485APOS 1 s111074_485apos.htm FORM N-1A

 

FORM N-1A

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

Pre-Effective Amendment No.
Post-Effective Amendment No. 105  

 

and/or

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940   ☒

 

Amendment No. 107

 

(Check appropriate box or boxes)

 

EXCHANGE LISTED FUNDS TRUST

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

10900 Hefner Pointe Drive

Suite 207

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120

(Address of Principal Executive Offices, Zip Code)

 

(405) 778-8377

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code)

 

J. Garrett Stevens

Exchange Listed Funds Trust

10900 Hefner Pointe Drive

Suite 207

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

Copy to:

Christopher Menconi

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

1111 Pennsylvania Ave, NW

Washington, DC 20004

 

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

 

  Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
  On (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)
  60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
  On August 28, 2018 pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
  75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
  On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.

 

If appropriate, check the following box:

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exchange Listed Funds Trust

 

Prospectus

 

August [--], 2018

 

Tactile Analytics AR/VR Virtual Technology ETF (formerly, The WEAR ETF)

 

Principal Listing Exchange for the Fund: Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.

Ticker Symbol: ARVR

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Shares of the Fund are not individually redeemable and may trade at prices that differ from the Fund’s net asset value per share.

 

 

 

 

About This Prospectus

 

This Prospectus has been arranged into different sections so that you can easily review this important information. For detailed information about the Fund, please see:

 

  Page
Fund Summary 1
Index/Trademark License/Disclaimer 7
Additional Principal Risk Information 9
Additional principal Investment Strategies Information 15
Information Regarding the Index 15
Portfolio Holdings 15
Fund Management 15
Portfolio Manager 17
Buying and Selling Fund Shares 17
Distribution And Service Plan 19
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes 19
Additional Information 22
Financial Highlights 24
How to Obtain More Information About the Fund Back Cover

 

 

 

 

Fund Summary

 

Investment Objective

 

The Tactile Analytics AR/VR Virtual Technologies ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, track the price return performance of the EQM Tactile AR/VR Virtual Technology Index (the “Index”).

 

Fees and Expenses

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund (“Shares”). This table and the Example below do not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay on their purchases and sales of Shares.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 
Management Fee 0.85%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees None
Other Expenses [--]%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses [--]%

 

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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your cost would be:

 

1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
$[--] $[--] $[--] $[--]

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal year ended April 30, 2018, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was [--]% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

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Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its total assets in securities of the Index. The Index is designed to track the performance of companies that are expected to benefit from the increased adoption of augmented reality (“AR”) and virtual reality (“VR”) technologies.

 

Companies eligible for inclusion in the Index include publicly-listed companies around the world in business segments and industries that engage in the creation of an artificial environment which is experienced through sensory stimuli provided by a computer (“Virtual Technology”), and derive at least 50% of their revenue from activities relating to the AR/VR supply chain, as defined by EQM Indexes LLC (the “Index Provider”) and Tactile Analytics, including companies involved in infrastructure (hardware), tools and platforms (software), applications and content (AR/VR images) and users of such content (“Virtual Technology Companies”). The Fund has adopted an investment policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in Virtual Technology Companies.

 

Eligible Index constituents include U.S. and non-U.S. common stocks, American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) of Virtual Technology Companies that are traded on an exchange, and have a market capitalization of at least $100 million and a median daily trading volume of at least $2 million for the prior six months or have a minimum free float equivalent to 10% of shares outstanding. Additionally, an eligible Index constituent must have traded on 90% of the eligible trading days in the prior six months. The Index may include securities of new issuers, which are required to have three months of trading history and traded 90% of the eligible trading days during that time period. The Index consists of securities of both U.S. and foreign issuers, including securities of issuers located in emerging market countries. Holdings in the Index are equal-weighted. The Index is rebalanced quarterly but may be rebalanced more frequently for specific corporate events, as determined by the Index Provider. The Index is unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly.

 

The Fund employs a “passive management” investment strategy designed to track the performance of the Index. The Fund generally will use a replication methodology, meaning it will invest in all of the securities comprising the Index in proportion to the weightings in the Index. However, the Fund may utilize a sampling methodology under various circumstances, including when it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the securities in the Index. Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Adviser”) expects that over time, if the Fund has sufficient assets, the correlation between the Fund’s performance, before fees and expenses, and that of the Index will be 95% or better. A figure of 100% would indicate perfect correlation.

 

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in investments that are not included in the Index, but that the Adviser or the Fund’s sub-adviser, Vident Investment Advisory, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) believes will help the Fund track the Index.

 

The Fund will concentrate its investments (i.e., invest more than 25% of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the Index concentrates in an industry or group of industries. [Current Index concentration to be added by amendment.]

 

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The Index Provider has partnered with Tactile Analytics to provide research support in developing the Index. Neither the Index Provider nor Tactile Analytics is affiliated with the Fund, the Adviser, or the Sub-Adviser. The Index Provider and Tactile Analytics developed the methodology for determining the securities to be included in the Index and are responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the Index. The Index is calculated and administered by Solactive AG, which is not affiliated with the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or the Index Provider.

 

Principal Risks

 

As with all funds, a shareholder is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The principal risks affecting shareholders’ investments in the Fund are set forth below. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any government agency.

 

ADR/GDR Risk. The Fund may invest in depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers, including ADRs and GDRs. While ADRs and GDRs are instruments separate from their underlying reference security, investments in ADRs and GDRs continue to be subject to certain of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.

 

Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Concentration. Because the Fund is an exchange-traded fund (“ETF”), only a limited number of institutional investors (known as “Authorized Participants”) are authorized to purchase and redeem Shares directly from the Fund. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) Authorized Participants exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other Authorized Participants step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

 

Common Stock Risk. Common stock holds the lowest priority in the capital structure of a company, and therefore takes the largest share of the company’s risk and its accompanying volatility. The value of the common stock held by the Fund may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, or facts relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests.

 

Concentration Risk.  Because the Fund’s assets will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or group of industries. [Industry specific information to be added by amendment.]

 

Currency Exchange Rate Risk. The Fund may invest a relatively large percentage of its assets in securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Shares. Because the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) is determined in U.S. dollars, the Fund’s NAV could decline if the currency of the non-U.S. market in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar, even if the value of the Fund’s holdings, measured in the foreign currency, increases. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money.

 

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Emerging Markets Securities Risk. Emerging markets are subject to greater market volatility, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, uncertainty regarding the existence of trading markets and more governmental limitations on foreign investment than more developed markets. In addition, securities in emerging markets may be subject to greater price fluctuations than securities in more developed markets. An investment in securities of foreign companies may be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to expropriation, nationalization or adverse political or economic developments. Foreign securities may have relatively low market liquidity and decreased publicly available information about issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities also may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. Non-U.S. issuers may also be subject to inconsistent and potentially less stringent accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. These and other factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.

 

Geographic Investment Risk. To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies of a single country or region, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region.

 

Geopolitical Risk. Some countries and regions in which the Fund invests have experienced security concerns, war or threats of war and aggression, terrorism, economic uncertainty, natural and environmental disasters and/or systemic market dislocations that have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally, each of which may negatively impact the Fund’s investments.

 

Index Tracking Risk. The Fund’s return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Index.

 

Issuer-Specific Risk. Fund performance depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. Issuer-specific events, including changes in the financial condition of an issuer, can have a negative impact on the value of the Fund.

 

Large-Capitalization Risk. Returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of smaller and mid-sized companies.

 

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Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument could decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic or political conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. The market value of a security may also decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified, meaning that, as compared to a diversified fund, it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers.  As a result, the performance of these issuers can have a substantial impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed and therefore the Fund would not sell shares of an equity security due to current or projected underperformance of a security, industry or sector, unless that security is removed from the Index or the selling of shares is otherwise required upon a rebalancing of the Index.

 

Sector Focus Risk.  The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in one or more sectors and thus will be more susceptible to the risks affecting those sectors.  While the Fund’s sector exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Index, the Fund anticipates that it may be subject to some or all of the risks described below. The list below is not a comprehensive list of the sectors to which the Fund may have exposure over time and should not be relied on as such.

 

[Sector specific information to be provided by amendment.]

 

Small- and Mid-Capitalization Risk. The small- and mid-capitalization companies in which the Fund invests may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies, and may underperform other segments of the market or the equity market as a whole. Securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes, are often more vulnerable to market volatility, and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole.

 

Trading Risk. Shares may trade on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”) above or below their NAV. The NAV of Shares will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. In addition, although the Shares are currently listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for Shares will develop or be maintained.  Trading in Fund Shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. 

 

Virtual Technology Companies Risk. The Fund invests primarily in the equity securities of Virtual Technology Companies and, as such, is particularly sensitive to risks to those types of companies.  These risks include, but are not limited to, small or limited markets for such securities, changes in business cycles, world economic growth, technological progress, rapid obsolescence, and government regulation.

 

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Performance Information

 

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for certain time periods compare with the average annual returns of the Index, The EQM WearablesTM Index, the NASDAQ Composite Index, and the S&P North American Technology Sector Index.  All returns assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions.  The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. 

 

On July [--], 2018, the Fund’s name, index, investment objective, and principal investment strategies changed. Therefore, the performance and average annual total returns shown for periods prior to July [--], 2018 may have differed had the Fund’s current investment strategies been in effect during those periods. Updated performance information is available online at www.[--].com or by calling [--].

[Bar chart to be provided by amendment.]

 

2017 [--]%

 

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

     
  Return Quarter/Year
Highest Return [--]% [--]
Lowest Return [--]% [--]

 

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

 

Average Annual Total Returns for the period ending December 31, 2017

 

Tactile Analytics AR/VR Virtual Technology ETF

1 year

Since Inception
(12-08-2016)
Return Before Taxes [--]% [--]%
Return After Taxes on Distributions [--]% [--]%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares [--]% [--]%
EQM WearablesTM Index [--]% [--]%
EQM Tactile AR/VR Virtual Technology Index [--]% [--]%
NASDAQ Composite Index [--]% [--]%
S&P North American Technology Sector Index [--]% [--]%

 

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Investment Advisers

 

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Vident Investment Advisory, LLC serves as the sub-adviser to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Manager

 

Denise M. Krisko, CFA, President and Co-Founder of the Sub-Adviser, has had primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Fund since its inception in December 2016.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund will issue (or redeem) Shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of at least 50,000 Shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are typically conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of in-kind securities and/or cash constituting a substantial replication, or a representation, of the securities included in the Index. Individual Shares may only be purchased and sold on a national securities exchange through a broker-dealer. You can purchase and sell individual Shares throughout the trading day like any publicly traded security. The Shares are listed on the Exchange. The price of the Shares is based on market price, and because exchange-traded fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities.

 

Tax Information

 

Distributions made by the Fund may be taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or long-term capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. In that case, you may be taxed when you take a distribution from such account, depending on the type of account, the circumstances of your distribution, and other factors.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of 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.

 

Index/Trademark License/Disclaimer

 

The Index Provider is EQM Indexes LLC. The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Exchange Listed Funds Trust (the “Trust”), the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, Solactive AG, the Fund’s administrator, custodian, transfer agent or distributor, or any of their respective affiliates.

 

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The EQM Tactile AR/VR Virtual Technology Index, or the Index, is a product of the Index Provider. Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Adviser” or “Licensee”) has entered into a license agreement with the Index Provider pursuant to which the Adviser pays a fee to use the Index and the marketing names and licensed trademarks of the Index Provider (the “Index Trademarks”). The Adviser is sub-licensing rights to the Index to the Fund.

 

The Index is compiled and calculated by the Index Provider. The Index Provider has no obligation to take the needs of the Licensee or the owners of the Fund into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Index. The Index Provider will apply all necessary means to ensure the accuracy of the Index. However, the Index Provider shall not be liable (whether in negligence or otherwise) to any person for any error in the Index and shall not be under any obligation to advise any person of any error therein. All copyrights in the Index values and constituent lists vest in the Index Provider. Neither the publication of the Index by the Index Provider nor the granting of a license of rights relating to the Index or to the Index Trademarks for the utilization in connection with the Fund, represents a recommendation by the Index Provider for a capital investment or contains in any manner a warranty or opinion by the Index Provider with respect to the attractiveness of an investment in the Fund. The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, or sold by the Index Provider or its respective affiliates. The Index Provider and its respective affiliates make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of trading in the Fund. The Index Provider and its respective affiliates are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Fund to be sold or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Fund is to be converted into cash. The Index Provider and its respective affiliates have an obligation in connection with the administration and marketing of the Fund but have no obligations or liabilities in connection with the trading of the Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Index Provider and its affiliates may independently issue and/or sponsor financial products unrelated to the Fund but which may be similar to and competitive with the Fund. In addition, the Index Provider and its affiliates may trade financial products which are linked to the performance of the Index. It is possible that this trading activity will affect the value of the Index and the Fund.

 

THE INDEX PROVIDER AND ITS RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND THE INDEX PROVIDER AND ITS RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. THE INDEX PROVIDER AND ITS RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES MAKE NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE LICENSEES, OWNERS OF THE FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. THE INDEX PROVIDER AND ITS RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL THE INDEX PROVIDER OR ITS RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES, EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

 

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The Adviser does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Index or any data included therein, and the Adviser shall have no liability for any errors, omissions, restatements, re-calculations or interruptions therein. The Adviser makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the Fund, owners of the Shares any other person or entity from the use of the Index or any data included therein. The Adviser makes no express or implied warranties, and expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the Index or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Adviser have any liability for any special, punitive, direct, indirect or consequential damages (including lost profits) arising out of matters relating to the use of the Index even if notified of the possibility of such damages.

 

Additional Principal Risk Information

 

The following section provides additional information regarding certain of the principal risks identified under “Principal Risks” in the “Fund Summary” section along with additional risk information.

 

ADR/GDR Risk. To the extent the Fund seeks exposure to foreign companies, the Fund’s investments may be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers, including ADRs and GDRs. While the use of ADRs and GDRs, which are traded on exchanges and represent an ownership in a foreign security, provide an alternative to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their respective national markets and currencies, investments in ADRs and GDRs continue to be subject to certain of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.

 

Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Concentration. Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) Authorized Participants exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other Authorized Participants step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

 

Common Stock Risk. Common stock holds the lowest priority in the capital structure of a company, and therefore takes the largest share of the company’s risk and its accompanying volatility. Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock. Also, prices of common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic or banking crises.

 

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Concentration Risk. Because the Fund’s assets will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or group of industries.  To the extent the Fund concentrates in the securities of issuers in a particular industry, the Fund may face more risks than if it were diversified more broadly over numerous industries. Such industry-based risks, any of which may adversely affect the Fund may include, but are not limited to, the following: general economic conditions or cyclical market patterns that could negatively affect supply and demand in a particular industry; competition for resources, adverse labor relations, political or world events; obsolescence of technologies; and increased competition or new product introductions that may affect the profitability or viability of companies in an industry. In addition, at times, an industry may be out of favor and underperform other industries or the market as a whole. [Industry specific information to be provided by amendment.]

 

Currency Exchange Rate Risk. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund’s investments and the value of your Fund Shares. Because the Fund’s NAV is determined on the basis of U.S. dollars, the U.S. dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go down if the value of the local currency of the non-U.S. markets in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar. This is true even if the local currency value of securities in the Fund’s holdings goes up. Conversely, the dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go up if the value of the local currency appreciates against the U.S. dollar. The value of the U.S. dollar measured against other currencies is influenced by a variety of factors. These factors include: national debt levels and trade deficits, changes in balances of payments and trade, domestic and foreign interest and inflation rates, global or regional political, economic or financial events, monetary policies of governments, actual or potential government intervention, and global energy prices. Political instability, the possibility of government intervention and restrictive or opaque business and investment policies may also reduce the value of a country’s currency. Government monetary policies and the buying or selling of currency by a country’s government may also influence exchange rates. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning, and you may lose money.

 

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Emerging Markets Securities Risk. Emerging markets are subject to greater market volatility, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, uncertainty regarding the existence of trading markets and more governmental limitations on foreign investment than more developed markets. In addition, securities in emerging markets may be subject to greater price fluctuations than securities in more developed markets. Investments in debt securities of foreign governments present special risks, including the fact that issuers may be unable or unwilling to repay principal and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such debt, or may be unable to make such repayments when due in the currency required under the terms of the debt. Political, economic and social events also may have a greater impact on the price of debt securities issued by foreign governments than on the price of U.S. securities. In addition, brokerage and other transaction costs on foreign securities exchanges are often higher than in the United States and there is generally less government supervision and regulation of exchanges, brokers and issuers in foreign countries.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to inconsistent and potentially less stringent accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. With respect to certain countries, there is the possibility of government intervention and expropriation or nationalization of assets. Because legal systems differ, there is also the possibility that it will be difficult to obtain or enforce legal judgments in certain countries. Since foreign exchanges may be open on days when the Fund does not price its Shares, the value of the securities in the portfolios of the Fund may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell Shares. Conversely, Shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are closed. Each of these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.

 

Geographic Investment Risk. To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies of a single country or region, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region. For example, political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax, or economic policy in a country could significantly affect the market in that country and in surrounding or related countries and have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Currency developments or restrictions, political and social instability, and changing economic conditions have resulted in significant market volatility.

 

Geopolitical Risk. Some countries and regions in which the Fund invests have experienced security concerns, war or threats of war and aggression, terrorism, economic uncertainty, natural and environmental disasters and/or systemic market dislocations that have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally, each of which may negatively impact the Fund’s investments. Such geopolitical and other events may also disrupt securities markets and, during such market disruptions, the Fund’s exposure to the other risks described herein will likely increase.

 

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Index Tracking Risk. Tracking error refers to the risk that the Sub-Adviser may not be able to cause the Fund’s performance to match or correlate to that of its Index, either on a daily or aggregate basis. There are a number of factors that may contribute to the Fund’s tracking error, such as Fund expenses, imperfect correlation between the Fund’s investments and those of the Index, rounding of share prices, the timing or magnitude of changes to the composition of the Index, regulatory policies, and high portfolio turnover rate. The Fund incurs operating expenses not applicable to its Index and incurs costs associated with buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the Index. Tracking error may cause the Fund’s performance to be less than expected. In addition, the Fund’s use of a representative sampling approach may cause the Fund’s returns to not be as well correlated with the return of its Index as would be the case if the Fund purchased all of the securities in the Index in the proportions represented in the Index and can be expected to result in greater tracking error than if the Fund used a replication indexing strategy.

 

Large-Capitalization Risk. Returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of smaller and mid-sized companies. The securities of large-capitalization companies may also be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes.

