the prices of these economic staples. It may also result in emerging market issuers having more difficulty obtaining financing, which may, in turn, cause a decline in their stock prices. If they arise, these issues may have an adverse effect on a Fund.

 

Leverage Risk

 

Leverage risk is created when an investment exposes a Fund to a level of risk that exceeds the amount invested. Changes in the value of such an investment magnify a Fund’s risk of loss and potential for gain.

 

Some transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. These transactions may include, among others, derivatives and reverse repurchase agreements, and may expose a Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. When transactions create leverage, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivatives or other instruments themselves. Certain transactions have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investments. Increases and decreases in the value of the securities held by a Fund and therefore in the Fund’s NAV will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage because leverage tends to increase the Fund’s exposure to market risk, interest rate risk or other risks by, in effect, increasing assets available for investment.

 

To mitigate leverage risk, the Advisor will segregate liquid assets on the books of a Fund or otherwise cover the transactions. The use of leverage may cause a Fund to liquidate Fund positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet segregation requirements. A Fund will also have to pay interest on its borrowing, reducing the Fund’s return. This interest expense may be greater than a Fund’s return on the underlying investment.

 

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

 

FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

 

The following investment restrictions are fundamental and may not be changed without a vote of a “majority of the outstanding shares” of a Fund. As used in this SAI, majority of the outstanding shares means the vote of the lesser of (a) 67% or more of the shares of the Fund represented at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (b) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. Each Fund

 

(1)May not invest more than 25% of its total net assets in a particular industry or group of industries as concentration is defined under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended from time to time, or any applicable exemptive relief.

 

(2)May issue senior securities to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended from time to time, or any applicable exemptive relief.

 

28 
 
(3)May lend or borrow money to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended from time to time, or any applicable exemptive relief.

 

(4)May purchase or sell commodities, commodities contracts, futures contracts, or real estate to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended from time to time, or any applicable exemptive relief.

 

(5)May underwrite securities to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, or the rules or regulations thereunder, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended from time to time, or any applicable exemptive relief.

 

(6)May pledge, mortgage or hypothecate any of its assets to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, or the rules or regulations thereunder, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended from time to time, or any applicable exemptive relief.

 

(7)May purchase securities of any issuer only when consistent with the maintenance of its status as a diversified company under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended from time to time, or any applicable exemptive relief.

 

With respect to (1) above, each Fund will consider the investment concentration of any underlying investment companies in which it invests in determining compliance with such policy. Under the 1940 Act, and the rules, regulations, and interpretations thereunder, a “diversified company,” as to 75% of its total assets, may not purchase securities of any issuer (other than obligations of, or guaranteed by, the U.S. Government, its agencies or its instrumentalities and securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of the value of its total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer or more than 10% of the issuer’s voting securities would be held by the fund. The 1940 Act limits the ability of investment companies to lend money and to underwrite securities. The 1940 Act currently prohibits an open-end fund from issuing senior securities, as defined in the 1940 Act, except under very limited circumstances.

 

Additionally, the 1940 Act limits a Fund’s ability to borrow money by prohibiting the Fund from issuing senior securities, except the Fund may borrow from any bank provided that immediately after any such borrowing there is an asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings by the Fund and provided further, that in the event that such asset coverage shall at any time fall below 300%, the Fund shall, within three days thereafter or such longer period as the SEC may prescribe by rules and regulations, reduce the amount of its borrowings to such an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowing shall be at least 300%.

 

The fundamental limitations of the Funds have been adopted to avoid wherever possible the necessity of shareholder meetings otherwise required by the 1940 Act. This recognizes the need to react quickly to changes in the law or new investment opportunities in the securities markets and the cost and time involved in obtaining shareholder approvals for diversely held investment companies. However, each Fund also has adopted non-fundamental limitations, set forth below, which in some instances may be more restrictive than their fundamental limitations.

 

NON-FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

 

Each Fund’s investment objective is non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice to the applicable Fund’s shareholders. Each Fund’s 80% Policy may also be changed by the Board without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice to the applicable Fund’s shareholders.

 

Each Fund has adopted the following non-fundamental investment restrictions which may be changed by the Board without the approval of the applicable Fund’s shareholders. Any changes in a Fund’s non-fundamental limitations will be communicated to the Fund’s shareholders prior to effectiveness. Each Fund:

 

 

29 
 
(1) May not pledge, mortgage or hypothecate assets, except to secure temporary borrowings permitted by the Fund’s fundamental limitation, in aggregate amounts not to exceed 15% of total assets taken at current value at the time of the incidence of such loan, except as permitted with respect to securities lending.
(2)With respect to the Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF only, will invest at least 80% of its total net assets in securities of U.S. companies and/or the U.S. government, or in other investment companies that principally invest in such securities.
(3) With respect to the Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF only, will invest at least 80% of its total net assets), directly or indirectly through mutual funds and ETFs, in the equity and fixed income securities of ecologically-focused companies and/or green bonds.

 

If the percentage restriction on the investment or use of assets set forth in the Funds’ Prospectus or this SAI is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentage resulting from changing asset values will not be considered a violation. It is the intention of the Funds, unless otherwise indicated, that with respect to a Fund’s policies that are a result of application of law, the Fund will take advantage of the flexibility provided by rules or interpretations of the SEC currently in existence or promulgated in the future, or changes to such laws.

 

MANAGEMENT

Trustees and Officers

The following tables provide information about Board of Trustees and the senior officers of the Trust. Each of the Trustees is deemed to be an Independent Trustee of the Trust. Each Trustee oversees all portfolios of the Trust and serves for an indefinite term (subject to mandatory retirement provisions). Information about each Trustee is provided below and includes each person’s: name, address, age (as of the date of the Funds’ most recent fiscal year end), present position(s) held with the Trust, principal occupations for the past five years and total compensation received as a Trustee for the most recent fiscal year. Please note that the information consolidates and includes historical information from their service as Trustee or Officer of the Original Trusts. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each person listed below is c/o Strategy Shares, 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743. Unless otherwise noted, each officer is elected annually by the Board. Each Trustee and officer also serves in the same capacity for Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust, another open-end investment company whose series are managed by the Advisor. Collectively, the Trust, Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust, Mutual Fund Series Trust, Variable Insurance Trust, AlphaCentric Prime Meridian Income Fund and the TCG Financial Series Trusts I-X comprise the “Fund Complex”.

Independent Trustees Background

Name, Address and Age

  Position with the Trust   Term of Office and
Length of Time Served*
  Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
  Number of Portfolios in
Fund Complex**
Overseen by Trustee
  Other Directorships
Held by Trustee
30 
 

 

Tobias Caldwell

36 North New York Avenue, Huntington,

NY 11743

Year of Birth: 1967

  Chairman of the Board and Trustee   Since January 2016   Managing Member, Genovese Family Enterprises, LLC (1999 – present) (real estate firm); Managing member, PTL Real Estate, LLC (2000 – present) (real estate/investment firm); Managing member, Bear Properties, LLC (2006 - present) (real estate firm).   55   Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust, (January 2016 –  present); Lead independent trustee and Chairman of the Audit Committee, Mutual Fund Series Trust (2006 – present), Independent Trustee and Chair of Audit Committee, Variable Insurance Trust (2010-present); Trustee, M3Sixty Funds Trust, comprised of 3 funds (2016 –  present); Chairman of the Board, AlphaCentric Prime Meridian Income Fund (July 2018 - present).

                     

Stephen P. Lachenauer

36 North New York Avenue, Huntington,

NY 11743

Year of Birth: 1967

  Trustee and Audit Committee Chairman   Since January 2016   Attorney, private practice. (2011 – present).   16   Chair of the Audit Committee and Trustee, Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust (January 2016 – present); Chairman of the Board, TCG Financial Series Trusts I-X (2015 –  present); Trustee and Chair of the Audit Committee, AlphaCentric Prime Meridian Income Fund (July 2018 – present).
           

Donald McIntosh

36 North New York Avenue, Huntington,

NY 11743

Year of Birth: 1967

  Trustee   Since January 2016   Business Control & Risk Management Advisor, Santander Bank (February 2019  - present); Quality Control Advisor, Santander Bank (July 2016 – January 2019); Credit risk review analyst, Santander Holdings USA (May 2015 – 2016); Governance analyst, Santander Bank (2011 – April 2015).   16   Trustee, Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust (January 2016 – present); Trustee, TCG Financial Series Trusts I-X (2015– present); Trustee, AlphaCentric Prime Meridian Income Fund (July 2018 – present).

 

Note: Donald McIntosh is the brother-in-law of Jerry Szilagyi.
* The term of office of each Trustee is indefinite.
**  The “Fund Complex” includes the Trust, Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust, Mutual Fund Series Trust, Variable Insurance Trust, AlphaCentric Prime Meridian Income Fund and the TCG Financial Series Trusts I-X, each a registered investment company.
31 
 

Officers*

 

Jerry Szilagyi

36 N. New York Avenue

Huntington, NY  11743

Year of Birth:  1962

 

President and Chief Executive Officer

 

Since 3/2016

 

President, Rational Advisors, Inc., 1/2016 – present; Chief Executive Officer, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC, 1/2006 – present; Member, AlphaCentric Advisors LLC, 2/2014 – present; Chief Executive Officer, Alt Fund Distributors LLC, 12/2014 – present; Managing Member, MFund Distributors LLC, 10/2012– present; Managing Member, MFund Services LLC, 1/2012 – present; President, Abbington Capital Group LLC, 1998– present; CEO, Catalyst Capital International, LLC 2017-present; President, USA Mutuals, Inc., 3/2011 – 7/2016; President, Cross Sound LLC, 6/11 – 7/2016.

 

James Szilagyi

36 N. New York Avenue

Huntington, NY  11743

Year of Birth:  1963

 

 

Treasurer

 

 

 

Since 3/2016

 

 

Product Manager, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC, 9/2015 to present; Senior Business Consultant, Fidelity Information Services, 2011 – 9/2015.

 

Frederick J. Schmidt

36 N. New York Avenue

Huntington, NY 11743

Year of Birth: 1959

Chief Compliance Officer Since 3/2016 Director, MFund Services LLC 5/2015 to present; Director & Chief Compliance Officer, Citi Fund Services, 2010 – 2015.

 

Jennifer A. Bailey

36 N. New York Avenue

Huntington, NY

11743

Year of Birth: 1968

 

Secretary

 

Secretary

since 3/2016

 

Director of Legal Services, MFund Services LLC, 2/2012 – present.    

 

 

Michael Schoonover

36 N. New York Avenue

Huntington, NY  11743

Year of Birth: 1983

 

Vice President

 

Since 6/2018

 

Chief Operating Officer, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC & Rational Advisors, Inc., June 2017 – present; Portfolio Manager, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC 12/2013 – present; Portfolio Manager, Rational Advisors, Inc. 1/2016 – 5/2018.

         

 

* Officers do not receive any compensation from the Trust.

Compensation of the Board of Trustees

The Independent Trustees are paid a quarterly retainer, and receive compensation for each committee meeting, telephonic Board meeting, and special in-person Board meeting attended. Officers receive no compensation from the Trust. The Trust reimburses each of the Independent Trustees for travel and other expenses incurred in connection with attendance at such meetings. The Trust has no retirement or pension plans.

The following table describes the compensation paid to the Trustees of the Trust during the most recent fiscal year ended April 30, 2019.

Name of Trustee

  Compensation from the Trust  

Compensation

from the Fund Complex*

Tobias Caldwell   $9,250      $223,1 1 71
Stephen Lachenauer   $9,250     $49,6 17 2
32 
 

 

Donald McIntosh   $6,550   $36,7 1 72

 

* The “Fund Complex” includes the Trust, Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust, Variable Insurance Trust, Mutual Fund Series Trust, AlphaCentric Prime Meridian Income Fund, and the TCG Financial Series Trusts I-X, each a registered investment company.

1 Does not include compensation from TCG Financial Series Trusts I-X, of which he does not serve on the Board.

2 Does not include compensation from Variable Insurance Trust or Mutual Fund Series Trust, of which he does not serve on the Board.

 


TRUSTEES OWNERSHIP OF SHARES IN A FUND AND IN THE FUND COMPLEX AS OF

DECEMBER 31, 2018

 

         

Name of Trustee

 

Dollar Range of Shares Owned

in the Funds

 

Dollar Range of Shares

Owned

in the Fund Complex*

Tobias Caldwell   None   Over $100,0001
     
Stephen Lachenauer   None   None2
     
Donald McIntosh   None   None2
 
*

The “Fund Complex” includes the Trust, Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust, Variable Insurance Trust, Mutual Fund Series Trust, AlphaCentric Prime Meridian Income Fund, and the TCG Financial Series Trusts I-X, each a registered investment company.

1 Does not include ownership of shares in TCG Financial Series Trusts I-X, of which he does not serve on the Board.

2 Does not include ownership of shares in Variable Insurance Trust or Mutual Fund Series Trust, of which he does not serve on the Board.

 

 

None of the Trustees (including their immediate family members) owned beneficially or of record securities of the Advisor, Sub-Advisor or the Distributor or any entity directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Advisor, Sub-Advisor or Distributor.

Qualifications and Experience of the Trustees

The following provides an overview of the considerations that led the Board to conclude that each individual serving as a Trustee of the Trust should so serve. Generally, no one factor was decisive in the original selection of an individual to join the Board. Among the factors the Board considered when concluding that an individual should serve on the Board were the following: (1) the individual’s business and professional experience and accomplishments; (2) the individual’s prior experience serving on the boards of public companies, and other complex enterprises and organizations; and (3) how the individual’s skills, experience, and attributes would contribute to an appropriate mix of relevant skills and experience on the Board.

In respect of each current Trustee, the individual’s substantial professional accomplishments and prior experience, including, in some cases, in fields related to the operations of the Trust, were a significant factor in the determination that the individual should serve as a Trustee of the Trust.

In addition to the information set forth above, the following sets forth additional information about the qualifications and experience of each of the Trustees that lead to the conclusion that each Trustee should serve as Trustee of the Trust.

 

33 
 

Tobias Caldwell

Mr. Caldwell is the manager of a real estate investment firm. Mr. Caldwell has served on the boards of mutual funds for over ten years, including as chair of the audit committee for over ten years. Mr. Caldwell also serves as a Trustee of other registered investment companies in the Fund Complex. His experience in the real estate and investment industries provides the Board with an additional perspective and understanding of investment strategies used by advisors to the funds.

 

Stephen Lachenauer

Mr. Lachenauer has been an attorney in private practice for over six years, providing advice and counsel to small businesses and individuals on business and financial matters. Mr. Lachenauer’s previous experience at large law firms and as an attorney at a large investment bank provides the Board with knowledge of financial and investment regulatory matters.  Mr. Lachenauer also serves as a Trustee of other registered investment companies in the Fund Complex.

 

Donald McIntosh

Mr. McIntosh is a credit risk review analyst for a large international financial services company, and he has many years of credit analysis and loan servicing experience. Mr. McIntosh’s experience in evaluating companies’ financial condition would provide the Board with knowledge about investment strategies used by the advisors of the funds. Mr. McIntosh also serves as a Trustee of other registered investment companies in the Fund Complex.

Board Structure

The Board is responsible for overseeing the management and operations of the Trust. The Board consists of three Independent Trustees. The Chairperson of the Trust, Tobias Caldwell, is an Independent Trustee.

 

The Board holds four regular meetings each year to consider and address matters involving the Funds. The Board also may hold special meetings to address matters arising between regular meetings. In addition, the Independent Trustees regularly meet outside the presence of management and are advised by independent legal counsel. These meetings may take place in-person or by telephone.

The Board reviews its structure regularly and believes that its leadership structure, including being composed entirely of Independent Trustees, coupled with an Independent Chairperson, is appropriate and in the best interests of the Trust, given its specific characteristics. The Board of Trustees also believes its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from Trust management.

When considering potential nominees to fill vacancies on the Board, and as part of its annual self-evaluation, the Board reviews the mix of skills and other relevant experiences of the Trustees.

Committees of the Board of Trustees

The Board has two standing committees, the Audit Committee and the Risk and Compliance Committee.

Audit Committee. The Audit Committee is comprised of each of the Trustees. The primary function of the Audit Committee is to assist the full Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities to the shareholders and the investment community relating to fund accounting, reporting practices and the quality and integrity of the financial reports. To satisfy these responsibilities, the Audit Committee reviews with the independent auditors the audit plan and results and recommendations following independent audits, reviews the performance of the independent auditors and recommends engagement or discharge of the auditors to the full Board, reviews the independence of the independent auditors, reviews the adequacy of the Fund’s internal controls and prepares and submits Committee meeting minutes and supporting documentation to the full Board. The Audit Committee met four times during the fiscal year ended April 30, 2019.

Risk and Compliance Committee. The Risk and Compliance Committee is comprised of each of the Trustees. The Risk and Compliance Committee is responsible for general oversight of the Trust’s compliance

34 
 

with the legal and regulatory requirements of the Trust’s operations. The Risk and Compliance Committee also serves as a means to provide feedback and guidance to the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) and assists the Board in identifying and managing risks. The Risk and Compliance Committee is newly established and met once during the fiscal year ended April 30, 2019.

Board Oversight of Risk

An integral part of the Board’s overall responsibility for overseeing the management and operations of the Trust is the Board’s oversight of the risk management of the Trust’s investment programs and business affairs. The Funds are subject to a number of risks, such as investment risk, valuation risk, risk of operational failure or lack of business continuity, and legal, compliance and regulatory risk. The Funds, the Advisor, and other service providers to the Trust have implemented various processes, procedures, and controls to identify risks to the Funds, to lessen the probability of their occurrence, and to mitigate any adverse effect should they occur. Different processes, procedures, and controls are employed with respect to different types of risks.

The Board exercises oversight of the risk management process through the Audit Committee and through oversight by the Board itself. The Board holds four regular meetings each year to consider and address matters involving the Funds.

In addition to adopting, and periodically reviewing, policies and procedures designed to address risks to the Funds, the Board requires management of the Advisor and the Trust, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”), to report to the Board and the Audit Committee of the Board on a variety of matters, including matters relating to risk management, at regular and special meetings. The Board and the Audit Committee receive regular reports from the Trust’s independent public accountants on internal control and financial reporting matters. On at least a quarterly basis, the Independent Trustees meet with the Trust’s CCO, including outside the presence of management, to discuss issues related to compliance. Furthermore, the Board receives a quarterly report from the Trust’s CCO regarding the operation of the compliance policies and procedures of the Trust and its primary service providers. The Board monitors the Funds’ investment policies and procedures as well as valuation of the Funds’ securities. The Board also receives quarterly reports from the Advisor on the investments and securities trading of the Funds, including their investment performance and asset weightings compared to appropriate benchmarks, as well as reports regarding the valuation of the Funds’ securities. The Board also receives reports from the Trust’s primary service providers regarding their operations as they relate to the Fund.

 

SERVICE PROVIDERS

 

INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES

Investment Advisor

Rational Advisors, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Rational Capital LLC, has been retained by the Trust under a Management Agreement to act as the investment advisor to the Funds, subject to the authority of the Board of Trustees. The Advisor (formerly a wholly owned subsidiary of Huntington National Bank and known as Huntington Asset Advisors, Inc.) was organized under the laws of Ohio in 2001. The Advisor was acquired by Rational Capital LLC on December 31, 2015. The Advisor is under common control with Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC and AlphaCentric Advisors LLC, investment advisors of other funds in the same group of investment companies also known as a “Fund Complex”. The Advisor oversees the day-to-day investment decisions for the Funds and continuously reviews, supervises and administers the Funds’ investment programs. The address of the Advisor is 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743.

 

The Management Agreement provides that the Advisor will provide each Fund with investment advice and supervision and will continuously furnish an investment program for the Fund consistent with the investment objectives and policies of the Fund. The Advisor is responsible for the payment of the salaries and expenses of all of its personnel, office rent and the expenses of providing investment advisory and related clerical expenses.

35 
 

Under the terms of the Management Agreement, the Advisor manages the investment of the assets of the each Fund in conformity with the investment objectives and policies of the Fund. It is the responsibility of the Advisor to make investment decisions for the Fund and to provide continuous supervision of the investment portfolio of the Fund.

For its services under the Management Agreement, the Advisor is paid a monthly management fee at the annual rate of 0.60% of the average daily net assets of each Fund. The Advisor pays expenses incurred by it in connection with acting as advisor, other than costs (including taxes and brokerage commissions, borrowing costs, costs of investing in underlying funds and extraordinary expenses, if any) of securities purchased for the Fund and other expenses paid by the Fund as detailed in the Management Agreement. The Advisor pays for all employees, office space and facilities required by it to provide services under the Management Agreement, except for specific items of expense referred to below.

Except for the expenses described above that have been assumed by the Advisor, all expenses incurred in administration of a Fund will be charged to the Fund, including investment management fees; fees and expenses of the Board of Trustees; interest charges; taxes; brokerage commissions; expenses of valuing assets; expenses of continuing registration and qualification of the Fund and the shares under federal and state law; share issuance expenses; fees and disbursements of independent accountants and legal counsel; fees and expenses of custodians, including sub-custodians and securities depositories, transfer agents and shareholder account servicing organizations; expenses of preparing, printing and mailing prospectuses, reports, proxies, notices and statements sent to shareholders; expenses of shareholder meetings; costs of investing in underlying funds; and insurance premiums. Each Fund is also liable for nonrecurring expenses, including litigation to which it may from time to time be a party. Expenses incurred for the operation of the Fund, including the expenses of communications with its shareholders, are paid by the Fund.

The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its investment advisory fee (based on average daily net assets) and/or reimburse certain operating expenses of each Fund to the extent necessary in order to limit each Fund’s total annual fund operating expenses (but excluding (i) acquired fund fees and expenses; (ii) brokerage commissions and trading costs; (iii) interest (including borrowing costs and overdraft charges), (iv) taxes, (v) short sale dividends and interest expenses, (vi) expense incurred in connection with the Funds' compliance with the liquidity requirements of Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Company Reporting Modernization Rules; and (vii) non-routine or extraordinary expenses, such as regulatory inquiry and litigation expenses) to not more than 0.95% of the average daily net assets of each Fund through August 31, 2020. Under certain conditions, the Advisor may recapture operating expenses waived and/or reimbursed under this agreement for a period of three years after the fees were waived or reimbursed, if the recapture can be achieved within the lesser of the expense limits in effect at the time of such reimbursement and the expense limits in place at the time of the recapture. These Agreements shall terminate automatically upon the termination of the Management Agreement. The Adviser may elect in its discretion to terminate this Agreement for any period following the term period of the Agreement, but no such termination shall affect the obligation (including the amount of the obligation) of the Fund to repay amounts of waived fees or reimbursed expenses with respect to periods prior to such termination.

The Management Agreement with the Funds continues in effect for an initial two year term and then from year to year as long as its continuation is approved at least annually by the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons,” or by the shareholders of the Funds. The Management Agreement may be terminated at any time upon 60 days’ written notice by a Fund or by a majority vote of the outstanding shares or 90 days’ written notice by the Advisor and will terminate automatically upon assignment. A discussion of the matters considered by the Board in connection with the renewal of the Management Agreement is available in the Funds’ Annual Report to Shareholders dated April 30, 2019.

The Management Agreement provides that the Advisor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the performance of its duties, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence on the part of the Advisor in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard of its duties and obligations thereunder.

36 
 

From time to time, the Advisor may use a portion of its reasonable resources and profits to pay for certain administrative services provided by financial institutions for Shares of the Funds.

 

Investment Sub-Advisor

Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC (the “Sub-Advisor”), an investment advisory firm founded in 2012, serves as the “Sub-Advisor” to each Fund under Sub-Advisory Agreements with the Advisor. The Sub-Advisor is located at 155 Lockwood Road, Riverside, CT 06878. The Sub-Advisor is registered as an investment advisor under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The Sub-Advisor is wholly-owned by Matthew B. Tuttle.

 

As compensation for the sub-advisory services it provides to the Fund, the Advisor pays the Sub-Advisor 65% of the net management fees that the Advisor receives from the Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF and 50% of the net management fees that the Advisor receives from the Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF. The fee paid to the Sub-Advisor by the Advisor will be paid from the Advisor’s management fee and is not an additional cost to the Fund. The Sub-Advisory Agreements are effective for an initial two-year period and continue in effect for successive twelve-month periods, provided that the Board of Trustees annually approves the continuance. A discussion regarding the basis of the Trustees’ renewal of the Sub-Advisory agreement between the Advisor and Sub-Advisor is with respect to the Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF is available in the Funds’ Annual Report for the period ended April 30, 2019 and a discussion regarding the basis of the Trustees’ approval of the Sub-Advisory agreement between the Advisor and Strategy Shares with respect to the Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF is available in the Funds’ Semi-Annual Report for the period ended October 31, 2018.

 

INFORMATION REGARDING PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

 

Matthew B. Tuttle is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund.

 

Other Accounts Under Management

As of April 30, 2019, the number of, and total assets in all registered investment companies, other pooled investment vehicles, and other accounts overseen by Mr. Tuttle were as follows:

 

     

Other Accounts Managed

By Matthew B. Tuttle

  Total Number of Other Accounts Managed/
Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies   7 /$292 million
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   0/$0
Other Accounts   1/$1 million

 

Of the accounts above, the following are subject to performance-based fees:

 

     

Other Accounts Managed

By Matthew B. Tuttle

  Total Number of Other Accounts Managed/
Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies   0/$0
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles   0/$0
Other Accounts   0/$0

  

Ownership

 

The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the portfolio manager of each Fund as of April 30, 2019.

 

Matthew Tuttle

 

Name of Fund

Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund
37 
 

 

Strategy Shares U.S. Market Rotation Strategy Fund over $1,000,000
Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF $1–$10,000

Compensation

Mr. Tuttle receives a portion of the overall profits of the Sub-Advisor.

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one fund or other accounts. The management of multiple accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of each account. The management of multiple funds and accounts also may give rise to potential conflicts of interest if the funds and accounts have different objectives, benchmarks, time horizons, and fees as the portfolio manager must allocate his time and investment ideas across multiple funds and accounts.

 

With respect to securities transactions for the Funds, the Advisor or Sub-Advisor determines which broker to use to execute each order, consistent with the duty to seek best execution of the transaction.  The portfolio manager may execute transactions for another fund or account that may adversely impact the value of securities held by the Fund. Securities selected for funds or accounts other than the Fund may outperform the securities selected for the Fund.

 

The appearance of a conflict of interest may arise where the Advisor or Sub-Advisor has an incentive, such as a performance-based management fee. The management of personal accounts may give rise to potential conflicts of interest; there is no assurance that the Fund’s code of ethics will adequately address such conflicts.  One of the portfolio manager's numerous responsibilities is to assist in the sale of Fund shares.  Because the portfolio manager’s compensation is indirectly linked to the sale of Fund shares, they may have an incentive to devote time to marketing efforts designed to increase sales of Fund shares.

 

The Funds have adopted a code of ethics that, among other things, permits personal trading by employees under conditions where it has been determined that such trades would not adversely impact client accounts. Nevertheless, the management of personal accounts may give rise to potential conflicts of interest, and there is no assurance that these codes of ethics will adequately address such conflicts. 

 

The Funds may invest in affiliated funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating a Fund’s assets among the affiliated funds. The Advisor will receive more revenue when it selects an affiliated fund rather than an unaffiliated fund for inclusion in the Fund’s portfolio. This conflict may provide an incentive for the Advisor to invest Fund assets in affiliated funds that perform less well than unaffiliated funds. The Advisor may have an incentive to allocate the Fund’s assets to those affiliated funds for which the net advisory fees payable to the Advisor are higher than the fees payable by other affiliated funds.

 

The Advisor, Sub-Advisor and the Fund have each adopted certain compliance procedures which are designed to address these types of conflicts.  However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.

 

DISTRIBUTION SERVICES

 

Distributor

Foreside Fund Services, LLC, located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101, serves as the distributor (“Distributor”) in connection with the continuous offering of each Fund’s shares. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The Trust offers Shares of the Funds for sale through the Distributor in Creation Units. The Distributor will not accept purchase or sell orders in quantities less than Creation Units.

38 
 

The Distributor will deliver a Prospectus to persons purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of Creation Unit orders placed and confirmations furnished by it. Pursuant to a Distribution Services Agreement, the Adviser pays the Distributor for distribution-related services.

 

Distribution Services Agreement

 

The Distributor has entered into a Distribution Services Agreement with the Advisor pursuant to which it provides the Fund and the Advisor with the distribution support services set forth in a Distribution Agreement between the Fund and the Distributor.

 

Prior to May 1, 2016, SEI Investments Distribution Co. served as the principal underwriter and distributor of the Funds’ shares pursuant to a written agreement. In addition, prior to May 1, 2016, SEI provided various services to the Funds pursuant to a distribution services agreement between the Trust and the Advisor.

 

Rule 12b-1 Plan

The Trust has adopted but has yet to implement a Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan (the “Plan”). Under the Plan, each Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average annual daily net assets for certain distribution-related services.

The Plan is designed to compensate financial intermediaries (including the Advisor, and their affiliates) for activities principally intended to result in the sale of Fund shares such as advertising and marketing of shares (including printing and disseminating prospectuses and sales literature to prospective shareholders and financial intermediaries) and providing incentives to financial intermediaries to sell shares. The Plan is also designed to cover the cost of administrative services performed in conjunction with the sale of shares, including, but not limited to, shareholder services, recordkeeping services, and educational services, as well as the costs of implementing and operating the Plan. In accordance with the Plan, the Distributor may enter into agreements with financial intermediaries and dealers to provide these distribution and distribution-related services with respect to the Funds.

 

The Plan could benefit the Funds by helping the Funds attract and retain assets, thus providing securities and cash for orderly portfolio management. Under the Plan, a Fund may compensate a financial intermediary more or less than its actual marketing and administrative expenses. In no event will a Fund pay for any expenses of a financial intermediary that exceed the maximum Plan fee.

 

No distribution fees are currently charged to any Fund and there are no plans to impose these fees. To the extent that the Plan is implemented in the future, the Prospectus will be updated to reflect the implementation and the implementation will also be disclosed on the Funds’ website. The Board will pre-approve the implementation of the Plan.

FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION, TRANSFER AGENCY, AND FUND ACCOUNTING SERVICES 

 

Pursuant to a Services Agreement with Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc., located at 4400 Easton Commons, Suite 200, Columbus, OH 43219, Citi provides financial administration, transfer agency, and fund accounting services to the Trust. As financial administrator, Citi performs certain services on behalf of the Trust including but not limited to: (1) preparing the Trust’s periodic financial reports on forms prescribed by the SEC and filing those reports with the SEC upon review and approval of the Trust and Trust counsel; (2) calculating Fund expenses and making required disbursements; (3) calculating Fund performance data; and (4) providing certain compliance support services.

 

As fund accountant, Citi maintains certain financial records of the Trust and provides accounting services to each Fund that include the daily calculation of each Fund’s NAV. Citi also performs certain other services on behalf of the Trust including providing financial information for the Trust’s federal and state tax returns and financial reports required to be filed with the SEC. As Transfer Agent, Citi issues shares of a Fund in Creation

39 
 

Units to fill purchase orders for Fund shares, maintains records of the issuance and redemption of each Fund’s shares, and acts as each Fund’s dividend disbursing agent.

 

For the financial administration and fund accounting services provided to the Trust, the Trust has agreed to pay an annual fee equal to 0.04% of the aggregate net assets of the Funds, subject to certain breakpoints and minimum fee requirements.

 

Support Services Agreement. Citi has entered into a Support Services Agreement with the Advisor pursuant to which it prepares and provides facts sheets for each Fund and certain information required by the Advisor to determine each Fund’s Creation Basket and estimated Cash Amount for each Business Day.

  

ADMINISTRATION SERVICES

 

MFund Services LLC (“MFund”), located at 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743, provides the Funds with various legal and administrative services. For these services, the Funds pay MFund an annual asset-based fee equal to 0.03% of the aggregate net assets of the Fund, subject to a breakpoint applied at the Fund family level (i.e., all the Funds in the Trust advised by Rational Advisors, Inc. Each Fund is subject to a $30,000 annual minimum fee).

 

In addition, the Funds reimburse MFund for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in the performance of its duties under the Management Services Agreement. Jerry Szilagyi is the controlling member of MFund Services, the controlling member of Rational Capital LLC, the parent company of the Advisor, and Alt Fund Distributors LLC.

 

Compliance Services. Pursuant to a Compliance Services Agreement, MFund provides chief compliance officer services to the Funds. For these services, the Funds pay MFund a monthly base fee plus an asset-based fee. In addition, the Funds reimburse MFund for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in the performance of its duties under the Services Agreement.

  

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

 

Custodian

 

Pursuant to a Custodial and Agency Services Agreement with the Trust, Citibank, N.A. (“Citibank”), located at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10048 serves as Custodian for each Fund and safeguards and holds the Fund’s cash and securities, settles each Fund’s securities transactions and collects income on Fund investments. Under the agreement, Citibank also : (1) provides data required by the Advisor to determine a Fund’s Creation Basket and estimated Cash Amount for each Business Day (this services is paid for by the Advisor directly pursuant to the Support Services Agreement between Citi and the Advisor (see “Support Services Agreement,” above)); (2) monitors the settlement of securities comprising the Creation Basket and any cash in connection with the purchase and redemption of Creation Units and requests the issuance of related Creation Units; (3) deposits securities comprising the Creation Basket and/or cash received from Authorized Participants in connection with purchases of Creation Units into the applicable Fund’s custody and cash accounts; (4) disburses securities comprising the Creation Basket and/or cash from a Fund’s custody and cash accounts to Authorized Participants in connection with the redemptions of Creation Units; and (5) performs certain other related services, (See “Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units,” below).

 

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

The Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm is Cohen & Company, Ltd., 151 N. Franklin St., Suite 575, Chicago, IL 60606. Shareholders will receive annual financial statements, together with a report of independent accountants, and semiannual unaudited financial statements of the Funds. Cohen & Company,

40 
 

Ltd. will report on the Funds’ annual financial statements, review certain regulatory reports and the Funds’ income tax returns, and perform other professional accounting, auditing, tax and advisory services when engaged to do so by the Funds.

 

Legal Counsel

 

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, 2005 Market Street, Suite 2600, Philadelphia, PA 19103-7018, serves as counsel for the Trust and the Independent Trustees .

Please refer to Appendix 2 for service provider addresses.

 

SUPPLEMENTAL PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

 

Financial intermediaries that promote the sale of Fund shares may be paid fees out of the assets of, the Advisor and their affiliates (but not out of Fund assets).

Financial intermediaries who solicit the sale of Fund shares may receive fees for providing distribution-related, recordkeeping or shareholder services such as sponsoring sales, providing sales literature, conducting training seminars for employees, and engineering sales-related computer software programs and systems. Also, these financial intermediaries may be paid cash or promotional incentives, such as reimbursement of certain expenses relating to attendance at informational meetings about the Funds or other special events at recreational-type facilities, or items of material value. These payments will be based upon the amount of Fund shares the financial intermediary sells or may sell and/or upon the type and nature of sales or marketing support furnished by the financial intermediary.

From time to time, the Advisor, and their affiliates, at their expense, may provide additional compensation to financial intermediaries that sell or arrange for the sale of Fund shares. Such compensation may include financial assistance to financial intermediaries that enable the Advisor, and their affiliates to participate in or present at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited employees, client and investor events and other financial intermediary-sponsored events.

The Advisor, and their affiliates also may hold or sponsor, at their expense, sales events, conferences, and programs for employees or associated persons of financial intermediaries in order to facilitate the sale of Fund shares and may pay the travel and lodging expenses of attendees. The Advisor, and their affiliates also may provide, at their expense, meals and entertainment in conjunction with meetings with these financial intermediaries. Other compensation may be offered to the extent not prohibited by applicable laws, regulations or the rules of any self-regulatory agency, such as FINRA.

 

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS

 

Each Fund only offers and redeems its shares in Creation Units. Each Fund will offer and sell Creation Units through the Distributor on a continuous basis, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees), at the NAV per share next determined after an order in proper form is received by the Distributor. The NAV of each Fund is expected to be determined as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on each Business Day (“NAV Calculation Time”). Each Fund will sell and redeem Creation Units only on a Business Day.

 

The Trust generally does not offer its shares outside of the U.S.

 

IN-KIND TRANSACTIONS - GENERALLY

 

In order to keep costs low and permit each Fund to be as fully invested as possible, shares of a Fund will be purchased and redeemed in Creation Units and generally on an in-kind basis. Accordingly, except where the purchase or redemption will include cash under the limited circumstances described in this SAI (see “Cash Transactions – Generally,” below), investors will be required to purchase Creation Units by making an in-kind

41 
 

deposit of Deposit Instruments, and shareholders redeeming their shares will receive an in-kind transfer of Redemption Instruments. On any given Business Day, the names and quantities of the instruments that constitute the Deposit Instruments and the names and quantities of the instruments that constitute the Redemption Instruments will be identical, and these instruments may be referred to, in the case of either a purchase or a redemption, as the “Creation Basket.” In addition, the Creation Basket will correspond pro rata to the positions in a Funds portfolio (including cash positions), except:[1]

 

  1. in the case of bonds, for minor differences when it is impossible to break up bonds beyond certain minimum sizes needed for transfer and settlement;
  2. for minor differences when rounding is necessary to eliminate fractional shares or lots that are not tradable round lots;[2] or
  3. positions that cannot be transferred in kind will be excluded from the Creation Basket.[3]

 

If there is a difference between the NAV attributable to a Creation Unit and the aggregate market value of the Creation Basket exchanged for the Creation Unit (the “Difference”), the party conveying instruments with the lower value will also pay to the other cash equal in value to the Difference.

 

Each Business Day, before the open of trading on the Exchange (ordinarily 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time), each Fund will cause to be published through the NSCC the names and quantities of the instruments comprising the Creation Basket (based on Fund portfolio information as of the end of the prior Business Day), as well as the estimated Cash Amount (if any, effective through and including the previous Business Day), for that day. The published Creation Basket will apply until a new Creation Basket is announced on the following Business Day, and there will be no intra-day changes to the Creation Basket except to correct error(s) in the Creation Basket discovered after publication through the NSCC.