 

Market Risk. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund of equity securities, such as market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. The values of equity securities could decline generally or could underperform other investments. Different types of equity securities tend to go through cycles of out-performance and under-performance in comparison to the general securities markets. In addition, securities may decline in value due to factors affecting a specific issuer, market or securities markets generally.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified, meaning that, as compared to a diversified fund, it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers.  As a result, the performance of these issuers can have a substantial impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed. Therefore, unless a specific security is removed from the Index, or the selling of shares of that security is otherwise required upon a rebalancing of the Index as addressed in the Index methodology, the Fund generally would not sell a security because the security’s issuer was in financial trouble. If a specific security is removed from the Index, the Fund may be forced to sell such security at an inopportune time or for a price other than the security’s current market value. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any equity securities traded on an exchange, such as market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in security prices. It is anticipated that the value of Shares will decline, more or less, in correspondence with any decline in value of the Index. The Index may not contain the appropriate mix of securities for any particular point in the business cycle of the overall economy, particular economic sectors, or narrow industries within which the commercial activities of the companies comprising the portfolio securities holdings of the Fund are conducted, and the timing of movements from one type of security to another in seeking to sample the Index could have a negative effect on the Fund. Unlike other funds that select investments based on analyses of financial or other information relating to companies, the economy or markets, the Fund, like other sector-focused or other narrowly-focused index funds, invests in companies included in the Index in accordance with its investment objective of tracking the performance of the Index.  There can be no assurance that an investment in such companies would not underperform the broader market or investments with a different focus. The Fund should not be considered a complete investment program. Unlike with an actively managed fund, the Sub-Adviser does not use techniques or defensive strategies designed to lessen the effects of market volatility or to reduce the impact of periods of market decline. This means that, based on market and economic conditions, the Fund’s performance could be lower than other types of mutual funds that may actively shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or to lessen the impact of a market decline.

 

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Sector Focus Risk.  The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in one or more sectors and thus will be more susceptible to the risks affecting those sectors.  While the Fund’s sector exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Index, the Fund anticipates that it may be subject to some or all of the risks described below. The list below is not a comprehensive list of the sectors to which the Fund may have exposure over time and should not be relied on as such. 

 

[Sector focus information to be provided by amendment.]

 

Small- and Mid-Capitalization Risk. The small- and mid-capitalization companies in which the Fund invests may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies, and may underperform other segments of the market or the equity market as a whole. Securities of mid- and small-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes, are often more vulnerable to market volatility, and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some small- and mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, financial resources, and management personnel and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to large-capitalization companies. Also, there is typically less publicly available information concerning smaller-capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies. Small-capitalization companies also may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs and earnings.

 

Trading Risk. Although the Shares are listed for trading on a listing exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Shares will develop or be maintained. Secondary market trading in the Shares may be halted by a listing exchange because of market conditions or for other reasons. In addition, trading in the Shares is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements necessary to maintain the listing of the Shares will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.

 

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Shares may trade at, above or below their most recent NAV. The per share NAV of each Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings since the prior most recent calculation. The trading prices of the Shares will fluctuate continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply and demand. The trading prices of the Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. These factors, among others, may lead to the Shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV. However, given that Shares can be created and redeemed only in Creation Units at NAV (unlike shares of many closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their NAVs), the Adviser does not believe that large discounts or premiums to NAV will exist for extended periods of time. While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that the Shares normally will trade close to the Fund’s NAV, exchange prices are not expected to correlate exactly with the Fund’s NAV due to timing reasons as well as market supply and demand factors. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions or the existence of extreme volatility may result in trading prices that differ significantly from NAV. If a shareholder purchases at a time when the market price of the Fund is at a premium to its NAV or sells at time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses.

 

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

 

Virtual Technology Companies Risk. The Fund invests primarily in the equity securities of Virtual Technology Companies and, as such, is particularly sensitive to risks to those types of companies.  These risks include, but are not limited to, small or limited markets for such securities, changes in business cycles, world economic growth, technological progress, rapid obsolescence, and government regulation.  Securities of Virtual Technology Companies, especially smaller, start-up companies, can be more volatile than securities of companies that do not rely heavily on technology.  Rapid change to technologies that affect a company’s products could have a material adverse effect on such company’s operating results.  Virtual Technology Companies may rely on a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secret laws to establish and protect their proprietary rights in their products and technologies.  There can be no assurance that the steps taken by these companies to protect their proprietary rights will be adequate to prevent the misappropriation of their technology or that competitors will not independently develop technologies that are substantially equivalent or superior to such companies’ technology.

 

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Additional Principal Investment Strategies Information

 

The Fund, using an “indexing” investment approach, seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, track the price return performance of the Index. A number of factors may affect the Fund’s ability to achieve a high correlation with its Index, including Fund expenses, rounding of share prices, the timing or magnitude of changes to the composition of its Index, regulatory policies, and high portfolio turnover rate. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation.

 

The Sub-Adviser may sell securities that are represented in the Index or purchase securities not yet represented in the Index, in anticipation of their removal from or addition to the Index. There may also be instances in which the Sub-Adviser may choose to overweight securities in the Index, purchase or sell securities not in the Index that the Sub-Adviser believes are appropriate to substitute for certain securities in the Index, or utilize various combinations of other available investment techniques in seeking to track the Index. The Fund will not take defensive positions.

 

The Fund may change its investment objective and Index without shareholder approval. The Fund’s policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in Virtual Technology Companies may be changed without shareholder approval, upon 60 days’ notice to shareholders.

 

Information Regarding the Index

 

The EQM Tactile AR/VR Virtual Technology Index was created on February 29, 2016. The Index is rebalanced and additions are made quarterly. Deletions from the Index may be made at any time due to changes in business, mergers, acquisitions, bankruptcies, suspensions, de-listings and spin-offs, or for other reasons as determined at the sole discretion of the Index Provider. The Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and their affiliates were not involved in the creation or commission of the Index and do not provide input to the Index Provider concerning the construction or eligibility criteria of the Index. These announcements are also posted on the Index Provider’s website at www.eqmindexes.com. Daily index values can be viewed on Bloomberg and Reuters. As of [--], the Index comprised [--] securities, and the weighted average market capitalization of its components was $[--] billion. More information about the Index may be reviewed on the following website: www.eqmindexes.com.

 

Portfolio Holdings

 

A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”).

 

Fund Management

 

Adviser. Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, or the Adviser, an Oklahoma limited liability company, is located at 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 207, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120. The Adviser was formed in 2009 and provides investment advisory services to other exchange-traded funds. Under an Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Adviser, the Adviser provides investment advice to the Fund primarily in the form of oversight of the Sub-Adviser, including daily monitoring of the purchase and sale of securities by the Sub-Adviser and regular review of the Sub-Adviser’s performance. The Adviser also arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate. The Adviser administers the Fund’s business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and provides its officers and employees to serve as officers or Trustees of the Trust. For the services it provides to the Fund, the Fund pays the Adviser a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.85% on the average daily net assets of the Fund.

 

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Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses incurred by the Fund except for the advisory fee, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, extraordinary expenses, and distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (“Excluded Expenses”).

 

Pursuant to an SEC exemptive order and subject to the conditions of that order, the Adviser may, with Board approval but without shareholder approval, change or select new sub-advisers, materially amend the terms of an agreement with a sub-adviser (including an increase in its fee), or continue the employment of a sub-adviser after an event that would otherwise cause the automatic termination of services. Shareholders will be notified of any sub-adviser changes.

 

Sub-Adviser. Vident Investment Advisory, LLC, or the Sub-Adviser, is a Delaware limited liability company located at 300 Colonial Center Parkway, Suite 330, Roswell, Georgia 30076. The Sub-Adviser was formed in 2014 and provides investment advisory services to other exchange-traded funds, including the Fund. The Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities and other investment instruments on behalf of the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions, as instructed by the Adviser or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the Index, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board. Under a sub-advisory agreement, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser a fee, calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.04% of the average daily net assets of the Fund, subject to a $15,000 annual minimum fee.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the investment advisory agreement with the Adviser and the sub-advisory agreement with the Sub-Adviser is available in the Fund’s Annual Report to Shareholders for the period ended April 30, 2017.

 

Fund Sponsor.  The Adviser has entered into an agreement with Eve Capital, LLC, or the Sponsor, pursuant to which the Sponsor has agreed to assume the obligation of the Adviser to pay all expenses of the Fund, except the Excluded Expenses.  The Sponsor will also provide marketing support for the Fund including, but not limited to, distributing the Fund’s materials and providing the Fund with access to and the use of the Sponsor’s other marketing capabilities, including communications through print and electronic media discussing the Index.  For its services, the Sponsor is entitled to a fee from the Adviser, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund. 

 

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Portfolio Manager

 

Denise M. Krisko, CFA, President and Co-Founder of Vident Investment Advisory, LLC, is the Fund’s portfolio manager (the Portfolio Manager”) and is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Ms. Krisko is responsible for various functions related to portfolio management, including, but not limited to, investing cash inflows, implementing investment strategy, researching and reviewing investment strategy, and overseeing members of her portfolio management team with more limited responsibilities.

 

Ms. Krisko joined the Sub-Adviser as its President in November 2014 and has over twenty years of investment management experience.  Prior to joining the Sub-Adviser, Ms. Krisko was the Chief Investment Officer of Index Management Solutions.  Prior to that, she was a Managing Director and Co-Head of the Equity Index Management and Head of East Coast Equity Index Strategies for Mellon Capital Management.  She was also a Managing Director of The Bank of New York and Head of Equity Index Strategies for BNY Investment Advisors from August 2005 until the merger of The Bank of New York with Mellon Bank in 2007, when she assumed her role with Mellon Capital Management.  Ms. Krisko attained the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2000.  Ms. Krisko graduated with a BS from Pennsylvania State University and obtained her MBA from Villanova University.

 

The SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Manager’s compensation, other accounts managed, and ownership of Shares.

 

Buying and Selling Fund Shares

 

Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange. When you buy or sell Shares on the secondary market, you will pay or receive the market price. You may incur customary brokerage commissions and charges and may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. The Shares will trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ to varying degrees from the daily NAV of the Shares. A “Business Day” with respect to the Fund is any day on which the Exchange is open for business. The Exchange is generally open Monday through Friday and is closed on weekends and the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

NAV per Share is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e. the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by its total number of Shares outstanding. Expenses and fees, including management and distribution fees, if any, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. NAV is determined each business day, normally as of the close of regular trading of the New York Stock Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time).

 

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The Exchange (or market data vendors or other information providers) will disseminate, every fifteen seconds during the regular trading day, an intraday value of Shares, also known as the “indicative optimized portfolio value,” or IOPV. The IOPV calculations are estimates of the value of the Fund’s NAV per Share and are based on the current market value of the securities and/or cash required to be deposited in exchange for a Creation Unit. Premiums and discounts between the IOPV and the market price may occur. The IOPV does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current portfolio of securities held by the Fund at a particular point in time or the best possible valuation of the current portfolio. Therefore, it should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV per share of the Fund, which is calculated only once a day. 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. Neither the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or 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.

 

When determining NAV, the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities is based on market prices of the securities, which generally means a valuation obtained from an exchange or other market (or based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of the value supplied by an exchange or other market) or a valuation obtained from an independent pricing service. If a security’s market price is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately reflect the fair value of the security, the security will be valued by another method that the Board believes will better reflect fair value in accordance with the Trust’s valuation policies and procedures. Fair value pricing may be used in a variety of circumstances, including but not limited to, situations when the value of a security in the Fund’s portfolio has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the market on which the security is principally traded but prior to the close of the Exchange (such as in the case of a corporate action or other news that may materially affect the price of a security) or trading in a security has been suspended or halted. Accordingly, the Fund’s NAV may reflect certain portfolio securities’ fair values rather than their market prices.

 

Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security will materially differ from the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security. In addition, fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate the Fund’s NAV and the prices used by the Index. This may result in a difference between the Fund’s performance and the performance of the Index.

 

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares

 

The Fund does not impose any restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Creation Units; however, the Fund reserves the right to reject or limit purchases at any time as described in the SAI. When considering that no restriction or policy was necessary, the Board evaluated the risks posed by arbitrage and market timing activities, such as whether frequent purchases and redemptions would interfere with the efficient implementation of the Fund’s investment strategy, or whether they would cause the Fund to experience increased transaction costs. The Board considered that, unlike traditional mutual funds, Shares are issued and redeemed only in large quantities of Shares known as Creation Units available only from the Fund directly to Authorized Participants, and that most trading in the Shares occurs on the Exchange at prevailing market prices and does not involve the Fund directly. Given this structure, the Board determined that it is unlikely that trading due to arbitrage opportunities or market timing by shareholders would result in negative impact to the Fund or its shareholders. In addition, frequent trading of Shares done by Authorized Participants and arbitrageurs is critical to ensuring that the market price remains at or close to NAV.

 

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Distribution and Service Plan

 

The Fund has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act pursuant to which payments of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets may be made for the sale and distribution of its Fund Shares. No payments pursuant to the Distribution and Service Plan will be made during the twelve (12) month period from the date of this Prospectus. Thereafter, 12b-1 fees may only be imposed after approval by the Board. Any forgone 12b-1 fees during this twelve month period will not be recoverable during any subsequent period. Because these fees, if imposed, would be paid out of the Fund’s assets on an on-going basis, if payments are made in the future, these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

 

Dividends, Distributions and Taxes

 

Fund Distributions

 

The Fund pays out dividends from its net investment income annually and distributes its net capital gains, if any, to investors at least annually.

 

Dividend Reinvestment Service

 

Brokers may make available to their customers who own Shares the Depository Trust Company book-entry dividend reinvestment service. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and capital gains will automatically be reinvested in additional whole Shares of the Fund purchased on the secondary market. Without this service, investors would receive their distributions in cash. To determine whether the dividend reinvestment service is available and whether there is a commission or other charge for using this service, consult your broker. Brokers may require the Fund’s shareholders to adhere to specific procedures and timetables.

 

Tax Information

 

The following is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax issues that affect the Fund and its shareholders. The summary is based on current tax laws, which may be changed by legislative, judicial or administrative action. You should not consider this summary to be a comprehensive explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund, or the tax consequences of an investment in the Fund. More information about taxes is located in the SAI.

 

You are urged to consult your tax adviser regarding specific questions as to federal, state and local income taxes.

 

Tax Status of the Fund

 

The Fund intends to qualify for the special tax treatment afforded to regulated investment companies under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). If the Fund maintains its qualification as a regulated investment company and meets certain minimum distribution requirements, then the Fund is generally not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, if the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company or to meet minimum distribution requirements it would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and consequently a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.

 

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Unless you are a tax-exempt entity or your investment in Fund Shares is made through a tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions, you sell Fund Shares and you purchase or redeem Creation Units (institutional investors only).

 

Tax Status of Distributions

 

The Fund intends to distribute for each year substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains income.

 

Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional Shares.

 

The income dividends you receive from the Fund will be taxed as either ordinary income or “qualified dividend income.” Dividends that are reported by the Fund as qualified dividend income are generally taxable to non-corporate shareholders at tax rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). Qualified dividend income generally is income derived from dividends paid to the Fund by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that the Fund receives in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. For dividends to be taxed as qualified dividend income to a non-corporate shareholder, the Fund must satisfy certain holding period requirements with respect to the underlying stock and the non-corporate shareholder must satisfy holding period requirements with respect to his or her ownership of the Fund’s Shares. Holding periods may be suspended for these purposes for stock that is hedged.

 

Distributions from the Fund’s short-term capital gains are generally taxable as ordinary income. Distributions from the Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of the Fund’s net long-term capital gains over its net short-term capital losses) are taxable as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your Shares. For non-corporate shareholders, long-term capital gains are generally taxable at tax rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets).

 

U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (including certain capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares of the Fund). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.

 

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Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends-received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive from the Fund that are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations.

 

Distributions paid in January but declared by the Fund in October, November or December of the previous year payable to shareholders of record in such a month may be taxable to you in the previous year.

 

You should note that if you purchase Shares just before a distribution, the purchase price would reflect the amount of the upcoming distribution. In this case, you would be taxed on the entire amount of the distribution received, even though, as an economic matter, the distribution simply constitutes a return of your investment. This is known as “buying a dividend” and should be avoided by taxable investors.

 

The Fund (or your broker) will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income, and net capital gain distributions shortly after the close of each calendar year.

 

Tax Status of Share Transactions. Each sale of Fund Shares or redemption of Creation Units will generally be a taxable event. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund Shares is generally treated as a long-term gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than twelve months. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund Shares held for twelve months or less is generally treated as short-term gain or loss. Any capital loss on the sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent distributions of long-term capital gain were paid (or treated as paid) with respect to such Shares. Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent Shares of the Fund are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the sale of Fund Shares. For tax purposes, an exchange of Fund Shares for shares of a different fund is the same as a sale.

 

A person who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize gain or loss from the exchange. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus any cash paid for the Creation Units. A person who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate market value of the securities and the amount of cash received. The Internal Revenue Service, however, may assert that a loss that is realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for a person who does not mark-to-market their holdings), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

 

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

 

To the extent the Fund invests in foreign securities, it may be subject to foreign withholding taxes with respect to dividends or interest the Fund received from sources in foreign countries. If more than 50% of the total assets of the Fund consist of foreign securities, the Fund will be eligible to elect to treat some of those taxes as a distribution to shareholders, which would allow shareholders to offset some of their U.S. federal income tax. The Fund (or your broker) will notify you if it makes such an election and provide you with the information necessary to reflect foreign taxes paid on your income tax return.

 

Non-U.S. Investors. If you are a nonresident alien individual or a foreign corporation, trust or estate, (i) the Fund’s ordinary income dividends will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies but (ii) gains from the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless you are a nonresident alien individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Different tax consequences may result if you are a foreign shareholder engaged in a trade or business within the United States or if you are a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty.

 

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

 

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in the Fund under all applicable tax laws.

 

Additional Information

 

Investments by Other Registered Investment Companies

 

For purposes of the 1940 Act, the Fund is treated as a registered investment company. Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including Shares of the Fund. The SEC has issued an exemptive order to the Trust permitting registered investment companies to invest in exchange-traded funds offered by the Trust, including the Fund, beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions, including that such registered investment companies enter into an agreement with the Trust.

 

22 

 

 

Continuous Offering

 

The method by which Creation Units are purchased and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the Prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act.

 

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

 

Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in Shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of Shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act is not available with respect to such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker dealer-firms should note that dealers who are not underwriters but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with Shares that are part of an over-allotment within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(a) of the Securities Act would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to Shares of the Fund are reminded that under Rule 153 under the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on the Exchange is satisfied by the fact that such Fund’s Prospectus is available on the SEC’s electronic filing system. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.