 

CASH TRANSACTIONS – GENERALLY

 

Purchases and redemptions of Creation Units may be made in whole or in part on a cash basis, rather than in kind, solely under the following circumstances:

  1. to the extent there is a Cash Amount;
  2. if, on a given Business Day, a Fund announces before the open of trading that all purchases, all redemptions, or all purchases and redemptions on that day will be made entirely in cash;
  3. if, upon receiving a purchase or redemption order from an Authorized Participant, a Fund determines to require the purchase or redemption, as applicable, to be made entirely in cash;[4]
  4. if, on a given Business Day, a Fund requires all Authorized Participants purchasing or redeeming Fund shares on that day to deposit or receive (as applicable) cash in lieu of some or all of the Deposit Instruments or Redemption Instruments, respectively, solely because: (i) such instruments are not eligible for transfer through either the Clearing Process (defined below) or DTC Process; or (ii) in the case of a Fund holding foreign instruments, such instruments are not eligible for trading due to local trading restrictions, local restrictions on securities transfers or other similar circumstances; or

[1] The portfolio used for this purpose will be the same portfolio used to calculate the Fund’s NAV for that Business Day.

[2] A tradable round lot for a security will be the standard unit of trading in that particular type of security in its primary market.

[3] This includes instruments that can be transferred in kind only with the consent of the counterparty to the extent the Fund does not intend to seek such consents.

[4] In determining whether a particular Fund will sell or redeem Creation Units entirely on a cash or in-kind basis (whether for a given day or a given order), the key consideration will be the benefit that would accrue to the Fund and its investors. For instance, in bond transactions, the Advisor may be able to obtain better execution than Share purchasers because of the Advisor’s size, experience and potentially stronger relationships in the fixed income markets. Purchases of Creation Units either on an all cash basis or in-kind are expected to be neutral to the Funds from a tax perspective. In contrast, cash redemptions typically require selling portfolio holdings, which may result in adverse tax consequences for the remaining Fund shareholders that would not occur with an in-kind redemption. As a result, tax considerations may warrant in-kind redemptions.

42 
 
  1. if a Fund permits an Authorized Participant to deposit or receive (as applicable) cash in lieu of some or all of the Deposit Instruments or Redemption Instruments, respectively, solely because: (i) such instruments are, in the case of the purchase of a Creation Unit, not available in sufficient quantity; (ii) such instruments are not eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant or the investor on whose behalf the Authorized Participant is acting; or (iii) a holder of shares of a Fund holding foreign instruments would be subject to unfavorable income tax treatment if the holder receives redemption proceeds in kind.[5]

 

PROCEDURES FOR PURCHASE OF CREATION UNITS

 

All orders to purchase Creation Units must be placed with the Distributor by or through an Authorized Participant. An Authorized Participant is a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (“Clearing Process”) or a DTC Participant and in each case, must have an executed agreement with the Distributor with respect to the creations and redemption of a Fund’s Creation Units (“Participant Agreement”). The Participant Agreement must also be accepted by the Custodian.

 

An investor does not have to be an Authorized Participant, but must place an order to purchase or redeem Creation Units through an Authorized Participant. All shares of each Fund purchased through the creation process will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of Cede & Co. for the account of the applicable DTC Participant.

 

There may be a limited number of Authorized Participants at any one point in time and only certain of these entities may be eligible to purchase and transmit non-U.S. instruments comprising a Creation Basket. To the extent that your financial institution is not an Authorized Participant, you may have to purchase Creation Units directly through an Authorized Participant or indirectly through your financial institution. If you opt to purchase Creation Units indirectly through your financial institution, you may incur additional transaction fees.

 

An order to purchase Creation Units of a Fund must be transmitted to the Distributor on a Business Day and received in proper form no later than the NAV Calculation Time (no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, for Custom Orders if required by the Distributor) in order for the purchase order to be processed at the NAV of the Fund’s shares calculated on the date of transmittal (“Transmittal Date”). An order to purchase a Fund’s Creation Units is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. On Business Days that the Exchange closes early, a Fund may require an order for the purchase of Creation Units to be submitted earlier during the day. An Authorized Participant must deliver a Custom Order to the Distributor sufficiently in advance of the NAV Calculation Time in order to help ensure that the order is effected at the NAV calculated on that date.

 

Orders must be transmitted by the Authorized Participant to the Distributor by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to the procedures set forth in the applicable Participant Agreement. All orders to purchase Creation Units must be submitted consistent with the processing requirements set forth in the applicable Participant Agreement (see “Placement of Creation Orders Outside the Clearing Process” and “Placement of Creation Orders Using the Clearing Process,” below).

 

An investor must place orders to purchase a Fund’s Creation Units in the form required by the Authorized Participant. An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the placement of an order to purchase a Fund’s shares (e.g. to provide for payments of cash, when required).


[5] A custom order” is any purchase or redemption of Shares made in whole or in part on a cash basis in reliance on items (5)(i) or (5)(ii).

43 
 

 

Severe economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant. If an investor is submitting an order to purchase Creation Units through an Authorized Participant, the investor should ensure that an appropriate amount of time is provided for submission of such order by the Authorized Participant to the Distributor prior to the NAV Calculation Time.

 

All questions as to the composition of Deposit Instruments and the amount of any cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The Authorized Participant shall be solely responsible for any loss, liability, cost, and expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) incurred by a Fund or the Distributor related to the cancellation of an order to purchase or redeem Creation Units.

 

Placement of Purchase Orders Outside the Clearing Process

 

To settle a purchase order outside the Clearing Process, the Authorized Participant must instruct the transfer of the relevant Deposit Instruments and/ or any applicable cash in a timely fashion so as to ensure the timely delivery of the Deposit Instruments and/or any cash on the Settlement Date. The “Settlement Date” for each Fund is generally the second Business Day after an order to purchase or redeem shares is received by the Distributor.

 

A purchase order shall be deemed received on the Transmittal Date if the order is received by the Distributor in proper form no later than the NAV Calculation Time on the Transmittal Date (no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, for Custom Orders if required by the Distributor). Purchase orders received on the Transmittal Date will be processed at the NAV calculated on the Transmittal Date.

 

The delivery of any Deposit Instruments must be made by 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the Settlement Date. Any cash, including the applicable transaction fee (see “Transaction Fees on Purchases of Creation Units,” below), shall be payable by 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the Settlement Date. If the Custodian does not receive the Deposit Instruments and/or the applicable cash by the designated times on the Settlement Date, the purchase order may be cancelled. A canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day based on the Creation Basket and estimated Cash Amount for that Business Day. The delivery of Creation Units will take place no later than the Settlement Date.

 

Generally, an Authorized Participant shall deliver cash and any Deposit Instruments that are U.S. government or U.S. government agency securities to the applicable Fund through the Federal Reserve System. An Authorized Participant may deliver Deposit Instruments that are DTC eligible domestic equity or fixed income securities through the DTC manual clearing process (“DTC Process”). Shares of each Fund shall settle and clear through the DTC Process. The DTC Process involves the manual line-by-line transfer of multiple securities. Because the DTC Process involves the movement of multiple securities while the Clearing Process (see below) involves the movement of one unitary basket that automatically processes the movement of numerous securities, the DTC will charge a Fund more than the NSCC to settle a purchase of Creation Units.

 

Foreign securities cannot currently be processed through either the Clearing Process or the DTC Process. With respect to foreign Deposit Instruments, once a purchase order for Creation Units has been placed with the Distributor, the Distributor will inform the Advisor and the Custodian. The Custodian will then inform the appropriate sub-custodians, as applicable. The Authorized Participant must then timely deliver the relevant Deposit Instruments and/or any cash, including the transaction fee, to the applicable Fund’s account maintained with the relevant local custodian(s) by the Settlement Date. If applicable, the sub-custodians will confirm to the Custodian that the Deposit Instruments and/or any applicable cash have been delivered, and the Custodian will notify the Advisor of the same.

 

After the Distributor has receive a purchase order and the Custodian has received delivery of the Deposit Instruments and/or any applicable cash, including the transaction fee, delivery of the appropriate number of Fund shares will be made to the book-entry account designated by the Authorized Participant. Except as

44 
 

provided herein, a Creation Unit of a Fund will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of any Deposit Instruments has been completed and/or the applicable cash has been received.

 

Placement of Purchase Orders Using the Clearing Process

 

Authorized Participants that are CNS Participants will be able to use the Clearing Process to purchase a Fund’s Creation Units when Deposit Instruments are limited to DTC eligible domestic equity and fixed income securities and a Cash Amount or an all-cash payment. Under certain circumstances, a CNS Participant that tenders a Custom Order to purchase a Fund’s Creation Units will be required to process the order outside the Clearing Process because the Clearing Process can only handle non-conforming deposits in specified situations. Additionally, Creation Units created in advance of receipt by the Custodian of all or a portion of the Deposit Instruments must be processed outside the Clearing Process (see “Additional Purchase Procedures,” below).

 

The Clearing System has been specifically enhanced to effect purchases and redemptions of ETF securities such as each Fund’s shares. The Clearing Process simplifies the settlement and delivery process by transferring a basket of securities between two parties and treating all of the securities that comprise the basket as a single position. By contrast, the DTC Process, which is available to all Authorized Participants, involves a manual line-by-line movement of each security position. To the extent that the Clearing Process is available for use, the Participant Agreement will authorize the Distributor to transmit through the Custodian to the NSCC, on behalf of the CNS Participant, applicable trade instructions as are necessary to effect a purchase order for a Fund’s Creation Units. Pursuant to the trade instruction, the Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the Deposit Instruments and any/or any cash (including the transaction fee) to the applicable Fund, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor.

 

An order to purchase Creation Units through the Clearing Process is deemed received on the Transmittal Date if such order is received by the Distributor in proper form no later than the NAV Calculation Time on the Transmittal Date (no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, for Custom Orders if required by the Distributor). The delivery of any Deposit Instruments must be made by 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the Settlement Date. Any cash, including the applicable transaction fee (see “Transaction Fees on Purchases of Creation Units,” below), shall be payable by 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the Settlement Date. If the Custodian does not receive the Deposit Instruments and/or the applicable cash by the designated times on the Settlement Date, the purchase order may be cancelled. A canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day based on the Creation Basket and estimated Cash Amount for that Business Day. The delivery of Creation Units will take place no later than the Settlement Date.

 

After the Distributor has received a purchase order and the Custodian has received delivery of the Deposit Instruments and/or any applicable cash, including the transaction fee, delivery of the appropriate number of Fund shares will be made to the book-entry account designated by the Authorized Participant. Except as provided herein, a Creation Unit of a Fund will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of any Deposit Instruments has been completed and/or the applicable cash has been received.

 

Rejection of Purchase Orders

 

The Distributor may reject a purchase order for Creation Units if the order is not submitted in proper form consistent with the requirements set forth in the Participant Agreement.

 

The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect to a Fund including, without limitation, if: (1) the order is not in proper form; (2) the securities delivered do not conform with the Deposit Instruments for the relevant date; (3) an investor, upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (4) acceptance of the Deposit Instruments would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (5) the acceptance of the Deposit Instruments and/or any applicable cash would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; (6) the acceptance of the Deposit Instruments and/or any applicable cash would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Advisor have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; (7) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (8) in

45 
 

the event that circumstances outside the control of a Fund, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent, and/or the Advisor make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process creation orders.

 

Examples of such circumstances include natural disasters or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions, and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy, and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent, the DTC, the NSCC, the Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify an Authorized Participant of the rejection of any order. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Deposit Instruments and/or any cash nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, and the Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.

 

Additional Purchase Procedures

 

Creation Units may be issued to an Authorized Participant in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Instruments provided that the Authorized Participant deposits an initial deposit of cash with the Trust having a value greater than the NAV of the requisite Fund shares on the date the order is received. In addition to available Deposit Instruments, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of the Cash Amount plus 115% of the market value of the Deposit Instruments not delivered (“Additional Cash Deposit”).

 

An order will be deemed received on the Transmittal Date if: (1) the order is received by the Distributor in proper form no later than the NAV Calculation Time on that date (no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time if required by the Distributor); and (2) federal funds equal to the sum of the Cash Amount, the Additional Cash Deposit, and the applicable transaction fee are received by the Custodian by 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the Business Day following the Transmittal Date.

 

Pending delivery of the undelivered Deposit Instruments, the Authorized Participant shall be required to deposit additional cash, as needed, to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit at an amount equal to 115% of the value of undelivered Deposit Instruments, which shall be marked to market daily by the applicable Fund until the outstanding securities are received. Under these circumstances, the shares of the applicable Fund shall be delivered no later than the Settlement Date.

 

If an order is not received in proper form by the NAV Calculation Time on the Transmittal Date (no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, if required by the Distributor) or the required cash deposit is not timely received on the Settlement Date by the Custodian, then the order may be cancelled or deemed not received and the Authorized Participant effecting the transaction will be liable to the applicable Fund for any losses resulting therefrom.

 

To the extent that the undelivered Deposit Instruments are not received by 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the Settlement Date, the applicable Fund may utilize the Additional Cash Deposit to buy the missing Deposit Instruments at any time and the Authorized Participant effecting the transaction will be liable to the Fund for the costs incurred by the Fund in connection with such purchases and any shortfall between the cost to the Fund of purchasing such securities and the value of the Additional Cash Deposit. Costs to purchase the outstanding Deposit Instruments shall include, but not be limited to, any applicable transaction fee imposed by the applicable Fund in connection with the purchase of the undelivered Deposit Instruments, the amount by which the actual purchase price of the undelivered Deposit Instruments exceeds the Additional Cash Deposit or the market value of such Deposit Instruments on the day the purchase order was received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The applicable Fund will return the remaining Additional Cash Deposit once the undelivered Deposit Instruments are received by the Custodian or purchased by and deposited into the Fund.

 

The Participant Agreement may contain further information relating to this collateral process.

 

 

46 
 

Transaction Fees on Purchases of Creation Units

 

Each Fund charges a transaction fee to cover the transfer and other transactional costs it incurs to issue Creation Units. A per transaction fee charge will be charged by each Fund (“Standard Charge”), regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased. Each Fund reserves the right to charge additional transactions fees of up to three (3) times the Standard Charge for: (1) purchase orders processed outside the Clearing Process; (2) purchase orders involve cash in lieu amounts; and (3) cash purchases (“Additional Charges”). Each Fund also reserves the right to adjust the Standard Charge and/or the Additional Charges at any time in order to ensure that the Fund is able to continue to recoup the costs it actually incurs to issue Creation Units. Authorized Participants are responsible for paying the costs to transfer Deposit Instruments to the applicable Funds. Authorized Participants may also charge investors a fee to purchase Creation Units on their behalf.

 

The Standard Charge and maximum transaction fee for each Fund are $250 and $1,000, respectively. An investor purchasing Creation Units outside the Clearing Process may be required to pay higher transaction fees than if the purchase is processed through the Clearing Process.

 

Risks of Purchasing Creation Units

 

The proposed method by which a Fund’s Creation Units will be purchased and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of each Fund’s shares may be issued and sold on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of that Fund’s shares may be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer 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 1933 Act.

 

For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units from a Fund, breaks them down into the constituent shares and sells the shares directly to customers. A shareholder may also be deemed to be a statutory underwriter if the shareholder chooses to couple the purchase of a supply of new shares of a Fund with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for the shares.

 

Whether a person is an underwriter depends on all the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities and the examples set forth here are not intended to depict all circumstances under which a shareholder may be deemed to be a statutory underwriter.

 

Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to ordinary secondary market transactions), and thus dealing with a Fund’s shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the 1933 Act, will be unable to rely on the prospectus-delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the 1933 Act.

 

Pursuant to Rule 153 under the 1933 Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the 1933 Act owed to a member of the Exchange in connection with a sale on the Exchange is satisfied by the fact that a Prospectus is available at the Exchange upon request. This prospectus delivery mechanism is only available with respect to transactions on the Exchange.

 

REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS

 

Redemption requests must be placed by or through an Authorized Participant. Shares of a Fund may only be redeemed in Creation Units except upon liquidation of the Fund. To redeem shares with a Fund, an investor must accumulate enough shares of that Fund to constitute one or more Creation Units. An investor may accumulate the shares necessary to comprise a Creation Unit of a Fund on the Exchange. However, there is no assurance that there will be sufficient liquidity in the market to enable the purchase of a sufficient number of shares of a Fund to complete a Creation Unit. An investor should expect to incur brokerage commissions and other costs to purchase the required number of shares to complete a Creation Unit.

 

Creation Units of a Fund may be redeemed on any Business Day at their NAV next calculated after a redemption request in proper form is received by the Distributor. A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed.

47 
 

 

The redemption of a Fund’s Creation Units will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws. An Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer” or “QIB” as such term is defined in Rule 144A of the 1933 Act will not be able to receive Redemption Instruments that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by a Fund to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status in order to receive Redemption Instruments. An Authorized Participant may request a redeeming investor on whose behalf it is acting to enter in to agreements outlining the terms under which cash must be substituted for one or more Redemption Instruments in order to comply with applicable securities laws and other legal restrictions relevant to the investor.

 

All orders to redeem Creation Units of a Fund must be received by the Distributor in proper form no later than the NAV Calculation on a Business Day (no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, for orders involving cash in lieu requests by Authorized Participants if required by the Distributor) in order to receive the NAV calculated on that date (“Transmittal Date”). On Business Days that the Exchange closes early, a Fund may require orders for the redemption of a Creation Unit(s) to be submitted earlier during the day. An Authorized Participant must deliver a Custom Order to the Distributor sufficiently in advance of the NAV Calculation Time in order to help ensure that the order is effected at the NAV calculated on the Transmittal Date.

 

An investor redeeming a Fund’s Creation Units should submit the redemption order in the form required by the Authorized Participant selected to process the transaction. An investor intending to redeem a Fund’s Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit a timely submission of the redemption request to the Distributor and transfer of the Creation Units to the applicable Fund.

 

There may be a limited number of Authorized Participants at any one point in time and only certain of these entities may be eligible to receive foreign securities on your behalf as part of the in-kind redemption process. To the extent that your financial institution is not an Authorized Participant, you may redeem Creation Units directly through an Authorized Participant or indirectly through your financial institution. If you opt to redeem Creation Units indirectly through your financial institution, you may incur additional transaction fees. You should also allow additional time to effect redemptions through your financial intermediary if the financial intermediary is not an Authorized Participant.

 

Although the Settlement Date for the redemption of Fund shares is generally the second Business Day after an order to redeem shares is received by the Distributor, the Settlement Date may be up to seven days after the Transmittal Date.

 

Placement of Redemption Orders Outside the Clearing Process

 

An order to redeem Creation Units is deemed received by the Distributor on the Transmittal Date if: (1) the order is received by the Distributor in proper form no later than the NAV Calculation Time (no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, for orders involving cash in lieu requests by Authorized Participants if required by the Distributor) on the Transmittal Date; (2) the order is accompanied or followed by the delivery of the requisite Creation Units, which delivery must be made through the DTC to the Custodian no later than 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the Settlement Date; and (3) the order is accompanied or followed by the delivery of any Cash Amount and the applicable transaction fee to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve System no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the Settlement Date.

 

After a redemption request is received by the Distributor, the Custodian shall initiate procedures for the transfer of the Redemption Instruments and any Cash Amount, less any transaction fee, which is expected to be delivered by the Settlement Date.

 

The value of the Redemption Instruments and any Cash Amount will be calculated in accordance with the Trust’s procedures for calculation of the applicable Fund’s NAV as summarized in the Prospectus and this SAI. Therefore, if a redemption in proper form is submitted to the Distributor by an Authorized Participant no later than the NAV Calculation Time on the Transmittal Date (no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, for orders involving cash in lieu requests from Authorized Participants if required by the Distributor), and the requisite number of Fund shares are timely delivered to the Custodian no later than 12:00 P.M. on the Settlement Date, then the value of the Redemption Instruments and any Cash Amount will be determined by the Fund

48 
 

Accountant as of the Transmittal Date. If a redemption order is submitted to the Distributor not later than the NAV Calculation Time on the Transmittal Date (no later than to 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, for Custom Orders if required by the Distributor) but either: (1) the requisite number of shares of Fund shares are not timely delivered or (2) the redemption order is not submitted in proper form, then the redemption order will not be deemed received as of the Transmittal Date. In such case, the value of the Redemption Instruments and any Cash Amount will be computed as of the Business Day that an order in proper form is received by the Distributor.

  

Placement of Redemption Orders Using the Clearing Process

 

Shareholders redeeming Creation Units pursuant to Custom Orders may be required to settle their redemptions outside of the Clearing Process. Redemptions of Creation Units in advance of receipt by the Custodian of all applicable Fund shares (see “Additional Redemption Procedures,” below) must be processed outside of the Clearing Process.

 

An order to redeem Creation Units using the Clearing Process is deemed received on the Transmittal Date if such order is received by the Distributor in proper form no later than the NAV Calculation Time on such Transmittal Date. An order deemed received after the NAV Calculation Time on the Transmittal date (after 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, for orders involving cash in lieu requests from Authorized Participants if required by the Distributor) will be effected at the NAV calculated on the next Business Day. The Redemption Instruments and any Cash Amount, less the transaction fee, will be transmitted by the Settlement Date.

 

If a redemption order is submitted to the Distributor not later than the NAV Calculation Time on the Transmittal Date (no later than to 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, for Custom Orders if required by the Distributor) but either: (1) the requisite number of shares of Fund shares are not timely delivered or (2) the redemption order is not submitted in proper form, then the redemption order will not be deemed received as of the Transmittal Date. In such case, the value of the Redemption Instruments and any Cash Amount will be computed as of the Business Day that an order in proper form is received by the Distributor.

 

Additional Redemption Procedures

 

Creations Units may be redeemed in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of applicable Fund shares provided that the Authorized Participant deposits an initial deposit of cash with the Trust in an amount equal to the sum of any Cash Amount plus 115% of the market value of the missing Fund shares not delivered (“Redemption Deposit”).

 

An order will be deemed received on the Transmittal Date if: (1) the Distributor received the order in proper form no later than the NAV Calculation Time on that date (no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, if required by the Distributor); and (2) the federal funds equal to the sum of any Cash Amount, the Redemption Deposit, and the applicable transaction fee are received by the Custodian by 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the Business Day following the Transmittal Date. Pending delivery of the undelivered Fund shares, the Authorized Participant shall be required to deposit additional cash, as needed, to maintain the Redemption Deposit at an amount equal to 115% of the value of undelivered Fund shares, which shall be marked to market daily by the applicable Fund until the outstanding shares are delivered. Under these circumstances, the Redemption Instruments, and any Cash Amount, less the applicable transaction fee, shall be delivered no later than the Settlement Date.

 

If an order is not received in proper form by the NAV Calculation Time on the Transmittal Date (no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, if required by the Distributor) or the required cash deposit is not timely received on the next Business Day following the date the order was received by the Distributor, then the order may be cancelled and deemed not received and the Authorized Participant affecting the transaction will be liable to the applicable Fund for any losses resulting therefrom.

 

To the extent that the undelivered Fund shares are not received by 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, the applicable Fund may use the Redemption Deposit to purchase the undelivered shares at any time and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for the costs incurred by the Fund in connection with such purchases and any shortfall between the cost to the Fund to acquire the shares and the value of the Redemption Deposit. Costs

49 
 

to purchase the outstanding Fund shares shall include, but not be limited to, the amount by which the actual purchase price of the undelivered Fund shares exceeds the Redemption Deposit or the market value of such shares on the day the purchase order was received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The applicable Fund will return the remaining Redemption Deposit once the undelivered shares are received by the Custodian.

 

The Participant Agreement may contain further information relating to this collateral process.

Transaction Fees on Redemptions of Creation Units

 

Each Fund charges a transaction fee to cover the transfer and other transactional costs it incurs to redeem Creation Units. A transaction fee will be charged by each Fund to Authorized Participants per redemption (“Standard Redemption Fee”). Each Fund reserves the right to charge additional transactions fees not to exceed three (3) times the Standard Redemption Fee for: (1) orders processed outside of the Clearing Process; ((2) orders involving cash in lieu amounts; and (3) cash redemptions (“Additional Redemption Charges”). Each Fund also reserves the right to adjust the Standard Charge and/or the Additional Redemption Charges at any time in order to ensure that a Fund is able to continue to recoup the costs it actually incurs to issue Creation Units. Authorized Participants are responsible for paying the costs to transfer the Redemption Instruments from the applicable Fund. Authorized Participants may charge investors a fee to redeem Creation Units on their behalf.

 

The standard transaction fee and maximum transaction fee for each Fund are $250 and $1,000, respectively.

 

Suspension of Redemption Rights

The right of redemption may be suspended with respect to a Fund for: (1) any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holidays); (2) any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) any period which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of Fund shares or determination of the Fund’s NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (4) such other periods as the SEC may permit.

 

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS

 

While changes to a Fund’s investment portfolio will generally be implemented through the issuance and redemption of the Fund’s Creation Units in exchange for a Creation Basket, there may be occasions wherein the Advisor will purchase or sell securities directly on behalf of the Fund. To the extent that a Fund issues or redeems Creation Units partly or solely for cash, the Advisor may have to execute portfolio transactions on behalf of the Fund.

The following brokerage commissions were paid by the Funds for the fiscal years indicated:

 

    Brokerage Commissions Paid
      2017+   2018+ 2019*
             
Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF      $66,211  

 

$256,399

 

$1,353,525

             
Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF      $2,197  

 

$469

 

$304,196

 

 

+ 100% of the brokerage commissions paid by the Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF were paid to Citi. No brokerage commissions paid by the Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF were paid to Citi.

* No brokerage commissions paid by the Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF or Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF were paid to Citi.

50 
 

 

TRADE ALLOCATION

 

Investment decisions for a Fund and other clients of the Advisor are made with a view to achieving their respective investment objectives and after consideration of such factors as their current holdings, availability of cash for investment, and the size of their investments generally.

 

A security may be bought or sold by the Advisor for only one client or in different amounts and at different times for more than one but less than all clients. Likewise, a particular security may be bought for one or more clients when one or more other clients are selling the security. In addition, purchases or sales of the same security may be made for two or more clients of the Advisor on the same day. To the extent that multiple clients are purchasing or selling a specific security at the same time, such transactions will be allocated among the clients in a manner believed by the Advisor to be equitable to each. In some cases, this procedure could have an adverse effect on the price or amount of the securities purchased or sold by a Fund. Purchase and sale orders for a Fund may be combined with those of other clients of the Advisor in the interest of achieving the most favorable net results for the Fund.

 

BROKERAGE ALLOCATION

 

The Advisor may place orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities for a Fund through numerous brokers and dealers. In so doing, it uses its best efforts to obtain for a Fund the best price and execution available. In seeking the best price and execution, the Advisor, having in mind a Fund’s best interests, considers all factors it deems relevant, including, by way of illustration, price, the size of the transaction, the nature of the market for the security, the amount of the commission, the timing of the transaction taking into account market prices and trends, the reputation, experience, and financial stability of the broker-dealer involved, and the quality of service rendered by the broker-dealer in other transactions.

 

Transactions on U.S. stock exchanges and other agency transactions involve the payment by a Fund of negotiated brokerage commissions. Such commissions vary among brokers. Also, a particular broker may charge different commissions according to such factors as the difficulty and size of the transaction. Transactions in foreign securities often involve the payment of fixed brokerage commissions, which are generally higher than those in the U.S. There is generally no stated commission in the case of securities traded in the over-the-counter markets, but the price paid by a Fund usually includes an undisclosed dealer commission or mark-up. Purchases and sales of fixed income securities (for instance, money market instruments and bonds, notes, and bills) usually are principal transactions. In a principal transaction, the party from whom a Fund purchases, or to whom the Fund sells, is acting on its own behalf (and not as the agent of some other party such as its customers). These securities normally are purchased directly from the issuer or from an underwriter or market maker for the securities. The prices of securities purchased from dealers serving as market makers reflect the spread between the bid and asked price. In underwritten offerings, the price paid by a Fund includes a disclosed, fixed commission or discount retained by the underwriter or dealer.

 

SOFT DOLLAR PRACTICES

 

It has for many years been a common practice in the investment advisory business for advisors of investment companies and other institutional investors to receive research, statistical, and quotation services from broker-dealers that execute portfolio transactions for their clients. Consistent with this practice, the Advisor may receive research, statistical, and quotation services from broker-dealers with which it places a Fund’s portfolio transactions. These services, which in some cases may also be purchased for cash, include general economic and security market reviews, industry and company reviews, evaluations of securities, and recommendations as to the purchase and sale of securities. Some of these services are of value to the Advisor and its affiliates in advising various of its clients (including a Fund), although not all of these services are necessarily useful and of value in managing a Fund. The investment advisory fee paid by a Fund to the Advisor is not reduced because the Advisor and its affiliates receive such services.

 

As permitted by Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act and by the Trust’s Investment Advisory Agreement with the Advisor, the Advisor may cause a Fund to pay a broker-dealer that provides the brokerage and research

51 
 

services described above an amount of disclosed commission for effecting a securities transaction for the Fund in excess of the commission which another broker-dealer may charge for effecting that transaction. The Advisor’s authority to cause a Fund to pay any such greater commissions is also subject to such policies as the Trustees may adopt from time to time.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST

 

SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS

 

All shareholders are entitled to one vote for each Fund share held on the record date for any action requiring a vote by the shareholders. Shareholders of the Trust will vote in the aggregate and not by Fund except as otherwise expressly required by law or when the Trustees determine that the matter to be voted upon affects only the interests of the shareholders of a particular Fund.

 

Each share of a Fund represents a pro rata interest in the assets of the Fund. Fund shares have no preemptive, exchange, subscription or conversion rights and there are no restrictions on the transfer of Fund shares. Each Fund share participates pro rata in all dividends and distributions of the Fund and in the net distributable assets upon liquidation.

 

The Trust is not required to hold annual meetings of shareholders for the purpose of electing Trustees except that (1) the Trust is required to hold a shareholder meeting for the election of Trustees at such time as less than a majority of the Trustees holding office have been elected by shareholders and (2) if, as a result of a vacancy on the Board, less than two-thirds of the Trustees holding office have been elected by the shareholders, that vacancy may only be filled by a vote of the shareholders. Except as set forth above, a Trustee may continue to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees.

 

Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate any Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intent to exercise this power, they may do so if the Fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.

 

The rights of shareholders cannot be modified without a majority vote of the Shareholders.

FEES PAID BY THE FUNDS FOR SERVICES

 

Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF

For the fiscal years ended

April 30,

Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF

For the fiscal years ended

April 30,

52 
 

 

  2019 2018 2017   2019 2018 2017  
Advisory Fee Paid

$1,180,277

$342,251

$ 49,768  

$281,452

$49,831

$40,475

 

Advisory Fee Waived/ Reimbursed

$0

$0

$138,423

$(27,013)

$(116,210)

$129,844

 
Recoupment of Advisory Fees Waived/Reimbursed $156,693 $138,423 $0 $0 $0 $0  

Administration Fee Paid to Citi

$75,531

$51,469

$50,287

$45,141

$51,469

$50,287

 

Legal and Administration Fee Paid to MFund Services

$59,945

$30,000

$31,142

 

$30,000

$30,000

$31,320

 

 

Fund Accounting Fee Paid to Citi

$1,183

$1,177

$ 764

 

 

$916

$1,132

$ 965

 

Compliance Services Fees Paid to MFund Services

$17,683

$17,315

$ 15,459

 

$13,243

$11,330

$10,047

 

 

 

  

PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

 

As of August 6, 2019, the Trustees and officers of the Trust in the aggregate owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of beneficial interest of each Fund.

 

From time to time, certain shareholders, including Authorized Participants, may own, of record, beneficially, or both, more than 25% of a Fund’s shares and those shareholders may be able to control the outcome of a shareholder vote. Information is provided below regarding each person who owns of record or is known by the Trust to own beneficially 5% or more of any class of Shares of any Fund.

 

Although the Trust does not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of shares held in the names of the Depository Trust Company (DTC) participants, as of August 6, 2019, the name, address and percentage ownership of each DTC participant that owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund were as follows   :

 

Fund

 

DTC Participant Name

 

Percentage Owned

 
     
Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF Cede & Co., 55 Water Street, 25th Floor New York, NY, 10041 100%
     
Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF  Cede & Co., 55 Water Street, 25th Floor New York, NY, 10041 100%

 

 

 

BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM

 

The information below supplements disclosure in the Prospectus regarding the book entry system. This information should be read in conjunction with the disclosure included in the Prospectus.

 

DTC acts as securities depositary for each Fund’s shares. Shares of each Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Generally, certificates will not be issued for shares.

 

DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that was created to hold securities of the DTC Participants and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the

53 
 

NYSE and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers, and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect Participants”).

 

Beneficial ownership of each Fund’s shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in a Fund’s shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of a Fund’s shares. The Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of each Fund’s shares for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of a Fund’s shares are not entitled to have Fund shares registered in their names, and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of share certificates. Each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of a Fund’s shares.

 

Conveyance of all notices, statements, and other communications to Beneficial Owners is affected as follows. DTC will make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee a listing of each Fund’s shares held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall obtain from each such DTC Participant the number of Beneficial Owners holding each Fund’s 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 Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

 

Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of each Fund’s shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in a Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of a Fund’s 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 a Fund’s 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 determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to any Fund at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Fund and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, a Fund shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of the Fund’s shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange. The DTC Participants’ rules and policies are made publicly available through its website at www.dtcc.com.

 

VOTING PROXIES OF FUND PORTFOLIO SECURITIES

The Board of Trustees of the Trust has delegated responsibilities for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Funds to the Advisor. The Advisor may further delegate such proxy voting to a sub-advisor or a third party proxy voting service provider. The Advisor will vote such proxies in accordance with their proxy policies and procedures. In some instances, the Advisor may be asked to cast a proxy vote that presents a conflict between its interests and the interests of a Fund’s shareholders. In such a case, the Trust’s

54 
 

policy requires that the Advisor abstain from making a voting decision and to forward all necessary proxy voting materials to the Trust to enable the Board of Trustees to make a voting decision. When the Board of Trustees of the Trust is required to make a proxy voting decision, only the Trustees without a conflict of interest with regard to the security in question or the matter to be voted upon shall be permitted to participate in the decision of how the Fund’s vote will be cast. The Advisor has developed a detailed proxy voting policy that has been approved by the Board of Trustees. Copies of the Advisor’s proxy voting policy is attached hereto as Appendix 3.

Information on how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities is available without charge, upon request, by calling (855) 4SS-ETFS or (855) 477-3837 or on the SEC's Internet site at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Funds' proxy voting policies and procedures is also available by calling (855) 4SS-ETFS or (855) 477-38378 and will be sent within three business days of receipt of a request.

 

 

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE PRACTICES

 

The disclosure policy of the Funds and the Advisor generally prohibits the disclosure of portfolio holdings information to any investor or third party before the same information is made publicly available. Employees of the Advisor or their affiliates have ongoing access to nonpublic information concerning the Funds’ portfolio holdings and are prohibited from trading securities on the basis of this information. Such persons must report all personal securities trades and obtain pre-clearance for certain personal securities trades.

 

Firms that provide administration, custody, financial, accounting, legal, or other services to the Funds may receive nonpublic information about the Funds’ portfolio holdings for purposes relating to their services. Service providers are subject to a duty of confidentiality whether by contract, internal policies or procedures, and/or pursuant to the requirements of a professional code.

 

No consideration may be received by a Fund, the Advisor, or any other person in connection with the disclosure of portfolio information.

 

The Board exercises oversight of the disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings by: (1) overseeing the implementation and enforcement of the policy, the Trust’s Code of Ethics and other relevant policies and procedures of the Trust and its service providers by the CCO; (2) considering reports and recommendations by the CCO concerning material compliance matters (as defined in Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act); and (3) considering proposed amendments to this policy. The Board also receives and reviews periodically and at least annually a list of the persons who receive nonpublic portfolio holdings information and the purposes for which it is furnished.

 

Consistent with the portfolio holdings disclosure policy adopted by the Board, a Fund publicly discloses on each Business Day and on the Trust’s website, the identities and quantities of its portfolio securities that will form the basis for the Fund’s calculation of NAV at the end of that Business Day. Consistent with this policy, a Fund also discloses through the NSCC and prior to the opening of the Exchange on each Business Day, the name and quantity of each security comprising the Creation Basket to be deposited with or delivered by each Fund in connection with in-kind purchases and redemptions of Creation Units.

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

The Trust, the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor and the Distributor have adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1(c) of the 1940 Act.  The purpose of each code is to avoid potential conflicts of interest and to prevent fraud, deception or misconduct with respect to the Funds.  Such codes of ethics permit personnel covered by the codes to invest in securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds, subject to the restrictions of the codes. The codes are filed as exhibits to the Trust’s registration statement.

  

TRUST EXPENSES

 

The Trust’s service providers bear all expenses in connection with the performance of their respective services, except that each Fund will bear the following expenses relating to its operations: taxes, interest, brokerage fees

55 
 

and commissions, if any, fees and travel expenses of the Trustees, SEC fees and state fees and expenses, certain insurance premiums, outside and, to the extent authorized by the Trust, inside auditing and legal fees and expenses, fees charged by rating agencies in having a Fund’s shares rated, advisory and administration fees, fees and reasonable out-of-pocket expenses of the Custodian, fund accountant, and Transfer Agent, expenses incurred for pricing securities owned by a Fund, costs of maintenance of corporate existence, typesetting and printing prospectuses for regulatory purposes and for distribution to current shareholders, costs and expenses of shareholders and Trustee reports and meetings, and any extraordinary expenses.

 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

 

The portfolio turnover rate of a Fund is defined by the SEC as the ratio of the lesser of annual sales or purchases to the monthly average value of the portfolio, excluding from both the numerator and the denominator securities with maturities at the time of acquisition of one year or less. Portfolio turnover generally involves some expense to a Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transactions costs on the sale of securities and reinvestment in other securities.

For the fiscal years ended April 30, 2019, and 2018, the portfolio turnover rates for each of the Funds were as follows:  

     
Fund                                                                       2019 2018
Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF   3,537% 1,989%
Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF                                                   3,099% 16%

 

 

The increase in the portfolio turnover rate of Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF is attributable to extremely volatile markets resulting in an acceleration of the Fund’s investment model. The increase in the portfolio turnover rate of Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF is attributable to the change to a more actively managed strategy.

  

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

 

Each Fund calculates its NAV per share as of the close of the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on each Business Day. The NAV per share is calculated by dividing the value of the net assets of a Fund (e.g. value of total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of shares outstanding.