 

Premium/Discount Information

 

Information regarding how often the Shares of the Fund traded on the Exchange at a price above (i.e. at a premium) or below (i.e. 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, as applicable, can be found at www.[--].com.

 

23 

 

 

Financial Highlights

 

The table that follows presents the financial highlights for the Fund. The table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund 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 distributions). This information has been derived from the financial statements audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd., the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, are included in the Fund’s Annual Report, which is available upon request.

 

24 

 

 

Financial Highlights –Tactile Analytics AR/VR Virtual Technology ETF

Selected data for a share of beneficial interest outstanding throughout the periods indicated

 

[Financial Highlights to be added by amendment.]

 

25 

 

 

Exchange Listed Funds Trust

10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 207

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120

 

ANNUAL/SEMI-ANNUAL REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS

 

These reports contain information about the Fund’s investment strategies, recent market conditions and trends and their impact on Fund performance. The reports also contain more information about the Fund’s holdings and detailed financial information about the Fund.

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (SAI)

 

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund. The SAI is incorporated by reference into, and is thus legally a part of, this Prospectus.

 

HOUSEHOLDING

 

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

 

HOW TO OBTAIN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND

 

To request a free copy of the latest annual or semi-annual report, the SAI, or to request additional information about the Fund or to make other inquiries, please contact us as follows:

 

Call:

[--]

Monday through Friday

8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Write:

Exchange Listed Funds Trust

10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 207

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120

       
Visit: www.[--].com    

 

The SAI and other information are also available from a financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) through which the Fund’s shares may be purchased or sold.

 

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

 

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including the SAI) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about this public service, call the SEC at 1-202-551-8090. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, or you can receive copies of this information, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549-0102.

 

The Trust’s Investment Company Act file number: 811-22700

 

 

 

 

 

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

TACTILE ANALYTICS AR/VR VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGY ETF (formerly, The WEAR ETF)
TICKER SYMBOL: ARVR

 

(THE “FUND”)

 

a series of EXCHANGE LISTED FUNDS TRUST (the “Trust”)

 

August [--], 2018

 

Principal Listing Exchange for the Fund: Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.

 

Investment Adviser:

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC

 

Sub-Adviser:

Vident Investment Advisory, LLC

 

This Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”) is not a prospectus. The SAI should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s prospectus, dated August [--], 2018 as may be revised from time to time (the “Prospectus”), which incorporates this SAI by reference. Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. The Fund’s audited financial statements for the fiscal period ended April 30, 2018, including notes thereto and the report of Cohen & Company, Ltd., the Fund’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, are contained in the 2018 Annual Report and incorporated by reference into this SAI. A copy of the Fund’s Annual or Semi-Annual Report or Prospectus may be obtained without charge, by writing the Fund’s Distributor, Foreside Fund Services, LLC, by visiting the Fund’s website at www.[--].com, or by calling (888) 855-2434.

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

     
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST   1
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND RELATED RISKS   1
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS   2
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND RISKS   10
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS   12
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING   14
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST   15
OWNERSHIP OF FUND SHARES   21
CODES OF ETHICS   21
PROXY VOTING POLICIES   22
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES   22
THE PORTFOLIO MANAGER   23
THE DISTRIBUTOR   24
THE ADMINISTRATORS   26
THE CUSTODIAN   26
THE TRANSFER AGENT   26
COMPLIANCE SERVICES   26
LEGAL COUNSEL   26
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM   26
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES   26
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES   27
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES’ LIABILITY   27
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS   27
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE   29
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM   30
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES   31
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS   31
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE   40
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS   40
FEDERAL INCOME TAXES   41
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS   48
EXHIBIT A- PROXY VOTING AND PROCEDURES   A-1

 

 

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST

 

Exchange Listed Funds Trust (formerly, Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II) (the “Trust”) is an open-end management investment company consisting of multiple investment series. This SAI relates to Tactile Analytics AR/VR Virtual Technology ETF (the “Fund”). The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on April 4, 2012. The Trust is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”) as an open-end management investment company and the offering of the Fund’s shares (“Shares”) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund. Vident Investment Advisory, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as the sub-adviser to the Fund. The investment objective of the Fund is to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, track the price return performance of the EQM Tactile AR/VR Virtual Technology Index (the “Index”). Prior to July [--], 2018, the Fund operated as The Wear ETF. Effective July [--], 2018, the Fund changed its name, index, investment objective, and principal investment strategies.

 

The Fund offers and issues Shares at their net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each, a “Creation Unit”). The Fund generally offers and issues Shares in exchange for a basket of securities included in the Index (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. The Shares are listed on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and trade on the Exchange at market prices. These prices may differ from the Shares’ NAVs. The Shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, and generally in exchange for portfolio securities and a specified cash payment. A Creation Unit of the Fund consists of at least 50,000 Shares.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND RELATED RISKS

 

The Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus. For a description of certain permitted investments, see “Description of Permitted Investments” in this SAI.

 

CONCENTRATION

 

The Fund will concentrate its investments (i.e., invest more than 25% of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent the Index concentrates in an industry or group of industries. The securities of issuers in particular industries may dominate the Index of the Fund and consequently the Fund’s investment portfolio. This may adversely affect the Fund’s performance or subject its Shares to greater price volatility than that experienced by less concentrated investment companies.

 

NON-DIVERSIFICATION

 

The Fund is classified as a non-diversified investment company under the 1940 Act. A “non-diversified” classification means that the Fund is not limited by the 1940 Act with regard to the percentage of its assets that may be invested in the securities of a single issuer. This means that the Fund may invest a greater portion of its assets in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified fund. The securities of a particular issuer may constitute a greater portion of the Fund’s Index and, therefore, the securities may constitute a greater portion of the Fund’s portfolio. This may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s performance or subject the Fund’s Shares to greater price volatility than more diversified investment companies. Moreover, in pursuing its objective, the Fund may hold the securities of a single issuer in an amount exceeding 10% of the market value of the outstanding securities of the issuer, subject to restrictions imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). In particular, as the Fund’s size grows and its assets increase, it will be more likely to hold more than 10% of the securities of a single issuer if the issuer has a relatively small public float as compared to other components in its Index.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS

 

The following are descriptions of the permitted investments and investment practices and the associated risk factors. The Fund will only invest in any of the following instruments or engage in any of the following investment practices if such investment or activity is consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and permitted by the Fund’s stated investment policies.

 

EQUITY SECURITIES

 

Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company. Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which the Fund invests will cause the NAV of the Fund to fluctuate.

 

Types of equity securities in which the Fund may invest include:

 

Common Stocks. Common stocks represent units of ownership in a company. Common stocks usually carry voting rights and earn dividends. Unlike preferred stocks, which are described below, dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the company’s board of directors.

 

Preferred Stocks. Preferred stocks are also units of ownership in a company. Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of the company. However, in all other respects, preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer. Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate matters. Types of preferred stocks include adjustable-rate preferred stock, fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund preferred stock. Generally, the market value of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element varies inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk.

 

Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are securities that may be exchanged for, converted into, or exercised to acquire a predetermined number of shares of the issuer’s common stock at the Fund’s option during a specified time period (such as convertible preferred stocks, convertible debentures and warrants). A convertible security is generally a fixed income security that is senior to common stock in an issuer’s capital structure, but is usually subordinated to similar non-convertible securities. In exchange for the conversion feature, many corporations will pay a lower rate of interest on convertible securities than debt securities of the same corporation. In general, the market value of a convertible security is at least the higher of its “investment value” (i.e., its value as a fixed income security) or its “conversion value” (i.e., its value upon conversion into its underlying common stock).

 

Convertible securities are subject to the same risks as similar securities without the convertible feature. The price of a convertible security is more volatile during times of steady interest rates than other types of debt securities. The price of a convertible security tends to increase as the market value of the underlying stock rises, whereas it tends to decrease as the market value of the underlying common stock declines.

 

Rights and Warrants. A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are usually issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.

 

 2

 

 

An investment in warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.

 

Risks of investing in equity securities include:

 

General Risks of Investing in Stocks. While investing in stocks allows investors to participate in the benefits of owning a company, such investors must accept the risks of ownership. Unlike bondholders, who have preference to a company’s earnings and cash flow, preferred stockholders, followed by common stockholders in order of priority, are entitled only to the residual amount after a company meets its other obligations. For this reason, the value of a company’s stock will usually react more strongly to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects than its debt obligations. Stockholders of a company that fares poorly can lose money.

 

Stock markets tend to move in cycles with short or extended periods of rising and falling stock prices. The value of a company’s stock may fall because of:

 

Factors that directly relate to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company’s products or services;

 

Factors affecting an entire industry, such as increases in production costs; and

 

Changes in general financial market conditions that are relatively unrelated to the company or its industry, such as changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates or inflation rates.

 

Small- and Medium-Sized Companies. Investors in small- and medium-sized companies typically take on greater risk and price volatility than they would by investing in larger, more established companies. This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of their small or medium size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of management depth. The securities of small- and medium-sized companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market and might not be traded in volumes typical of securities traded on a national securities exchange. Thus, the securities of small- and medium capitalization companies are likely to be less liquid, and subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements, than securities of larger, more established companies.

 

Large-Sized Companies. Investments in large capitalization companies may go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions and may underperform other market segments. Some large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes, and may not be able to attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid-capitalization companies.

 

 3

 

 

When-Issued Securities. A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which has not been issued. When the Fund engages in when-issued transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale.  If the other party fails to complete the sale, the Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.

 

When purchasing a security on a when-issued basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the market value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price.  The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself.  Because the Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.

 

Decisions to enter into “when-issued” transactions will be considered on a case-by-case basis when necessary to maintain continuity in a company’s index membership. The Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to commitments for the when-issued transactions.  The Fund will segregate additional liquid assets daily so that the value of such assets is equal to the amount of the commitments.

 

FOREIGN SECURITIES

 

Foreign Issuers.  The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in issuers located outside the United States directly, or in financial instruments that are indirectly linked to the performance of foreign issuers. Examples of such financial instruments include depositary receipts, which are described further below, “ordinary shares,” and “New York shares” issued and traded in the United States.  Ordinary shares are shares of foreign issuers that are traded abroad and on a United States exchange. New York shares are shares that a foreign issuer has allocated for trading in the United States. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), ordinary shares, and New York shares all may be purchased with and sold for U.S. Dollars, which protects the Fund from the foreign settlement risks described below.

 

Investing in foreign companies may involve risks not typically associated with investing in United States companies. The U.S. Dollar value of securities of foreign issuers and of distributions in foreign currencies from such securities can change significantly when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. Dollar. Foreign securities markets generally have less trading volume and less liquidity than United States markets, and prices in some foreign markets can be very volatile compared to those of domestic securities. Therefore, the Fund’s investment in foreign securities may be less liquid and subject to more rapid and erratic price movements than comparable securities listed for trading on U.S. exchanges. Non-U.S. equity securities may trade at price/earnings multiples higher than comparable U.S. securities and such levels may not be sustainable. There may be less government supervision and regulation of foreign stock exchanges, brokers, banks and listed companies abroad than in the U.S. Moreover, settlement practices for transactions in foreign markets may differ from those in U.S. markets. Such differences may include delays beyond periods customary in the U.S. and practices, such as delivery of securities prior to receipt of payment, which increase the likelihood of a failed settlement, which can result in losses to the Fund. The value of non-U.S. investments and the investment income derived from them may also be affected unfavorably by changes in currency exchange control regulations. Foreign brokerage commissions, custodial expenses and other fees are also generally higher than for securities traded in the U.S. This may cause the Fund to incur higher portfolio transaction costs than domestic equity funds. Fluctuations in exchange rates may also affect the earning power and asset value of the foreign entity issuing a security, even one denominated in U.S. dollars. Dividend and interest payments may be repatriated based on the exchange rate at the time of disbursement, and restrictions on capital flows may be imposed. Many foreign countries lack uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards comparable to those that apply to United States companies, and it may be more difficult to obtain reliable information regarding a foreign issuer’s financial condition and operations. In addition, the costs of foreign investing, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial fees, generally are higher than for United States investments.

 

 4

 

 

Investing in companies located abroad carries political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in companies located in the United States. Foreign investment may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of United States investors, including the possibility of expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on United States investment, or on the ability to repatriate assets or to convert currency into U.S. Dollars. There may be a greater possibility of default by foreign governments or foreign-government sponsored enterprises. Losses and other expenses may be incurred in converting between various currencies in connection with purchases and sales of foreign securities.  Investments in foreign countries also involve a risk of local political, economic, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments.

 

Investing in companies domiciled in emerging market countries may be subject to greater risks than investments in developed countries. These risks include: (i) less social, political, and economic stability; (ii) greater illiquidity and price volatility due to smaller or limited local capital markets for such securities, or low or non-existent trading volumes; (iii) foreign exchanges and broker-dealers may be subject to less scrutiny and regulation by local authorities; (iv) local governments may decide to seize or confiscate securities held by foreign investors and/or local governments may decide to suspend or limit an issuer’s ability to make dividend or interest payments; (v) local governments may limit or entirely restrict repatriation of invested capital, profits, and dividends; (vi) capital gains may be subject to local taxation, including on a retroactive basis; (vii) issuers facing restrictions on dollar or euro payments imposed by local governments may attempt to make dividend or interest payments to foreign investors in the local currency; (viii) investors may experience difficulty in enforcing legal claims related to the securities and/or local judges may favor the interests of the issuer over those of foreign investors; (ix) bankruptcy judgments may only be permitted to be paid in the local currency; (x) limited public information regarding the issuer may result in greater difficulty in determining market valuations of the securities, and (xi) lax financial reporting on a regular basis, substandard disclosure, and differences in accounting standards may make it difficult to ascertain the financial health of an issuer.

 

Depositary Receipts.  The Fund’s investment in securities of foreign companies may be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers.  ADRs and GDRs are dollar-denominated receipts representing interests in the securities of a foreign issuer, which securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. ADRs and GDRs are receipts typically issued by United States banks and trust companies which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. Generally, ADRs and GDRs in registered form are designed for use in domestic securities markets and are traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States. American Depositary Shares (ADSs) are U.S. dollar-denominated equity shares of a foreign-based company available for purchase on an American stock exchange. ADSs are issued by depository banks in the United States under an agreement with the foreign issuer, and the entire issuance is called an ADR and the individual shares are referred to as ADSs. Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), and International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”) are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer, however, GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the U.S. EDRs, for example, are designed for use in European securities markets while GDRs are designed for use throughout the world.  Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities.

 

 5

 

 

All Depositary Receipts generally must be sponsored. However, the Fund may invest in unsponsored Depositary Receipts under certain limited circumstances. The issuers of unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States, and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts. The use of Depositary Receipts may increase tracking error relative to the Index.

 

REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS

 

The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements with commercial banks, brokers or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances and to invest securities lending cash collateral. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which the Fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker’s acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next Business Day). A repurchase agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by the Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument.

 

In these repurchase agreement transactions, the securities acquired by the Fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Custodian until repurchased. No more than an aggregate of 15% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in illiquid securities, including repurchase agreements having maturities longer than seven days and securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or for which there are no readily available market quotations.

 

The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when the value of the security has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by the Fund not within the control of the Fund and, therefore, the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement.

 

U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES

 

The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as Fannie Mae, the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).

 

 6

 

 

Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury. While the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.

 

On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality (the “Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement” or “Agreement”). Under the Agreement, the U.S. Treasury pledged to provide up to $200 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets. This was intended to ensure that the instrumentalities maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory triggering of receivership. On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was amending the Agreement to allow the $200 billion cap on the U.S. Treasury’s funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in net worth over the next three years. As a result of this Agreement, the investments of holders, including the Fund, of mortgage-backed securities and other obligations issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are protected.

 

U.S. Treasury Obligations. U.S. Treasury obligations consist of bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury and separately traded interest and principal component parts of such obligations that are transferable through the federal book-entry system known as Separately Traded Registered Interest and Principal Securities (“STRIPS”) and Treasury Receipts (“TRs”).

 

Receipts. Interests in separately traded interest and principal component parts of U.S. government obligations that are issued by banks or brokerage firms and are created by depositing U.S. government obligations into a special account at a custodian bank. The custodian holds the interest and principal payments for the benefit of the registered owners of the certificates or receipts. The custodian arranges for the issuance of the certificates or receipts evidencing ownership and maintains the register. TRs and STRIPS are interests in accounts sponsored by the U.S. Treasury. Receipts are sold as zero coupon securities.

 

U.S. Government Zero Coupon Securities. STRIPS and receipts are sold as zero coupon securities, that is, fixed income securities that have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons. Zero coupon securities are sold at a (usually substantial) discount and redeemed at face value at their maturity date without interim cash payments of interest or principal. The amount of this discount is accreted over the life of the security, and the accretion constitutes the income earned on the security for both accounting and tax purposes. Because of these features, the market prices of zero coupon securities are generally more volatile than the market prices of securities that have similar maturity but that pay interest periodically. Zero coupon securities are likely to respond to a greater degree to interest rate changes than are non-zero coupon securities with similar maturity and credit qualities.

 

U.S. Government Agencies. Some obligations issued or guaranteed by agencies of the U.S. government are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while still others are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. Guarantees of principal by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government may be a guarantee of payment at the maturity of the obligation so that in the event of a default prior to maturity there might not be a market and thus no means of realizing on the obligation prior to maturity. Guarantees as to the timely payment of principal and interest do not extend to the value or yield of these securities or to the value of Shares.

 

 7

 

 

BORROWING

 

While the Fund does not anticipate doing so, the Fund may borrow money for investment purposes. Borrowing for investment purposes is one form of leverage. Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique that increases investment risk, but also increases investment opportunity. Because substantially all of the Fund’s assets will fluctuate in value, whereas the interest obligations on borrowings may be fixed, the NAV of the Fund will increase more when the Fund’s portfolio assets increase in value and decrease more when the Fund’s portfolio assets decrease in value than would otherwise be the case. Moreover, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the returns on the borrowed funds. Under adverse conditions, the Fund might have to sell portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when investment considerations would not favor such sales. The Fund intends to use leverage during periods when the Sub-Adviser believes that the Fund’s investment objective would be furthered.