 

To calculate each Fund’s NAV per share, the Trust follows valuation procedures approved by the Board. Pursuant to these procedures, the Trust relies on certain security pricing services to provide current market values for each Fund’s portfolio securities. These security pricing services value equity securities (including foreign equity securities) traded on a securities exchange at the last reported sales price on the principal exchange. Equity securities quoted by NASDAQ are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. If there is no reported sale on the principal exchange and in the case of over-the-counter securities, equity securities are valued at a bid price estimated by the security pricing service. Debt securities traded on a national securities exchange or in the over the-counter market are valued at the last reported sales price on the principal exchange. If there is no reported sale on the principal exchange, and for all other debt securities, including zero-coupon securities, debt securities are valued at a bid price estimated by the security pricing service. Foreign securities quoted in foreign currencies are translated in U.S. dollars at the foreign exchange rate in effect as of the close of the Exchange (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on the day the value of the foreign security is determined.

 

Options contracts are generally valued at the mean of the bid and asked price as reported on the highest-volume exchange (in terms of the number of option contracts traded for that issue) on which such options are traded. Short-term investments with remaining maturities of 60 days or less at the time of purchase may be valued at amortized cost. Investments in other open-end investment companies are valued at NAV (except ETFs which are valued consistent with the pricing process for equity securities). In certain limited circumstances such as when a security’s closing price versus the prior day’s closing price exceeds a defined variance tolerance, or when a security’s closing price is unchanged as compared to the prior day’s closing

56 
 

price, a financial intermediary’s good faith determination of the fair value of a security or option may be used instead of its current market value, even if the security’s market price is readily available.

 

In cases where market prices for portfolio securities are not readily available, a Pricing Committee established and appointed by the Trustees determines in good faith, subject to Trust procedures, the fair value of portfolio securities held by a Fund.

 

TAXES 

 

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

This “Taxes” section is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and applicable regulations in effect on the date of this SAI. Future legislative, regulatory or administrative changes, including provisions of current law that sunset and thereafter no longer apply, or court decisions may significantly change the tax rules applicable to the Fund and its shareholders. Any of these changes or court decisions may have a retroactive effect.

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

Taxation of the Fund

The Fund is a Separate Corporation. The Fund is treated as a separate corporation for federal income tax purposes. Losses in one Fund do not offset gains in another Fund and the requirements (other than certain organizational requirements) for qualifying for regulated investment company status as described below are determined at the Fund level rather than the Trust level.

Election to be Taxed as a Regulated Investment Company. The Fund has elected and intends to qualify, or, if newly organized, intends to elect and qualify, each year as a regulated investment company (sometimes referred to as a “regulated investment company,” “RIC” or “fund”) under Subchapter M of the Code. If the Fund so qualifies, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its investment company taxable income (that is, generally, taxable interest, dividends, net short-term capital gains, and other taxable ordinary income, net of expenses, without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (that is, the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that it distributes to shareholders.

In order to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, the Fund must satisfy the following requirements:

  • Distribution Requirement —the Fund must distribute an amount equal to the sum of at least 90% of its investment company taxable income and 90% of its net tax-exempt income, if any, for the tax year (including, for purposes of satisfying this distribution requirement, certain distributions made by the Fund after the close of its taxable year that are treated as made during such taxable year).
  • Income Requirement —the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived from its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from qualified publicly traded partnerships (“QPTPs”).
57 
 
  • Asset Diversification Test —the Fund must satisfy the following asset diversification test at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s tax year: (1) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and securities of other issuers (as to which the Fund has not invested more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets in securities of an issuer and as to which the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer); and (2) no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies) or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or, in the securities of one or more QPTPs.

In some circumstances, the character and timing of income realized by the Fund for purposes of the Income Requirement or the identification of the issuer for purposes of the Asset Diversification Test is uncertain under current law with respect to a particular investment, and an adverse determination or future guidance by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) with respect to such type of investment may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to satisfy these requirements. See, “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions” below with respect to the application of these requirements to certain types of investments. In other circumstances, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio holdings in order to meet the Income Requirement, Distribution Requirement, or Asset Diversification Test, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s income and performance.

If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) would be subject to tax at the corporate income tax rate without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders, and the dividends would be taxable to the shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would thus have a negative impact on the Fund’s income and performance. Subject to savings provisions for certain failures to satisfy the Income Requirement or Asset Diversification Test, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, it is possible that the Fund will not qualify as a regulated investment company in any given tax year. Even if such savings provisions apply, the Fund may be subject to a monetary sanction of $50,000 or more. Moreover, the Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company if it determines such a course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.

Portfolio Turnover. For investors that hold their Fund Shares in a taxable account, a high portfolio turnover rate may result in higher taxes. This is because a fund with a high turnover rate is likely to accelerate the recognition of capital gains and more of such gains are likely to be taxable as short-term rather than long-term capital gains in contrast to a comparable fund with a low turnover rate. Any such higher taxes would reduce the Fund’s after-tax performance. See, “Taxation of Fund Distributions - Distributions of Capital Gains” below. For non-U.S. investors, any such acceleration of the recognition of capital gains that results in more short-term and less long-term capital gains being recognized by the Fund may cause such investors to be subject to increased U.S. withholding taxes. See, “Non-U.S. Investors – Capital Gain Dividends” and “–Interest-Related Dividends and Short-Term Capital Gain Dividends” below.

Capital Loss Carryovers. The capital losses of the Fund, if any, do not flow through to shareholders. Rather, the Fund may use its capital losses, subject to applicable limitations, to offset its capital gains without being required to pay taxes on or distribute to shareholders such gains that are offset by the losses. Rules similar to those that apply to capital loss carryovers of individuals apply to RICs. Thus, if the Fund has a “net capital loss” (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains), the excess (if any) of the Fund’s net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund’s net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year. Any such net capital losses of the Fund that are not used to offset capital gains may be carried forward

58 
 

indefinitely to reduce any future capital gains realized by the Fund in succeeding taxable years. The amount of capital losses that can be carried forward and used in any single year is subject to an annual limitation if there is a more than 50% “change in ownership” of the Fund. An ownership change generally results when shareholders owning 5% or more of the Fund increase their aggregate holdings by more than 50% over a three-year lookback period. An ownership change could result in capital loss carryovers being used at a slower rate, thereby reducing the Fund’s ability to offset capital gains with those losses. An increase in the amount of taxable gains distributed to the Fund’s shareholders could result from an ownership change. The Fund undertakes no obligation to avoid or prevent an ownership change, which can occur in the normal course of shareholder purchases and redemptions or as a result of engaging in a tax-free reorganization with another fund. Moreover, because of circumstances beyond the Fund’s control, there can be no assurance that the Fund will not experience, or has not already experienced, an ownership change. Additionally, if the Fund engages in a tax-free reorganization with another fund, the effect of these and other rules not discussed herein may be to disallow or postpone the use by the Fund of its capital loss carryovers (including any current year losses and built-in losses when realized) to offset its own gains or those of the other fund, or vice versa, thereby reducing the tax benefits Fund shareholders would otherwise have enjoyed from use of such capital loss carryovers.

Deferral of Late Year Losses. The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year (see, “Taxation of Fund Distributions—Distributions of capital gains” below). A “qualified late year loss” includes:

(i) any net capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, or, if there is no such loss, any net long-term capital loss or any net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (“post-October capital losses”), and
(ii) the sum of (1) the excess, if any, of (a) specified losses incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, over (b) specified gains incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year and (2) the excess, if any, of (a) ordinary losses incurred after December 31 of the current taxable year, over (b) the ordinary income incurred after December 31 of the current taxable year.

 

The terms “specified losses” and “specified gains” mean ordinary losses and gains from the sale, exchange, or other disposition of property (including the termination of a position with respect to such property), foreign currency losses and gains, and losses and gains resulting from holding stock in a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) for which a mark-to-market election is in effect. The terms “ordinary losses” and “ordinary income” mean other ordinary losses and income that are not described in the preceding sentence. 

Undistributed Capital Gains. The Fund may retain or distribute to shareholders its net capital gain for each taxable year. The Fund currently intends to distribute net capital gains. If the Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, the Fund will be taxed thereon (except to the extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the corporate income tax rate. If the Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, it is expected that the Fund also will elect to have shareholders treated as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, will receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain, and will increase the tax basis for its Shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.

Federal Excise Tax. To avoid a 4% non-deductible excise tax, the Fund must distribute by December 31 of each year an amount equal to at least: (1) 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of capital gain net income (that is, the excess of the gains from sales or exchanges of capital assets over the losses from such sales or exchanges) for the one-year period ended on October 31 of such calendar year, and (3) any prior year undistributed ordinary income and capital gain net income. The Fund may elect to defer to the

59 
 

following year any net ordinary loss incurred for the portion of the calendar year which is after the beginning of the Fund’s taxable year. Also, the Fund will defer any “specified gain” or “specified loss” which would be properly taken into account for the portion of the calendar year after October 31. Any net ordinary loss, specified gain, or specified loss deferred shall be treated as arising on January 1 of the following calendar year. Generally, the Fund intends to make sufficient distributions prior to the end of each calendar year to avoid any material liability for federal income and excise tax, but can give no assurances that all or a portion of such liability will be avoided. In addition, under certain circumstances, temporary timing or permanent differences in the realization of income and expense for book and tax purposes can result in the Fund having to pay an excise tax.

Foreign income tax. Investment income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income tax withheld at the source and the amount of tax withheld generally will be treated as an expense of the Fund. The U.S. has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries that entitle the Fund to a reduced rate of, or exemption from, tax on such income. Some countries require the filing of a tax reclaim or other forms to receive the benefit of the reduced tax rate; whether or when the Fund will receive the tax reclaim is within the control of the individual country. Information required on these forms may not be available such as shareholder information; therefore, the Fund may not receive the reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries have conflicting and changing instructions and restrictive timing requirements which may cause the Fund not to receive the reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries may subject capital gains realized by the Fund on sale or disposition of securities of that country to taxation. It is impossible to determine the effective rate of foreign tax in advance since the amount of the Fund's assets to be invested in various countries is not known.

Purchase of Shares. As a result of tax requirements, the Trust on behalf of the Fund has the right to reject an order to purchase Shares if the purchaser (or group of purchasers acting in concert with each other) would, upon obtaining the Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to Sections 351 and 362 of the Code, the 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.

Taxation of Fund Distributions

The Fund anticipates distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain for each taxable year. Distributions by the Fund will be treated in the manner described below regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or reinvested in additional Shares of the Fund (or of another fund). You will receive information annually as to the federal income tax consequences of distributions made (or deemed made) during the year.

Distributions of Net Investment Income. The Fund receives ordinary income generally in the form of dividends and/or interest on its investments. The Fund may also recognize ordinary income from other sources, including, but not limited to, certain gains on foreign currency-related transactions. This income, less expenses incurred in the operation of the Fund, constitutes the Fund’s net investment income from which dividends may be paid to you. If you are a taxable investor, distributions of net investment income generally are taxable as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s earnings and profits. See the discussion below under the headings, “–Qualified Dividend Income for Individuals” and “– Dividends-Received Deduction for Corporations”

Distributions of Capital Gains. The Fund may derive capital gain and loss in connection with sales or other dispositions of its portfolio securities. Distributions derived from the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss will be taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions paid from the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long you have held your Shares in the Fund. Any net short-term or long-term capital gain

60 
 

realized by the Fund (net of any capital loss carryovers) generally will be distributed once each year and may be distributed more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund.

Returns of Capital. Distributions by the Fund that are not paid from earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of (and in reduction of) the shareholder’s tax basis in his Shares; any excess will be treated as gain from the sale of his Shares. Thus, the portion of a distribution that constitutes a return of capital will decrease the shareholder’s tax basis in his Fund Shares (but not below zero), and will result in an increase in the amount of gain (or decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the shareholder for tax purposes on the later sale of such Fund Shares. Return of capital distributions can occur for a number of reasons including, among others, the Fund over-estimates the income to be received from certain investments such as those classified as partnerships or equity real estate investment trusts (“REITs”).

Qualified Dividend Income for Individuals. Ordinary income dividends reported as derived from qualified dividend income will be taxed in the hands of individuals and other noncorporate shareholders at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain. “Qualified dividend income” means dividends paid to the Fund (a) by domestic corporations, (b) by foreign corporations that are either (i) incorporated in a possession of the United States, or (ii) are eligible for benefits under certain income tax treaties with the United States that include an exchange of information program, or (c) with respect to stock of a foreign corporation that is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Both the Fund and the investor must meet certain holding period requirements to qualify Fund dividends for this treatment. Specifically, the Fund must hold the stock for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the stock becomes ex-dividend. Similarly, investors must hold their Fund Shares for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the Fund distribution goes ex-dividend. Income derived from investments in derivatives, fixed-income securities, U.S. REITs, PFICs, and income received “in lieu of” dividends in a securities lending transaction generally is not eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income. If the qualifying dividend income received by the Fund is equal to or greater than 95% of the Fund’s gross income (exclusive of net capital gain) in any taxable year, all of the ordinary income dividends paid by the Fund will be qualifying dividend income.

Dividends-Received Deduction for Corporations. For corporate shareholders, a portion of the dividends paid by the Fund may qualify for the 50% corporate dividends-received deduction. The portion of dividends paid by the Fund that so qualifies will be reported by the Fund each year and cannot exceed the gross amount of dividends received by the Fund from domestic (U.S.) corporations. The availability of the dividends-received deduction is subject to certain holding period and debt financing restrictions that apply to both the Fund and the investor. Specifically, the amount that the Fund may report as eligible for the dividends-received deduction will be reduced or eliminated if the Shares on which the dividends earned by the Fund were debt-financed or held by the Fund for less than a minimum period of time, generally 46 days during a 91-day period beginning 45 days before the stock becomes ex-dividend. Similarly, if your Fund Shares are debt-financed or held by you for less than a 46-day period then the dividends-received deduction for Fund dividends on your Shares may also be reduced or eliminated. Even if reported as dividends eligible for the dividends-received deduction, all dividends (including any deducted portion) must be included in your alternative minimum taxable income calculation. (Under 2017 legislation commonly known as the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act”, corporations are no longer subject to the alternative minimum tax for taxable years of the corporation beginning after December 31, 2017.) Income derived by the Fund from investments in derivatives, fixed-income and foreign securities generally is not eligible for this treatment.

Qualified REIT dividends. Under 2017 legislation commonly known as the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” “qualified REIT dividends” (i.e., ordinary REIT dividends other than capital gain dividends and portions of REIT dividends designated as qualified dividend income) are treated as eligible for a 20% deduction by

61 
 

noncorporate taxpayers. Proposed regulations issued by the IRS enable the Fund to pass through the special character of qualified  REIT dividends. The amount of a RIC’s dividends eligible for the 20% deduction for a taxable year is limited to the excess of the RIC’s qualified REIT dividends for the taxable year over allocable expenses.  A noncorporate shareholder receiving such dividends would treat them as eligible for the 20% deduction, provided the shareholder meets certain holding period requirements for its shares in the RIC (i.e., generally, RIC shares must be held by the shareholder for more than 45 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the shares become ex-dividend with respect to such dividend).

Impact of Realized but Undistributed Income and Gains, and Net Unrealized Appreciation of Portfolio Securities. At the time of your purchase of Shares, the price of Shares may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation of portfolio securities held by the Fund. A subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable, and would be taxed as ordinary income (some portion of which may be taxed as qualified dividend income), capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. The Fund may be able to reduce the amount of such distributions from capital gains by utilizing its capital loss carryovers, if any.

U.S. Government Securities. Income earned on certain U.S. government obligations is exempt from state and local personal income taxes if earned directly by you. States also grant tax-free status to dividends paid to you from interest earned on direct obligations of the U.S. government, subject in some states to minimum investment or reporting requirements that must be met by the Fund. Income on investments by the Fund in certain other obligations, such as repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government obligations, commercial paper and federal agency-backed obligations (e.g., GNMA or FNMA obligations), generally does not qualify for tax-free treatment. The rules on exclusion of this income are different for corporations.

Dividends Declared in December and Paid in January. Ordinarily, shareholders are required to take distributions by the Fund into account in the year in which the distributions are made. However, dividends declared in October, November or December of any year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month will be deemed to have been received by the shareholders (and made by the Fund) on December 31 of such calendar year if such dividends are actually paid in January of the following year. Shareholders will be advised annually as to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of distributions made (or deemed made) during the year in accordance with the guidance that has been provided by the IRS.

Medicare Tax. A 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on net investment income earned by certain individuals, estates and trusts. “Net investment income,” for these purposes, means investment income, including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from taxable dispositions of Fund Shares, reduced by the deductions properly allocable to such income. In the case of an individual, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (1) the shareholder’s net investment income or (2) the amount by which the shareholder’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds $250,000 (if the shareholder is married and filing jointly or a surviving spouse), $125,000 (if the shareholder is married and filing separately) or $200,000 (in any other case). This Medicare tax, if applicable, is reported by you on, and paid with, your federal income tax return.

Sales of Fund Shares

Sales of Fund Shares are taxable transactions for federal and state income tax purposes. If you sell your Fund Shares, the IRS requires you to report any gain or loss on your sale. If you held your Shares as a capital asset, the gain or loss that you realize will be a capital gain or loss and will be long-term or short-term, generally depending on how long you have held your Shares. Capital losses in any year are deductible only to the extent of capital gains plus, in the case of a noncorporate taxpayer, $3,000 of ordinary income.

62 
 

Taxes on Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units. An Authorized Participant who exchanges equity securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of purchase (plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue) and the Authorized Participant’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue). An Authorized Participant who exchanges Creation Units for equity securities generally will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the Authorized Participant’s basis in the Creation Units (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption) and the aggregate market value of the securities received (plus any cash received by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption). The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

Under current federal tax laws, any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for one year or less.

If the Fund redeems Creation Units in cash, it may recognize more capital gains than it will if it redeems Creation Units in-kind.

Tax Basis Information. A shareholder’s cost basis information will be provided on the sale of any of the shareholder’s Shares, subject to certain exceptions for exempt recipients. Please contact the broker (or other nominee) that holds your Shares with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account.

Wash Sales. All or a portion of any loss that you realize on a sale of your Fund Shares will be disallowed to the extent that you buy other Shares in the Fund (through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within 30 days before or after your Share sale. Any loss disallowed under these rules will be added to your tax basis in the new Shares.

Sales at a Loss Within Six Months of Purchase. Any loss incurred on a sale of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributed to you by the Fund on those Shares.

Reportable Transactions. Under Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the Fund’s Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions

Set forth below is a general description of the tax treatment of certain types of securities, investment techniques and transactions that may apply to the Fund and, in turn, affect the amount, character and timing of dividends and distributions payable by the fund to its shareholders. This section should be read in conjunction with the discussion above under “Investment Strategies” for a detailed description of the various types of securities and investment techniques that apply to the Fund.

In General. In general, gain or loss recognized by the Fund on the sale or other disposition of portfolio investments will be a capital gain or loss. Such capital gain and loss may be long-term or short-term

63 
 

depending, in general, upon the length of time a particular investment position is maintained and, in some cases, upon the nature of the transaction. Property held for more than one year generally will be eligible for long-term capital gain or loss treatment. The application of certain rules described below may serve to alter the manner in which the holding period for a security is determined or may otherwise affect the characterization as long-term or short-term, and also the timing of the realization and/or character, of certain gains or losses.