 

The Fund may also borrow money to facilitate management of the Fund’s portfolio by enabling the Fund to meet redemption requests when the liquidation of portfolio instruments would be inconvenient or disadvantageous. Such borrowing is not for investment purposes and will be repaid by the borrowing Fund promptly. As required by the 1940 Act, the borrowing Fund must maintain continuous asset coverage (total assets, including assets acquired with borrowed funds, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of all amounts borrowed. If, at any time, the value of the borrowing Fund’s assets should fail to meet this 300% coverage test, the Fund, within three days (not including Sundays and holidays), will reduce the amount of its borrowings to the extent necessary to meet this 300% coverage requirement. Maintenance of this percentage limitation may result in the sale of portfolio securities at a time when investment considerations otherwise indicate that it would be disadvantageous to do so.

 

LENDING PORTFOLIO SECURITIES

 

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain creditworthy borrowers. The borrowers provide collateral that is maintained in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned. The Fund may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the return of the securities loaned. The Fund receives the value of any interest or cash or non-cash distributions paid on the loaned securities. Distributions received on loaned securities in lieu of dividend payments (i.e., substitute payments) would not be considered qualified dividend income.

 

With respect to loans that are collateralized by cash, the borrower will be entitled to receive a fee based on the amount of cash collateral. The Fund is compensated by the difference between the amount earned on the reinvestment of cash collateral and the fee paid to the borrower. In the case of collateral other than cash, the Fund is compensated by a fee paid by the borrower equal to a percentage of the market value of the loaned securities. Any cash collateral may be reinvested in certain short-term instruments either directly on behalf of the lending Fund or through one or more joint accounts or money market funds, which may include those managed by the Sub-Adviser.

 

The Fund may pay a portion of the interest or fees earned from securities lending to a borrower as described above, and to one or more securities lending agents approved by the Board who administer the lending program for the Fund in accordance with guidelines approved by the Board. In such capacity, the lending agent causes the delivery of loaned securities from the Fund to borrowers, arranges for the return of loaned securities to the Fund at the termination of a loan, requests deposit of collateral, monitors the daily value of the loaned securities and collateral, requests that borrowers add to the collateral when required by the loan agreements, and provides recordkeeping and accounting services necessary for the operation of the program.

 

 8

 

 

Securities lending involves exposure to certain risks, including operational risk (i.e., the risk of losses resulting from problems in the settlement and accounting process), “gap” risk (i.e., the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the fees the Fund has agreed to pay a borrower), and credit, legal, counterparty and market risk. In the event a borrower does not return the Fund’s securities as agreed, the Fund may experience losses if the proceeds received from liquidating the collateral do not at least equal the value of the loaned security at the time the collateral is liquidated plus the transaction costs incurred in purchasing replacement securities.

 

REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS

 

The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment and have the characteristics of borrowing. The securities purchased with the funds obtained from the agreement and securities collateralizing the agreement will have maturity dates no later than the repayment date. Generally the effect of such transactions is that the Fund can recover all or most of the cash invested in the portfolio securities involved during the term of the reverse repurchase agreement, while in many cases the Fund is able to keep some of the interest income associated with those securities. Such transactions are only advantageous if the Fund has an opportunity to earn a greater rate of interest on the cash derived from these transactions than the interest cost of obtaining the same amount of cash. Opportunities to realize earnings from the use of the proceeds equal to or greater than the interest required to be paid may not always be available and the Fund intends to use the reverse repurchase technique only when the Sub-Adviser believes it will be advantageous to the Fund. The use of reverse repurchase agreements may exaggerate any interim increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s assets. The Fund’s exposure to reverse repurchase agreements will be covered by securities having a value equal to or greater than such commitments. Under the 1940 Act, reverse repurchase agreements are considered borrowings. Although there is no limit on the percentage of total assets the Fund may invest in reverse repurchase agreements, the use of reverse repurchase agreements is not a principal strategy of the Fund.

 

OTHER SHORT-TERM INSTRUMENTS

 

In addition to repurchase agreements, the Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include but are not limited to: (i) shares of money market funds; (ii) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (iii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), bankers’ acceptances, fixed time deposits and other obligations of U.S. and foreign banks (including foreign branches) and similar institutions; (iv) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1” by S&P, or if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Sub-Adviser; (v) non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures) with remaining maturities at the date of purchase of not more than 397 days and that satisfy the rating requirements set forth in Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act; and (vi) short-term U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of the Sub-Adviser, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by the Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or a forward-settled basis. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.

 

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INVESTMENT COMPANIES

 

The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including money market funds, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), the Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that the Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than Treasury stock of the Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund. To the extent allowed by law or regulation, the Fund may invest its assets in securities of investment companies that are money market funds in excess of the limits discussed above.

 

If the Fund invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Fund’s own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund’s own operations.

 

Consistent with the restrictions discussed above, the Fund may invest in different types of investment companies from time to time, including business development companies (“BDCs”). A BDC is a less common type of investment company that more closely resembles an operating company than a typical investment company. BDCs generally focus on investing in, and providing managerial assistance to, small, developing, financially troubled, private companies or other companies that may have value that can be realized over time and with managerial assistance. Similar to an operating company, a BDC’s total annual operating expense ratio typically reflects all of the operating expenses incurred by the BDC, and is generally greater than the total annual operating expense ratio of a mutual fund that does not bear the same types of operating expenses. However, as a shareholder of a BDC, the Fund does not directly pay for a portion of all of the operating expenses of the BDC, just as a shareholder of a computer manufacturer does not directly pay for the cost of labor associated with producing such computers. As a result, the fees and expenses of the Fund that invests in a BDC will be effectively overstated by an amount equal to the “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.” Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are not included as an operating expense of a fund in the fund’s financial statements, which more accurately reflect the fund’s actual operating expenses.

 

Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in securities of other registered investment companies, including the Fund. The acquisition of Shares by registered investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except as may be permitted by exemptive rules under the 1940 Act or as permitted by an exemptive order obtained by the Trust that permits registered investment companies to invest in the Fund beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions, including that the registered investment company enter into an agreement with the Fund regarding the terms of the investment.

 

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND RISKS

 

A discussion of the risks associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus.

 

Investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of the issuers of the portfolio securities, the value of securities generally and other factors.

 

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

 

Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, have generally inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors of, or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks issued by, the issuer. Further, unlike debt securities which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, will be subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.

 

RECENT MARKET CIRCUMSTANCES

 

The financial crisis in the U.S. and global economies over the past several years, including the European sovereign debt crisis, has resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign. Liquidity in some markets has decreased and credit has become scarcer worldwide. Recent regulatory changes, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) and the introduction of new international capital and liquidity requirements set forth by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (known as “Basel III”), may cause lending activity within the financial services sector to be constrained for several years as Basel III rules phase in and rules and regulations are promulgated and interpreted under the Dodd-Frank Act.

 

Since 2010, the risks of investing in certain foreign government debt have increased dramatically as a result of the ongoing European debt crisis, which began in Greece and has spread to varying degrees throughout various other European countries. These debt crises and the ongoing efforts of governments around the world to address these debt crises have also resulted in increased volatility and uncertainty in the global securities markets and it is impossible to predict the effects of these or similar events in the future on the Fund, though it is possible that these or similar events could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.

 

In the United States, on August 5, 2011, S&P lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating on the U.S. federal government debt to “AA+” from “AAA.” Any additional downgrade by S&P, or any other rating agency, could increase volatility in both stock and bond markets, result in higher interest rates and higher Treasury yields and increase the costs of all kinds of debt.

 

Global economies and financial markets are also becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibilities that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. For example, in a referendum held on June 23, 2016, citizens of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union (“EU”), creating economic and political uncertainty in its wake. The country’s departure from the EU (known as “Brexit”) sparked depreciation in the value of the British pound, short-term declines in the stock markets and heightened risk of continued economic volatility worldwide.

 

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As a consequence of the United Kingdom’s vote to withdraw from the EU, the government of the United Kingdom has, pursuant to the Treaty of Lisbon (the “Treaty”), given notice of its withdrawal and the period for entering into negotiations with the EU Council to agree to terms for the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU has commenced. The Treaty provides for a two-year negotiation period, which may be shortened or extended by agreement of the parties. However, there is still considerable uncertainty relating to the potential consequences and precise timeframe for the exit, how the negotiations for the withdrawal and new trade agreements will be conducted, and whether the United Kingdom’s exit will increase the likelihood of other countries also departing the EU. During this period of uncertainty, the negative impact on not only the United Kingdom and European economies, but the broader global economy, could be significant, potentially resulting in increased volatility and illiquidity and lower economic growth for companies that rely significantly on Europe for their business activities and revenues. Any further exits from the EU, or the possibility of such exits, would likely cause additional market disruption globally and introduce new legal and regulatory uncertainties.

 

The impact of these and similar types of developments in the near- and long-term is unknown and could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world.

 

CYBER SECURITY RISK

 

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

 

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

 

The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Fund. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to the Fund without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For these purposes, a “majority of outstanding voting securities” means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.

 

Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, the Fund may not:

 

1.Concentrate its investments in an industry or group of industries (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of companies in a particular industry or group of industries), except that the Fund will concentrate to approximately the same extent that its underlying index concentrates in the securities of companies in such particular industry or group of industries. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities and securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.

 

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2.Borrow money or issue senior securities (as defined under the 1940 Act), except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

 

3.Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

 

4.Purchase or sell commodities or real estate, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

 

5.Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

 

In addition to the investment restrictions adopted as fundamental policies as set forth above, the Fund observes the following restrictions, which may be changed without a shareholder vote.

 

1.The Fund will not hold illiquid assets in excess of 15% of its net assets. An illiquid asset is any asset which may not be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the value at which the Fund has valued the investment.

 

2.The Fund will not invest less than 80% of its total assets, exclusive of collateral held from securities lending, in securities that comprise its underlying index or in to-be-announced transactions and depositary receipts representing securities comprising the underlying index (or, if depositary receipts themselves are index securities, the underlying securities in respect of such depositary receipts).

 

3. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in Virtual Technology Companies, as such term is defined in the Prospectus.

 

If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitations with respect to the borrowing of money and illiquid securities will be observed continuously. If the percentage of the Fund’s net assets invested in illiquid securities exceeds 15% due to market activity or changes in the Fund’s portfolio, the Fund will take appropriate measures to reduce its holdings of illiquid securities.

 

The following descriptions of certain provisions of the 1940 Act may assist investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions:

 

Concentration. The SEC has defined concentration as investing 25% or more of an investment company’s total assets in an industry or group of industries, with certain exceptions.

 

Borrowing. The 1940 Act presently allows a fund to borrow from any bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings not in excess of 5% of its total assets).

 

Senior Securities. Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by a fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities, although it does not treat certain transactions as senior securities, such as certain borrowings, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements and standby commitments, with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to cover such obligation.

 

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Lending. Under the 1940 Act, a fund may only make loans if expressly permitted by its investment policies. The Fund’s current investment policy on lending is as follows: the Fund may not make loans if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, except that the Fund may: (i) purchase or hold debt instruments in accordance with its investment objective and policies; (ii) enter into repurchase agreements; and (iii) engage in securities lending as described in its SAI.

 

Underwriting. Under the 1940 Act, underwriting securities involves a fund purchasing securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing) them or participating in any such activity either directly or indirectly.

 

Real Estate. The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment company’s ability to invest in real estate, but does require that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments. The Fund will not purchase or sell real estate, except that the Fund may purchase marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in real estate (including REITs).

 

Commodities. The Fund will not purchase or sell physical commodities or commodities contracts, except that the Fund may purchase: (i) marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in commodities or commodities contracts; and (ii) commodities contracts relating to financial instruments, such as financial futures contracts and options on such contracts.

 

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

 

A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus.

 

The Shares are approved for listing and trading on the Exchange. The Shares trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ to some degree from their NAV. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares of any Fund will continue to be met.

 

The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the Shares of the Fund from listing if: (1) following the initial twelve-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial holders of the Shares for 30 or more consecutive trading days; (2) the value of the Fund’s Index or portfolio of securities on which the Fund is based is no longer calculated or available; (3) the “indicative optimized portfolio value” (“IOPV”) of the Fund is no longer calculated or available; or (4) 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 the Fund.

 

The Exchange (or market data vendors or other information providers) will disseminate, every fifteen seconds during the regular trading day, an IOPV relating to the Fund. The IOPV calculations are estimates of the value of the Fund’s NAV per Share and are based on the current market value of the securities and/or cash required to be deposited in exchange for a Creation Unit. Premiums and discounts between the IOPV and the market price may occur. The IOPV does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current portfolio of securities held by the Fund at a particular point in time or the best possible valuation of the current portfolio. Therefore, it should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV per share of the Fund, which is calculated only once a day. 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. Neither the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser 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.

 

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The Trust reserves the right to adjust the Share price of the 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.

 

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

 

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

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Fund Management.”

 

Trustees and Officers of the Trust

 

Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series, including the Fund described in this SAI, are overseen by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”). The Board elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Fund. The Board has approved contracts, as described below, under which certain companies provide essential services to the Trust.

 

Like most funds, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Distributor and the Administrators. The Trustees are responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, have oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Fund. The Fund and its service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify many of those possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business (e.g., the Sub-Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Fund’s service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.

 

The Trustees’ role in risk oversight begins before the inception of the Fund, at which time certain of the Fund’s service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies and risks of the Fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund. Additionally, the Fund’s Adviser provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the Sub-Adviser and other service providers such as the Fund’s independent accountants, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the Fund may be exposed.

 

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

 

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

 

The Board receives reports from the Fund’s service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. The Board has also established a Valuation Committee that is responsible for implementing the Trust’s Pricing Procedures and providing reports to the Board concerning investments for which market quotations are not readily available. Annually, the independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Fund’s internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust’s financial statements.

 

From their review of these reports and discussions with the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the Fund, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.

 

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

 

 16

 

 

Members of the Board. There are four members of the Board of Trustees, three of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (“independent Trustees”). Richard Hogan, the sole interested Trustee, serves as Chairman of the Board. The Trust does not have a lead independent trustee. The Board of Trustees is comprised of a super-majority (67 percent or more) of independent Trustees. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the independent Trustees of the Fund constitute a super-majority of the Board, the number of independent Trustees that constitute the Board, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of Funds overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the independent Trustees from Fund management.

 

The Board of Trustees has two standing committees: the Audit Committee and Governance and Nominating Committee. The Audit Committee and Governance and Nominating Committee are chaired by an independent Trustee and composed of independent Trustees.

 

Set forth below are the names, years of birth, positions with the Trust, lengths of term of office, and the principal occupations and other directorships held during at least the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as a Trustee of the Trust. The address of each Trustee of the Trust is c/o Exchange Listed Funds Trust, 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 207, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120.

 

Name and Year of Birth

Position(s)
Held with
the Trust

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served1

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

Number of
Portfolios in
Fund Complex
Overseen By
Trustee

Other Directorships held
by Trustee 

Interested Trustee

Richard Hogan

(1963)

Trustee and Secretary Since 2012 Director, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC 2011-present; Private Investor 2002-present; Secretary, Exchange Traded Concepts Trust 2011-present; Managing Member, Yorkville ETF Advisors 2011-2016 8 Board Member of Peconic Land Trust of Suffolk County, NY
Independent Trustees

Timothy J. Jacoby

(1952)

 

Trustee Since 2014 Senior Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP, Private Equity/Hedge Fund/Mutual Fund Services Practice — 2000-2014 21 Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (13) — Trustee; Edward Jones Money Market Fund— Trustee; Source ETF Trust— Trustee (2014-2015)

David M. Mahle

(1944)

Trustee Since 2012 Consultant, Jones Day 2012- present; Of Counsel, Jones Day 2008-2011; Partner, Jones Day 1988-2008 21 Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (13) — Trustee; Source ETF Trust— Trustee (2014-2015)

Kurt Wolfgruber

(1950)

 

Trustee Since 2012 Amherst Asset Management, 2010 to present — Independent Advisor; President, OppenheimerFunds, Inc. 2007-2009 21

Director, New Mountain Finance Corp.; Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (13) — Trustee ; Source ETF Trust— Trustee (2014-2015)

 

1 Each Trustee shall serve during the continued life of the Trust until he or she dies, resigns, is declared bankrupt or incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction, or is removed.

 

 17

 

 

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

 

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Hogan should serve as a Trustee because of his 26+ years of experience in senior level ETF management which began at Spear, Leeds & Kellogg (“SLK”) in 1987, becoming a Limited Partner in 1990 and a Managing Director in 1992. As Managing Director of the Index Derivatives Group, he established trading operations in Chicago, Singapore and London as well as other satellite operations and nurtured Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”) as a Specialist in SPDRs, WEBS, Sector SPDRs, iShares and other ETFs. Mr. Hogan became a Managing Director of Goldman Sachs when SLK was merged and played a critical role in combining the ETF operations of SLK, Goldman and Hull Trading (a prior Goldman acquisition). He has worked closely with Exchange staff, issuers, index providers and others in conceiving, designing, developing, launching, marketing and trading new ETFs, and championed the idea of a fixed income ETF. Mr. Hogan is a Founder and Director of the Adviser.

 

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Jacoby should serve as a Trustee because of the experience he has gained from over 25 years in or serving the investment management industry. Until his retirement in June 2014, Mr. Jacoby served as a partner at the audit and professional services firm Deloitte & Touche LLP, where he had worked since 2000, providing various services to asset management firms that manage mutual funds, hedge funds and private equity funds. Prior to that, Mr. Jacoby held various senior positions at financial services firms. Additionally, he served as a partner at Ernst & Young LLP. Mr. Jacoby is a Certified Public Accountant.

 

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Mahle should serve as a Trustee because of the experience he has gained as an attorney in the investment management industry of a major law firm, representing exchange-traded funds and other investment companies as well as their sponsors and advisers and his knowledge and experience in investment management law and the financial services industry. Mr. Mahle is also a professor of law at Fordham Law School, where he lectures on investment companies and investment adviser regulations.

 

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Wolfgruber should serve as a Trustee because of his experience as President and Chief Investment Officer of OppenheimerFunds, Inc. where he was employed from 2000 to 2009. Mr. Wolfgruber was responsible for the oversight of sales, marketing, trading, risk management and the investment process of ten investment teams which, together, managed over $200 billion across domestic and international asset classes. Mr. Wolfgruber has been involved in investment management for over 35 years with previous experience as a research analyst, portfolio manager and team and business leader at JP Morgan Investment Management from 1974 to 2000. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

 

In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the funds.

 

 18

 

 

Set forth below are the names, years of birth, positions with the Trust, lengths and term of office, and principal occupations held during at least the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as officers of the Trust. The address of J. Garrett Stevens, Richard Hogan, and James J. Baker Jr. is c/o Exchange Listed Funds Trust, 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 207, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120, the address of Christopher W. Roleke is Foreside, 10 High Street, Suite 302, Boston, MA 02110, and the address of Patrick Keniston is 3 Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

 

OFFICERS

 

Name

and Year of Birth

Position(s) Held with

the Trust

Term of Office and Length of Time Served

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

J. Garrett Stevens
(1979)
President Since 2012 Investment Advisor/Vice President, T.S. Phillips Investments, Inc. 2000 -2011; Chief Executive Officer and Secretary. Exchange Traded Concepts Trust 2009 - 2011; Chief Executive Officer, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC 2009-present; President, Exchange Traded Concepts Trust 2011-present.
Richard Hogan
(1963)
Trustee and Secretary Since 2012

Director, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC 2011-present; Private Investor 2002-present; Secretary, Exchange Traded Concepts Trust 2011-present; Managing Member, Yorkville ETF Advisors 2011-2016.

Christopher W. Roleke
(1972)
Treasurer Since 2012 Managing Director/Fund Principal Financial Officer, Foreside Management Services, LLC 2011-Present.
James J. Baker Jr.
(1951)
Assistant Treasurer Since 2015 Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, 2011 to present — Managing Partner; Yorkville ETF Advisors, 2012 to present — Managing Partner; Goldman Sachs, 2000 to 2011 — Vice President.

Patrick Keniston

(1964)

Chief Compliance Officer Since 2017 Managing Director, Foreside Fund Officer Services, LLC 2008-present.

 

1 Each Officer serves at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees.

 

COMPENSATION OF THE TRUSTEES

 

The following table sets forth the compensation paid to the Trustees of the Trust for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2018. Independent Trustee fees are paid from the unitary fee paid to the Adviser by the Fund. Trustee compensation does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attendance at meetings.

 

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Name

Aggregate

Compensation1

Pension or Retirement
Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund
Expenses
Estimated Annual
Benefits Upon Retirement
Total Compensation from the
Trust and Fund Complex2
Interested Trustee
Richard Hogan $[0] n/a n/a $0 for service on ([1]) board
Independent Trustees
Timothy J. Jacoby $[50,000] n/a n/a $103,000 for service on ([2]) boards
David M. Mahle $[45,000] n/a n/a $93,000 for service on ([2]) boards
Kurt Wolfgruber $[45,000] n/a n/a $93,000 for service on ([2]) boards

 

1 For the fiscal year ended April 30, 2018, as compensation for service on the Trust’s Board, the Trustees were entitled to receive a $[35,000] annual base fee, as well as a $[2,500] fee for each in-person meeting and a $[1,000] fee for each telephonic meeting. In addition, Mr. Jacoby received a $[5,000] annual fee for his service as Audit Committee chair.

2 For the fiscal year ended April 30, 2018, for their service on the Board of Trustees of Exchange Traded Concepts Trust in the Fund Complex, Mr. Jacoby, Mr. Wolfgruber and Mr. Mahle each received a $[35,000] annual base fee, as well as a $[2,500] fee for each in-person meeting (or, if both Trusts in the Fund complex met, $[4,000] per day, whichever is lower), and a $[1,000] fee for each telephonic meeting. In addition, Mr. Jacoby received a $[5,000] annual fee for his service as Audit Committee chair.

 

Board Committees

 

The Board has established the following standing committees:

 

Audit Committee. The Board has a standing Audit Committee that is composed of each of the independent Trustees of the Trust. Mr. Jacoby serves as Chair. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: recommending which firm to engage as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and whether to terminate this relationship; reviewing the independent registered public accounting firm’s compensation, the proposed scope and terms of its engagement, and the firm’s independence; pre-approving audit and non-audit services provided by the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust and certain other affiliated entities; serving as a channel of communication between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trustees; reviewing the results of each external audit, including any qualifications in the independent registered public accounting firm’s opinion, any related management letter, management’s responses to recommendations made by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit, reports submitted to the Committee by the internal auditing department of the Trust’s Administrator that are material to the Trust as a whole, if any, and management’s responses to any such reports; reviewing the Fund’s audited financial statements and considering any significant disputes between the Trust’s management and the independent registered public accounting firm that arose in connection with the preparation of those financial statements; considering, in consultation with the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trust’s senior internal accounting executive, if any, the independent registered public accounting firms’ report on the adequacy of the Trust’s internal financial controls; reviewing, in consultation with the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, major changes regarding auditing and accounting principles and practices to be followed when preparing the Fund’s financial statements; and other audit related matters. The Audit Committee meets periodically, as necessary, and met [--] ([--]) times during the most recently completed fiscal year.

 

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Governance and Nominating Committee. The Board has a standing Governance and Nominating Committee that is composed of each of the independent Trustees of the Trust. Mr. Mahle serves as Chair. The Governance and Nominating Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibility of the Governance and Nominating Committee is to consider, recommend and nominate candidates to fill vacancies on the Trust’s Board, if any. The Governance and Nominating Committee generally will not consider nominees recommended by shareholders. The Governance and Nominating Committee meets periodically, as necessary, and met [--] ([--]) time during the most recently completed fiscal year.

 

Valuation Committee. In addition to the foregoing standing committees of the Board, the Trust has a Valuation Committee that may be comprised of representatives from the Adviser, officers of the Trust, and/or representatives from the Trust’s administrators. The Valuation Committee operates under procedures approved by the Board. The Valuation Committee is responsible for the valuation and revaluation of any portfolio investments for which market quotations or prices are not readily available. The Valuation Committee meets periodically, as necessary.

 

Ownership of Fund Shares

 

The following table shows the dollar amount ranges of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares of the Fund and each other series of the Trust as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).

 

Name

The  Tactile Analytics
AR/VR Virtual Technology
ETF

Aggregate Dollar Range of
Fund Shares

(All Funds in the Complex)

Interested Trustee
Richard Hogan None None
Independent Trustees
Timothy J. Jacoby None None
David M. Mahle None None
Kurt Wolfgruber None None

 

CODES OF ETHICS

 

The Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and Foreside Financial Group, LLC (on behalf of the Distributor and its affiliates) have each adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics are designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and Foreside Financial Group (on behalf of the Distributor, Foreside Management Services, LLC and Foreside Fund Officer Services, LLC) from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Fund. These codes of ethics permit, subject to certain conditions, personnel of each of those entities to invest in securities, including those that may be purchased or held by the Fund.

 

There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics, filed as exhibits to this registration statement, may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

 21

 

 

PROXY VOTING POLICIES

 

The Board of Trustees has delegated the responsibility to vote proxies for securities held in the Fund’s portfolios to the Adviser. Proxies for the portfolio securities are voted in accordance with the Adviser’s proxy voting guidelines, which are set forth in Exhibit A to this SAI. Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to its portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 will be available: (1) without charge by calling (888) 855-2434; (2) on the Fund’s website at www.[--].com; and (3) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

 

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (“ETC”), an Oklahoma limited liability company located at 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 207, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120, serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. The Adviser is majority owned by Cottonwood ETF Holdings LLC.

 

The Trust and the Adviser have entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) with respect to the Fund. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser provides investment advice to the Fund primarily in the form of oversight of the Sub-Adviser, including daily monitoring of the purchase and sale of securities by the Sub-Adviser and regular review of the Sub-Adviser’s performance. The Adviser arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate. The Adviser administers the Fund’s business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and provides its officers and employees to serve as officers or Trustees of the Trust. For the services it provides to the Fund, the Fund pays the Adviser a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.85% of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

 

Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses incurred by the Trust except for the advisory fee, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing or settlement of orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, extraordinary expenses, and distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

 

For the fiscal period December 8, 2016 (commencement of operations) through April 30, 2017, and for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2018, the Fund paid the Adviser $5,188, and $[--], respectively, in advisory fees.

 

After the initial two-year term, the continuance of the Advisory Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually: (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund; and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or “interested persons” or of any party thereto, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Trustees of the Trust or, with respect to the Fund, by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, or by the Adviser on not more than sixty (60) days’ nor less than thirty (30) days’ written notice to the Trust. As used in the Advisory Agreement, the terms “majority of the outstanding voting securities,” “interested persons” and “assignment” have the same meaning as such terms in the 1940 Act.

 

The Trust and the Adviser have obtained exemptive relief, In the Matter of Exchange Traded Concepts Trust, et al., Investment Company Act Release Nos. 31453 (February 10, 2015) (Notice) and 31502 (March 10, 2015) (the “Order”), pursuant to which the Adviser may, with Board approval but without shareholder approval, change or select new sub-advisers, materially amend the terms of an agreement with a sub-adviser (including an increase in its fee), or continue the employment of a sub-adviser after an event that would otherwise cause the automatic termination of services, subject to the conditions of the Order. Shareholders will be notified of any sub-adviser changes.

 

 22

 

 

Sub-Adviser. The Adviser has retained Vident Investment Advisory, LLC, 300 Colonial Center Parkway, Suite 330, Roswell, Georgia 30076, to serve as sub-adviser to the Fund. The Sub-Adviser is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vident Financial, LLC.  Vident Financial, LLC was formed in 2013 to develop and license investment market solutions (indices and funds) based on strategies that combine sophisticated risk-balancing methodologies, economic freedom metrics, valuation, and investor behavior. Vident Financial, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Vident Investors’ Oversight Trust. Andrew T. Schmuhl and Vince L. Birley serve as the trustees of the Vident Investors’ Oversight Trust.

 

Under a sub-advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”) the Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Fund, including selecting broker dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions as instructed by the Adviser or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the Index, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board of Trustees. Under the Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser a fee, calculated daily and paid monthly equal to 0.04% of the average daily net assets of the Fund, subject to a $15,000 minimum fee.

 

After the initial two-year term, the continuance of the Sub-Advisory Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually: (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund; and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Sub-Advisory Agreement or “interested persons” or of any party thereto, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Trustees of the Trust. The Sub-Advisory Agreement also may be terminated, at any time, by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser upon than 60 days’ written notice to the Trust. As used in the Sub-Advisory Agreement, the terms “majority of the outstanding voting securities,” “interested persons” and “assignment” have the same meaning as such terms in the 1940 Act.

 

For the fiscal period December 8, 2016 (commencement of operations) through April 30, 2017, and for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2018, the Adviser paid $5,860, and $[--], respectively, in sub-advisory fees to Vident Investment Advisory, LLC.

 

THE PORTFOLIO MANAGER

 

This section includes information about the Fund’s portfolio manager, including information about other accounts managed, the dollar range of Shares owned and compensation.

 

Compensation

 

Denise M. Krisko, CFA serves as portfolio manager of the Fund. This section includes information about the Portfolio Manager, including information about other accounts she manages, the dollar range of Shares she owns and how she is compensated.

 

Shares Owned by Portfolio Manager

 

The Fund is required to show the dollar range of the Portfolio Manager’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares of the Fund as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Exchange Act. As of the date of this SAI, the Portfolio Manager did not beneficially own Shares of the Fund.

 

 23

 

 

Other Accounts Managed by Portfolio Manager

 

In addition to the Fund, the Ms. Krisko is responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as follows:

 

Name

Registered

Investment Companies*

Other Pooled

Investment Vehicles*

Other Accounts*

Number

of Accounts

Total Assets

(in millions)

Number of Accounts

Total Assets 

Number of Accounts

Total Assets

(in millions)

Denise M. Krisko [--] $[--] [--] $[--] [--] $[--]

 

* Information provided is as of April 30, 2018. None of the accounts managed by Ms. Krisko are subject to performance-based advisory fees.

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

Ms. Krisko’s management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with the management of the Fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of Ms. Krisko’s other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have the same investment objectives as the Fund. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby Ms. Krisko could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include Ms. Krisko’s knowledge about the size, timing, and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby Ms. Krisko could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Fund. However, the Sub-Adviser has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts managed by Ms. Krisko are fairly and equitably allocated.

 

THE DISTRIBUTOR

 

The Trust and Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) are parties to a distribution agreement (“Distribution Agreement”) whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for the Trust’s shares and distributes the Shares of the Fund. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. Each Creation Unit is made up of at least 50,000 Shares. The Distributor will not distribute Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit. The principal business address of the Distributor is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

 

The Distributor will deliver Prospectuses and, upon request, Statements of Additional Information to persons purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of orders placed with it. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

 

The Distributor may enter into agreements with securities dealers wishing to purchase Creation Units if such securities dealers qualify as Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Creation of Creation Units” below).

 

The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable thereafter. The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by majority vote its outstanding voting shares or by a vote of a majority of its Board (including a majority of the Independent Trustees), or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Distribution Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Distributor, or reckless disregard by it of its obligations thereunder, the Distributor shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.

 

 24

 

 

The Distributor may also provide trade order processing services pursuant to a services agreement.

 

Distribution and Service Plan. The Trust has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) in accordance with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates circumstances under which an investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution of its shares. No payments pursuant to the Plan will be made from the twelve (12) month period from the date of this SAI. Thereafter, 12b-1 fees may only be imposed after approval by the Board.

 

Continuance of the Plan must be approved annually by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan (“Qualified Trustees”). The Plan requires that quarterly written reports of amounts spent under the Plan and the purposes of such expenditures be furnished to and reviewed by the Trustees. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount that may be spent thereunder without approval by a majority of the outstanding shares of any class of the Fund that is affected by such increase. All material amendments of the Plan will require approval by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and of the Qualified Trustees.

 

The Plan provides that the Fund pays the Distributor an annual fee of up to a maximum of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Shares. Under the Plan, the Distributor may make payments pursuant to written agreements to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations and insurance companies including, without limit, investment counselors, broker-dealers and the Distributor’s affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively, “Agents”) as compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance. The Plan is characterized as a compensation plan since the distribution fee will be paid to the Distributor without regard to the distribution expenses incurred by the Distributor or the amount of payments made to other financial institutions and intermediaries. The Trust intends to operate the Plan in accordance with its terms and with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) rules concerning sales charges.

 

Under the Plan, subject to the limitations of applicable law and regulations, the Fund is authorized to compensate the Distributor up to the maximum amount to finance any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of the Fund or for providing or arranging for others to provide shareholder services and for the maintenance of shareholder accounts. Such activities may include, but are not limited to: (i) delivering copies of the Fund’s then current reports, prospectuses, notices, and similar materials, to prospective purchasers of Creation Units; (ii) marketing and promotional services, including advertising; (iii) paying the costs of and compensating others, including Authorized Participants with whom the Distributor has entered into written Authorized Participant Agreements, for performing shareholder servicing on behalf of the Fund; (iv) compensating certain Authorized Participants for providing assistance in distributing the Creation Units of the Fund, including the travel and communication expenses and salaries and/or commissions of sales personnel in connection with the distribution of the Creation Units of the Fund; (v) payments to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies and investment counselors, broker-dealers, mutual fund supermarkets and the affiliates and subsidiaries of the Trust’s service providers as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance; (vi) facilitating communications with beneficial owners of shares, including the cost of providing (or paying others to provide) services to beneficial owners of shares, including, but not limited to, assistance in answering inquiries related to shareholder accounts, and (vi) such other services and obligations as are set forth in the Distribution Agreement.

 

 25

 

 

THE ADMINISTRATORS

 

The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNY Mellon”) and UMB Fund Services (“UMBFS”) serve as administrators to the Fund.

 

For services provided under the Administration Agreements, BNY Mellon and UMBFS are each entitled to a fee, based on assets under management, subject to a minimum fee.

 

THE CUSTODIAN

 

BNY Mellon serves as the custodian of the Fund (the “Custodian”). The Custodian holds cash, securities and other assets of the Fund as required by the 1940 Act.

 

THE TRANSFER AGENT

 

BNY Mellon serves as transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent of the Fund.

 

COMPLIANCE SERVICES

 

Under a Fund CCO Agreement (the “CCO Agreement”) with the Trust, Foreside Fund Officer Services, LLC, an affiliate of the Distributor, provides a Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) as well as certain additional compliance support functions (“Compliance Services”). The CCO Agreement with respect to the Fund continues in effect until terminated. The CCO Agreement is terminable with or without cause and without penalty by the Board or by Foreside Fund Officer Services, LLC with respect to the Fund on 60 days’ written notice to the other party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board will have the right to remove the CCO at any time, with or without cause, without the payment of any penalty.

 

LEGAL COUNSEL

 

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

 

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

Cohen & Company, Ltd., 1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 800, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund.

 

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

The Trust’s Board of Trustees has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Fund’s security holdings. The Fund’s entire portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services including publicly available internet web sites. In addition, the composition of the In-Kind Creation Basket and the In-Kind Redemption Basket is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the NSCC.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF SHARES

 

The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and shares of each fund. Each share of a fund represents an equal proportionate interest in that fund with each other share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the fund. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees of the Trust may create additional series or classes of shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing shares will not be issued. The Fund’s Shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.

 

Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all funds vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular Fund it will be voted on only by that Fund and if a matter affects a particular Fund differently from other Funds, that Fund will vote separately on such matter. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of Trustees under certain circumstances.

 

Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate the Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising 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.

 

LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES’ LIABILITY

 

The Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the By-Laws. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee’s individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.

 

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS

 

The policy of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for the Fund is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Fund and the Sub-Adviser from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Sub-Adviser will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases, an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of the Fund’s Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.

 

 27

 

 

The Sub-Adviser owes a fiduciary duty to its clients to seek to provide best execution on trades effected. In selecting a broker/dealer for each specific transaction, the Sub-Adviser chooses the broker/dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable execution. Best execution is generally understood to mean the most favorable cost or net proceeds reasonably obtainable under the circumstances. The full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among multiple broker/dealers. The Sub-Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) when appropriate.

 

The Sub-Adviser may use the Fund’s assets for, or participate in, third-party soft dollar arrangements, in addition to receiving proprietary research from various full service brokers, the cost of which is bundled with the cost of the broker’s execution services.  The Sub-Adviser does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research.  Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act permits the Sub-Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause the Fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer.  The Sub-Adviser may receive a variety of research services and information on many topics, which it can use in connection with its management responsibilities with respect to the various accounts over which it exercises investment discretion or otherwise provides investment advice. The research services may include qualifying order management systems, portfolio attribution and monitoring services and computer software and access charges which are directly related to investment research.  Accordingly, the Fund may pay a broker commission higher than the lowest available in recognition of the broker’s provision of such services to the Sub-Adviser, but only if the Sub-Adviser determines the total commission (including the soft dollar benefit) is comparable to the best commission rate that could be expected to be received from other brokers. The amount of soft dollar benefits received depends on the amount of brokerage transactions effected with the brokers. A conflict of interest exists because there is an incentive to: 1) cause clients to pay a higher commission than the firm might otherwise be able to negotiate; 2) cause clients to engage in more securities transactions than would otherwise be optimal; and 3) only recommend brokers that provide soft dollar benefits.