Certain Fixed Income Investments. Gain recognized on the disposition of a debt obligation purchased by the Fund at a market discount (generally, at a price less than its principal amount) will be treated as ordinary income to the extent of the portion of the market discount that accrued during the period of time the fund held the debt obligation unless the fund made a current inclusion election to accrue market discount into income as it accrues. If the Fund purchases a debt obligation (such as a zero-coupon security or payment-in-kind security) that was originally issued at a discount, the Fund generally is required to include in gross income each year the portion of the original issue discount that accrues during such year. Therefore, the Fund’s investment in such securities may cause the Fund to recognize income and make distributions to shareholders before it receives any cash payments on the securities. To generate cash to satisfy those distribution requirements, the Fund may have to sell portfolio securities that it otherwise might have continued to hold or to use cash flows from other sources such as the sale of fund shares.

Investments in Debt Obligations that are at Risk of or in Default Present Tax Issues for the Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as whether and to what extent the Fund should recognize market discount on a debt obligation, when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent the Fund may take deductions for bad debts or worthless securities and how the Fund should allocate payments received on obligations in default between principal and income. These and other related issues will be addressed by the Fund in order to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a regulated investment company.

Options, Futures, Forward Contracts, Swap Agreements and Hedging Transactions. In general, option premiums received by the Fund are not immediately included in the income of the fund. Instead, the premiums are recognized when the option contract expires, the option is exercised by the holder, or the fund transfers or otherwise terminates the option (e.g., through a closing transaction). If an option written by the Fund is exercised and the fund sells or delivers the underlying stock, the fund generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to (a) the sum of the strike price and the option premium received by the fund minus (b) the fund’s basis in the stock. Such gain or loss generally will be short-term or long-term depending upon the holding period of the underlying stock. If securities are purchased by the Fund pursuant to the exercise of a put option written by it, the fund generally will subtract the premium received from its cost basis in the securities purchased. The gain or loss with respect to any termination of the Fund’s obligation under an option other than through the exercise of the option and related sale or delivery of the underlying stock generally will be short-term gain or loss depending on whether the premium income received by the fund is greater or less than the amount paid by the fund (if any) in terminating the transaction. Thus, for example, if an option written by the Fund expires unexercised, the fund generally will recognize short-term gain equal to the premium received.

The tax treatment of certain futures contracts entered into by the Fund as well as listed non-equity options written or purchased by the fund on U.S. exchanges (including options on futures contracts, broad-based equity indices and debt securities) may be governed by section 1256 of the Code (“section 1256 contracts”). Gains or losses on section 1256 contracts generally are considered 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gains or losses (“60/40”), although certain foreign currency gains and losses from such contracts may be treated as ordinary in character. Also, any section 1256 contracts held by the Fund at the end of each taxable year (and, for purposes of the 4% excise tax, on certain other dates as prescribed under the Code) are “marked to market” with the result that unrealized gains or losses are treated as though they were realized and the resulting gain or loss is treated as ordinary or 60/40 gain or loss, as applicable. Section 1256 contracts do not include any

64 
 

interest rate swap, currency swap, basis swap, interest rate cap, interest rate floor, commodity swap, equity swap, equity index swap, credit default swap, or similar agreement.

In addition to the special rules described above in respect of options and futures transactions, the Fund’s transactions in other derivative instruments (including options, forward contracts and swap agreements) as well as its other hedging, short sale, or similar transactions, may be subject to one or more special tax rules (including the constructive sale, notional principal contract, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules). These rules may affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated as ordinary or capital or as short-term or long-term, accelerate the recognition of income or gains to the fund, defer losses to the fund, and cause adjustments in the holding periods of the fund’s securities. These rules, therefore, could affect the amount, timing and/or character of distributions to shareholders. Moreover, because the tax rules applicable to derivative instruments are in some cases uncertain under current law, an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to these rules (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect whether the Fund has made sufficient distributions, and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements, to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid the Fund-level tax.

Certain of the Fund’s investments in derivatives and foreign currency-denominated instruments, and the fund’s transactions in foreign currencies and hedging activities, may produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. If the Fund’s book income is less than the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regulated investment company. If the Fund’s book income exceeds the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the distribution of any such excess will be treated as (i) a dividend to the extent of the fund’s remaining earnings and profits (including current earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income, reduced by related deductions), (ii) thereafter, as a return of capital to the extent of the recipient’s basis in the Shares, and (iii) thereafter, as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset.

Investments in U.S. REITs. A U.S. REIT is not subject to federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to shareholders. Dividends paid by a U.S. REIT, other than capital gain distributions, will be taxable as ordinary income up to the amount of the U.S. REIT’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Capital gain dividends paid by a U.S. REIT to the Fund will be treated as long-term capital gains by the Fund and, in turn, may be distributed by the Fund to its shareholders as a capital gain distribution. Because of certain noncash expenses, such as property depreciation, an equity U.S. REIT’s cash flow may exceed its taxable income. The equity U.S. REIT, and in turn the Fund, may distribute this excess cash to shareholders in the form of a return of capital distribution. However, if a U.S. REIT is operated in a manner that fails to qualify as a REIT, an investment in the U.S. REIT would become subject to double taxation, meaning the taxable income of the U.S. REIT would be subject to federal income tax at the corporate income tax rate without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders and the dividends would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the U.S. REIT’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Also, see, “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions – Investment in taxable mortgage pools (excess inclusion income)” and “Non-U.S. Investors – Investment in U.S. real property” below with respect to certain other tax aspects of investing in U.S. REITs.

Investment in non-U.S. REITs. While non-U.S. REITs often use complex acquisition structures that seek to minimize taxation in the source country, an investment by the Fund in a non-U.S. REIT may subject the Fund, directly or indirectly, to corporate taxes, withholding taxes, transfer taxes and other indirect taxes in the country in which the real estate acquired by the non-U.S. REIT is located. The Fund’s pro rata share of any such taxes will reduce the Fund’s return on its investment. The Fund’s investment in a non-U.S. REIT may be considered an investment in a PFIC, as discussed above in “PFIC investments.” Additionally, foreign withholding taxes on distributions from the non-U.S. REIT may be reduced or eliminated under certain tax treaties, as discussed above in “Taxation of the Fund — Foreign income tax.” Also, the Fund in certain limited

65 
 

circumstances may be required to file an income tax return in the source country and pay tax on any gain realized from its investment in the non-U.S. REIT under rules similar to those in the U.S., which tax foreign persons on gain realized from dispositions of interests in U.S. real estate.

Investment in taxable mortgage pools (excess inclusion income). Under a Notice issued by the IRS, the Code and Treasury regulations to be issued, a portion of the Fund’s income from a U.S. REIT that is attributable to the REIT’s residual interest in a real estate mortgage investment conduit (“REMIC”) or equity interests in a “taxable mortgage pool” (referred to in the Code as an excess inclusion) will be subject to federal income tax in all events. The excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as the Fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company in proportion to the dividends received by such shareholders, with the same consequences as if the shareholders held the related REMIC residual interest or, if applicable, taxable mortgage pool directly. In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) to entities (including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, 401(k) plans, Keogh plans or other tax-exempt entities) subject to tax on UBTI, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a foreign stockholder, will not qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax. In addition, if at any time during any taxable year a “disqualified organization” (which generally includes certain cooperatives, governmental entities, and tax-exempt organizations not subject to UBTI) is a record holder of a share in a regulated investment company, then the regulated investment company will be subject to a tax equal to that portion of its excess inclusion income for the taxable year that is allocable to the disqualified organization, multiplied by the corporate income tax rate. The Notice imposes certain reporting requirements upon regulated investment companies that have excess inclusion income. There can be no assurance that the Fund will not allocate to shareholders excess inclusion income.

Foreign currency transactions. A fund’s transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt obligations and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned. This treatment could increase or decrease a fund's ordinary income distributions to you, and may cause some or all of the fund's previously distributed income to be classified as a return of capital. In certain cases, a fund may make an election to treat such gain or loss as capital.

PFIC investments. A fund may invest in securities of foreign companies that may be classified under the Code as PFICs. In general, a foreign company is classified as a PFIC if at least one-half of its assets constitute investment-type assets or 75% or more of its gross income is investment-type income. When investing in PFIC securities, a fund intends to mark-to-market these securities under certain provisions of the Code and recognize any unrealized gains as ordinary income at the end of the fund’s fiscal and excise tax years. Deductions for losses are allowable only to the extent of any current or previously recognized gains. These gains (reduced by allowable losses) are treated as ordinary income that a fund is required to distribute, even though it has not sold or received dividends from these securities. You should also be aware that the designation of a foreign security as a PFIC security will cause its income dividends to fall outside of the definition of qualified foreign corporation dividends. These dividends generally will not qualify for the reduced rate of taxation on qualified dividends when distributed to you by a fund. Foreign companies are not required to identify themselves as PFICs. Due to various complexities in identifying PFICs, a fund can give no assurances that it will be able to identify portfolio securities in foreign corporations that are PFICs in time for the fund to make a mark-to-market election. If a fund is unable to identify an investment as a PFIC and thus does not make a mark-to-market election, the fund may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the fund to

66 
 

its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on a fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains.

Securities Lending. While securities are loaned out by the Fund, the fund generally will receive from the borrower amounts equal to any dividends or interest paid on the borrowed securities. For federal income tax purposes, payments made “in lieu of” dividends are not considered dividend income. These distributions will neither qualify for the reduced rate of taxation for individuals on qualified dividends nor the 50% dividends-received deduction for corporations. Also, any foreign tax withheld on payments made “in lieu of” dividends or interest will not qualify for the pass-through of foreign tax credits to shareholders.

Investments in Convertible Securities. Convertible debt is ordinarily treated as a “single property” consisting of a pure debt interest until conversion, after which the investment becomes an equity interest. If the security is issued at a premium (i.e., for cash in excess of the face amount payable on retirement), the creditor-holder may amortize the premium over the life of the bond. If the security is issued for cash at a price below its face amount, the creditor-holder must accrue original issue discount in income over the life of the debt. The creditor-holder’s exercise of the conversion privilege is treated as a nontaxable event. Mandatorily convertible debt (e.g., an exchange traded note or ETN issued in the form of an unsecured obligation that pays a return based on the performance of a specified market index, exchange currency, or commodity) is often, but not always, treated as a contract to buy or sell the reference property rather than debt. Similarly, convertible preferred stock with a mandatory conversion feature is ordinarily, but not always, treated as equity rather than debt. Dividends received generally are qualified dividend income and eligible for the corporate dividends-received deduction. In general, conversion of preferred stock for common stock of the same corporation is tax-free. Conversion of preferred stock for cash is a taxable redemption. Any redemption premium for preferred stock that is redeemable by the issuing company might be required to be amortized under original issue discount principles.

Investments in partnerships and QPTPs. For purposes of the Income Requirement, income derived by a fund from a partnership that is not a QPTP will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by the fund. While the rules are not entirely clear with respect to a fund investing in a partnership outside a master feeder structure, for purposes of testing whether a fund satisfies the Asset Diversification Test, the fund generally is treated as owning a pro rata share of the underlying assets of a partnership. See, “Taxation of the Fund.” In contrast, different rules apply to a partnership that is a QPTP. A QPTP is a partnership (a) the interests in which are traded on an established securities market, (b) that is treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, and (c) that derives less than 90% of its income from sources that satisfy the Income Requirement (e.g., because it invests in commodities). All of the net income derived by a fund from an interest in a QPTP will be treated as qualifying income but the fund may not invest more than 25% of its total assets in one or more QPTPs. However , there can be no assurance that a partnership classified as a QPTP in one year will qualify as a QPTP in the next year. Any such failure to annually qualify as a QPTP might, in turn, cause a fund to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company. Although, in general, the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a fund with respect to items attributable to an interest in a QPTP. Fund investments in partnerships, including in QPTPs, may result in the fund being subject to state, local or foreign income, franchise or withholding tax liabilities.

If an MLP is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes (whether or not a QPTP), all or portion of the dividends received by a fund from the MLP likely will be treated as a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes because of accelerated deductions available with respect to the activities of such MLPs. Further, because of these accelerated deductions, on the disposition of interests in such an MLP, a fund likely will realize taxable income in excess of economic gain with respect to those MLP interests (or if the fund does not dispose of the MLP, the fund could realize taxable income in excess of cash flow with respect to

67 
 

the MLP in a later period), and the fund must take such income into account in determining whether the fund has satisfied its Distribution Requirement. A fund may have to borrow or liquidate securities to satisfy its Distribution Requirement and to meet its redemption requests, even though investment considerations might otherwise make it undesirable for the fund to sell securities or borrow money at such time. In addition, any gain recognized, either upon the sale of a fund’s MLP interest or sale by the MLP of property held by it, including in excess of economic gain thereon, treated as so-called “recapture income,” will be treated as ordinary income. Therefore, to the extent a fund invests in MLPs, fund shareholders might receive greater amounts of distributions from the fund taxable as ordinary income than they otherwise would in the absence of such MLP investments.

Recent legislation (which by its terms became effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017) generally requires that taxes, penalties, and interest associated with an audit of a partnership be assessed and collected at the partnership level. Therefore, an adverse federal income tax audit of a partnership that a Fund invests in (including MLPs taxed as partnerships) could result in the Fund being required to pay federal income tax. A Fund may have little input in any audit asserted against a partnership and may be contractually or legally obligated to make payments in regard to deficiencies asserted without the ability to put forward an independent defense. Accordingly, even if a partnership in which the Fund invests were to remain classified as a partnership (instead of as a corporation), it could be required to pay additional taxes, interest and penalties as a result of an audit adjustment, and the Fund, as a direct or indirect partner of such partnership, could be required to bear the economic burden of those taxes, interest and penalties, which would reduce the value of Fund shares.

Although MLPs are generally expected to be treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes, some MLPs may be treated as PFICs or “regular” corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The treatment of particular MLPs for U.S. federal income tax purposes will affect the extent to which a fund can invest in MLPs and will impact the amount, character, and timing of income recognized by the Fund.

Investments in Securities of Uncertain Tax Character. The Fund may invest in securities the U.S. federal income tax treatment of which may not be clear or may be subject to recharacterization by the IRS. To the extent the tax treatment of such securities or the income from such securities differs from the tax treatment expected by the Fund, it could affect the timing or character of income recognized by the fund, requiring the fund to purchase or sell securities, or otherwise change its portfolio, in order to comply with the tax rules applicable to regulated investment companies under the Code.

Backup Withholding

By law, a portion of your taxable dividends and sales proceeds may be withheld unless you:

  • provide your correct social security or taxpayer identification number,
  • certify that this number is correct,
  • certify that you are not subject to backup withholding, and
  • certify that you are a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).


Withholding is also imposed if the IRS requires it. When withholding is required, the amount will be 24% of any distributions or proceeds paid. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS. Certain payees and payments are exempt from backup withholding and information reporting. The special U.S. tax certification requirements applicable to non-U.S. investors to avoid backup withholding are described under the “Non-U.S. Investors” heading below.

Non-U.S. Investors

68 
 

Non-U.S. investors (shareholders who, as to the United States, are nonresident alien individuals, foreign trusts or estates, foreign corporations, or foreign partnerships) may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are subject to special U.S. tax certification requirements. Non-U.S. investors should consult their tax advisors about the applicability of U.S. tax withholding and the use of the appropriate forms to certify their status.

In General. The United States imposes a flat 30% withholding tax (or a withholding tax at a lower treaty rate) on U.S. source dividends, including on income dividends paid to you by the Fund, subject to certain exemptions described below. However, notwithstanding such exemptions from U.S. withholding at the source, any dividends and distributions of income and capital gains, including the proceeds from the sale of your Fund Shares, will be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 24% if you fail to properly certify that you are not a U.S. person.

Capital Gain Dividends. In general, capital gain dividends reported by the Fund as paid from its net long-term capital gains, other than long-term capital gains realized on disposition of U.S. real property interests (see the discussion below), are not subject to U.S. withholding tax unless you are a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the calendar year.

Interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends.  Generally, dividends reported by the Fund as interest-related dividends and paid from its qualified net interest income from U.S. sources are not subject to U.S. withholding tax. “Qualified interest income” includes, in general, U.S. source (1) bank deposit interest, (2) short-term original discount, (3) interest (including original issue discount, market discount, or acquisition discount) on an obligation that is in registered form, unless it is earned on an obligation issued by a corporation or partnership in which the Fund is a 10-percent shareholder or is contingent interest, and (4) any interest-related dividend from another regulated investment company. Similarly, short-term capital gain dividends reported by the Fund as paid from its net short-term capital gains, other than short-term capital gains realized on disposition of U.S. real property interests (see the discussion below), are not subject to U.S. withholding tax unless you were a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the calendar year.  The Fund reserves the right to not report interest-related dividends or short-term capital gain dividends.  Additionally, the Fund’s reporting of interest-related dividends or short-term capital gain dividends may not be passed through to shareholders by intermediaries who have assumed tax reporting responsibilities for this income in managed or omnibus accounts due to systems limitations or operational constraints.

Net Investment Income from Dividends on Stock and Foreign Source Interest Income Continue to be Subject to Withholding Tax; Foreign Tax Credits. Ordinary dividends paid by the Fund to non-U.S. investors on the income earned on portfolio investments in (i) the stock of domestic and foreign corporations and (ii) the debt of foreign issuers continue to be subject to U.S. withholding tax.

Foreign shareholders may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 30% on the income resulting from an election to pass-through foreign tax credits to shareholders, but may not be able to claim a credit or deduction with respect to the withholding tax for the foreign tax treated as having been paid by them.

Income Effectively Connected with a U.S. Trade or Business. If the income from the Fund is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder, then ordinary income dividends, capital gain dividends and any gains realized upon the sale of Shares of the Fund will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the rates applicable to U.S. citizens or domestic corporations and require the filing of a nonresident U.S. income tax return.

Investment in U.S. real property. The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (“FIRPTA”) makes non-U.S. persons subject to U.S. tax on disposition of a U.S. real property interest (“USRPI”) as if he or she were a U.S. person. Such gain is sometimes referred to as FIRPTA gain. The Fund may invest in equity

69 
 

securities of corporations that invest in USRPI, including U.S. REITs, which may trigger FIRPTA gain to the Fund’s non-U.S. shareholders.

The Code provides a look-through rule for distributions of FIRPTA gain when a RIC is classified as a qualified investment entity. A RIC will be classified as a qualified investment entity if, in general, 50% or more of the RIC’s assets consist of interests in U.S. REITs and other U.S. real property holding corporations (“USRPHC”). If a RIC is a qualified investment entity and the non-U.S. shareholder owns more than 5% of a class of Fund Shares at any time during the one-year period ending on the date of the FIRPTA distribution, the FIRPTA distribution to the non-U.S. shareholder is treated as gain from the disposition of a USRPI, causing the distribution to be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the corporate income tax rate (unless reduced by future regulations) and requiring the non-U.S. shareholder to file a nonresident U.S. income tax return. In addition, even if the non-U.S. shareholder does not own more than 5% of a class of Fund Shares, but the Fund is a qualified investment entity, the FIRPTA distribution will be taxable as ordinary dividends (rather than as a capital gain or short-term capital gain dividend) subject to withholding at 30% or lower treaty rate.