 

The Sub-Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest when it uses client trades to obtain brokerage or research services. This conflict exists because the Sub-Adviser is able to use the brokerage or research services to manage client accounts without paying cash for such services, which reduces the Sub-Adviser’s expenses to the extent that the Sub-Adviser would have purchased such products had they not been provided by brokers. Section 28(e) permits the Sub-Adviser to use brokerage or research services for the benefit of any account it manages. Certain accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser may generate soft dollars used to purchase brokerage or research services that ultimately benefit other accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser, effectively cross subsidizing the other accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser that benefit directly from the product. The Sub-adviser may not necessarily use all of the brokerage or research services in connection with managing the Fund whose trades generated the soft dollars used to purchase such products.

 

 28

 

 

The Sub-Adviser is responsible, subject to oversight by the Adviser and the Board, for placing orders on behalf of the Fund for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities of the Fund and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the Sub-Adviser are considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the several investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to all by the Sub-Adviser. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as the Fund is concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower brokerage commissions will be beneficial to the Fund. The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price.

 

The Fund may deal with affiliates in principal transactions to the extent permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.

 

For the fiscal period December 8, 2016 (commencement of operations) through April 30, 2017, and for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2018, the Fund paid $271 and $[--], respectively, in aggregate brokerage commissions on portfolio transactions.

 

Directed Brokerage. [For the fiscal period ended April 30, 2018, the Fund did not pay in commissions on brokerage transactions directed to brokers pursuant to an agreement or understanding whereby the broker provides research or other brokerage services to the Adviser or Sub-Adviser.]

 

Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the 1934 Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Fund for exchange transactions not exceed “usual and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.” The Trustees, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Fund, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.

 

[For the fiscal period December 8, 2016 (commencement of operations) through April 30, 2017, and for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2018, the Fund did not pay commissions to affiliated brokers.]

 

Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealer.” The Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Trust are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Trust’s portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Trust; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of the Trust’s shares.

 

[For the fiscal year ended April 30, 2018, the Fund did not hold securities of its “regular brokers and dealers.”]

 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

 

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

 

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BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM

 

Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) acts as securities depositary for the Shares. Shares of the Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in limited circumstances set forth below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.

 

DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that was created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC’s Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the NYSE and FINRA. Access to the DTC system 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 Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares. The Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all Shares for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of Shares are not entitled to have 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 Shares.

 

Conveyance of all notices, statements, and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. DTC will make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee a listing of Shares held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall obtain from each such DTC Participant the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement, or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC 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 all 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 the Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

 

The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the 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.

 

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DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to the Fund at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Fund and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the 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 Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

 

Although the Trust does not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of Shares held in the names of DTC Participants, as of August 1, 2018, the name, address and percentage ownership of each DTC Participant that owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding Shares of the Fund is set forth in the table below. [As of August 1, 2018, the Trustees and officers of the Trust owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Trust.]

 

Participant Name and Address Percentage of Ownership
[--]

[--]%

 

[--]

[--]%

 

[--]

[--]%

 

[--]

[--]%

 

[--]

[--]%

 

[--] [--]%

 

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS

 

The Fund issues and redeems its Shares on a continuous basis, at NAV, only in a large specified number of Shares called a “Creation Unit,” either principally in-kind for securities included in the Fund’s index or in cash for the value of such securities. The NAV of the Fund’s Shares is determined once each Business Day (defined below), as described below under “Determination of Net Asset Value.” The Creation Unit size may change. Authorized Participants will be notified of such change.

 

PURCHASE (CREATION). The Trust issues and sells Shares of the Fund only: (i) in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees), at their NAV per Share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”); or (ii) pursuant to the Dividend Reinvestment Service (defined below). The Fund will not issue fractional Creation Units. A Business Day is, generally, any day on which the Exchange is open for business. Purchases of Creation Units may be subject to Creation Transaction Fees and redemptions of Creation Units may be subject to Redemption Transaction Fees, as such terms are defined below.

 

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FUND DEPOSIT. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of either (i) the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit, constituting a substantial replication, or a portfolio sampling representation, of the securities included in the Index and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below, or (ii) the cash value of the Deposit Securities (“Deposit Cash”) and the Cash Component. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for cash, the Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser. These additional costs may be recoverable from the purchaser of Creation Units.

 

Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares (per Creation Unit) and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).

 

The Fund, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of Shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. Such Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.

 

The identity and number of Shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities of the Fund’s Index.

 

The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Cash to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities or the Federal Reserve System for U.S. Treasury securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, “custom orders”). The Trust also reserves the right to (i) permit or require the substitution of Deposit Securities in lieu of Deposit Cash; and (ii) include or remove Deposit Securities from the basket in anticipation of or implementation of Index rebalancing changes. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, in the composition of the subject Index being tracked by the Fund or resulting from certain corporate actions.

 

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CASH PURCHASE METHOD. The Trust may at its discretion permit full or partial cash purchases of Creation Units of the Fund. When full or partial cash purchases of Creation Units are available or specified for the Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases thereof. In the case of a full or partial cash purchase, the Authorized Participant must pay the cash equivalent of the Deposit Securities it would otherwise be required to provide through an in-kind purchase, plus the same Cash Component required to be paid by an in-kind purchaser together with a Creation Transaction Fee and non-standard charges, as may be applicable.

 

PROCEDURES FOR PURCHASE OF CREATION UNITS. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to purchase a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party”, i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent and the Trust, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the Creation Transaction Fee (defined below) and any other applicable fees, taxes, and additional variable charge. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the Creation Transaction Fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit, which the Creation Transaction Fee is designed to cover.

 

All orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund, including custom orders, must be placed for one or more Creation Units in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”

 

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

 

On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which the Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed, the Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Transfer Agent pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the AP Handbook or applicable order form. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Transfer Agent by the applicable cut-off time on such Business Day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Transfer Agent or an Authorized Participant.

 

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Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash and U.S. government securities) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a subcustody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the subcustodian of such Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local subcustodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of the Fund or its agents by no later than the Settlement Date. The “Settlement Date” for the Fund is generally the third Business Day (second Business Day for orders dated on or after September 5, 2017) after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit 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 amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. Upon written notice to the Transfer Agent, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund.

 

The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited by 2:00 p.m. Eastern time, with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 2:00 p.m. Eastern time on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, AP Handbook, order form, and this SAI are properly followed.

 

ISSUANCE OF A CREATION UNIT. Except as provided herein, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the subcustodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant subcustodian or subcustodians, the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the third Business Day (second Business Day for orders dated on or after September 5, 2017) following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. However, the Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor in order to accommodate foreign market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (that is the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security), and in certain other circumstances. The Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.

 

 34

 

 

Creation Units may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the market value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Trust may use such Additional Cash Deposit to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for all costs, expenses, dividends, income, and taxes associated with missing Deposit Securities, including the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a Creation Transaction Fee as set forth below under “Creation Transaction Fee” may be charged and an additional variable charge may also apply. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.

 

ACCEPTANCE OF ORDERS OF CREATION UNITS. The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Transfer Agent in respect of the Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Fund; (d) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (e) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (f) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; (g) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (h) circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.

 

Examples of such circumstances include acts of God 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, a sub-custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits 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.

 

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

 

CREATION TRANSACTION FEE. A fixed purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units (“Creation Order Costs”). The standard Creation Transaction Fee for the Fund is $500, regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction. The Fund may adjust the Creation Transaction Fee from time to time. The Creation Transaction Fee may be waived on certain orders if the Custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Creation Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.

 

In addition, a variable fee may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable fee is primarily designed to cover Non-Standard Charges, e.g., brokerage, taxes, foreign exchange, execution, market impact, and other costs and expenses, related to the execution of trades resulting from such transaction. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. The Fund may determine not to charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more efficient manner than could have been achieved without such order.

 

Investors who use the services of an Authorized Participant, broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services which may include an amount for the Creation Transaction Fee and non-standard charges. Investors are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Deposit Securities to the account of the Trust. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the Transaction Fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the issuance of a Creation Unit, which the Transaction Fee is designed to cover.

 

RISKS OF PURCHASING CREATION UNITS. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Fund. Because the Fund’s Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of Shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act of 1933. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from the Fund, breaks them down into the constituent Shares, and sells those shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.

 

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

 

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REDEMPTION. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF THE FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit in order to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.

 

With respect to the Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m. Eastern time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and share quantities of the Fund’s portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.

 

Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities -- as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less any fixed Redemption Transaction Fee as set forth below and any applicable additional variable charge as set forth below. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.

 

CASH REDEMPTION METHOD. Although the Trust does not ordinarily permit full or partial cash redemptions of Creation Units of the Fund, when full or partial cash redemptions of Creation Units are available or specified for the Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions thereof. In the case of full or partial cash redemptions, the Authorized Participant receives the cash equivalent of the Fund Securities it would otherwise receive through an in-kind redemption, plus the same Cash Redemption Amount to be paid to an in-kind redeemer.

 

REDEMPTION TRANSACTION FEES. A fixed Redemption Transaction Fee may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units (“Redemption Order Costs”). The standard Redemption Transaction Fee for the Fund is $500 regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction. The Fund may adjust the Redemption Transaction Fee from time to time. The Redemption Transaction Fee may be waived on certain orders if the Custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Redemption Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.

 

In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions for the Fund. The variable fee is primarily designed to cover non-standard Charges, e.g., brokerage, taxes, foreign exchange, execution, market impact, and other costs and expenses, related to the execution of trades resulting from such transaction. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. The Fund may determine not to charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for redemption orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order.

 

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Investors who use the services of an Authorized Participant, broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services, which may include an amount for the Redemption Transaction Fees and Non-Standard Charges. Investors are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Fund Securities to the account of the Trust. The non-standard charges are payable to the Fund as it incurs costs in connection with the redemption of Creation Units, the receipt of Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount and other transactions costs. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the Redemption Transaction Fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the redemption of a Creation Unit, which the Redemption Transaction Fee is designed to cover.

 

PROCEDURES FOR REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS. Orders to redeem Creation Units must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement. A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s Shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request shall be rejected, unless, to the extent contemplated by the Participant Agreement, collateral is posted in an amount equal to a percentage of the value of the missing Shares as specified in the Participant Agreement (and marked to market daily).

 

The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed an Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the Shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.

 

ADDITIONAL REDEMPTION PROCEDURES. In connection with taking delivery of shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within three Business Days (two Business Days for orders dated on or after September 5, 2017) of the trade date. However, due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, the different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than three Business Days (two Business Days for orders dated on or after September 5, 2017) after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. If neither the redeeming shareholder nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Fund Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming shareholders will be required to receive redemption proceeds in cash.

 

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If it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming investor will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). The Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.

 

Pursuant to the Participant Agreement, an Authorized Participant submitting a redemption request is deemed to make certain representations to the Trust regarding the Authorized Participant’s ability to tender for redemption the requisite number of Shares. The Trust reserves the right to verify these representations at its discretion, but will typically require verification with respect to a redemption request from the Fund in connection with higher levels of redemption activity and/or short interest in the fund. If the Authorized Participant, upon receipt of a verification request, does not provide sufficient verification of its representations as determined by the Trust, the redemption request will not be considered to have been received in proper form and may be rejected by the Trust.

 

Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status in order to receive Fund Securities.

 

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

 

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (1) for any period during which the New York Stock Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the New York Stock Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the securities owned by the Fund or determination of the NAV of the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.

 

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DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

 

Net asset value, or NAV, per Share for the Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of Shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated by the Custodian and determined at the close of the regular trading session on the Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day that such exchange is open, provided that fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early closing time.

 

In calculating the Fund’s NAV per Share, the Fund’s investments are generally valued using market valuations. A market valuation generally means a valuation (i) obtained from an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer) or (ii) based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer). In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation means such fund’s published NAV per share. The Sub-Adviser may use various pricing services, or discontinue the use of any pricing service, as approved by the Board from time to time. A price obtained from a pricing service based on such pricing service’s valuation matrix may be considered a market valuation. Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.

 

In the event that current market valuations are not readily available or such valuations do not reflect current market value, the Trust’s procedures require the Valuation Committee to determine a security’s fair value if a market price is not readily available. In determining such value the Valuation Committee may consider, among other things, (i) price comparisons among multiple sources, (ii) a review of corporate actions and news events, and (iii) a review of relevant financial indicators (e.g., movement in interest rates, market indices, and prices from the Fund’s index provider, if available). In these cases, the Fund’s NAV may reflect certain portfolio securities’ fair values rather than their market prices. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security. In addition, fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate the Fund’s NAV and the prices used by the Fund’s Index. This may result in a difference between the Fund’s performance and the performance of the Fund’s Index. With respect to securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges, the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you will not be able to purchase or sell your Shares.

 

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

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

 

General Policies. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid annually by the Fund. Distributions of remaining net realized capital gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis for the Fund to improve index tracking or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.

 

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Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.

 

The Fund will make additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the Fund, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Internal Revenue Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the Fund’s eligibility for treatment as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

 

Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Fund through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables in order to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares issued by the Trust of the same Fund at NAV per share. Distributions reinvested in additional Shares of the Fund will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional Shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.

 

FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

 

The following is a summary of certain additional U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that supplements the summary in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a comprehensive explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning. The summary is very general, and does not address investors subject to special rules, such as investors who hold shares through an individual retirement account (“IRA”), 401(k) or other tax-advantaged account.

 

The following general discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.

 

Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the application of the provisions of tax law described in this SAI in light of the particular tax situations of the shareholders and regarding specific questions as to federal, state, or local taxes.

 

Regulated Investment Company (RIC) Status. The Fund will seek to qualify and elect to be treated as a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code. By following such a policy, the Fund expects to eliminate or reduce to a nominal amount the federal taxes to which it may be subject. If the Fund qualifies as a RIC, it will generally not be subject to federal income taxes on the net investment income and net realized capital gains that it timely distributes to its shareholders. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.

 

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In order to qualify as a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code, the Fund must distribute annually to its shareholders at least an amount equal to the sum of 90% of the Fund’s net investment company taxable income for such year (including, for this purpose, dividends, taxable interest, and the excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses, less operating expenses), computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction, and at least 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income for such year, if any (the “Distribution Requirement”) and also must meet certain additional requirements. One of these additional requirements for RIC qualification is that the Fund must receive at least 90% of the its gross income each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, 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 with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities, foreign currencies and net income from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “90% Test”). A second requirement for qualification as a RIC is that the Fund must diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year: (a) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with these other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets or 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, including the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership; and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer or the securities (other than the securities of another RIC) of two or more issuers that the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Asset Test”).

 

If the Fund fails to satisfy the 90% Test or the Asset Test, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the Asset Test where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time. In order to be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Asset Test, the Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions are not available to the Fund and it fails to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular corporate income tax rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally would be taxable as ordinary income dividends to its shareholders, subject to the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders and the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income received by noncorporate shareholders. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders. If the Fund determines that it will not qualify for treatment as a RIC, the Fund will establish procedures to reflect the anticipated tax liability in the Fund’s NAV.

 

Although the Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and may distribute its capital gains for any taxable year, the Fund will be subject to federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed.

 

Notwithstanding the Distribution Requirement described above, the Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on undistributed income if it does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of such year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior year’s distribution. For this purpose, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by the Fund and subject to corporate income tax will be considered to have been distributed. The Fund intends to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of this 4% excise tax, but can make no assurances that such tax will be completely eliminated. The Fund may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate Fund investments in order to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Fund to satisfy the requirement for qualification as a RIC.

 

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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. A “qualified late year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as “post-October losses”) and certain other late-year losses.

 

Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC’s net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, a RIC may carry net capital losses from any taxable year forward to offset capital gains in future years. The Fund is permitted to carry net capital losses forward indefinitely. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to shareholders. Generally, the Fund may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if the Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Internal Revenue Code.

 

Taxation of Shareholders. The Fund receives income generally in the form of dividends and interest on investments. This income, plus net short-term capital gains, if any, less expenses incurred in the operation of the Fund, constitutes the Fund’s net investment income from which dividends may be paid to you. Any distributions by the Fund from such income will be taxable to you as ordinary income or at the lower capital gains rates that apply to individuals receiving qualified dividend income, whether you take them in cash or in additional shares.

 

Subject to certain limitations and requirements, dividends reported by the Fund as qualified dividend income will be taxable to non-corporate shareholders at rates of up to 20%. In general, dividends may be reported by the Fund as qualified dividend income if they are paid from dividends received by the Fund on common and preferred stock of U.S. corporations or on stock of certain eligible foreign corporations, provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met by the Fund with respect to the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio. Subject to certain limitations, eligible foreign corporations include those incorporated in possessions of the United States or in certain countries with comprehensive tax treaties with the United States, and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income to the extent that: (i) the shareholder has not held the shares on which the dividend was paid for more than 60 days during the 121-day period that begins on the date that is 60 days before the date on which the shares become “ex-dividend” (which is the day on which declared distributions (dividends or capital gains) are deducted from the Fund’s assets before it calculates the net asset value) with respect to such dividend, (ii) the Fund has not satisfied similar holding period requirements with respect to the securities it holds that paid the dividends distributed to the shareholder), (iii) the shareholder is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to substantially similar or related property, or (iv) the shareholder elects to treat such dividend as investment income under section 163(d)(4)(B) of the Code. Therefore, if you lend your shares in the Fund, such as pursuant to a securities lending arrangement, you may lose the ability to treat dividends (paid while the shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividend income.

 

 43

 

 

Distributions by the Fund of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. Capital gain distributions consisting of the Fund’s net capital gains will be taxable as long-term capital gains for individual shareholders currently set at a maximum rate of 20% regardless of how long you have held your shares in the Fund.

 

In the case of corporate shareholders, the Fund’s distributions (other than capital gain distributions) generally qualify for the dividends-received deduction to the extent such distributions are so reported and do not exceed the gross amount of qualifying dividends received by the Fund for the year. Generally, and subject to certain limitations (including certain holding period limitations), a dividend will be treated as a qualifying dividend if it has been received from a domestic corporation. All such qualifying dividends (including the deducted portion) must be included in your alternative minimum taxable income calculation.

 

The Fund’s participation in loans of securities may affect the amount, timing, and character of distributions to its shareholders. If the Fund participates in a securities lending transaction and receives a payment in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan in a securities lending transaction, such income generally will not constitute qualified dividend income and thus dividends attributable to such income will not be eligible for taxation at the rates applicable to qualified dividend income for individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders.

 

Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by the Fund in October, November or December and payable to shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared. A taxable shareholder may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because the distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of the shareholder’s investment.

 

If the Fund’s distributions exceed its current and accumulated earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made in the taxable year may be treated as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution generally will not be taxable but will reduce the shareholder’s cost basis and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the shares on which the distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in the shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s Shares.