FIRPTA “wash sale” rule. If the Fund is a qualified investment entity that is domestically controlled (i.e. less than 50% in value of the Fund has been owned directly or indirectly by non-U.S. shareholders during the 5-year period ending on the date of disposition) and a non-U.S. shareholder of the Fund (i) disposes of his interest in the Fund during the 30-day period preceding a FIRPTA distribution, (ii) acquires an identical stock interest during the 61-day period beginning the first day of such 30-day period preceding the FIRPTA distribution, and (iii) does not in fact receive the FIRPTA distribution in a manner that subjects the non-U.S. shareholder to tax under FIRPTA, then the non-U.S. shareholder is required to pay U.S. tax on an amount equal to the amount of the distribution that was not taxed under FIRPTA as a result of the disposition. These rules also apply to substitute dividend payments and other similar arrangements; the portion of the substitute dividend or similar payment treated as FIRPTA gain equals the portion of the RIC distribution such payment is in lieu of that otherwise would have been treated as FIRPTA gain.

Gain on sale of Fund Shares as FIRPTA gain. In addition, a sale or redemption of Fund Shares will be FIRPTA gain to a non-U.S. shareholder if the non-U.S. shareholder owns more than 5% of a class of Shares in the Fund and the Fund is otherwise considered a USRPHC, i.e. 50% or more of the Fund’s assets consist of (1) more than 5% interests in publicly traded companies that are USRPHC, (2) interests in non-publicly traded companies that are USRPHC, and (3) interests in U.S. REITs that are not controlled by U.S. shareholders where the REIT shares are either not publicly traded or are publicly traded and the Fund owns more than 10%.

In the unlikely event that the Fund meets the requirements described above, the gain will be taxed as income “effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business.” As a result, the non-U.S. shareholder will be required to pay U.S. income tax on such gain and file a nonresident U.S. income tax return.

Because the Fund expects to invest less than 50% of its assets at all times, directly or indirectly, in U.S. real property interests, the Fund expects that neither gain on the sale of Fund Shares nor Fund dividends and distributions would be subject to FIRPTA reporting and tax withholding.

U.S. Estate Tax. Transfers by gift of Shares of the Fund by a foreign shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual will not be subject to U.S. federal gift tax. An individual who, at the time of death, is a non-U.S. shareholder will nevertheless be subject to U.S. federal estate tax with respect to Fund Shares at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens and residents, unless a treaty exemption applies. If a treaty exemption is available, a decedent’s estate may nonetheless need to file a U.S. estate tax return to claim the exemption in order to obtain a U.S. federal transfer certificate, which permits the decedent’s property to be transferred without federal estate tax liability. The transfer certificate will identify the property (i.e., Fund Shares) as to which the U.S. federal estate tax lien has been released. In the absence of a treaty, there is a $13,000 statutory estate tax credit (equivalent to U.S. situs assets with a value of $60,000). For estates with U.S. situs assets of

70 
 

not more than $60,000, an affidavit from an appropriate individual that states that the decedent’s U.S. situs assets are below this threshold amount may be sufficient to transfer the Fund Shares.

U.S. Tax Certification Rules. Special U.S. tax certification requirements may apply to non-U.S. shareholders both to avoid U.S. backup withholding imposed at a rate of 24% and to obtain the benefits of any treaty between the United States and the shareholder’s country of residence. In general, if you are a non-U.S. shareholder, you must provide a Form W-8 BEN (or other applicable Form W-8) to establish that you are not a U.S. person, to claim that you are the beneficial owner of the income and, if applicable, to claim a reduced rate of, or exemption from, withholding as a resident of a country with which the United States has an income tax treaty. A Form W-8 BEN provided without a U.S. taxpayer identification number will remain in effect for a period beginning on the date signed and ending on the last day of the third succeeding calendar year unless an earlier change of circumstances makes the information on the form incorrect. Certain payees and payments are exempt from backup withholding.

The tax consequences to a non-U.S. shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may be different from those described herein. Non-U.S. shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund, including the applicability of foreign tax.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”). Under FATCA, a 30% withholding tax is imposed on income dividends made by the Fund to certain foreign entities, referred to as foreign financial institutions (“FFI”) or non-financial foreign entities (“NFFE”). , that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. After December 31, 2018, FATCA withholding also would have applied to certain capital gain distributions, return of capital distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Shares; however, based on proposed regulations recently issued by the IRS, which can be relied upon currently, such withholding is no longer required unless final regulations provide otherwise (which is not expected). The FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (a) by an FFI, if it reports certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (b) by an NFFE, if it: (i) certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (ii) if it does have such owners, reporting information relating to them. The U.S. Treasury has negotiated intergovernmental agreements (“IGA”) with certain countries and is in various stages of negotiations with a number of other foreign countries with respect to one or more alternative approaches to implement FATCA; an entity in one of those countries may be required to comply with the terms of an IGA instead of U.S. Treasury regulations.

An FFI can avoid FATCA withholding if it is deemed compliant or by becoming a “participating FFI,” which requires the FFI to enter into a U.S. tax compliance agreement with the IRS under section 1471(b) of the Code (“FFI agreement”) under which it agrees to verify, report and disclose certain of its U.S. accountholders and meet certain other specified requirements. The FFI will either report the specified information about the U.S. accounts to the IRS, or, to the government of the FFI’s country of residence (pursuant to the terms and conditions of applicable law and an applicable IGA entered into between the United States and the FFI’s country of residence), which will, in turn, report the specified information to the IRS. An FFI that is resident in a country that has entered into an IGA with the U.S. to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the FFI shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.

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

71 
 

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

Effect of Future Legislation; Local Tax Considerations

The foregoing general discussion of U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. Future legislative or administrative changes, including provisions of current law that sunset and thereafter no longer apply, or court decisions may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and any such changes or decisions may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein. Rules of state and local taxation of ordinary income, qualified dividend income and capital gain dividends may differ from the rules for U.S. federal income taxation described above. Distributions may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on each shareholder’s particular situation. Non-U.S. shareholders may be subject to U.S. tax rules that differ significantly from those summarized above. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors as to the consequences of these and other state and local tax rules affecting investment in the Fund.

 

 

72 
 

 

APPENDIX 1

INVESTMENT RATINGS

 

The NRSROs that may be utilized by the Funds with regard to portfolio investments for the Funds include Moody’s, S&P, Fitch, and A.M. Best. Set forth below is a description of the relevant ratings of each such NRSRO. The NRSROs that may be utilized by the Funds and the description of each NRSRO’s ratings is as of the date of this SAI, and may subsequently change.

A.M. BEST

 

LONG-TERM DEBT RATINGS

Investment Grade

Aaa: Exceptional

aa: Very Strong

a: Strong

bbb: Adequate

 

Non-Investment Grade

Bb: Speculative

b: Very Speculative

ccc, cc, c: Extremely Speculative

d: In Default

 

SHORT-TERM DEBT RATINGS

 

Investment Grade

AMB-1+: Strongest

AMB-1: Outstanding

AMB-2: Satisfactory

AMB-3: Adequate

 

Non-Investment Grade

AMB-4: Speculative

D: In Default

 

FITCH

 

LONG-TERM DEBT RATINGS

Investment grade

AAA: the best quality companies, reliable and stable

AA: quality companies, a bit higher risk than AAA

A: economic situation can affect finance

BBB: medium class companies, which are satisfactory at the moment

 

Non-investment grade

BB: more prone to changes in the economy

B: financial situation varies noticeably

CCC: currently vulnerable and dependent on favorable economic conditions to meet its commitments

CC: highly vulnerable, very speculative bonds

C: highly vulnerable, perhaps in bankruptcy or in arrears but still continuing to pay out on obligations

D: has defaulted on obligations and Fitch believes that it will generally default on most or all obligations

NR: not publicly rated

 

SHORT-TERM DEBT RATINGS

Fitch's short-term ratings indicate the potential level of default within a 12-month period.

73 
 

F1+ : best quality grade, indicating exceptionally strong capacity of obligor to meet its financial commitment

F1: best quality grade, indicating strong capacity of obligor to meet its financial commitment

F2: good quality grade with satisfactory capacity of obligor to meet its financial commitment

F3: fair quality grade with adequate capacity of obligor to meet its financial commitment but near term adverse conditions could impact the obligor's commitments

B: of speculative nature and obligor has minimal capacity to meet its commitment and vulnerability to short term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions

C: possibility of default is high and the financial commitment of the obligor are dependent upon sustained, favorable business and economic conditions

D: the obligor is in default as it has failed on its financial commitments.

 

Fitch also uses intermediate +/- modifiers for each category between AA and CCC (e.g., AA+, AA, AA-, A+, A, A-, BBB+, BBB, BBB-, etc.).

 

MOODY’S

 

GLOBAL LONG-TERM RATING SCALE

Aaa: Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit 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 judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

Ba: Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative 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 speculative 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 and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

 

Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to 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. Additionally, a “(hyb)” indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms.

 

Moody’s differentiates structured finance ratings from fundamental ratings (i.e., ratings on nonfinancial corporate, financial institution, and public sector entities) on the global long-term scale by adding (sf ) to all structured finance ratings. The (sf ) indicator was introduced on August 11, 2010 and explained in a special comment entitled, “Moody’s Structured Finance Rating Scale.” The addition of (sf ) to structured finance ratings should eliminate any presumption that such ratings and fundamental ratings at the same letter grade level will behave the same. The (sf ) indicator for structured finance security ratings indicates that otherwise similarly rated structured finance and fundamental securities may have different risk characteristics.

 

GLOBAL SHORT-TERM RATING SCALE

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.

74 
 

 

US MUNICIPAL SHORT-TERM DEBT OBLIGATION RATINGS

 

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.

 

S&P GLOBAL RATINGS (“S&P”)

 

 

AAA: An obligation rated 'AAA' has the highest rating assigned by S&P. 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 commitment 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 lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor 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 which 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 commitment 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 commitment 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 commitment on the obligation.

CC An obligation rated ‘CC’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.

C: A 'C' rating is assigned to obligations that are currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, obligations that have payment arrearages allowed by the terms of the documents, or obligations of an issuer that is the subject of a bankruptcy petition or similar action which have not experienced a payment default. Among others, the 'C' rating may be assigned to subordinated debt, preferred stock or other obligations on which cash payments have been suspended in accordance with the instrument's terms or when preferred stock is the subject of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par.

D: An obligation rated 'D' is in payment default. The 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within five business days, irrespective of any grace period. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized. An obligation's rating is lowered to 'D' upon completion of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par.

NR: This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.

 

*The ratings from 'AA' to 'CCC' may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.

75 
 

 

APPENDIX 2

SERVICE PROVIDER ADDRESSES

 

 

Strategy Shares

36 North New York Ave.

Huntington, NY 11743

 

Distributor

Foreside Fund Services, LLC

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100

Portland, ME 04101

 

Investment Advisor

Rational Advisors, Inc.

36 N New York Avenue

Huntington, NY 11743

 

Sub-Advisor

Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC

155 Lockwood Road

Riverside, CT 06878

 

Administrator

MFund Services, LLC

36 N New York Avenue

Huntington, NY 11743

 

Financial Administrator, Fund Accountant & Transfer Agent

Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc.

4400 Easton Commons, Suite 200

Columbus, OH 43219

 

Custodian

Citibank, N.A.

388 Greenwich Street

New York, NY 10048

 

Fund Counsel and Independent Counsel to the Independent Trustees

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP

2005 Market Street, Suite 2600

Philadelphia, PA 19103-7018

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Cohen & Company, Ltd.

151 N. Franklin St., Suite 575

Chicago, IL 60606

 

 

 

76 
 

 

APPENDIX 3

RATIONAL ADVISORS, INC.

PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

Pursuant to the recent adoption by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) of Rule 206(4)-6 (17 CFR 275.206(4)-6) and amendments to Rule 204-2 (17 CFR 275.204-2) under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940 (the “Act”), it is a fraudulent, deceptive, or manipulative act, practice or course of business, within the meaning of Section 206(4) of the Act, for an investment advisor to exercise voting authority with respect to client securities, unless (i) the advisor has adopted and implemented written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that the advisor votes proxies in the best interests of its clients, (ii) the advisor describes its proxy voting procedures to its clients and provides copies on request, and (iii) the advisor discloses to clients how they may obtain information on how the advisor voted their proxies.

In order to fulfill its responsibilities under the Act, Rational Advisors, Inc. (hereinafter “we” or “our”) has adopted the following policies and procedures for proxy voting with regard to companies in investment portfolios of our clients.

KEY OBJECTIVES

The key objectives of these policies and procedures recognize that a company’s management is entrusted with the day-to-day operations and longer term strategic planning of the company, subject to the oversight of the company’s board of directors. While “ordinary business matters” are primarily the responsibility of management and should be approved solely by the corporation’s board of directors, these objectives also recognize that the company’s shareholders must have final say over how management and directors are performing, and how shareholders’ rights and ownership interests are handled, especially when matters could have substantial economic implications to the shareholders.

Therefore, we will pay particular attention to the following matters in exercising our proxy voting responsibilities as a fiduciary for our clients:

Accountability. Each company should have effective means in place to hold those entrusted with running a company’s business accountable for their actions. Management of a company should be accountable to its board of directors and the board should be accountable to shareholders.

Alignment of Management and Shareholder Interests. Each company should endeavor to align the interests of management and the board of directors with the interests of the company’s shareholders. For example, we generally believe that compensation should be designed to reward management for doing a good job of creating value for the shareholders of the company.

Transparency. Promotion of timely disclosure of important information about a company’s business operations and financial performance enables investors to evaluate the performance of a company and to make informed decisions about the purchase and sale of a company’s securities.

DECISION METHODS

No set of proxy voting guidelines can anticipate all situations that may arise. In special cases, we may seek insight from our managers and analysts on how a particular proxy proposal may impact the financial prospects of a company, and vote accordingly.

77 
 

We believe that we invest in companies with strong management. Therefore we will tend to vote proxies consistent with management’s recommendations. However, we will vote contrary to management’s recommendations if we believe those recommendations are not consistent with increasing shareholder value.

SUMMARY OF PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES

Election of the Board of Directors

 

We believe that good corporate governance generally starts with a board composed primarily of independent directors, unfettered by significant ties to management, all of whose members are elected annually. We also believe that turnover in board composition promotes independent board action, fresh approaches to governance, and generally has a positive impact on shareholder value. We will generally vote in favor of non-incumbent independent directors.

The election of a company’s board of directors is one of the most fundamental rights held by shareholders. Because a classified board structure prevents shareholders from electing a full slate of directors annually, we will generally support efforts to declassify boards or other measures that permit shareholders to remove a majority of directors at any time, and will generally oppose efforts to adopt classified board structures.

Approval of Independent Auditors

We believe that the relationship between a company and its auditors should be limited primarily to the audit engagement, although it may include certain closely related activities that do not raise an appearance of impaired independence.

We will evaluate on a case-by-case basis instances in which the audit firm has a substantial non-audit relationship with a company to determine whether we believe independence has been, or could be, compromised.

Equity-based compensation plans

We believe that appropriately designed equity-based compensation plans, approved by shareholders, can be an effective way to align the interests of shareholders and the interests of directors, management, and employees by providing incentives to increase shareholder value. Conversely, we are opposed to plans that substantially dilute ownership interests in the company, provide participants with excessive awards, or have inherently objectionable structural features.

We will generally support measures intended to increase stock ownership by executives and the use of employee stock purchase plans to increase company stock ownership by employees. These may include:

1.       Requiring senior executives to hold stock in a company.

2.       Requiring stock acquired through option exercise to be held for a certain period of time.

These are guidelines, and we consider other factors, such as the nature of the industry and size of the company, when assessing a plan’s impact on ownership interests.

78 
 

 

Corporate Structure

We view the exercise of shareholders’ rights, including the rights to act by written consent, to call special meetings and to remove directors, to be fundamental to good corporate governance.

Because classes of common stock with unequal voting rights limit the rights of certain shareholders, we generally believe that shareholders should have voting power equal to their equity interest in the company and should be able to approve or reject changes to a company’s by-laws by a simple majority vote.

We will generally support the ability of shareholders to cumulate their votes for the election of directors.

Shareholder Rights Plans

While we recognize that there are arguments both in favor of and against shareholder rights plans, also known as poison pills, such measures may tend to entrench current management, which we generally consider to have a negative impact on shareholder value. Therefore, while we will evaluate such plans on a case by case basis, we will generally oppose such plans.

CLIENT INFORMATION

A copy of these Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures is available to our clients, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-866-447-4228. We will send a copy of these Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures within three business days of receipt of a request, by first-class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery.

In addition, we will provide each client, without charge, upon request, information regarding the proxy votes cast by us with regard to the client’s securities.

79 
 

 

 

PART C: OTHER INFORMATION

 

     

Item 28.

 

Exhibits

   
(a)(1)   Certificate of Trust of Huntington Strategy Shares (the “Trust” or the “Registrant”) – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on November 22, 2010.
   
(a)(2)   Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on November 22, 2010.
   
(a)(3)   Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Trust - Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 filed on June 8, 2016.
     
(b)   Registrant’s By-Laws – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on November 22, 2010.
   
(d)(1)   Management Agreement between Registrant and Rational Advisors, Inc. dated January 1, 2016 - Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 filed on June 8, 2016.
     
(d)(2)   Exhibit to Management Agreement between Registrant and Rational Advisors, Inc.– to be filed by subsequent amendment.
     
(d)(3)   Management Agreement between Registrant and Day Hagan Asset Management – to be filed by subsequent amendment.
     
(d)(3)   Form of Trading Sub-Advisory Agreement between LifeSci Index Partners, LLC. and Vident Investment Advisory, LLC, with respect to the BioShares ETF - Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 filed on December 9, 2016.
     
(d)(4)  

Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc. and LifeSci Index Partners, LLC, with respect to the BioShares ETF, - Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 filed on December 9, 2016.

 

(d)(5)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc. and Active Alts Inc., with respect to the Active Alts Contrarian ETF, - Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 filed on December 9, 2016.
     
(d)(6)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc. and Tuttle Tactical Management LLC, with respect to the US Market Rotation Strategy ETF – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 12 filed on August 10, 2016 (File No. 811-22497).
     
(d)(7)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc and Tuttle Tactical Management LLC, with respect to the EcoLogical Strategy ETF – Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 42 filed on August 24, 2018.
     
(d)(8)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc and Tuttle Tactical Management LLC, with respect to the Strategy Shares Drawbridge Dynamic Allocation ETF. Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 48 filed on December10, 2018.
     
(e)(1)   ETF Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC dated May 1, 2016 - Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 filed on June 8, 2016.
   
(e)(2)   Amendment to ETF Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC– To be filed by subsequent amendment.
   
 
 

 

(e)(3)   Form of Authorized Participant Agreement – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 14 filed on August 26, 2016.
   
(f)   Not applicable.
   
(g)(1)   Form of Custodial and Agency Services Agreement between the Registrant and Citibank, N.A. (“Custody Agreement”) – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 filed on June 1, 2012.
   
(g)(2)   Fee Schedule for Custodial and Services Agreement between Registrant and Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. (“Citi”) – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 filed on June 1, 2012.
   
(g)(3)   Amendment to Custodial and Agency Services Agreement between Registrant and Citibank dated May 14, 2013 – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 filed on August 27, 2013.
   
(g)(4)   Amendment to Custodial and Agency Services Agreement between Registrant and Citibank dated – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 18 filed on September 21, 2016.
   