 

The Fund’s shareholders will be notified annually by the Fund (or their broker) as to the federal tax status of all distributions made by the Fund. Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes. Shareholders who have not held Fund Shares for a full year should be aware that the Fund may report and distribute to a shareholder, as ordinary dividends or capital gain dividends, a percentage of income that is not equal to the percentage of the Fund’s ordinary income or net capital gain, respectively, actually earned during the shareholder’s period of investment in the Fund.

 

Sales, Exchange or Redemptions. A sale of Shares or redemption of Creation Units in the Fund may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as capital gain or loss if the Shares are capital assets in the shareholder’s hands, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than 12 months, and short-term capital gain or loss if the Shares are held for 12 months or less. However, if shares on which a shareholder has received a long-term capital gain distribution are subsequently sold, exchanged, or redeemed and such shares have been held for six months or less, any loss recognized will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of the long-term capital gain distribution. In addition, the loss realized on a sale or other disposition of shares will be disallowed to the extent a shareholder repurchases (or enters into a contract or option to repurchase) shares within a period of 61 days (beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of the shares). This loss disallowance rule will apply to shares received through the reinvestment of dividends during the 61-day period. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize gain or loss from the exchange. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. The ability of Authorized Participants to receive a full or partial cash redemption of Creation Units of the Fund may limit the tax efficiency of the Fund. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units and the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), however, may assert that an Authorized Participant may not be permitted to currently deduct losses realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units under the rules governing “wash sales” (for an Authorized Participant which does not mark-to-market its holdings), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

 

 44

 

 

Any gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year and were held as capital assets in the hands of the exchanging Authorized Participant. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Any loss realized upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less should be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gains with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).

 

The Trust on behalf of the Fund has the right to reject an order for a purchase of shares of the Fund if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Internal Revenue Code, the Fund would have a basis in the securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If the Fund does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund, the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) may not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.

 

Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction and whether the wash sales rule applies and when a loss may be deductible.

 

Medicare Tax. U.S. individuals with adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) exceeding certain threshold amounts ($250,000 if married and filing jointly or if considered a “surviving spouse” for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately, and $200,000 in other cases) are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income.” This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts. For these purposes, interest, dividends and certain capital gains (including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares of the Fund or the redemption of Creation Units), among other categories of income, are generally taken into account in computing a shareholder’s net investment income.

 

Taxation of Fund Investments. Certain of the Fund’s investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) that, among other things, may affect the Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC, affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses and, in limited cases, subject the Fund to U.S. federal income tax on income from certain of its foreign securities. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the Fund to mark to market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the RIC Distribution Requirement and for avoiding excise taxes. Accordingly, in order to avoid certain income and excise taxes, the Fund may be required to liquidate its investments at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so. The Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve its qualification for treatment as a RIC.

 

 45

 

 

If the Fund acquires any equity interest in certain foreign investment entities (i) that receive at least 75% of their annual gross income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties, or capital gains) or (ii) where at least 50% of the corporation’s assets (computed based on average fair market value) either produce or are held for the production of passive income (“passive foreign investment companies” or “PFICs”), the Fund will generally be subject to one of the following special tax regimes: (i) the Fund may be liable for U.S. federal income tax, and an additional interest charge, on a portion of any “excess distribution” from such foreign entity or any gain from the disposition of such shares, even if the entire distribution or gain is paid out by the Fund as a dividend to its shareholders; (ii) if the Fund were able and elected to treat a PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” or “QEF,” the Fund would be required each year to include in income, and distribute to shareholders in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above, the Fund’s pro rata share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the PFIC, whether or not such earnings or gains are distributed to the Fund; or (iii) the Fund may be entitled to mark-to-market annually shares of the PFIC, and in such event would be required to distribute to shareholders any such mark-to-market gains in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above. The Fund intends to make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional steps that are necessary to mitigate the effect of these rules. The Fund may limit and/or manage its holdings in passive foreign investment companies to limit its tax liability or maximize its return from these investments.

 

The Fund may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries, including taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains with respect to any investments in those countries. Any such taxes would, if imposed, reduce the yield on or return from those investments. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases. If more than 50 percent of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the close of any taxable year consists of certain foreign securities, then the Fund will be eligible to and intends to file and election with the IRS that may enable shareholders, in effect, to receive either the benefit of a foreign tax credit, or a deduction from such taxes, with respect to any foreign and U.S. possessions income taxes paid by the Fund, subject to certain limitations. Pursuant to the election, the Fund will treat those taxes as dividends paid to its shareholders. Each such shareholder will be required to include a proportionate share of those taxes in gross income as income received from a foreign source and must treat the amount so included as if the shareholder had paid the foreign tax directly. The shareholder may then either deduct the taxes deemed paid by him or her in computing his or her taxable income or, alternatively, use the foregoing information in calculating any foreign tax credit they may be entitled to use against the shareholders’ federal income tax. If the Fund makes the election, the Fund (or its administrative agent) will report annually to its shareholders the respective amounts per share of the Fund’s income from sources within, and taxes paid to, foreign countries and U.S. possessions.

 

Backup Withholding. The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) at a 28% withholding rate and remit to the U.S. Treasury the withheld amount of taxable dividends paid to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is not subject to backup withholding; or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is 28%.

 

 46

 

 

Foreign Shareholders. Any foreign shareholders in the Fund may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are encouraged to consult their tax advisors prior to investing in the Fund. Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from the Fund. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from the Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.

 

Unless certain non-U.S. entities that hold Fund Shares comply with IRS requirements that generally require them to report information regarding U.S. persons investing in, or holding accounts with, such entities, a 30% withholding tax may apply to Fund distributions payable to such entities and may apply to redemptions and certain capital gain dividends payable to such entities after December 31, 2018. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.

 

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

 

Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k)s, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Under current law, the Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, the tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of an investment in the Fund where, for example: (i) the Fund invests in residual interests of Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits (“REMICs”), (ii) the Fund invests in a REIT that is a taxable mortgage pool (“TMP”) or that has a subsidiary that is a TMP or that invests in the residual interest of a REMIC, or (iii) shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisor. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult their tax advisors regarding these issues.

 

 47

 

 

Certain Potential Tax Reporting Requirements. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. A shareholder who fails to make the required disclosure to the IRS may be subject to substantial penalties. 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 advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

 

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

 

State Taxes. Depending upon state and local law, distributions by the Fund to its shareholders and the ownership of such shares may be subject to state and local taxes. Rules of state and local taxation of dividend and capital gains distributions from RICs often differ from the rules for federal income taxation described above. It is expected that the Fund will not be liable for any corporate excise, income or franchise tax in Delaware if it qualifies as a RIC for federal income tax purposes.

 

The Fund’s shares held in a tax-qualified retirement account will generally not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distributions from the Fund until a shareholder begins receiving payments from their retirement account.

 

The foregoing discussion is based on U.S. federal tax laws and regulations which are in effect on the date of this SAI. Such laws and regulations may be changed by legislative or administrative action. Shareholders are advised to consult their tax advisers concerning their specific situations and the application of federal, state, local and foreign taxes.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The Fund’s audited financial statements for the fiscal period ended April 30, 2018, including notes thereto and the report of Cohen & Company, Ltd, the Fund’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, are incorporated by reference into this SAI.

 

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Exhibit A

 

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC

Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures

 

Introduction

 

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (“ETC”) recognizes that proxies for companies whose securities are held in client portfolios have an economic value, and it seeks to maximize that economic value by ensuring that votes are cast in a manner that it believes to be in the best interest of the affected clients. Proxies are considered client assets and are to be managed with the same care, skill and diligence as all other client assets.

 

Proxy Voting Policies

 

Proxy voting will be conducted by either ETC or the sub-advisers.1 To the extent that ETC is responsible for proxy voting, ETC has engaged Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”), to provide research on proxy matters and voting recommendations, and to cast votes on behalf of ETC. ISS executes and maintains appropriate records related to the proxy voting process, and ETC has access to those records. ETC maintains records of differences, if any, between this Policy and the actual votes cast. ETC may, in the future, decide to engage a different proxy advisory firm.

 

ETC has reviewed ISS’s voting guidelines and has determined that those guidelines provide guidance in the best interest of ETC’s clients. This Policy and ISS’s proxy voting guidelines will be reviewed at least annually. This review will include, but will not necessarily be limited to, any proxy voting issues that may have arisen or any material conflicts of interest that were identified and the steps that were taken to resolve those conflicts.

 

There may be times when ETC believes that the best interests of the client will be better served if ETC votes a proxy counter to ISS’s guidelines pertaining to the matter to be voted upon. In those cases, ETC will generally review the research provided by ISS on the particular issue, and it may also conduct its own research or solicit additional research from another third party on the issue. After considering this information and, as necessary, discussing the issue with other relevant parties, ETC will determine how to vote on the issue in a manner which ETC believes is consistent with this Policy and in the best interests of the client.

 

Each sub-adviser’s proxy voting policies and procedures have been approved by the Trusts’ Board of Trustees and when a sub-adviser has been delegated authority to vote a proxy, it will vote such proxy in accordance with the approved proxy voting policies and procedures.

 

In addition, the sub-advisers may engage the services of an independent third party (“Proxy Firm”) to cast proxy votes according to the sub-advisers’ established guidelines. ETC has deemed in the best interest of clients to permit a sub-adviser the authority to cast proxy votes in accordance with the proxy voting policies submitted by that firm and approved by the Trusts’ Board of Trustees. The sub-adviser must promptly notify ETC of any proxy votes that are not voted consistently with the guidelines set forth in its policy.

 

Conflict of Interest Identification and Resolution

 

Although ETC does not believe that conflicts of interest will generally arise in connection with its proxy voting policies, ETC seeks to minimize the potential for conflict by utilizing the services of ISS to provide voting recommendations that are consistent with relevant regulatory requirements. Occasions may arise during the analysis and voting process in which the best financial interests of clients might conflict with the interests of ISS. ISS has developed a “separation wall” as security between its proxy recommendation service and the other services it and its affiliated companies provide to clients who may also be a portfolio company for which proxies are solicited.

 

 

1 As of the date of the last revision to this Policy, ETC’s only clients are the series (or portfolios) of Exchange Traded Concepts Trust, Exchange Listed Funds Trust, and ETF Series Solutions (the “Trusts”) for which ETC serves as investment adviser. ETC has engaged one or more sub-advisers for such series.  For some series, ETC is responsible for voting proxies and, for the remaining series, a sub-adviser is responsible for proxy voting. 

 

 A-1

 

 

In resolving a conflict, ETC may decide to take one of the following courses of action: (1) determine that the conflict or potential conflict is not material, (2) request that disclosure be made to clients for whom proxies will be voted to disclose the conflict of interest and the recommended proxy vote and to obtain consent from such clients, (3) ETC may vote the proxy or engage an independent third-party or fiduciary to determine how the proxies should be voted, (4) abstain from voting or (5) take another course of action that adequately addresses the potential for conflict. Employees are required to report to the CCO any attempted or actual improper influence regarding proxy voting.

 

ETC will provide clients a copy of the complete Policy. ETC will also provide to clients, upon request, information on how their securities were voted.

 

Proxy Voting Operational Procedures

 

Reconciliation Process

 

Each account’s custodian provides holdings to ISS on a daily basis. Proxy materials are sent to ISS, which verifies that materials for future shareholder meetings are received for each record date position. ISS researches and resolves situations where expected proxy materials have not been received. ISS also notifies ETC of any proxy materials received that were not expected.

 

Voting Identified Proxies

 

A proxy is identified when it is reported through the ISS automated system or when a custodian bank notifies ISS of its existence. As a general rule, ETC votes all proxies that it is entitled to vote that are identified within the solicitation period. ETC may apply a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether to vote a proxy. For example, if ETC is required to re-register shares of a company in order to vote a proxy and that re-registration process imposes trading and transfer restrictions on the shares, commonly referred to as “blocking,” ETC generally abstains from voting that proxy.

 

Although not necessarily an exhaustive list, other instances in which ETC may be unable or may determine not to vote a proxy are as follows: (1) situations where the underlying securities have been lent out pursuant to an account’s participation in a securities lending program and the cost-benefit ETC analysis indicates that the cost to recall the security outweighs the benefit; (2) instances when proxy materials are not delivered or are delivered in a manner that does not provide ETC sufficient time to analyze the proxy and make an informed decision by the voting deadline; and (3) occasions when required local-market documentation cannot be filed and approved prior to the proxy voting deadline.

 

Proxy Oversight Procedures

 

In order to fulfill its oversight responsibilities related to the use of a proxy advisory firm, ETC will conduct a due diligence review of ISS annually and requests, at a minimum, the following information:

 

ISS’ Policies, Procedures and Practices Regarding Potential Conflicts of Interest

ISS’ Regulatory Code of Ethics

The most recent SSAE 16 report of ISS controls conducted by an independent auditor (if available)

ISS’ Form ADV Part 2 to determine whether ISS disclosed any new potential conflicts of interest

 

 A-2

 

 

On a quarterly basis, ETC will request from ISS a certification indicating that all proxies were voted and voted in accordance with pre-determined guidelines and a summary of any material changes to the firm’s policies and procedures designed to address conflicts of interest. In addition, a Proxy Voting Record Report is reviewed by ETC on a periodic basis. The Proxy Voting Record Report includes all proxies that were voted during a period of time.

 

In order to fulfill its oversight responsibilities when a sub-adviser is responsible for voting proxies, ETC will request a certification of compliance and completion and review the sub-advisers’ Proxy Voting Record Report on a periodic basis.

 

Maintenance of Proxy Voting Records

 

The following records are maintained for a period of five years, with records being maintained for the first two years on site:

 

These policy and procedures, and any amendments thereto;

Each proxy statement (the majority of which are maintained on a third-party automated system);

Record of each vote cast;

Documentation, if any, created by ETC that was material to making a decision how to vote proxies on behalf of a client or that memorializes the basis for a decision;

Various reports related to the above procedures; and

Each written client request for information and a copy of any written response by ETC to a client’s written or oral request for information.

 

 A-3

 

 

PART C: OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 28.Exhibits

 

(a)(1)Certificate of Trust of Exchange Listed Funds Trust (formerly, Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II)  (the “Registrant” or the “Trust”) dated April 3, 2012, as filed with the state of Delaware on April 4, 2012, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(1) of the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-12-023014 on April 20, 2012.

 

(a)(2)Certificate of Amendment, dated June 2, 2015, to the Certificate of Trust dated April 3, 2012, as filed with the State of Delaware on June 2, 2015, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 16 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No 0001398344-15-003746 on June 5, 2015.

 

(a)(3)Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated September 10, 2012 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(2) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-12-050445 on September 10, 2012.

 

(b)(1)Registrant’s By-Laws are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (b) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-12-050445 on September 10, 2012.

 

(b)(2)Registrant’s By-Laws, as amended December 5, 2013, are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (b)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-14-000396 on January 27, 2014.

 

(c)Not applicable.

 

(d)(1)Advisory Agreement dated June 12, 2015 between the Registrant and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Advisory Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 40 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-003605 on March 16, 2017.

 

(d)(2)Revised Schedule A to the Advisory Agreement is filed herewith.

 

(d)(3)Revised Schedule A, reflecting the addition of the QJ ETF and InsightShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF, to the Advisory Agreement to be filed by amendment.

 

(d)(4)Sub-Advisory Agreement dated July 6, 2015 between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and Penserra Capital Management LLC (the “Penserra Capital Sub-Advisory Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-16-010712 on March 4, 2016.

 

 1

 

 

(d)(5)Revised Schedule A, dated December 14, 2017, to the Penserra Capital Sub-Advisory Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-015888 on December 15, 2017.

 

(d)(6)Sub-Advisory Agreement dated December 1, 2016 between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and Vident Investment Advisory, LLC (the “Vident Sub-Advisory Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 48 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR on August 28, 2017.

 

(d)(7)Revised Schedule A, effective May 3, 2018, to the Vident Sub-Advisory Agreement is filed herewith.

 

(d)(8)Revised Schedule A to the Vident Sub-Advisory Agreement, reflecting the addition of the QJ ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

(d)(9)Sub-Advisory Agreement dated March 15, 2017 between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and Saba Capital Management, L.P. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 48 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR on August 28, 2017.

 

(d)(10)Sub-Advisory Agreement dated June 21, 2018 between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and Peritus I Asset Management, LLC is filed herewith.

 

(d)(11)Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and BKCM, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(11) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 94 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-18-006938 on May 7, 2018.

 

(d)(12)Sub-Advisory Agreement between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and [Sub-Adviser], relating to the InsightShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

(e)(1)ETF Distribution Agreement dated May 31, 2017 between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Amended ETF Distribution Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-008378 on July 7, 2017.

 

(e)(2)First Amendment, dated June 1, 2017, to the Amended ETF Distribution Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 48 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR on August 28, 2017.

 

(e)(3)Second Amendment, dated December 14, 2017, to the Amended ETF Distribution Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-015888 on December 15, 2017.

 

(e)(4)Third Amendment, dated January 3, 2018, to the Amended ETF Distribution Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-18-000676 on January 17, 2018.

 

 2

 

 

(e)(5)Form of Fourth Amendment to the Amended ETF Distribution Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 7E of Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 (File No. 333-223505), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-18-005552 on April 13, 2018.

 

(e)(6)Fifth Amendment, dated May 1, 2018, to the Amended ETF Distribution Agreement is filed herewith.

 

(e)(7)Sixth Amendment, dated June 18, 2018, to the Amended ETF Distribution Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 104 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001615774-18-005583 on June 22, 2018.

 

(e)(8)Amendment, reflecting the addition of the QJ ETF and InsightShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF, to the Amended ETF Distribution Agreement to be filed by amendment.

 

(e)(9)ETF Distribution Agreement dated May 23, 2013 between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(1) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-13-002713 on June 3, 2013.

 

(e)(10)Form of Participant Agreement between Foreside Fund Services, LLC and Citibank, N.A. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-13-002986 on June 28, 2013.

 

(e)(11)Authorized Participant Agreement dated July 6, 2015 between Foreside Fund Services, LLC and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 32 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-16-016806 on August 15, 2016.

 

(f)Not applicable.

 

(g)(1)Custody Agreement dated June 19, 2015 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon (the “BNY Custody Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-16-010712 on March 4, 2016.

 

(g)(2)Amendment to Schedule II, dated May 1, 2018, to the BNY Custody Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 94 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-18-006938 on May 7, 2018.

 

(g)(3)Amendment to Schedule II, reflecting the addition of the QJ ETF, to the BNY Custody Agreement to be filed by amendment.

 

 3

 

 

(g)(4)Foreign Custody Manager Agreement dated June 19, 2015 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon (the “BNY Foreign Custody Manager Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-16-010712 on March 4, 2016.

 

(g)(5)Amendment to Annex I, dated May 1, 2018, to the BNY Foreign Custody Manager Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 94 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-18-006938 on May 7, 2018.

 

(g)(6)Amendment to Annex I, reflecting the addition of the QJ ETF, to the BNY Foreign Custody Manager Agreement to be filed by amendment.

 

(h)(1)Administration Agreement dated June 19, 2015 between the Registrant and UMB Fund Services, Inc. (the “UMB Administration Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-16-010712 on March 4, 2016.

 

(h)(2)Second Amended and Restated Schedule A, dated February 28, 2017, to the UMB Administration Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 48 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR on August 28, 2017.

 

(h)(3)Third Amended and Restated Schedule A, dated May 23, 2017, to the UMB Administration Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-008378 on July 7, 2017.

 

(h)(4)Fourth Amended and Restated Schedule A, dated September 25, 2017, to the UMB Administration Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-015888 on December 15, 2017.

 

(h)(5)Fifth Amended and Restated Schedule A, effective as of December 7, 2017, to the UMB Administration Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-18-000676 on January 17, 2018.

 

(h)(6)Sixth Amended and Restated Schedule A, effective as of March 27, 2018, to the UMB Administration Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 104 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001615774-18-005583 on June 22, 2018.

 

(h)(7)Revised Schedule A, reflecting the addition of the QJ ETF and InsightShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF, to the UMB Administration Agreement to be filed by amendment.

 

 4

 

 

(h)(8)Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement dated June 19, 2015 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon (the “BNY Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-16-010712 on March 4, 2016.

 

(h)(9)Amendment to Exhibit A, dated May 1, 2018, to the BNY Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(9) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 94 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-18-006938 on May 7, 2018.

 

(h)(10)Amendment to Exhibit A, reflecting the addition of the QJ ETF, to the BNY Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement to be filed by amendment.

 

(h)(11)Transfer Agency and Service Agreement dated June 19, 2015 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon (the “BNY Transfer Agency and Service Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-16-010712 on March 4, 2016.

 

(h)(12)Amendment to Appendix A, dated May 1, 2018, to the BNY Transfer Agency and Service Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(12) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 94 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-18-006938 on May 7, 2018.

 

(h)(13)Amendment to Appendix A, reflecting the addition of the QJ ETF, to the BNY Transfer Agency and Service Agreement to be filed by amendment.

 

(h)(14)Sub-License Agreement dated February 24, 2017 between the Registrant and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, relating to the ProSports Sponsors ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(12) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-008378 on July 7, 2017.

 

(h)(15)Sub-License Agreement dated December 14, 2017 between the Registrant and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, relating to the James Biblically Responsible Investment ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(15) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-016169 on December 22, 2017.

 

(h)(16)Sub-License Agreement dated November 7, 2017 between the Registrant and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, relating to the InsightShares LGBT Employment Equality ETF and InsightShares Patriotic Employers ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(15) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-18-000676 on January 17, 2018.

 

(h)(17)Sub-License Agreement between the Registrant and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, relating to The WEAR ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

 5

 

 

(h)(18)Sub-License Agreement between the Registrant and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, relating to the QJ ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

(h)(19)Sub-License Agreement between the Registrant and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, relating to the InsightShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

(h)(20)Fee Waiver Agreement dated May 3, 2018, relating to the REX BKCM ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(19) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 94 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-18-006938 on May 7, 2018.

 

(h)(21)Investment Management Agreement dated May 3, 2018 by and between the REX BKCM Subsidiary I and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC is filed herewith.

 

(h)(22)Sub-Advisory Agreement dated May 3, 2018 by and between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and Vident Investment Advisory, LLC, with respect to the REX BKCM Subsidiary I, is filed herewith.

 

(h)(23)Sub-Advisory Agreement dated May 3, 2018 by and between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and BKCM, LLC, with respect to the REX BKCM Subsidiary I, is filed herewith.

 

(i)(1)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the Knowledge Leaders Developed World ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 16 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No 0001398344-15-003746 on June 5, 2015.

 

(i)(2)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, relating to The WEAR ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 32 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-16-016806 on August 15, 2016.

 

(i)(3)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, relating to Saba Closed-End Funds ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 40 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-003605 on March 16, 2017.

 

(i)(4)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, relating to the ProSports Sponsors ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-008378 on July 7, 2017.

 

(i)(5)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, relating to the James Biblically Responsible Investment ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-015888 on December 15, 2017.

 

(i)(6)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, relating to the InsightShares LGBT Employment Equality ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 69 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-18-000351 on January 9, 2018.

 

 6

 

 

(i)(7)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, relating to the InsightShares Patriotic Employers ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-18-000676 on January 17, 2018.

 

(i)(8)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, relating to the REX BKCM ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(8) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 94 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-18-006938 on May 7, 2018.

 

(i)(9)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, relating to the Peritus High Yield ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(9) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 104 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001615774-18-005583 on June 22, 2018.

 

(i)(10)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, relating to the QJ ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

(i)(11)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, relating to the InsightShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

(j)Consent of independent registered public accountants, Cohen & Company Ltd., to be filed by amendment.

 

(k)Not applicable.

 

(l)Seed Capital Subscription Agreement dated May 21, 2013 between the Registrant and Horizons ETFs Management (USA) LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (l) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-13-002713 on June 3, 2013.

 

(m)(1)Distribution and Service Plan adopted September 26, 2012, as revised (the “Distribution and Service Plan”), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (m)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 40 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-003605 on March 16, 2017.

 

(m)(2)Revised Exhibit A to the Distribution and Service Plan is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (m)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 104 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001615774-18-005583 on June 22, 2018.

 

(m)(3)Revised Exhibit A, reflecting the addition of the QJ ETF and InsightShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF, to the Distribution and Service Plan to be filed by amendment.

 

 7

 

 

(n)Not applicable.

 

(o)Not applicable.

 

(p)(1)Code of Ethics of the Registrant is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(1) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-13-002713 on June 3, 2013.

 

(p)(2)Code of Ethics of Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC dated March 2017 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-015888 on December 15, 2017.

 

(p)(3)Code of Ethics of Penserra Capital Management LLC dated March 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-015888 on December 15, 2017.

 

(p)(4)Code of Ethics of Vident Investment Advisory, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 34 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-2270), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-16-017495 on August 26, 2016.

 

(p)(5)Code of Ethics of Saba Capital Management, L.P. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 40 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-003605 on March 16, 2017.

 

(p)(6)Code of Ethics of Foreside Financial Group, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-13-002986 on June 28, 2013.

 

(p)(7)Code of Ethics of BKCM LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 94 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-18-006938 on May 7, 2018.

 

(p)(8)Code of Ethics of Peritus I Asset Management, LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 17P of Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 (File No. 333-223505), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-18-005552 on April 13, 2018.

 

(q)Powers of Attorney for Messrs. Kurt A. Wolfgruber, David M. Mahle, Richard Hogan and Timothy J. Jacoby, dated March 27, 2018 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (q) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 84 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-18-005008 on March 30, 2018.

 

 8

 

 

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

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 30.Indemnification

 

The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrongdoing of any officer, agent, employee, adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee, and, subject to the provisions of the By-Laws, the Trust out of its assets may indemnify and hold harmless each and every Trustee and officer of the Trust from and against any and all claims, demands, costs, losses, expenses, and damages whatsoever arising out of or related to such Trustee’s or officer’s performance of his or her duties as a Trustee or officer of the Trust; provided that nothing herein contained shall indemnify, hold harmless or protect any Trustee or officer from or against any liability to the Trust or any Shareholder to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.

 

Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and every other act or thing whatsoever issued, executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust or the Trustees or any of them in connection with the Trust shall be conclusively deemed to have been issued, executed or done only in or with respect to their or his or her capacity as Trustees or Trustee, and such Trustees or Trustee shall not be personally liable thereon.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may be permitted to Trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, 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 a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such Trustee, officer, or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

Item 31. Business and other Connections of the Investment Adviser

 

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser for each series of the Trust.  The principal address of the Adviser is 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 207, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120. The Adviser is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

BKCM, LLC (“BKCM”) serves as investment sub-adviser for the Trust’s REX BKCM ETF. The principal address of BKCM is 300 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10022. BKCM is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

Penserra Capital Management LLC (“Penserra Capital”) serves as investment sub-adviser for the Trust’s Knowledge Leaders Developed World ETF and James Biblically Responsible Investment ETF. The principal address of Penserra Capital is 4 Orinda Way, Suite 100-A, Orinda, California 94563. Penserra is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

Peritus I Asset Management, LLC (“Peritus Asset Management”) serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Trust’s Peritus High Yield ETF. The principal address of Peritus Asset Management is 1216 State Street, 4th Floor, Santa Barbara, California 93101. Peritus Asset Management is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

 9

 

 

Saba Capital Management, L.P. (“Saba”) serves as investment sub-adviser for the Trust’s Saba Closed-End Funds ETF.  The principal address of Saba is 405 Lexington Avenue, 58th Floor, New York, New York 10174-7199. Saba is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

Vident Investment Advisory, LLC (“Vident”) serves as investment sub-adviser for the Trust’s The WEAR ETF, ProSports Sponsors ETF, InsightShares LGBT Employment Equality ETF, InsightShares Patriotic Employers ETF, QJ ETF and REX BKCM ETF. The principal address for Vident is 300 Colonial Center Parkway, Suite 330, Roswell, Georgia 30076. Vident is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisory Act of 1940.

 

Any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each director or principal officer of the Adviser, BKCM, Penserra Capital, Peritus Asset Management, Saba, and Vident is or has been, at any time during the last two fiscal years, engaged for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee are as follows:

 

The Adviser

 

Name and Position

with Adviser*

Name of Other Company*

Connection with Other Company*

J. Garrett Stevens

Chief Executive Officer

T.S. Phillips Investments, Inc. Vice President
Phillips Capital Advisors, Inc. Vice President

James J. Baker, Jr.

Treasurer

N/A N/A

 

* Information provided is as of June 20, 2018.

 

BKCM

 

Name and Position with
BKCM*

Name of Other Company*

Connection with Other Company*

Brian Kelly

Chief Executive Officer

 

BKCM, LLC

Verodoim

Tzero

Blockparty

PolyMath

Chief Executive Officer

Advisor

Advisor

Advisor

Advisor

Doug Tyre

Chief Compliance Officer

 

Cipperman Compliance Services LLC Assistant Compliance Director and Chief Compliance Officer

 

* Information provided is as of May 4, 2018.

 

Penserra Capital

 

Name and Position

with Penserra Capital*

Name of Other Company*

Connection

with Other Company*

Dustin Lewellyn, CIO

Penserra Securities LLC

Penserra Transition Management LLC

Employee

Employee

George Madrigal, CEO

Penserra Securities LLC

CEO

 

 10

 

 

Name and Position

with Penserra Capital*

Name of Other Company*

Connection

with Other Company*

Penserra Transition Management LLC

CEO

Anthony Castelli, CCO

Penserra Securities LLC

Penserra Transition Management LLC

CCO and COO

CCO and COO

  

* Information provided is as of March 16, 2018.

 

Peritus Asset Management

 

Name and Position with
Peritus Asset Management*

Name of Other Company* 

Connection with Other Company*

David J. Desmond, COO, CCO American Medical File, Inc. Interim President, Board Member
Desmond Investment Company, Inc. Owner
Ronal Heller, CEO American Medical File, Inc. Board Member
Timothy Gramatovich, CIO Gateway Credit Partners Inc. Financial Consulting, President-Sole Shareholder

 

* Information provided is as of June 20, 2018.

 

Saba

 

Name and Position with
Saba*

Name of Other Company*

Connection with Other Company*

Boaz Weinstein, Portfolio Manager N/A N/A
Pierre Weinstein, Portfolio Manager N/A N/A
Paul Kazarian, Portfolio Manager N/A N/A

 

* Information provided is as of March 16, 2018.

  

Vident

 

Name and Position with Vident*

Name of Other Company*

Connection

with Other Company*

Anne Czizek, CCO

Gordian Compliance Solutions, LLC

Operational Compliance Services, LLC

Sr. Compliance Consultant

Managing Member & Compliance Consultant

 

* Information provided is as of April 18, 2018.

 

 11

 

 

Item 32. Principal Underwriters

 

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.Active Weighting Funds ETF Trust

4.AdvisorShares Trust

5.AmericaFirst Quantitative Funds

6.American Century ETF Trust

7.ARK ETF Trust

8.BP Capital TwinLine Energy Fund, Series of Professionally Managed Portfolios

9.BP Capital TwinLine MLP Fund, Series of Professionally Managed Portfolios

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

11.Bridgeway Funds, Inc.

12.Brinker Capital Destinations Trust

13.Calvert Ultra-Short Duration Income NextShares, Series of Calvert Management Series

14.Center Coast MLP & Infrastructure Fund

15.Center Coast MLP Focus Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust

16.CornerCap Group of Funds

17.Davis Fundamental ETF Trust

18.Direxion Shares ETF Trust

19.Eaton Vance NextShares Trust

20.Eaton Vance NextShares Trust II

21.EIP Investment Trust

22.EntrepreneurShares Series Trust

23.Evanston Alternative Opportunities Fund

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

25.FEG Absolute Access Fund I LLC

26.Fiera Capital Series Trust

27.FlexShares Trust

28.Forum Funds

29.Forum Funds II

30.FQF Trust

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

32.GraniteShares ETF Trust

33.Guinness Atkinson Funds

34.Horizons ETF Trust I (f/k/a Recon Capital Series Trust)

35.Infinity Core Alternative Fund

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

37.Innovator IBD® 50 ETF, Series of Innovator ETFs Trust

38.Innovator IBD® ETF Leaders ETF, Series of Innovator ETFs Trust

39.Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC

40.Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC

41.John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust

42.Manor Investment Funds

43.Miller/Howard Funds Trust

44.Miller/Howard High Income Equity Fund

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

46.MProved Systematic Long-Short Fund, Series Portfolios Trust

47.MProved Systematic Merger Arbitrage Fund, Series Portfolios Trust

 

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48.MProved Systematic Multi-Strategy Fund, Series Portfolios Trust

49.NYSE® Pickens Oil Response™ ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

50.OSI ETF Trust

51.Palmer Square Opportunistic Income Fund

52.Partners Group Private Income Opportunities, LLC

53.PENN Capital Funds Trust

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

55.Pine Grove Alternative Institutional Fund

56.Plan Investment Fund, Inc.

57.PMC Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

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

59.Quaker Investment Trust

60.Ranger Funds Investment Trust

61.Renaissance Capital Greenwich Funds

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

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

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

65.Salient MF Trust

66.SharesPost 100 Fund

67.Sound Shore Fund, Inc.

68.Steben Alternative Investment Funds

69.Steben Select Multi-Strategy Fund

70.Strategy Shares

71.The 504 Fund (f/k/a The Pennant 504 Fund)

72.The Chartwell Funds

73.The Community Development Fund

74.The Relative Value Fund

75.Third Avenue Trust

76.Third Avenue Variable Series Trust

77.TIFF Investment Program

78.Transamerica ETF Trust

79.U.S. Global Investors Funds

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

94.Vivaldi Opportunities Fund

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

96.Wintergreen Fund, Inc.

97.WisdomTree Trust

98.WST Investment Trust

 

 13

 

 

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 Foreside

Positions and Offices with Registrant 

Richard J. Berthy Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101 President, Treasurer and Manager None
Mark A. Fairbanks Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101 Vice President None
Jennifer K. DiValerio 899 Cassatt Road, 400 Berwyn Park, Suite 110, Berwyn, PA 19312 Vice President 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

 

Books or other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, and the rules promulgated thereunder, are maintained as follows:

 

Registrant:

 

c/o Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC

10900 Hefner Point Drive, Suite 207

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120

 

Adviser:

 

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC

10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 207

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma  73120

 

230 Park Avenue

Helmsley Building, Office 142

New York, New York 10169

 

Sub-Advisers:

 

BKCM, LLC

300 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10022

 

 14

 

 

Saba Capital Management, L.P.

405 Lexington Avenue, 58th Floor

New York, New York 10174-7199

 

Penserra Capital Management LLC

4 Orinda Way, 100-A

Orinda, California 94563

 

Peritus I Asset Management, LLC

1216 State Street, 4th Floor

Santa Barbara, California 93101

 

Vident Investment Advisory, LLC

300 Colonial Center Parkway, Suite 330

Roswell, Georgia 30076

 

Distributor:

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100

Portland, Maine 04101

 

Custodians:

 

The Bank of New York

One Wall Street

New York, New York 10286

 

Administrator:

 

UMB Fund Services, Inc.

235 West Galena Street

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212

 

Item 34. Management Services

 

Not Applicable.

 

Item 35. Undertakings

 

Not Applicable.

 

 15

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 105 to Registration Statement No. 333-180871 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the City of Oklahoma City, State of Oklahoma, on this 29th day of June, 2018.

 

  Exchange Listed Funds Trust  
     
  /s/ J. Garrett Stevens  
  J. Garrett Stevens  
  President (Principal Executive Officer)  

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the 1933 Act, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 105 to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacity and on the date indicated.

 

Signature   Title   Date
           
/s/ J. Garrett Stevens   President   June 29, 2018
J. Garrett Stevens        
           
/s/ Christopher Roleke   Treasurer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)   June 29, 2018
Christopher Roleke        
           
*   Trustee   June 29, 2018
Richard Hogan        
           
*   Trustee   June 29, 2018
Kurt A. Wolfgruber        
           
*   Trustee   June 29, 2018
David M. Mahle        
           
*   Trustee   June 29, 2018
Timothy J. Jacoby        
           
* /s/ J. Garrett Stevens        
  J. Garrett Stevens        

 

*Attorney-in-Fact, pursuant to power of attorney.

 

 16

 

 

Exhibit Index

 

Exhibit Number Exhibit
   
EX-99.D.2 Revised Schedule A to the Advisory Agreement
   
EX-99.D.7 Revised Schedule A, effective May 3, 2018, to the Vident Sub-Advisory Agreement
   
EX-99.D.10 Sub-Advisory Agreement dated June 21, 2018 between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and Peritus I Asset Management, LLC
   
EX-99.E.6 Fifth Amendment, dated May 1, 2018, to the Amended ETF Distribution Agreement
   
EX-99.H.21 Investment Management Agreement dated May 3, 2018 by and between the REX BKCM Subsidiary I and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC
   
EX-99.H.22 Sub-Advisory Agreement dated May 3, 2018 by and between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and Vident Investment Advisory, LLC, with respect to the REX BKCM Subsidiary I
   
EX-99.H.23 Sub-Advisory Agreement dated May 3, 2018 by and between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and BKCM, LLC, with respect to the REX BKCM Subsidiary I

 

 17