(g)(5)   Amendment to Custodial and Agency Services Agreement between Registrant and Citibank - Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 filed on December 9, 2016.
(g)(6)   Amendment to Custodial and Agency Services Agreement between Registrant and Citibank – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 35 filed on January 11, 2018.
(g)(7)   Amendment to Custodial and Agency Services Agreement between Registrant and Citibank – To be filed by subsequent amendment.
   
(h)(1)   Service Agreement between the Registrant and Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 18 filed on September 21, 2016.
   
(h)(2)   Amendment to Support Services Agreement between Rational Advisors and Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. – To be filed by subsequent amendment.
   
(h)(3)   Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Rational Advisors with respect to Strategy Shares Nasdaq 7 HANDL™ Index ETF, Strategy Shares Nasdaq 5 HANDL™ Index ETF, Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF, and Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF - Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 41 filed on August 24, 2018.
     

(h)(4)

 

 

 

 

  Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Active Alts, Inc. with respect to the Active Alts Contrarian ETF – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 filed on December 9, 2016.
     
(h)(5)   Amended Exhibit A to the Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Rational Advisors with respect to the Strategy Shares Drawbridge Dynamic Allocation ETF – Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 41 filed on August 24, 2018.
   
(h)(6)   Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Rational Advisors, Inc. with respect to Strategy Shares Nasdaq 7 HANDL™ Index ETF, Strategy Shares Nasdaq 5 HANDL™ Index ETF, Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF, Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF and Strategy Shares Drawbridge Dynamic Allocation ETF – Filed Herewith.
(h)(7)   Management Services Agreement between the Registrant and MFund Services LLC dated August 24, 2018 – – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 filed on September 10, 2018.
     
(h)(8)   Exhibit A to the Management Services Agreement between the Registrant and MFund Services LLC – To be filed by subsequent amendment.
   
 
 

 

(h)(9)   Compliance Service Agreement between the Registrant and MFund Services LLC dated March 19, 2016 - Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 filed on June 8, 2016.
   
(h)(10)   Amendment to Services Agreement between the Registrant and Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. dated November 1, 2016 - Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 filed on December 9, 2016.
(h)(11)   Amendment to Services Agreement between the Registrant and Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. dated December 1, 2016 - Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 filed on December 9, 2016.

(h)(12)

 

 

 

(h)(13)

 

 

(h)(14)

 

 

 

(h)(15)

 

 

(h)(16)

 

Amendment to Services Agreement between the Registrant and Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. dated January 1, 2018 – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 35 filed on January 11, 2018.

 

Amendment to Services Agreement between the Registrant and Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. – To be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

Sub-License Agreement between Nasdaq, Inc. and Rational Advisors, Inc. with respect to the Strategy Shares 7 HANDL Index ETF – – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 36 filed on January 12, 2018.

 

Sub-License Agreement between Nasdaq, Inc. and Rational Advisors, Inc. with respect to the Strategy Shares NASDAQ 5 HANDL™ Index ETF – to be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

Sub-License Agreement between [ ] and Rational Advisors, Inc. with respect to the Newfound/ReSolve Robust Equity Momentum Index ETF – to be filed by subsequent amendment.

   
   
(i)(1)   Opinion and Consent of Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young LLP - Filed Herewith.
     
   
(j)   Consent of  Cohen & Company, Ltd. - Filed Herewith.
   
(k)   Not applicable.
   
(l)   Subscription Agreement between the Registrant and The Huntington National Bank – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 filed on June 1, 2012.
 (m)   Amended and Restated Distribution Plan - Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 filed on September 10, 2018.
(m)(1)   Exhibit A to the Amended and Restated Distribution Plan – to be filed by subsequent amendment.
   
(n)   Not applicable.
   
(o)(1)   Power of Attorney of Tobias Caldwell, Trustee of the Trust –  Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 29 filed on September 1, 2017.
   
(o)(2)   Power of Attorney of Steven Lachenauer, Trustee of the Trust -  Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 29 filed on September 1, 2017.
   
(o)(3)   Power of Attorney of Donald McIntosh, Trustee of the Trust –  Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 29 filed on September 1, 2017.
   
(o)(4)   Power of Attorney of Jerry Szilagyi, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Trust -   Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 29 filed on September 1, 2017.
   
(o)(5)   Power of Attorney of James Szilagyi, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of the Trust  - Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 29 filed on September 1, 2017.
(o)(6)   Power of Attorney of Jerry Szilagyi, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Trust - Filed Herewith.
     
(o)(7)   Power of Attorney of Donald McIntosh, Trustee of the Trust –   Filed Herewith.
 
 

 

     
(o)(8)   Power of Attorney of Tobias Caldwell, Trustee of the Trust –   Filed Herewith.
     
(o)(9)   Power of Attorney of Steven Lachenauer, Trustee of the Trust -   Filed Herewith.
     
(o)(10)   Power of Attorney of James Szilagyi, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of the Trust  -  Filed Herewith.
     
(p)(1)   Code of Ethics for the Registrant – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 4 filed on August 27, 2014.
   
(p)(2)   Code of Ethics for Rational Advisors, Inc. - Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 filed on June 8, 2016.
   
(p)(3)   Code of Ethics of Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC - Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 filed on June 8, 2016.
   
(p)(4)   Code of Ethics of Foreside Fund Services, LLC - Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 filed on June 8, 2016.
     
(p)(5)   Code of Ethics of Vident Investment Advisory, LLC - Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 filed on December 9, 2016.
     
(p)(6)  

Code of Ethics of LifeSci Index Partners, LLC – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 filed on December 9, 2016.

 

(p)(7)   Code of Ethics of Active Alts Inc. – Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 18 filed on September 21, 2016.
(p)(8)   Code of Ethics of Day Hagan Asset Management – To be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

Item 29. Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with the Fund

None.

 

Item 30. Indemnification

Pursuant to Article VII, Section 4 of the Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust, each of the Registrant’s Trustees, officers, and agents may be eligible to receive reimbursement from the Trust for certain losses incurred as a result of serving in such capacities. Each of the Trustees and officers may also be eligible to receive reimbursement from a Trust service provider for losses incurred in connection with services rendered by the provider under the following service contracts: (i) Management Agreement between the Trust and Rational Advisors, Inc. (“Rational”); (ii) Management Services Agreement between the Trust and MFund Services LLC; (iii) Distribution Agreement between the Trust and the Distributor; (iv) Services Agreement between the Trust and Citi Fund Services, Ohio, Inc. (“Citi”); (vi) Custodial and Agency Services Agreement between the Trust and Citibank, N.A. (“Citibank”); and (vii) the form of Authorized Participant Agreement. The Trustees and Officers are covered by the Trust’s Errors and Omissions Policy.

Under the Management Agreement and the Distribution Agreement, Rational and the Distributor, respectively, are eligible to receive reimbursement from the Trust for certain losses incurred under those agreements. Under the Services Agreement, the Custody and Agency Services Agreement, and the Management Services Agreement, the Trust’s agents and representatives, including Rational and Distributor, are eligible to receive reimbursement of certain losses from Citi, Citibank, and MFund Services LLC, respectively, in connection with services rendered by such providers under the agreements. Under the form of Authorized Participant Agreement, the Trust’s agents are eligible for reimbursement of losses resulting from certain activities of authorized participants. As a potential control person of a Fund (affiliate of a Fund), Rational may also be eligible for reimbursement of losses incurred in connection with services provided by the Distributor under the Distribution Agreement.

 
 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities may be permitted pursuant to Section 17 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 for Trustees, Officers, and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the Declaration of Trust or otherwise, the Registrant is aware of the position of the Securities and Exchange Commission as set forth in Investment Company Act Release No. IC-11330. Therefore, the Registrant undertakes that in addition to complying with the applicable provisions of the Declaration of Trust or otherwise, in the absence of a final decision on the merits by a court or other body before which the proceeding was brought, that an indemnification payment will not be made unless in the absence of such a decision, a reasonable determination based upon factual review has been made (i) by a majority vote of a quorum of non-party Trustees who are not interested persons of the Registrant or (ii) by independent legal counsel in a written opinion that the indemnitee was not liable for an act of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of duties. The Registrant further undertakes that advancement of expenses incurred in the defense of a proceeding (upon undertaking for repayment unless it is ultimately determined that indemnification is appropriate) against an officer, trustee, or controlling person of the Registrant will not be made absent the fulfillment of at least one of the following conditions: (i) the indemnitee provides security for his undertaking; (ii) the Registrant is insured against losses arising by reason of any lawful advances; or (iii) a majority of a quorum of disinterested non-party trustees or independent legal counsel in a written opinion makes a factual determination that there is reason to believe the indemnitee will be entitled to indemnification.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”) may be permitted to Trustees, officers, and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the Agreement and 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 Securities 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 Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issues.

 

Item 31. Business and other Connections of the Investment Adviser

 

(a)      Rational Advisors, Inc. (“Rational”), 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743, is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an investment adviser, file number 801-60176. Rational is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rational Capital LLC.

(i)Rational has engaged in no other business during the past two fiscal years.

 

(ii) Jerry Szilagyi is the President of Rational, and has been engaged within the last two fiscal years in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner, or trustee of the following other companies:

Trustee, Mutual Fund Series Trust, 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130;

Trustee, Variable Insurance Trust, 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130;

Managing Member of Catalyst Capital Advisors, 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743, a registered investment. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC serves as advisor to certain series of Mutual Fund Series Trust (“MFST”), a registered investment company;

Managing Member, MFund Services LLC, 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743, an administrator to mutual funds (including each series of the Trust);

 
 

Managing Member, MFund Distributors LLC, 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743, (TBP), a provider of marketing services to mutual funds.

Managing Member, Abbington Capital Group LLC, 5 Abbington Drive, Lloyd Harbor, NY 11743, a strategic consulting firm to financial services companies;

President of USA Mutuals, Inc., 700 North Pearl Street, Suite 900, Dallas, Texas 75201, a registered investment advisor. Mutuals Advisors Inc. serves as the advisor to USA Mutuals, a registered investment company;

President, USA Mutuals, c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, 615 E. Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202, a registered investment company;

Managing Member of AlphaCentric Advisors LLC, 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743, a registered investment advisor. AlphaCentric serves as an advisor to certain series of MFST.

(b)    Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC (“Tuttle Management”), 155 Lockwood Road, Riverside, CT 06878, is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an investment adviser, file number 801-72204.

(i)Tuttle Management has engaged in no other business during the past two fiscal years.

 

(ii) Matthew Tuttle is the Managing Member, Chief Investment Officer and Chief Compliance Officer of Tuttle Management and has been engaged within the last two fiscal years in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner, or trustee of the following other companies:

President of Tuttle Wealth Management, LLC, 155 Lockwood Road, Riverside, CT 06878, a registered investment adviser.

Chief Investment Officer of Tuttle Wealth Management, LLC, 125 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830, a registered investment adviser.

(c)     Vident Investment Advisory, LLC (“VIA”),Vident Investment Advisory, LLC (“Vident”), 300 Colonial Center Parkway, Suite 330, Roswell, GA, 30076, is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an investment adviser, file number 801-80534. Additional information regarding Vident, including information regarding any other businesses of a substantial nature engaged in by the firm and its officers, directors and partners in the last two years will be provided by subsequent amendment.

 

(d)    LifeSci Index Partners, LLC (“LifeSci”), 250 West 55th Street, Suite 16B, New York, NY 10019, is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an investment adviser, file number 801-80539.

(i)LifeSci has engaged in no other business during the past two fiscal years.

 

(ii) Andrew McDonald is the Chief Executive Officer and Partner of LifeSci and has been engaged within the last two fiscal years in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner, or trustee of the following other companies:

Chief Executive Officer of LifeSci Advisors, LLC, 250 West 55th Street, Suite 16B, New York, NY 10019.

Chief Executive Officer of LifeSci Capital, LLC, 250 West 55th Street, Suite 16B, New York, NY 10019.

(ii) Michael Rice is a Partner of LifeSci and has been engaged within the last two fiscal years in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner, or trustee of the following other companies:

Partner of LifeSci Advisors, LLC, 250 West 55th Street, Suite 16B, New York, NY 10019.

Partner of LifeSci Capital, LLC, 250 West 55th Street, Suite 16B, New York, NY 10019.

 

(e)     Active Alts Inc. (“Active Alts”), 6 Old Hill Road, Westport, CT 06880, is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an investment adviser, file number 801-108358.

(i) Active Alts has engaged in no other business during the past two fiscal years.

 
 

(ii) Brad Lamensdorf, the President of Active Alts, has been engaged within the last two fiscal years in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner, or trustee of the following other companies:

Owner of BHL Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisory firm.

 

Portfolio Manager of Ranger Alternative Management, LP, a privately-owned hedge fund sponsor.

(f) Donald L. Hagan, LLC, a.k.a. Day Hagan Asset Management (“Day Hagan”), 330 South Orange Avenue, Sarasota, FL, 34236, is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser file number 801-66337.

 

(i) Day Hagan has engaged in no other substantial business activities during the past two fiscal years.

(ii) During the past two fiscal years, Donald Hagan, has been a managing member and the chief compliance officer of Day Hagan and has engaged in no other substantial business. During the past two fiscal years, Art Day is a Senior Partner of DH Logix. He is also a consultant of Liquid Culture, Inc., an apparel company. Groesbeck Investment Management Corp. (“Groesbeck”), 12 Route 17 North, Suite 130, Paramus, NJ 07652, is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser file number 801-44798.

 

Item 32.Foreside Fund Services, LLC
Item 32(a)Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:
1.ABS Long/Short Strategies Fund
2.Absolute Shares Trust
3.AdvisorShares Trust
4.American Beacon Funds
5.American Beacon Select Funds
6.Archstone Alternative Solutions Fund
7.Ark ETF Trust
8.Avenue Mutual Funds Trust
9.BP Capital TwinLine Energy Fund, Series of Professionally Managed Portfolios
10.BP Capital TwinLine MLP Fund, Series of Professionally Managed Portfolios
11.Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
12.Bridgeway Funds, Inc.
13.Burnham Investors Trust
14.Calamos ETF Trust
15.Center Coast MLP Focus Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
16.Context Capital Funds
17.CornerCap Group of Funds
18.Corsair Opportunity Fund
19.Direxion Shares ETF Trust
20.Eaton Vance NextShares Trust
21.Eaton Vance NextShares Trust II
22.Evanston Alternative Opportunities Fund
23.Exchange Listed Funds Trust
24.FEG Absolute Access Fund I LLC
25.FlexShares Trust
26.Forum Funds
27.Forum Funds II
28.FQF Trust
29.FSI Low Beta Absolute Return Fund
30.Henderson Global Funds
 
 
31.Horizon Spin-off and Corporate Restructuring Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust (f/k/a Liberty Street Horizon Fund)
32.Horizons ETF Trust
33.Infinity Core Alternative Fund
34.Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
35.Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
36.John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust
37.Little Harbor Multistrategy Composite Fund
38.Lyons Funds
39.Manor Investment Funds
40.Miller/Howard Funds Trust
41.Moerus Worldwide Value Fund, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV
42.Montage Managers Trust
43.Palmer Square Opportunistic Income Fund
44.PENN Capital Funds Trust
45.Performance Trust Mutual Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
46.Pine Grove Alternative Fund
47.Pine Grove Alternative Institutional Fund
48.Plan Investment Fund, Inc.
49.PMC Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
50.Quaker Investment Trust
51.Ramius Archview Credit and Distressed Feeder Fund
52.Ramius Archview Credit and Distressed Fund
53.Recon Capital Series Trust
54.Renaissance Capital Greenwich Funds
55.Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
56.Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
57.Salient MF Trust
58.SharesPost 100 Fund
59.Sound Shore Fund, Inc.
60.Steben Alternative Investment Funds
61.Steben Select Multi-Strategy Fund
62.Strategy Shares
63.The 504 Fund
64.The Community Development Fund
65.The Roxbury Funds
66.TIFF Investment Program
67.TrimTabs ETF Trust
68.Turner Funds
69.U.S. Global Investors Funds
70.West Loop Realty Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust (f/k/a Chilton Realty Income & Growth Fund)
71.Wintergreen Fund, Inc.
72.WisdomTree Trust

 

Item 32(b)The following are the Officers and Manager of the Distributor, the Registrant’s underwriter. The Distributor’s main business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

 

Name Address Position with Underwriter Position with Registrant
Richard J. Berthy Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101 President, Treasurer and Manager None
       
 
 

 

Mark A. Fairbanks

 

 

Jennifer K. DiValerio

 

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101

 

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

 

Vice President

 

 

Vice President

None

 

 

None

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

 

Jennifer E. Hoopes

 

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101

 

Secretary

 

None

       

 

Item 32(c)Not applicable.

 

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

All accounts and records required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of 1940 Act and rules 31a-1 through 31a-3 promulgated thereunder are maintained at one of the following locations:

 

     
Registrant:   36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743
   
Rational:   36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743
Tuttle Management:   155 Lockwood Road, Riverside, CT 06878
VIA   300 Colonial Center Parkway, Suite 330, Roswell, GA, 30076
LifeSci   250 West 55th Street, Suite 16B, New York, NY 10019
Active Alts   6 Old Hill Road, Westport, CT 06880
Distributor:   Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101
Citi:   3435 Stelzer Road, Columbus, Ohio 43219
Citibank:   388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10048
Day Hagan Asset Management   Donald L. Hagan, LLC, a.k.a. Day Hagan Asset Management, 330 South Orange Avenue, Sarasota, FL, 34236.

 

Item 34. Management Services

Not Applicable.

 

Item 35. Undertakings

Not Applicable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 the Fund 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, thereto duly authorized, in the City of Huntington and State of New York, on August 27, 2019.

 

     
STRATEGY SHARES
   
By:  

/s/ Jerry Szilagyi *

   

Jerry Szilagyi

President and Principal Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date(s) indicated:

 

 

/s/ Jerry Szilagyi * August 27, 2019
Jerry Szilagyi, President and Principal Executive Officer Date
   
/s/ James Szilagyi * August 27, 2019
James Szilagyi, Treasurer and Principal Date
Financial Officer  
   
/s/ Tobias Caldwell * August 27, 2019
Tobias Caldwell, Trustee Date
   
/s/ Stephen Lachenauer * August 27, 2019
Stephen Lachenauer, Trustee Date
   
   
/s/ Donald McIntosh * August 27, 2019
Donald McIntosh, Trustee Date

 

 

*BY: /s/ Jennifer A. Bailey

Jennifer A. Bailey

Secretary

 

 

(Pursuant to Powers of Attorney previously filed or filed herewith)

 

 
 

 

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

 

 

Exhibit Number

 

Description

(h)(6) Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Rational Advisors, Inc. with respect to Strategy Shares Nasdaq 7 HANDL™ Index ETF, Strategy Shares Nasdaq 5 HANDL™ Index ETF, Strategy Shares US Market Rotation Strategy ETF, Strategy Shares EcoLogical Strategy ETF and Strategy Shares Drawbridge Dynamic Allocation ETF
(i)(1) Opinion and Consent of Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young LLP
(j) Consent of Cohen & Company, Ltd.
(o)(6) Power of Attorney of Jerry Szilagyi
(o)(7) Power of Attorney of Donald McIntosh
(o)(8) Power of Attorney of Tobias Caldwell
(o)(9) Power of Attorney of Steven Lachenauer
(o)(10) Power of Attorney of James Szilagyi